Bliss.
Cade's body still crushed him as he basked in the afterglow of the longest, most euphoric orgasm of his life. This man had given him the dicking down of his life, then kissed him gently and told him he was perfect.
Hell, it was enough to make someone fall in love.
When the comforting weight lifted from his chest, the pressure that had grounded him vanished, and he resented the loss, feeling untethered without it. A tissue swiped across his stomach, fingers brushed the hair from his forehead, and he heard that voice, somehow close but also far away.
"Tristan, do you want to get cleaned up? Take a bath or shower?"
When he scrunched his face up in concentration, Cade softly chuckled and then tried again in a soft, coaxing voice, "Tris? Do you want to take a bath?"
He tried to pry his eyelids open, but they felt like lead weights, and his tongue lay heavy and numb, making speechimpossible. He moved to hold out his hand, to reach for Cade, but it only twitched and fell to his side. Warm fingers found his, and as they moved across his palm, the gentle touch unraveled him and made his chest ache in ways he couldn't explain.
"Do you want to go to sleep?"
His brows inched together as he internally rejected that idea. He wanted a bath but needed Cade beside him, providing the connection he still craved.
"Do you want to take a bath then? It will feel nice."
Grunting softly, he dipped his head.
"Okay, I'll go run it."
When Cade rose to leave, Tristan clutched his hand tightly, not wanting to be left alone, but a velvety voice assured him, "I'll be right back."
He reluctantly let go and experienced a vague sense of unease without Cade's presence to anchor him. Relief bloomed when he heard footsteps approaching the bed again.
"It's ready. Can you walk to the bathroom?"
Wanting as much physical contact as possible, Tristan shook his head, and Cade sighed before hoisting his boneless body into his arms like a rag doll. The feel of hot skin comforted him, and he nuzzled his face against one strong shoulder, inhaling the musky scent.
When Cade set him down on unsteady legs next to the claw-foot tub, he slit his eyes open, shielding them from the bright.
"Can you climb in yourself?"
Reaching an unsteady hand to grip Cade's muscled forearm, he rasped, "You."
"You want me to help you in?"
Shaking his head, Tristan hoped he could silently telegraph his need forcloseness when words failed him.
"You want me to get in with you?"
Tristan nodded, relieved that the other man finally understood what he wanted. Cade slipped his arm around his waist and guided him into the tub. The hot water soothed but paled in comparison to the pleasure of a warm, firm body sliding in behind him and enveloping him in thick, strong arms.
Melting against the mass of muscles, he exhaled slowly as lips grazed his temple in a barely-there kiss.
This was paradise.
The scent of soap filled his nostrils as Cade lathered it over Tristan's stomach and down his arms and legs, gently skimming over the bruises on his skin. When that hand dipped down between his legs, he couldn't help but let out a contented sigh.
Steamy warmth filled the room, and occasionally, lips brushed across his cheek or ear as Cade worked silently to wash his body. As Tristan became more coherent, he realized the gentle caresses felt a lot like tenderness, and his heart fluttered in his chest. Despite the brain fog, he recognized he was foolishly developing feelings for this man, but pushed the thoughts aside, determined to enjoy the intimate moment and not wish for something he couldn't have.
He had no sense of how long he remained in that foggy state between sleepy oblivion and awareness, but it was so calm and peaceful that he regularly hummed with satisfaction, grateful for the comfort of the hot water, the clean scent of soap, and the hard body to lean on.
As Tristan wafted back to reality, the first thing he noticed was the cooling of the bath water, followed by the sensation of dull aches all over his body, then the deep, intense need for sleep.
Cade whispered in his ear. "I think we should get out, okay?"
