Right Move (Clean Slate Ranch #6) - A.M. Arthur Page 0,71
of a curtain, which Levi pushed back to access the spigot.
“I’ll warn you,” Levi said with a wink, “sometimes the cats come in and just stare at me while I’m showering.”
“They’re just admiring you.” George admired everything about Levi’s body, from his taut ass to his hairy upper thighs. He’d yet to completely ogle the man’s dick yet, though. It seemed impolite now that the sex was over. And Levi wasn’t blatantly staring at him, either.
“Good answer.”
Levi set the water and while it warmed, he draped his arms around George’s waist and pulled him close, their bodies aligning nicely, despite the height difference. George felt safe and cared for when Levi held him. Levi didn’t kiss him, simply stared until the room began filling with steam.
“What?” George finally asked.
“Nothing. Just admiring you. I have feelings for you, George, and I guess I’m a little worried that once you start peeling back my layers, you won’t like what you see.”
“Doubtful.” George had occasionally thought the same in reverse. If or when George admitted to how badly he’d screwed up his life, thanks to Adrian and his manipulations. Maybe George had been an impressionable teenager but Levi might not see it that way. Except Levi was the least judgmental person he’d ever met. Levi was a safe place. “Now let’s shower before we waste all your water.”
Levi brushed his nose against George’s once before releasing him. “Good point.”
They didn’t linger in the shower long, because the water was cooling fast, but it was a fun tangle of elbows and legs. The cats didn’t bother them so they dried and dressed in peace, and even though George loved admiring Levi’s naked body, he was grateful for the modesty of his clothes. To hide what old fears and habits still saw as an imperfect shape. Never skinny enough, fast enough, able to jump high enough.
The mood stuck with him on the brief walk into the kitchen.
“Are you thirsty?” Levi asked. “I’ve got cream soda, water or oat milk.”
No calories. “Water is fine, thanks.” George used the excuse of petting the cats to keep his back to Levi. Ginger purred before he even stroked her soft head. Usually, when the voice of doubt got too loud, George would put his earbuds in and play loud rock music until it quieted. But he didn’t have his earbuds on him, and how would he explain it to Levi?
Levi handed him a cup of water with a few ice cubes in it, and George’s hand trembled when he accepted it. Instead of commenting, Levi sat across the cat pile from him with a bottle of soda and started petting Sporty. They were who he’d come up here to check on, after all. Sex had just been a side bonus.
“George, are you sure you don’t regret something we did?” Levi asked after a few minutes of silence. “You seem off.”
“It wasn’t anything we did. I don’t regret having sex with you, I swear. I just...” He desperately wanted to be home in the apartment with his brother, who didn’t ever ask because he knew and accepted George’s quirks. “Can I get away with saying that it’s not you or us, it’s me? It’s cliché but accurate.”
“Of course. As long as I can get away with saying you can trust me with anything that’s bothering you. I’m a good listener and I don’t gossip.”
“I do trust you. It’s just not something I like to talk about. Ever. Maybe one day in the future, but not yet.”
“Heard and understood. Thank you for your truth, George.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for not pushing.”
“Never. I respect your feelings, and I will do my best never to pressure you into anything.”
Somehow, that still sounded like Levi doubted himself and that maybe he’d pressured George into sex too soon. And that simply wouldn’t do. George did not regret a single thing about their day together, other than his own little internal episode about his appearance. He put his water on the nearest flat surface, scooted right into Levi’s personal space, and pressed their foreheads together.
“How’s your recovery time, old man?” George teased.
“Old man, huh?”
In an unexpected display of strength and dexterity, Levi had George up and over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, and he took them both over to the built-in sofa for round two.
Chapter Fifteen
Their second time rubbing off together lasted longer than the first because Levi was a sadistic bastard who loved to pull George right to the edge, and then refuse