16. Define “Crazy”
Chapter Sixteen
Define “Crazy”
MILES
“So you said you had a massage table at your house?”
The suddenness of his question and the absurdity of this whole day blended together and sent me into a laughing fit.
It felt good, stretching and using my muscles that had been starved of oxygen a little less than an hour ago.
Dyl joined in on the laughing. The sound of his joy was infectious and likely bolstered by the fact that we both left that druid’s home alive.
I was definitely relieved by that, at least.
“Yes, yes, I do.”
“Okay, good.”
“You need a massage?”
Dylan shook his head. “No, actually I think you need the massage. I’m no professional but I think I can work out whatever knots you’ve got going on after that mess.” He gave me a sideways, apologetic glance. “I’m sorry about that, by the way. Maybe we should have called ahead…”
“Don’t stress about it. Even if we called ahead, those watcher vines would have still reacted.” That led me to another, deeply troubling thought. “Reacted to what, I don’t know.”
“Do you think it could really have to do with black magic?”
“It sounded like he was pretty sure of it. If so, I have no idea what happened or how it happened. I don’t really know much about black magic but I can’t imagine anyone close to me in my life practicing it, especially not against me.
” I went through a mental Rolodex of connections and friendships in my life.
Could it have been a previous coworker? A physical therapist I worked with that had seemed overly friendly with me at times?
Maybe it was one of the guys I worked with on my previous team?
Could it have been someone even closer? It set a wave of tingling sensations crawling down from my neck to my spine.
I didn’t open up to a lot of people and kept my inner circle tight throughout my life.
The closest person to me had to be Emmy, and I was certain he had nothing to do with this.
There were Veronica and Martin, two good friends I had left behind in Philly and the only other people I had told about my move to Burlington.
But they were not only incredibly trustworthy, they were also happily married with a kid on the way.
I started up the car and pulled out of the long driveway.
The vines dangling off the porch took on a much more ominous appearance than they had when we first arrived.
The radio turned on but Dyl lowered the volume.
“Let’s see what Hunter can find out. And in the meantime—after your massage—maybe we can do some searching of our own.
There’s got to be something we can figure out. ”
I shook my head and tightened my grip around the steering wheel.
Even though I was the one who almost died, I still couldn’t deny a powerful protective flare that whipped up inside me.
“I really don’t want you getting dragged into this any further.
I need you to promise me that you’ll let me handle this. ”
There was a moment of heavy silence before Dylan said one simple word.
“No.” He took a breath and continued. “I can’t promise you that, Miles.
I’m not someone who just sits by on the sidelines when someone I know needs help.
I also may not be the sharpest tool in the garage but sometimes I surprise even myself. I want to help.”
I smiled at that. His word-swap with garage and shed was endearing.
And so was the way he looked over at me, his brow arched expectantly.
I found myself suddenly wanting to lean in and kiss the birthmark.
I’d let my lips linger on every part of him that was special—which would be everything from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head.
I shifted my focus to the road, not wanting to let my thoughts betray me. I already had way too much to stress about. I couldn’t be thirsting over a man who was off-limits for me.
…Right?
“Just don’t do anything crazy, then. Can you promise me that?”
“Define crazy?”
“Something that puts yourself in danger. Trying to find this person on your own. Confronting them, shit like that. I need you to promise.”
He shifted his attention out the window. A thick wall of trees blurred by as I drove. “Fine. I promise I won’t do anything crazy, then.”
“Okay, good.”
“Can you promise me the same?” He looked to me. His hand was on my leg, close to my knee. He squeezed. It was a firm grip and one that made me excited to get that massage he said he’d give me. There was residual tension all throughout my body that I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding on to.
“Promise.”
He gave my leg another squeeze before letting go, his hand returning back to his lap.
I briefly wondered how impossible that promise actually was. Because with Dyl at my side, all I could think about was throwing caution to the wind and letting my good judgment fly with it.
I’d think about all that later. For now, I simply looked forward to spending more time with Dylan. He was the antidote to my worries. And this evening, I planned on having none.
“This is my place,” I said, holding the door open for Dylan as he entered. I quickly realized he was only the second person I had invited over to my new home. Emmy had been here to help me move and stopped by a couple times afterward, but aside from him, it had only been me.
