His hand touches mine, lighter than a feather, as he grabs my shades and puts them on his face. Damn, they look good on him.
“Consider negotiations open.”
I swallow hard, caught off guard by his boldness.
He raises a hand holding a small bag, reaches inside it with his other hand, and takes out an apple cinnamon donut. I don’t need to see his eyes to know they’re on me as he takes a bite of the donut.
The way he groans when he tastes the donut goes straight to my dick. “I had to see for myself what the fuss was all about.”
As he walks away, every bone in my body wants to chase after him. Instead, I watch him disappear into the crowd.
“Did you see that, guys?” Luca asks into comms.
My attention is pulled back to work as I look for the threat, but when I spot Luca watching me from his station a few meters away from the prince, I try to keep my face as expressionless as possible.
“Saw it,” Gabriel replies. “That’s the owner of the joggers and T-shirt. I’m betting a whole box of donuts on it.”
I ignore them as I resume my post. These guys are my dudes. I will tell them about Benedict…when I know exactly what’s happening. For now, I’m feeling protective of him and whatever this thing between us is.
One thing I do know. I’m returning his clothes soon—as in today.
The sun’s barely dipped below the horizon when I find myself standing outside Benedict’s cottage, my heart doing backflips. I take a deep breath, steeling my nerves before rapping my knuckles against the sturdy wooden door.
A moment passes, then another. The door swings open just as I’m contemplating whether I should knock again or cut my losses. Benedict’s eyes widen, surprise etched across his features.
“Zeke,” he says, leaning casually against the doorframe. “What a surprise.”
I flash my most charming grin, trying to mask the butterflies in my stomach. “I, uh, hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Benedict’s lips quirk into a smile. “Not at all. Come in,” he says, stepping aside. “I see you’ve mastered the art of using the front door this time.”
I chuckle as I step inside, the warmth of his cottage enveloping me. “What can I say? I’m a fast learner.”
Once inside, I turn to face him, suddenly hyperaware of how close we are. “I came to return your clothes,” I blurt out, my voice a touch too loud in the quiet space.
Benedict’s eyes dance with amusement. “Oh? Usually, when people return borrowed clothes, they don’t come wearing them.”
I glance down at myself. Heat creeps up my neck as I shrug. “My bad.”
Grabbing the hem of the T-shirt, I pull it over my head. The cool air hits my skin, and I’m acutely aware of Benedict’s gaze.
As I start to push down the joggers, my cock, already half-hard, springs free. It’s impossible to hide my arousal now, not that I want to. I knew exactly what I was doing when I came.
Benedict’s eyes darken, his breath catching. He steps close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off his body. His hand reaches out, fingers brushing against mine.
“How will you get home without clothes?”
“I guess that’s a future Zeke problem.”
He runs his fingers up my arm and then back down. “Come with me,” he says softly, tugging gently on my hand.
I follow without hesitation, my heart pounding so loudly I’m sure he can hear it as he leads me toward what I assume is his bedroom.
Is he really going along with this? Not many men have ridden the crazy train with me, but as Benedict’s fingers intertwine with mine, all those thoughts fade.
The moment we enter the bedroom, his demeanor shifts. There’s an intense, almost desperate look in his eyes that sends a shiver down my spine. Before I can fully process it, he’s pushing me onto the bed, my back hitting the soft mattress with a gentle thud.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” Benedict breathes, his hands already working at the buttons of his shirt. I watch, mesmerized, as he strips, revealing more of his lean, toned body with each passing second.
