Steam (Homecoming Hearts #4)(32)

Except, there was already someone in there.

“Oh,” he said as horror consumed him. Stupidly, he waved at Trent, who was sitting in the hot, dark room, also with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. A short towel at that. “Um, hello.”

Ashby was suddenly aware of how slim and willowy he was. Trent was all muscle.

His pecs and abs were gorgeously defined with bumps in places Ashby wasn’t even aware there could be bumps. Diagonal rivets pointed like arrows to what lay beneath Trent’s towel, and tendrils of his damp hair clung to a neck that begged to be kissed. His skin was a light brown, whether by tan or heritage, Ashby wasn’t sure. He was too mesmerized by all the body art he could see in any case.

Trent had tribal designs in black ink and quotes in various languages and images of dolphins, dragons, skulls, butterflies and clocks. The one that caught Ashby’s eye the most was a single word over Trent’s heart: Bulletproof. He wondered what that was about.

For a split second, at least. Because then he remembered he was mortified and should probably run away very fast.

“Sorry,” he stammered. “I can leave you alone.”

“No, no,” said Trent, holding up his hands. He shifted like he was uncomfortable, but then he smiled. “It’s good to see you. How’s your head?”

Ashby wasn’t sure how to interpret the mixed signals. But he closed the door and sat down on the bench opposite Trent. He didn’t think he should get too close.

“Wonderful,” he said, answering Trent’s question. His smile was a little shaky, but it was the best he could muster when he was feeling unsure and nervous. Was Trent mad that Ashby had hit on him? Uncomfortable? “I love feeling like there’s a pneumatic drill inside my skull.”

Trent laughed and Ashby finally allowed himself to relax a fraction. “Tell me about it. We went a little nuts on the wine, huh?”

Ashby laughed. Maybe this was going to be okay. He made damn sure to keep his gaze focused on Trent’s face, not his chest, so he wouldn’t feel like he was being objectified again.

“I flirt with everyone, it’s kind of a defense mechanism,” Ashby confessed, swallowing around the lump in his throat. He did really like Trent and wanted things to be cool between them. “I know you don’t swing that way, so I’m very sorry if I put you in an awkward position.” Ashby took a deep breath. “I, um, know who you are. Out in the world. I don’t care about any of that,” he added quickly. “But I just want you to know that I wouldn’t take advantage of that or flirt just because, you know, you’re famous. I just think you are lovely, as a friend, and I got a little carried away.”

Again, Trent shifted, adjusting his towel, but he also smiled. “It was cute,” he said, meeting Ashby’s gaze. “Don’t sweat it.” He licked his lips and glanced around the room. “I was just heading out. Don’t wanna get too dehydrated. But you still wanna hit the slopes later? Try something a little higher?”

“Oh, y-yes, p-please,” Ashby spluttered. If Trent wanted to forget about the whole thing, that would be amazing. Ashby knew he would never be able to get him into bed, but he would love to be friends. In fact, the prospect of hanging out with a nice guy without the pressure of shagging was extremely appealing. “When do you want to meet?”

Trent’s smile became bigger. He stood up, keeping careful hold of his towel. “One?” he suggested. “By the base of the ski lift?”

Ashby nodded. “Fantastic,” he said. “See you there.”

He watched Trent go out the door, then took a long, deep breath of the hot, damp air. He could already feel his headache clearing. He was so glad things were okay between them still. Now he could look forward to snowboarding and a few more of those TJ Charles smiles.

He was still as on track for his man-free holiday as he was before.





14





Trent





It was typical that just as Trent had been trying to sort out his thoughts from the night before, Ashby had showed up almost naked. Again. Trent was still trying to convince himself not to feel guilty. He’d jerked off to the image of plenty of girls he knew before. This was no different because it was a guy. It was just a fantasy. Trent conjured up all kinds of dubious things in the privacy of his mind when he got off. Everyone did.

So why did he still feel rotten, even after leaving the sauna? He and Ashby had cleared the air, not that it had been totally necessary. The fact that Ashby had gotten upset over a perfectly innocent bit of flirting made Trent sad. He didn’t want such a sweet guy getting himself in knots over Trent. He was done making people feel like crap.

But Ashby was still his friend and he never needed to know that Trent had made himself come picturing the idea of them making out. Objectively, Trent could appreciate that Ashby was gorgeous. There was a femininity to his beauty which was probably why Trent had been able to take a leap and wonder ‘what if’ they’d gone to bed together. It wasn’t like he was planning on doing anything in real life about it.

Trent wasn’t queer. He had absolutely nothing against being gay or bi or whatever. It just wasn’t him. He’d know that about himself by now, at twenty-eight. He was just turned on by the prospect of a new sexual experience, was all. He’d done almost everything he could think of with all his lady hookups over the years. The novelty of doing something different with a guy was most likely what had awakened his cock last night.