Page 20 of Perfect Matcha
Chapter Eight
Last night,Theo had made a disastrous mess of his sheets. And the carpet by his bed. And his phone.
During what might very well have been the greatest orgasm of his existence, he’d rolled or writhed or something onto the bottle of lube, and the next thing he knew, lube waseverywhere. His weight had drained the entire tube in one go.
Cleaning copious amounts of high-quality lubricant out of his flannel sheets and new carpet was not how Theo had planned to spend his postorgasm glow, but maybe it had been a good thing. He hadn’t been able to freak the hell out about coming with Camden’s hot voice in his ear.
Again.
Yesterday, the recollections had hit him at work in fits and bursts, the bustle of Bold Brew as background noise. He’d caught himself staring off toward the fire, replaying one of Cam’s turns of phrase or ruminating on the deep growl of his voice.
But mostly Theo ignored the memories. If he thought too much, he’d ruin everything. He’d act needy or strange or demanding, and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin it.
In fact, he really wanted to continue the arrangement. His confidence was growing along with his curiosity. He’d be ready for Hawke Howard in no time.
But first, he had some lube to replace.
His regular bottle of lube from the corner store was also empty—an issue Theo hadn’t even been aware of until he’d checked that morning. If he had a more active sex life, he’d have known he was out of lube, but, surprise, surprise, he didn’t, experiments with Camden notwithstanding.
And the lube Camden had gifted him had been so nice. Smooth and lush and not at all sticky.
The crushed velvet of lube.
The caviar of lube.
So yeah, he was going to First-Rate Finishes for the first time, and he wasn’t telling Camden. Camden had been trying to get him to check out the shop for ages, but Theo’s innate stuffiness had prevented him from popping in.
No longer. Theo had experienced fancy lube, and he was never going back.
Camden’s Saturday shift didn’t start until noon, so he wouldn’t be there. Theo figured he’d stop in quickly, grab the lube, and go. No need to linger and overstimulate himself.
There was only one car in the parking lot. Sex-toy shops probably didn’t do banging business during breakfast time, no pun intended.
The bell over the door tinkled pleasantly as he made his way in out of the snow. Theo didn’t know what he’d expected First-Rate Finishes to be like—maybe a tad tacky or kitschy—but the inside reminded him of a trendy mercantile. If it weren’t for the tasteful display of glass dildos by the entrance, he might have thought he’d walked into the wrong store.
Theo scanned the displays and reclaimed-wood shelves, trying to get his bearings and spot the lube.
The patter of footsteps reached Theo as someone appeared in the doorway behind the counter, and it hadn’t hit him that he’d have to interact with whoever was working. And that the person working might be—
“Theodore Punch. It’s been a while, man.”
Hawke Howard.Oh no.
Oh no!
Theo almost turned tail and ran, but his body was rooted to the spot. He managed what he hoped was a serviceable smile but didn’t manage to step farther into the store.
Camden hadn’t approached Hawke yet about setting him up with Theo. Cam had said he’d wait until Theo was ready.
But what didreadyreally mean? Theo was not the best judge.
“Can I help ya find anything?” Hawke asked, a southern accent sneaking in. He leaned on the counter in front of him. His forearms were thick and muscled and covered in swirls of colorful tattoos. Hawke gave a lopsided smile, drawing attention to his lips and lip ring. He wasn’t the most conventionally attractive dude in the world, but he had a sexy intensity that made Theo edgy.
“L-lube?” Theo whispered.
Hawke’s eyes sparkled as he looked Theo up and down. Then he nodded toward a table no more than two feet from where Theo had planted himself. Theo flushed and took a stilted step forward.
He’d only been around Hawke twice in his life—both times at parties Camden had invited Theo to. Hawke had always been nice. He was gregarious and passionate and uber cool but wasn’t the type of person Theo normally gravitated toward. Theo much preferred spending time enveloped in the cozy familiarity Camden gave off than the proverbial flames around Hawke. If Hawke were a fire, then Cam was a warm blanket right out of the dryer.
