his elbows and used his body to shield Alex from the guard’s view.
Tugging down her shirt and pulling up her jeans, face completely red from embarrassment and exertion, Alex presented a delectable vision of flustered dishabille. Simon drank her in, retreating to tuck his cock away only when she’d finished adjusting her clothes.
Simon cleared his throat and clasped Alex’s hand as he faced the guard. “I assume you, uh, want us to leave?”
“Well, no, I don’t, but it’d probably be best.” The kid led them down a hall to an exit normally reserved for museum staff. “I think someone called the cops.”
As Alex and Simon stepped outside into the bright afternoon sunlight, the guard clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Thanks man. This job’s boring as piss. That was the best shift of my career.”
Simon chuckled and let the door close behind him. “Nice kid.”
“Thinking of hiring him?” Alex asked as they hurried up the street.
“A work ethic like that? Günter would kill him.”
Traffic stood at a standstill all the way down the block, the sound of impatient drivers yelling and horns blaring formed the familiar music of the city despite posted signs about astronomical fines.
“Still hungry?” Alex asked.
Simon glanced at his watch. Almost 4:00. He could eat but mostly he wanted sleep. Everything about the afternoon felt happy and languid. Like a beach vacation in August. “I’m open to whatever.”
“’Kay.” The high, tight lilt to Alex’s response made him frown.
They paused at a stoplight to wait for the walk signal and he studied her for the first time since they’d left the museum. Chewing on her bottom lip, shifting from foot to foot, she appeared ready to bolt.
“Hey…” he said, voice soft.
She met his gaze. Immediately her nose reddened and tears sprang to her eyes.
Oh shit…
While he’d known they courted trouble by renewing physical intimacy, he hadn’t considered how different it might’ve been for her as a woman. How emotions always seemed to create a tangle of the simplest moments. It’d been sex and fun for him. But for her, after their conversation this morning and all the bickering… Simon raked a hand through his hair and put an arm around her shoulders.
“Come on. Let’s go to The Chocolate Bar.” He mentioned a chocolate shop near Alex’s apartment and gave a squeeze to her shoulder. “Then we’ll get some things from your place.”
“I’m sorry.” She sniffed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Still walking, he kissed the top of her head.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And thank you. That was amazing. I’d forgotten…” He breathed deep, fortifying himself for the admission he was about to make. “I’d forgotten how good you feel.”
“It was just sex…” Her reply was uncertain. Needy.
“Maybe.” He instinctively walked a razor’s edge of compassion and guarded self-interest. “And maybe not.”
“After last night…this morning…I didn’t expect…” She sounded far away and insecure.
Yeah. He hadn’t expected it either. Wanted it, definitely. Still, regret began to steal over him. He kept his arm around her shoulders and stuck the other out to hail a taxi. “Sometimes it’s best not to overthink these things.”
“Yeah.”
They got in the cab and she slid to the opposite side of the seat where she looked out the window. At her hands. Anywhere but at him.
“Was I too rough?”
“What?” She jerked her head around. “No!”
He searched his brain for anything else he might’ve done wrong—something he could’ve had a modicum of control over that might’ve prevented them from being where they were now, with her feelings hurt and him scrambling to fix something he didn’t know he’d broken.
Yeah, you idiot. You could’ve stuck to your guns. Kept it in your pants. Way to go, thinking with your dick.
“Sorry about— I should’ve brought a condom.” He tried apologizing, though he knew
Tugging down her shirt and pulling up her jeans, face completely red from embarrassment and exertion, Alex presented a delectable vision of flustered dishabille. Simon drank her in, retreating to tuck his cock away only when she’d finished adjusting her clothes.
Simon cleared his throat and clasped Alex’s hand as he faced the guard. “I assume you, uh, want us to leave?”
“Well, no, I don’t, but it’d probably be best.” The kid led them down a hall to an exit normally reserved for museum staff. “I think someone called the cops.”
As Alex and Simon stepped outside into the bright afternoon sunlight, the guard clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Thanks man. This job’s boring as piss. That was the best shift of my career.”
Simon chuckled and let the door close behind him. “Nice kid.”
“Thinking of hiring him?” Alex asked as they hurried up the street.
“A work ethic like that? Günter would kill him.”
Traffic stood at a standstill all the way down the block, the sound of impatient drivers yelling and horns blaring formed the familiar music of the city despite posted signs about astronomical fines.
“Still hungry?” Alex asked.
Simon glanced at his watch. Almost 4:00. He could eat but mostly he wanted sleep. Everything about the afternoon felt happy and languid. Like a beach vacation in August. “I’m open to whatever.”
“’Kay.” The high, tight lilt to Alex’s response made him frown.
They paused at a stoplight to wait for the walk signal and he studied her for the first time since they’d left the museum. Chewing on her bottom lip, shifting from foot to foot, she appeared ready to bolt.
“Hey…” he said, voice soft.
She met his gaze. Immediately her nose reddened and tears sprang to her eyes.
Oh shit…
While he’d known they courted trouble by renewing physical intimacy, he hadn’t considered how different it might’ve been for her as a woman. How emotions always seemed to create a tangle of the simplest moments. It’d been sex and fun for him. But for her, after their conversation this morning and all the bickering… Simon raked a hand through his hair and put an arm around her shoulders.
“Come on. Let’s go to The Chocolate Bar.” He mentioned a chocolate shop near Alex’s apartment and gave a squeeze to her shoulder. “Then we’ll get some things from your place.”
“I’m sorry.” She sniffed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Still walking, he kissed the top of her head.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And thank you. That was amazing. I’d forgotten…” He breathed deep, fortifying himself for the admission he was about to make. “I’d forgotten how good you feel.”
“It was just sex…” Her reply was uncertain. Needy.
“Maybe.” He instinctively walked a razor’s edge of compassion and guarded self-interest. “And maybe not.”
“After last night…this morning…I didn’t expect…” She sounded far away and insecure.
Yeah. He hadn’t expected it either. Wanted it, definitely. Still, regret began to steal over him. He kept his arm around her shoulders and stuck the other out to hail a taxi. “Sometimes it’s best not to overthink these things.”
“Yeah.”
They got in the cab and she slid to the opposite side of the seat where she looked out the window. At her hands. Anywhere but at him.
“Was I too rough?”
“What?” She jerked her head around. “No!”
He searched his brain for anything else he might’ve done wrong—something he could’ve had a modicum of control over that might’ve prevented them from being where they were now, with her feelings hurt and him scrambling to fix something he didn’t know he’d broken.
Yeah, you idiot. You could’ve stuck to your guns. Kept it in your pants. Way to go, thinking with your dick.
“Sorry about— I should’ve brought a condom.” He tried apologizing, though he knew
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