Page 58 of Except You

Max

Ishould be feeling some sort of way about all of this, but the only thing I can feel is slightly relieved. That wasn’t so bad. No, if anything, that was damn good.

The smell of him, the sight. It was almost too much.

I haven’t come that hard in ages. Maybe that’s saying something about the notches in my bedpost. I haven’t had many.

But then again, it’s Beau. Everything is different with him, it seems.

“You okay? You’re pretty quiet,” Beau says as he lathers up his chest, his naked body right next to mine. We aren’t touching, and yet, I wouldn’t mind him getting a little closer.

“I’m fine. That’s weird, right?”

Beau eyes me and then shrugs. “I mean, maybe? It’s your first time with a guy, kind of. I mean, we didn’t touch, but here we are in the shower.”

He gestures toward the small space, and I shrug. “This isn’t a big deal. I’ve showered with lots of guys.”

“Is that so?” he asks, his eyebrows rising.

“Yeah, you know, locker rooms and such. We aren’t touching or nothing, so it’s fine.”

Beau’s eye twitches and then he shakes his head. “Max, I’m seriously worried about you right now. I expected a major freak out, not this weird rationalization.”

I shrug, not sure what’s going on with me. Maybe I’ll freak out later. Like those panic attacks I have sometimes. They come out of nowhere when I least expect them. That’s probably what will happen. But right now, I’m gonna ride this wave, gonna stand in this shower with Beau, not touching him.

“Okay, well give me the water. I’m gonna rinse.”

I angle the spray toward him and watch as the soap suds spill off him.

When we’re both done, we step out and he wraps a towel around his waist. He looks good bare-chested, only that slip of cloth around his hips.

I shake the thought away. That mutual jack-off session was a one-off. It won’t happen again.

Probably.

“Alright, well what do we do now?” Beau asks, peering in the drawers of my bathroom and pulling out a brush. He drags it through his hair, brushing those blond strands away from his face.

Just as he does, his towel slips from his hips, exposing his lower half to me.

“Damn things. I can never get them to stay on, like in the movies. That’s just not a thing, Max.”

I chuckle as I bend down and grab it, turning him toward me and positioning it around his hips.

“I mean, it is possible. Look at mine.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yes, well you don’t need to brag.”

I knot it around his waist and let my fingertips skim over his skin. He’s smooth and warm, and I force my breathing to remain even.

“There,” I say when I step away.

Beau looks down at the towel and pats it. “Thank you.”

“It’s an art form.”

“Apparently,” Beau says with a smile and then turns to grab some of my deodorant from the drawer. He smells it and then swipes some on.

“You gonna use all my shit?” I ask, propping my hip against the counter.

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