Sweat drips down his chest, and before I can say anything, he wipes it away with his shirt. He’s bobbing his head along to whatever’s playing over his headphones, occasionally mouthing a few of the words.
I could watch this show all day. It’s quickly becoming my favorite channel. The one where my hot friend strips for me. Except when he grabs the waistband of his leggings, I realize how creepy it is for me to be watching him. In his own house. Without him knowing.
I clear my throat, but it doesn’t catch his attention. “Covey,” I croak out. Nothing. Before I can try again, he shucks off his tights, leaving him completely naked, shaking his delectable ass at me.
I have no plan. At this point, it’s all adrenaline and vibes as I walk up to him and tap him on his shoulder.
The shriek is enough to wake sleeping dogs in the next town over.
“It’s me. Aidan,” I say as though he’s not staring directly atme now, eyes wide and questioning. I glance down—I can’t help it—to see his dick hanging soft against his thigh.My brain immediately fills in the memory of what it was like to have him inside me.
“Aidan. What. The. Fuck.”
“I—” I know somewhere in all the thought I put into coming over this morning, I had a solid reason for being here. But they all escape me at the moment. “I wanted to see you.”
“What?” For a second, I think he’s questioning my rationale, which, honestly, I am, too. Except he lifts his hand to pull out his earbuds. The heavy bass of his music fills the air around us. “Say it again.”
“Um, hi?”
“Did you break into my house?”
“Your door was unlocked,” I say, as if that explains the whole sequence of events taking place here. “You really should lock it, I mean, it’s pretty safe, but still.”
“I went for a run and didn’t want to carry my keys.” And, alright, that sounds very realistic. Except for the running part, I’ll never get why people think that’s fun. “I also didn’t expect to find someone in my house when I came back.”
Right. I knew we’d get back to that. “I wanted to see what you were up to. I expected you to be relaxing in bed or something.” Realistically, the fact that I intend to spend my time off lounging and he uses his to go for a run is the reason he looks like—well, that.
“Sure. Maybe I could take a quick shower and get some clothes?”
People sometimes say that they can feel electricity in the air. I always thought that was the kind of thing that only happened in romance novels. It’s possible, but I’d never felt it before. Right now? The air between us is crackling.
“Maybe I could join you?” It’s the combination of holidayspirit, the first day of vacation, and a very naked Covey standing in front of me that gives me the courage to ask.
It’s the look of complete shock on his face that makes me want to back the words.
It’s the same look that must be on my face when he says, “Yeah, I’d like that.”
COVEY
I’m out of my damn mind. At some point on that run, I must’ve slipped on the ice, fallen, and knocked myself out. It’s the only rational explanation for what’s happening right now.
On my run, I did exactly what Leo suggested. I came up with a plan to woo Aidan.
This—taking him to my shower—is not part of that plan. The version I came up with includes a lot of talking, baring my soul, and a grand gesture in the form of a Christmas present.
Then, he showed up at my house and made the first move. I might be a complete idiot most days, but I’m not stupid enough to walk away from that.
And, if this is all part of some concussion-induced dream, then bring it on.
“You coming?” I say, grabbing his hand and leading him toward the bathroom, hoping he hasn’t changed his mind.
It’s weird being the only one naked. I tend to strip my running clothes off near the door, hoping to stop the spread of sweat through my home. Considering the amount of workout clothes I go through weekly, it’s not an easy task.For the first time, it seems to be working in my favor.
“Strip,” I say as soon as we’re in the bathroom. Usually, I might take my time, unwrapping him like a present, slowly revealing every inch of his skin. But my muscles are coolingdown and tensing up. Plus, I probably stink after a long run—all the more reason to get us in the shower as quickly as possible. Then I can take my time with him.
With the water started, I make sure there are towels out for both of us and turn around in time to see him pull his boxers down. Vacation Aidan wears adorable ones with snowmen on them. I hold back a snicker, not wanting him to think that I’m making fun of him for them. Maybe later I’ll be able to tell him how much I like them.
Later, when I tell him about my feelings. I swallow against the building lump in my throat. “Water’s warm,” I say, pulling back the shower curtain to allow him to climb in.
