Page 26 of Flirt
The words felt so foreign, Asher had to roll them around in his brain a few times, and still, they didn’t sound right. Honesty had worked the first time, so he decided to just go with more of that.
“I want to watch a movie, maybe cuddle a little.” He couldn’t stop the grin that stretched across his face. He never cuddled, at least not clothed. He thought he might like it with Cameron, though. “I want to wake up in the morning and make you breakfast.”
“You cook?” Cameron batted his lashes innocently.
Fuck, he was gorgeous.
“I do.” Not a lot or well, but he could make scrambled eggs. Eggs were a perfectly acceptable breakfast food. “I want you to spend the day tomorrow,” he continued. This honesty thing was getting easier. “I’ll even show you my library.” He chuckled when Cameron’s whole face lit up. “Then, tomorrow night, I want to take you to Swerve.”
The light dimmed a little, and he tilted his head to the side. “We’re going to the club?”
Asher nodded, his mouth going dry. Out of everything, his next admission would be the hardest. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
“Holy shit,” Cameron breathed after a long, pregnant silence. “You’re serious.” Not a question. “You’re talking about an actual relationship?”
Hearing it out loud made it seem more real, more intimidating, but Asher breathed deeply through his nose and nodded. Maybe he’d hate it. Maybe in a week or a month he’d wake up and realize he really wasn’t built for monogamy. Hell, maybe he’d be terrible at it.
He’d never know unless he tried, and with Cameron, he really wanted to take that chance.
“Are you sure about this? I mean, you’ve known me for a whole five minutes. You seem really calm, but I can’t help thinking you’re going to freak out any second.”
“I’ve never been afraid to go after what I want.” With his fingers still under Cameron’s chin, he urged him closer, claiming his lips again, lingering just a little longer this time. “I want you.”
The attraction had been instant. From the first time he’d set eyes on Cameron, he’d wanted him. He hadn’t expected the connection, the abrupt and intense sense of familiarity, like some missing piece in his life had finally settled into place, but he wanted to see where it could lead if he stopped fighting it.
“There’s something different about you,” Cameron confessed. “Something I wasn’t expecting. I’m not going to pressure you for more than you can give, but I don’t want to think about you having sex with other guys while we’re doing this—” He waved his hand around vaguely. “—whatever it is we’re doing.”
Good, because Asher felt the same way. God, he still wanted to punch Scott in his stupid, smug face. “Don’t worry. I’m not sleeping with anyone else.” He could at least offer that much…for now. “So, movie?”
It had clearly been the right thing to say, because Cameron grinned, and just like that, the tension of thenight melted into something warm and pleasant. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
~
Led down a corridorwide enough to drive a tank through, Cameron vibrated with nerves and anticipation. When Asher stopped in front of a cream-colored door with bronze trim and a matching knob, he didn’t know what to think. They were supposed to be watching a movie, which he’d assumed meant they’d be going to Asher’s ridiculously large theater room.
“I’m going to grab a quick shower,” Asher explained as he pushed open the door. “I thought you might like to do the same.”
“Yes, please.” Sticky from the summer heat and feeling somewhat tainted from having Scott’s hands all over him, a shower sounded like heaven. He plucked at the front of his polo and frowned. When he’d agreed to spend the weekend, he hadn’t thought through the practicalities. “I don’t have anything else to wear.”
“Come with me.”
Passing through a spacious living area decorated with comfortable furniture in earthy tones, he followed Asher into the bedroom of the suite. The king-sized bed with its fluffy, beige comforter looked soft and inviting, but it was the big bay window complete with a cushioned windowseat atop a three-shelf bookcase that made him grin. The bookshelf seemed to have a little something for every taste—thriller and horror on top, followed by romance and fantasies on the second shelf, and interesting-looking titles of non-fiction on the bottom.
It surprised him to find none of Asher’s books on the shelves. If he’d written that many bestsellers-turned-blockbusters, he’d put copies in every room of his house.
Across the room, Asher pulled open a set of French doors to reveal a fairly modest walk-in closet compared to the rest of the place. A couple of plush robes hung from velveteen hangers on a short, bronze rod, but the rest of the closet had been filled with shelves and cubbies that held everything from blankets and pillows to an assortment of casual clothing.
“Take whatever you need,” Asher instructed. “T-shirts, sweaters, sweatpants, pajamas.” He pointed out each cubby as he ran down the list.
He jerked his head to the left, then walked through another set of double doors that led into a bathroom twice the size of Cameron’s first studio apartment.
“Towels are in that closet.” Asher pointed, then reached behind him to pull open the top drawer in the double vanity. “Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, and whatnot is here.” His gaze went toward the glass-enclosed shower that looked big enough to fit four people, maybe six if everyone wanted to get real cozy. “Soap, shampoo, conditioner, etcetera there.” Turning to face him, he rested his hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side. “I think that’s everything.”
“I’d say that’s more than enough.” He suddenly remembered there were six other guest suites just like this one. “Do you have a lot of…visitors?”
Asher stared at him for a long time before he finally shook his head. “Not really, but I liked to be prepared, just in case.”
Cameron couldn’t fault him for that. He had a similar setup at his house, though admittedly, on a much smaller scale. He also didn’t keep extra clothing for his friends or family, but then again, maybe he should start. As many times as Nico or Natalie had crashed in his guest room after a drunken night out, then gone home in the same clothes, it was probably a good idea to keep a few extra things on hand.
