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“That went faster than I’d planned.”
“Yeah?”
Stephen huffed a laugh, one corner of his mouth lifting into a lopsided smile. “Our first time, I thought I’d seduce you. Go slow. Kiss and lick every inch of your body.”
“Mmm…that sounds nice,” Ehren hummed.
“Yes, but someone decided to strip down in the living room and fry my brain.”
Ehren’s cackle was evil, and that sound alone sank Stephen even deeper into pure smit with this man. “I was afraid you were going to say I needed more time. I was not taking no for an answer tonight if you were going to make some excuse about my emotional health, Mr. Psychology Man.”
“I want you happy, and I don’t want you to ever regret being with me.”
“And where you’re concerned, I need to get laid.” Ehren moved so that he could turn his head, their gazes meeting. “You’re too sexy for your own good.”
“Well, I won’t argue with that. I won’t put the brakes on the sex, but we will continue to go slow.”
Ehren’s dark eyes narrowed, and a cloud of worry fell over his face. “Next weekend?” he asked, referring to the date Stephen had mentioned.
“I would love to go to the Van Gogh exhibit with you, but if things get too hectic or you need some downtime, you just have to tell me. We can spend a quiet night in on the couch if you want. Or we can take a break so you can have some space to process.”
The sweet man in his arms turned his head to stare up at the ceiling, the line still clear on his forehead. At least he seemed to be considering Stephen’s words rather than simply brushing them aside.
“I appreciate that,” he said and then nodded as if he’d made a decision. “I might need to take some time, but not right now.” He looked at Stephen and smiled. “I feel safe, relaxed, and normal when I’m with you.”
Stephen brushed a soft kiss across his parted lips. “You’re not going to lose that.”
They got lost in a series of slow, deep kisses. Stephen let himself sink into them. It was as if he could taste pieces of Ehren’s soul, and he couldn’t get over how wonderful this guy was. So sweet, funny, and playful, even after all the insanity that had happened recently. He could feel the trust and was humbled by it, which only reminded him of the check Kairo was doing on Ehren’s uncle. He needed to tell Ehren. Should have told him already.
He shoved the thought away. Tomorrow. He’d tell him tomorrow. He didn’t want to ruin this peaceful, happy moment.
He also didn’t want to move, but the air conditioning chose that moment to kick on, sending a gust of cold air across his bare skin. Reluctantly, Stephen broke off the kiss and bumped his nose against Ehren’s. “Let me get something to clean us up, and we can cuddle under the covers.”
Stephen shoved to his feet, hurried to the bathroom, and cleaned himself off with cold water while waiting for the water to warm enough to wet a cloth for Ehren. He returned and wiped away the cum that was drying on his stomach, then removed any dampness with a soft towel. Ehren smiled and stretched under the attention like a cat soaking in affection.
He darted to the bathroom only to toss the washcloth and towel inside, but Ehren was pulling down the blankets when he returned. He paused to flip out the light, slipped in next to him, and immediately pulled Ehren close so that his head was resting on his chest.
“I can’t believe it, but I feel like I could sleep,” Ehren said on a yawn.
“Then sleep. I’ll probably doze too.” It wasn’t late, just after ten in the evening, but he was feeling so damn relaxed.
“I was thinking I’d nap and wake you with a blowjob.”
A happy noise rumbled up Stephen’s throat. “I can’t think of a better way to wake up. I—”
His phone started ringing from wherever he’d dropped his pants in the room. The ring belonged to either Edison, West, or Kairo. He’d assigned them all the same tone so he’d instantly recognize them. A call meant Kairo had found something related to Ehren, or something had happened to his brother.
“I need to take this,” Stephen announced as he slipped out of Ehren’s arms. In the darkness of the room, he followed the sound to the bundle of clothes on the floor. The light next to Ehren’s side of the bed came on, allowing him to grab his phone and his underwear.
“Is everything okay?” Ehren’s voice was soft and worried.
Stephen tried to flash him a reassuring smile as fear tightened around his heart. “I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s one of the guys from my brother’s team. I’ll be right back.” He hurried out of the room with the phone before Ehren could ask any more questions. He saw only Edison’s name as his thumb tapped the screen to answer the call.
