where I was and why and what was wrong in my world.
But for right now, none of that mattered.
And I felt amazing.
Twenty-Four
Will
Kelly was a blissed-out, shaking wreck, his skin gleaming with sweat and both of our cum on his stomach. Perfect.
I pushed up the blindfold, and he blinked a few times before he apparently focused on me.
Caressing his cheek, I whispered, “How do you feel?”
He ran his tongue between his lips, then softly murmured, “Good.”
“Good.” I kissed him softly. “Let’s get you cleaned up and untied.”
His eyes fluttered shut, and he nodded. I grabbed some tissues and cleaned off the cum. Then I untied him and left the blindfold and ropes on the floor beside the bed. While he relaxed on the bed, I pulled on my boxers, went downstairs, and got him some water.
Once Kelly had drunk a little and had mostly returned to earth, we cuddled up under the covers in the middle of the mattress, facing each other on our sides.
I smoothed his hair. “You all right?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, resting his hand on my hip. “I feel a lot better now.” A sleepy smile formed on his gorgeous lips. “Thanks.”
I smiled back and kissed him softly. “Don’t mention it.”
“We should probably make some more headway upstairs, but…” He shook his head, chin scuffing on the pillowcase. “Ugh. I think my motivation is gone.”
It was hard to say if he meant he was wrung out because we’d just had sex, or if he’d just had enough of the emotional roller coaster that came with going through his father’s belongings. Either way, I wasn’t going to push him to get back to the boxes of emotionally taxing history.
“It doesn’t need to be finished today,” I said. “There’s time.”
“I know. I just want it over.” Kelly closed his eyes and exhaled. Rubbing his hand over his face, he muttered, “Some days I think it would be easier to just toss a match in the place.”
“I hear insurance companies frown on that.”
“Ugh.” With a dramatic sigh, he let his hand drop to the mattress. “Insurance companies ruin everything.”
I laughed and gently tugged him closer. “Come here.” As I rolled onto my back, Kelly curled up against me. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and he rested his head on my chest. “I know it’s rough. Grief is a bear under the best of circumstances. When you had a complicated relationship with someone and you’re saddled with going through everything they left behind?” I trailed my fingers through his hair. “That’s not easy.”
“No, it’s not.” He draped his arm over me. “And I mean, I joke about wishing I could toss in a match, but I’m really trying to be respectful, you know? Like there’s nothing I can do about the relationship I had with him when he was alive. If you’d even call it that. The least I can do is not be a dick about going through his things.”
“True. And it seems to me like you’re doing a damn good job of it. It’s just…a lot of shit to go through.”
Kelly blew out a breath. “It really is. Jesus fuck. This is one of those times I actually wish my siblings lived closer so they could help out more.” He paused. “Though, I don’t know. Dealing with them is harder than dealing with…” He gestured at the ceiling between us and the stuff-laden attic.
“That bad?”
“Sometimes.” He rested his hand in the middle of my chest. “They blame me for the family being fucked up the last several years, and they really resent that Dad left the house to me.” He laughed bitterly. “My brother thinks it was great strategizing on my part—dick off with my life so Dad left the house to me instead of one of the siblings who actually had their shit together.”
I stiffened. “He said that?”
“Yep.” Resentment dripped off that single syllable. “After we found out about the will. That Dad was leaving me…” Kelly wiped a hand over his face. “Anyway, they all have their theories about why I’m such a fuck-up, and—”
“Hold on. Hold on. Your siblings think you’re a fuck-up?”
“Daniel is a trauma surgeon. Lisa is an oncologist. Maryann is a microbiologist. Me? I’m the med school dropout who fucked off for seven years until Dad willed me his house.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled sharply. “For fuck’s sake.” Lowering my hand to rest it on his arm, I said, “Does it ever occur to them that maybe you’re trying