Page 18 of Love Notes and Late Nights
“OK. I’ll hold you all night. Feel that?” Harris squeezed Wolf tightly with both arms. “Nothing’s getting through my arms. They’re a barrier that’s going to protect you all night.”
A sigh left Wolf’s lungs, and he closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly curled.
As they both lay quietly in the dark, Harris replayed the evening in his head. A multitude of emotions were battling inside of him. On one hand, his heart ached for this man. The sadness and loneliness Wolf experienced made Harris want to cry—not just cry; he wanted to sob and scream to let out all the pain in his heart. Wolf’s pain was now his pain. On the flip side, anger and hatred festered in his belly like a virus. He couldn’t understand what kind of people Wolf’s parents were. How could they traumatize a little boy so badly? Why had no one held them accountable? He wanted retribution. But the former half of his emotions won the tug-of-war. More than vengeance, he wanted to console Wolf and make everything right in his world. And that’s what he seemed to be doing. Satisfaction and fulfillment slowly invaded Harris’ body. He wanted to protect Wolf, and he was doing just that. It overwhelmed him, and moisture filled his eyes. His mouth quivered, and it took all his power not to let out a sob. He held Wolf a little tighter and whispered. “It’s gonna be OK. Everything’s gonna be OK.” A tiny tear fell down Harris’ cheek, and he drifted off to sleep with the man he loved in his arms.
In the morning, Wolf was a new man. He’d slept soundly, never stirring or leaving the safety of Harris’ embrace, and the lack of feeling in his arm proved it.
“Sorry,” Wolf apologized when he saw Harris rubbing his bicep. “Let me.” Wolf walked around to Harris’ side of the bed, sprouting fucking morning wood that threatened to take out anything in a quarter mile radius.
“What are you doing?” Harris asked, nerves vibrating as Wolf approached.
“This.” Wolf started kneading Harris’ arm and shoulder, much like Harris massaged Wolf’s neck and shoulder the day he got hurt on the Jet Ski.
It felt magnificent, but Harris’ eyes kept drifting down to Wolf’s crotch, and then his own morning wood sprung to attention.
“Don’t worry about it.” A tiny smile pulled at the corners of Wolf’s mouth when he saw Harris staring. “It’s nothing a quick tug in the shower won’t fix.”
Did Wolf just suggest they take a shower together and get each other off?
“How’s that?” Wolf gave Harris’ arm one last squeeze, then patted his shoulder, knocking Harris back to reality.
“It’s . . . great.”
“Mind if I hit the shower first? I’ll be quick.” Wolf didn’t wait for an answer and strode into the bathroom and shut the door.
Harris stood there staring at the closed bathroom door, listening to the shower run, and imagining exactly what Wolf was doing in there.Oh God.He fantasized about casually walking into the bathroom, stripping off his clothes, and entering the shower where Wolf was pleasuring himself. He’d push Wolf’s hand out of the way and take over, with the same words Wolf used a few minutes ago—“Let me.”
That was not a good idea, and Harris couldn’t stand there one second longer, so he used the bathroom on the first floor to take care of his own business. When he was done, Wolf was already in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand.
“Can we take a raincheck for breakfast?” Wolf asked. “I have an insatiable need to get home and paint. Do you mind? I feel bad running out after you were so sweet to me last night. I can’t thank you enough.” He wrapped Harris in an enormous hug.“Thank you,” he whispered in Harris’ ear. “I mean it. You’re a great friend. And you smell good.”
“You smell good too.” The entire scenario this morning had Harris’ head spinning, and he stood there, almost in a state of shock, as he processed everything.
“So, we’re good?” Wolf asked. “Rain check on breakfast?”
“Yeah.”
Wolf tugged on the T-shirt he was wearing—Harris’ T-shirt from last night. “Is it OK if I wear this home?”
Harris nodded.
“I’ll give you a call later.”
“OK.” After Wolf left, Harris rehashed their entire conversation upstairs in the bedroom. He didn’t know how much of Wolf’s words were innocent and playful or if the guy was teasing him. Or . . . maybe . . . Wolf was seriously hinting that he wanted company in the shower.
***
Harris’ phone lit up with an incoming FaceTime call from Wolf around eight, and he quickly answered it. “Hi.” Wolf had blue paint on the tip of his nose, and it made Harris smile. “How’d the painting go?”
“Great. I just finished. I’m beat, but it clears my head.” Wolf opened and closed his right hand, flexing his fingers. “I haven’t had a session that lasted that long in a while.”
“What was your inspiration?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“You really helped me last night, and I had this vision in an early-morning dream. I wanted to put it on canvas before I forgot the details.”
