Page 8 of Axes and Ohs

“Perfect. Fuck, you’re perfect.”

I’m not, and I’m pretty sure he’s not either, but in that moment, together, it feels like we might be.

Carlos’s hands are everywhere—in my hair, on my back, clutching my ass, gripping my hips so tightly I barely have room to move. I bury my face in his neck, breathing in that scent of his that drives me wild.

“C-close,” he whispers way too soon. “Erick, fuck⁠—”

“Me too,” I manage. And then he shudders against me, his release warm between us.

The sight of him coming undone, the broken noise he makes, pushes me over the edge. “Oh. Oh, fuck. Oh,” I moan brokenly.

“Christ, that’s sexy.” He blows out a breath. “Fucking amazing.”

“Yeah?” I pull back to look at him, and his eyes are soft under the fairy lights. “No regrets?”

His lips tip up, and his smile is a white flash, and he pulls an honest-to-god bandanna from his pocket to wipe my hand off. “Only that it’s so damn cold we might freeze like this, and tomorrow, someone’s gonna find a couple very underdressed Popsicles.”

Laughing, I help him straighten his clothes and then deal with my own. We’ve just barely gotten ourselves presentable again when the back door opens and Ames steps out.

He takes one look between us and shakes his head. “Un-fucking-believable,” he mutters. “This patio gets more action than I do!”

Carlos and I look at each other guiltily.

“Uh. Sorry, man,” Carlos says with a shrug. “We just…”

“Yeah, I know what you just,” Ames says. He waves a hand and gives us a steely-eyed look. “I’m going back inside now, but when I come out in ten minutes, this patio’s going to be magically empty. Understand?”

We both nod emphatically.

“I owe you one,” Carlos tells him. “Really.”

“Yeah you do,” Ames agrees, but he rolls his eyes, and I’m pretty sure he’s smirking. “Nine minutes,” he says as he heads back inside, saying something under his breath about needing to get laid.

When the door slams shut, I look at Carlos, suddenly aware that this might be the end of…

Whatever the hell this was.

“I should, um…” I hook a thumb over my shoulder toward the inn next door, where I’m staying.

“Yeah,” Carlos agrees with a nod. “Been a long day, huh?”

But neither of us moves. Finally, Carlos reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone.

“Can I…? I mean… Would you want to…? I know you’re going back to the city and I’m here, but⁠—”

“Yes,” I say immediately, taking his phone and texting myself with it.

He slides his phone away and stares at me again. “Look, I know… I know this seems like the most impulsive thing in a whole list of impulsive shit I’ve told you about tonight, but…”

“But it also doesn’t,” I say softly.

Carlos nods. “I, ah… I’d like to know more about your impulsive decisions. And your not-so-impulsive ones. I want to hear what you ‘Oh’ about. Basically, I just want to know I’ll hear from you.”

Who says shit like that? Just, flat out, no games played?

Carlos does, apparently. And I really, really like it.

“You will,” I promise. “Tomorrow, even.”