CHAPTER FOURTEEN #2
But Thad certainly wasn’t complaining about having company in the shower now as he let his gaze roam across Graham’s body. It was the first time they’d seen each other completely naked from all directions, and Thad allowed himself to drink in every inch of Graham’s tight, toned body.
He had incredibly well-sculpted muscles, and the curve of his ass made Thad’s mouth water. He’d seen a lot of naked asses in his life—in hockey, in prison, and recreationally—and this was right up there with the best of the best.
Apparently, the attraction was mutual because Graham turned to face him, and he looked Thad up and down, slowly, licking his lips. “Damn,” he whispered.
Though Thad felt a little self-conscious about his age at times, he felt pretty damn good about his own body. Free access to a workout room was one perk of being employed by the Harriers that he took full advantage of, and he loved lifting weights.
“Damn, yourself,” Thad countered, reaching out to wrap a hand around Graham’s waist and pull him closer.
Graham laughed, sliding his hands along Thad’s arms, the water slicking his way. “Yeah, but it’s my job to be in shape.”
“Mmm, true,” Thad admitted. “But you do it very well.”
“Thank you.” Graham smoothed his palms across Thad’s chest. “So, uh, back to this waxing thing from the other night.”
Thad groaned and tipped his head forward. “What did I tell you about talking about my brother when my dick is out?”
“Uhh, I didn’t say anything about your brother this time,” Graham countered with a laugh. “That was all you.”
That was fair, Thad supposed. So he straightened and looked Graham in the eye. “What do you want to know about it?”
Graham kept rubbing at his chest. “Just curious why you started doing it.”
Thad shrugged. “I mean, I’m pretty hairy. And when it started going silver I … I don’t know. It made me feel …”
He hesitated because this wasn’t easy for him. This raw honesty. There was no doubt he’d always found it easier with Graham than with anyone else. And that was probably why Thad had started to develop feelings for him in the first place.
And while he might not know what the fuck he was doing in a relationship, he did know how important it was to open up to Graham. To be honest. To let himself be vulnerable.
His therapist had stressed that enough times. Harlan was probably going to be ecstatic to find out Thad was in a relationship now.
So Thad took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and said, “It made me feel … old.”
“And that … bothers you?” Graham tilted his head, studying Thad’s face.
Thad resisted the urge to flinch. To look away. To hide.
“I … yeah.” He dragged a hand through his damp hair.
“I mean, everyone else got to do all this shit in their twenties, you know? They got to fuck around in college and try out relationships and jobs until they found the right fit. And I had to do it all a decade later than everyone. It was … it was embarrassing to not have it together at my age.”
“I get that,” Graham said.
“And I—I don’t know. I wasn’t trying to meet someone to fall in love with or anything, so what did it matter if I knocked a decade off my age on my profile on the apps, dyed my hair, and waxed my chest?
It wasn’t going hurt anyone if I wasn’t completely honest with someone I was only hooking up with once or twice. ” He shrugged.
“Did you go to a salon?”
“At first, yeah. I started doing it when I lived in New York, when I had the job at the startup. I was already dying my hair, and I could afford to drive to Jersey to get a cheap wax when I needed it. It was … it was my treat to myself, you know? A little luxury I’d never had before.”
Graham frowned. “What did you do after the company went under?”
“I let the hair grow for a while. But I noticed—I noticed people treated me differently. For one, I got a lot of people into the whole Daddy thing. Which … whatever. I don’t give a shit if other people are into it but it wasn’t what I was looking for.”
“Sure. Makes sense.”
“So I started doing it at home.”
Graham winced. “Ouch.”
“Yeah, it hurts like a bitch,” Thad agreed. “No matter who’s doing it.”
“I’m sure. I know some guys who do it for hockey because the chest protectors get really uncomfortable otherwise. They’re always complaining about it though.”
“Why are you so curious about it anyway?” Thad asked, smoothing a hand up Graham’s back.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you wish I was furrier?”
“Mmm, not exactly.” Graham let out a thoughtful hum.
“I meant it when I said you’re hot with a smooth chest and you’d be hot with a furry one.
I guess I want you to know I don’t care where you’re at in life.
I don’t care if you’re behind the schedule most people have.
If you want to wax because you like it better, then fucking go for it.
But if you don’t want to deal with the cost and the discomfort, I’ll—I’ll be into you either way. ”
Thad nodded, wondering what had tripped Graham up there. If he’d been about to say something else. But it was too soon for that, right?
Way too soon.
“I’ll think about it,” was all Thad said before he leaned in, crowding Graham up against the tile walls and kissed him thoroughly.
It was a lush, lazy kiss, filled with low-banked heat. It wouldn’t take much to make it roar to life but for now, he was content with the feel of Graham’s body pressed against his as he explored Graham’s mouth.