Chapter 7 #2
My breath catches, and my knees go weak. I lean against the basin before I wrap myself around him and never let go.
“I’m glad,” I say softly. “I grew up the opposite. White and nothing else. Very strict.” I shrug. “Then I discovered writing and it gave me colour. I don’t know if that makes any sense—”
“It does.”
“My family doesn’t visit me here. They don’t like the decor.” I force a laugh.
Hemi nudges his socked foot against mine. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t think I’m awful for this, but I’m not.
” I rush to say more before he gets the wrong idea.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love them, they’re my family, and they support me and don’t care that I’m gay.
They just don’t really understand me or care about my interests.
Not like Daisy does. Or you,” I finish quietly with shaking hands.
“I visit my parents when I’m in Auckland and that’s enough for us to keep our relationship healthy. ”
“That still sucks, but I’m glad you’ve found a balance that works for you.”
“Besides, it means no one says anything mean about my colour schemes because I only let people I like in,” I say brightly.
“So does that mean you like me?” he asks over the roaring water, and blood creeps into my cheeks when I realise what I implied.
“You were forced on me by Daisy.” A frown appears on Hemi’s face. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t like you. You like my colour.” I nudge his foot back.
His frown disappears and is replaced with a soft look that makes my knees weak. “I do.” He glances at the rapidly filling bath. “Got any bath stuff you put in it besides the salts?”
“Not really. I have some bubbles, but they smell strongly of jasmine.”
“So?”
I avoid his gaze and purse my lips. Hemi stands and leans his hip against the basin, slinging an arm around my waist. He waits until I look up at him.
“What’s wrong with jasmine, Liam?”
I clear my throat and fiddle with the drawstring of his track pants.
“Well, nothing. But it’s a strong scent and if you don’t like it…
” I trail off with a mumble. I don’t want to assume anything, but if he hates the smell of it like other people I’ve been with did, and that hurts my chances of getting close to him, then I’d rather not use it.
“Liam. Where’s the jasmine?”
“In the cupboard.”
We shift to open the cupboard, and Hemi grabs the jasmine bubble bath solution. He uncaps it and dumps an obscene amount into the water. Jasmine floods the air and bubbles fill the bath.
I inhale the familiar scent.
Hemi turns off the water. “Now get in the bath.”
I jerk upright. My eyes dart from the bath to Hemi. “What? Now? With—”
“I’m gonna check on the stew. You relax and let the water do its job.” Hemi leaves the bathroom in a trail of jasmine.
I leave the door open slightly in case he needs anything and remove my clothes, sinking into the warm water.
I sigh as I get comfortable. The water is already doing its job to soothe my muscles. It laps against the porcelain, and I close my eyes to listen to the rhythmic noise and strain to hear Hemi in the kitchen, but I can’t hear him over the rain against the window.
I’m disappointed he left, but I didn’t know how to ask him to stay.
We could have shared the bath. It’s big enough.
I yawn and sink deeper into the water until bubbles tickle my lips.
We could have sat opposite each other, or I could have sat in front of him and felt his soapy chest against my back.
And his hand would drift down my chest to grasp my throbbing dick, and he would stroke me with jasmine-scented water as I gasped and arched against him.
Or his back on my chest while I stroked him. I’m not fussy.
“How’s it going?”
I gasp, and my eyes fly open. I sit upright in the bath and water sloshes over the rim. I turn to find Hemi poking his head through the door, an amused look on his face.
“I’m fine. Good. Thanks.” I shake my head to clear my thoughts. It doesn’t work. “How’s the stew?”
“It’s going good. I added—” He stops abruptly and frowns, opening the door wide and stepping into the room proper. “Are you sunburnt?”
“No?” I rub a soapy hand over my cheek. It stings a little, but that could be the constant blush I seem to have around Hemi.
“You are.” Hemi sounds aghast, and I swallow a laugh at his frantic searching through the cupboard.
“It’s fine, Hemi. I’m paler than paper, it’s bound to happen.” Even though I wore sunscreen and it’s fucking winter in Wānaka, but I was distracted today so didn’t reapply like I should have. Bloody vampire skin. How can he tell I’m sunburnt? My face is perpetually red around him.
Hemi makes a triumphant sound and holds a bottle of aloe vera in the air victoriously. “I knew I saw some earlier.”
“I’ll put some on after.” And that’s when I realise Hemi is in the bathroom with me. While I’m in the bath. Naked. I duck low in the water.
“I’ll put it on. I don’t trust you to put it on properly.” Hemi clicks the bottle open and squirts aloe vera in his palm.
