Keeping Casey (Keeping Him #1) - Amy Aislin Page 0,57
top of the covers. He didn’t wince, but pain lines bracketed his eyes and mouth, and he was being extra careful with his left side.
Sitting at Ethan’s hip, Casey placed a hand on Ethan’s thigh, ignoring the tingle it shot up his arm. “Do you need pain killers?”
“I took some already,” Ethan said, grasping Casey’s wrist. “But thanks.”
Casey jerked his head toward Jasper and Kelsey. “We’re working on a project but we’ll try to keep it down.”
Ethan snorted. “I’ll probably sleep so hard I wouldn’t notice if you performed a song and dance.”
With a last squeeze to Ethan’s thigh, Casey rejoined Jasper and Kelsey at the other bed.
Kelsey leaned around Jasper to whisper, “Is that your boyfriend?”
Was Ethan his boyfriend? They hadn’t yet discussed how to label their relationship. Sure, they’d used boyfriend previously, when it hadn’t been real. Now . . .
He turned to check on Ethan. He’d propped himself up on an elbow and had dug a little brown-and-white hootie with big eyes out of somewhere on his person. He reached over the nightstand to place it on the windowsill with the others. As he lay back down, he caught Casey looking, blinked once, and sent him a sheepish smile and a wink that made Casey want to curl up in bed with him.
“Yeah,” Casey said to Kelsey. “He’s my boyfriend.”
Despite what Ethan said, he didn’t sleep hard. His eyes were squeezed tight in pain, arm flung over his forehead. Casey could hardly concentrate on website design and he kept glancing back at Ethan. It wasn’t until twenty minutes later that Ethan’s expression relaxed, and even then Casey suspected he was merely dozing.
An hour later, Casey quietly closed the door on a departing Kelsey with a promise from her that he’d have her new section in his email inbox by the end of next week. Jasper left a minute later for parts unknown, although he had his backpack, so maybe he’d be gone a while.
Not that it mattered. Ethan would be leaving any minute for his study session.
“You guys done?” Ethan muttered.
See? Just dozing.
“Yeah.” Not wanting to further aggravate Ethan’s left side, Casey climbed over him and settled himself half on top of Ethan on his other side, with his back to the wall.
Ethan rolled over with a grunt so that they were face-to-face, affording them more room on the twin bed.
Casey ran a thumb between his brows. “Your eyes look clearer.” Less pain, less exhaustion.
“Yeah. Thanks for letting me crash here.”
His words whispered against Casey’s lips and he suppressed a shiver. How did he freeze this moment in time and keep them in this bed together forever?
“Have you figured out where you’re taking me tonight?” Casey asked. “Because I have suggestions.”
“Shocker.”
Casey opened his mouth to respond. Closed it. “I think I’m offended.”
“No, you’re not.” Smiling, Ethan kissed his nose, freezing Casey in place. “What’s on your list?”
Moving on as if nothing had happened. Okay then. “I can’t remember. It’s on my phone.” And his phone was on the nightstand on Ethan’s other side. “Also . . .” Should we postpone it until you’re feeling better? Not the way to go with Ethan. “Do you mind if we go next week instead? I’m kind of tired. It’s been a long week.”
Ethan’s gaze narrowed. “I see right through you, you know. I’m fine.”
“’Kay. Well, I’m not. Maybe we can stay in and watch a movie on my laptop instead?”
Huffing a small laugh, Ethan rolled his eyes. “Sure. But why don’t we watch a movie at the House instead? My bed’s bigger.”
Mentally patting himself on the back, Casey grinned. “’Kay.”
Ethan checked his watch. Guess it wasn’t time for him to leave yet because he settled his arm around Casey’s waist again, tugging him closer. Casey cupped Ethan’s jaw, heart hammering, and run a thumb along his stubbled chin, barely grazing his lips. The temperature in the room heated—or maybe that was just Casey. Ethan’s breath stuttered, gaze landing on Casey’s lips. Tension crackled between them like lightning, strong and heady.
Leaning that much closer to Ethan, Casey whispered, “Is morning breath a real thing now?”
Ethan answered him with a smile, tangled their legs together, and kissed him.
It was soft, barely a brush of lips on lips. Still, Casey’s chest went all floaty and warm. The kiss ended too soon, Ethan pulling back an inch to blink at Casey, a question in his eyes. In the next moment, he exhaled roughly and kissed Casey.