CHAPTER 16
Cole scooted up, tucked a pillow behind his back, and leaned against the headboard.
Sweat dripped from his feverish brow into his eyes and down his temples.
He wiped his face with a swirl of his hand, then dropped his head back and closed his eyes, his breath still ragged, causing his chest to rise and fall unevenly.
Beside him on the bed, Gabe lay on his back, hands still buried in his damp hair, eyes half-closed as he continued to stare at the bedroom ceiling. Neither of them had said a word since Gabe’s last statement—“Baby… you’re the fucking bomb.”
What they had just done had come so close to fucking that Cole felt like he had lost his virginity. Technically, he hadn’t, but it was one hell of a simulation.
Cole’s hands rested limply on his upper thighs, his skin flushed and hot to the touch, tacky with sweat.
A cocktail of his and Gabe’s cum glistened on his stomach, smeared into his abdomen by their wild rutting.
His cock lay flaccid and exhausted against his lower stomach, though he wondered how quickly it would revive if Gabe suddenly wanted to go another round.
His heavy gaze drifted to Gabe’s crotch.
He lay with his legs slightly parted; one knee kinked a little, brushing Cole’s leg.
His member looked as spent as Cole’s, lying soft in the crease where his thigh met hip.
A single pearl drop of cum clung to the tip, glistening, almost translucent.
Cole became fixated on the droplet, gazing at it with quiet intrigue.
“Hungry for more already?” Gabe’s voice slurred a bit as if he were drunk.
“Huh?” Cole flinched and looked at him. Gabe was staring at him through half-lidded eyes, a tired smile on his face.
“You were staring at my ding-a-ling.” Gabe’s smile stretched a little.
“I wasn’t…” Cole rolled his eyes and laughed.
“Were to.”
Cole groaned, laughing softly as he turned his eyes to the ceiling. “Shut up.”
Twisting onto his side, Gabe propped on one elbow, head resting in his palm. With his other hand, he traced lazy patterns on Cole’s hip, his touch like a livewire sparking electricity across the surface of his skin. “You lied to me, fibber.”
Cole moaned, head against the headboard, eyes about to close. He chuckled wearily. “What did I lie about?”
Gabe shifted, and Cole’s eyes snapped open when the man kissed his dick. “You said he wasn’t cute when he was soft.” Gabe’s soft lips pressed firmly to his cock a second time as he murmured against Cole’s spent flesh, “I think he’s adorable when he’s… resting.”
He wouldn’t be resting long if Gabe kept kissing him. Already, he was twitching with signs of life. “Keep doing that,” Cole sighed, “and you’ll wake him up.”
A quiet laugh escaped Gabe, and he kissed the head once. “Sleep, my precious, we’ll play later.” Gabe scooted up beside Cole and touched heads with him briefly. “I think what I told Dane was true.”
“What’s that?”
Gabe cocked his head at Cole and smiled. “That you’re going to be the death of me.”
Cole gazed into his baby blues, so bright and full of life even in his exhaustion. “Same.”
Chuckling low, Gabe dropped his head on Cole’s shoulder, eyes closing. “I need a nap,” he mumbled. “You wore me out. Like… complete, total wipeout.” A deep exhale escaped him, and his head rested more heavily on his shoulder, his body going lax.
“Want to take a shower before your nap?” Cole whispered against his hair. “You’ll sleep better.”
Gabe sighed as a tired smile formed. “Mm. Sounds good.” He raised his eyes imploringly. “Carry me?”
“Shit,” Cole laughed, shaking his head. “I can barely carry myself.”
The shower revived them a little, but short of some kissing and light fondling as they washed each other’s bodies, nothing sexual came of it. Exhaustion held on, and they returned to bed, eager for sleep. Both men went out like a light as soon as their heads hit the pillows.
Gabe awoke to Cole’s back tucked against his chest, his ass snuggled into his crotch.
Now that he was well rested, his mind and body refreshed, the feel of Cole’s soft cheeks nuzzling his cock got him hard in an instant.
Rather than spooning Cole as he wished to, Gabe rolled onto his back, his erection tenting the blankets.
He tucked his arms under his head and looked at Cole sleeping beside him.
Gabe didn’t “sleep” with the men he fucked.
He might hang out afterward and talk—as on occasions with Gino—but he never slept with them.
It felt too intimate, too… obligatory. And he wasn’t about commitment.
As a friend? Hell yes. He was as loyal and committed a friend as one could get.
But otherwise? He wasn’t ready for that.
So why are you sleeping with Cole? He hadn’t even blinked at the notion of sleeping in Cole’s bed.
Honestly? He’d wanted to sleep with him.
Something about it felt right. Natural. And he couldn’t fucking explain it.
He wasn’t “falling in love” with the man; he didn’t want that kind of relationship with Cole. He just wanted…
What?
He didn’t fucking know. How could he? He’d just met Cole yesterday.
No matter how many times they made out since then, there was no way to know what would become of it.
Maybe once they got their fill of each other, they’d become strangers again and go their own ways.
Maybe this insta-attraction was purely sexual, temporary, destined to burn hot, then burn out.
Gabe stared at Cole’s sleeping form, then slid over against him and pressed his lips to the man’s warm shoulder. Maybe he didn’t want that type of relationship with Cole, but something had clicked between them, something more than sex.
Something that made him feel sick at the thought of someday not being in Cole’s proximity. He couldn’t begin to understand what it was, and maybe it was best not to analyze it, but rather just go with it, see where it took them—and hope it didn’t eventually take them in opposite directions.
“What is it about you, baby?” he whispered against Cole’s warm skin.
