I stood and hurried into the bedroom to get my clothes without another word, then rushed into the bathroom to shower. I put the water as cold as I could stand it and stood there until I was sure my body could handle looking at Emery again without reacting like I was a teenager with a crush.
I showered as quickly as I could manage, considering it had been severallongdays since I’d had soap on my body. The moment I started soaping up my groin, my cock responded to the touch. I closed my eyes and sighed.Just once,I thought.Just jerk off and get it out of your system.I took care of myself, needing virtually no time to get hard, and despite my best efforts, Emery came to mind as I stroked. My orgasm arrived quickly, hard and fast, and as I finished cleaning myself, I took steadying breaths.Now get yourself together.
The second I stepped out of the shower, I realized my own critical error—I’d forgotten a towel.Goddammit.
"Em?" I hoped he was still in the living area and not in the bedroom, or worse, outside.
Only a second passed before he responded. "Yeah?"
I sighed heavily. "Could you bring me a towel?"
Several seconds passed before he responded, and for a moment I wasn’t sure he heard me. Just as I started to repeat myself, he replied. "Sure thing." His voice was tight. A moment later, there was a knock on the bathroom door.
I eased it open and reached out for the towel. “Thanks,” I murmured as Emery put the towel in my hand. As I turned away, back into the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of the mirror. From the other side of the door, Emery’s gaze was locked in, his mouth parted slightly, normally light eyes darkened. He was looking at me as if he liked what he saw and wanted to see more. A beat later, we made eye contact in the mirror and he looked away.
“Sorry,” he mumbled before retreating.
My heart pounded in my chest. Emery had seen me naked plenty of times, but I’d never seen that look on his face. Once I was clean, dry, and—most importantly—clothed, I emerged from the bathroom, ready to head to the store. "Let’s hit the road."
He gave me an uncertain smile and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
Once in the car, Emery in the driver’s seat, I reached for the radio. As I did, he swatted my hand away playfully. "Uh-uh. You know the rules."
"I was just turning it on," I protested, feigning innocence.
"Sure you were."
The drive to the store was quiet except for the music, and I tried to keep my gaze trained on the road or looking out the window, rather than at Emery. Every time I glanced his way, I caught him looking, his gaze on me. And every time I caught him, my heart skipped a beat, racing in my chest.
We did our shopping in record time, not lingering in the aisles, just no-nonsense grabbing what we needed. I followed him to the register and helped load our groceries onto the conveyor belt, the teenage clerk grinning at us the whole time. I wanted to ask if she was okay, if we knew her from somewhere, something to explain the knowing looks she kept giving us, but I kept my mouth shut.
Emery didn’t, though. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
She shook her head and when she spoke, it was in a heavy southern drawl. "I don’t think so. I was just thinking what a cute couple you two make. It’s nice to see positive queer relationships out in public. I just moved here from Alabama. You wouldn’t see this there. At least, not in the town I’m from."
"Couple?" I asked quietly. I shook my head. "No, you’re mistaken."
"No? Oh! I’m so sorry to assume."
"It’s fine." I waved away her protest.
"It’s just, you two look so cute together. If you’re not a couple, maybe you should be."
I cleared my throat and shook my head. "I’m straight."
Chapter Eight
Emery
HearingMasonprotestthathe was straight stung in a way I didn’t quite understand. I had always identified as straight, too, but I’d been questioning that since the kiss, and especially since I’d gotten off thinking about him. When I’d passed him a towel earlier, I’d gotten hard just thinking about him being wet and naked on the other side of the door. What had gotten into me?
The cashier apologized again and again as Mason assured her that it was fine, no offense taken. Once we’d made it to the car and the groceries were loaded, Mason laughed uncomfortably. "That was weird, huh? That thing with the cashier?"
I shrugged. "I guess so." I didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to get into it. I put the keys into the SUV and turned the ignition on without another word.
We didn’t speak on the drive home, aside from a few comments about how pretty the sunset was, and once we’d unloaded most of the groceries, Mason turned to me.
"What’s going on?"
