Page 34 of Bound to You

After a silent trip up the elevator we say goodnight to Caio and make our way to our room. I lock the door before flopping down on the couch. “Well, that was fucking awkward.”

May lets out a cackle. “Oh my god, you couldn’t ignore that sexual tension even if you tried. Trust me, I tried.”

“Ugh, I don’t want sexual tension. I don’t want any of it.”

“Really?” May drags out the word, each extended syllable dripping with sarcasm.

“Yes, we are just friends. I’m looking for a relaxing summer, remember? No need to add extra complications into the mix.”

Friends. That’s what we are. Just like Marina, a friend. That’s what I need to remember next time I see him half naked. Hopefully that’s not too often. It’s a chemical reaction, that’s all. He’s attractive. Just like Heath and Rafael are attractive, although I don’t seem to feel like this around them or their respective six packs.

There’s just something different about Caio, it’s like he catches me off guard. One second, he’s a perfect gentleman and then all of a sudden he’s giving me fuck me eyes and sticking his thumb in his mouth.

Maybe I’m just misreading all of it. Rafael and May are getting into my head too much. Maybe I just need a few days to cool it. Get him out of my system. Even if there is a mutual attraction between us, that isn’t what I came here for, so it doesn’t matter either way.

I start to unbutton my shirt. Oh shit. Caio’s shirt. I was cold on the boat, so he gave it to me to warm up. Shit, shit, shit. Screw his gentleman bullshit, now I have to go give it to him. “I could just give this to him the next time I see him, right?”

“Considering you don’t have any clue when that will be I’m gonna say no,” May says.

Ugh.

“You could just drop it at reception?” she suggests.

“I can’t do that. It’ll look like I didn’t want to go give it to him.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t.”

I give her a flat stare in return. “No it’s fine, I’m going.” I pick up the room key off the table.

“Good luck,” May sings out.

Why do I need luck? I don’t need luck. I’m just going to give him the shirt and come back. That’s it.

I hold the buzzer down when I get in the elevator, now that I know how to use it.

“Hey Caio, I’m just bringing your shirt back.” I don’t know what else to say so I release the button. A few seconds later, the elevator jolts into movement and after a quick ascent, the doors ding open at Caio’s apartment.

I can’t see him anywhere, so I slowly walk in. I peek around the corner to the kitchen, but he’s nowhere to be seen, so I quietly start to make my way back to the elevator. I’ll just leave his shirt on the side table.

“Hey.”

I turn back around, and any greeting escapes my mind as he stands there in nothing but a towel.

“Oh shit, sorry.” I force my eyes to look anywhere else. They land on the marble countertop. How has he had time for a shower already?

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“It’s alright,” he speaks slowly. “It’s nothing you didn’t see today.”

I take that as an invitation to stop staring at the kitchen like it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

He’s standing there in the middle of his pristine apartment looking the most undone I’ve ever seen him. His dark hair is wet and shaggy, and water droplets fall from his smooth, wet body onto the cool marble floor. I’m surprised they don’t hiss and disintegrate when they hit the ground.

The man is so meticulously put together even in the most casual circumstances, it feels like a privilege to see him like this. Maybe it’s similar to how I saw him on the boat today, but this time it feels different.

I mean he’s in a towel.

Just a towel.

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