“I barely know you, but…” His head sank forward, resting on Cole’s shoulder.
He pushed closer to the man’s inviting body and wrapped one arm around his waist, his palm flattening against his firm stomach, fingers lazily tracing the gentle hills and valleys of his lean abdomen.
But what?
Fuck… he didn’t know.
Gabe’s body pressing against him stirred Cole from his slumber. He started to let Gabe know he was awake when Gabe spoke—What is it about you, baby—and Cole remained silent instead, pretending to be asleep.
He tried to breathe calmly as Gabe wrapped his arm around him, his warm breath on his neck. It wasn’t easy, as his heart pounded wildly, and Gabe’s fingers trailed across his stomach, making his abs want to quiver and jump.
His words filled Cole with a confusing mix of anxiety and…
excitement? It shouldn’t excite him that Gabe was so “into” him.
What if Gabe decided he wanted more than sex?
More than friendship? Something in Cole’s core flared in an unsettling way at the idea of getting that close to someone.
He didn’t think it was something he could do, not now. Maybe never.
At the same time… he didn’t want to lose Gabe. He didn’t want to lose this… whatever it was.
Cole waited until enough time had passed so he could “wake up” without Gabe thinking he might have heard him, then shifted slightly, breathing deeply.
Gabe slid his hand back to Cole’s hip and kissed his shoulder. “You awake?” he whispered.
“Mm,” Cole mumbled. “Yeah.”
Silence lingered between them for a few moments, then Gabe spoke softly with a slight tremor in his voice, “Can we talk? There’s…” He swallowed. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Cole stiffened unintentionally, immediately regretting it as Gabe pulled back and scooted up against the headboard, clearing his throat with a nervous laugh.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “I’m not going to say I love you after just meeting you yesterday.
But… there is something important I want to say. ”
“I wasn’t...” Cole mumbled as he sat up beside him, but let the sentence go. Hadn’t that been the first thing to come to mind?
“It’s okay,” Gabe smiled small and waved his hand casually. “Didn’t mean to scare you,” he joked, but it landed heavy, lacking much humor.
Had he hurt his feelings somehow? Cole suddenly felt bad. “You didn’t scare me,” he laughed softly, nudging his shoulder. “I just… I mean…”
Gabe chuckled, more genuinely this time. “Forget it. I know how it sounded.”
Leaning closer, Cole rested his chin on Gabe’s shoulder. “What did you want to say?”
Gabe sighed and tilted his head, touching it against Cole’s. “I guess I…” He swallowed. “I guess I kind of wanted to apologize.”
Cole straightened and frowned. “For what?” He couldn’t think of anything Gabe should apologize for.
“Something I said earlier today,” he whispered. “When we were in the shower room at the club.”
Cole racked his brain but still came up empty; nothing Gabe said to him had been fodder for an apology… had it? If so, Cole hadn’t clocked it. “What did you say?”
Gabe sighed. “That the moment I saw you, I… I wanted to fuck you.”
His brow knitting, Cole shook his head. “Why do you need to apologize for that?”
Gabe looked at him, his blue eyes churning with uncertainty. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “It’s just… thinking about it now… it feels… rude.”
“Rude?”
“Like…” He looked away. “Like I just saw you as a piece of ass and… nothing more.” He shook his head slowly and stared at his hands.
“I don’t, Cole.” He laughed stiffly. “I know that’s probably a hard argument to make…
all things considered, but…” He met Cole’s gaze sincerely.
“I don’t. I didn’t then, either.” He hung his head and mumbled, “I just needed you to know that.”
Cole blinked, a little startled by the sting in his eyes. “I know, Gabe,” he said softly. “I knew it when you didn’t fuck me in the shower. You could have, and I would’ve let you.” He smiled. “And I know you really wanted to.”
Gabe inhaled deeply and released it on a slow exhale. “Yeah,” he admitted with a small smile. “I did want to, so bad.”
“But you didn’t.” Cole combed his fingers through Gabe’s soft, dark strands and kissed his cheek. “Who shows that much care for a piece of ass?” He pushed his head to Gabe’s temple. “Hm?”
Gabe’s throat tightened as a pinging ache pinched his jaw and spread up into his face. He didn’t know why Cole’s words were affecting him this way, but his vision began to blur. Gabe blinked quickly, then looked at Cole, aware of the dampness in his eyes.
“Do you think we could be friends, Cole?” His voice shook more than he intended.
“I mean, like… best friends?” It sounded corny to his own ears, like an awkward teenager desperate for a friend.
But once it was out, he couldn’t stop it.
“I felt it when we met. Like… Like we could be…” He looked away, suddenly feeling foolish.
“I’m sorry.” He sniffed. “That sounded dumb. I know you probably didn’t feel the same thing and…
and it’s okay. I don’t even know what I’m saying.
” He rubbed his nose and sat forward, dropping his feet to the floor, his back to Cole.
Cole’s silence made his stomach knot up, and he wanted to flee: flee his stupid confession, flee Cole’s response before he could speak it. But he couldn’t move.
The bed shifted, and then Cole was behind him, his arms circling his neck. He touched his mouth to the back of Gabe’s head. “I felt it, too,” he whispered with a soft rasp.
“You don’t have to say that, if you didn’t…”
“I did.” Cole leaned down and kissed his ear.
“I do.” His arms tightened. “Whatever this is… I think… I think it’s something special.
I think you are something special.” His mouth sank to Gabe’s shoulder.
“I…” His breath shuddered. “I feel safe with you, Gabe.” His voice caught with soft emotion.
“And you have no idea what that means to me.” He swallowed, his breath shaky. “To just feel… safe.”