CHAPTER NINE
WILL WATCHEDPatrick saunter down the hall, only moving from his spot in the doorway when the bathroom door clicked shut. He slumped back against the door for a second, enjoying the way his muscles ached, before going back into this bedroom with a sigh.
The last thing he felt like doing was changing the bloody sheets, especially if there was a chance they might get to mess them up again later. And Will really hoped there was. But he did them anyway because it would be even worse to have to change them later when all he wanted to do was sleep.
Patrick came out of the bathroom just as Will finished making his bed. “You about done?” He peered in through Will’s bedroom door, dressed only in a towel, water dripping down his shoulders and chest from his still-wet hair. It was definitely Will’s favourite look on him.
Will glanced down at his fresh sheets, then back at Patrick. His towel had slipped down a little, barely hanging on to his hips, but Patrick didn’t seem inclined to fix it.
Fuck it, he was almost positive there were more clean sheets in the airing cupboard.
“I knew it,” Patrick laughed, as Will pushed him back onto the bed. “You just didn’t want to lose at CoD.”
THEY ORDEREDtakeout several hours later and ate it watching TV together on the sofa. It was easy to relax, with none of the awkwardness Will had anticipated, and they traded lazy kisses lying back against the cushions before heading to their separate bedrooms.
Thursday went much the same way. Will came home from work, they ate together, fooled around in Will’s bed again, and then slept in their own rooms. Will liked having Patrick waiting for him when he got home from work and didn’t realize how used to it he’d got until he came back early on Friday night to an empty flat.
It was ridiculous. He’d spent months on his own after Darren had moved out. He liked his own company. Despite all that, the flat seemed far too quiet without Patrick in it. Will didn’t hesitate, he had his phone out and typed out a text before he had a chance to second-guess himself.
Hey, where are you?
It took a couple of minutes for the reply to come back.
Why, miss me?
Still at workPatrick typed again while Will stared at the screen, uncomfortable with how accurate Patrick was.Don’t finish til six tonight.
Will automatically checked the time. It was only four forty-five. He had about two hours to kill until Patrick got back. Deciding he needed to stop being an idiot and not pine after Patrick, Will threw on his running gear and left the flat for the bike path at the back of the estate.
When Patrick eventually came home, Will was sprawled out on the sofa watching some crap on the telly. “Hey.” He turned the sound down and shifted to watch Patrick come through the door. “Rough day?”
Patrick’s hair stuck up all over the place, and his shirt had a huge stain down the front. “Yeah.” He plucked at his shirt, tugging it away from his body. “Everybody and his dog wanted coffee this afternoon. We were rammed for about three hours. And then Christian spilled half a jug of milk down me.” He sniffed himself gingerly and grimaced. “Ugh, I fucking reek.”
Will wrinkled his nose in sympathy, then pointed in the direction of the bathroom. “You’re not coming near me until you shower, then.”
Patrick grinned. “Yeah, right. You just want to get me wet and naked.”
It hadn’t been Will’s initial intention, but now that Patrick had said it, it seemed like a great idea. He gave Patrick an exaggerated leer and licked his lips. “Well, you do look good like that.”
Patrick blushed, much to Will’s delight, and it took him a couple of seconds to reply. “Well, obviously.” He stared at Will for a minute, clearly mulling something over in his head, and then let out a tired-sounding sigh. “While I’m all for getting naked, I’m really hungry. Can we eat first?”
He did look knackered, and Will felt a twinge of guilt. “Yeah, ’course. You go get clean, and I’ll heat something up.” Patrick smiled gratefully and started to walk toward his bedroom. “Curry okay?”
“Yep, sounds perfect.”
Will got up and walked over to the freezer. He was already putting the container in the microwave by the time he heard the shower turn on. Maybe it wouldn’t be the night of marathon sex Will had been hoping for, but he found himself looking forward to cuddling on the sofa just as much.
Patrick came out of the bathroom dressed in pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt, and Will tried not to be too disappointed about not seeing him in a towel. The microwave pinged as he was about to say something to that effect, and by the time he’d dished up the curry and rice and brought their bowls into the lounge, Patrick had already sat down.
They watched a bit ofGrand Designswhile they ate, Patrick almost inhaling his food and Will warning him against the perils of indigestion.
“You sound like my mum.”
Will elbowed him in the side in retaliation. “Fine. But don’t come crying to me later when you’re in pain.”
“Oh?” Patrick set his empty dish on the coffee table and leaned back against the cushions. “I’m sure you’d have something to settle my stomach.” He winked, and Will had to punch him hard in the arm for that.
“Really?” He shook his head in mock disappointment. “I expected better comebacks from you, Patrick.”
