Ice Cold

10

Landon Reilly

My eyes opening dragged me out of a deep sleep and I was momentarily confused at the unfamiliar room I was in until I remembered where I was.

I groaned, sitting up slightly by bracing my elbows behind me. The blanket fell from my body and revealed my bare chest. I looked down at myself in confusion, wondering when I had taken my shirt off.

"I took your shirt because you spilled beer on it," Wren said, startling me. He was sitting at his desk, his computer open in front of him as he turned around to face me on the bed. "And I didn't want my sheets to smell like beer. It's in the wash."

I squinted at him in confusion. "You washed my shirt?" My voice was raspy and low from sleep. Wren looked down at the floor.

"I had laundry to do," he said, bringing his eyes back to mine. "I figured since I'm so nice, I could add your shirt."

I pressed my lips tightly together as a grin grew on his.

"You're not going to let me live that down."

"No, not likely," he said, turning back to his computer.

I laid back down on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before turning my head to look at Wren. He was typing something up on the computer, but I couldn't see what it was.

Then, he suddenly stood up and shut the computer before leaving the room. He came back a few minutes later with a laundry basket and began folding and hanging up clothes. Wren looked over at me and picked my shirt out from the basket before throwing it at me.

"Come on," he said. "Get up."

I glared at him. "I'm fucking hung over."

"Well, I'm going on a run and you're either coming with me or getting out of my room," Wren replied.

"I don't have any running clothes." I was still in my jeans from last night, and the sneakers I had worn at the bar were not for running.

"You can wear some of mine."

Wren pulled off the shirt he was wearing and my breath got caught in my throat. My eyes were wide as they looked him over. He was lean and tall, his torso long and his skin a golden tan. His stomach was nearly flat, but had a hint of ab muscles poking through that made his physique look so effortless.

I had never imagined what Wren's body looked like, but if I had it wouldn't have been like this. I would have thought he was a twig. But then I remembered the way he held me back from his brother all those months ago and how strong he was, and his impressive arms made sense.

All his muscles were soft and lean, though didn't look like they lacked any strength. He had a vein that ran up the length of his left arm, and I didn't know I'd find that attractive until just then.

I looked away from his arms and my eyes landed on his stomach which was even worse than his arms. My eyes locked on the hair that traveled down past the waist of his pants, and I quickly averted my gaze as he pulled a new shirt on so he wouldn't notice my staring. That was something he definitely wouldn't let me live down.

Wren glanced over at me and raised his eyebrows.

"Are you getting ready or are you going to keep pretending you weren't just staring at me?"

I scoffed and got out of the bed, pulling my newly washed shirt on over my head. The shirt was still a little warm from being in the dryer.

"I wasn't staring at you," I lied. I knew it was no use. He obviously knew that I was, but I would never admit something like that to him.