Page 37 of Heat Haze
“Cold,” he says gruffly. “Blanket…”
I am such a fucking idiot.
Babbling a worthless apology isn’t enough. My legs move on their own, bringing me to a run so I can jump into my boyfriend’s arms. He’s definitely caught off guard but reacts quick enough to catch me, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“You are so fucking sweet, Toro,” I exhale before peppering his face with kisses. “You really brought all the barn animals blankets?”
“Cuh… Cold…” he repeats in a tone that almost seems bashful. His attention goes everywhere but me, cheeks growing hot. He holds me as tight as he always does, lifting me up higher to nudge his nose against my cheek.
My heart explodes in my chest, and this only confirms what I already knew and never should’ve doubted in the first place: Toro is a good person. He’smygood person, and he needs to know that. So naturally the next words that come out of my mouth don’t express that at all.
“I’m so in love with you.” The words tumble out of my mouth, and it’s not as graceful as I would’ve liked. But he smiles genuinely, eyes full of adoration and love—both of which are forme. It makes me feel something I’ve never felt before when he looks at me that way
His lips quiver but the words don’t come out, so instead he just kisses me. Even when I’m gently pushing on his chest to try and recapture my breath he doesn’t let me pull away. He decides when the kiss is over, and luckily he stops it before I start suffocating.
But he’s not done, delicately pressing me up against the wall. Our foreheads touch, and he’s about to try and do it all over again before I jerk my head away. Of course he whines, but I think he expected it since he just huffs and presses his head against my shoulder.
“You’re soaking wet,” I frown, finally not distracted enough to notice how his clothes are saturated. “You’re gonna get sick, Tor.”
He ignores me, features warm and inviting. Like I never doubted him in the first place, like I never thought the worst of him. It just makes me love him even more. “Kiss…?”
“No. We need to get you back in bed or else you’re really gonna regret it.”
Toro butts his head against mine like a needy animal. “Kiss. Kiss, Nico. Kiss...”
Whenever my name leaves his lips I always break just a bit, and Iknowhe’s caught on to that. With an irritated groan I give him a quick kiss, just enough to placate him.
“Let’s go back now, Toro.”
He squints at me, brow furrowed as if I just committed the ultimate betrayal. Unfortunately for him he is absolutely adorable, so I just bring a hand up to stroke at his cheek. Like a moth to a flame he immediately shuts his eyes and enjoys it for a moment, before they shoot open and find my face again.
The expression on his face is even cuter now, saying “that was a mean trick” without actually saying it. He pulls me closer to his chest and scurries back to the house. He’s quiet with the doors, only setting me down once we’re back in his room.
Now that I’ve got him in proper lighting I’m even more upset with him. Rain puddles underneath him, and without thinking I start peeling off his clothes because I don’t want him to get sick. He lets me, just staring down at me with a dopey smile. I’m halfway through pulling down his overalls before I realize that I actually haven’t seen him naked yet, and I don’t think I’m ready for all that.
“Go. Change.” My voice is low, but not in a threatening way.
I expect an argument but instead he actually listens, disappearing into the bathroom with a fresh pair of pajamas and a towel in his hands. Sitting back on the bed, I wait untilhe comes out again. He’s dressed in red flannel pajama pants and no shirt.
Where the hell is his shirt?
CHAPTER THIRTY
Standing before me is a wall of fat and muscle, with lots of dark hair all across his chest. It trails down his stomach, past his belly button and into his pajama pants. I don’t even realize I’m staring until he’s standing right in front of me, looking down at me sweetly as if I’m not unabashedly eye-fucking him.
I scoot back, letting him sit on the edge of the bed. He hands me the towel expectantly, and I waste no time drying Toro off. He’s not nearly as soaked as he was earlier, but he did a pretty half-assed job at drying himself off. I suspect that was on purpose though, since he mumbles something happily when I drag the towel across his back.
“Is there a reason you didn’t bring a jacket? Or you just didn’t think about it?” I ask, since the man has a whole bunch of jackets hung up in the closet he could’ve easily grabbed.
“Didn’t think…” His fingers sink into the mattress. “Was… fast.”
With a thoughtful hum I finish drying him off before setting the towel aside. Toro takes that as an invitation to sprawl out on top of me, head falling into my lap. His hair is damp and messy, dark curls hastily brushed to the side.
“Hi,” my voice is quiet while I beam at him. “Feel better?”
“Feel better.”
Losing control, I hunch over to leave a quick peck on the corner of his mouth. I adore how his nose crinkles every time I kiss him. He gives me an open-mouthed smile, eyes sparkling in the warm light of his room. Toro’s hand findsthe side of my face, pulling it down so he can kiss me how he likes: by trying to suffocate me with his tongue.
