I listen to the rain and his heartbeat for a little while. The storm has quieted to background noise. My head pillowed on Euan’s chest shifts with his steady breath. No power means no heat, so the temperature in the room has dropped a few degrees, just enough to need the comforter. Even though it’s still early, my eyes drift shut on their own, and before I know it, I fall asleep in Euan’s arms.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Euan
Yesterday, I daydreamed about waking up next to Alex, enjoying a slow, peaceful morning.
Today, I learn why that’s a bad idea. Not because this goes way beyond a casual relationship. Not because I am in serious danger of getting addicted to his soft curls brushing against my skin or his hand resting right over my heart. Not even because his leg entangled in mine is teasing my morning erection until every muscle in me is coiled tight and eager to start the day.
But because, when his alarm starts blaring from the other room, he immediately jolts awake, slamming his head into my chin. Sharp pain bursts from the point of contact, accompanied by the unpleasant taste of blood.
“Oh, god, Euan! I’m so sorry.” Alex flounders as he tries to untangle himself from me and the covers.
I lower my hand to protect my unguarded groin, worried about the placement of his knee.
His flailing continues until he drops right off the side of the bed. One leg remains on the mattress, foot pointed toward the ceiling. The whole time, his alarm continues screaming in the background.
I lean over the side of the bed to look down at him. “Maybe sleeping in the same bed on a weeknight isn’t the best idea.”
He stares up at me blankly for a moment, then his eyes widen. “Shit! I have to go to work!” Then he rolls over and scrambles out of the room, not even bothering to cover his naked ass. I only have a few seconds to enjoy the view before he’s out the door.
I get up more slowly, rubbing my jaw. The spot Alex struck is a little tender, so it’ll probably bruise, and there’s a slight cut on the corner of my lip.
“I’m sorry again.”
I glance up to see Alex in the doorway. He’s wearing lounge pants now, slung low over his hips, and nothing else. He fiddles with his phone, passing it from one hand to the next.
“And it turns out I didn’t need to freak out.” He smiles, though the expression is strained, a mix of embarrassment and guilt. “The college is closed.”
“Closed?” Since he’s at least partially dressed, I don’t want to be the only one naked. I stand up and sort through my luggage for a clean pair of pants.
Alex’s eyes follow me greedily. I feel the weight of his hungry gaze even when I’m turned away from him. “They still don’t have power.”
Somehow, I forgot about last night’s blackout. The morning sunlight streaming into the room is enough to see by, so I hadn’t thought to turn on the light. I lean over and test the light switch, flipping it up, immediately flooding the room with light. I quickly flip the switch back down.
“Yeah, I have power,” Alex confirms. “From the clock on the stove, I’m guessing it came back around two or three in the morning. The food in the fridge is probably a bust, but the freezer should be fine. You want some waffles?”
“Waffles sound good.”
As he leads the way to the kitchen, he looks over his bare, freckled shoulder with a self-deprecating smile. “I promise, I’ll cook for you at some point.”
It sounds more like a promise between a married couple than casual fuck buddies. But we’re both, aren’t we? At least for now.
He opens the freezer and pulls out two boxes of frozen waffles. “Blueberry or chocolate chip?”
I lean against the kitchen counter, resting my chin in my hand. “Chocolate chip.” As I watch him bustle around the kitchen, preparing coffee and breakfast, I take the opportunity to admire his bare back. Freckles and moles dot his skin, creating their own constellations. His pants are low enough for me to see a set of dimples right above his ass, little divots I want to measure with my thumbs.
“So, you have the day off?” I ask, keeping my voice casual.
He hums in confirmation as he grabs two mugs from the cupboard.
“Then I have a proposal for you.”
He pauses with the coffee pot in one hand and a mug in the other. “Proposals haven’t exactly gone well for me so far.”
I chuckle and explain, “Not that kind of proposal. I just thought I’d ease into the conversation rather than come out and ask ‘do you want to spend the day exploring your kinks?’”
“My kinks?” His eyes widen at the suggestion. “I don’t even know if I really have any …” he trails off, probably thinking about his own reactions and shy curiosity in the sex shop then changes direction. “I don’t know what theyare.”
“That’s why we’ll experiment. We can figure out what you like, what you don’t like.” I rake my eyes over him, noting the flush crawling across his neck and chest, the outline of his growing interest through his loose pants. “What we both like.”
