Page 98 of Slew Foot
Rafe did glance away then, looking down to see his cock was tenting his shorts now. “Yeah. I am.”
“Okayyy.” Mickey let out a shaky sigh. “I—I don’t know what the play is here, Rafe.”
Rafe looked up to see Mickey staring at him, looking a little lost. His hair was flattened against his forehead and water ran down his face.
For the first time, Rafe noticed he had a little sprinkle of freckles across his nose, maybe from the sun he’d gotten during bye week. His lips were pink, and Rafe reached out without thinking, brushing his thumb across the upper one.
It was full and curved. Rafe wanted to press his lips to Mickey’s and know what it would feel like then.
Mickey sucked in a breath. The air came whooshing out a moment later, warm against Rafe’s thumb.
Rafe dragged the pad of it against Mickey’s lower lip and his eyes fluttered closed. He stumbled a little and Rafe grabbed him, pressing Mickey back against the shower wall, their chests rubbing together.
Mickey leaned his forehead against Rafe’s shoulder and clutched his upper arm, fingers biting into his skin. “Rafe,” he said huskily.
“I know. This isn’t helping either, is it?” Rafe said quietly.
Mickey shook his head.
But neither of them moved.
There was just the sound of water falling and making the air steamy. The smell of the hotel shampoo and the feel of Mickey’s chest rising and falling against his.
Rafe brushed his lips against Mickey’s temple.
Mickey shuddered, the movement ripping through his whole body. He held Rafe even tighter and made a little noise like he was in pain.
Rafe slid a hand along his back to steady him. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know anymore.” Mickey lifted his head, little grooves appearing between his eyebrows. His eyes were filled with so muchworryRafe wanted to reach up and smooth the look away, kiss him until his eyes went soft and happy. “I want to be strong, but this isa lot, Rafe.”
“Me touching you?” Rafe frowned too.
“Allof this.” Mickey stepped back to lean against the tiles and there was something raw in his voice. “I want to be everything you need and not push you for anything more but Rafe …I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stopwantingyou. And you’re sending me all these mixed messages and I can’t …”
His voice broke off and Rafe hated how hurt Mickey sounded. Howdesperate.
“Tell me what to do,” Rafe begged.
“I can’t.” Mickey looked up, his eyes a little red. “Not this time, Rafe. This is all on you. I’ll give you time to think about it but if you want me, want to be with me, thentellme. Or tell me to walk away and I will. I’ll find a way to get some more space between us until I can get over you. But this in-betweenhasto end.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Mickey trembled as he walked over to the hotel bed. Partly, it was because the air conditioning had been turned up, and it was icy cold against his wet skin.
The rest of it though … that was all emotional.
After Mickey had given Rafe the ultimatum, Rafe had nodded. And then he’d just stood there in the shower, with his half-hard cock tenting his shorts and a frown on his face.
He wasstilldoing that by the time Mickey was squeaky-clean and left the shower.
As Mickey toweled off, he had started wondering ifRafewas the one who’d had a bad hit tonight.
But a moment later, Rafe turned off the water and stepped out of his shorts, letting them fall to the shower floor with a wetsplat.
Mickey had escaped the bathroom then.
Now, his stomach churned as he stepped into clean underwear, sweats, and a T-shirt. He kept his head down when the bathroom door opened and Rafe came out in a towel.
