Page 69 of Cream & Sugar

I tilt my head to the side and come face-to-face with him. My blood is still racing, chest heaving with each heavy breath.

“Wow, Shaun,” he says, his eyes bright with excitement. “You were like putty in my hands.”

“Y-yeah,” I stammer. My cock twitches at that comment, as a question forms in my mind. “You said that was a test? A test for what?”

Freddie’s eyes dart sheepishly to one side. “Uh, for you. To see if you were actually as into me as I thought you were.” I scoff in disbelief—the cheeky sod. He plants a single kiss on my lips. “I think you passed, by the way.”

He can say that again.

“I think I need a cold shower,” I say.

Freddie checks his phone. “No time for that, I’m afraid. I’ve got a shiftto start.”

I wheel around and check the kitchen clock. It’s twenty past twelve! I guess time flies when you’re having a big bi awakening on your living room sofa.

“It’s a five-minute drive,” I say, buttoning my shirt back up. “We can make it.”

Freddie scoops up his jacket from the armrest. “Are you scared of what Anna will do to me if I’m late?”

I shake my head. “More scared of what she’ll do tomewhen she finds out I’m the reason you’re late.”

Freddie snickers. “Just tell her it’s not your fault you’re irresistible.”

He heads for the door but I stay rooted to the spot, staring at him, struggling to compute heading back into the “real world” after this mind-shattering experience. As he puts on his trainers, he notices me hanging back.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say, fiddling with the cuffs of my shirt. “What happens now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean withus.”

A devilish twist to Freddie’s smile. “The ball’s in your court, handsome. Let me know if you want to play again. I’m down if you are.”

IfI want to play again? There’s no doubt if Freddie threw himself at me again right now, there’s very little I wouldn’t be willing to try, even if it meant him missing the lion’s share of his shift. Anna’s wrath would be apocalyptic, but something tells me it would be worth it.

On cue, a small, sensible voice in the back of my mind tells me to quit while I’m ahead. This will inevitably have some pretty big consequences and doing anything more before I’ve had time to process will only fuel the fire. Plus, I’m about as capable of makingsound decisions right now as I am of completing a marathon on a unicycle. Freddie’s right: he’s made his move, now the ball’s in my court. We shouldn’t do anything rash. Well, anythingelse. No matter how much I want to.

Freddie finishes grinding his heels into his trainers and beckons me over with a jerk of his head.

“Come on, Grumbles. Allons-y!”

21

Freddie

“You’reverysmileytoday,”Anna remarks as she returns from the tables with handfuls of dirty dishes.

“Aren’t I always?” I say as I wipe coffee dust from the counter.

“This is even more than usual.”

There’s a shrewdness in her voice that makes me nervous. I shrug. “Must be the caffeine!”

It isn't the caffeine. I’m still riding high from my make-out session with Shaun. I’ve had crushes before, but not like this. He’s undoubtedly the hottest guy in West Marbank and, a few hours ago, I had him moaning on his sofa, melting in my hands.At last.I can’t get him out of my head. The way his big, hot body responded to my slightest touch was so unbelievably sexy, way hotter than any of the one night stands I’m used to, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of what we can do. Shit, I hope he wants more.

Seriously, I must deserve some kind of medal for the restraint it took not to take things further—I almost came in my pants just looking at him. Lucky Shaun, he got to go home and release, while I’m stuck here with blue balls for the next few hours. Still, I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face if I tried.