Chapter Six

Heath’s heart was using his stomach as a trampoline. Wow, this guy was gorgeous. Tall, tanned, dark hair, long thick eyelashes, silvery-grey eyes and a slight curve to his mouth as if he longed to smile but didn’t quite dare. Except Heath ought to be telling him to get out. Get in hovered on his lips. Except what if he found what Heath was hiding under the water?

“Can I have the champagne?” Heath blurted. Coward.

“In a minute. When things have calmed down.” Tristan’s fingers tightened on the bottle.

“What things? Oh.” Heath felt himself blush.

“Want to share?”

What did he mean? Champagne or the bath? Was “yes” the right answer regardless? Heath covered his bases. “Do you?”

“It’s your champagne,” he said.

Bugger. Don’t make me make the decision.

“Ah shit, I can’t stand here all night, trying to wish the damn thing down.” Tristan lowered the bottle.

Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

Tristan’s cock rose out of a nest of trimmed dark curls, and stood thick and hard against his belly, his balls full and heavy beneath. Don’t look. Now my sensible voice decides to chime in ? Heath almost sniggered. Though sniggering at a guy’s dick was not the way to his heart. I am so done with hearts, and I’m still staring at his cock .

“You’ve probably used all the hot water,” Tristan said. “I was looking forward to a bath. I’m a bit chilled. Can I get in?”

“Yes.” Oh fuck, did I say that? And so fast as well! The word had slipped past his brain’s quality control. But I said yes. I did! And he was glad. Brave New World here I come!

Oh shit, I said yes. Now he was going to get into the bath and…things would happen.

The almost-smile on Tristan’s face turned into a full-on beam, and Heath’s cock gurgled I’m here under the foamy water, or rather the Fleshlight did from where he’d stuffed it behind him. That wasn’t me farting! As Tristan settled at the other end of the tub, the water level rose in parallel with Heath’s lust. Tristan leaned back and stretched his legs out either side of Heath’s, his toes tickling under his arms.

“Want a taste?” he asked.

Heath wondered how he could do it without drowning and then noticed he was being offered the bottle. Oops. He took a swig and sighed as the cold, fizzy liquid slipped down his throat.

“You still have green slime on your face,” he said.

Heath winced. “Purifying mask. Probably Stef’s rather than your brother’s,” he added quickly. “The purple goo for my hair as well. I figured she’d forgive me.” Eventually. Though she would rail at him for using her stuff.

“Is the purifying mask working?”

Heath didn’t feel very pure. At least his thoughts weren’t. He ought to say no but made, “Yes,” come out of his mouth.

“Pity. In one way.”

Tristan took the champagne from Heath, set the bottle on the floor, then reached out to wipe wet fingers over Heath’s chin and down the sides of his face. There was something about the slow, careful way Tristan removed the smears of goo that sent bubbles of pleasure zooming around Heath’s stomach.

“That’s better,” Tristan said. “Now I can see you properly.”

Do you like what you see? Fortunately, he’d managed not to let those words escape because what an idiotic question! Two naked gay guys in a bath. Tristan wouldn’t have got into the water if he hadn’t been interested. But I’m not that easy.

Although, maybe he was. Tristan was far too tempting.

“I should be deep-cleaned and healthy by now. Apparently, the mask’santi-inflammatory properties diminish the appearance of blemishes, along with sanitising and detoxifying.” Why did I tell him that?

“Not make unsuspecting males fear a monster’s escaped from the sewers?”

Heath laughed. “I can’t remember when I last made someone freak out like that. Though you did give me a scare. Not sure what I thought submerging under the water would achieve.” He leaned back and blew at the foam between them. Flecks fluttered into the air as he created a shallow hole in the bubbles. “Is my hair still purple?”

“Only a little.” Tristan licked his lips. “Can I check out the rest of you?”

“Are you sure you can cope with the silver scales and my incredibly enticing swishy tail?”

Tristan’s face lit in a grin. “I can’t wait to see your incredibly enticing swishy tail.”

Heath lifted the bottle and took another swallow before he handed it to him. This might be easier if he was a bit drunk. Tristan put the bottle down without drinking.

Heath almost shot out of the water when he felt fingers on his calves, the gentle but confident strokes liquefying his organs more effectively than the hot water. Well, liquefying all but one particular part of his body. Tristan lifted Heath’s leg, tugged his ankle onto his shoulder and grabbed the soap from the dish by his head. Soap would make the bubbles disintegrate and Heath suddenly worried the guy might not like what he saw. He wasn’t tall, he was too thin, had no arse to speak of, nor defined muscles, his tail wasn’t swishy, there were no silver scales and he had an unfortunate tattoo.

No one had ever washed him like this before and Heath’s throat seized up. Tristan wrapped his hands around Heath’s leg and rubbed the soap over his skin, working up a thick, foamy lather and massaging at the same time.

