“Sure,” Carter said after a beat too long. He was disappointed, but I wasn’t sure what he’dwantedto hear. I wasn’t sure he’d thought the question all the way through.
For a smart guy, his forward-planning skills left a lot to be desired.
“Yeah, let’s go to bed,” he said, standing and offering me a hand up. I took it, rising to my feet and stretching my arms high above my head, yawning widely.
Iwastired. Honestly. With any luck, Carter would see that and not think any further about my pathetic non-answer to his question.
Kieran was getting an ass-kicking when I got home.
9
Carter
The problem,essentially, with going to bed curled up with Aiden for warmth was that I’d also woken up curled up with Aiden.
And I wasrock fucking hard.
It was a totally normal reaction to sleeping next to a warm body. I knew it, and I knew Aiden would know it, and maybe I didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about.
That wasnotstopping the embarrassment, though. Not least of all because I knew, deep down, that it wasn’t just about the warmth.
It was about the body.
Aiden’s body, specifically, which included Aiden’s lips. Lips I could still feel pressed against mine if I closed my eyes for a second, gloved fingers scraping over my stubble.
I could still remember the flood of warmth south, the taste of his mouth, the scent of his aftershave. Things I hadn’t even realized could be a turn-on for me before that’d all happened at once, for a shining moment where I’d been too worried about what was happening to really enjoy it.
But my stupid asshole brain had saved every little detail for me so I could replay it again and again and think about how nice it would have been if not for the circumstances.
All of which wasterrifying.
As carefully as I could, I eased myself away from Aiden, making sure to tuck the blankets around him as I rolled out of the bed. I’d expected the floorboards to be cold, but the heating must’ve come back on in the night.
Aiden made a soft, sad sound as I left, reaching out for the personal human-sized hot water bottle he’d just lost in his sleep, but not quite waking.
I slipped into the bathroom, desperate to have a door between us, and breathed a sigh of relief as soon as it swung shut.
Shower. I could take a shower, and that’d give me plenty of time to get a grip on myself.
The pressure was incredible and the hot water was instant, which felt like a small miracle in a place like this, with snow piled up three inches along the bottom ledge of the high bathroom window.
I peeled off the t-shirt I’d slept in and my underwear, wondered what the hell todowith them, and then decided that was a problem better dealt with when I had a clearer head. Right now, it felt like it was full of feathers.
A happy sigh escaped me as I stepped under the spray, hot water driving away the chill of the air. By the time I got back out, the cabin would probably be warm again anyway.
My dick was still hard. I’d figured if I ignored it, it’d go away—usually did—but apparently things couldn’t be that easy.
The warmth of Aiden’s body curled up against mine came back to me as though he was right here with me, pressed close so we were skin to skin, the sweet, bright scent of his hair filling the room.
Dammit.
Okay. Okay, fine. I was alone, no one ever had to know what was going through my head just now.
I took a deep breath, hissing as I curled my fingers around my cock without preamble. No teasing, no taking my time. Get off and getover it.
My teeth dug into my lower lip as I made one last attempt to think of anything else, but all my brain would give me was Aiden. Aiden smiling at me, eyes sparkling, like I was the most incredible thing he’d ever seen.
Aiden standing so close to me I could feel the heat of his body through my coat. Aiden all dressed up,for me, trying his best to fit into my world without losing who he was.
