I had stupidly misread the signs of Augie’s stress as simple nerves from being unfamiliar with firearms. But when I’d tried to help him out by pointing the gun at my head to get in position for the maneuver, I’d seen his eyes roll back and was able to catch him before he crumpled to the ground.

“Shit,” I muttered. What the hell had come over him? It wasn’t even a real gun.

I guided him gently to the mat and was preparing to check his vitals when I sensed him coming around. Thank god—he must have just passed out. While I waited for him to become fully alert, I straightened his glasses and brushed his hair off his forehead.

“Augie,” I murmured. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” I continued to stroke the side of his face, running a thumb across the flat of his cheekbone and noticing how smooth his skin looked up close.

“Oh god,” he moaned when he opened his eyes and saw me. He immediately closed them and tried rolling away from me, but I reached out to stop him. I used both hands to cup his face.

“Stop. It’s okay. Just breathe for a minute.”

He brought his own hands up to pull off his glasses, flinging them to the mat before covering his face with his own hands and groaning again.

“Oh my god. How embarrassing.”

“What happened?” I asked. “Was it the gun or is something else going on? Have you eaten today?”

He tried to sit up, but I gently held him down.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing. Let me up,” he said.

“Augie, you’re not fine. You just fainted. Talk to me.”

“Yeah, maybe I didn’t eat enough today,” he said. “Do you have any crackers or anything? Oh, maybe one of those chocolate milks would do the trick.”

I stared at him. The guy was lying his ass off. His quick answer tipped me off right away. Why would he lie about that? I narrowed my eyes at him but decided to play along. I got up to find him something to eat. By the time I returned with a selection of juices and snacks, Augie seemed to be in a better mood.

“Listen, I’m sorry about all that. I should have stopped us after the first hour and not pushed it. I came straight here from work and didn’t eat.”

“Get something in your stomach and I’ll drive you home,” I said. “You still have the rental?”

Augie nodded.

“Okay, we’ll leave it and the keys here for one of the Landen guys to turn in tomorrow since I’m sure your SUV will be ready back home.”

He pulled the bottle of orange juice away from his mouth. “No need. I’ll be fine.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like an option,” I said. Yes, I was a jackass, but I’d rather that than have him at risk.

He didn’t say a word, but I noticed his face flush and his jaw tighten. If he was pissed at me for trying to make sure he got home safely, that was too bad. I wasn’t about to let him drive home after fainting.

After he’d had a little bit to eat and drink, I helped him up. We made our way to the locker room, and I had to admit, he seemed to be perking up just fine.

“I’m going to take a shower really quickly,” Augie said, walking past me to the shower area. “I don’t want to stink up the car for the next two hours.”

I didn’t hear the rest of what he said as he disappeared around the corner. All I could think about was him alone in a slippery shower room right after he’d fainted earlier. Maybe I should go in there and keep an eye on him…

Okay, fine. It wasn’t about safety. All I could think about was his body—warm, wet, and naked—right there in the shower room. Every cell in my own body begged to follow him in there, but I knew better.

Didn’t I?

Fuck it.

Before the angel could beat the shit out of the devil on my shoulder, I was striding into the shower room, pulling off clothes as I went. To be fair, I didn’t do what I really wanted to do, which was jump the guy and hump him to death. Instead, I just made my way to my own showerhead opposite his and turned on the spray.

I faced the wall and tried to mind my own business, reminding myself that just being naked in the same space as August Stiel was plenty exciting.

Oh hell. Who was I kidding?

I turned around to take a peek of Augie and saw him standing under his own spray facing me instead of facing the wall. His cock was half-hard, and he was stroking it with one hand while lathering up his chest and abdomen with the other. My eyes snapped up to his, and all I could see were hazel eyes turned almost deep green. Ohdeargod.

I quickly turned back to the wall and leaned my forehead against it, holding my palms against the cool tiled surface and stifling a groan of need. I tightened my palms into fists and tried to distract myself by digging fingernails into my palms. What was I thinking? I’d been a motherfucking idiot to come in this shower room with him.

So I’d leave. Just a quick wash and I’d dash out. I could do this. No problem. I reached out for the pump dispenser of shampoo, but before my hand got there I saw Augie’s hand snake around me and pull the lever.

Swirls of white shampoo landed in his palm, and I didn’t dare turn around. I closed my eyes and bit my tongue, trying everything I could think of to remind myself what a bad idea this was. But the minute Augie’s slender fingers landed in my hair, I was lost.

We didn’t say a word. He just washed my hair from where he stood behind me, his long fingers making my insides turn into complete mush and my cock turn into a steel spike. While he massaged my scalp, I couldn’t help but feel every movement in my dick. My balls drew up so tight I thought I might come before he finished washing my hair. I didn’t. Instead, I simply stood and relished every movement of those magical hands.

“Rinse,” he murmured behind my ear before guiding my head a little forward under the spray. His hands helped push the suds out of my hair and down my back until I felt his hands moving all over my back and sides.

“Augie,” I breathed.

“Is this okay?” he asked. “I just… I couldn’t stand not touching you anymore. I’m sorry.”

I turned around and came face-to-face with him. He looked so vulnerable without his glasses on, and I felt like I was seeing a part of him no one else got to see. Wet, naked, nothing to hide behind.

I slid my arms around his back and splayed my hands along his warm, wet skin. “Yes,” I murmured. “It’s okay.”

I leaned down and brushed a light kiss across his lips before stepping forward and crouching down until our cocks brushed against one another. Augie’s sharp intake of breath reminded me that he didn’t necessarily have much experience more than a quick Grindr hookup, and I pulled my hips back away again.

“No,” he whispered against my mouth. “More. Again. Please.”

I smiled before pulling him closer with my arms until the entire lengths of our bodies were pressed together.

“Better?” I asked, bending my knees slightly to slide our stiff lengths together.

“Oh god,” he moaned. “Oh my god.”

I moved my mouth down to his neck as his hands tightened around my back. His voice kept making small sounds of pleasure—whimpers and moans barely heard over the sound of the water spray.

All the while I kept kissing him, I moved gently up and down, sliding our shafts together until I realized a couple of squirts of body wash would ease the way. I quickly reached for the other box on the wall and brought my soapy hand back to our cocks, rubbing the slick gel along both lengths until I grasped them both in one large fist and began pumping them together, up and down.

Augie’s hands came up to clutch my shoulders, fingertips pressing into the skin so hard I wondered if they’d leave marks. His groans turned to grunts as his cock pulsed in my grip and began thrusting through my fist.

“That’s it,” I murmured against his wet hair. “Beautiful, sweet Augie.”

His head was pressed against my chest, and he began begging. “Saint, please. Please. I need to… I need… oh fuck, I’m gonna come…”

The guttural cry that came out of him took us both by surprise, pushing me completely over the edge into my own release. I kept fisting our cocks as I felt his entire body shuddering against mine.

I had one arm around his waist, supporting him on wobbly legs, and when I felt his body go slack against mine, I realized my arm was the only thing keeping him from slipping to the tiles.

I let go of our spent cocks, holding my hand out under the water for a moment before wrapping both arms against him and just holding him. I felt his nose press into my neck, and I brought a hand up to cup the back of his head to keep him tucked there for as long as he needed.

After several long minutes, he began to shift and I pulled back to look at him. His cheek had a red mark from where it had been resting against my warm skin. I rubbed a thumb gently across it.

“Hey,” I said with a smile. Nerves tumbled in my stomach as I wondered if he was going to freak out on me. “You good?”