Chapter 11 Sheldon
SHELDON
The fog was thick in my head as I tried to wade through it to wake up. I was so damn tired I couldn’t move. My body was heavy. A weight on my arm kept it pinned down, but I had no energy to fight it.
When I finally opened my eyes, I had no clue where I was. It should have sent a shock of panic through me. Except there was a head on my chest with messy light brown hair. I vaguely remembered running my fingers through it before falling asleep.
“Oh shit,” I whispered, memories flooding back.
I was in Forest’s apartment. I was in Forest’s bed! He was sleeping on me!
Jesus Christ, I was so damn happy a smile formed that I couldn’t and didn’t want to contain. I should etch every moment of this into my memory.
My heart beat wildly in my chest as the night before ran on a loop in my mind.
I couldn’t believe this happened. Coming here as late as I did was a risk.
I turned around twice before walking up the stairs to his apartment.
There was the question in my mind of whether it would be worse if I showed up and he turned me away than if I never came at all. I was so glad I went to his door.
God, I wanted to run my fingers through his hair again, but I didn’t dare move. Well, I couldn’t budge one arm. He was lying on it. The other was free. If I moved, I could wake him. If he woke, he could freak out and run from the bed.
Getting here with Forest was a huge risk. Being with someone who had never been with a man before wasn’t easy. I’d tried it once and swore never again. That was before I met Forest.
It was a dream come true having him like this. A dream filled with panic. Maybe that was why my heart pounded. Forest was going to wake up and tell me it was a mistake. He would make me leave. The organ beating against my ribs would be ground to a pulp.
He stirred, his arm tightening around me.
And there went my dick. Of course. It was pointed right at Forest. If that didn’t scare him, I wasn’t sure what would.
Forest rubbed his nose along my chest, then turned, his chin propping on me. He blinked his eyes open. A sexy blush pinked his cheeks. Hiding his face against me, he muttered, “Morning.”
Since he didn’t run away screaming, I put my free arm around him and gave him a gentle squeeze. What I really wanted to do was roll us over so I was on top and could grind my dick against him. I wouldn’t without his consent. “Morning.”
He slowly slid off the foot of the bed, out of my grip. “I’m just going to…” With his feet on the floor, he spun and walked to the bathroom. Either it was his typical morning hardness, or he was very happy to see me. No way to know. I wasn’t about to ask him.
As for my dick, it remained untouched. It was the only way it would go down unless I got off.
By the time Forest returned, I had it under control but still hadn’t moved from the bed.
“Sorry,” he ducked his head. “Morning breath.” Right. I should handle that. If he wanted to brush his teeth, I should do the same. What if it meant he thought about kissing me?
“I’ll take you up on that offer of a toothbrush if it’s still there.”
“I left it on the counter just in case.”
I slipped out from under the sheet, still in the shorts and shirt I had worn over here. What I would have given to coax him back into bed and peel his clothes off. I had to take this slow. If I moved too fast, this little bit we built could crumble.
After leaving the bathroom, I heard voices in the other room—hushed, rushed tones.
Being me and not liking Forest in any form of distress, I ate up the distance until I entered the living room.
Vail stood at the kitchen counter, a covered dish in front of him.
And the grin he wore… He was downright beaming.
“You don’t understand just how happy I am right now,” Vail said.
“V,” Forest warned low.
“You’re doing a terrible job of concealing it,” I told Vail, causing him to look at me.
“I brought For breakfast. We had plenty left over, plus I wanted him to have enough for tomorrow morning. He has to be ready for his new job.”
“Congrats,” I offered Forest. I figured he’d gotten it. He could do much better. Plus, there was the fact I hated him working there. What if someone drove by and shot up the place, thinking JJ was there? What if they came through the door and held a gun to Forest’s head? What if—
“Sheldon,” Vail said gently.
I blinked, my mind clearing. He had his hand on my arm. I hadn’t noticed him come close. “Sorry.” Looking down, I realized my hands were balled into fists, my short nails leaving half-moon shapes on my palms.
“He’ll be safe there. Jordan assured us there haven’t been any incidents in quite some time. Greer also updated their security system.” Ah, right. Greer was one of the men JJ was in a committed relationship with. He was a genius with tech.
“I’d give the whole I can take care of myself speech, but I’m not comfortable handling a gun.” Forest shrugged.
“I can teach you to do so safely,” I said. “That way, you’d be protected.”
“I’m not worried. You saw the size of Keith, right?” Lovely. The thought of another man protecting Forest did wonders for me.
“While I’d love to continue to witness whatever is happening here, if I’m not back soon, Jordan will come looking,” Vail interrupted, his smile still in place. “There’s more than enough for both of you. French toast, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and fresh blueberries.”
