Page 39 of Charming But Reckless

Orion had never lied to me. And though people could change, at his core, he was still the same boy I knew.

“A trial run,” I blurted out. “We'll do a trial run with me here. But if it doesn't work or it's too much for Sol or anything goes wrong, I go to the guest room. Deal?”

He smiled, but it wasn't as big and as bright as his others. He was accepting the limitations I put in place. And for that, I was thankful.

“A trial period,” he agreed. “When the trial is up, you're all mine.”

It felt like an ominous warning. I wasn't quite sure what would happen before the trial ended. But I knew when that time was up, he would be ready to stake his claim in my life.

CHAPTER 14

ORION

I hadthe best night of sleep of my life holding Arick in my arms.

He had been reluctant to trust what was happening between us. He didn't understand where I was coming from in some ways. But I could sense that his emotions, while troubled, were pure.

He wanted to be with me too. He just didn't want to ruin this new thing that we had going on. And most importantly, he didn't want to upset his son.

I respected that more than anything. It was good to know that he was putting him first. It only further proved he was the type of man I wanted to be with.

Sol had shown no interest in the sleeping arrangements for the evening. He had barely paid attention to us once he found out about the toys and all the different snacks the guys had gotten for him.

I had watched as Arick worked around my kitchen making dinner. It was so natural for him. There was zero hesitation in how he moved about and teased his son while smiling at me.

When it was time for bed, we worked together to tuck Sol in. He was out before we even managed to shut the door.

It was no wonder, with how exciting the events of the day had been. When we went to our room, Arick was slow to get ready for bed. It took him much longer than the necessary two minutes to brush his teeth. Then he fussed over which pajamas he wanted to wear since he was borrowing a pair of mine. We needed to do a load of laundry.

I was in no rush. Seeing him in my clothes had a powerful effect on my body. I had to adjust my cock under the blankets while he crawled in beside me.

At first, I didn't hold my arm out or encourage him to come close. He needed to get a feel of how things would be without my input. If I influenced him in any way, I would never be able to forgive myself.

It took a few seconds, but then he was shifting over to my side of the bed and tucking himself into my arm. We laid there for a few minutes, neither of us speaking, but both of us were clearly awake.

"Good night, Arick,” I finally said when no other words would come.

"Good night, Orion," he replied.

I stayed awake, though I evened out my breathing to mimic as if I were asleep. He was restless for a few more minutes before I felt his body slacken. His muscles relaxed and sleep came.

I basked in the feeling of holding him without having to pull back my emotions. To experience this every day for the rest of my life would be a gift.

I couldn't imagine not having him around and not being with him. I was already in so deep, so fast.

When I finally did fall asleep, it was with ease. And it was the deepest sleep I'd had in ages.

I woke up feeling refreshed and renewed with a passed out Arick on my chest. It wasn't quite light out, yet my eyes adjusted quickly enough that I could take him in.

All the tiny features of his face, the slope of his nose and the curve of his jaw, pulled me in. They captivated me in a way no one else ever had. I wanted to press a kiss to his forehead. I wanted to pull him close to me and just hold him as tight as possible.

And I also wanted to turn him over and fuck him into the mattress.

There was a hunger beneath the contentment that I couldn't seem to quench. It was as if my body was coming alive for the first time.

I had been involved with people in the past. I knew what an orgasm felt like, and I could understand desire at the base level. I flirted with people and had even taken a few further.

Nothing in my life felt like what it was to just simply want Arick. Being with him was going to destroy me for anyone else.

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