The sheets were warm, cozy, and blue.

That was wrong. Nic’s sheets were supposed to be white, and these were distinctly dark blue. The same moment he saw the answer, he also smelled its faint musk, felt its body heat, and tasted the faint aftertaste of its lips.

I’m at Kyle’s.

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but Kyle’s arm around him had been strong and warm, and surprisingly tender after their fun night. He’d closed his eyes to doze against Kyle’s side, and then sleep had claimed him.

It was definitely early Saturday morning now.

Been a while since I’ve done the walk of shame. Nic’s lip quirked at the corner, and then he shifted in bed slightly to watch Kyle. Totally worth it.

Kyle was already stirring, as if his body and brain were in disagreement over the next step. His fingers twitched against Nic’s ribs. The absence of his hand, when he pulled it back toward his own face to rub his eyes as his wakeful mind won the battle, left Nic aching.

“Hey,” Nic greeted, then cleared his throat of roughness.

Kyle cracked an eye, then closed it again and sighed, wriggling against the bed as if wishing for another few hours of rest. “Morning,” he murmured.

Kyle was painfully pretty. His hair was rumpled, some green bits stuck up, while others were almost long enough to get into his eyes. It had felt stiff but not tacky when he grabbed it last night—he must use clay or wax. Nic found himself wondering what Kyle’s grooming regimen looked like.

He stole a look around the room while Kyle convinced himself to wake up.

An elegant, simple, understated room, but not underdressed. Every detail was carefully chosen, and there was a definite dark, rich color scheme at play. From sheets to curtains, Kyle had chosen jewel tones, much like the green of his hair blended into the darkness of the rest. The walls were cream. He had an art piece above the bed that Nic couldn’t really see from this angle, and a painting of a seascape on another wall.

It felt sophisticated but youthful, like Kyle himself.

The blinds were cracked, and sunlight streamed across the floor. When Kyle finally swung his feet out of bed, he padded over to the bedroom window to pull them apart.

Christ, it was already daylight. Nic had no real plans this weekend, but Kyle probably did. He seemed busy.

“Up to much today? Hope I didn’t keep you sleeping in,” Nic half-smiled, pushing the covers off himself. He felt Kyle’s gaze trail down his back and looked over his shoulder to make eye contact.

Kyle winked when he made eye contact. “Nah,” he shrugged, yawning and stretching. He rose onto tiptoe, and God, it was hard not to admire him naked as his stomach muscles pulled tight and back rippled. “It’s only eight.”

“Oh, that’s early for a Saturday,” Nic grinned, tearing his eyes off Kyle and glancing toward the bathroom.

“You can shower if you want.”

“Nah,” Nic shook his head. He’d rather wait until he got home and could properly relax. He didn’t have anything to do except shop for groceries and whatever anyway. And this time of morning, getting a taxi would be almost instant. “Thanks.”

But Kyle was so fucking gorgeous, and when he smiled sweetly back at Nic, Nic’s heart throbbed.

“Okay. You gonna get home all right?”

“I’m fine,” Nic assured Kyle. He slowly approached, not even thinking to be self-conscious. They both moved to slide their arms loosely around each other’s waist, swaying to and fro in the sunlight.

The hand running up his back to the back of his neck made Nic smile. He felt safe in Kyle’s hands, but he had with other men, too. With Kyle, there was something else, too. He didn’t want to think about it, but boy, did he feel it warming his chest.

Nic knew he should know better. He really should. Before he opened his mouth, he knew it was a bad idea, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“Can I take you out again? Dinner sometime?” There it was. No point mooning around and hoping for more. He had to make a move if he wanted more.

Kyle’s expression gentled, and he leaned in to press a kiss to Nic’s forehead. Uh oh. Bad sign. “Thank you, but no. You’re…” Kyle cleared his throat.

Too what? Nic’s brain filled in the question, and a host of possible answers that he tried to ignore. Too trans? Some guys could fuck one but not date one, even post-transition like he was. Too young? Some guys wanted a silver fox to take care of them and look the part as well as paying the bills. Too quiet? Some guys needed a boisterous, outgoing guy who could be the life of the party.

Sometimes, it felt like everyone was just searching for someone who ticked the right boxes, without paying attention to this—the chemistry that still sizzled between them, the way neither of them had dropped their hands from each other’s backs.

The pause was only maybe half a second, but Nic’s thoughts raced as his heart sank way harder than he’d anticipated.

“You’re really sweet,” Kyle went on, rubbing his thumb along Nic’s jaw before pulling his hand away, stepping back half a pace. “You don’t deserve to be led on.”

God, Nic would let Kyle lead him on if he’d hold him like that again. Which was the lamest thought he’d ever had. Nic cleared his throat and shifted from one foot to the other. “Yeah, yeah, cool,” he mumbled, hoping to disappear into the ground any moment now.

“It’s really not you,” Kyle said, and something in his tone caught Nic’s eye. He sounded… disappointed? Was that self-reproach? This wasn’t a rehearsed speech, not like Nic had heard and given. “I’m not looking for a relationship, that’s all. So if you want more…”

Nic wanted to give the answer his dick told him to—that he didn’t care about relationships, that he’d just fuck Kyle without getting his heart involved—but he already knew it was a lie. If he landed in bed with this man again, he was going to fall for him.

Shit. Maybe he already had.

Whatever the case, it would be the worst possible idea to push his luck. He’d gotten Kyle for a night. If that was all, it had still been a great night.

“Yeah, I think I am,” Nic admitted with a quick smile. “But that’s fine. No hard feelings. Well… lots of hard feelings…”

Kyle’s face split in a grin of relief and amusement, and then he slapped Nic’s ass. “Get out with you, before I break my no-guy-twice rule.”

“Could I tempt you to?” Nic winked, wiggling his ass and glancing over his shoulder as he turned to grab his clothes from the floor and sort them out.

“If I didn’t have something this afternoon, perhaps. You’re a bad man.” Kyle licked his lips and headed for the bedroom door, clearly looking to break this sexual tension. “Coffee for the road?”

“Sure.”

Nic let his own breath of relief escape when Kyle was out of the room.

It was, after all, relief and not disappointment making his heart sink and slow to its normal rate, holding his movements back to slow and lazy ones.

It was relief that made his eyes sting with the morning light when he stepped outside for the taxi a couple minutes later, caffeinated and fully dressed and aching for a goodbye kiss. He hadn’t gone for one, and Kyle hadn’t offered.

It was relief, wasn’t it?

It’s a good thing. Somehow. At least I won’t waste time wondering.

Nic’s throat was tight as he leaned into the taxi door. After he gave his address, he was silent for the drive home.