I throw my arms around his neck and jump, his strong hands digging into my ass to lift me up. “You are such a dork.” I kiss his cheek. “And this is still giga embarrassing, but I guess we are even now.”
He grins, smooching my nose. “So, what do you say? You wanna officially give this dating thing a real try, babe? I swear, I’m gonna make you so happy.”
I melt at the endearment—I love that he just started calling me that for no reason since the very start—and perch an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge? Because you better be ready for it, big boy. NeonNuke doesn’t go down without a fight.”
Epilogue
One year later.
Ben
I enter our hotelroom at the Sunset Paradise, my insides squeezing with nerves. It’s our one-year anniversary today and Charlie has been in charge of the logistics for the celebration. We agreed we’d take turns when we started dating, and I can’t wait for our second year. I’m already making plans.
I’ve never been to Cyprus before. It’s part of the reason I’m buzzing like a student about to stand before the class and introduce himself. But the bigger part is Charlie. He’s been here since yesterday, getting everything ready, and I have no idea what it might be. But knowing him, I’m going to love it.
“Babe, you there?” I call out, dumping my suitcase next to the plush couch in the lounge.
There is a balcony, the lace drapes billowing inside at the hands of a sea-scented breeze. I can just about spy the beachfrom the open door, white and blue sun umbrellas dotting the wide stretch of golden sand. I can’t wait to bury my feet in it. I bet it will be glorious.
“You are here!” Charlie ambles into the room, his cheeks rosy and his breathing elevated. He’s wearing shorts with seashells and a simple tank top. “How was your flight?”
My chest tightens, flutters filling my stomach. He’s so fucking cute. “Good, aside from the crying baby two seats behind me.”
Charlie throws his head back and laughs. “There are worse things.”
I love his laugh. It rings around the room like a wind chime, soothing my tired soul. It’s just before noon though, so I doubt I’ll get the chance to sit down just yet. There’s too much to explore around here, food to try, beaches to visit. I can’t wait to see what the island has to offer.
“I’ll try to remember.” I plop into the soft seat, sighing as I get comfortable.
Charlie saunters over and places his hands on my thighs. He leans in, his loose tank top hanging off his lithe torso. My hands move automatically, caressing his bony shoulders as his lips meet mine in an unhurried kiss. It’s deliberate and slow, building up sweet tension under my skin as his tongue thoroughly licks every inch of my mouth. It’s ravenous despite the gentleness, mapping and exploring and owning like we haven’t tasted each other in years.
In truth, it’s been just a day, but even that is too much. Charlie is my anchor, my home, and not having him around even just for a night made me grumpy as shit this morning. It’s been tolerable, for the most part, thanks to the underlying excitement that’s been buzzing through me since I woke up. I just can’t wait to find out what he has in store for our one-year milestone.
“I missed you,” he whispers, pulling away. His hands knead my thighs, the touch teasing but firm.
“I missed you more, babe,” I counter, pushing off the couch to peck his chin.
He chuckles. “I’ll make you a coffee. Go change. You look way too overdressed.”
He sways his perky ass as he retreats to the open kitchen and starts up the coffee machine. Leaning with his elbows on the counter, the fox pushes his hips back, making his flimsy shorts dig into his crease and betray exactly what kind of underwear he’s wearing. My cock wakes up, interested and ready. As if he can tell, Charlie turns his head at me, a shit-eating grin stretching on his face as his eyes zero in on my growing bulge.
“Go change, Ben. I’m hungry and want to eat something before we head to the beach,” he says, wiggling his butt.
I groan, burying my face in my hands. God, I wanna pinch it and squish it and bite it and fuck it with my tongue. Or well, just hold Charlie in my arms for a while. Being away from him for just a day is already giving me withdrawal symptoms.
With a sigh like an old man with arthritis, I stand up and drag my suitcase to the bedroom. Once I’ve changed out of my slacks and hoodie and donned a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of matching shorts over my swimming briefs, I join Charlie in the lounge again. He hands me the coffee and we drink on the balcony as we watch the busy swimming pool and the beach beyond it from the comfort of our two lounging chairs.
“So, what’s the surprise?” I toss when my cup is empty. I place it on the glass table and aim an expectant look Charlie’s way.
His blue eyes sparkle with mischief. “It won’t be a surprise if I told you. But I guarantee you are going to l-o-v-e it.”
“You are such a tease!” I cross my arms, pouting dramatically.
He shakes his head. “C’mon, Mr. Impatient. You got this. You only have to wait until the evening.”
“That’s way too much, considering I’ve been dying to know since we began discussing where to go.”
He hops up and stretches, the movement making his top ride up. It exposes a delicious strip of his skin. It’s so pale that I make a mental reminder to ensure he’s wearing sunscreen. It also calls out to me. I can’t help myself but reach out, kissing his flat stomach and causing him to giggle like a teenager.
