“Shit, we should get in bed,” he said with a laugh. “I’m getting cold.”
“I guess I’ll have to warm you up then,” Thad said with a crooked smile.
In the bedroom, Thad dug through his suitcase and pulled out a pair of briefs. The really snug kind in a bright red that made Graham suddenly reconsider what he found hot in underwear on men.
Or, really the fact he found underwear on men hot at all. He was learning all sorts of new things about himself these days, wasn’t he?
Graham nodded at the bed as he tugged on his own boxer briefs and sweatpants. “You can get in. I need to take Murphy out for a quick pee since we’ll probably sleep in late tomorrow.”
“Sure. I’ll keep the sheets warm for you.” Thad winked.
To retaliate, Graham reached into Thad’s suitcase and grabbed a hoodie, watching with satisfaction as Thad’s lips parted.
The sweatshirt was a generic Harriers pullover with the hawk logo on the front. Graham had a few like it in his own closet. But this one hung a little loose on him, the shoulders a touch too wide, the sleeves grazing his knuckles instead of his wrists.
“Damn,” Thad whispered, and it was so quiet Graham wondered if he’d meant to say it aloud at all.
He strode over, wrapping an arm around Graham and giving him a deep, filthy kiss he felt all the way down to his toes.
Graham was just reaching for Thad to yank him closer when he pulled away, giving Graham’s ass an affectionate squeeze before he walked back over to the bed.
Lips still tingling from the soft abrasion of Thad’s stubble, Graham’s heart stuttered at the sight of Thad making himself at home. For a moment, he stared as Thad settled onto his bed, plugged in his phone, and got comfortable.
Thad smirked at Graham when he caught him staring. “Better go quickly if you want me to still be awake to warm you up when you get back.”
Heart pounding as he wondered whatthatwould entail, Graham turned away and made a beeline for the door.
Murphy was asleep on the couch, and he made a disgruntled noise when Graham roused him.
“Potty?” he said, walking toward the door. He rattled the leash on the hook by the door and a moment later, Murphy trotted toward him.
After shoving his feet into slides, Graham grabbed his keys and left the apartment. Murphy knew the way to the first-floor courtyard as well as Graham did, so on the elevator ride down and to the exit door, Graham’s mind was free to picture Thad in the shower and in his bed again.
It was … God, this wasgood.
Graham could get used to this. Get used to Thad being in his life this way.
Outside, the air was cool and damp and he shivered as wet grass brushed the bare skin on his feet.
“Make it quick,” he told the dog with a yawn as Murphy nosed at the grass, trying to figure out the best spot to pee in.
Graham hugged the slightly oversized sweatshirt tighter around him, the scent of Thad’s cologne lingering and making him smile.
A part of Graham wished hecouldtell someone about the relationship. If only because he wanted to say how good it was. To gush about how happy and excited for the future he was.
Even if he didn’t know exactly what kind of future that would be.
It had been clearer with the women he’d dated. The obvious path of date for a while, move in together, get engaged, maybe get married and have a couple of kids …
And if he’d felt sort ofambivalentabout some of it over the years, especially the latter part, he’d always figured he was just being smart. Wanting to take it one step at a time.
He was more interested in finding the right relationship, in being in love with someone first, than worrying about the final outcome of all that.
But with Thad, it was murkier. With all the secrecy around their relationship, what would their future look like?
What did Thad even want? He’d been so staunchly anti-relationship before, but now he and Graham were dating and …
Graham felt a wet nose on the top of his foot and yelped. He looked down to see Murphy staring up at him with an expression that seemed to say, “Would you get a move on?”
