Page 54 of Click
“Stay.” My voice cracks, just like my heart. “Please… stay.”
We stare at each other for a long minute.
“Stay with me.” For fuck’s sake, I sound like a child. “We can watch a movie or order takeout if you want.”
“I’ll stay on one condition.” She drops her blanket and slips back on my hoodie. “I’ll stay if you go online with your friends and do whatever it is you had originally planned for tonight.”
Hell to the no. “It’s just video games.” And there’s no way I’m playing them when Mak’s over. I’d rather give her all my attention. “It’s not important.”
“It was important enough for them to call you and check in.”
I want to argue. I want to downplay it. I want to do a lot of things and can’t because this will only work with Mak if I’m open and honest with her. “It’s how I decompress.”
And after what just happened, and the way my head’s all mixed up, I really need an outlet.
She nods as if that makes sense.
“Do you play?” If she did, she’d be the most perfect creature on the planet.
“No, I never really got into video games.”
She’s still the most perfect creature on the planet.
“How about you play, and I’ll…” Mak saunters over to my bookshelf again and plucks a paperback off the top shelf. “Read.”
A smile streaks across my face. “Deal.”
Chapter 18
Mak
“Is this where you keep the dead bodies?” I follow him into his basement, holding onto the railing with one hand, clutching a shifter romance with a half-naked hottie on the cover with the other.
“Nah, I keep those in a spare bedroom upstairs. They’re set up like dolls at a tea party.”
“Sweet.” My feet hit the bottom of the steps just as he turns on the lights. “Whoa.”
Carson’s basement is set up like a giant gaming station. I’m talking neon lights, huge couch, speakers all around, and blacklights that make the swirly carpet glow in purples and blues. There’s a massive flat screen TV across from the leather couch and a desk with huge monitors and keyboards on it against the far wall with a black and green chair that looks like it should be a prop in a sci-fi movie.
“Decompressing requires a lot of…” I look around again. “Stimulation.”
When Carson smiles, his teeth glow thanks to all the blacklights.
This man is an enigma. His studio was one thing, but his house is like three levels of the twilight zone. On the top floor, he has the BDSM bedroom made of dark fantasies. His main level is all comfort and functional living. And his bottom level is some next level video game/arcade heaven.
There’s even a bar and fridge.
I’m starting to think Carson has a lot of facets to him, all of which I’m thoroughly enjoying so far.
“You sure about this?” He rubs the back of his neck and is still only wearing his boxer briefs. I swear I can’t figure out how we got this comfortable with each other. I like it, but I’m also freaking out about it. “We can just watch a movie. Or go out to dinner? We can do anything you want, Mak.”
“I know. And I want this.” I shake my book at him. “I just worked a double, Carson, then got fucked hard in the woods afterwards. I could use a little decompression myself.” I’m only half lying. The real truth is, I’m growing attached to this man and I like how comfortable he makes me feel. I want to be with him doing normal stuff too, not just kinky things.
I don’t think I realized how lonely I’ve been until Carson came into my life. Sure, I’ve had a couple hookups since my big breakup, but this feels way different. He’s not a rebound by any means, and yet I can’t put a label on what this really is. Partnership doesn’t cut it. Situationship doesn’t either.
I’m getting attached too soon.
But I tried to leave, didn’t I? He had plans, and I crashed them and offered to hit the road. He’s the one who asked me to stay. And how could I possibly refuse seeing one more side of this perfect man?