Page 41 of Candy Hearts
“Fine,” he’d grumbled. “’Night.” He’d kissed her cheek and escaped.
Was he being stubborn about finding the right person for him? Was it really so easy as writing down stipulations and personality traits on a piece of paper?
He turned his head toward Benji, studying the delicate cusp of his earlobe, the gentle slope of his jaw, the pointy knob at the top of his spine.
Nothing was so simple anymore. The man in William’s arms was better than any criteria he could dream up.
He tried to slip away from Benji. They’d migrated in the night until Benji’s back was curled against William’s side. As soon as William started to move, Benji flopped over and flung an arm across William’s waist.
“No,” Benji murmured.
“No, what?”
“Leaving.” Benji pressed a sleepy kiss to William’s shoulder, and William’s entire chest cavity melted with ooey-gooey feelings. He wished it weren’t dark in the room. He wanted to get to experience morning Benji in full color and light.
He’d let Benji sleep for a bit longer. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt. Benji hooked his leg over William’s thigh, effectively holding him hostage.
Cuddle hostage. Oh geez, this was even better than the couch. William trailed his fingers down Benji’s forearm and back up to his bicep. His arms were cut, the muscles bulgy and defined. He probably had to lift heavy stuff at his job. William loved the way Benji looked in silk and lace, but he was pretty intrigued by the thought of Benji in coveralls as well.
Benji’s fingers twitched and tightened on William’s chest, and he nudged his head in closer, forcing William to lift his arm and wrap it over Benji’s shoulder.
Benji’s leg went heavy against William, like he’d fallen back asleep, so William started contemplating his day. He had to call the electric company to see when the power would come back on today. If he got power back, he needed to find three more bachelorians for the auction. If he didn’t get power, he might need to consider buying a generator. This afternoon, Sasha, Perry, Avi, and Manny would arrive, and tonight, they’d likely play a game, and if it wasn’t sleeting, have a bonfire.
William’s main objective today, though, was to figure out how to spend alone-time with Benji. To get Benji to view William as a viable option for after Valentine’s Day. William closed his eyes. It could happen.
He could almost imagine it happening.
A warm, wet mouth suddenly sucked on the tendon of his armpit, and William about flew out of his skin. His morning wood had mostly dissipated by that point, but it was back with a vengeance.
Benji lifted his head with a lazy smile. “Hi. I think I might be into this armpit thing. Let’s dry hump and then watch the sunrise.”
William’s only response was a kiss.
Chapter Twelve
They watched the sunrise from the edge of the dock, sitting close in the chilly morning. But not close enough. Benji kept blowing breaths to see the ice crystals in the air, which was fun in a childlike way, but he’d much rather be able to climb into William’s lap for warmth. To blow his breath against William’s skin.
Too bad Wren and Robin, if they woke up, would be able to see them through the window, so Benji had to keep his hands to himself.
Benji felt mushy and half-formed this morning. He wasn’t used to being awake so early. Maybe that was the cause of his unsteadiness. He definitely wasn’t used to being awake this early without the aid of coffee. Or it could be that he was sure he’d die if he didn’t get to lick the little divot at the join of William’s jaw and neck. It was muddling him up.
The sun crested the tree line across the lake and Benji’s breath caught.
“Worth it,” he mumbled.
“What is?” William asked.
“Freezing my badonkadonk off to sit out here with you. Sunrises, man. Worth it.”
“What about sunsets? We could watch it tonight.”
“Sunrise … sunset.” Benji hummed the song fromFiddler on the Roof, which made William stare at him with a bit of wonder in his eyes.
No one had ever looked at Benji the way William did. He didn’t trust it. Yet. But it was nice—an ego boost—to have someone as fab as William gazing at him like that.
Was that all this was? An ego boost? A nice interlude to help Benji gain some confidence?
Was it the end of the world if it was? Maybe this was like the bridge of a song, short and special. The best part but over too fast. He stopped humming.
