Page 28 of Unruly
“The Horror was in this book, right?”
“Right.”
“A book that once belonged to his family. Maybe it even belonged to him.”
“Maybe.”
“Is it possible that the Horror can haunt objects that used to belong to him or his family?”
“Yes,” I say softly as Borja’s questioning starts to take hold in my head. “I see what you’re getting at.”
“Maybe this book isn’t the only thing the family donated. We could start by finding out if other objects exist. Could lead us to the Horror.”
“I admire your instincts. That’s a smart avenue to research.”
Borja smiles. “Thanks.” He glances at the window. “It’s getting dark. Should we try again tomorrow?”
“Yes, you probably still need some rest. You’ve been through a lot today.”
“Just dying and coming back to life, no biggie.”
He grins and I find myself amused. He’s taking this all so well. That’s a positive sign that he’ll be right for this position.
“I was gonna take a shower,” he says.
“By all means. I’ll be here.”
“Make yourself comfortable, and help yourself to anything in my kitchen. We can order food too if you’re hungry.”
“Are you hungry?”
Borja opens his mouth then snaps his lips closed. “Uh, no, I guess I’m not. I should be.”
“Again, you’ve been through a lot today. Your appetite will likely kick in soon.”
He nods. “Cool. Be right back.”
I watch him walk down the hall, leaning my head back against the couch to do it. Being around another living, breathing man is stirring up old desires I thought were long gone, but I guess they’ve just been dormant. It’s kind of nice to know I can still feel things like attraction and admire the beauty of another man, but it’s frustrating too. There’s no outlet for this in my world, so it’s best to bury it and forget it. Soon, I’ll be back in the Revival House, alone. Always alone.
I can hear the water from the shower through the thin walls, and my mind unhelpfully conjures an image of Borja peeling out of his clothes and revealing his masculine body. Does he have chest hair? I get weak for chest hair.
Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back, indulging in the fantasy for just a few minutes. I could get up and walk into the bathroom right now, take my clothes off, step under the water with him, and run my hands all over his flesh.
The swelling of my cock is startling—I almost forgot it could do that—but instead of feeling shame about it, a sense of comfort settles over me. I still function like a normal man does. I still feel desire.
I imagine running my hands down Borja’s chest as I lean in and taste his lips. He’s not tender with me, instead digging his fingers into my skin as he draws me closer and our mouths crash together in a fiery kiss.
My hand moves between my legs, softly massaging and caressing my growing bulge, but when the water in the bathroom shuts off, I sit up abruptly, smoothing my clothes and hair and hoping I can present myself professionally when I have to look Borja in the face again.
I shouldn’t let myself get carried away thinking about things that can’t happen, but there’s no harm in a little fantasy, is there? Borja doesn’t have to know.
He appears in the hallway wearing only a towel clinging to his hips, his skin still dotted with beads of water. It’s distracting, and I should look away, but I don’t seem to be able to.
“I was thinking,” Borja says. “We should go out. I can show you some stuff.”
“Like?”
“Modern life. You said you wanted to learn some things about the Above. I can show you.”
