same time. It was wonderful because, honestly, who wouldn’t want to wake up to someone like Max lying next to them? He was good in bed—not just in-in bed, but as a person to sleep next to. He didn’t snore, he didn’t kick, and he wasn’t an octopus. In fact, I was surprised to find that I was the one who’d stealthed up to him during the night, cuddling against his back and waking up to find my forehead pressed between his shoulder blades.
I’d never had the chance to learn that I was a stealth cuddler before, since nobody had ever stayed long enough to actually sleep, but I liked the warmth of being next to Max and the sound of his soft, steady breathing. I liked it so much my heart skipped a beat. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to ignore the part of me that was clamoring about how dangerous all this tenderness was and how I shouldn’t give in.
This was all going to come to an end, after all.
Today was Christmas Eve—one more day of this and Max would head back to New York City, where I didn’t have the time, money, or inclination to go myself. All the crowds, the noise, the dirt…I hadn’t been a city boy before my time in the military, and now I really could not handle city life. I’d visit if it was the only way I got to see Max, but that begged the question of whether or not he’d even want to see me after he left. If I was just a fling, then it was better that I stay out of the way and not hope for more.
The strangest thing of all was that I was letting myself feel these things, letting myself have fear and doubt and affection and happiness from someone who wasn’t family. I’d done such a good job of compartmentalizing over the years, ever since I first realized that I was a lot different from Hal. I was shy, I liked to be alone, and I was gay. Going into the army had been a split-second decision for me, and in the end, it was one I was vaguely glad I’d done but knew I wouldn’t do again if I could go back. I’d shoved the army and everything that had happened overseas into a box, like I did with a lot of things, and left it there.
That’s what I should do with how I felt about Max.
That’s where it should end.
Instead, I laid there against his back and listened to his breathing slowly deepen, the shift of his body against the bed and the faint rumble of his stomach. He woke up and arched back into me with a little groan then laughed when he rubbed up against my erection. “Good morning to you, too,” he purred, and oh my god.
I let myself rub against his ass, keeping it light. It was still early, but I had to get him back to Hal’s, had to get to work, had to…uh-oh. “Where’s the puppy?” I jerked my head off the pillow to look for her.
“Relax,” Max said, “I let her out an hour ago in the backyard, got her some food and water, and now she’s in her crate chewing on one of her new toys. She’s fine.”
Oh. I settled back in against Max and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him in closer. He reached a hand back to my hip and held me still long enough to slot my dick firmly between his cheeks. I moaned and turned my face into his neck.
“I don’t know if we have time for anything,” I said, yet my body was sure as hell on board for trying.
“It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate,” Max offered. “We can stay like this, or I can roll over and blow you, or you can fuck me.”
I shivered against his back, and it had nothing to do with being cold.
His chuckle sounded slightly evil. “Yeah, I might have been awake a little longer than I let on earlier. It’s nice that you left some lube in the bathroom. I could prep myself without having to rummage around in your drawer.”
“You’re…” Joking, kidding, fucking with me. But Max took my hand, slid it into his shorts and down the crease of his ass, then he guided my finger inside. Yeah, he was ready.
“Mmm, fuck,” he murmured. “Fuck, yes.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “Do you want