Chapter 11 #2
Eventually, he comes out, already dressed in his pajamas. He looks unfairly put together for someone who just spent two days in a car with me.
“Your turn,” he says.
“Yes, sir,” I say automatically.
He almost trips, stumbling over nothing I can see. “…Don’t.”
I grin, though I’m not sure what has Mr. Responsible all pink-eared and flustered. I head into the bathroom with the spare toothbrush Colten forced me to take with us.
By the time I get out of the shower, the lights are off, and Colten is already in bed.
At least, I’m pretty sure he is, as I can barely see him. He’s completely buried in the covers, just a lump of fabric with only some of his dark hair visible on his pillow.
I sigh, but dutifully slide under the covers, the sheets nice and cool against my skin. I didn’t bring pajamas and wanted to avoid ruining more of Colten’s clothes, so I opted for my boxers tonight.
I stare at the ceiling once more and try not to think about how close he is. All I need to do is sleep and do well at the combine tomorrow. Colten has been driving for two days, so of course he’s tired.
Besides, it’s not like he has actually said he wants to kiss me. Who knows what’s going on in that big brain of his?
The last thing I need to do is think horny thoughts and then keep both of us up as I impersonate a particularly horny flashlight—
Wait a minute. I squint at the ceiling and realize there’s a slight light in the room. I look down, but I’m not glowing.
I turn towards the little tuft of black hair peeking out from the covers on the other side of the bed.
There’s a faint light around those dark hairs. Subtle, but definitely there.
My interest sparks immediately, and I forget the idea of sleep entirely.
Slowly, I inch closer, carefully worming my way across the vast distance like I’m approaching a wild animal.
I lift the covers just a little, and—wow!
He’s really glowing. It’s bright enough under the covers that I can see everything. Colten’s back is toward me, his body shrimped up and clearly trying to hide.
I grin. How did he think he could hide when he’s glowing this brightly?
He shifts, sensing movement, turning toward me—
Before he can say anything, I dive under the covers toward him. He lets out a shriek, bringing his hands up, but I manage to cage my arms on either side of him before he can get the leverage to push me off.
“Hey,” I whisper, leaning over him with a feral grin. His hands land on my chest, keeping me from pressing fully against him. “What’cha thinking about?”
“Nothing,” he says immediately, gaze averted. In the glow surrounding him, I can see how his cheeks are dusted with red. “Ignore it and go to sleep.”
“I cannot ignore it,” I tell him, stoically shaking my head. “That would be irresponsible as your best friend.”
“Patrick, best friends don’t usually fuck,” he says, a warning in his voice.
This again? “So we’ll be best friends that do,” I easily reply, before helpfully adding, “I can’t rest knowing you’re like this and I’m not helping.”
He exhales sharply through his nose. “Go to sleep,” he repeats, still avoiding my gaze.
There’s that flush on his cheeks, trailing down and drawing my eyes to his pajama neckline, just past his collarbones. I suddenly have the urge to bite them.
Instead, I flutter my lashes, smiling at him in the brilliance of his glow.
“I’ll be good,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I’ll do whatever you want. We can make this quick, and then get an easy eight hours of sleep. Isn’t that more efficient than blue-balling it?”
His gaze sharpens and lands on me. There it is again, that look.
A shiver goes down my spine, all the way to my toes, making them curl against the bed sheets.
He moves fast. I barely realize what’s happening until after he’s flipped us around and pushed me onto my back, pinning me there with a precision that makes my brain go static.
“Oh,” I say, very intelligently.
His hands press my wrists into the mattress, and his face is close enough for the warmth of his breath to sink into my skin with every exhale. I swallow hard.
“Your version of ‘good’ is deeply questionable,” he murmurs.
“I can improve,” I offer. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. Just for you.”
He huffs a quiet, disbelieving breath, like I’m the one who’s being unreasonable, before swallowing me whole.
This kiss isn’t as mean as the one in the exercise room or as sweet as the one in the field, but it’s still just as hot and desperate. Being in a bed this time also helps add a certain…extra factor to it, as well.
