Sky set down the beer before he dropped onto the bed, then fell back on the pillows and stared at the message. What the hell did that mean?
Skylar Sutton: Okay… Thanks?
He placed his phone on his chest and rested his hands on it, pondering the meaning of an oasis in the desert.
In the desert. The dick desert?
“Oh! Fuck!”
Chapter Fifteen
The phone flipped onto the bed when Sky jumped up. He snatched it off the duvet and swiped and found the Grindr app in the back of the games folder and opened it. There was a delay as it uploaded and searched the area and Sky swore when a new profile appeared on the “Who’s Nearby” collage. The profile picture showed just a hint of a beard, a fit, furry chest, and sculptedabs.
“Oh. My. God.”
There were more pictures. All of Sky’s instincts warned him—ordered him—not to look but his hands were not listening. His thumb swiped and swiped as Sky’s eyes grew wider and wider and a piece of his soul died when he paused on a shot of a sweaty lower torso and a tantalizing view of a sculpted Adonis belt and a suggestivelystickyhappy trail.
Sky stared until his eyes burned.
“Nooooooo...” He refused to believe it was Mason and fumbled the phone again when he swiped to the next picture. “Holy Mother of—! What isthat?”
It was salaciously cropped to show off a pair of thick, hair-dusted thighs inwet, white boxers. They were transparent and Sky’s hands betrayed him again by enlarging the image so he could inspect every detail of the very large bulge running down the right thigh. Sky had touched Mason’s hard-on in the dark and knew it was big but holy hell, he washung.
“My eyes!” Sky whimpered and dropped the phone on the bed.
My hole!
It clenched and Sky swore at the needy ache in his core. If it was anyone other than Mason and they wereanywhereelse… As far as Sky was concerned,hehad no reason to be ashamed if he was caught on a hookup app. Everyone already knew that he was gay and a loose lady, but it would be the scandal of the century if Mason was caught on Grindr. Especially if they were caught at the same time, in practically the same location.
He heard the notification that he had a new message and felt a pang of dread. What was Mason doing? Was he about to tease Sky for catching him on Grindr? Would Mason laugh at him for looking?
Sky didn’t need to look at his own pictures to know that Mason probably wasn’t impressed. There were only three and they were just random shots of Sky in front of his bedroom mirror, in a library, and on the train. He hadn’t hidden his face because he wanted to show them exactly what they were getting: a tall, respectably fit guy in ripped-up jeans, two T-shirts, and a flannel.
He only used Grindr when he was between crappy relationships and didn’t want to deal with the social and sensory nightmare of being in a bar or a club. It wasn’t that hard to get laid in Brooklyn and the pictures on Sky’s profile were just enough to prove he wasn’t a bot or a catfish. That usually worked for anyone who was horny and within walking distance. Now, those bland photos made Sky feel even more inadequate. Maybe that was why Mason had messaged him.
“I thought high school was hell but this could be worse,” Sky said under his breath as he opened it, then did a double take.
“What the fuck?” Sky whispered. “Hey handsome?”
By now, Sky’s over-analytical brain was screaming that this was a trap and to run away.Nothinggood would come out of them communicating over a hookup app and if Sky had just one ounce of common sense or a smidge of self-preservation he would promptly toss his phone out of the window and pack his bags.
“Don’t do this!” he told himself while typing a response.
“There. At least I played it cool and did the responsible thing.”
He gave the phone a proper nod and was about to close the app but a response popped up. And then another.
“Fun? This is not fun or cute, Mason. This is dangerous and wrong and will be harmful to my mental health.”
Then, there was another response. It was definitely reckless and Sky heard sirens.
“Oh no, no, no! That’sbadand this isdefinitely harming me.”
But what did Sky’s stupid fingers type?
“Please say something boring or silly,” he begged Mason.
His next message was not boring or silly.