Page 39 of The Beautiful Mess

Keegan looked over his shoulder as he stepped inside the shower. “Go feed the cat.” He stepped under the spray, sighed, and tilted his head back to get his hair wet. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“Don’t touch anything,” Kerry groused.

Keegan considered him with a quizzical expression. “Do you ration your shampoo or something?”

“I want to be the one who does the touching and washing.”

“Hurry back, then.”

Betty was licking her ass on the center of his bed when he stepped through the closet door.

“We need to work on your manners, young lady,” Kerry said as he strode out of his room.

The carpet muffled Betty’s launch behind him, but he knew she was in hot pursuit. As soon as he put his foot on the first step, Betty zoomed past him like the hounds of hell were after them. In her eyes, being late for tuna was far worse than having slobbering dogs. He paused in the kitchen and stared at the picnic basket and coffee thermos as if they were apparitions. He’d forgotten all about the food Keegan had brought with him. Betty yowled her displeasure at his tardiness and got him moving again. He found her in the laundry room, sitting beside the empty tuna dish.

Kerry pointed to the bowl beside it filled more than halfway with her dry kibble. “You have plenty to eat.”

Meow.Which sounded like Betty speak for “you have plenty of other toes.”

Kerry didn’t know why he wasted time arguing with his cat when Keegan was naked and wet upstairs. He yanked the can’s pull tab so hard it snapped off before it broke the seal. “Damn it.”

Betty swished her tail scornfully as she watched him through narrowed eyes. He put the can back on the shelf and grabbed a different one. That time, he opened the tuna and dumped it in her dish without incident. Betty attacked the fishy flakes with gusto, and he smoothed his hand over her back. Things didn’t bode well for him when she ate her tuna too quickly, and she was mad enough to puke it up in the worst possible locations.

“Easy, girl. You’re not starving, and there’s plenty of tuna where that came from.”

Betty glared at the interruption before continuing to eat, but thankfully at a slower pace.

Kerry dashed back upstairs and found Keegan in the same spot Kerry had left him in, and he turned and met Kerry’s gaze when he reentered the bathroom. He opened the shower door and stepped inside. Kerry wrapped his arms around Keegan and pulled him against his chest.

“Ready to go again?” Keegan asked.

“My little lamb has turned into quite the minx.”

Keegan fisted a hand in Kerry’s hair and brought their mouths together. They kissed hungrily as their hands roamed all over slick skin. When they parted to catch their breath, Keegan traced the lines of a tattoo on his chest. “Your body makes a beautiful canvas.” He looked up and met Kerry’s gaze, but his fingers continued exploring. “I started taking art therapy classes to help work through stress and trauma. It looks like you’ve been working through yours with ink therapy for a while now.”

Kerry looked down at his chest and watched Keegan’s fingers as they traced over one dark line, then another. “I’ve never considered my compulsion to add tattoos is a form of releasing pain. I’d just heard they were addictive.” He pointed to a set of initials over his heart, and Keegan traced theNJH. “This was my first one. I got it as soon as I turned eighteen to honor Natalie.” He’d been so proud to show it off to his family. “My mother teared up when she saw it, but my uncle teased that I wouldn’t stop with one tattoo.” Kerry grinned wryly. “He wasn’t wrong, but I have zero regrets. Each tattoo memorializes something or someone important.”

Keegan looped his arms around Kerry’s neck and kissed him. “I didn’t mean to bring up distressing topics.” He smiled sheepishly. “Seems I could use some work on my after-sex techniques. First, I cried, and then I reminded you of the worst time of your life.”

Chuckling, Kerry pulled Keegan tightly against him. “Until now, my after-sex techniques comprised of disposing a condom and zipping up. I’m the last one to criticize.”

“Did you at least slap them on the ass as you walked away?”

Kerry laughed harder. “I was that douchebag on some occasions.” He latched onto Keegan’s ass with both hands. “We can learn proper afterglow techniques together.”

They kissed and explored again. Kerry felt the welcome zing low in his belly, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the effects of little sleep, an explosive orgasm, and hot water. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Keegan’s, who correctly read the signs.

“We’re clean enough for now.” Keegan twisted his torso to shut off the water.

They remained in the enclosure until chilly air penetrated the steam and made them shiver. Kerry pressed a kiss to Keegan’s forehead before he opened the door and pulled two towels off the rack. He draped one around Keegan’s shoulders and rubbed his body with the other.

“This is warm,” Keegan said as he toweled off.

“I didn’t put up a fuss when the topic of a towel warmer came up. It turns on automatically when the shower starts.”

Kerry ogled Keegan’s fine ass as he followed him into the bedroom. The alluring view gave him a zing of energy, but it fizzled quickly when Keegan headed for his discarded clothes.

“You can borrow one of my shirts,” Kerry suggested. “And stay a little longer.”

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