Page 14 of Everything's Better With You
Leslie moaned as he turned Joe’s back to the wall, adjusting his stance and bending his knees to get closer to Joe’s level.
Joe was trapped and loving itbecauseit was Leslie. If anyone else had him pinned against the wall, he would have fought to be free, but he trusted Les with his life and wanted Les just as desperately as Les wantedhim.
Joe went to work on the zipper of Leslie’s jacket, trying to force the thick down parka over his shoulders, but Les caught his hands and held them in one of his over their heads. He sucked at Joe’s lips, further paralyzing Joe in the most delicious way, and Leslie stroked his tongue, leaving Joe panting and ready to combust. He wanted skin, he wanted teeth, he wanted—
“God,” Les moaned, pulling back. “That was so much better than I imagined. On all of my sleepless nights I never imagined this would finally happen, that I’d have you like this. You were a fantasy, and now—”
“And now I’m wondering why you’re stopping,” Joe whined, trying to make below-the-belt contact, anything to relieve the ache…the need.
Leslie kissed him twice, searching his eyes for what, Joe had no idea. Joe could only imagine the wanton picture he made, his lips deep red, his cheeks splotchy from the contact… Then Leslie kissed him a third time and stepped completely away, leaving Joe in agony.
“Why?” Joe finally asked.
Leslie ran his hands through his hair. “Give me a second,” he said with a laugh. “I’m having pregame jitters.”
Joe snorted. “Really. Big, bad Leslie Payton getting jitters over Twinkle Toes Joe Judd.” He rolled his eyes and adjusted himself.
“Stop it,” Leslie said in that soft voice, the way he got when he was about to scold.Don’t put yourself down, Joe. Don’t ever consider yourself less-than.“I think I should put the brakes on is all.”
Joe wanted to hurl himself at Les, his brain chanting the cheer “sack that quarterback, said sack that quarterback.” He was willing to do just about anything to get Les to give up his chivalrous ways and get back to the touching part of the evening, preferably with no clothes in the way.
Instead, Joe ran his hands through his hair and straightened his shirt.
“Wow, didn’t realize I was so resistible.”
“Joe—”
“No, I get it,” he said, holding up a hand as he attempted to compose himself. “I do. You’ve made it very clear over the years that sex outside of a committed relationship was a no for you. I’m sorry if I pushed you.”And made a fool of myself.Thankfully he hadn’t begged, but he knew, if left unchecked, his now-unbridled libido would have forced him to his knees in front of Leslie.
“Joe, stop it. You did nothing but be honest with me and that’s what I appreciate about you. Always have. I just couldn’t take it if—”
And that was just it. Joe had run away from him so many times, hadpanicked and canceled potential meetups. Who could blame Leslie for stepping back?
“I know.” Les was the most in-touch-with-his-feelings guy Joe had ever met. Despite his superstardom, Leslie Payton was grounded in a way that Joe had been running from his whole life.
Feelings.Ew.
What Joewouldadmit was that if he ever opened himself up to feelings for someone, it would be Leslie Payton. He just hadn’t been ready or willing to go all in with the whole picket-fence shit he knew Les dreamed about. And it had nothing to do with wanting to keep his options open, he just didn’t want to be that open with anyone. Like Slipknot so eloquently put it, “People = Shit.” Joe didn’t trust anyone. Well, except Leslie. He’d proved over the years that he was trustworthy. But Joe didn’t trust himself either, and until he could honestly say, “I’m here and I’m staying,” he had no business hopping into bed with Les.
Dammit.
Six
Leslie
“I’m sorry.” And he was.So sorry. Sorry he wasn’t like most men who let their dicks happily lead them into temptation. Sorry he couldn’t go there with Joe when he knew it would be spectacular. Sorry he was too afraid to live in the now and take what Joe was offering him.
“Don’t be sorry,” Joe said with a sigh. He slid his arms around Leslie’s waist and rested his head on Les’s chest, tempting Les with the scent of his cologne. Cologne Les had sent to Joe years ago because he’d discovered it at a commercial shoot he was doing and thought it would smell great on Joe. Yeah, he was a sap like that. Joe had sent him back a video demonstration of just how he’d applied it and Les had wished he could climb through the phone and smell it for himself. “You know it’s one of the things I like most about you. Your honorable nature.”
Leslie barked out a laugh and rested his chin on Joe’s head, a move that made Joe squirm in his arms. His squirming, though, brought their bodies into contact in a way that made Leslie’s senses hyperaware.
Joe was here. In his arms. And wasn’t saying no to the job, which meant they’d have time to explore this thing between them. Leslie would do whatever it took to convince Joe to stay. He knew getting Joe to agree to the job was just the first step, and then he’d be able to work his magic.
“I’m not sorry about that kiss, though,” Leslie said, pressing his lips to Joe’s hair, inhaling his berry-scented shampoo. “It was worth the wait.”
Joe looked up at him. “I’m glad. There’s plenty more where that came from.”
And it would be so easy, Leslie.Joe’s lips were swollen and shiny, his pupils wide and his eyelids heavy. Leslie had a pic of Joe saved on his phone from his second season onDance Machinewhere he looked similar, his white T-shirt torn and his hair mussed in a bedhead sort of way. He was showing a lot of skin in that picture. Leslie had fallen asleep staring at it more than a few times while on the road.
