“Sexy fun time is certainly not over. You think that’s all I want out of you? After that?” Jude smiled over his shoulder as he turned. “Just stay the hell there. Warm, wet rag coming up.”
He watched Jude’s ass all the way into the bathroom, which was on the other side of the tiny apartment. The man’s backside was round, firm, perfect for sinking his teeth into—that ass was the thing of dreams. He’d been eying it under the man’s uniform for months now. Bare was better.
He looked good from the front, too, as he hurried back. Jude had to be cold now that the sweat was drying on his body. He wiped Snow down, tossed the rag into a basket of clothes and pulled the covers over Snow. “Not that I want to cover up all that gorgeous skin and those unbelievably sexy long legs, but it’s freezing in here. I’m going to turn up the heat.” Sexual dominance wasn’t the only kind of streak Jude had. Seemed he had a hell of a protective one as well.
Again, Snow felt like he was teetering on the edge of something—like he balanced on a high beam, afraid to open his eyes because he’d get dizzy. But he literally couldn’t close his eyes, not while that man walked around naked. Jude strode to the thermostat, completely unselfconscious, muscles tightening and flexing. Strong. Firm. He made Snow’s mouth water. “What’s with the wooden boxes?” Snow asked, trying to direct his thoughts somewhere other than wanting another round with this man.
Jude turned up the thermostat, walked to the brick wall of shelves and brought one of the boxes to the bed. He handed it to Snow, then crawled under the heavy comforter and slid his leg back over Snow’s. His cock, soft now, nestled against his hip. Snow focused on the box in his hands and tried to ignore the instant flare of lust that began to fill his own.
“Open it,” Jude urged, slipping his hand under the cover and onto Snow’s stomach again. He seemed to have a fascination with that part of Snow’s body. Jude traced his stomach muscles, then stroked the trail of hair under his belly button and again, Snow’s cock jerked. Unfortunately, today’s gamut of seesawing emotions had taken a toll. Exhaustion crept over him along with the warmth of the blanket and Jude’s body. It would win over lust at this point. He turned the box, admiring the crisscrossed patterns of the different woods. “I’m not going to open a door to a demon dimension, am I?”
“It’s not LeMarchand’s box. But funny you should ask that.” Jude chuckled softly, still stroking his fingers over Snow’s belly. “It’s a Japanese puzzle box. I collect them. Each one has a new way to get inside. Want me to show you how to open this one?”
“I do not.” He sent one tentative smile at Jude before directing his attention back to the box. Snow wasn’t one to shirk a challenge. He studied the box. Nothing stood out. There wasn’t a row that looked different from the next. He started pushing areas with his thumbs, trying to slide a row or find one that pushed in. It took him a few minutes but he got into the box. He tilted the empty middle toward Jude. “No prize inside?”
Black eyes met his. “You got inside,” he murmured, low voice sending rumbles along Snow’s spine. “Isn’t learning something’s secrets prize enough?”
Snow didn’t answer. The last thing he wanted was anyone learning his secrets. Hell, he’d already shared enough with him. “What made you start collecting these?” He handed him the box.
Jude set it on the small table beside the bed, then rolled mostly back onto Snow again. The man was a cuddler. A big, muscled, silky-haired cuddler who smelled so damn good and made Snow want to burrow. Or run.
“That stupid horror movie,” Jude answered, sounding almost embarrassed. “Hated it. It scared the shit out of me when I was a kid. But I loved the box. Then one of my uncles found a wooden one that looked similar and that was the beginning. My family has a lot of fun finding new ones for me for Christmas every year.”
“So you aren’t a horror fan?”
“I don’t mind a good thriller and the scarier the better, but I hate torture and slasher stuff. Give me a good action flick any day.” He kissed Snow’s ear. “Or good porn.”
When he shivered, Jude laughed, his voice so close, it rumbled in his ear. “I think your ear is quite the erogenous zone.”
“I think you have an oral fixation.”
“Guilty.” Jude lightly sucked on his ear lobe. “Here, in a few minutes, I’ll show you just how much of an oral fixation I have.” He leaned back, watched Snow. “You get tested regularly at the hospital, right? I do. I have a clean bill of health in the drawer from a week ago.”