I take a breath and cross the room. He tracks me with his eyes, biting his lip when I stop beside the bed.
“Blue,” I say softly. “What’s all this?”
His throat bobs as he swallows. “Too much?”
“No,” I answer immediately, because fuck, it’s not. “You look… You look insane.”
That pulls a smile from him, shy and a little shaky. “Insane good?”
I sit on the edge of the mattress, towel still miraculously in place, resisting the urge to touch. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
His smile falters at the edges, like he’s not sure he believes me.My heart aches.I reach out and run a thumb across his cheek, brushing back the messy strands of blue that have fallen into his eyes.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I say quietly.
He shakes his head. “I wanted to.”
I nod, searching his face. “And are you doing it because you want it, or because you think I do?”
He hesitates, and that’s enough of an answer.
“Noah,” I sigh.
“I do want it,” he says quickly, sitting up. “I want you to see me like this. Iwantto give you something that’s mine to give. I don’t want to be treated like I’m gonna break.”
“I’m not treating you like you’re gonna break. I’m trying to make sure youdon’t,” I say, sliding my hand down to rest against his waist, just above the waistband of the jock. “There’s a difference.”
His eyes flicker, just for a second, enough to tell me I hit something close to the truth. “I don’t want to be treated like I’m made of glass,” he says, voice shaking. “I told you that. I don’t want you to stop touching me just because you’re scared I’ll break.”
“That’s not what this is,” I say firmly. “I’m not pulling back because I don’t want you. I’m pulling back because I want youenough to make sure you’re choosing this for the right reasons. You don’t have to be naked for me to see you, Noah.”
His eyes briefly flutter closed, and when they open again, there’s something softer there. More grounded. “I’m not doing this to test you, Damien. I’m doing it because I want you to look at me and know I’m not scared anymore.”
I swallow hard, eyes dragging down his body again. Honestly, the heels knock me out. They’re nothing flashy—just a black pump with a thin heel—but on him, paired with the lace and the glint of silver at his throat, they make my brain stall. He’s always been beautiful. But this is him letting go. Owning the softness. Weaponizing it.
“I like it when you touch me,” he whispers. “Iwantyou to touch me.”
My hand brushes up his thigh, stopping just short of the strap. He shivers but doesn’t move away. “You’re not afraid?”
“No,” he whispers.
I run my thumb over the pink lace, the damp patch forming at the front, and he moans under his breath. I glance up. “You hard for me already, Babygirl?”
He nods. “Been hard since before you even came out. I’ve been thinking about how you look at me when I wear this. How you sound when you’re close. How it feels when you—”
I shut him up with a kiss, because if he keeps talking, I’m going to lose every ounce of restraint I have. He kisses me back like it’s the first time, desperate and sweet and filthy all at once.
“You’re fucking perfect,” I say, palming him gently through the lace. “And if I ever make you feel like you’re anything less than powerful when you wear this, you tell me.”
“I will,” he promises, hips lifting into my touch. “Just… touch me, Damien. Show me I’m yours.”
I kiss him once more, then trail my mouth down his jaw, his throat, biting lightly at the skin just above the collar. “You’re the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen,” I murmur.
Moving down, I plant a kiss on the inside of his thigh, just above the jock strap, and breathe in deep. Fuck me, he smells like everything I could ever want.
“You’re going to let me make you feel good tonight,” I continue, nuzzling his inner thigh and listening to him whine. “You’re going to let me worship you the way you deserve. And when I’m back from that game, then you can ride me in these heels, Babygirl. But right now, I want to remind you that you don’t need to perform to be wanted.”
He whines, hips grinding up, desperate for friction. “Please.”
