Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
“Hey! No fair. I wasn’t ready!”
“While you were busy using French words to look smart, I already scored.”
“That’s an automatic do-over!”
By the time we were finished playing seven games—where he beat me, of course—we realized everyone had already left. Well, damn, I supposed we really were in our own little world.
Emil glanced at his phone—he had a text from Jonah—while I checked mine. Apparently, our friends had decided to head to a club and were giving us directions so we could join them once we were done trying to outcompete each other, to use A-Train’s phrase.
“Did you want to go?” I asked Emil as we headed toward the exit.
“Yeah, sure. But I have to grab my ID from my room. It’s in the pocket of my other pants. We can grab a car service from the hotel.”
On the way back, the sky unloaded in buckets of rain.
“Holy shit!” We started running, but it was no use. We were drenched. We left a trail of rainwater through the lobby all the way to the elevator, but it couldn’t be helped.
Emil punched the numbers two and four, and I said, “Mind if I just grab a towel in your room to dry off while you find your ID?”
“Is coming to my room a good idea?” Emil asked as we exited on his floor.
“Why not? Jonah’s not there, and besides, maybe I don’t care what people say,” I told him, my heart thumping hard.
Emil scoffed as he keyed into his room. “So you’re ready to come out?”
“What if I am?” I challenged.
“I don’t want to be involved.”
I stood there stunned while he grabbed a couple of towels for us.
“Are you saying you’re embarrassed to be involved with me?” I asked Emil.
“No! And maybe it’s already obvious. We literally ignored everyone to play arcade games.”
“True, and it was awesome.”
“It was, especially the part where I beat you,” he gloated. “What I’m trying to say is, if you’re going to come out, do it on your own terms with your friends and family. I’ll support you no matter what.”
This should probably be the part where I told him about being demiromantic, but I didn’t want to freak him out. It was enough that he hadn’t overanalyzed us making out the other night and me sleeping in his bed. Evidently, he still wanted to keep this thing between us casual, and I had to be okay with that.
“Yeah, you’re right…thanks.”
“Ugh, my hair is a wreck,” he said, glancing in the mirror. “I’m gonna jump in the shower, then change for the club.”
“Wasn’t the downpour we just walked through enough of a shower?”
“You would say that!” He prodded me toward the door. “Go put on dry clothes, then come back down.”
So I did. I went to my room and changed into jeans and a T-shirt. I barely glanced at myself in the mirror before I was out the door.
I’d just lifted my knuckles to knock when I saw he’d used the safety lock to prop the door for me.
I heard the shower going as I let the door shut behind me.
“A serial killer could be in your room right now and you wouldn’t know it,” I called to him through the door.
“True! But I knew you’d be right back down and save me,” he replied, and I chuckled. “You’d also hand me the towel I just used because I gave you the last one.”
I picked up the discarded towel from his bed, then tentatively stepped inside the bathroom. His naked body was on full display, and my cock immediately plumped. Sure, we’d seen each other bare before, but mostly in the dark, and now, under the glaring lights, I couldn’t help gawking.
“Take a picture. It’ll last longer,” he teased.
“Oh, sorry.” I averted my eyes. “I just… I like your body.”
“I like your body too,” he replied, and my gaze sprang to his.
“You do?” I stepped closer.
“I’d invite you in so you could fix your hair too, but you’re anti-shower.”
“Am not!” I finally glanced at myself in the mirror and realized my hair was matted to my forehead. “I’ll prove it.”
I quickly stepped out of my clothes before either of us changed our minds.
“Well, damn, I didn’t think you’d really do it.”
I paused at the shower door. “Do you not want…?”
He looked me up and down. “Have you seen yourself? Of course I want. As long as…”
“As long as we both know this is only a hookup.” I stepped inside. “But who says this is going to be a hookup? Maybe I just like taking showers.”
His laugh echoed through the hollow space, and it was contagious.
He handed me the fancy soap, and I washed my body, enjoying the warm spray. We both shampooed our hair at the same time and kissed as the water washed it from our scalps. He was as hard as I was now.