I nod and gesture toward the hallway.
Aunt Del moves toward the bedroom, and everyone follows, crowding around Caleb, who is still in my bed, his head tucked against my pillow, his eyelids flickering open.
Aunt Del and Anne are gentle with him. Everyone else is a little too rough. They pat him on the shoulder, call him names—affectionately, I believe, but names nonetheless—and remark on his naked state.
And then the worst thing that could ever happen happens.
Caleb leans up, the covers pooling around his waist, his eyes flicking around the room.
“Whit,” he whines.
My cheeks flame, and when Caleb moves again, almost exposing himself to the entire room, everyone groans.
“Dude! Put that shit away! No one wants to see your tiny dick, man!”
Caleb ignores him, his eyes slightly wild. “Where’s Whit? Need Whit.”
Aunt Del pushes me forward slightly. “Go on.”
My cheeks are molten now. Everyone is staring at me as I step past them toward the bed. When he sees me, he calms, his face relaxing, his arms out.
“Come here,” he says softly, and my heart thunders in my chest.
Hell. This is hell. I can feel my pulse in my throat now, and I inhale deeply.
They care about him. I want to show them I’m doing what I can.
And why the hell is Caleb pouting?
“I’m coming,” I say. It’s a wheeze, more like.
When I sit on the edge of the bed, not committing to anything, he pushes me down and crawls up on me, causing another groan from the men in the room.
The sheets have slipped off, leaving him completely bare and exposed.
Thankfully, Anne has the foresight to tuck us in, Caleb once again wrapped around me, his face tucked into my neck, his legs wrapped around mine.
“You smell so fucking good,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my skin. My eyes squeeze shut, wanting everyone to leave. This is horrific. What must they think of me? Of him?
“Dude, we should go before they start fucking,” Sem says, and Luke nudges him.
“Yeah, we should totally peace out. Seems Whit’s got this.”
Caleb groans and rubs his nose across my shoulder, and I feel his tongue peek out and slide across me. A mishap, I’m sure, but it happened. I don’t know if I’ll ever forget how that felt.
“God, I must be into dudes, huh?” Caleb murmurs, his voice hitting my ear. “Don’t know if straight guys like cuddling with men this much. But fuck, you feel so good. Skin is so soft.” He sighs and then adds, “Nah. Can’t be gay. Must be the fever.”
“Fucking hell,” Luke says and then drags Sem and Liam out of the room. Anne and Aunt Del linger for a moment, but the soft smiles they give us make a flush ignite across my entire body.
Blessedly, they leave quickly, and I’m once again left with Caleb curled around me.
“Mmm, so good,” he moans, and I swear his lips brush across my skin in a kiss, but then he’s snoring and I’m left alone to experience it all.
And I do. Iexperienceit, and I know that when all is said and done, I’ll tear it apart thought by thought.
When the fever breaks, and he wakes up, coherent for the first time in days, he leans up and stares down at me. His cheeks are a pretty pink, his hair a wild mess.
He looks like he’s just been fucked.
