Together they shuddered to completion and lay pressed together, watching the early morning light filter into the room through the curtains. Loathe to move and break their connection, Marcus held on to Tyler’s waist, pressing tiny kisses along his jawline.
Tyler sighed, then pushed away, and Marcus slid out of his warm body. He rid himself of the condom, then returned to bed where Tyler lay on his side, facing him. Marcus stood and stared at him, waiting for the usual anxiety to rise up and suffocate him at the presence of someone who thought because they fucked, there was ownership and therefore a right to make demands.
But Tyler made no such demands; he remained silent in the dark, the glint of his eyes and the flash of his smile catching the glow of early-morning light in the room. Marcus climbed back into the bed, and Tyler curled around him, nestling his soft cock in the cleft of Marcus’s ass. It was warm, comforting, and peaceful. Marcus drifted off to sleep.
*
Several hours later,Marcus had showered and gotten dressed, while Tyler remained in bed. Saturday morning was Marcus’s lazy time; a rest from his usual wild Friday-night exploits. Marcus had been particularly looking forward to it all week, since he’d be seeing Julian and Zach for the first time since his angry outburst of last month. He’d called both of them and apologized, and though they each brushed it off, it weighed on his mind.
He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen counter. Nothing had been the same since they’d each met someone and paired up. It might be childish, but a tiny part of him resented Nick and Sam and how they usurped his place in his friends’ lives.
Glad that he wasn’t falling prey to the love bug, he finished his coffee and, hearing the shower stop, poured one for Tyler. He knew how he took his coffee now and made sure to have on hand the hazelnut creamer he liked. It wasn’t a big deal.
It seemed strange not to have Lillie prancing around, making a mess with her crayons, or having the television turned to some God-awful show about unicorns and princesses. But she’d begged to spend the weekend with Micah and Josh’s kids and Tyler conceded to her, as Marcus had no doubt he would. Tyler would pick her up tomorrow, and Marcus thought she’d probably like some of her favorite chocolate chip ice cream, so he made a note on his phone to pick some up later.
Emerging from the bathroom damp and smelling like his coconut soap, Tyler’s eyes lit up at the sight of the coffee pot on the breakfast bar.
“Oh, thank God. I’m dying for a cup.” He reached for the cup, and Marcus pushed over the bottle of creamer.
“Here, I got you another bottle. You finished the last up a few days ago.”
“Oh, thanks; that was nice of you.” He poured the creamer in and took a sip. “Damn, that’s good.”
He tipped his head back and drank it down, while Marcus stared at the strong lines of his throat, remembering the warm taste of his skin, and wondered if it was too late to go back to bed. He blinked back to awareness.
“Shit,” he mumbled, scrubbing his face with his hands.
“What’s the matter?”
Tyler’s question threw him. He didn’t know exactly, but something was off-kilter and he couldn’t figure out what. Meeting the guys would help set him straight; it always had in the past.
“Nothing. I don’t know. Maybe I’m coming down with something.”
Tyler raised a dark brow. “You seemed perfectly fine to me earlier. Better than fine, in fact.” His slow smile over the rim of his coffee mug unfurled a hot and needy response in the pit of Marcus’s stomach while a ridiculous flare of happiness settled in his heart.
“So what are your plans today?” He carried his mug to the sink to spill out the cold dregs and place it in the dishwasher.
“Uh, I hadn’t thought about it.” Tyler gazed into his mug. “I’m so used to having Lillie around I’m kind of at a loss as to what to do for myself.”
“Come to brunch with me,” said Marcus, then stopped short. What the fuck did he just do? Moving from the kitchen to the living room, he checked his phone, then put it back in his pocket. He suddenly didn’t know what to do with his hands.
The panic inside him must’ve shown on his face, because Tyler gave him a wry smile and shook his head.
“That’s okay. You don’t have to entertain me. I can hang out here. Plus, I need to start getting our things together.”
A chill ran through him. “What are you talking about? Getting what things together?”
Tyler bent to touch his toes, and Marcus watched as his tee shirt slipped up his back, revealing a pale expanse of smooth skin. Marcus had to restrain himself from pouncing.
“Damn, I’m out of shape.” Tyler tucked a curl behind his ear. “I meant mine and Lillie’s stuff. Now that I’m recovered, it’s time for us to move back home.”
Marcus nodded slowly, his mind working at warp speed. “I understand why you think you need to go back, but have you thought about how it’s going to impact Lillie? She’s in school now and has friends. If you move back to Brooklyn, she’ll have to stop.”
“This wasn’t a permanent arrangement; you knew that.” Tyler leaned against the wall. “I can’t impose on you any longer. I’m sure you want your bedroom and your life back.”
“I didn’t mind it last night.” He walked over to Tyler and placed a hand on his neck, stroking him. This he could do. He had no qualms about seducing Tyler to stay with him. The troubling reason why he wanted him there so badly, Marcus pushed to the side for now. Instead, he pulled Tyler close, settling their hips in line, and his cock thickened in his pants. “I’d tell you if I did. Please, come with me to brunch, and we can talk.”
Doubt clouded Tyler’s eyes. “I don’t belong there. Those are your friends, the people you’re closest with.”
