Page 24 of Fibre and Ink

He froze, eyes on my ass and then went bright red from the neck up. “Oh, I...Sorry, I should have knocked.”

“Fuck it.” I pulled my pants into place and shrugged, watching his eyes drag over my chest. It made me feel powerful, attractive, both things I hadn’t felt in an awfully long time.

Was Aster into me?

I licked my lips, sobering up a bit more. Second-guessing myself.

I pulled on a T-shirt and hopped into bed.

Aster climbed in a moment later. “Mickey...?”

“Yeah?” I didn’t want to look at Aster, it felt dangerous suddenly, but I looked all the same. Aster's eyes were wide, his lips slightly parted. His hair flopped forward, partially in his eyes, and my hand twitched to stroke it back behind his ear. Gorgeous.

“Can we... cuddle?”

Chapter Nine

Aster

Icouldn’t believe I’d said it. The beer and the laughter had loosened my tongue. That and seeing Mickey’s broad bare chest, muscled arms and... what he kept in his pants.

My useless crush on him had flared into life and taken control of my brain and my mouth.

Well.

Couldn’t unsay what had been said.

Mickey’s face went from surprise to something shut off to something that looked a hell of a lot like ‘What the hell?’

I braced for rejection, trying to muster a joke, to laugh it off —

“Sure, Aster, we can cuddle.”

I couldn’t believe my luck.

This was really happening?

Not wanting to waste a moment, I shuffled closer and tucked myself under his arm.

I inhaled and came dangerously close to losing my mind.

Mickey smelled of fresh hay, sweat and woodsmoke. How did he smell like woodsmoke on a summer night when we hadn’t lit the fire? I didn’t know and I don’t care to find out.

He was heaven.

His arm was thickly muscled, and it curled around me easily, making me feel small and safe.

If I’d had a dick it would be standing at attention. As it was my testosterone-enlarged clit was throbbing.

I’d only asked to cuddle, I didn’t expect anything else, but Mickey turned half towards me and my breath caught.

His eyes were hooded, half closed, he was leaning in closer and his mouth was pursed.

Did he want to kiss?

It really looked like he wanted to kiss.

Fuck it. Carpe Diem as the brilliant Robin Williams once said.