Chapter 10

Gabe made a noncommittal sort of grunt that could have meant anything fromyeah, I agree, to you are an idiot and I’m trying not to yell at you. He twisted the base of the plug, took a deep breath, and popped it out. It was accompanied by a splatter of lube against Tom’s leg that had been warm enough inside, but rapidly cooled down on contact with the air. Gabe folded the washcloth and cleaned that, too. It was a little squirmy, as the washcloth had also cooled off. Before Tom could work himself up into a shiver, though, Gabe was pulling the blankets up around him. “There you go.” He looked at Tom carefully, tipping his chin gently and peering into his eyes. “Okay. I was gonna go clean this up, but I think you need me t’ stay with you. Yes?”