“And I also like when you shut up.”
“I like when you talk,” Bryce said back quietly.
Holden licked his lower lip, light blue eyes searching Bryce’s face for…something. He couldn’t be sure, but Bryce imagined it was something like honesty. Before Holden could say anything else, Bryce sat upright, ignoring the head rush.
“I should go,” he said.
“Yeah,” Holden agreed. “Probably.”
Together they climbed out of Holden’s bed and shuffled back into the living room. Bryce got dressed, pausing after putting his underwear back on. His own cum was smeared around his asshole and it was hot, but nowhere near enough.
“Can we do this again?” he asked, feeling bold, feeling hopeful.
“I think that’s a bad idea,” Holden answered. “So, probably yes.”
CHAPTER 5
Holden
Bryce leftand Holden sat down on the floor with his back against the door, his legs bent, and his forehead pressed against his knees. What the fuck had he just done and why had it been so fucking hot?
He sat there for at least twenty minutes, alternating between staring up at the ceiling and staring at the wall before remembering he was too old to sit on the floor that long. Holden got up and threw the condom away, then collapsed on his couch with a groan. The whole encounter with Bryce had been hotter than he’d expected. Sure, he’d found Merrick’s brother attractive, and he knew from the flirting at lunch the two of them had been working toward fucking. It was the state of the fucking he hadn’t expected, was all.
His phone vibrated and he knew without looking it was a message from Bryce, but he pulled it out anyway to read the contents.
It was a picture, Bryce with a tired smile and flushed cheeks, head resting on a pillow with his arm folded back behind his head.
Bryce
Not that you asked, but I got home safe.
Can we do that again sometime?
Like immediately?
You can’t even shut up over text message, can you?
Bryce sent him the “Sssh” emoji, and Holden rolled his eyes.
I felt like I talked less at your house.
Don’t you agree?
Yeah
And you…you talked a bit more.
Yeah
Can I come back over tomorrow?
Holden had no real reason why that would be a bad idea, at least, no reason short of all the reasons. The big reason, the main reason—Bryce was Merrick’s brother. Merrick was his co-worker. He spent four days a week with less than twenty feet between them. If something went south between him and Bryce, Merrick would certainly hear about it and Holden didn’t want things at work to get weird. He liked his job, he liked the shop, and more importantly, he liked his boss. Riggs was a good man, quiet, but not as quiet as Holden. Riggs was reserved where Holden was standoffish, but he was smart and he was an amazing artist. Holden didn’t want to do anything to mess up his spot at the shop.
I don’t know
Come on. That was hot.
I can’t believe you…fuck.
