Page 54 of Out of Reach

Dex stumbled in, shirtless and wearing a pair of Demon Slayer pajama pants.

“You’re late to the party, Dexter,” Colt said, wrapping his arm around Dex’s shoulders.

“It was a false alarm,” Seo-jun said, pulling Dex away from Colt and out the door.

The rest of the crowd trickled out, and Hawk was finally able to take his shower. Standing under the hot spray, he soaped himself up.

“Hawk?” Jude’s voice from the locker room startled Hawk.

Poking his head out of the stall, Hawk regarded a rumpled and sleepy Jude, standing barefoot in his blue pajamas. “Hey. I thought you’d slept through the excitement.”

“What happened? Why was everyone downstairs?”

Wiping at a stream of shampoo suds running down his face, Hawk said, “I surprised Tara in the bathroom. She screamed and woke up everyone in the house.”

“Oh. Okay, well, I guess I’ll go back to bed.” Turning to go, he stopped and looked at Hawk over his shoulder. “Do you want to sleep in my room?”

“Sure. If you want.” Hawk resumed his shower, smiling broadly. Jude wanted him to sleep with him. But as he washed off the suds, Hawk couldn’t help but be worried. Did Jude want Hawk to sleep with him because he missed him and wanted him? Or because his kidnapping had left him scared and needy?

Clean and dry, with his dirty clothes wadded up and tucked under one arm, Hawk quietly entered Jude’s darkened room.

Jude stirred in the bed. “I’m not asleep.”

“You have anything in here I can wear?” Hawk asked.

“My underwear’s in the top drawer.”

Hawk slipped on a pair, then climbed into Jude’s warm bed, sighing when his back hit the mattress.

“Long night?” Jude asked.

“Crazy long. The casino was packed.” He covered a yawn with his hands. “What did you do today?”

“I ate dinner and slept. I didn’t go back to bed until a couple of hours ago.”

“Sorry I woke you up. You needed sleep. I guess I should have gone upstairs. Ironically, I was trying to keep from waking people up by using the locker room showers,” Hawk said, yawning. “Hey, have you noticed something between Seo-jun and Dex?”

Jude rolled over to face him. “Yes. Did you?”

“Not really, until a few minutes ago. Seo-jun was clearly pissed when Colt put his arm around Dex. It was weird.”

“He likes Dex, although Dex doesn’t believe that. The feeling is entirely mutual, but I’ve about given up on them ever figuring it out.”

Scooting closer to Hawk on the bed, Jude pressed his forehead against the top of Hawk’s arm and closed his eyes.

Hawk smiled. “I’ve missed this,” he said.

“Hm,” Jude murmured.

Hawk wasn’t sure if he was listening or already half-asleep. “Sleeping with you is not the only thing I miss. I miss living with you, talking with you. Seeing you every morning and every night. I miss the way you used to bring me a bottle of water when I was in the shower after my morning run, and how you kissed my forehead when you thought I was asleep. I miss everything about you, Jude, and I was so stupid to have not seen what I had back then.”

Jude was silent, obviously having already fallen asleep. Hawk thought maybe that was a good thing. Just because Jude wanted sex earlier didn’t mean he wanted to be with Hawk again. And hearing Hawk sounding so pathetic was only going to make Jude feel bad. Hawk had already told him he knew how he’d fucked up—saying it again wouldn’t help matters.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Jude

“Are you going to go back to modeling?” Dex asked Jude.