Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“That was fast,” he observed mildly, glancing at the living room clock.
“Yep.” Jacob settled next to him, hips touching. He brushed a lingering kiss across Linc’s lips. “It was. But they sent you cinnamon rolls. So, you know, not terrible.”
“Tell me you didn’t give them some kind of ultimatum.” He wasn’t an idiot. Jacob was vibrating with tension, there in his lips even.
Jacob’s mouth puckered, a breath whistling out. “Not exactly.”
“So you did.” Linc groaned. “I am not worth you sacrificing your relationship with your family with. They love you and—”
“They love you too. And if they love us so much, then they can damn well be happy for us.” Jacob had that stubborn expression that dared Linc to argue with him. “I’m not going to listen to their lectures or them fretting over something stupid like our age difference.”
“It’s not stupid. They care about you. They want to make sure I’m not taking advantage.” Hell, Linc had spent years worrying that same thing. He got where the family was coming from even if Jacob didn’t.
“Well, you’re not. If anyone is, it’s me. I’m the one who finally got you to give in...”
“Hey now.” Linc reached over and cupped his face. “You are not. I don’t want you thinking the rest of our lives that you... I dunno...made a pest of yourself. This isn’t you wearing me down until I gave in and gave you what you wanted.”
“It’s not?”
“No. This is you being persistent, yes, but you didn’t create this out of thin air. This was me giving myself what I really wanted, not giving in to you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do like making you happy, but you didn’t force me into this at all. I wanted it. All of it.”
“You really mean it, don’t you?” Jacob’s voice was full of wonder, but there was a trust in his expression, a warmth in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.
“I do. And I’m sorry that I made you doubt it, made you feel so alone in this. I wanted it. Even back then. Even when I was so sure that you’d change your mind eventually.”
“Not happening.” Turning, Jacob straddled him in an easy motion that kept his weight off Linc’s legs but still effectively pinned Linc to the couch. “I’m going to stick around.” Jacob’s demeanor had all the confidence of a bull rider determined to make bank and for once Linc couldn’t disagree, not when he wanted this just as much.
“Me too.”
“And if that means telling my family off, then that’s what I’m gonna do.”
“It’s okay with me if they just want to see you alone for a time.”
“Nope. We’re a package deal now.” Jacob bent down long enough to give him a firm kiss. “Like I told them, I love you and you love me and if they can’t support us, then that’s their problem, not mine.”
All the oxygen in the room seemed to evaporate in an instant, and he had to cough. “Say it again.”
“You love me and—”
“Not that part.”
“Oh, the part where I told everyone that I loved you.” His eyes sparkled. “Yeah, about that...”
“Just because I said it doesn’t mean you need to.” Some old doubts crept back in.
“I love you, Linc. I’ve crushed on you since I was nineteen, but this time together showed me a different level to how I felt. Deepened it. It’s not just some infatuation now. It’s the real deal.”
“Yeah.” He had to agree with that. Tugging Jacob back down, he paused with their lips centimeters apart. “It’s real all right.”
Not letting Jacob reply, he claimed his mouth with the sort of possessiveness he no longer had to keep in check, loving how Jacob practically melted into him as he met him kiss for kiss. They kissed with a new sort of urgency—not their previous hurry to cram as much into as short a time as possible, but rather a drive to connect, to express these big, scary feelings they were finally starting to sort out.
Jacob tasted like he’d sampled the cinnamon rolls, sweet and familiar, and he welcomed Linc’s explorations with playful, almost joyous, nips and licks from his generous mouth and strokes of his roving hand. His injured arm rested against Linc’s shoulder, the cast a reminder of all they’d survived. For the first time in days, Linc’s body burned with need, primal demands overriding any lingering discomfort in his leg, even as Jacob settled more firmly against him.
“This okay?” Jacob’s voice was low and breathless as they ground together. “Don’t want to hurt you.”
“It’s all good.” Linc nuzzled into Jacob’s jaw, loving how his head tipped back, putting all that delicious flesh at Linc’s mercy. He rained kisses down the cords of his neck, finding all the spots that made Jacob gasp. Carefully, he bit at the juncture of his shoulder and neck, relishing how Jacob moaned and moved against him.