When he reaches behind to pull me closer by my ass, he drops his head back onto my shoulder. “Gabe, you don’t have to treat me like I’m your grandma’s favorite dinner plates. I won’t break if you’re naked while you shower with me.”
“Stop making assumptions, Ender. I don’t need to be naked to take care of you.” Kissing his temple, I continue washing his chest and stomach while he rests against me.
His hands wander and my body refuses to cooperate—my dick strains against my wet boxers. I’m determined to keep this on track when I hand Ender the soaped-up washcloth and motion for him to finish washing himself.
“You’re being ridiculous.” He sighs, completing the task himself.
My fingers dig into his hips—my willpower hanging on by a thread—as he slowly starts to stroke himself. He hums contentedly and continues pushing his ass back into me until my cock rests in his crease.
Jesus Christ, I only have so much willpower.
I take a step back, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. “Finish washing up, Ender,” I say as I lean against the wall at a safe distance until he’s done. Still, he continues to taunt me, bending over and popping his ass out, taking his time searching for the washcloth he not-so-innocently dropped.
I open the stall door, ordering him to exit with a finger, so I can wash up alone. By the time I undressed and finished washing up, Ender had found sweatpants that somewhat fit him. My sweats hanging low under his barely defined Adonis belt make my tongue quiver with the desire to lick it, and the way he looks at me—like he wants to devour me, has my willpower barely holding on by a thread.
“You need to stop. This is not going to happen.”
Ender huffs and walks out the door, stomping down the stairs to further his point. “This is ridiculous.”
“You’ll thank me later,” I holler back at him.
"Doubt it!" he yells back. Stubborn fucker.
When I come downstairs, I decide to go straight to the kitchen and start cooking dinner—I don’t acknowledge him until the food is ready. Ender completely ignores me too, aside from a mumbled ‘thank you’ when I set his plate on the coffee table in front of him. The commentators gearing us up for the Bruins vs. Kings game would usually make me gag and change the channel, but given the current conditions, I leave it be.
This may be a dumpster fire waiting to happen.
Chapter Eleven
Awkward Moments Can Turn Into the Best Moments
Ender
Five minutes into the third period, and we’re still sitting in silence while the Bruins are down 5–2. Gabe hasn’tmentioned the Matt situation, but he’s still treating me with kid gloves, and it’s driving me insane.
He finally breaks his silence with ten minutes left in the game. “No offense, but your goalie is having a terrible fucking night. They aren’t going to make it into the playoffs playing like that.”
“There’s still time. You can’t give up just because they’re down a few points.” There’s an unintentional sharpness in my tone that I don’t correct before it’s too late, and Gabe’s head jerks back in surprise.
Before I get a chance to apologize, Gabe takes our dinner plates into the kitchen and begins cleaning up.
“I’m sorry,” I say as I enter the kitchen area. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, but please stop acting like you’re walking on eggshells. I’m not going to breakdown and trauma dump all over you.”
He shuts the water off and rests his hands on the edge of the sink, hanging his head. The view of his defined forearm muscles flexing makes heat rush to my groin. There’s something about thick, dark-haired forearms that I can’t resist.
“It’d be okay if you did, Ender.”
“I know it would be,” I tell him, wrapping my arms around his waist and kissing his neck as I rest my chest against his back. I sigh at the serenity of his skin against mine, my shoulders dropping as the tension fades. Every touch, every caress, has one of two effects on me: either setting my skin on fire with lust, or easing my mind and body out of the constant state of dejection I’ve lived in for more than half my life. It’s just another reason that makes me want to keep him.
“I’ll never ask you to tell me something you don’t want to, but don’t get pissed at me for trying to comfort you until you’re ready.”
I can’t argue with that, and I nod in agreement. “Understood.”
Gabe abandons the dishes and leads me back to the couch, pulling me into his arms and reclining against the cushions as I try to watch the end of this game without throwing the remote at the TV.
I don’t remember falling asleep, but when I wake up and stretch with a groan, it pulls Gabe from his slumber.
“Don’t make that kind of noise when I already have a half-chub brewing.” His voice—and the vision of his half-hard cock—makes my dick twitch. I already know what it wants is off-limits with all his restrictions on us fucking tonight, but I cup his semi and massage it anyway.
