Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 101335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“I… it took me some time to get over you. I was so into you by the time we got back, our breakup tore me up pretty good. I didn’t do so well when I first got out of college. I kind of let my mom down some. That first year, I moved back home and took a job telemarketing. How lame is that?” Jace asked; he kept his gaze directed out the front window. Colt could feel Jace’s pain as he told the story. He hated he was responsible for putting the ache in Jace’s words.
“I’m sorry. If it helps any, I never got over you.” Colt kissed Jace’s hand again, trying to draw him back. He wanted Jace’s eyes on him, not focused outside. “We can talk about something else.”
“It’s okay. All that turned out for the best. I was working at the telemarketing company overnight, and one of the director’s daughters was trying out for cheerleader. He paid me to train her. She had no clue what she was doing, and I had to spend a lot of time getting her ready. I actually made more money training than I did answering the phones. It got me thinking, so I bought a couple of mats, and I put an ad in the paper. I started training kids. All the kids I worked with made cheerleader. Word of mouth spread. Haley, my stunt partner in college, became my assistant, and we grew from there. Anyway, so yeah, that’s about it.” Jace held him with his jade stare. Colt melted at the sadness he found in Jace’s eyes. He’d done that, he put the pain there. Colt silently berated himself. He should have thought of something else to talk about.
“You really hurt me. Even when I got kicked out of that bar, I told myself you’d call. That what we had was too real between us and all you needed was time. You said you loved me, and I believed you. It took me a while to realize you weren’t ever gonna call, you were done with me. I blamed myself for getting shoved out of that bar.” Jace laughed, but the tone was bitter.
“As it turned out, it was my fault you were beat up. You know, I considered that. I wondered if you were beat up because we were seen together, but I thought you would have told me, so I let it go.” Jace’s lip trembled, and he quickly adjusted his seatbelt.
“It was my dad’s fault I got beat up, Jace, no one else’s. He scared the shit out of me by beating me so bad, and then threatening you. Hell, you saw his handiwork that night at the bar, and I’m his son. Even after he beat me, I was still gonna be with you, and then Johnny said my dad planned that beating for you, not me. He made me fear for your life. I was so scared. I did whatever they told me to do, no matter what it was, just to try and protect you.” Colt stopped talking and stared out at the night, thinking about those few years.
“I’m sorry I hurt you. I was wrong. I hate I did it. My dad said he was having us followed, he’d know if I talked to you. I was such a fucking coward, and too young to know the difference,” Colt said. He’d come to a stop sign on the road leading to Jace’s place. He cut his eyes to Jace, who was watching him intently. Deep emotion etched the lines of his face, but Colt couldn’t read it.
“I thought you hated me. I carried all these feelings for you all these years, and I really thought you hated me,” Colt whispered.
“I’ve carried them, too,” Jace said as he leaned across the console and kissed him. Colt reached up and threaded his fingers through Jace’s hair, keeping him close, not letting him move back to his seat.
“You took me back without degrading me. Everyone tries to degrade me, but you. You never have. I hate the doubt I see in your eyes,” Colt whispered.
“I’m trying hard to just go with this,” Jace whispered back.
“You always have. I love that part of your personality.” Colt lifted his eyes back up to meet Jace’s. “I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you.”
“It was slower for me,” Jace said. “But it’s forever for me.”
“It’s forever for me, too. There was never any doubt about that.” Lights filled the car from behind seconds before a horn sounded, interrupting their moment. Jace was still leaning across the console, almost in Colt’s seat. Colt reluctantly let go and started to drive.
“I wanted us to be home by now. We should be in bed with you fucking me like you mean it, Montgomery.” Colt quickly stole a glance over at Jace, and just as he suspected, the use of his last name had Jace grinning as he sat back in his seat. The tension of the moment eased.
“When I was being interviewed, they wanted to know a secret about you. The first thing that came to mind was that the big strong quarterback liked to bottom. I’m thinking I should have just said it, Michaels.” Jace laughed as Colt pulled up the driveway. Jace flung open the passenger side door and jumped out, not waiting for Colt who moved a little slower. He got out, shut the door, and started up the walkway. Jace rounded the hood of the car, jogged up alongside Colt, and patted him on the ass, before shoving his hand between Colt’s thighs, giving his balls a playful squeeze. .
“Last one in bed has to clean us up afterward,” Jace called out after he got a few steps in front of Colt, and he took off running. Colt picked up his pace, following close behind. They were shedding clothes as they fought to be the first one to enter the house. Jace was the clear winner, but Colt was having none of it. He had always been a sore loser and jumped squarely on Jace’s back as he entered the bedroom. Jace stumbled under his weight, but recovered quickly and hurried to the bed, trying to toss Colt off. As soon as they neared the bed, Jace fell forward, both of them landing with a bounce. Since Jace was under Colt, he technically got to bed first.