“Extra toothbrushes?” Shiloh said before he could stop himself, something inside him souring. How many guys did Levi bring there that they needed extra toothbrushes? Plural.
When Levi chuckled, Shiloh sat back to glower at him. Was this funny to him? Shiloh folded his arms, his face forming a pout he couldn’t control. That seemed to only make Levi laugh harder, something that was hard to do with half his face still smooshed into the mattress. “Don’t get jealous, Dimples. They’re not for my guests. I don’t let people sleep over. That’s Nico. He hates being alone. Ever.”
Shiloh’s anger melted. Poor Nico. That was sad.
When he saw Levi staring, he muttered, “I wasn’t jealous.”
“Uh-huh.” Levi gave a sleepy smile. “Hurry back.”
Shiloh rolled off the bed and grabbed Levi’s abandoned underwear, slipping them up his legs, then frowned. He didn’thave anything to wear. He looked back at Levi who was already sleeping once more. He didn’t want to wake him again. Would he care if Shiloh borrowed his clothes? A little thrill shot through him as he remembered Levi’s words from last night. Soulmates. That was what he’d called them. Surely, soulmates wore each other’s clothes?
He quietly opened Levi’s dresser drawers until he found boxers and a t-shirt. He’d figure the rest out when he was clean. He crossed the tiny hall to the open bathroom door, closing and locking it. He quickly located the towel and toothbrush, feeling instantly better with his teeth clean.
Once under the scalding water, he relaxed a little, just letting the spray pound at his aching muscles. He couldn’t stop the stupid smile on his face. He was sore in places he didn’t even know could be sore. His inner thighs hurt, his glutes were killing him. He blushed thinking of Levi on top of him, between his spread legs. Shiloh had never imagined it could be that good, that it could feelthatgood to have another person invade his body like that.
But it had been so different, so unexpected. Nothing like what he’d experienced in his past. Nothing he could ever imagine experiencing again. Having Levi inside him had felt right. Having him fill him up, mark him, use him, had made Shiloh feel whole for the first time ever. If he could find a way for Levi to live inside him forever, he’d let him.
Shiloh leaned back against the tiles and just let the water wash over him, refusing to let the anxiety of what came next ruin this perfect little morning bubble he’d created. Something had shifted between them last night, Shiloh could feel it. There was a trust there, this vulnerability. They’d seen each other at their lowest point and neither was judging. Was that a good thing? Shiloh didn’t know. Maybe it was toxic. That was what peoplecalled relationships that were founded on shaky foundations, right?
It didn’t get any shakier than Levi and Shiloh. But did that make them bad for each other? At dinner last night, Ever told Shiloh he’d spent most of his life in a closet, beaten and abused by a woman who’d forced him to call her Mother when she’d never even bothered to give him a name. Arsen had rescued him…had loved him through all the bad stuff. If it could work for them, couldn’t it work for him and Levi?
Would Levi’s friends accept him as easily as they accepted Ever? Levi’s friends doted on the pink-haired boy. Shiloh could see why. He was this sweet, adorable fairy-like creature. Shiloh…wasn’t? If anything, he was a feral raccoon living with his rabid brother.
Levi’s friends had been nice to him at dinner, including him in conversations, never attempting to shut him out. But would that last? He wanted what Ever had. A little place to live with Levi and Mal. Nico, too, so he never had to be alone. Shiloh suspected Levi and Nico were a package deal, anyway. Which was fine with Shiloh. He and Mal were also a package deal. His brother was a little off, but he was sweet. Hopefully, Nico and Mal got along.
Would Nico be able to tolerate Mal’s weirdness? Nico was so…normal. But he did like the same things Mal liked. Anime, nature documentaries, eating pizza in his underwear. Maybe they could be friends. Or maybe Mal would run as soon as he was free? He was the wildcard, always unpredictable. There was no way to guess what he might do. Ever. Shiloh was almost certain Mal didn’t even know what he planned to do before he did it.
Shiloh forced himself from his thoughts, washing his hair and body as quickly as possible before toweling off and getting changed. He pulled the door open then stopped short, mouth a surprised O as he was confronted by an equally surprised Nico.
“Oh…sorry,” Shiloh said, eyes going wide. “Levi said I could shower. I didn’t take too long, I don’t think. There should still be hot wat?—”
Nico cut him off with a smirk. “I just need to pee. We only have one bathroom.”
Shiloh flushed. “Oh, right. Sorry.”
Nico shook his head, amused. “You don’t have to keep apologizing.”
“Sorry. I mean—” Shiloh cut himself off. Why was he babbling?Just walk away.His mouth had other ideas. “Um, I used one of your toothbrushes. The new ones, obviously, notyourpersonal toothbrush, the ones for your—I mean, the extra ones in the drawer. Levi said it was okay.”
Nico stared at him with wide eyes, then stepped around him. Shiloh’s face was on fire as he started to walk away. He only made it two steps before Nico said, “It seems like you’re gonna be around more. I’ll put your toothbrush with Levi’s, so you know which one is yours.”
“Oh,” Shiloh said, heart skipping. “Thanks.”
Nico shrugged.
Shiloh studied him for a moment, really taking him in. His springy curls, his deceptively angelic face, those large blue eyes. He looked like a muse for some Italian painter from the Renaissance, even wearing nothing more than a pair of baggy black pants. Shiloh’s gaze snagged on the ink at his shoulder. A scorpion. Levi had the same tattoo. Had they had it done together? Did guys get matching tattoos with their best friends?
When he dialed back in, he found Nico watching him stare. “Sor—” He forced himself to not finish the word, then turned on his heel and practically ran back to Levi’s room, desperate to make an escape before he did something even more embarrassing. Once inside Levi’s room, he leaned against the door, letting his eyes fall shut in relief.
“Rough shower, Dimples?” Levi mused.
Shiloh’s eyes flew open and he almost choked on his own tongue. Levi was awake, lounging in the center of the mattress, gloriously naked, one hand behind his head, the other scrolling his phone. He was so hot. It wasn’t a pretty, polished kind of beauty. Levi’s body wasn’t carved from gym workouts and protein shakes. His physique came from working, from doing physical labor.
Levi had soft features hardened by life. His golden skin was a road map of his life experiences. There were scars on his knees, another on the outside of one calf. Various tiny marks on his side that looked like burns. Any others were hidden behind swirls of ink. That was okay; Shiloh had a lifetime to discover every dip and curve of Levi’s body in great detail.
“Whacha looking at?” Levi teased.
Shiloh’s gaze snapped to his, and he blushed. “Nothing.”
