Page 32 of Crease Collision

“Twenty-two. You?”

He rolls his eyes. He makes a habit of that, and it always makes him look cute. After a pause, he says, “Twenty-six.”

I give him the most mischievous look I can find. “Mm hmm. As I said, you are getting old. But do not worry. I like older men.”

He blushes bright red, something else he does often. “If four years makes me an older man, I’ll claim it.”

His nipples are right under the surface, so I tweak one. “I am liking this thing we are becoming.”

“Me too.” Before I can answer, he looks away. When he turns his head back toward me, his eyes are troubled. “Please don’t h…”

I wait for him to go on, but he doesn’t.

“Do not be afraid of me, Kai.”

“Let’s just have fun, okay?” His voice is careful, every word deliberate.

“Yes.” Although I have agreed, I do not understand. I have seen this look before, on the first girl I dated. She was scared of wanting something.

We return to our lounges, and drying off, Kai picks up a tube of sunscreen. For the first time since the awkwardness in the water, he sounds normal. “You should use this. Your skin’s already turning pink.”

I take the tube from him. “That is a good idea.” After I put some on my chest and arms, I hand the tube back to him. “Do my back?”

“Sure. Flip over.”

I lie stomach down and enjoy having his big hands on my back. They are calloused from working out, and it is impossible not to remember such a man writhing underneath me. I moan as he works the lotion into my skin. He’s digging in like he’s giving me a massage.

“That is so nice,” I say.

“I like touching you.” He squeezes my delts, drawing another sound out of me, and says, “I’m sorry I made things weird in the water.”

I turn my head enough to see his face. “We are in the figuring-things-out stage. Both of us should be honest. If we are too careful, it could spoil things.”

A few beats go by. “Okay.” His voice is a bit strained, as if the word cost him something.

He moves to my legs. “Your thighs are incredible. You do a lot of lower-body workouts, I guess.”

“Yes, and most days, I run. Do you run?”

“When it isn’t so hot out. It’s a great way to do cardio and work off stress. In the summer, I use treadmills.”

“Me too.”

He digs into my right calf, making me groan.

“Perhaps…” I grunt when he hits a sore spot. “Could we work out together? We can talk while we treadmill.”

“Treadmill?” he asks. “That isn’t a verb. Say ‘use the treadmill,’ or just ‘run.’”

I snicker. “Yes, tutor.”

He continues the massage but does not answer my question.

“Would you like that?” I ask. “If we worked out together?”

He hesitates so long I am not sure he will answer me at all.

Finally, he does. “Yes. Among other benefits, I’d get to see your body every day.”