Page 9 of All in December
Oh fuck. Fuck, fuckity, fuck.
“The bathroom, I mean! It’s all yours. Not me. I’m not—” Oh god, I cut myself off. My face is on fire, cheeks burning with embarrassment. I might as well have announced I was just in there thinking about him while I was naked.
How can I be this embarrassing?
I’m all yours?
I’m all yours?!
What is wrong with me?
I’m a grown man, for crying out loud, and I’ve never been this tripped up before. I’ve handled harder conversations with doctors, teachers, lawyers, and mortgage lenders without breaking a sweat. Usually, I can fake confidence, even when I don’t feel it—something I’ve picked up from being a single parent—but suddenly, it’s like that skill has completely evaded me. Because I saidthat.
Apparently, one attractive guy who’s kind and has a good smile is all it takes to destroy me.
“Cool, thanks,” Nash says easily, like he’s doing me a favor by pretending not to notice how much of an idiot I am. He’s got the biggest grin on his face, though, as he grabs his clothes and ducks into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
I flop back onto the bed and exhale hard, dragging a hand over my face.
“Are you okay?” Sam asks, leaning over me.
“Fine, bud,” I say, clearing my throat. “Just waiting.”
He shrugs, already moving on, but my brain refuses to follow. I can’t stop replaying Nash’s amused expression. Almost like he was holding back a laugh and politely ignoring the fact that I clearly lost all social awareness… and possibly my mind.
Now, tonight, I have to share a bed with this man after I just saidthat.
Fantastic.
CHAPTER 4
Nash
Ineed to hurry up, but I can’t stop smiling over what Caleb just said. It was adorable.
He’s probably out there beating himself up for his slip of the tongue, and all that does is make me want to walk out there and tell him he doesn’t need to be embarrassed, that I liked it, but it feels too soon. We haven’t even known each other for twenty-four hours, and the last thing I want to do is scare him off. So I bite my tongue and focus on finishing my shower, even if my head isn’t cooperating.
It’s strange, being around someone I actually want to flirt with, and feeling like I’m doing a terrible job of it. Hell, maybe I was the problem on every date I’ve ever been on over the years. Maybe they wanted to teleport away from me too.
I still can’t believe I invited him to sleep in our hotel room, but I just knew I needed more time with him. There’s something about Caleb that makes me want to lean in instead of playing it safe. There’s a curiosity there, and a pull I haven’t felt in years. I don’t think I’m imagining the way our conversations keep skimming the line of flirting—or so Ithink—and after that slipup, I have to think we’re both aware of it.
I hurry through my shower, toweling off quickly before pulling on my dry clothes. My chest is buzzing as I grab the door handle. I have to get it together before I walk back out there. The last thing I want is for him to feel like I’m laughing at him, when really, I’m just… hoping he’s feeling a fraction of what I am.
I take a deep breath before opening the door. Caleb is laying on the bed while the boys are looking through the desk drawers for whatever reason.
“Pool?” I ask.
“Yes!” Sam yells as he and Benji run toward the door and yank it open.
I grab my keycard and water before seeing Caleb’s bottle sitting on the TV stand. I pick it up and give him a questioning look. He nods, and I hand it to him.
“Thank you,” he says shyly before we both make our way out the door to bring the boys downstairs to the pool.
They’re practically bouncing off the walls, already animated about doing cannonballs, who can hold their breath the longest, and whether the water will be warm or not. All I know is I’m glad they can entertain themselves, and I don’t have to go in.
Caleb walks beside me quietly. When I turn to look at him, I have to remind myself not to stare, but the urge is there. His blond hair is still damp, and he smells like citrus from the shower, making me want to bury my face in his hair.
As soon as we get down to the pool, I pull out the keycard to swipe us in. The moment we step inside, warm, humid, chlorine-filled air immediately hits us. There are a few other kids already playing in the pool, but it’s not crowded.
