Page 30 of Otter Heart
“Adam,” he said, cutting me off. “You helped me save my best friend in the whole world. Bessie is my eyes, my guide, and my helper. She’s the only reason I can get around so easily bymyself.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “You did a lot more than you think.”
I stood there for a long moment, my bare skin tingling where he touched me. A bolt of electricity rushed through my body, and I shivered. Goosebumps broke out all over my body.
“Come on,” he said, feeling me shiver. “You must be freezing. I’ve got the fire cranked up for us.”
My cheeks still burning, I wrapped the blanket around myself tightly and followed Mateo into the living room. Bessie was already there, curled up in front of the fire. She’d pulled her bed right up next to it so she could dry off. The poor thing was still shivering from her escapade through the storm. I stopped to give her a pat and shift her bed slightly so she didn’t catch on fire.
“Hopefully that teaches her a lesson,” Mateo said, flopping on the couch in front of the fire. “She really needs to stop running off on me. It’s becoming a bad habit.”
“I wonder why she’s doing it?”
“No idea,” he sighed. “But she’s got a check-up with the vet in a couple of weeks anyway, so I’ll bring it up to him then.” He patted the couch next to him. “Come sit and warm yourself up.”
I did as I was told. It wasn’t a very big couch, so we were sitting thigh to thigh. My cock gave a heavy twitch as I felt the heat of his skin through the blanket. The tented fabric made me feel embarrassed and a little ashamed. Mateo had just been through a huge scare and here I was all horned up and still picturing him naked every single second. I felt like I was being inappropriate somehow. Which was weird for me because usually I hopped in the sack with guys after the first date if it was good. But with Mateo we’d seen each other a couple of times and hadn’t even kissed yet.
Maybe him delegating me to being the bottom made me feel shy. That and I was scared to go any further. I couldn’t deny that I liked him in some capacity. I wasn’t sure if it was just friends or more yet, but going further brought me into heartbreak territory and that scared the shit out of me. I really didn't want to do that again.
“You doing okay?” Mateo asked, holding out his hands toward the fire. “You’re still shivering.”
“S-Sorry,” I stammered, pulling the blanket tighter around me. “I’m f-fine.”
Mateo reached out, his hands on my shoulders. He ran his fingers over the blanket, finding it crossed tightly over my chest.
“No wonder you’re freezing!” he chuckled, pulling at the blanket. “You’re holding all that cold in! Open this up so you can soak up the heat. That’s why I turned it on.”
I allowed him to pull the blanket open, exposing my chest. His fingers dipped under the fabric, grazing against my bare flesh as he pulled it off my shoulders. A small gasp escaped my lips, and he looked my way. Immediately I knew I’d given myself away.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, pulling his fingers away.
I shook my head, unable to speak.
“I don’t know what that means. You have to talk to me.”
I took a deep breath. “N-No,” I breathed. “I’m just… nervous I guess.”
Mateo smiled, but he went back to the blanket, pulling it off my shoulders until it pooled at my waist. His fingers stopped on my left bicep.
“You know,” he said softly. “I don’t know what you look like. I have an idea, but that’s all.”
“What do you think I look like?” I asked, furrowing my brows.
“You’re taller than me and heavier,” he said, his beautiful green eyes looking just over my left shoulder. “But you walk with a light step, like you’re dexterous and controlled. You almost sound like a dancer, so I imagine you’re lithe, but still well built.” He smiled. “And I always imagined you with curly hair, tanned skin, and dark brown eyes that you could get lost in.” He chuckled to himself. “But you already told me you had hazel eyes. And I don’t know, your cologne makes me think you wear linen beach shirts all the time or something. Like you’re some modernage bohemian who lives in a van.”
I couldn’t help laughing at that. “Well, I don’t think I own anything linen, and I definitely don’t live in a van. But I can tell you what I look like if you want.”
“I can see you in my own way,” he said, holding out his hands. “Can… Can I touch you?”
I stared at him for a long moment, my chest swelling with excitement. Despite my fear of getting close to this man, my body and my heart both wanted to be as close to him as I could be. I would probably pay dearly for the inclination, but I had no willpower to stop myself.
“Yes,” I breathed, leaning forward.
Mateo smiled and reached out, his fingers pressing against my cheeks first. I felt him flinch, then begin to explore. His touch was so gentle that I couldn’t help cooing in delight like a goddamn bird. I’d wanted him to touch me for a while now and now that he was, I never wanted him to stop.
“You… You’re scruffy,” he chuckled, scratching his fingers under my chin like I was a dog.
I leaned into it. “I haven’t been shaving. No reason to with no job to go to.”
“It feels good. I like it.” His brows knit together. “What color?”
