Jared’s perfect stillness and even breathing told me that he was still asleep. I’d happily have stayed here, but I was just so thirsty. Quietly and gently I freed myself from his hold and edged myself further and further along the bed. Finally reaching the end, I gently pushed myself up. I hadn’t even taken a step before an arm curled around my waist and I was dragged backwards, colliding with a naked body.
Jared, his chest pressed against my back, nuzzled the crook of my neck. “Hey,” he said a little sleepily. “Trying to escape before I woke up?”
“I might have done if you hadn’t destroyed my clothes.”
“They were in the way.”
“So were yours,” I said, amused, “but I didn’t tear them.”
“No, you just used them to get me all tangled while you made a run for it.” He repeatedly kissed my neck only gently, but tingling still started between my thighs. I was sure that I had the most sensitive neck in history. “You. Taste. So. Good.”
“Are we talking about my skin or my blood?”
A low chuckle tickled my ear. “Both. And I can think of some other parts of you I enjoy tasting. But none of that beats being inside you; I f**king love that.” Then he proved that he meant it – in earnest.
He proved it again when he teleported me to my apartment and joined me uninvited in the shower. Needless to say, that wasn’t a problem. Then he proved it again in my bedroom once we’d dried off. See what I mean about the Trojan stamina? Little more than ten seconds after our final round, there was knocking on the front door. Considering that both of us were lying on the bed naked and panting it seemed reasonable to ignore the visitor. But the knocker was relentless.
Groaning, I got up and slipped into my white, silk robe – which made Jared grin in a way that said he wouldn’t mind shagging me while I wore it. “I better get that, it might be Sebastian; him and Antonio probably want to know how last night went.” Seeing that Jared was making no moves to leave, I pointed at him, “If you’re staying then you stay in here. I don’t want my business spread around.”
“Anyone would think you were ashamed of me,” he said light-heartedly, gently slapping my butt as I was leaving the bedroom.
I flipped him the finger, scowling playfully at him. I was half-expecting the knocker to have gone by now, but they tapped on it again just before I reached it. Abruptly all the tingly feelings still running through me fell away as I opened the door; it was his pained expression that did it, he looked ashamed of himself like a dog walking with its tail between its legs. “Max,” I said, surprised.
He smiled as he eyed my appearance, taking in my wet, dishevelled hair. The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sorry, did I disturb your shower?”
“Er, yeah.”
“Can I come in?”
Saying no would be wise, but then that would mean that passers-by could do a little eavesdropping. I stepped aside and his smile grew as he entered. He looked good even in just his t-shirt and jeans like a model from a catalogue or something. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, I just had to know you were okay after having to go to that gathering last night. I know you can take care of yourself and everything but...”
“Well thanks, yeah I’m good. There was no trouble or anything.”
“Good.” After an uncomfortable pause he cleared his throat and began, “Listen, about what happened at the restaurant -”
“Max, it’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. I was out of line, I had no right to question you about things that weren’t any of my business. It’s just...well you already know I like you. I guess I’m just hoping that I haven’t messed up any chances I might have had by coming across all paranoid.”
I sighed. “The thing is -” I stopped as his eyes moved from mine to over my shoulder and his expression darkened.
I turned my head to find Jared standing at the edge of the kitchen casually swigging an NST. At least he’d put his pants on. I rolled my eyes at him. I thought you might do that, I grumbled. I might not want Max the way I did Jared, but I had no interest in tormenting him.
Jared offered me an innocent smile and a small shrug of the shoulder.
Dreading Max’s reaction, I slowly swerved my head back round. To my surprise he had pasted a fake smile on his face. “So it was that kind of night,” he said – something that Fletcher would have said in the exact playful tone that Fletcher would have used.
What could I possibly say? I wasn’t going to deny it. I had no reason to other than that I felt sorry for Max but that wasn’t a reason to lie to him and it would only insult his intelligence anyway. Acting as though I bought his smile and pretence, I smiled back. “Yep.”
“Well I’d better go, got training in about twenty minutes. Although there’s a possibility that my trainer” – he nodded toward Jared – “might be late.” Again his tone was playful, empty of sourness. But I could detect the slight edge to it.
“See you later at the arena,” I said as he let himself out. I then turned to Jared with a ‘was that really necessary?’ look on my face.
He shrugged again and came toward me. “I did warn him that I wouldn’t stay away from you. Not my fault if he didn’t listen.”
“What happened to you staying in my room out of sight?”
“Max won’t do any blabbering. Though he might blubber a little.”
I slapped his upper arm as he reached me. “Must you be so mean?”
He slid his arms around my waist. “I just think it’s better for him that he knows.”
My eyes narrowed. “Or was this about you trying to mark territory that wasn’t yours to mark?”
“No,” he giggled.
“Jared.”
“Alright. I don’t want anyone kissing you” – he kissed me softly – “or touching you” – he slid his hands up to my neck – “the way that I do. Is that really that bad?”
And here I’d been thinking that maybe he was done with me after having his curiosity and horniness taken care of. “No, it’s not bad. But the whole idea of casual sex is that there aren’t any ‘strings attached’.”
He sucked in a breath. “I think maybe we should get you a new handbook on casual sex because you obviously haven’t heard that there are special situations in which exclusivity can be brought into the mix.”