“Ohhh,” was all Heath could manage.

Tristan was…too good-looking. Too everything. His chin had a sexy five o’clock shadow that ticked another one of Heath’s boxes. Why would someone as good-looking as him be interested in someone like me?

He’s not, doofus. He wants to fuck you, not marry you. Still going to say yes? Heath wasn’t that sort of guy but… Maybe I should be. Maybe it was time to be brave and stop following the rules.

What rules?

The rules I made.

You made them, you can break them.

Tristan’s hands moved over Heath’s knee, and as his fingers ventured higher, Heath kept swallowing. This was so unlike him, he wondered if he was imagining it. He was a buttoned-up-tight sort of guy, not one who invited a stranger to share his bath. Except he had. Almost as though Tristan was aware of his concern, once his fingers reached the top of Heath’s leg, he pulled his hand away and washed off the soap.

“I have to say…” Heath swallowed hard. “You’re much better than any of the beauty products on offer in this establishment.”

“And free.” Tristan smiled. “My turn.”

But when Tristan put his foot on Heath’s shoulder, the unexpected weight of it propelled Heath down until the water went up his nose. His backside collided with Tristan’s thigh and he thrashed as he spluttered back to the surface. To his horror, he saw the Fleshlight floating next to him, bobbing up in the foam.

“Did a part of you fall off?” Tristan asked.

“Ha!”

“Where were you hiding that?”

“It was a choice of sticking it in the dishwasher or the bath.” Heath frowned. “That sounded wrong. I meant to clean it. It’s not mine. Damn. This is sounding worse and worse.”

Tristan laughed. “Catch.”

He flipped the soap toward him but it slithered through Heath’s fingers and he dropped it. The thin bar skittered all over the bottom of the tub as Heath tried to grab it, bubbles popping merrily in its wake. His fingers brushed Tristan’s balls and Tristan caught his wrist before he could jerk back his hand.

“Sorry,” Heath mumbled.

“Don’t be.” Tristan reached out to touch Heath’s face with warm, soapy fingers. “You’re really cute.” His eyes smiled before his mouth did.

The way Tristan stared as he explored the lines and planes of Heath’s face sent his heart into free fall.

Diego had never looked at him like that, as if he wanted to eat him, but not like a cannibal, more like someone who had just been presented with the best dessert ever. Chocolate fondant with a gooey centre.

“Come closer,” Tristan whispered.

Heath surged forward to slide his heels behind Tristan’s back and brought a tidal wave with him. Water slopped over the edge of the tub onto the floor.

“Oops,” Heath said.

Tristan brushed the slabs of disintegrating foam from Heath’s chest. “Where’s the scratch from?”

“Killer cat I accidentally let in, unless it lives here. Does it? It’s a little bastard. Ack, please tell me it’s not yours.”

“Angel. He lives downstairs but makes his home with anyone who feeds him. Still fucking scratches you though, even if you do feed him. So now I don’t.”

“I hoovered and he let me know what he thought.”

“No more cat food for him, then.”

Tristan had pulled him close enough to kiss and Heath’s heart thumped. What am I doing? flitted in and out of his head, then zipped out completely as their lips met. Tristan groaned and pulled him in tighter as he deepened the kiss. Heath’s hands roamed over the contours of Tristan’s back, caressing his spine, trying not to hang on too tightly, not that there was anything to hang onto. He was all muscle. Tristan’s tongue was exploring Heath’s mouth, the line of his teeth, the curve of his hard palate before he let his tongue dance alongside Heath’s. This guy could kiss! Electricity sizzled along Heath’s veins as his heart rate soared.

He shuddered as Tristan’s fingers danced up his back to stroke the nape of his neck, while the fingers of his other hand tugged at Heath’s hip, urging him ever closer. Then their chests were sandwiched together, and Heath’s thighs had ridden over his until their cocks were caught between them.

“Okay?” Tristan whispered.

Only one possible answer. “Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“No.” Heath groaned. “Shit! Don’t make me say no. Don’t even make me think the word no .” Except this was probably one of those times that he should say it. I did say no. So say it again. This wasn’t him. Not at all. Tristan was a stranger. Heath didn’t have sex or mess around with strangers. Didn’t take baths with them. Definitely didn’t put out within minutes of meeting them. Or after cleaning up their crap and washing their cruddy sheets and… Say no!

“You’re doing an awful lot of thinking.”

“Y… I am.”

“Are you with anyone?”

Heath shook his head.

“Do you want to have fun?”

Easy to nod to that.

“With me?”

Oh God. Be brave for once. “Yes.”

It was the way Tristan swallowed hard before he smiled that completely disarmed Heath. So even though a chorus of voices were shouting say no in his head, Heath smiled back and thought yes!