Sutton jerked at the sound of Nate’s voice and stepped forward, clearing the doorway. His gaze shifted away from me as he reached the outside table and placed the bag down. “I’m just going to wash up.” And then he moved quickly back inside. My focus remained on him until he was out of sight.
Doubt sprang to life. Heat had been in his eyes when he’d looked at me. I was sure of it. But with how hastily he’d hightailed it out of here, maybe whatever it was I was feeling—my growing interest—was one-sided.
I hoped not.
“Everything okay?” Nate asked as he turned on the patio heater, taking our lack of responses about where to eat as a yes. While the temperature was dropping, the view of the pitch-black sky and the abundance of stars was spectacular. I was more than happy to stay outdoors for longer.
“Yeah.” I shook off the sliver of anxiety and smiled. “All good. Food smells great.”
He side-eyed me for a second but gave me a reprieve by switching topics. Launching into a story about something that had happened at work, he didn’t seem to notice I only half-listened, my attention drifting to Sutton.
He seemed on form by the time he returned, alongside Ryan with the plates and cutlery, offering his usual smiles, grunts, and nuggets of conversation. More relaxed, it was easy to enjoy the good food and even better company. When Sutton’s gaze caught on mine, some silent question in his stare, I’d offer him a wink or a smirk. Each time, his lips twitched and he glanced away, refocusing on the conversation at hand.
The moments were small but somehow significant. With each brief eye contact, awareness flickered to life. The growth warm and comforting and surrounded by curiosity.
When the plates were cleared away and a dodgy action movie played, I could barely concentrate. The need to do something, reach out and touch Sutton, was a steady thrum in my veins.
Every time he moved slightly, my hair stood on end. With each huff of laughter at something ridiculous on the screen, my stomach tightened. My body, mind, and emotions were on high alert, attuned to him in every possible way.
When he shifted his leg at my side, his thigh brushing mine before casually moving away, I couldn’t stand it anymore. Ignoring the spike in my pulse, I leaned into him, pressing myself to his side.
Every muscle in his body seemed to contract at my touch. I ignored it, instead reaching out for his arm and maneuvering it to over my shoulder. When I positioned his hand where I wanted it, I snuggled in deeper, my palm landing on his stomach.
His abs flexed once, twice, and it wasn’t until I squeezed lightly and rested my head against part of his shoulder and his chest that the tension seeped out of his body. Relief spread through me, and when his arm pulled me in tighter to him, his hand clasping my arm to keep me in place, I smiled.
This was perfect. My comfort fix was engaged, but more than that, in Sutton’s arms, I’d never felt so at peace. Not needing to question it, I exhaled slowly, a wisp of happiness in my breath.
We stayed like that for about fifteen minutes before I repositioned my head on his lap so I could stretch out on the sofa. By the time the movie ended, my eyes were bleary, and I knew getting up would be an effort.
“Work for me tomorrow, so I need to hit the hay.” Nate stood, clasping Ryan’s hand and tugging him up with him. “You guys staying up?”
Yawning, I shook my head against Sutton’s lap, earning me a grunt. “I’m beat.” I turned to peer up at Sutton. His gaze was already on me, his irises looking black in the soft lighting of the room. “You ready for bed?”
He simply nodded.
I sighed. “I suppose I best get up then.” His stare didn’t shift. I became aware of two things. The first was my head was positioned right over his groin, which was firm under my head. The second was the shuddery breaths escaping him.
I gulped before the sound of shuffling reminded me we weren’t alone. Reluctantly I sat up and dragged my focus away from Sutton. “Night,” I offered to Nate and Ryan, who held hands and were glancing over at us, both with soft smiles.
Aware this was the first time we’d shown couple-y affection in front of them, my skin heated under their scrutiny.
“Sleep well. We’ll lock up,” Nate said.
At my side, Sutton stood. I angled to watch his movements, surprise making my heart stutter when he reached for my hand, much like Nate had done to Ryan. I clasped it, and we headed silently to our bedroom.
With each step we took, my thoughts ran rampant.
I need to brush my teeth. Will his cock feel the same as mine? How will he react if tonight’s kiss lingers and I go for it? Do I want to?My brain nodded frantically, my heart agreeing 100 percent.
I excused myself as soon as we hit the room so I could wash up. Before I closed the door, Sutton spoke, “Let me grab my wash kit, and I’ll use the other bathroom.”
With a nod, I held my breath as he walked past me, his arm brushing across my chest. Pulling my gaze away was impossible as I tracked his movements. When he finally left, I closed the door and gulped in air.
The man staring at me in the reflection was wide-eyed and pink-cheeked. Fuck, I looked on edge. My dick throbbed in my jeans, having been not so slowly growing hard over the past few moments. Holding on to myself, I squeezed lightly and shuddered.
“Get control of yourself,” I said to my cock. “If not, you’re going to embarrass the fuck out of yourself.”
My cock didn’t listen as I washed up, brushed my teeth, and stripped down to my tight-fitting boxers. The fit left very little to the imagination, the outline of my erection proudly on display. Unless I wanted to hide out in the bathroom and jack off, there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.
