Chapter Sixteen
SMALL BED
Whip was hesitant.
Axel got that.
Talking about it another dozen times wasn’t going to change anything.
He’d kissed Whip.
Whip had kissed him back.
Far as he was concerned, they’d solved the biggest problem already.
Axel tossed the dish towel onto the counter while Whip shoved the leftover biscuits into the refrigerator.
The kitchen still smelled like breakfast-for-dinner.
He wasn’t much for housework, but scrubbing dried eggs out of a skillet tomorrow sounded even worse.
Better to deal with it now rather than wait until tomorrow.
He waited by the stairs while Whip made one last lap through the downstairs, switching off lights as he went. Living room. Hallway. Laundry room.
Whip stopped at the front door and checked the deadbolt.
“You already locked it.”
“I know.”
Whip gave it one more twist anyway before heading toward the stairs.
He fell in behind him.
Whip reached the top of the stairs and headed for the bedroom.
Axel kept walking.
When Whip stopped in the doorway, Axel walked straight into his back.
Whip stumbled half a step and grabbed the doorjamb.
“…What are you doing?”
“Going to bed.”
Whip pointed toward the other end of the hall.
“Your room’s down there.”
“Bed’s too small.”
Whip stared at him another second.
“You didn’t complain yesterday.”
Axel brushed past him and dropped onto the mattress.
The springs barely noticed.
Ahhhh, much better.
He’d been sleeping in that sorry excuse for a bed for three weeks. That was about three weeks too long.
His feet hung over the end.
Rolling over meant waking up with a cramp in his calf or a shoulder jammed against the wall.
Hell, he’d nearly dislocated a knee getting up to take a piss one night.
This bed, though…
Plenty of room.
He bounced once.
“Yeah.”
Whip was still standing in the doorway.
“…Did you just steal my bed?”
Axel looked up like the answer should’ve been obvious.
“Our bed.”
Whip scrubbed both hands over his face.
“Axel…”
“What?”
“You don’t think this is too fast?” Whip let out a quiet breath.
“You mean like a quickie fast?”
Whip sputtered.
He grinned. “We’ve been partners for a year. Spent half that time sleeping in motel rooms, sharing stakeouts, eating greasy diner food at two in the morning, and arguing because you’ve got control issues about driving.”
“Well… no, I don’t mean a quickie. I mean everything.” Whip looked downright offended and waved his hands around.
“We kissed. More than once.”
“I know,” Whip murmured.
“You kissed me back.”
“I did.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
He looked around the room.
Big bed.
Two pillows.
One Whip.
Seemed pretty straightforward.
Silence settled between them.
Whip searched his face like he was trying to find the catch.
There wasn’t one.
Finally, Whip shook his head, a quiet laugh escaping under his breath.
“I need to brush my teeth.”
“Me too.”
Whip disappeared toward the dresser, grabbing a T-shirt and a pair of sleep pants before heading for the bathroom.
Axel watched him go, then hurried down the hall to grab his toothbrush and a clean pair of boxers.
He still wasn’t sure why Whip kept making things so complicated.
They were together.
This was what together looked like.
If Whip expected fanfare and roses, he wasn’t that guy.
But showing up?
Staying?
Nobody did that better than he did.
Whip was already brushing his teeth when Axel stepped into the bathroom.
The room wasn’t big enough for two grown men, but they’d managed tighter spaces than this.
Axel nudged him with a shoulder until Whip shifted over just enough to make room at the sink.
“Move.”
“You’re in my house.”
“You’re in my way.”
Whip rolled his eyes and scooted another inch.
There.
Much better.
Axel squeezed toothpaste onto the bristles.
For a minute the only sounds were the hum of the exhaust fan and two toothbrushes scraping away the taste of bacon, eggs, and coffee.
His gaze drifted to the mirror.
Whip stood beside him in an old T-shirt, blond hair tangled, blue eyes fixed on his own reflection while he brushed.
Yeah.
He was definitely looking.
Whip caught him watching.
One corner of his mouth twitched around the toothbrush.
“What?”
Axel shrugged.
“Nothin’.”
Whip finished first, spit into the sink, and rinsed his toothbrush.
He hesitated.
“We don’t have condoms.”
Axel rinsed his mouth.
“We’ll pick some out tomorrow.”
Whip blinked.
“Pick some out? Like bedding and sheets?”
Axel frowned.
“We can do that too. We gotta go to the store anyway.”
Whip stared at him another second and laughed.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I’ve been told.”
Axel smiled and set his toothbrush back in the holder.
On his way past, he caught the front of Whip’s T-shirt, tugged him close, and kissed him.
Quick.
Easy.
Mint toothpaste and all.
When he stepped back, Whip was still looking at him like he couldn’t quite believe any of this was real.
Axel could.
Tomorrow, they’d buy condoms.
Tonight, they were going to bed.
The bedroom was dark by the time they climbed into bed.
Whip reached for the lamp on the nightstand.
The room went quiet.
Axel settled onto his back and stretched until his shoulders sank into the mattress.
God.
This bed was so much better.
Beside him, the mattress shifted as Whip eased under the blankets.
Neither of them said anything.
Didn’t have to.
Axel folded one arm behind his head and stared at the ceiling.
Funny.
He’d spent the last two weeks sleeping twenty feet away.
Now that seemed ridiculous.
He turned his head.
Moonlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, enough to make out Whip lying on his side facing the other direction.
Still awake.
“All good?” Axel asked quietly.
A few seconds passed.
“Yeah.”
He didn’t sound convinced.
Axel reached across the mattress and found Whip’s hand under the blankets.
Their fingers bumped.
Whip turned his hand over without hesitation.
Their fingers threaded together.
Simple.
Easy.
Right.
Axel closed his eyes and drifted.
No case to think about.
No wondering where he was sleeping tomorrow night.
Whip was beside him.
And as much as he wanted to roll over and pound Whip into the mattress for the next several hours, he knew his man needed time to process things.
Weigh it all out.
But facts were facts.
They were together.
His shoulders relaxed.
The rest could wait until morning.
He was asleep before he realized he’d drifted off.
Axel woke up too fucking warm for October in Oregon.
That was his first coherent thought.
He frowned.
Something was in his face.
He tried to stretch.
Couldn’t.
Blinking away sleep, he looked down.
Blond hair.
Well.
That explained the heat.
Whip had rolled onto his side sometime during the night.
Facing him.
His arm was wrapped around Whip’s waist. Their noses were damn near touching. One leg had apparently claimed Whip’s hip.
Huh.
Whip hadn’t complained.
Hadn’t even moved.
Slow, even breaths.
Still asleep.
Axel studied him for another second before tightening his arm just enough to pull him a fraction closer.
Better.
He closed his eyes again.
Five more minutes wouldn’t kill anybody.
Not even Boone.