Chapter 9
Damon slowly came to awareness to find weak autumn sunlight filtering through the motel’s sheer pink curtain panels. His eyes opened in surprise. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d woken after daybreak. He inhaled deeply and rolled over to find Cain sitting on the silly pink loveseat on the opposite side of the room, cradling his phone in his hand.
“Hey,” Damon murmured, his voice even raspier than usual, pushing himself up to sit against the headboard. He pushed the hair back from his face with both hands.
“Oh. Hey, yourself,” Cain said. He flushed as his gaze drifted from Damon’s face down to his bare chest. The weight of his stare had Damon’s cock stirring to life beneath the thin blanket, but he tried to ignore it. Damon didn’t regret what had happened the previous night - far from it - but that didn’t mean they could have a repeat, not until he and Cain had a rational discussion about what exactly this thing between them was orwasn’t.And that wouldn’t happen until he’d gotten Chelsea to the one place he could think of where she’d be safe.
He strove for a casual tone and ducked his chin towards the phone in Cain’s hand. “You seem to have woken up more easily today, anyway. Something exciting happening in the world?”
“Huh? Oh. Nah.” Cain turned the phone to show Damon the black screen. “I was trying to pack so fast yesterday, I forgot my phone charger. Stupid thing is dead.” Cain pushed the phone into the back pocket of his pants, and only then did Damon notice that the man had clearly showered and dressed already, in a pair of slim, dark jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt.
Damon shrugged and yawned. “That’s fine. You can use my phone if you need to.”
Deep blue eyes met his, then flitted away. “Actually,” Cain said softly. “I’m thinking maybe I should just head out myself this morning. Rent a car. Get back to Nashville, maybe.” He picked a spot on his pants. “Or, hell, maybe go skiing with the Fassbenders. Sure to be a rollicking good time.” His lips twitched with the ghost of a smile.
Damon didn’t want to think too deeply about why his stomach pitched at those words. He’d had pretty much the same thoughts yesterday as they were driving - that he’d be better off taking Chelsea to safety without Cain and his confusing loyalties, and that Cain was a complication he didn’t need. Despite Chelsea’s advice and his decision to let Cain prove himself, all of those factors were still true. Even so, he had to clench his hands around the sheet to stop himself from arguing, from convincing Cain to stay.
“That what you want?” he growled instead.
Cain nodded quickly. “Yeah. I think it’s probably for the best. You drove most of the way yesterday and your leg was fine. If you need her to, Chelsea can drive, too.” He licked his lips. “And I figure you want to spend some time with her and Molly anyway. Get to know them without distractions.”
Damon exhaled sharply through his nose. “You’re probably right.”
That ghost of a smile played around Cain’s gorgeous lips again. “Always am.”
“Baby, that is the least-right thing you’ve ever said,” Damon teased. Thebabyhad come out naturally, without thought - probably a holdover from the night before. But when his gaze met Cain’s, he knew they’d both registered it, and he saw the sadness in Cain’s eyes.
They couldn’t pretend things hadn’t changed profoundly between them overnight, but that didn’t mean they were in any position to have a relationship either.
“So, uh, this place has breakfast,” Cain said with false enthusiasm, rubbing his hands on his thighs before pushing himself to his feet.
“Yep. Best in the Poconos, or so I’ve heard,” Damon returned dryly, rolling to his feet.
“And you might have noticed I didn’t get any dinner last night.” He clapped a hand to his stomach dramatically. “Not even chicken fingers.”
Damon rolled his eyes as he made his way to his bag and rummaged until he’d found clean clothes to put on.
“I made sure you got your protein,” he reminded Cain with a smirk, biting his lip to keep from laughing at the way Cain’s blue eyes widened and his mouth fell open in shock.
“Did you… did you just make a bad blow job joke right now?” Cain asked.
“Maybe.” Damon shoulder-checked him as he passed by on his way to the bathroom.
“Has your sense of humor evolved at all since you were twelve?” Cain called, as Damon closed the door between them.
“Just tryna get on your level…kid.”
Damon pretended he couldn’t hear the scream of frustration that was Cain’s only reply, but he smiled the whole time he was in the shower.
******
“So, you’re not coming with us?” Molly’s dark eyes were more compelling than any puppy dog Damon had ever seen, and he could see Cain hesitate, forking up his last bite of pancakes as he shook his head.
“I’m not. I have… stuff to do,” Cain told her lamely, and once again, Damon wrestled with the urge to convince Cain to stay. It would be stupid for them to get further involved, and possibly dangerous for Chelsea and Molly, which is why hewouldn’tdo it, but damn if he didn’t want to.
“But, who’ll color with me?” she demanded, somehow making her eyes even more liquid and pitiful.
Chelsea covered her smirk with her napkin. Cain shot her a pleading look, but Chelsea shook her head, an indication that Cain was on his own in this.
