Then he leans forward and cups his hands around my mouth. He blows his breath into the space between his hands. The smoke I suck in is warm and sweet and a little sour. I hold it in my own lungs, and my head feels immediately warmer. My eyelids feel heavier as soon as I exhale.
“Did you get some?” I hear his low voice, but my eyes are watering. I can’t see his face.
I cough. And cough.
I feel something plastic pressed against my hand. A water bottle. Through bleary eyes, I see him twist the top off and hold it out. I take it and bring it to my mouth. I gulp until I start to choke. When I lower it, I’m smiling. Grinning.
I feel good. I look at him, to see if I can tell whether he’s feeling as loose as I am. I can’t tell. Too buzzy.
He looks fucking hot with the pipe raised to his lips. I watch his lashes kiss his cheeks, his lips close around the pipe, as he puts the lighter to the bowl again. He holds the flame until the marijuana glows, and his chest expands with a deep breath.
I’m so mesmerized by him, I’m startled when he sets the pipe down and leans toward me. He cups his hands around my face, and I get ready to inhale the smoke he’s going to blow between his palms. I’m utterly unprepared for his mouth covering mine. For his soft, firm lips and the gentle puff of velvet air he blows into my mouth. His tongue strokes the inside of my lip, and pleasure whirrs through me. I fix my lips around his. Take a deep, long drag, pulling smoke from his mouth into my lungs.
My head spins like a moon around a planet.
I take another breath, and find the air is cold. Kellan moved away... while I wasn’t noticing. I cough.
“Cleo...” I hear him smiling, even though my eyes are closed. His hand rests on my lower back.
I blink a few times. Cough some more. I see him smiling down at me, as if I’m viewing him inside a dream. This is dream Kellan. His face looks kinder. More relaxed. Silly perfect Kellan. “Cleo. Are you with me?”
“Maybe.” I squeak. It turns into a giggle. “I like this...”
“Do you?” He’s out in front of me now, smiling his lazy Kellan smile.
I nod, and the room shifts slightly, with its weird heat lamps and forest of green illegal plants. I’m grinning anyway. I laugh, because this shit is funny. “I forgot how much I like it,” I say, leaning forward. “I want to do this every day!”
Kellan, who is sitting cross-legged in front of me, leans toward me, too. We’re having a moment. His eyes are seeing me. So much seeing me. They’re such blue eyes. They’re really watching me. I watch his lips. They’re such good lips. I want him to kiss me.
I realize I’m too tired to be sitting up. I want to lie down. I stroke the towels spread out under me. They feel soft. I try to stretch out on my side and end up flopping onto my stomach. Ungraceful, Cleo! Not winning! My ribs dig into the cement. I roll onto my back. There are fans in the ceiling, too? Between the lamps! I never noticed this. Lights and fans. It’s cold here on the floor.
I need to find a new position.
Kellan must have ESP, because here he is. He lifts me up, he lays me against him, he lowers my head into his lap. He’s sitting cross-legged. My cheek is on his hard, hard thigh. His arm goes around me, just below my breasts, and his other hand sifts through my hair. I feel like high school on that field trip to the Atlanta Zoo with Alan McIntire. But this is better. Mmm, it’s really better.
His fingers play along my hairline. I moan maybe. I’m not sure. It’s hard to pay attention.
His fingers trail along my side. They go under my shirt! Oh my God, the goose bumps.
“Ohhh yes. Mmmm.”
His hand spans my ribcage. It’s a big hand. Strong but... really good at being soft. He traces my ribs with his fingertips.
I feel warm and tired and great.
His mouth is on mine. I didn’t even see it coming. It’s hot and soft and tastes like smoke. I pant against his lips.
“Cleo.” He pushes the word into my mouth, then pulls away and nips my neck.
I grab his hair. He moans. I drag his mouth back up to mine. Our lips and tongues and teeth. I don’t know how. I kiss him hard, as if there’s someone else controlling me.
He’s stroking my breasts, but that’s not what I want. I push him away and roll over on my stomach. I push myself up on my arms. I’m smiling at him. He’s looking serious. Angsty. I kind of want to giggle.
Instead, I lean over his lap... and he uncrosses his legs. His face is rapt. His eyes are pools of darkest blue.
I reach for his dick and find it through his slacks. I grab and squeeze.
“CHRIST...”