17. Ridley
SEVENTEEN
RIDLEY
We actually stumbled on a good movie tonight, so more than an hour passes with silence between us as we take in the intense thriller on the screen. Having Wren tucked into me, his arm draped across my chest, is fucking nice. I could get used to it, even though I know I shouldn’t.
By the time the movie reaches its climactic ending, it’s nearly four in the morning. My eyes burn with the need for sleep, but between the movie and the man in my arms, it’s not happening. Wren stretches against me, playfully biting my arm before he tilts his head up.
“That was pretty good.”
“It was.”
He yawns, then chuckles. “I’m tired but awake.”
“Same.”
Wren searches my eyes for a moment then looks slightly uncomfortable. “I guess I should go to my room.”
“You don’t have to.”
“No?”
I shake my head. “I’m okay with this if you are.”
The expression on his face shifts from panic to resolve as he sinks into my mattress. “Maybe one more movie. A short one.”
“Yeah, one more movie.”
I click the button on the remote to choose the next movie suggested on screen, then wrap my arm around Wren a little tighter, smiling when he snuggles closer instead of putting distance between us.
As we watch, my mind drifts off, lingering in the space between asleep and alert, and I finally give in, lulled to sleep by the comfort of it all.
The next time I open my eyes, I’m surprised to see the sun trying to break through the drapes and a sleeping Wren wrapped around me. Reaching over to the nightstand, I tap my phone to check the time. Almost ten. A few solid hours of sleep is pretty damn good for me.
I need to pee, but I don’t want to wake Wren, so I very carefully pull my arm out from under him. He doesn’t budge, only releasing a snuffling breath as he hugs my pillow. The sight brings a smile to my face as I manage to tear myself away from the bed to head to the bathroom.
When I come back out, he’s still sound asleep, so I go to my sitting room to brew some coffee. It’s Sunday, so he can afford to sleep in, and it’s kind of nice that he’s so comfortable in my room that he can.
I scroll on my phone while I wait for the coffee to brew, checking out the various social posts Moby’s is tagged in, smiling at the photos of everything from smiling faces at the bar to Wren’s food.
A year ago we thought we’d be a comfortable local hangout, nearly dead in the summer months when the university was off, but busy enough the rest of the time to keep us afloat.
That’s not at all what’s happening. Apparently, we hit the right beat at the right time.
The coffee finishes, and I pour myself a mug then settle on the couch again and flick on the TV to watch whatever is on.
Two cups of coffee and one nature show later, Wren appears in the entry, naked as the day he was born, his hair mussed and his eyes still filled with sleep.
He looks disoriented for a few seconds until he focuses on me.
“What time is it?” he asks, his voice rough with sleep.
I glance at my phone on the coffee table. “Almost noon.”
His jaw drops. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Want some coffee? It’s still hot.”
He nods, shuffling across the room to my kitchenette. I watch for a second as he tries to find mugs, then decide to get up and help him. I press myself against his nude body, pushing him into the counter slightly as I reach above him to the cabinet where I keep the mugs.
“I’ll get it. Cream or sugar?”
He twists around, his cheeks pink. “Black is fine.”
Wren watches me pour the steaming liquid into the mug then takes it, holding it in both hands as he inhales before taking a sip.
“Good. Is there cinnamon?”
“Yeah, I put a little in with the grounds.”
“Mmm.” He takes another sip. “I can’t believe I slept so long. How long have you been up?”
“Less than two hours, but I slept well too.”
He nods, studying my face before saying, “Thanks for letting me stay. I didn’t mean to.”
“It wasn’t a hardship.” I bump his hip with mine. “Truth be told, I even liked it.”
Wren chews on his bottom lip for a second, and I have to wonder if he’s about to tap the brakes. Maybe actually sleeping with someone is too intimate for fuck buddies.
“I did too,” he says, softly. “I guess I never saw us…” He shrugs.
“We’re figuring it out as we go, right? Whatever feels good works for me.”
“Yeah.” He smiles. “I can work with that.”
“Besides, it’s Sunday. There’s no rush.” I greedily run my gaze up and down his naked form. “In fact, I could think of a few activities to burn a few more hours.”
His cheeks bloom pink, and he glances at my door like he’s expecting people to barge through it any minute.
