Page 111 of Line Change

“Morning,” he says against my skin.

His voice is rough with sleep. I roll onto my back. His hair has been flattened across his forehead, and Ben looks like hell.

“Hi.”

Ben opens one eye. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You look pretty.”

“Fuck off.” His hand slides fully into my underwear and settles over my hip. He doesn’t seem offended enough to let go.

I touch the crease on his cheek with one finger. “Very delicate.”

He catches my hand and bites the tip of my finger. I push it farther into his mouth to be annoying, and his eyes open all the way.

The first bang on the bedroom door makes both of us jump.

Ben pulls the sheet up to his chest. He has one fist tucked beneath his chin, covering himself like a wilting maiden in a very stupid painting, though he makes no attempt to get out of my bed or remove his hand from my underwear.

“Dude,” Bobby says through the door. “Where’s the Monster?”

Ben stares at me, and I stare right back.

“Go to your own fucking condo,” he shouts. “Why are you still here?”

“I slept here,” Bobby says, as if Ben is the stupid one.

“That doesn’t answer the question.” Ben’s fist tightens in the sheet.

“You guys have six kinds of juice and no Monster.”

“Get out, Bobby.”

Bobby stomps down the hall. Two kitchen cabinets bang open before the front door finally slams hard enough to shake the wall.

Ben still has the sheet clutched to his chest. We glare at each other until his mouth starts to twitch.

“Do you think there are any more stragglers?” I ask.

“I hope not.”

He drops the sheet and kisses me.

His eyes stay half shut while his mouth works slowly over mine and his palm moves from my hip to my stomach. I slide my fingers into his hair as he rolls me deeper into the middle of the bed.

We have nowhere to be yet. Nobody outside this room needs an explanation, and if Bobby comes back because he forgot his phone, Ben can yell at him again.

The kiss gets wetter. Ben’s tongue slides over mine as his thigh settles between my legs, putting pressure against my cock. I was half hard when I woke up. One slow shift of his hips takes care of the rest.

I catch his lower lip between my teeth.

Ben grunts and drives his thigh higher. My boxer briefs have twisted around me, dragging over the head as I rock against him and kiss his jaw.

“You’re still wearing these,” he says.

“You were in a hurry last night.”

“You took off everything else.”