Chapter Six

Rocky

Jesus, he was beautiful. Shoulders just this side of broad, tapering down to a slim waist. Aiden had a runner's build that had Rocky barely resisting the urge to lick his lips. He did his best not to drool or stare too much but the simple fact of the matter was that Aiden was what Rocky's dreams were made of. Steeling himself against his own desires, he reached for the button of Aiden's jeans.

Aiden had not had the best of days and the last thing he needed was Rocky mauling him. What Aiden needed was someone to put his needs ahead of their own and right now, Aiden needed a shower and a good night's sleep. Rocky needed to make sure that he hadn't suffered anything more than a bump on the head. So far, Aiden hadn't shown any signs of it being anything worse, but Rocky wasn't ready to let down his guard yet.

With every speck of self-restraint in him, Rocky managed to remove Aiden's jeans and help him into the shower without giving in to the temptation offered by Aiden's fully-erect, mouth-watering—even through his underwear—cock. "I'll be right back with a washcloth and towel," Rocky told him as he shut the shower door and headed to the hall.

Rocky took a moment to collect himself, bracing his hands on the hallway wall and hanging his head as he breathed deeply, counted, and tried to think of anything that wasn't sexy. Unfortunately, the only thing in Rocky's mind was Aiden and there was absolutely no doubt that the boy was sexy as all hell.

Shit.

Aiden

The water sluiced down his body and helped his muscles relax. One by one, knots he wasn't even aware were there eased under the intense pressure of the water. Aiden realized that Rocky had set the showerhead to massage and silently sent thanks to the man. Rocky had known what Aiden needed when Aiden hadn't even known himself.

Aiden tried to clear his mind of the desire he'd seen in Rocky's eyes. His attempt to stop trying to figure out why Rocky hadn't acted on that desire was as futile as getting his own desire to go from an inferno to a simmer. Every thought in Aiden's head centered around the things he wished Rocky would do to him. Delicious, naughty things. Things that would be illegal in some states. There was no doubt in Aiden's mind that Rocky wanted Aiden as much as Aiden wanted him. Which brought him back around to the question of why he hadn't acted on it. Why not just remove the last obstacle and do what they both so obviously wanted?

Aiden was straightforward. In almost everything, he said what he meant, and meant what he said. If there was something he wanted to do, he did it. If he didn't do it, it was for a valid reason. If there was something he wanted to say, in most cases he said it. Which was why it frustrated him so much that when he was in his Middle headspace, or in a sexual situation, he couldn't seem to voice his wants and desires. That wasn't who he was outside of those occasions. Adult Aiden was a straight shooter. He was honest to a fault, oftentimes coming across as rude or insensitive because of the matter-of-fact way he spoke. He didn't talk much because he didn't have anything to say and didn't see a point in filling the air with senseless chatter. All of this made it difficult to understand what was happening in Rocky's head that would make him ignore his obvious desire.

Aiden jumped when the shower door opened again and Rocky handed him a washcloth. Distracted by the square of white fabric, it wasn't until Rocky stepped into the shower that Aiden realized Rocky was naked. The washcloth fell to the tiled floor with a plop as Aiden's knees went weak, his heart rate sped up, and his breathing grew uneven. He remembered thinking that Rocky had a form that should be a statue, but Aiden now knew exactly how on the mark he'd been. Rocky was muscled, his hair-covered chest defined with pecs of granite and abs of steel. Somehow, though, he managed to have a softer area in his core that seemed like the perfect place for Aiden to lay his head. Everything about Rocky was absolute perfection. Perfection that was within reach, and Aiden's fingers were itching to touch. He'd never been one to be able to voice what he wanted but somehow, Aiden knew that if there was anyone he'd work to overcome that for, it was Rocky D'Angelo.

Rocky

One of the things Rocky usually loved about men was that there was no mistaking whether a guy wanted him or not. It wasn't always so clear whether they wanted to want him, but he was able to spot their desire pretty quickly. It made the guessing game a whole lot easier to win. He wasn't so sure he loved that particular perk so much in that moment, however. Everything about Aiden was screaming, "Take me, I'm yours!"

Aiden wasn't his, though. Not officially, and even though he was obviously more than a little interested, Rocky had already decided to give the other man what he needed, despite what either of them might want. Seeing the evidence that his desire for Aiden was returned was making Rocky's battle to keep his self-control all the more difficult.

Somehow, Rocky managed to lean down and pick up the cloth Aiden had dropped, reach behind him without touching him, and get the soap from the shelf in the corner. He leaned close to Aiden's ear and whispered, "Mind out of the gutter, baby boy. Turn around so Daddy can wash your back."

When Rocky's mind finally registered what he'd said, a pang of grief and longing shot briefly through him before panic seized his breath. Had Aiden caught his slip? Would he reject it? Rocky wouldn't be surprised if he did. He also wouldn't blame Aiden a bit. They hadn't discussed a dynamic. Rocky didn't technically have the right to use the honorific. But Aiden didn't say a word and Rocky simply went to work cleaning him up.

As he used the soap to help smooth the way, he tried to work out some of the numerous knots in Aiden's muscles. The men didn't speak beyond the soft moans from Aiden, but it wasn't a bad silence, it was comforting and allowed Rocky to mentally strengthen his resolve. He didn't want to run the younger man off by being too forward or assuming.

The more time Aiden spent in his house, the more Rocky was certain this was where he belonged. Deserving or not, Rocky was being given a gift and this time, he wasn't going to take it for granted.