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"You're ridiculous," Seth said, but he didn't seem as angry as earlier that afternoon. There was some affection in his tone again.
Aiden didn't pause to celebrate his rush of victory; he merely turned and began manfully dragging a reluctant cowboy toward the dance floor, one halting step at a time. The music shifted to an old-school country melody with a steady, rhythmic bass that pounded through the floorboards like a heartbeat. Perfect. He shouldered his way to a place in the back of the crowd where it was darkest, hoping the dim light would put Seth at ease. He knew he was pushing Seth hard, maybe pushing him too far, but it felt like something inside him had snapped. He couldn't abide this distance between them for one more minute. He wanted his friend back.
No, he wanted this new Seth, the one who looked at him like he wanted to eat him alive.
He tugged Seth into line beside him, fingers still tucked into his belt loop, and said, "Come on, cowboy. Even you know the basic steps."
There was a strange gleam in Seth's eyes. "I don't remember," he said stubbornly.
Aiden looked him dead in the eye, refusing to be intimidated by the boy who used to take him fishing before church on lazy summer Sundays. Not even if that boy had turned into a man with violence simmering beneath his skin. "Then just follow my lead," he taunted.
He joined in the chorus, stepping left, then right, then adding in a grapevine and pivot turn with a heel dig at the end. Unless he wanted to cause a scene, Seth had no choice but to follow suit or risk tripping up the other dancers. They moved in unison through the simple pattern a few times, then repeated it and added a shuffle-step, bumping hips as they moved.
Seth might not be a party boy, but he was so familiar with his own body that he was a natural at dancing. He moved with a strength and agility that set him apart from the other dancers. His tense shoulders held perfect dancing form, and his long, denim-clad legs ate up the floor. The woman beside him, some city transplant Aiden barely recognized, scooted close and tried to wrap an arm around his waist.
Aiden leveraged the makeshift leash he'd made of Seth's belt loop and tugged him closer, leaning in to tickle Seth's ear with his breath when he whispered, "Looks like that cougar wants a piece. Should I leave you two alone?"
Seth closed his eyes like he was in pain. A muscle spasmed beneath the late-night stubble on his jaw. When he opened his eyes to look at Aiden, they were full of conflict—and something else. Heat. He'd worn the same hungry, carnivorous look the night he'd helped Aiden in his trailer. The night he’d kissed him.
"You're playing with fire, Doyle," Seth warned in a low hiss. His hand was firm on the small of Aiden's back, drawing him forward until their bodies nearly touched.
Aiden's pulse skyrocketed until he could feel it pounding in his throat. The sexy strain of the bassline dropped away. They weren't dancing anymore. They stood frozen at the end of the dance floor. It felt like the edge of the world. Aiden's senses were overwhelmed by Seth's nearness, the scent of sweat and leather, the hard palm against his back, and the heat radiating from Seth's body.
Aiden wanted. He wanted Seth so desperately that he thought he'd lose his mind. He wanted...
"More."
Seth's control snapped. Without warning, he grabbed Aiden's hips and yanked him flush against his body. Aiden's breath hitched, and he instinctively wrapped one arm around his neck to keep from losing balance. The line of dancers moved on without them, and then Seth was shoving him backward, off the dance floor and into the darkest corner of the pavilion, away from the flare of the bonfires.
Aiden's back connected with a heavy post, knocking the wind out of him just before Seth swooped down and sealed their mouths together.
That stole the rest of his breath.
Chapter Eighteen
AIDEN
Seth's fingers bit into Aiden's hips, hard and bruising, and he ground their pelvises together in a way that left no room for misunderstanding. The iron bulge of Seth's hard cock pressed against Aiden's zipper. The sudden, illicit thrill was electric. It sent a bolt of lightning straight through Aiden's body, frying his synapses and making him quake.
"Is this what you wanted?" Seth's voice was guttural when he tore their mouths apart. His eyes were practically black with lust, and his breath was coming in a frantic pant against Aiden's damp mouth.
Aiden's lips parted, but no sound came out. He licked them nervously, tasting mint, tasting Seth, and then he was being kissed again. Heat rose inside him, and he moaned, a soft, bleating cry like a wounded animal. The sound was instantly caught and muffled by Seth's kiss. Their tongues tangled, stroking, sliding, battling for dominance. Aiden was being devoured from the inside out, and he loved it. He clung to Seth's neck with one arm, sweating and writhing against him, and then slid his free hand down Seth's chest, reveling in the hard muscle and racing heart beneath his palm.
Seth broke the kiss with a vicious curse.
"Not here," he growled, lifting his head to avoid Aiden’s chasing mouth. He sounded raw. Half-crazed.
"Anywhere," Aiden moaned, closing his eyes in agony.
Seth grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him out of the pavilion, propelling him across the field toward the parking lot. They wended their way through a maze of dark, scattered vehicles, moving fast, desperate for every second they could get.
While Seth unlocked his frozen truck, Aiden slipped a hand into the back pocket of his jeans. He greedily cupped the taut muscle of his perfect ass while Seth leaned in and jacked the passenger seat back as far as it could go. Seth climbed inside and grabbed Aiden by the back of the neck, pulling him down on top of him before slamming the door shut and locking it.
Aiden shifted awkwardly, all elbows and knees until Seth caught him by the thighs and forced his legs wide apart to straddle him.
"You drive me crazy, you know that?" Seth's breath was ragged between kissing him. He couldn't seem to let go of Aiden's mouth, not even when he reached between their bodies and uncinched Aiden's buckle.
"Want you so bad," Aiden gasped. "Don't stop this time."