The mattress is soft beneath me as he presses his weight against my body, his mouth burning and perfect against mine. I eagerly return his kiss, heart pounding and body humming in anticipation.
But his hips aren’t against mine. Instead, he’s keeping his hips rudely away from my own, his chest pressed into mine while his feet hook around my calves to keep them in place.
Honestly, I could probably get out of his half-hearted judo-ish hold since he doesn’t have his full body weight against me. But I said I would be good, so I stay right where he has me.
Colten pulls back just enough to look at me, his eyes swimming with light. I realize that I’m glowing as well, the reflection of it making Colten’s eyes sparkle. My stomach clenches, heat trickling through my veins.
“You really want this?” Colten asks, those shimmering eyes narrowed at me.
“Yes,” I rasp, swallowing hard against the need to move, to tilt my hips up to his, to break my hands from his hold so I can drag his lips back to mine.
Colten’s lips thin into a line, hiding the red, swollen look of them as his thinking face takes over. I practice deep breathing, giving him space to think even though I personally don’t believe there’s any need to think right now.
I can wait, I can be patient.
For Colten, I can do anything.
Even if he truly doesn’t want to kiss me, as long as he stays with me, I’ll be happy.
It would really suck after being kissed hard enough to make my dick dribble pre-cum, but that’s okay. Colten is worth a bit of blue-balling.
His sharp, intense gaze drags over my face, searching for something. I’m not sure what, but I can tell he is having a hard time finding it.
“You can’t get bored,” he tells me, tightening his grip on my wrists as if to drive the point home.
“I haven’t gotten bored of you in three years, why would I do so now?” I ask, tilting my head.
His eyes narrow, clearly not pleased with that answer. “I once saw you break up with a girl because she ‘held a fork weird’.”
My stomach swoops at the thought of Colten putting himself in the same bracket as my girlfriends. Are we dating? Is this dating?
“You hold your fork perfectly, so that’s not an issue,” I tell him.
“We haven’t fucked yet, Patrick,” Colten reminds me, and my dick twitches at the word. Haven’t fucked yet. Yet.
My mind clings to that word like a winger clings to the touchline in a two-versus-one trap.
Colten continues, unaware of how his words affect me, “You…you could get bored of it. You will. You always do.”
“No, I won’t,” I immediately reply.
Colten raises an eyebrow, very judgmentally.
“I really won’t!” I insist. “How can I, when everything we’ve done so far has been better than anything else I’ve done before?”
Colten swallows hard. “Yeah? Are your previous girlfriends that bad?”
I blink, trying to think about any other girl I’ve kissed, but can’t, not when Colten is right here in front of me, glowing like the sun. “Uhh, maybe?”
“Maybe?” Colten replies, eyebrows furrowing. “What does that mean? Are there too many to recall?”
“I don’t know, Colten!” I say, groaning. “Do you really want me to try remembering someone else when I’m with you?”
Colten’s mouth opens in surprise, but he seems to steel himself and nods.
I try to break my hands out of his hold, tired of being kept still, but find that I…can’t. Hm.
Well, maybe I was a bit too optimistic about my ability to break free. He has leverage and all that. My toes curl deeper into the bedsheets as my dick twitches, once again, even though no one is touching it.
I clear my throat, trying to keep my mind on task. “Everything we’ve done so far has been great, no complaints…”
I pause, feeling the heat on my face grow before quietly adding, “But I mean, I haven’t gone beyond kissing before, so how would I know what I like or not?”
“What?” Colten asks, disbelief written across his features.
I sigh, my face burning hot. Fine, if he wants me to spell it out. “I have a rule that I don’t sleep with anyone until we’ve been together for at least a month.”
Colten stares at me, eyes wide, jaw slack. “But…you’ve never dated anyone that long.”
I nod while I keep my gaze averted. Why is this so embarrassing? Does it really matter to him that much?
And, though it might be in my mind, the light around us seems just a bit brighter.