DESPITE THE ache in my ass, I wanted Alex to fuck me again when I woke the next morning. His cock was riding my butt crease, but when the tip pressed gently against my hole, I stiffened.
“Sorry.” Alex’s breath washed over the back of my neck just before he kissed it.
“Don’t be. I want to do it again, just not right now.” I flexed my ass cheeks and winced. “Ugh, give me some time.”
“All the time you need.”
After spending most of the morning lying in bed, we showered together, Alex washing my body with tender, thoughtful strokes and being extra careful of my ass. Luckily we had a late checkout. Once we were both dry and searching for some clothes, I thought it a good time to give Alex his Christmas present, albeit a day late.
“I have something for you,” I said just as he buttoned up his jeans and was searching for a clean shirt. It was laundry day.
“You do? I didn’t think you bought me anything.”
“I know. I’m sorry, but after the ring you gave me yesterday, my gift’s a bit lame, so…”
Alex sat on the bed next me. “I’m sure it’s not lame. I was nervous about giving you the ring hoping you wouldn’t read too much into it, so there’s nothing to be scared of.”
Read too much into it? What the fuck did that mean? I pushed any thoughts away about what Alex and I were doing and what we meant to each other. Scrap that. I knew what he meant to me, but now I wondered what I was to him. Was I his best friend who he just happened to be fucking? Or was I something more, like he was to me?
I sighed. Time would tell.
I rummaged around in my duffel for his present. “It’s not much. I bought myself one too,” I said, handing him the purple-wrapped package, which was a bit torn and crumpled after being in my bag for so long. Even the paper looked lame.
Alex didn’t seem to notice as he ripped the paper off and held the shirt against his chest to see if it would fit. It was the same indigo shirt the guy at the San Francisco B&B wore.
“I love it.” Alex’s smile chased away any insecurity I felt. “Where did you find it?”
“Remember that B&B we stayed at in San Fran? The guy behind the desk had one and it reminded me of the conversation we had about what color Maude was. When I asked him, he said he had a different color for each day of the week to match the seven colors of the rainbow. The day we left, he was wearing ‘red.’”
“I remember seeing that but didn’t think anything of it at the time. What color did you buy?”
“Same. Any other color would have felt weird.”
Alex slipped his shirt on, the shiny letters catching the sun. It fit his shoulders nicely. I pulled on my indigo shirt too, and after we packed our bags and checked out, we hit the road, smiles plastered across our faces.