Page 27 of Tempest

“I remember,” Ore murmured. “Thank you for that. I would definitely rather be here than in the basement of Alpha Amato’s house.”

Cash nodded, releasing his hold on Ore’s face slowly and trailing the backs of his fingers down the front of his throat before he could stop himself. Ore sucked in a breath, pupilsblowing wide. A low rumble began to grow in Cash’s chest, but he coughed and took a step back.

“You’re welcome. I’ll text him in the morning, but I’m sure he’ll say it’s fine.” Shit, his voice was raw, his pants getting tight as Ore’s scent intensified in the cozy little kitchen.

Ore held his eyes a moment longer, running his teeth over his bottom lip. “Thanks, Cash.”

He watched him walk out, heading toward the front of the house so he could go upstairs. Cash couldn’t look away until he was out of sight, the drive to stalk after him so strong he had to grip the counter to stop himself.

Running a hand over his short hair, he turned off the lights and then headed to his temporary bedroom. Ore was going to stay upstairs or pretend to try and sleep up there. Every night, he went up to use Cash’s shower and grab a new shirt to sleep in before coming down and getting into Cash’s bed. He was usually already in there by the time Cash finished his own routine in the downstairs bathroom.

He was standing under the hot spare, doing his best to will his dick into cooperating, when he heard the faintest of creaks, his head jerking up to face the door that led into the bedroom. Ore was in there already, the sound the same one he heard every night when they climbed into the bed.

So much for stroking one out to take the edge off. It felt… wrong to touch himself like that while Ore waited for him just a door away.

Fuck, what were they doing?

He dried off, doing his best to will away his arousal and steady himself. If they were going to keep sleeping in the same bed, they might as well sleep upstairs in his loft. Pops’s bed was a little firmer than he liked, and he figured Ore would prefer being up higher off the ground. He’d wait to invite Pops back though—there was no way for him to believably convince him there was nothing actually going on between him and Ore.

Hanging up his towel, he stepped into the bedroom. The lights were already off, and Ore was curled up in the middle of the bed, facing the door. Or Cash’s side of the bed, depending on how you looked at it. His eyes were already shut, breathing even, so Cash decided he’d bring up sleeping upstairs in the morning.

He’d barely settled the covers over him before Ore’s skin was pressing against his own.

Just his skin.

Cash sucked in a breath. The thin material of one of his T-shirts usually separated them, covering Ore’s tiny body from neck to knees, but he’d apparently decided to go without for the night.

He lay there, tense as a board, as he tried to figure out what—if anything—he should do. He had to bite his lip to stop a groan from breaking free when teasing fingers trailed down his back next to his spine and then over his hip.

Fuck, he was temptation personified, and Cash didn’t know how he’d make it through the night.

“Cash?”

That was new. They’d never spoken in bed before beyond that first night when Cash had told him to go to sleep. It helped them pretend they weren’t crossing major lines every time they got under the covers—or at least it did for Cash.

“Yeah?” he rumbled, his hands fisting in the bedding in front of him. He wasn’t going to turn around. Ore could sleep naked if he wanted to. It’d be hypocritical of Cash to demand he put on a shirt when he never wore anything.

“Can I ask you a question?”

If it was “Why do you smell like arousal?” Cash was going to go sleep on the front porch.

“Yeah,” he said again, not moving a muscle even as Ore snuggled in closer, languidly rubbing his soft cheek against Cash’s shoulder.Scenting him.

“The stories that Pops told,” he said softly, tentatively, like he wasn’t sure if it was okay. “He never mentioned your parents.”

Cash stiffened in a hell of a lot less fun way.

That wasn’t what he’d been expecting. It also wasn’t a question, so he felt just fine not saying anything.

After a moment, Ore’s fingers twitched where they rested on his hip. “Why is that?”

“I spent a lot of time with Pops and Nan growing up, and then I moved in with them.” He kept it simple, straight to the point. He was hoping that would be the end of it.

He should have known better.

“Are they still alive?” Ore asked delicately.

“Probably.”

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