Page 33 of Flirt
Widening his eyes, Asher rose from his seat and rounded the island to make Cameron a cup of coffee and refill his own. “That good, huh?”
Cameron didn’t smile. “Yeah, pretty much.”
Unsure what to think, Asher poured coffee in silence, passed one of the mugs to Cameron, then led him down the hallway to the den. Cameron had said he should get comfortable, and the oversized leather sofa with its deep cushions fit the bill. Settling onto one end, he frowned but didn’t protest when Cameron eased into an adjacent armchair instead of sitting beside him.
Still, it kind of…hurt. Yep, that was exactly what the tight, heavy feeling in his chest meant.
Sitting at the very edge of his seat, Cameron rested his elbows on his knees, coffee cup held firmly between his hands, and stared down into the contents. “So, you said start at the beginning?”
Asher nodded and tried to smile through his nerves. “Probably for the best.”
“Well, the beginning of this story starts with an apology.” Looking up, he met Asher’s gaze and grinned. “For last night,” he clarified. “I’d like to blame it on the tequila, but truthfully, I think even without the alcohol, I would have found some excuse to pump the brakes. So, I’m sorry for being a tease instead of just being straight with you.”
Asher just couldn’t resist that setup. “Please,neverbe straight with me.”
His joke had the desired effect, and Cameron laughed, though it sounded a little self-deprecating. “My point is, I got overwhelmed and freaked instead of just talking to you like an adult. To be fair, I didn’t realize it until just a few minutes ago.”
“So, you’re saying your sudden-onset starvation wasn’t a conscious decision?”
Again, Cameron chuckled. This time, it didn’t sound like he was choking on it, either. “Yeah, I guess that’s what I’m saying.”
“That’s what the cockblocking comment was about?”
Cameron blushed and stared down at his coffee again. “I didn’t realize I’d said anything out loud.”
Fuck, he was cute. “Is this moving too fast for you?”
Once Asher decided he wanted something, he went for it—open throttle, no second-guessing, no doubts. Just grab it with both hands, punch the accelerator, and hang on for the ride. It hadn’t occurred to him that Cameron wouldbe overwhelmed, but after everything he’d learned about the guy, maybe it should have.
“Yes, and no,” Cameron answered, his words slow, his voice measured. “Normally, I wouldn’t spend the weekend with someone until we’d been together for a lot longer, but I’ve had fun. I like this part.”
Asher melted into the couch cushions, his relief palpable. Cameron wasn’t saying he’d made a mistake, or that he wanted to end things between them. Asher hadn’t even known he’d been worried about that until the weight on his chest lifted, allowing him to take his first deep breath since the conversation had started.
Interesting how much the idea of ending their shiny, new relationship bothered him, especially since he’d never wanted one before now.
“So, which part don’t you like?”
“It’s not something I don’t like. I’m just careful, I guess.”
The way he stammered and refused to look at him gave Asher a good idea of what he was struggling to say. “You’re talking about sex.”
Still staring into his coffee as if it held all the secrets of life, Cameron nodded. “It’s just this rule I have.” His shoulders rounded, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “It’s stupid and old-fashioned, but well…”
Leaning forward, Asher placed his hand on Cameron’s forearm, waiting for him to finally look up, then smiled. “Tell me this rule of yours.”
“No sex for at least thirty days after I start seeing someone.”
He said it without inflection or emotion, but those goddamn expressive eyes told Asher everything he needed to know. He wasn’t the first to be on the receiving end of this particular conversation, and for reasons he’d rather not examine, he fucking hated that. Also, if he guessed correctly, the information hadn’t been well received in the past.
Four weeks didn’t sound unreasonable. He’d abstained for longer than that, usually when he was behind on a deadline, but still, it counted. It wouldn’t be easy, especially when he just had to look at Cameron to get hard, but he could do it. He could keep his hands to himself and his dick in his pants for thirty days. Easy. Piece of cake.
Who the fuck am I kidding? This is going to be hell.
And still, Cameron was worth it.
“I have a couple of questions, but before I ask them, I want to make something very clear.” Cameron flinched, but Asher just leaned in closer and whispered a kiss across his cheek. “This is not a deal-breaker. Got it?”
The sad smile he received in return damn near broke his heart.
