Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“The way I see it,” Emilio said while he rubbed circles on Spencer’s chest with one hand and caressed his nape with the other, “the way to make sure you don’t drown is to never go swimming alone. If you’re with someone brave enough to jump in with you and strong enough to hold you above the water until the cramp passes, then you’ll be safe.”
They weren’t talking about swimming. At least he wasn’t talking about swimming, and he was pretty sure Emilio was on the same page.
“But how do you know if you can rely on your, uh, swim partner to take care of you like that?” Spencer asked. “How can you be sure he’ll keep you safe?”
“That’s the toughest part,” Emilio agreed. “You gotta find someone you trust. That can be pretty hard, especially if you’ve been let down before.”
“How do you do that?” Spencer asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper. “How do you know who you can trust?”
“Well….” Emilio paused and seemed to be giving the question serious thought. He moved his hand down to Spencer’s belly. “I’d listen to my gut.” He dragged his palm up to Spencer’s chest. “I’d listen to my heart.” He leaned down and kissed Spencer’s cheek before whispering in his ear, “That’s how I’d decide if the guy is good enough to take swimming.”
“I don’t…. My gut isn’t always….” Spencer swallowed hard, unsure how to articulate what he felt.
“Shh, it’s okay, cariño.” Emilio brushed his fingers through Spencer’s hair. “I got a new idea. My gut tells me I can trust you at the pool. So, for now, how about you be my swim partner, make sure I don’t get hurt? And in return, I’ll keep an eye on you too. Maybe eventually, your gut’ll tell you it’s okay to go for a swim.” He smiled down at Spencer, his eyes warm and understanding. “How’s that sound?”
“That’s not… it’s not fair, is it? To you, I mean. It doesn’t sound fair.”
“Nah, don’t you worry about that.” Emilio waved his hand, seeming completely unconcerned about equity. “I don’t mind playing lifeguard. It’s all good.”
Spencer took a long, fortifying breath and gave Emilio a shaky smile. “I’ve never met anybody like you.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.” Emilio gave him one of his lopsided grins.
“It is.” Spencer bobbed his head. “It’s a very good thing.” A very, very good thing.
“Cool.” He kissed Spencer’s forehead. “So now you gonna feed me or what? ’Cause I’m ready to refuel and whatever you made smells great.”
“Oh!” Spencer felt his cheeks heat. “Yes. Sorry. Everything’s on the table, so we can eat.” He pulled a chair out for Emilio and waited until he was seated before moving to his own chair.
Emilio picked up his fork and dug right in, moaning at the first taste of the food and making short work of cleaning his plate. Spencer smiled fondly and took a few bites, enjoying the show more than the meal. When Emilio peered down at his plate and frowned, apparently disappointed at the lack of food on it, Spencer chuckled.
“I have plenty more,” he said. “Do you want seconds?”
The hopeful expression on Emilio’s face had Spencer laughing outright.
“Yes,” Emilio said, nodding furiously. “This is so good.”
“No problem.”
Spencer got up and took Emilio’s plate into the kitchen, filled it to overflowing, and then returned it to Emilio’s place mat. He set the plate down, returned to his chair, and watched Emilio resume the shoveling. It took Emilio a bit longer to polish off his plate this time, but he still managed to do it before Spencer finished his food.
“Ahh,” he moaned, sounding wholly satisfied. He pushed his plate forward, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his belly. “Damn, that was good.” Now that the mad dash for food was over, Emilio focused on Spencer. His gaze dropped to Spencer’s plate and he furrowed his brow. “Why ain’t you eating?”
“I am eating!” Spencer said with a laugh. “I’m just going at it a bit… slower.”
For the first time that day, Emilio’s cheeks reddened. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I grew up with three brothers. If you didn’t eat it fast, it was gone. I didn’t mean to be rude after you worked so hard on this meal. Everything was delicious. You’re a good cook.”
“You weren’t rude.” Spencer set his fork down, deciding he was comfortably full and didn’t need to eat any more. “I’m flattered, actually. It means you really like it.” He reached across the small table and set his hand down, palm up, then roamed his gaze over Emilio’s exposed, muscular chest. “By the way,” he said. “That’s an interesting choice of dinner attire. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I like the view.”
Emilio tickled his fingers over Spencer’s palm. “I was tryin’ to impress you,” he admitted easily. “I wanted to get you hot, but then I had to go and mess things up with my pig impression.”