Page 19 of Rubbing One Out

Chapter 8

There was something comforting about cuddling up in bed with a duvet lying over him, enjoying the sound of the birds outside and the steady rhythm of someone breathing next to him. Ben smiled in his sleepy state and snuggled down farther into the warm body behind him—wait, what the fuck?

He rolled over, yelping when he saw Dae lying stomach down, eyes closed, his long hair tousled across the pillow. Soft breaths emanated from pink, full lips. For the first time, Ben noticed the shadows beneath the Djinn’s eyes and the slight vee between his brows. His bed partner might look at rest, but something wasn’t right.

Ben couldn’t help himself, he lifted the duvet and saw Dae’s naked body was as expected: a sexy heap of curves and planes. One of his long, tanned legs peeked out from beneath, his foot an elegant arch. One hand was scrunched between the pillow and his face, while the other lay over the bed cover. Ben wanted oh so much to move the covers to see the beautiful tattoo on Dae’s back again, and take in the splendour that was his Djinn.

Tentatively, he reached out one hand towards Dae to brush a strand of hair away from his face. Then he came to his senses and pulled it back. He isn’t your Djinn, matey, and touching him when he’s sleeping is creepy.

As quietly as he could, Ben shuffled out of bed, glad he was wearing his favourite pair of flannel GI Joe pyjama bottoms. His morning erection tented the material, and the sooner Ben showered and got rid of it the better.

He froze on his way to the bathroom as Dae muttered drowsily, “Aether, is that you? Are you going to let me come home? I’ve missed you so much.”

Who the hell was Ether?Feeling somewhat disgruntled since Dae was in his bed, thinking about someone else, Ben slid into the bathroom and locked the door. He stepped out of his pants and started the shower, stepping in and yowling a little as he hadn’t left it long enough to get hot.

“Huh,” he muttered as he washed his hair and armpits. “Sneaks into my bed at night and ends up dreaming about somebody else. That’s enough to dent a man’s ego.” He worked up a lather and washed his balls and thighs. His dick was still hard, and he decided to give it a helping hand. He closed his eyes, thinking of the sleeping man in his bed and the curve of his delicious arse and back.

He stroked himself slowly, enjoying the build-up of sensation in his groin as he humped into his hand. Back and forward, slick and tight, the way he liked it. If he’d been in bed, he might have pushed a couple of fingers inside himself to make himself come. Here in the shower, though, there was something completely decadent about jerking off when the man invading his thoughts was a few feet outside the door.

His hands fisted his cock harder and harder, and the more Ben thought about Dae filling him up while he lay captured beneath that toned, sexy body, a prisoner at the mercy of the man pumping into him, holding him down, twisting his face to take his mouth in a dirty, open-mouthed kiss…

“Jesus,” Ben gasped as he came all over his hands and the shower wall. “Fuck, that was good. Holy shit.” He leaned his forehead against the cool tiles, his breath coming in gasps of pleasure. The warm water cascaded over his hair and body, soft touches, which made him shiver with the aftershock of a great orgasm. Once his breathing was under control, Ben turned off the shower and stepped onto the bath mat. His legs still felt a little jellied, and he grinned at his image in the mirror.

“Morning,” he said to himself. “Enjoyed that, did you?” He wrapped a towel around his waist, using another to towel dry his hair. He hung it on the towel warmer and opened the door as billows of steam entered the bedroom.

Dae was still there, but he was awake, sitting up in bed with the duvet pooled around his hips. He looked over at Ben and smiled uncertainly.

“Morning.”

“Good morning.” Hell, I hope he didn’t hear me having a morning wank.

Ben walked over to the cabinet, which doubled as a dressing table. He picked up his deodorant stick and skimmed it over his pits. He wasn’t a fan of aerosols when he could help it. They weren’t good for the planet.

“I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing here in your bed?”

Ben had never heard Dae sound so unsure of himself.

He shrugged as he pulled the towel away and dried his body. He was gratified to hear a soft gasp behind him. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready. I imagine you had a good reason.” He finished drying himself and opened the drawer to take out a pair of boxers. Once he was finished pulling them on, he turned around. “Did you sleep well, at least?”

Dae’s face darkened. “I had a bit of a bad dream last night. I’m surprised you didn’t hear me.”

Ben laughed as he pulled on his Windward Zoo polo shirt, then walked over to the hanging closet to retrieve a pair of jeans. “I’m one of those people everyone hates. Someone who can get to sleep within seconds, and sleeps like the dead. There could be a thunderstorm or an earthquake and I probably wouldn’t wake up.”

Dae leaned back against the pillows, the duvet slipping and revealing an intriguing dip between waist and hip. “I woke up feeling as if I needed some company. I’m sorry if I overstepped any boundaries. I meant to wake up before you and leave, but I guess you beat me to it.”

Now dressed, Ben sat down on the bed to pull on his socks and shoes. “I’m not upset, honest. If you needed someone to be there for you, I’m happy to be that person.” He stood up. “The birds wake me in the morning. They seem to love performing a full orchestra at seven. They’re a natural alarm clock.”

He ran some moisturizer over his face and slipped on his smartwatch. “Are you feeling better though? You look a little peaked. Anything I can do to help?”

Dae shook his head. “No, thank you.” He laughed bitterly. “Coming to this world appears to have taken away the security blanket I had when I was in Calado’r.”

Ben sat down next to him. Oh God, am I causing him to hurt by not giving him my wishes so hecan go home? No matter how much Ben wanted to get to know more about Dae, that was something he couldn’t justify. It was selfish.

“Am I contributing to the problem?” Ben asked gently. Dae’s beautiful purple eyes stared back at him with apprehension. “I mean, do I need to use my wishes so you can return to the lamp and get that security blanket back? I don’t want you to feel unhappy here.”

Dae smiled faintly and pressed a finger against Ben’s lips. “No, Ben. I need to work through this and let go. Coming here allows me to do this. Thanks for the offer.”

He stood up, gathering the duvet around his lower half. “You have to get to work. I’d better let you go. I promise not to make a habit of climbing into your bed at night.”