Chapter 61: Too much
Chapter 60
Nolan
"Maybe because I just took a bath," Jack says, one eyebrow raised as he grabs another towel and rubs it through his hair, water still dripping down his neck.
I shut the photo book he left open on the desk and slide it aside. It’s nearly full already, stuffed with shots of Lanny, Ciel, and...me.
"What are you doing in my room anyway?" Jack asks, voice casual, like he doesn’t notice my heartbeat in my throat.
"I came to talk to you," I say, standing straighter than I mean to.
"Uh-huh." He doesn’t even look at me, rummaging through his wardrobe.
"About what we talked about the other night," I add.
"Sure." He finds a pair of briefs, slips them on, and—God help me—drops the towel without hesitation. My eyes betray me instantly. The bulge is distracting. Too distracting.
I snap my head away, heat climbing my neck.
"Are you not wearing more?" I demand when he hops onto the bed, settling right in the center like it’s his throne.
"Nope. I don’t like clothes when I sleep." He leans back against the headboard, arms folded behind his head, utterly unbothered. Then, with a smirk that makes my stomach twist: "What, can’t handle a little skin, my dearest doggy?"
A little? Try a lot. Too much.
"I don’t mind," I lie flatly.
"Mm." His smirk deepens. "So, did you think about what you’d like to do?"
I clutch the tablet tighter, grateful for something else to look at. "Yeah. I was thinking... maybe online classes. Something math-related. Programming, coding. I’ve always liked numbers." My voice trails off, shy.
Jack straightens a little, genuine interest flickering across his face. "Huh. Guess I underestimated you, doggy. That’s smart."
The praise sends a ridiculous warmth through me. I shift closer to the bed before I even realize it, sitting down with the tablet balanced on my knees.
"So we’ll talk about it today... or tomorrow?" he asks, tilting his head.
"Uhm..." I unlock the tablet, scooting just a little nearer. The mattress dips, his bare leg brushing mine, and my heart stutters. "Maybe today."
The scent of clean expensive soap and heat wraps around me, drowning out my thoughts.
Focus, Nolan. Just focus.
***
Jack
I watch him unlock the tablet, fingers stiff like he’s trying not to tremble. Poor doggy. He really thinks I don’t notice the way his eyes flick to my chest, then away so fast you’d think I burned him.
Cute.
He scoots closer, pretending it’s for the screen, but I feel the brush of his thigh against mine. He jolts slightly, like even that tiny contact betrays him.
I don’t move. I lean in, shoulder pressing into his.
"So... numbers, huh?" I murmur, glancing at the half-loaded course catalogue on the screen.
"That’s surprisingly very you, doggy. Precise. Contained. Predictable."
His jaw tightens. He doesn’t like when I box him in. Good.
"Programming isn’t predictable," he mutters. "It’s problem-solving. It’s logic."
"Logic, huh?" I hum, letting my breath ghost against his ear. "Then logically, you’d know sitting on my bed with me half-naked isn’t the best way to focus."
He shoves me lightly, a shove that doesn’t even move me an inch, but his glare tries to make up for it.
"Don’t be narcissistic, I’m serious," he snaps.
I put both hands up in mock surrender, though my smirk doesn’t leave. "Alright, alright. Serious Nolan, lecture me."
And he does. His words tumble out—jargon and numbers and lines of thought that slip right past me. I don’t get half of what he’s saying, but there’s a fire in his eyes, a light I’ve never noticed before. It’s... similar to the one Ciel gets when he’s in the kitchen, humming to himself while stirring a pot like the world outside doesn’t exist.
I like this new look on Nolan.
It softens him.
Makes him less the scowling watchdog, more...soft.
I wonder what else is soft, my gaze drifts to his chest, where his shirt stretches tight. The faint outline of his nipples presses against the fabric. My lips twitch. Sensitive or no? I hope they are.
"Where do you think you’re looking?" he barks, scandalized, snapping me out of the thought.
"Mm?" I hum innocently, dragging my gaze back up. "At the tablet. Obviously."
He narrows his eyes.
I pluck the tablet out of his hands, flicking through the page he had open. "Free lessons?" My brows shoot up.
"Free? You do realize I have money, right?"
Offended doesn’t even begin to cover it.
He crosses his arms, bristling like an angry cat. "Not everything is about money, Jack."
"Everything’s about quality," I counter smoothly, snatching the tablet out of his hands and setting it aside before leaning just close enough to make him twitch. "And you deserve the best. If you’re gonna do this, you’ll do it right. With the best tutors, the best resources, the best everything."
He stares at me, dumbfounded, lips parting like I just spoke a foreign language.
"It’s a waste of money when there are free alternatives," he finally sputters.
"Fine, but I want to pay," I reply, smug.
"No, Jack." He narrows his eyes.
I tilt my head, smiling lazily. "I will bring Ciel into this."
His scowl deepens, deliciously. "That’s not fair."
I shrug. "Fair doesn’t matter. Effective does."
I love how the mention of Ciel puts a leash on him. It’s too easy.
"So, now let’s look at the schools offering lessons," I press, and he grudgingly agrees, muttering under his breath.
An hour later, we’re done. I yawn, stretching back against the headboard, utterly satisfied.
Nolan tries to stand. Tries.
The blood must have abandoned his legs, because the next second he pitches forward—straight onto me. His weight knocks the air out of my lungs, and his palm lands squarely on my chest.
I raise a brow, smirking. "A bit forward, don’t you think?"
"My legs fell asleep," he snaps, face flushed.
"Mmhm." My smirk widens. "So that explains why you’re practically straddling me, doggy?"
His glare is scalding, but he doesn’t move, caught in the awkward sprawl my hand already at his waist, steadying him.