“Wow,” Dyl said as he stood inside my spacious living room.
“I love it. That wallpaper is stunning.” He walked over to the accent wall I had covered in what looked like a hand-painted scene of a beautiful forest-scape.
There were evergreens on rolling hills sitting underneath a vibrant blue sky, birds dotting the horizon.
“This is the first place I’ve officially owned and not rented so I decided to be a little more bold with the design.”
“Puts my place to shame.” Dylan kicked off his shoes and placed them neatly on the rack next to the door, pulling off his socks next and stuffing them in his shoes.
He rubbed the back of his neck, the rolled-up sleeve of his T-shirt falling back to show the twitch of his bicep, the curve of the muscle. I pried my eyes off him.
“I thought your place was great.” Memories from that night we stayed up playing video games, laughing and joking, popped into my head.
It had taken everything inside me to not drop the controller and ask to play with another kind of joystick.
I lost a couple of rounds in the fighting game we played because my mind had become way too preoccupied with the fact that all I had to do was reach over and I’d have my hand between Dyl’s wide open legs.
I didn’t mind one bit that he’d been manspreading all over the couch.
I had somehow controlled myself that night.
But tonight was already beginning to feel different.
There was a potent spark in the air. Could it be because the full moon was set to rise in a few days?
Was that tugging at my libido and burning away all the caution tape I’d tried to set up around my infatuation for the smiley, handsome, muscular blond man currently standing barefoot in my living room?
“Thanks, but I can guarantee you it’s not as good as yours. You know why?”
“Why?” I asked, cocking my head.
“Because mine doesn’t have a massage table. Now show me where it’s at.”
I laughed at his eagerness while flames licked their way up my core, heat caressing my ribs and wrapping around my heart.
“It’s this way,” I said, leading Dylan across the living room and through the hall, past my bedroom, and into the second bedroom that I had converted into a serene, spa-like retreat.
The walls were painted an elegant dark green color, lit by strips of ambient lighting that I had hung around the border of the ceiling.
I dimmed the lights, keeping the temperature of them warm so that it enhanced the rich green shades of the walls.
There were potted monstera plants in beautiful golden pots that seemed to shimmer under the light.
A lavender and vanilla air freshener dispensed a fresh puff of scent as we entered.
In the center of the room was the famous massage table Dyl had been so excited to see. The teak wood cabinetry next to it held my massage oils and eucalyptus-soaked towels in a warming bowl. A massage gun sat next to some unlit candles, with a couple of books stacked beside them.
“Yeah,” Dyl said, looking around the room with his eyebrows raised. “You win. It feels like I stepped into a five-star spa. Jesus.”
“This is something else I decided to do now that I own my place. I figured I wanted a place to meditate and chill. And also hire a massage therapist to come and give me massages in my own space.” I grinned at him. “And also to treat anyone special in my life to some private sessions.”
He licked his lips. I wasn’t entirely sure since the lighting wasn’t too bright, but I could have sworn a pink flush spread through his cheeks.
“Well today it’s your turn to get treated.
You might have to walk me through some things, but I think I’ve got a good handle on it.
” He made an up-down motion with his hand.
“Go ahead and get comfortable. I can turn around.”
I should have asked him to step outside.
Just to keep some semblance of professionalism between us.
“You don’t have to turn around,” I said instead.
The flames engulfed my chest. I pulled off my shirt.
Dylan crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.
He wore a cocky smile as his eyes drank me in.
I pulled on the waistband of my shorts. Lowered them slowly.
Revealing I, once again, wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
Dyl made a sound very close to a moan but appeared to stifle it with a cough.
I neatly folded my ripped-up clothes and placed them on the small black couch up against the wall.
I could feel his gaze pinned on me like a wolf staring down a rabbit.
I went to the table and lay down on my stomach, adjusting my growing dick so that it went back between my legs. I placed my head on the comfortable cushion and rested my arms at my side.
“Ready?” Dylan asked. He walked over to the table. I could see his feet underneath me, his toes sinking into the plush green-and-white rug. His hands floated across my shoulders and head, his thumbs gently kneading into the back of my neck.
I moaned out my answer. Yes. I was ready. I’d been ready for Dylan’s touch since the moment we met. And after the drama earlier today, I was ready to let it all go and give in to my deepest desires.