Page 84 of Third Time Lucky

I think he’s good.

Really?

This easily? No mental adjusting necessary? No angst about dicks touching? Nothing?

I lift my head to stare at him suspiciously.

Instead of responding, he puts his hand on my head and pushes it down again. “I’m not freaking out, Joey.”

Why?“Good.”

“Are you?”

“Freaking out?” Yes. “No.”

“Good.”

I’m not freaking out. I’m understandably confused because I didn’t think anybody could be this well-adjusted. Especially with his family issues. Is he human? I’d still be here even if he weren’t, that’s how happy my body is with his right now, but I’d really like to know how he’s handling everything this well.

You were expecting some shame and blame after sex, weren’t you?

Probably.

“I love your skin,” he rumbles.

“I must get it from my mother,” I say without thinking. “She was Italian. And also Persian. Pertalian?”

His hand momentarily stills on my back before he starts petting me again. That’s nice. He could do that all day and I wouldn’t complain. I might even fall asleep right here on his chest.

“What about your father?”

We’re plastered together, so I know he felt that nanosecond of tension.

“Colorless,” I say blandly. “I mean it, he could have been an albino for all I know, only his eyes were blue instead of red. But his eyebrows were so pale they were basically pointless.”

“It was him, right? The one who dropped you off.” He hesitates. “You don’t have to—”

“It’s fine. I’m all for introspective pillow talk.” Not really. Stop talking. Why would you talk about that now? “I think as far as he was concerned, he’d gotten the shaft. He’d been fine marrying his pregnant girlfriend, but he hadn’t signed up for raising her son alone after she died.”

“His son,” Elliot corrects. He sounds like he’s scowling, but I don’t want to look right now. This is the last thing I want to think about.

The way he’d left me had made me famous for a hot minute, but not famous enough to be put in a good home. Not initially. And I hated that everyone knew about me. That I was that kid who’d gotten lost on the trail for two days before an adventurous cyclist found me. They brought me in to a lot of fanfare, only to discover I was that kid no one was willing to claim.

“I’m Rick and Matilda’s son. I have been for all the parts of my life that count.”

He holds me tighter, and I know he heard my unspoken plea to change the subject. Once I’m drifting through post-climax land again, I hear, “Joey?”

“Yes, Elliot?”

“You and me? This is not a one-time thing.”

He’s making a declaration, but there’s a question beneath it I’m compelled to answer. I hitch my leg over his thigh and lick his nipple suggestively. “Are we talking about before we leave this hotel room or in general? Because either way, I’m on board. No pressure, but I’m already thinking about sneaky places to have sex in our building. I’m betting they didn’t put cameras everywhere.”

His cock twitches with interest against my hip. “I like the way you think.”

“I can tell. Now let’s go shower so I can get my hands on your big, beautiful baseball butt.”

“Big? Just say whatever’s on your mind, babysitter,” he laughs.

Don’t say I love you. Don’t you dare.

I’m not that far gone. Not yet.

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