My mouth drops open. “I am perfectly capable of—”
“Shhh.”
I scoff. “Did you honestly just shush me?” I forget I’m naked sitting in jasmine-scented water as indignation spreads through me. “Hemi Carter, I swear to god if you put that on me while I’m sitting here, I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” He comes closer, rubbing the gel between his fingers.
I cross my arms. “I’ll…I don’t know, but I’ll think of something,” I threaten. “I’m sure Daisy can come up with something.”
Hemi kneels beside the bath. “Daisy’s not here. Lean your head back for me.” I glare at him, and he adds, “Please,” with a pout I’d do anything to see again. So I lean my head back and stare at the ceiling sullenly.
“This is what I get for going hiking. Sore muscles and a sunburn with a rugby player who thinks I’m incapable of putting on gel.” I flinch when Hemi’s hands spread across my cheeks, covered in cold gel.
He rubs small circles across my cheeks and over my forehead, feather-light to avoid aggravating the burn. My eyes fall shut, and I stop running my mouth. It’s nice. More than nice, having his hands on me.
The gel warms as Hemi strokes my skin, and I turn my head to face him. My eyes flutter open to find his face close to mine.
“Thanks,” I whisper. His hazel eyes are dark and soft, like moss in a forest you can curl up in, and creased at the corners. Full of something I can’t name.
“You’re welcome.” Hemi brushes a finger over my eyebrow and down my cheek to rest at the corner of my mouth.
Hemi leans in slowly, giving me a chance to pull away, and presses his lips to mine.
His lips are plush and warm as they move over me.
Hemi leans closer, pushing me against the porcelain, and my wet arms wrap around his shoulders, tugging him to my chest. I open my mouth for him and gasp when his tongue strokes mine.
He pulls away panting and mouths down my neck.
My head tilts back as far as I can on the porcelain, and I say, “Are your muscles sore?”
Hemi pauses swirling his tongue on my pulse. “Why?”
“The water’s still warm. You should get in,” I rush out before I lose my nerve.
Hemi lifts his head. “Really?”
“If you want to.” I shrug to hide the fact that I really, really want him in the bath with me. “I can’t send you back to Daisy with sore muscles.”
“We definitely don’t want that.” Hemi rises from the tiles and yanks his shirt over his head.
My mouth waters. I possibly drool. I scan from his neck to the trail of hair disappearing into his pants. As the right-wing for the team, he needs to be fast and light to get the ball over the try line, and his body shows it.
His shoulders are wide and taper to his waist with slight indents where a six-pack would be. I’m assuming it would be more prominent after working out or a game.
A light dusting of hair covers his chest, and his nipples are hard and a dark brown. I want him closer so I can suck them.
Hemi’s fingers tuck into the waistband of his pants, and I jerk my gaze away, realising I’ve been sitting and staring at him hungrily.
I hear clothes hit the tiles and wait for him to join me in the bath. We didn’t discuss whether he’d get in opposite or behind me. Should I move?
Hemi’s hands land on the porcelain, and I close my eyes as he lifts a leg over the rim of the bath. I shift my legs to allow room for him, and he settles opposite me, sending water rippling.
I open my eyes, and my breath catches. I can’t stop the grin from forming on my lips. Hemi’s in the bath with me. With me. Daisy is never going to believe this.
Droplets of water cling to his collarbones, and bubbles decorate his shoulders. My eyes widen when he shifts his legs to bracket mine, and he grasps my ankle.
I gulp at the feeling of his hands on my foot. “What are you doing?”
“Massaging your muscles. Can’t have Daisy find out I broke you, can I?” Hemi digs his thumbs into the arch of my foot, and I swallow a gasp at the feeling. I don’t manage to stop my eyes rolling back.
My god, he has magic fingers.
“She would congratulate you for getting me out of the house,” I say, finishing with a small moan I can’t quite catch when he shifts his fingers to sweep up my calf.
He finds a tight spot and lingers. Shifting his fingers gently, digging only slightly so it doesn’t hurt, and sweeping back down to my ankle before he starts again.
I melt against the porcelain and stare at him through hooded eyes, ignoring the stirring below my waist to enjoy watching him.
He looks edible. His hair curls in the steam, frizzing around his temples, and my fingers itch to toy with the strands.
“I need to thank her,” Hemi mumbles, and before I can question what he means, he leans forward and sweeps his hands to my thigh. I suck in a sharp breath and tense. “Is this okay?”
“Yes,” I respond hesitantly. If he moves much closer, he’ll encounter more than he bargained for. Massaging my thigh is not helping the excited dick situation.