Micky
I’m glad. You’re the best so you deserve only the best in return.
Nate
Aw Mick. You get that from a romance novel?
How red is your face right now?
Micky
It’s easy to say that over text. I think I’d die if I said that to someone’s face though.
The shower shuts off, and I glance up at Marcos’ bathroom door. He left it cracked open to let out the steam, so I can see a sliver of white towel and brown skin. Trying not to creep, I stare resolutely at my phone and send another message to Micky.
Nate
I’ve got to go, Micky Mouse. My boy is out of the shower.
Micky
You’re not freaking out at all, are you?
Nate
Very minor freakout before.
Solid now.
What’s there to worry about when you’ve got a sexy baseball player as your boyfriend, am I right?
Micky
I’ll talk to you later. Have fun.
I’m just leaning forward to toss my phone on to Marcos’ desk when he opens the bathroom door. The towel is gone and replaced with a pair of silky basketball shorts. He’s not wearing anything else, which makes me far too overdressed. I clear my throat, having a difficult time bringing my eyes up further than his belly button.
“I told my friend Micky you’re my boyfriend, so we’re official now,” I tell Marcos. He chuckles, and walks over to stand in front of me. When he steps in between my legs, my hands automatically reach for his hips. “God, sorry.”
I go to pull away, embarrassed to have already fucked up. Marcos catches my wrists before I can get too far, though, and brings me back in. The moment my skin touches his, I feel a swooping in my belly, like the floor disappeared out from under my feet. It’s a little warm in this room and I am definitely wearing way too much clothing.
“You’re fine,” he tells me. I look up at him to find he’s already watching me. He gives my wrists a little squeeze before letting go and touching my face.
Gently, he cups his palms around my ears and drags his thumbs over my profile like he’s a blind man trying to get a feel for my bone structure. His eyes are serious and intent, giving me all of his attention.
“Tan hermoso,” he whispers. I don’t know what it means, but the reverent way he said it makes me certain it was a compliment. Slowly, I tug him in by the hips until he’s closeenough for me to kiss them—one to each side. His hands slide into my hair as I do, and he doesn’t pull away. I do it again.
I kiss my way down the jut of his hip bones and across his stomach, paying careful attention to the hair leading down to his waistband. I didn’t get a chance to do this either time we’ve been together, and I don’t mean to waste the opportunity I’m being given now. I hold him as close as I can when I stand up, chests brushing together as I wrap an arm around his lower back and kiss him on the lips.
I smile against his mouth, tasting toothpaste on his tongue. He must have brushed his teeth when he was in the bathroom. He pulls on my shirt, and I break away to look down at him. Marcos is only a little shorter than me, which I’m realizing makes him the perfect height.
“Want to take this off?” he asks, giving another tug on the hem of my shirt. As if he even has to ask.
Cupping his face, I kiss him again. Hard. Hard enough to give him some idea of how much I like him, and how into this I am despite his worries when we were chatting in the car.
I strip down so fast I almost elbow him in the face. He laughs and nudges me until I’m on my back in the middle of the bed. Before he crawls on after me, he shucks off his shorts and bends over to help me get free of mine. I prop myself up on my elbows so I can see all of him. The comfortable heat that ignited in my pelvis is a wildfire now, and my heartbeat is almost painful. I twist my fingers together in the sheet to keep from reaching for him. I don’t want to touch him until I’m invited.
Marcos leans over me, and places a few kisses on my legs as he moves up the bed. When he sits up and looks at me, I feel an odd flash of embarrassment. It’s stupid. This isn’t thefirst time we’ve been in this situation, but somehow adding the boyfriend label has made everything feel slightly more important than it did before. Marcos puts a hand on my thigh and carefully slides it up to my hip before retreating once more.
