Page 17 of Better Late Than Never

He turned a look on me that was definitely laced with shyness. “We’re out of uniform and off duty. You don’t have to call me ‘sir.’”

I was hesitant. Keeping that in place would remind us both where we stood and what lines we couldn’t cross. On the other hand, I hadn’t come here because I was being careful or smart, so why not drop the formalities while I was at it?

“Oh. Okay. Uh.” I cleared my throat. “What… whatdoI call you? Because I don’t even know your first name.” I mean, I did—I’d seen it on the app, of course—but I felt weird and presumptuous about just using it.

He laughed softly. “Connor. Yours?”

“Alex.” And damn, now we were even less separated by professionalism and military bearing. In his house. Yeah, this was a bad idea, but whatever—I was here. I shifted my weight. “So, um… Clothes?”

“Right. Yeah.” He gestured for me to follow him. “In the bedroom.”

With his back safely to me, I mouthed a curse, then a prayer for help keeping my hands to myself.

Walking into this man’s bedroom with him, I was going to need it.

CHAPTER7

CONNOR

Ididn’t think this through, did I?

No, I had not. Because if I had, I’d have vetoed it before the suggestion even came out of my mouth. Long before HM1 Barlow—Alex—set foot in my house, never mind mybedroom.

But I hadn’t. And now he was here. In civvies. With his tattoos and his powerful arms and legs on full display thanks to that snug T-shirt and those faded shorts. And somehow, I had to operate like a functional adult human being while he was standing beside the bed where I’d thought about him last night with my dick in my hand.

I was pretty sure I’d once been a sane, functional adult human being who didn’t do stupid shit, but good Lord, did that go out the window whenever I was around Alex. What the hell? I was a grown-ass adult, but all he had to do was smile and I?—

“Okay, let’s see what we have to work with.” Alex folded his arms and peered into my closet.

“Probably nothing too exciting,” I said with a laugh. “I don’t have any leather pants or anything like that.”

He snorted. “Good, because I don’t know if you noticed, but Spain is fuckinghot. Especially in July.”

“I had picked up on that, yeah.”

“Right, so leather pants in this kind of heat…” He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “That smell is not attractive.”

I laughed. “Duly noted.”

He flashed me a grin, but then turned serious and looked right at me. “I guess… well, what doyouthink looks hot on a man?”

Whatever you happen to be wearing.

By the grace of God—or maybe years of self-censoring so I didn’t fuck myself professionally—I kept those words to myself, though my face was probably turning red. “Uh… I mean…” I shrugged. “Nothing too crazy? I’ve never quite understood the whole leather and harness thing.” I gestured across my chest to imply one of those black leather harnesses I’d seen guys wearing in porn and in videos of clubs.

Alex chuckled. Not unkindly or like he was making fun of me, though. “That’s kind of its own scene. Sometimes it’s the guys who are into kink and leather. Sometimes… I mean, some guys just like it, you know? But you don’t have to wear one.”

“That’s a relief,” I said with total honesty. “Don’t get me wrong—it looks hot on some guys. I just, uh… I don’t think it’s my thing. For myself.” Christ, could I ramble a bit more?

“You’re good.” He looked at the various shirts and pants I had hanging in the closet. “You don’t wear a lot of color, do you?”

“A lot of—” I furrowed my brow and studied my own wardrobe. And okay, he might’ve had a point. I had a lot of black, white, and gray, plus some blue, though nothing very loud. A pair of newish jeans were probably the most brightly colored thing I owned. With a self-conscious laugh, I leaned against the footboard and shook my head. “I guess I don’t, do I? I never really noticed.”

He shrugged. “Eh, everyone has their own tastes.” He turned to me, curiosity in his blue eyes. “You don’t like dressing to be noticed?”

That…

That was an interesting question.

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