High Heat (Hotshots 2)

“Close friends?” Garrick had picked up on Rain’s cagey tone there.

“They’re poly. As are a lot of their friends. And one of their good friends a while back used a wheelchair—I helped her some, so that’s how I knew how your chair folded and stuff.”

Ah. That made some sense—he’d been wondering how Rain got to be so insightful about what Garrick both needed and didn’t. “That’s cool. I’ve been around poly people before. Fun dates.”

“Is there a type of person you haven’t dated?” Rain laughed.

Garrick pretended to think a moment. “Not really. But I’m probably not quite as...active as you’re picturing. The fire season keeps us plenty busy, and in the winters, pickings outside of the ski tourists can be slim. It’s a small town.”

“And you’ve dated your way through it. I feel you.” Rain shook his head, amusement still dancing in his eyes. “Anyway, you want me to go check out the tub and you can get undressed at your own pace in here?”

“Yeah. That sounds good.” Smooth too, the way it took the pressure off Garrick needing to be fast. “There are towels in the hall bath—grab a couple, please.”

“Sure thing.”

Grateful to not need to demonstrate his new painstaking way of undressing, he retreated to his room. His grabber tool helped him with his slip-on shoes, and he wriggled out of his pants sitting on the bed. He’d let Rain have his no swim trunks thing, but he left his own black boxer briefs on, at least for the moment. And because crutching across the deck in the chilly evening air was likely to be a slow effort, he shrugged into his old fleece robe, which was in the closet next to various castoffs from parties past—swimsuits, towels, assorted robes and cover-ups that weren’t his, unclaimed stuff he kept meaning to donate—and his hand paused near a silky emerald robe.

Pretty. Sexy. It was a dangerous idea, but the vision of Rain in the garment slithered through him, warming him way more than his own wrap. Unable to shake the thought, he draped the spare robe around his neck before carefully making his way out to the hot tub.

“Hey, Skinny-Dipping King, I brought you something,” he said as Rain stood from where he’d been sitting on one of the deck chairs. He already had the cover off the tub and the water bubbling. Cookie was napping by one of the loungers, already bored with the proceedings. “Someone left this here several parties ago. Thought you might like to borrow it.”

He tossed the jewel-toned robe at Rain, who easily caught it.

“Oh nice.” Rain smiled, his shyer, pleased one that he usually kept hidden behind his wider, flirtier front. “I’m going to try it on.”

Apparently, the whole no-modesty thing the other day wasn’t a fluke because Rain pulled off his sweatshirt right there, not even sparing a glance at Garrick. His chest was more muscled than Garrick might have expected, with intriguing fuzz across his pecs. Still in his pants, Rain put the robe on before Garrick had a chance to truly look his fill.

“It feels amazing. Forget the tub, I might want to bond with this all night.”

“It’s yours then.”

“Really?” Rain’s whole face lit up, making Garrick want to buy up all the silky garments in the area.

“It’s been a couple of years at least. Doubt its owner has missed it and they probably didn’t enjoy it as much as you seem to.”

“I do like it.” Rain twirled once, robe flapping in the night breeze, before pushing down his black pants, some sort of slinky workout material that were nominally track pants but that clung to his ass in all sorts of good ways. And—

“Sweet Jesus.” Garrick’s voice went gruff and his eyes flew open so wide it was a wonder they stayed in his head at all. Damn. He should have been better prepared and braced himself, but maybe there was no preparing for Rain in sheer, lacy black briefs that while covering the essential bits left little to Garrick’s already overheated imagination.

“You like.” Rain’s grin was both surprised and mischievous. “Like not in a ‘you do you, Rain’ way, but in a turn-on-for-you sort of way.”

“Yeah.” Garrick didn’t bother denying the obvious. “I’ve always had a weakness for...pretty things on other people. Like I’m not much on wearing glitter or glam stuff myself, but put someone else in it...and yeah, I can get into that.”

“Good.” Rain took a step forward, robe swishing about him, but Garrick held up a hand.

“I can appreciate without taking advantage. I’ve got some self-control.”

“And if I want you to take advantage?” Rain’s voice was low and seductive now.

Garrick’s breath caught, anticipation thrumming low in his gut. And then, because he’d been standing so long, his crutches wobbled, ruining whatever response he could have managed.