Wittawin settled into the oversized sofa near the sliding glass door that opened onto the balcony, gazing out while waiting for Teeradon to finish his shower. Soon, the soft scent of soap drifted through the air, and he knew instantly that the room's owner stood behind him.
Teeradon's low chuckle broke the silence before he spoke.
"Don't tell me you're planning to sleep in that T-shirt and jeans. Doesn't that strike you as ridiculous?"
Teeradon held out a bathrobe, but Wittawin remained seated. "Take it. At least keep your underwear on—consider it the last line of defense in case I sleepwalk in the middle of the night."
"A promise is a promise."
"Absolutely. I always keep my word. I guarantee I won't touch even a hair on your body."
Even though I want to pounce on you until my heart gives out. This is clearly torture...
But I was willing to accept this sweet torment...
Teeradon watched Wittawin from behind with an amused smile, feeling strangely satisfied. Inside, two conflicting desires battled for dominance. The first was physical need—the urge to release, to have Wittawin the way he'd taken other bed partners. But another longing was forming, one he'd never felt for anyone before.
He wanted Wittawin in a way that transcended the physical. Yet he forced himself to hold back, knowing that if he crossed the line the younger man had drawn, he might not be able to face him again—and might lose him entirely.
Which he couldn't bear...
He truly wanted Wittawin—wanted him beyond ordinary sexual desire. But at the same time, he craved him so desperately...
"Just take it already. It's getting late—we should sleep."
Wittawin sighed and reached for the bathrobe without turning around. But whether he didn't grasp it properly or the other man let go on purpose, the robe fell to the floor. Wittawin automatically bent down to retrieve it.
The white fabric lay at Teeradon's feet. Wittawin's eyes inadvertently traveled up muscular calves, powerful thighs, and what lay beyond...
But suddenly Wittawin turned his face away, stood up, and hurried into the bathroom. Still, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Teeradon standing there naked, toweling his hair without the slightest hint of shame.
Broad chest, flat stomach with rippling muscles, and lower down...
Wittawin slammed the bathroom door shut, shaking the image of Teeradon from his mind. He stood before the mirror again, then changed into the clean white bathrobe.
The young man folded his shirt and pants neatly, intending to carry them out and place them beside the bed within reach. He couldn't help thinking that Teeradon might sneak over and hide them just to mess with him, leaving him without clothes to wear back in the morning.
And he has the nerve to call me cunning. If I'm cunning, then what should I call Teeradon? Because the person who's even more devious is probably standing naked out there, waiting to torment me...
Wittawin paused as he was about to open the door, looking down at himself once more. He still wore the same white underwear that Teeradon had joked about keeping on as the "last line of defense." But finally, Wittawin decided to remove his underwear as well—he couldn't stand wearing the same clothes and undergarments after showering.
If Teeradon was going to do something, he probably would have done it the moment I entered the room. This is probably just playful teasing for his entertainment...
So confusing. I don't know what Teeradon is really thinking or how he feels about me. And I'm not sure what I think or feel about him either. But one thing's certain—I do feel a bit irritated with that self-absorbed playboy...
After the bathroom had been silent for quite some time, the young engineer slowly opened the door. Teeradon was already lying on the bed, a large white sheet covering him just above his waist, revealing his broad chest and muscular arms. His sharp, intense face looked over with glittering eyes.
"There's only one blanket. We'll have to share it, according to our agreement to sleep together. Too bad there's no extra pillow—we could put it between us like in the movies." Teeradon chuckled softly.
Wittawin pursed his lips and walked around to the other side of the bed, dropping his shirt and pants on the floor before adjusting his bathrobe tightly. He glanced at the mischievous man who smiled brightly despite showing no signs of sleepiness, even though it was very late.
"Tie it too tight and you might not be able to breathe."
Wittawin ignored the other's comment, thinking he could talk all he wanted, but he'd better not touch his body. Otherwise, he'd consider it breaking the promise and would walk out of the room immediately.
"Are you an early riser? I usually wake up around five-thirty, go to the bathroom, then go back to sleep," Teeradon asked.
"I wake up early. I'll be gone by six," Wittawin replied flatly and sat down on the bed.
