That evening Vic sat up in bed, the sheets pooled around his waist as he leafed through an issue of Tattoo magazine. Matt lay beside him, head resting on Vic’s hip, one hand rubbing low over his lover’s belly. Every now and then, his fingers slipped beneath the bed sheet, tickling smooth skin that stiffened at his touch. Whenever Vic turned a page in the magazine, he reached over and ruffled Matt’s hair before focusing his attention back on the glossy pages. Beneath the sheets, Matt’s legs were entwined with Vic’s, both feet wrapped firmly around one thick calf. Matt loved this closeness, this press of bodies, this loving feeling.
But inside, he felt closed off and distant. No matter how much of his body touched Vic’s, Matt couldn’t seem to feel as if he were in tune with his lover. The
