Chapter Three

Casper woke to an empty bed. His body ached in the most delicious way. He stretched, savoring the memory of the way London had taken him. His ears strained for any sign London was still there. The silence was almost deafening. Casper crawled from the bed with his heart in his throat. London had kept him safe and comforted him. Casper had repaid him by scaring the fuck out of the guy. He had probably run for the hills the second Casper fell asleep. His chest hurt at the thought.

Heavy steps carried him into the bathroom. He always ruined things by being easy. No one permanently wanted the guy who fucked on the first date. Hell, with London, it hadn't even been a date. He screwed the guy over nothing more than a comforting hug. God. He was dumb.

Casper caught sight of his reflection. There were dark circles under his eyes and hickeys on his neck. He looked like the whore he was. While avoiding his reflection, Casper brushed his teeth and washed his face. He would never be special to anyone other than some faceless psychopath who probably just wanted him dead. Sadly, he had no idea what he had done to warrant that. It was probably someone else he had let into his bed for one night. He had never hated himself more.

Casper grabbed a towel and patted his face dry. He spotted the dress shirt London had worn last night on the floor. Damn. The guy had run so fast, he forgot his shirt. Casper picked it up. Before he could stop himself, he brought the material to his nose. Damn. It smelled delicious—like expensive cologne. That thought led to another. London drove a truck that likely cost a hundred thousand easy. His suit had looked high priced too. Casper checked the shirt's tag. Burberry. He had heard of the brand but didn't know how much it cost. He slipped his arms inside the shirt. It was huge and soft. The material felt amazing against his skin. Casper buttoned it. The shirt fell to his mid-thigh. He couldn't stop sniffing it. Casper decided he would enjoy it a little longer before finding out how to return it. At least this gave him an excuse to see London again.

Casper headed for the kitchen. He would find something to eat and then call Major. Surely, Major wouldn't mind giving him an address. Casper stepped inside the kitchen and froze. London sat quietly at the kitchen table, typing on his phone. He glanced up. Casper fought a blush over getting caught wearing the guy's shirt. Only London's completely expressionless face stopped his embarrassment. Casper did what he always did when he got nervous. He flirted.

"Good morning, sexy. Did I run you off with my snoring?" Casper crossed the room and ran his hand across London's bare shoulders. It didn't look like he had been up for long. He wore only his pajama pants.

London pushed his chair away from the table. "I rarely sleep late." He snagged Casper's waist before Casper saw it coming. London pulled Casper onto his lap. His hand ran up Casper's thigh and underneath the shirt. "My shirt looks much better on you."

Happiness had Casper smiling so hard, it hurt. He wrapped his arms around London's neck. "I saw it in the bathroom and couldn't resist."

"Keep it. I have a hundred more." He kissed Casper's neck.

Casper fought a pant. His eyelids dropped as he savored the sensation of London's mouth on his skin. "I don't want to take your clothes. Once it's dry cleaned, it won't smell like you anymore. I won't have a reason to wear it after that."

London hummed against his skin. "Maybe, or maybe you'll feel safe wearing it, knowing I'll never let anything happen to you."

Damn. He was amazing. "I can't argue with that." Casper hesitated, but his mouth always won. "When I found your spot empty, I thought you had left."

London's brow furrowed. "Why?"

Casper shrugged. He felt a little too exposed. "Because that's how it always goes with me. People sneak away."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" London's expression never cleared.

Casper couldn't let him think he was unhappy he was still here. "It's a bad thing they sneak away, so it's a good thing to see you're still here."

London's muscles relaxed. Casper felt the tension leave him. "Oh. Not only would I be stupid to leave you, but I also promised to keep you safe."

Casper kissed his cheek. "I'll fix you something to eat."

London stopped him from climbing from his lap. "Let's get ready and I'll take you…" He hesitated and checked his phone. "To brunch, I suppose."

Wicked intent filled his heart. "Come shower with me and it'll definitely be lunchtime by the time we leave."

"You're probably right. By the time we both shower and get on the road, it'll be way past time for brunch."

A laugh burst from Casper. "It wasn't an observation. It was an offer to share a shower."

"Oh." London blushed. God, he was adorable. "Yeah. Okay."

Casper stood and took London's hand. He smiled like an idiot as he led London to the bathroom. While he had no idea how long London planned to stay, Casper fully intended to make the most of every second.

London had never showered with anyone else. He wasn't sure how to feel. On one hand, he oddly enjoyed watching Casper strip off his shirt. Then again, he was sexy in the shirt too, so London was still a little fucked up over the situation. On the other hand, he was a big guy, and it was a small shower. He thought this would likely work better in his large shower with the multiple heads. As it was, it seemed like one of them was doomed to freeze.

But then they were standing beneath the water. Casper backed up just enough, so the stream ran between them. His body stayed pressed to London's. London was hard as a rock and—honestly—a little embarrassed about it. He had woken up early and moved to the kitchen. Then London had sat at the table for hours, going over every second of the night. He had to admit to himself he genuinely found Casper attractive, and he was still processing that. But what really had him messed up was the way Casper looked at him. He had never seen so much lust directed his way. It was addicting. It made him feel something in his chest. London didn't want to lose the sensation.

Casper grabbed the bodywash and scrubbed London's skin. London tried hard not to blush like a kid. He just wasn't used to this kind of intimacy. Then he found himself grabbing the shampoo and gently washing Casper's hair. Casper's eyes closed. His expression turned blissful. Realization struck. London wanted more. He didn't want this to be a weekend fling or however long it took to solve Casper's problem. London didn't want this to be about convenience or gratitude over London keeping him safe. He wanted to see where this went for as far as it would go. London couldn't stop himself. He claimed Casper's mouth.

Casper immediately opened for him. The heat he had felt last night hadn't lessened one iota. With the hot water running down his skin and Casper moving against him, London was on fire. Casper's fingers wrapped around his cock. London's knees weakened. He couldn't feel this way alone. London's hand went straight for Casper's dick. He was more than a little surprised when he found Casper hard for him too. A thrill ran through him. He handled Casper's erection like he would his own. He pumped and squeezed. Like last night, he followed the sounds Casper made. Casper's hand felt so good tugging at his cock. He hoped Casper wasn't one to last too long because London didn't think he could. Casper made him too hot. He messed with London's mind. London felt sexy and desired. It was an aphrodisiac. He was hooked.

Unfortunately, he couldn't hold out. He was too enthralled. In no time, his cries filled the shower. Embarrassment might have crippled him if Casper hadn't handled everything. He backed away from London, out of his hold. With his back braced against the shower wall, Casper took over pleasuring himself. While still panting from the massive orgasm that rocked him, London couldn't look away from Casper. He gave a whole show. Casper let London see everything. He panted for air and strained while moaning. London couldn't even blink. When Casper came, London lost every doubt. He wanted this. Zero doubts or regrets. London had found himself in Casper. He didn't want to return to the dark.