Page 69 of Rock Giant

“Void,” Spook declared.“No hands.Thems the rules.”He took the sock off Jodi and handed it to Luthor, then dropped the orange card on Paul’s chest.“Use it wisely my friend.”He winked.

Paul closed his eyes.In a minute or two, he’d move.He heard Jodi rise, and people moving around him.Apparently, it’d been universally decided to call it a night.

“You staying there?”Ash asked him.

“For a bit.”

“Blanket?”

“No, I’m good.”

It went quiet.He didn’t think he’d broken anything, except maybe the table, but his skin over his abs did knack.Someone—Ronnie?—sat down beside him.

“Not sure if it’ll help, but I got some stuff for your scrape.”

“Appreciate it.”

Ronnie set to work gently applying the cream.He paused once he’d finished, looking at Paul’s face.He hadn’t opened his eyes; he could just tell.

“Are you about to demand your kiss?”

Ronnie startled out of whatever contemplative daze he’d fallen into.“Not just yet.Thought I’d save it for another day.”

Whereas he’d prefer not to have it hanging over his head like the sword of Damocles.He crunched into a seated position, which put him practically nose to nose with Ronnie.Someone had dimmed all the lights, so that only the neon of the city outside illuminated the gloom.Ronnie’s eyes shone in the dark.Paul cupped the guy’s cheek.“There’s nowt wrong with your blowjob skills, Ron, but it was a one-time thing.I feel like you’re fishing around for something more and it’s not going to happen.”

“Because of her?”

“Because it was never gonna happen.”

“Not so sure that’s true.”Ronnie pressed into his touch.Then he extended his arms into a stretch above his head and flopped backwards onto the floor.Paul lay back down too.They were silent for a good long while.

“Ever wish that people didn’t get themselves wound into such major knots about sex?”

Paul didn’t have an answer as such, not without more context.

“I just mean, I think we’d all be a lot happier if we didn’t, you know?If it was okay to think, they’re hot and do them.And afterwards, you could just carry on with your life.It wouldn’t be awkward, and no one would have to adjust any other relationships they were part of unless they wanted to.”

“Humans are jealous by nature.It’s a survival thing.”

“Yeah, but I’m saying, if it wasn’t.”

“I know what you’re saying.Who would you shag first, Ronnie?”

He was quiet for far too long for his answer to be entirely honest.“Xane, probably.Reckon I’d work my way through the whole band, actually.”

“Is that a roundabout way of saying you want to shag me?”

“Figured you knew that already.”

“You kinda spelled it out when you waxed lyrical in the woods that night.”

“Is that why you’re being cagey around me?”

An awkward laugh rumbled in his throat.“Pretty sure you don’t actually want my metalwork rammed up your arse.”Also, if he was going to be plundering anyone’s back passage, Ronnie’s rump was not the one foremost in his mind.Nope, he’d take the very deliciously curvy, lady rump of his missus, thank you, and there was a vision to fuel his dreams.

When he woke, stiff and cold at four AM, Ronnie was curled around his lower limbs like a honeysuckle vine, and a thread of drool connected his lips with Paul’s big toe.He disentangled himself from the huggy monster, put him in bed, and then crashed out on the adjacent twin.

CHAPTER 22