Forest clapped Vail on the shoulder. “Thanks, V. You spoil me.”
“You’re my best friend. Plus, I spoil everyone with food.” He winked and walked to the door, seeing himself out. There was no doubt that Oleander was waiting downstairs for him.
“Will you stay for breakfast?” Forest asked shyly. He was a different person when it was only two of us. I reveled in it. Not so much his shyness, even though it was cute as hell, but that he wasn’t the same with me. I got to see a different side of him.
“I have the day off. I’m not leaving until you kick me out.”
“I guess you’ll be here for a while then.”
“If I’d known Ollie was bringing Vail over, I would have asked him to pack a change of clothes for me.”
The door opened, Vail sticking his head in. “Ollie asked me to give you this, Sheldon.” He placed a duffel bag on the floor and left.
I chuckled. “Of course he did.”
“I’d ask how he knew, but he’s your best friend,” Forest said. “I have that with Vail.”
“They know us too well.”
“They do. There’s a lot of comfort in that. Let’s eat, then you can shower or not. I don’t want you to think you smell. You don’t,” he rushed. “Fuck’s sake. Why am I like this?”
I couldn’t resist the pull and crossed the room until I stood in front of him. He had his chin dipped down, so I put my finger beneath it and lifted his face until he looked me in the eye. “I think it’s endearing. I love seeing a side of you others don’t.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
He blew out a breath. “Can I…”
“Anything?”
“I’d like to hug you.”
Instead of responding with words, I pulled him into my arms. He readily held me back. “You never have to ask if you can touch me. You’re one of the few people who can do so anytime you want. I mean that.”
“Ollie is another?”
“He is and his parents.”
Forest tucked his face against my neck. “Thank you.”
“The honor is mine, being able to hold you like this.”
“I’m not usually like this, with women at least. I always ask for their consent, but I don’t stumble and not know what to say. You have an effect on me. I feel so much, yet I can’t get it out.”
“There’s no hurry.” He could take as much time as he wanted. I wasn’t going anywhere.
“I still feel horrible for not being there when you were hurt.” I could say nothing or lie and tell him it didn’t bother me. The truth was, it did.
Instead of making him feel worse than he already did, I said, “Let’s keep the past where it belongs. It doesn’t matter. Only where we are now does.”
“I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Does anyone?”
He laughed, and it was beautiful, just like him.
We stood there for a few minutes, Forest relaxed against me, my hands running soothingly over his back. I didn’t want it to end.
Forest leaned away first. “We should eat, that way when V texts and asks how breakfast was, I don’t have to lie. He was serious when he wanted to make sure I ate.”
“I believe it. He lives to feed everyone.”
Vail was an amazing chef. He’d learned from his brother-in-law, who was the chef at Untouchable. Dexen Dremest owned the club and was JJ’s other partner. Vail would fill in at the club from time to time to handle meals, much less now that he was with Jordan.
Forest and I piled food on our plates, then took them over to the four-person round table he had near the window. The apartment was an open floor plan, the kitchen flowed to the dining area, and both were open to the living room. It was airy and bright with the curtains drawn back.
“Do you know if Jordan used bulletproof glass for the windows?” I asked. I wouldn’t put it past him.
Forest paused with the fork halfway to his mouth. Syrup dripped from it in a thick string. “I’m not sure. Is that something he does?”
I cocked an eyebrow in response.
“I’ll ask Hart.”
If they weren’t bulletproof, I would hate him living here even more than I already did. I wondered if Jordan would fix that if they were plain glass.
“You’re thinking about how to make my apartment safer, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “That’s my job.”
“I’m not who you guard.”
“No, but you’re just as important.” There was no point in keeping what I thought buffered. Forest would have to get used to me if we were going anywhere.
He focused on the food on his plate. “I don’t know how to respond when you say things like that. I’ve never had someone be protective of me, outside of Hart and Vail. It’s not the same with you.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I would rather you get to know me as I am. I don’t put on any pretenses.”
“I like that about you.” His gaze rose to mine. “Although, when you shut me out or close down, I don’t know how to take it.”
Placing my fork on the plate, I let out a breath.
“I did that to protect myself. I wasn’t sure how to approach this with you.
I’ve been trying to figure you out since you showed up here, and people started telling me you looked at me differently.
I knew you went out with women. It was hard trying to get a read on you. I was so torn up inside.”
“You weren’t alone. I couldn’t figure out what to do. This is new territory for me.”
“Fresh start?” I suggested. “No more looking back?”
He smiled. It lit up his entire face. “I’d like that.”