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“Let’s agree that we were both idiots, and we can make sweet, sweet love to make up for it later when you’re all warm and dry. Yes?”
Giving him an eye roll, which only made him laugh, I released my hold on him, stepping back. “If you want to get to the lovemaking part, you’d better get on with washing me.”
“Bossy,” he murmured with a smile, but he picked up the washcloth anyway. As he resumed his ministrations, keeping everything gentle and not even trying to make it sexual, he angled his head to my ear. His voice was so soft and hesitant as he asked, “When did you know?”
I knew exactly what he was asking me. Letting my head fall forwards, I buried my face in his shoulder as I admitted the truth. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time, Ander. It…it’s only ever been you.”
He made a choked noise, and I felt his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. “I had no idea,” he said hoarsely. “None.”
“Yeah…” I sighed against his throat and then pressed a soft kiss to his damp skin. “I was good at hiding it. At keeping that part of me locked away because our friendship was too important to me. I never wanted to do anything to jeopardise it.”
“You don’t have to hide it anymore. We’re going to be together. Do all that boyfriend shit and be nauseatingly in love like half of our friends seem to be.”
Boyfriend shit. Raising my head, I met his gaze. “Is this your way of asking me to be your boyfriend?”
He smirked, back to being his usual confident self, and I loved him so much. “I thought that was a given, E. You’re mine now. And I’m yours.”
“I guess I can deal with that.” Brushing my lips across his, I smiled. “I love you.”
His eyes shone brightly, happiness radiating from him. “I love you too. I missed you so fucking much these past few days. Let’s never do that again.”
“Deal. And in case it wasn’t obvious, I really missed you too. Now, let’s hurry up with this shower because my skin’s starting to prune, and I want to get out of here.”
“I know what you want.” His hand slipped between us, and he stroked it just once over my half-hard cock. “The same thing I want. And I’m going to give it to you.”
* * *
Ander had towelled me dry, slowly and carefully, not even letting me lift a finger, and now I was bundled up in his duvet while he disappeared to get “supplies.”
When he returned, his towel slung low on his hips and his gorgeous body on display for me, my mouth went dry. I was so busy drinking him in that I didn’t even register what he was carrying— “Is that abaking tray?”
He grinned at me, all pleased with himself. “Yeah. I didn’t want to have to make two trips, and I couldn’t find another tray, so I improvised.”
My smile was wide and helpless as I watched him place the tray down on his desk. “What did you get?”
Dramatically clearing his throat, he gestured to the tray with a flourish. “We have…two bottles of water for when we’re thirsty for something other than each other. A glass full of ice cubes to feed your addiction. Snacks for when we get hungry. Baby wipes, courtesy of JJ, for a quick clean-up so we don’t have to leave the bed. The lamp I stole from your room, so it feels more romantic and I don’t accidentally set fire to anything, like I did that time you wanted to burn those scented candles in your bedroom.” He shuddered. “That could’ve been so much worse. Candles are great, but—”
“As long as you don’t light them right underneath my poster of Zac Efron. Poor Zac.” We both took a minute’s silence to remember the way he’d gone up in flames. Thankfully, I’d had a full pint glass of water sitting on my desk, and after Ander had launched it at the wall and then frantically started smacking at the smoking paper with a towel, it was all over. Except for the fact that I had to explain to my parents why we needed to repaint the wall.
“Yeah. That.” A smile curved over his lips. “Anyway, no chance of setting anything on fire now. I think we have everything except for the condoms and lube—can you get them out of the drawer? Oh, by the way, JJ and Sid say hi and they’re glad that we’ve worked things out.”
“Sid? Who’s that? JJ’s latest conquest?”
For some reason, Ander cracked up laughing, falling onto the bed next to me. “No.No. Sid’s a snail. Actually, JJ doesn’t even know its name—can you believe that?—so I named it temporarily. JJ’s looking after it for a friend, and I told him that he has to buy it a companion before his friend gets back because Sid’s all alone in the tank. Don’t you think that’s sad? JJ’s gonna look into it.”
I raised my brows. “Asnail? What the fuck are you talking about?”
He rolled onto his side, reaching out to cup my cheek. The humour faded from his gaze as he drank me in. His eyes flared with heat, and suddenly the atmosphere changed. Leaning down, he pressed soft kisses to my cheeks, my eyelids, my forehead, my nose, and then finally, my lips. “Never mind. It’s not important.”
“Mmm.” I cupped the back of his head, sliding my fingers into his hair, still a little damp from the shower. “You’re right. Less talking, more kissing.”
“Yes.” His lips met mine again. “Let me show you how much I love you.”
32
Everything was set up and ready to go. Elliot’s lamp was setting the mood, along with music playing softly from my phone. Fuck if I knew how to do romance, but I was going to do my best to romance the shit out of my best friend.
If I didn’t lose control too quickly, that was. Because right now, seeing him lying there all spread out on my bed, naked and so fucking delicious, I just wanted to get inside him. Or have him inside me.
