Page 65 of The Prodigal Son

And for now, that’s enough. We can face whatever life brings if I can hold true to that. I want him, and I never want him to be hurt, so nothing else matters.

“Thank you,” I whisper, pulling back to look into his eyes.

“Thank you,” he replies.

“What did I do?”

The corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk. “You were my muse.”

Running my fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck, the weight of these emotions hits me like bricks on my chest. I am falling for this man, and I think he is falling for me, and we have the whole world stacked against us.

I want to scream from the rooftops how I feel about him. I want to love him without guilt or shame in my heart. I want to love him out loud.

Instead of speaking promises we can’t keep, I lean in and kiss him again. Against his lips, I mumble, “That was the best song I have ever heard.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

After kissing for a few more minutes, he grabs tightly to my ass and murmurs, “Can we go back to bed and get rid of these boxers?”

With that, I climb off his lap and stand. The moment Isaac is on his feet, I throw him over my shoulder and carry him to the bedroom. He howls with laughter while screaming my name.

I can honestly say I’ve never been so happy in all my life.

And never filled with so much dread.

Nineteen

Isaac

Why did no one tell me relationships could be so good? I’ve been avoiding them my entire life, but I had no idea it would be like this.

Jensen has come over nearly every day this week. We’ve had more sex than I’ve ever had in my life. And he makes me so fucking happy. His touch is my addiction.

And if that wasn’t good enough, the songs have been pouring out of me. I hear music differently now. Every kiss is a melody. Every orgasm, the lyrics.

I only have five days until I’m back on the road, and as excited as I am to be onstage again, I don’t know what I’m going to do without him.

Call me a fool, but I think I’m falling in love with Jensen Miles.

I’m having dinner with my brother tonight, and I’m still waiting to hear back from Jensen on if he’ll come or not. Secretly, I’m praying he does. I want to show him off. I’d like my family to see just how good I’m doing, even if it is just Lucas, whohas been there for me since I was seventeen. It’s a soft launch of our relationship, but I can tell Jensen is nervous about it.

Behind closed doors, he’s the world’s best boyfriend. Doting, affectionate, possessive. But he’s nowhere near ready to be public, which, obviously, neither am I. At this stage of my career, it’s not the time to make any major announcements, or I’ll risk losing the fan base I’m building.

But Jensen seems even less enthusiastic about being seen together. Even if it’s just my family who would never out us or judge us. He clearly struggles with that idea. And I wish I understood why.

I get that he has a reputation in this community. Trust me, no one understands that more than me.

But I’m afraid there’s more under the surface I don’t know about. Some deeper reasoning as to why Jensen won’t ever come out. And if that’s the case, and a public relationship is never in the cards for us, then what kind of future do we have?

I know I said we could just be friends who fuck, but every day I sense myself changing. Maybe that’s not what I want in the long run. Maybe I do want a committed public relationship.

I’ll be patient. I have to be—for him and for me.

Coming down the stairs from my room, I turn the corner and find Jensen leaning against my kitchen counter in nothing but a pair of jeans and a mug in his hand.

Goddamn.

“I could get used to this,” I say as I pour myself a cup of coffee. “You in my house looking like that.”

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