Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 51803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“It was s’posed to be plausible, Valenti. I thought that was the whole idea of tryin’ to keep our names as close as possible and everything. The closer we stick to the truth, the less likely we are to slip up. You know that.”
“I guess ... it just sounded like something that could really happen.” The minute the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to kick himself. Why had he put it that way?
“Sure it could happen, in the Bizarro universe.” O’Brian whacked him on the shoulder in a friendly way obviously meant to ease the tension between them. “I’m sorry if it freaked you out, Nick, but ya know, we’re neck-deep in this thing now. It’s kinda late to be gettin’ homophobic on me.”
“I know. I’m not,” Valenti muttered, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.
“Yeah, I guess not, what with that kiss you laid on me back there.” O’Brian grinned and shook his head. “Man, I thought you were tryin’ to perform a tonsillectomy on me right there in the dining room.”
“I, uh, had to do something to prove to Conrad that we’re trustworthy,” Valenti protested.
“Yeah, I know you did. That whole little scene with him worries me -- seems like he might be on to us and we only just got here. I’m afraid we’re gonna have to ramp up the act considerably tomorrow to be convincing, or he’s never gonna agree to sell to us.” O’Brian looked worried, and Valenti groaned inwardly to himself, wondering exactly what “ramping up the act” would entail. Would they have to kiss some more? Feel each other up? What? He had no clue and didn’t want to ask, either.
“You mind if I get the first shower?” Valenti asked.
“Go head. I’m beat. Think I’m gonna just go straight to bed and hit the shower in the morning.” O’Brian yawned hugely and began stripping off the tight black T-shirt and shorts in preparation for bed. Valenti hurriedly stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, trying not to think of his partner’s muscular chest, the sight of which still lingered in his mind’s eye.
When Valenti got out of the shower, O’Brian was already sprawled in the vast bed -- right in the middle, too, Valenti noted with some irritation. He guessed it was because his partner was used to sleeping alone. Valenti always took up the middle of the bed, as well, but tonight they were each going to have to pick a side and stick with it.
In the dim light from the room’s one window, he noted the smooth line of his partner’s body under the sheets and wondered if he was sleeping nude as usual. He knew that O’Brian did, had seen him naked often enough in the mornings after spending the night at his apartment, and had never thought anything about it before.
Valenti routinely slept in the raw, as well, although he wasn’t sure he ought to tonight. Still, the thought of turning on the light and digging through the drawers in search of a pair of pajama bottoms wasn’t very appealing. He was so tired -- emotionally and physically beat -- maybe he could just be sure to stay on his side of the bed ...
“Nick?” O’Brian’s voice, already fuzzy with sleep, floated to him through the darkness. “Come to bed, babe. ’S late.” That warm, intimate tone decided Valenti, and he dropped the towel he’d been wearing around his waist to the floor and slid under the sheets beside his partner.
“Hey, O’Brian, shove over; you’re taking your half out of the middle.” Valenti nudged his partner, very aware of the warm, naked skin that brushed his as he did so.
“Yeah, yeah,” O’Brian grumbled, moving over maybe two inches before settling again. Valenti tried to make himself comfortable in the limited space available to him, but he was still flank to flank with his partner, and he didn’t want to roll over one way or the other for fear of brushing more sensitive areas together. Be honest, Nicholas -- you want to be sure your cock doesn’t brush his side. Because despite an attempt to jerk off in the shower, Valenti was still rock hard, and being this close to his partner’s naked body wasn’t helping matters at all. He sighed and shifted minutely, trying to get more comfortable.
“Valenti?” His partner’s voice in the darkness startled him so much that he nearly fell out of bed. He had thought O’Brian was asleep.
“Yeah?” he asked, feeling his heart pound in his chest from the sudden fright. “What’s up, partner?”
“Well.” O’Brian rolled over onto his side, and Valenti turned his head and found himself looking into two pools of darkness that he knew were O’Brian’s eyes. “I been thinkin’.”
“Shouldn’t do that, O’Brian -- you might blow a fuse or something.” Valenti tried to sound natural.