Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
He finished, flushed, and washed his hands. My gaze took in his soft cock, his balls, which hung lower than mine.
“Jesus, that smile,” he said, pulling me out of my admiration of him. “It feels like a lifetime since I’ve seen it.”
“Feels like a lifetime since I’ve been in possession of it.” Even if in some ways it was still a facade, it felt good.
Gage turned off the lights and climbed back into bed with me. He pulled me close, and I let him, savored it when I never let myself enjoy anything anymore.
“I want to shower,” I told him, “but I don’t want to wash you off me.”
“No showers,” he said into my hair. “I like being sweaty and covered in sex with you. We can clean up tomorrow.”
I nodded, then went to sleep, wrapped in Gage and Gage in me.
Luckily, he had his head on enough to set an alarm.
We got up early, both of us having to work—me because I’d taken Saturday off. We showered together the way we’d done that one time at the cabin with Angie and Kev.
It was so stupid, so childish, the way I clung to him when we had to say goodbye. I hadn’t felt—really, truly felt—in so long, it was in overdrive now, years of pent-up emotions at the surface, spilling over in uncontrollable waves.
“I can stay at your place tonight,” he said.
“Can we stay here? Will Darrel care?” Gage’s casita was more like a home than my apartment; only good memories here, unlike at my place.
“Yeah, of course we can. He won’t care.”
“Okay. I’ll get some stuff and come over.”
That was exactly what I did. I went home, changed, packed a bag of clothes and toiletries, and went to work. Afterward, I went back to Gage’s. We made dinner and locked ourselves away from the world. The next day we did the same, only I didn’t have to go back home. The third day was the same yet again. We didn’t go to the gym, didn’t go for a walk or anything else, just lost ourselves in each other. Both of us went to the clinic to get tested, just to be safe.
On the fourth day, Angie caught up with me. She was waiting outside the garage when I got off work. “Your niece misses you,” she said, knowing I couldn’t say no to anything Olivia-related.
“You don’t fight fair.”
“See you at home.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I went to my car. I sent Gage a text about where I was going, then headed to their place. When I got there, Olivia was sleeping. Angie and I sat in the backyard, with the baby, precious and pure in a way I’d do anything to protect, in her Pack ’n Play. I can’t protect her if I don’t get help.
“I heard from my husband, who heard from Hero, that the two of you have been together every day since your birthday.”
“What else did Gage say?”
“Nothing. You know him better than that. Hence the reason for this ambush.”
I smiled again before looking down and picking at a hole in my work jeans. “I just… I ended up at his place the day before my birthday and haven’t left since. I’m tired, Mouse. So damn tired of fighting it, of fighting us and everything else.”
She didn’t reply right away, so I looked over at her. She sat in the chair beside me, her shaking hand covering her mouth, tears in her eyes.
“What?”
“This. Everything. You staying with Hero, and saying the things you just did, and calling me Mouse. You haven’t called me that in so long.”
Shit. I had called her that, hadn’t I? When I stopped, I’d told myself it was because we were too old, but really, it reminded me too much of my past, of the boy who always believed everything would be okay. Still, I said, “You’re thirty. You can’t want to be called Mouse.”
“Yes I can, actually. Don’t you know by now that I’m not that girl you can tell what to think? Your niece will be the same, and I’ll always want to be Mouse to you.”
God, she was great. I loved her more than I could ever say. “You know, if I were straight, your husband would have had competition for you.”
She smiled, reached over, and threaded her fingers through mine. “Not a doubt in my mind. You and I were meant to be, written in the stars or whatever, just in a different way.”
We really were.
“So what’s up with you and Gage? You’re together again?”
I didn’t let go of her hand, couldn’t. “I don’t know what we are. Has there ever been a name for what we are? He’s my heart, Mouse. He’ll always be a part of me.” I was a fool to try and pretend otherwise. If there was a Gage, I would need him.