“Nate,” he whimpers. “I’m close.”
“Me too,” I pant. “God, Cas, you feel amazing.”
Every nerve in my body is on fire. I’m hyperaware of every point where our skin touches. The slick slide of our bodies. The heat between us.
Caspian throws his head back, exposing the long line of his throat. I’m transfixed by a bead of sweat trailing down his neck.
“Come for me,” I urge, voice rough with desire.
He meets my eyes, his gaze intense as he bites his lower lip and nods.
The pressure builds. My world narrows to this moment, this man.
“Caspian!” I cry out as my orgasm crashes over me.
He follows a heartbeat later, my name on his lips.
As the waves subside, Caspian collapses onto my chest. I wrap my arms around him, holding him close as we both catch our breath.
We lie tangled together, our ragged breathing slowly returning to normal. Caspian’s weight on my chest is comforting, grounding. I run my fingers through his sweat-dampened hair, marveling at its silky texture.
“That was…” Caspian mumbles against my skin.
“Yeah,” I agree, a lazy grin spreading across my face. “It really was.”
He lifts his head, dark eyes meeting mine. There’s a vulnerability there that makes my heart clench. I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.
“You okay?” I ask quietly.
Caspian’s lips curve into a smile. “More than okay. I’m fantastic. Stupendous. Absolutely peachy.”
I chuckle, the rumble in my chest making him bounce slightly. “Peachy, huh? I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“As you should,” he quips, tracing lazy patterns on my shoulder. “So, what’s next on the agenda, mountain man? More debauchery?”
I pretend to consider it, enjoying the way his eyes narrow playfully. “Tempting, but I was thinking maybe breakfast? I make a mean stack of pancakes.”
“Ooh, breakfast in bed?” Caspian wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “How very domestic of you, Nate Stone.”
“Who said anything about bed?” I tease, sitting up and bringing him with me. “I was thinking we could hit the shower. Save water, you know. For the environment. And then fuel up.”
Caspian laughs, the sound bright and infectious. “Look at you, being all eco-friendly. How can I resist such a noble cause?”
As we disentangle ourselves and start to move, I’m amazed at how easy this feels. The banter, the casual intimacy—it’s all so natural with Caspian. Like we’ve been doing this for years.
The thought sends a jolt of anxiety through me, memories of similar comfortable moments with Addy flooding back. I’d felt this way then too—like everything was falling perfectly into place, like we were meant to be. And look how that turned out. I need to be careful, to guard my heart. Even though Caspian isn’t Addy, and our situations are completely different, I can’t help feeling that familiar fear creeping in. The fear of losing someone else who fits so perfectly into my life.
The warm water cascades over us as we step into the shower, steam rising to fog the glass. Caspian’s back is pressed against my chest, and I can’t resist dropping a kiss on his shoulder.
“Mmm,” he hums contentedly, leaning into me. “This is nice. Though I’m not sure how eco-friendly we’re being if we just stand here like this.”
I chuckle, reaching for the shampoo. “Good point. Let me wash your hair?”
“Such a gentleman,” Caspian teases but tilts his head back obligingly.
As I work the lather through his dark locks, I’m struck by how intimate this feels.
“You know,” Caspian muses, eyes closed as I massage his scalp, “I’ve never had someone wash my hair before. It’s…nice.”