“What about everyone else?”
“What about them? Brunch is probably over by now. They’re all doing their thing.
Kit and Stewart will go to a museum or a bookstore.
Lowen and Oakley will go visit all their projects around town, Jerryn and Bane will hole up playing video games, and Salem and Indy will fuck like rabbits all day in their suite. They aren’t looking for us.”
“No, I guess they aren’t.”
“If you want your own space, it’s cool, but if you want to stay, I want you to.”
He seems to consider it, then his shoulders relax. “I’d like to stay for a while.”
“Cool. I was gonna hit the shower, but you can go first if you want.”
Wren shakes his head. “I’ll finish my coffee.”
I lean in and kiss his cheek, smiling as his breath hitches. “See you in a few minutes.”
He nods, sipping his coffee as I walk out.
I don’t know why, but getting him to hang out during daylight hours seems like a big win.
I think we might have a few non-sexual things in common, movie tastes aside, and I’d like to find out.
Even if this is nothing but blowing off steam for a few months, doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy his attention as long as it lasts.
In the bathroom, I turn the shower on and brush my teeth while I wait for the water to heat.
Did the thought cross my mind to invite him to shower with me?
Sure the fuck did. I can just imagine what his soft skin feels like heated from the water and slick with bodywash, but it felt like too much to ask.
He’s skittish sometimes, just like a rabbit, so I have to chill and not push too hard.
Besides, I already know this isn’t something either one of us should get too deeply attached to.
When he’s ready, Wren will want a guy he can build a life with, and he deserves that, not a forty-something rolling stone.
As nice as it is to imagine a future with Wren, my history shows it’s unlikely.
I’ve clicked with other people in the past, only for the interest to fizzle out in a few months.
Best not to go there and to make sure we navigate this in a way that maintains our professional and personal relationship when it’s all said and done.
But as I step under the hot spray and close my eyes, visions of waking up next to him every morning tumble around my head. Thoughts of pulling him in here with me, of washing his body and sucking him off against the tiles, of his sweet and needy moans, fill my mind.
My cock plumps with interest but I ignore it, choosing to save it for another round with the sexy man. I drag my hands through my wet hair, whisking the water out of it, and indulge in the fantasy of sliding my cock inside his tight ass.
Fuuuck.
I can see his face in my mind, biting his bottom lip, smiling sweetly as he mounts me, spreading my legs and pushing inside my rarely fucked hole.
“Jesus,” I whisper, shivering with desire and need, my hands pressed against the tiles as steamy water pelts my back.
I force myself to turn the water off and get out of the shower before I give in and jack off. After catching my breath, I wrap a towel around my waist and walk out to the sitting room, still damp from the shower.
Wren sits on my couch, clutching his coffee cup, still naked. He looks like a fucking piece of art, sitting with his knees bent and legs spread. His eyes meet mine and his breath hitches, his gaze moving down to my tented towel then back up again.
“You should take a shower now if you need to get clean before I get you dirty again.”
Wren visibly shudders, nodding as he sets his mug on the coffee table. “That must’ve been some shower.”
“It was.” I rub my erection through the towel. “I need to touch you again, rabbit.”
“Where?” he asks, rising to his feet, his own cock swelling now.
“Wherever you say I can.”
Wren approaches me, flicking his tongue over his pretty pink lips. “Would you…” He pauses, and when he reaches me, he drags his hands down my chest. “Would you like to fuck me, Rid?”
A moan escapes my lips as I nod, stroking down his back to rest my hand on the curve of his ass. “If you want me to, I’d be fucking honored.” With my other hand, I cup his chin, tilting his head back slightly. “But you’ll have to ask.”
He sways slightly as his eyelids flutter. “You’re unbelievable, you know?”
“In a good way, I hope?”
“Very.”
“Good. Go shower before I bend you over and eat your ass right here.”
Wren grins. “That’s a pretty benign threat, but I’ll shower.”
He pushes past me and I exhale, shaking my shoulders out to keep my feet in place so I don’t follow him like a puppy.
If he’s really going to ask me to fuck him, I need to summon every bit of restraint I have to make it good for him—so good he can’t stay out of my bed.
I’ve got a good thing with Wren, and I’m going to do what I can to make the most of our time together before it inevitably ends.