I splash water on my face a few times, then hurry downstairs. I wish desperately that I could just lay in that bed and let this weird alternative reality continue. Leaving will probably mean the end of whatever this is, and that feels like a punch in the gut.
“Oh,” Joey grunts when I enter the kitchen. He’s still in his boxers, and I see that he’s making some toast and eggs to go with the pot of coffee brewing on the counter.
Holy shit, he actually is the breakfast in bed type.
Every time I feel like I know Joey just a little bit, he becomes a total mystery to me again.
He frowns. “You’re going.”
“I’ve got class,” I say, hesitating by the counter.
“Right, sure,” he nods. “Can’t be late.”
I chew on my lip when he turns to flips the eggs. Maybe most people would be late for class, actually, or skip it all together, if it meant lying around in bed with a guy like Joey. But I’ve been working so hard for so long, and I can’t screw it up now for a one-night stand, or whatever this is.
Blizzard sex? Is that a thing? I’ll have to ask Matty and Ayla.
“Eat,” Joey says as he puts the egg on the toast with some cheese. “Before you go. You said you take a bus?”
“Yeah. Home, and then to campus.”
“I’ll drive you home,” Joey says, then hands me the plate. “You need hot sauce?”
“Sure,” I answer. My cheeks are warm, which makes me realize I’m grinning. He says these things like they’re totally normal.I’ll drive you home, Milo. Come sleep in my bed, Milo.They feel so natural coming off his lips. The sweetness of it catches me off guard.
Joey looks up. I think he catches my smile because he starts to smile, too, which makes my grin wider. I’m proud of myself because I don’t babble or clam up like an anxious weirdo this time; I just smile and feel good there with him.
“How’s that?” Joey asks with a nod to my tattoo.
“It feels nice. It burns a little, more than the first time, but it’s not painful.”
Joey hands me a mug of coffee and nods. “Good. You’re going to be inked up in no time.”
I grin at the idea and lean back against the counter, then remember his offer from the end of our session. Was he just offering me free tattoos because he wanted to hook up with me? It’s kind of hard to imagine, and I’m not even sure how I would feel about that if it were true.
“Hey, if you don’t have time in your schedule for those tattoos,” I tell him, working to keep my voice bright, “no hard feelings.” I’d hate to think he’s obligated to spend more time with me, if he doesn’t truly want to. “But I’ll make sure to look you up once I’m ready for a new one, either way,” I add quickly.
Joey’s eyebrows crease in a way that makes him look slightly irritated. “Offer stands. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”
“Oh, good. I just thought, with last night, in case you had changed your mind…”
The crease in his brow deepens. “Offer stands, if you want it,” he repeats, and his eyes catch on my gaze.
“Yeah,” I tell him. “I want it.”
My heart skips. It’s taken us about five minutes to find our way straight back to this charged energy, and I’m not surprised that I’m falling hard all over again. Joey looks hot as hell in his little boxer shorts, and with every caring gesture and compliment, he stokes my confidence.
If I were just a little more confident, I’d set my breakfast down, cross the kitchen, and press my lips to his. I’d let him carry me to his bed again, and once we’re both good and exhausted, I’d get him to tell me about his tattoos. I’d figure out who Joey actually is because something deep inside of me says that he’s someone special.
Instead, though, Joey grunts to himself and tears his eyes away. “I should get dressed,” he says. He’s about to brush past me without another word, but when our bodies are close, he pauses.
“I had a great time with you last night, Milo,” he says. “Unforgettable.”
I swallow. “Yeah, unforgettable,” I agree, and with a short nod and a smile, Joey heads back toward his bedroom.
I step over to the window with my coffee. The sun is bright on the white snow, the streets are clear, and people are digging their cars out to start their days. A big part of me feels very, very confused. Casual sex isn’t something I usually do, especially not anal, and I honestly have no idea how to describe what’s happening between me and Joey.
Not to mention the fact that I’m supposed to go to class and concentrate after all this? Impossible.