"How can you leave? You said we'd sleep together for one night, but we got back to the hotel a bit late. There needs to be overtime. You have to sleep with me for a full eight hours, which is the standard duration of sleep."
"Whatever." Wittawin shrugged and slowly slipped under the blanket, then lay down at the very edge of the bed.
"Careful you don't fall off, Wittawin." Teeradon warned with a soft laugh. The man who'd been forced to sleep in someone else's room scowled and fell silent, closing his eyes and ignoring Teeradon completely. His hand unconsciously pulled the sheet up almost to his chin.
"I'm turning off the light, okay?" Teeradon asked for input but didn't wait for an answer. The young man rolled over, bracing his left hand beside Wittawin's body and lifting himself up. His right arm reached across Wittawin's face to turn off the light, his left knee positioned beside the engineer's waist, his right foot planted beside Wittawin's other knee.
The young engineer lay rigid, barely breathing as Teeradon's naked form straddled him. Warm breath from the handsome 'naked god' brushed against his forehead. Sharp, glittering eyes looked down at him as Teeradon's well-shaped mouth curved in an amused smile before he spoke: "I'm just turning off the light. Not touching your body at all. See?"
Wittawin lay motionless, staring intensely into Teeradon's eyes as if threatening: 'Don't you dare, or you'll regret it.'
"Good night. See you tomorrow morning." Teeradon blew him a kiss, then turned off the light. But he didn't immediately return to his side of the bed. Wittawin knew the young man who thought himself devastatingly handsome and irresistible continued to hover over him for several more heartbeats before finally dropping down heavily.
"Oops, sorry. I forgot myself—thought I was sleeping alone," Teeradon feigned surprise at having his body dropped down so forcefully, disturbing the other.
...Patience, patience, patience. Soon we'll both be asleep...
Wittawin chanted to himself, trying to force his eyes shut. But after more than ten minutes had passed, he was still wide-eyed in the darkness. Teeradon kept tossing and turning, making soft groans alternating with sighs, until he finally broke the silence.
"Wittawin, I can't sleep."
"Then stop squirming," Wittawin snapped harshly.
"You can't sleep either, can you?" Teeradon asked.
"If you stopped squirming, I could sleep."
"Really?"
Wittawin didn't answer, lying in the same position even though he didn't like sleeping on his side. He could feel Teeradon lying very close because of the warmth radiating from the person beside him under the blanket. If he rolled onto his back, their bodies would touch, which would satisfy Teeradon perfectly.
"But I'll probably have trouble sleeping. I usually sleep alone—I'm not used to having someone else beside me. Unless I..." Teeradon made soft noises, then rolled over to spoon behind Wittawin. "Wittawin, sleep well. Don't worry that I'll play tricks on you. Just being able to lie beside you like this is enough for me."
Liar. Not used to sleeping with someone? I wouldn't believe that a hundred times over. Someone like Teeradon probably can't sleep alone...
"Good night," Teeradon whispered in Wittawin's ear, then cried out loudly as a sharp elbow struck him hard in the ribs.
"Ow! What did you do that for?" Teeradon rolled onto his back, clutching his stomach.
"I told you not to touch my body. If you want to say good night, just use your mouth—don't let your hands wander," Wittawin barked.
"I wasn't touching you," Teeradon protested.
"You grabbed my ass," Wittawin said loudly.
"I just put my hand down."
"Same thing."
"It's not the same. I didn't touch your body. Remember what you said? Don't touch the body. I put my hand on the sheet that was covering you—I didn't touch you at all." Teeradon explained with a smile, his eyes sparkling in the darkness.
"One more time and I'm walking out of this room immediately," Wittawin issued his ultimatum.
"Yes, yes, I'm scared now," Teeradon chuckled softly in his throat, then moved away. "You can roll onto your back if you want, Wittawin. The bed is wide enough. Sleeping on your side for too long is uncomfortable for breathing. If you don't change positions, you'll get a cramp."
We're probably not going to sleep tonight. Teeradon is so damn annoying...
Wrong, so wrong to agree to come here tonight...
Then why did you come, Wittawin? Why? You don't like this self-absorbed guy's face, so why did you come...
Let it go for now. This is Teeradon's turn. Don't let it be my turn, or I'll drive him completely crazy...
***