“Then I’ll let you know when I have options for you to look over,” Reggie said, pushing away from the counter and heading for the door. “Message me if you need anything until then.”
Walker watched the door close and snorted. “You know, he really got on my nerves when I first got here…but I’m warming up to him.”
“He’s good people,” I said with a sigh. “And has a lot of patience.”
“I suppose that comes with the territory,” he said, getting up before sliding onto my towel-covered lap. “You okay?”
“I guess…I mean, I think I am. I just…there’s a lot goin’ on here,” I said, gesturing at my head. Then I looked up at him and smiled as I felt his weight pressing down. I wrapped an arm around his waist and held him against me. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said with a soft smile. “Now…should we talk about your parents wanting me to make an honest man out of you…apparently.”
My face warmed again. “They didn’t mean we should get married; they ain’t that old-fashioned.”
“No, maybe not, but they seem to want you to be more than just…what was it your dad said…screwing around?”
“I swear, he wasn’t bein’ an ass, he’s just…kinda honest.”
“Mmm, I know the type,” he said with a smile, pressing his lips to my forehead. “Is this your terrible and awkward way of asking if I want us to be more than fuck buddies?”
“Kinda,” I admitted, peering up at him and feeling a new warmth blooming in my chest at the sight of him looking amused yet content. “I mean…I know it’s not the best time or place for it. Everythin’ is kinda weird right now, but everythin’ we been doin’ has felt…right. This feels right; it don’t matter that you’re a guy, not anymore anyway. ’Cause you’re just you, and that’s what I like the most…though your butt is pretty nice.”
“Pretty nice, huh?” he asked wryly. “Normally that would be lackluster, but coming from a former straight man, that’s practically a raving five-star review.”
“It’srealnice,” I said with a growl, reaching to grip his thigh. “And when I’m done here, I’ll show ya how much I like it.”
He laughed softly, wrapping an arm around my neck. “Are you sure? You really want to make a relationship out of this?”
I hesitated. “If ya don’t?—”
“I never said that,” he said, with a shake of his head. “I just… Are you sure? You’re not going to turn around a few months from now and realize this was all great fun, but it’s not for you?”
I frowned. “I may not have been as straight as I thought, but that don’t mean I don’t know how I’m feelin’…not about this, anyway.”
“And who am I to argue?” he asked lightly, stroking the back of my head. “Dating it is. No more wild nights with guy after guy for me.”
“Okay, you,” I growled, tightening my grip and picking him up as I got to my feet.
“Holy shit,” he said with a wild laugh as I swung him through the air. “Alright, alright! You’ve made your point.”
“Nope,” I said as I deposited him on the bed. “But I’m gonna in a minute.”
His wicked grin was all I needed to know that everything was going to be great.
CADE
Something was most definitely wrong.
I couldn’t explain the feeling, but the wave of wariness and danger passed through me, and I was sitting upright in bed before I was even aware I was awake. Before I could figure out what was going on, I realized I had hit something solid on my way up. It was followed by a yelp and a thud, and I turned to frown down at the source. Only to be met with a bleary-eyed and irritated-looking Walker, who was propped up on one arm on the floor.
“The hell, man,” he muttered, wiping his face. “If you wanted me to move over, you could have asked nicely.”
“Sorry,” I cringed, reaching down to help him back up. “I wasn’t trying to move you.”
“Just throw me, apparently,” he said, but his irritation was disappearing as he fell forward to press his face into my chest and inhale deeply. “You smell like…soap.”
“I wonder why,” I said with a snort as I lay back and wrapped an arm around his back. It was funny how weird he’d been about being touched, especially by me, and now he couldn’t get enough when we were alone. With every passing day, he grew more and more addicted to touching me.
Then again, he’d admitted he’d been weird about touching me because he’d had feelings for me. So maybe it wasn’t all that strange that now he could touch me in the way he’d always wanted to, he was taking every opportunity. That was just fine with me. Touching other people had always been my way of showing I cared. Trying to tell them things with my mouth always failed. I could tell this was his way of forgiving me for his abrupt wake up, and the way his fingers were stroking my stomach, spreading out to just above my waist said he was definitely considering doing more than cuddling but was waiting to get a feel for the situation first.
