Page 27 of Saving Wyatt

It figured. When it rained it poured.

How had I gone from businessman to homeless overnight?

I knew how. Salieri, of course.

"He can stay with us," Warren said. "Right, Ari?"

I only glanced at the man for a second, but his warm, kind smile managed to warm up my cold and defeated body after the night I'd just had. I didn't say anything. I feared if I did, I'd betray how he made me feel and how weak I was against my own urges.

"I'm sure Ari wouldn't mind snuggling with me for a while." Warren elbowed his friend, and he raised an eyebrow, all business, at Warren for a second before his affectionate smile made a re-appearance. "Yes! Finally! Took me a while, but I got you in my bed after all," Warren said, and I took stock of the situation.

Was he joking or being serious?

Was there something going on between my brother and Ari? Because if so, that was one way for him to come out of the closet and, secondly, yet one more reason why I couldn't let myself get carried away with this attractive, exotic man who had crash-landed into my life.

TEN

ARI

Fire. There was fire everywhere. Fire that reached me and yet it didn't burn me. Not yet. It did hinder my vision, though, as I stumbled through, trying to find my way out until I came up against a set of eyes. Eyes as blue as the ocean that washed over the inferno and brought peace back all around me.

"You," I said.

"Hey," he said back.

Beep, beep.

I opened my eyes. The pair of eyes disappeared, replaced by a bedroom ceiling and the snoring mountain next to me.

The confusion from my unsettling yet quite soothing dream only lasted a moment before I turned to the source of the noise on my bedside table.

Evan

Good morning, baby. I just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you and that I love you. x

I sighed and dropped my phone on my chest for a moment before I replied.

Ari

I love you too.

His reply instantly arrived. A heart emoji.

It put a smile on my face that I knew would follow me the rest of the morning until I got so busy I forgot all about it, all about my life, all about myself.

Warren twisted and turned as I got out of bed and left the bedroom, approaching the bathroom with a big yawn. I opened the door and walked in, only to stop short immediately, as if walking into a large invisible wall.

Because the bathroom was occupied. By a very tall, very large, very naked man.

Wyatt stood there in all his glory with only a tiny towel which he dropped straight down to his crotch as soon as he noticed me and which did very little to cover his…salacious parts.

"Oh shit. I'm...I'm...so sorry," I managed to utter, yet I couldn't look him in the eyes.

I was far too distracted by the wet furry pecs that looked so perfectly squishable, or the perfectly defined abs that I desperately wanted to trace with a finger...or a tongue.

Then of course there was the divine Adonis belt that made me feel naughty for noticing but also set my body on fire.

"It's all right." His voice sounded like a song in my sudden drunken state.