Page 19 of Finally
“This is nice,” Jack said, shifting to mirror Gray’s pose.
His intense expression immediately softening, Gray put both palms on Jack’s knees and then slid them up his thighs as he leaned forward. “Yes, it is.”
The years he had spent with Jaime had trained Jack’s body not to show arousal. Repeatedly getting erections with someone who didn’t have the same reaction had been in turn frustrating and humiliating and Jack’s body eventually did him the favor of stopping. By the end of their relationship, Jaime could walk out of the shower naked and Jack didn’t get hard, regardless of how long it had been since they’d had sex—and by the point, it wasmore months than Jack cared to count. That training was the only thing keeping him in check while Gray touched him that intimately.
When Gray’s hands reached the top of Jack’s legs, he spread them wide, tucking his thumbs into the area between Jack’s thighs and pelvis. “Jack?” he whispered, his face so close that Jack could feel his breath.
“Yes?”
“I’m going to kiss you now, okay?”
Gray’s intensity and passion were unfamiliar and, as a result, disconcerting. Unaccustomed to being in such a situation, Jack’s instinct was to lighten the mood by making a self-deprecating joke. But before he could do that and ruin a moment that, while foreign, was also exciting, tender, and erotic, Gray moved his hands to the sides of Jack’s neck and tilted his head until their eyes met. When Jack looked into those grass green eyes, he saw his confidante and friend, someone he recognized and trusted.
“Okay,” he said and licked his lips. “I’d like that.” Jack expected to feel Gray’s lips immediately, but instead, Gray kept their current position—Gray’s body leaning over his, Gray’s palms on his neck, and Gray’s gaze locked with his. “What’s wrong?” he asked breathlessly.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” Gray smiled. “Everything is exactly right, and I want to make sure I remember this moment forever.” He grazed his nose over Jack’s. “This is our first kiss.” He rubbed his cheek against Jack’s. “Our last first kiss.”
The anticipation combined with Gray’s proximity had Jack’s heart pounding and his lungs struggling to maintain a regular air flow. He heard Gray’s words, but they didn’t fully register because he was distracted by the feel of his hands, the scent of his skin, and the warmth of his body. “Gray,” Jack rasped.
“Shhh. I have you.” Gray slid his thumbs up and stroked Jack’s jaw. “You’re incredibly beautiful, Jack.” He moved evencloser, his lips a hair’s distance from Jack’s. “Absolutely stunning.”
Warm, soft lips pressed to his, and Jack stopped breathing. He reached forward and clutched Gray’s biceps, needing the connection to ground him. His fingertips digging into Gray’s arms, Jack sucked in air. When his lips parted, Gray slid the tip of his tongue between them, licking first Jack’s upper lip and then his lower one.
“Perfect,” Gray whispered. He moved even closer, tilted his head to the side, and pressed his lips more firmly against Jack’s.
With Gray’s taste and scent and touch surrounding him, Jack slid his arms around Gray’s back and clung to him as he melted into the kiss. Gray was right; it was perfect.
Chapter 6
“This is going to be my favorite of the classes.”
Chuckling, Gray said, “You made that same prediction after they handed us the recipe in the other two classes.” He moved closer to Jack and looked at the paper he was holding. “That doesn’t look too difficult. We’re pretty much mixing everything together and then pouring it into a pan and baking it. Thelavapart of chocolate lava cake made me think it’d be more complicated.”
“I’m here still fixating on the chocolate portion of the title, and you’ve already read through all the steps?”
“You do love chocolate.” Gray squeezed Jack’s hip and chuckled. “If you had to choose between a month with bread and cheese but no chocolate or a month with chocolate but no bread or cheese, which would you choose?”
Gasping, Jack reared back and pressed his palm to his chest. “Why would you even suggest something that horrible? Who hurt you?”
Gray burst out laughing. “I take it back.” He circled his arm around Jack’s waist and pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry.” He kissed Jack’s forehead. “Hopefully I didn’t cause you too much trauma with that hypothetical.”
“I’m going to have nightmares tonight.” Jack uncrossed his arms, hesitated, and hovered his palms over Gray’s pecs. “I’m going to blame you when I don’t get any sleep and can’t wake up in time for my run.”
Over the decades he had known Jack, Gray thought he had seen every part of him. Clearly, he had been wrong because the slightly awkward, definitely nervous glimpses he had been spying over the last couple of weeks were new. By paying close attention, he had narrowed Jack’s nerves to situations when thetwo of them were getting physical, but he hadn’t yet figured out the reason.
Gray had no idea who Jack had slept with since his breakup with Jaime because he hadn’t asked. Jack was just buttoned up enough to keep his sex life to himself, so Gray knew that unless he broached the topic, it would never arise. That wouldn’t happen because Gray didn’t want to hear any details about Jack having sex with someone else and he didn’t want to tell Jack about his own hookups.
He wished he had a little more information in order to understand Jack’s nervousness, but he was still too jealous to handle specifics so, in lieu of asking questions that could result in answers he wasn’t ready to hear, he was giving Jack time to get comfortable with him and taking the physical part of their relationship slowly. In the meantime, he was enjoying the hell out of the extra time and extra closeness they were already sharing. With that in mind, he suggested something he thought they’d both appreciate.
“I don’t know why you’ve decided to take up early morning running, but I’m happy to keep you company tonight.” Carefully watching Jack’s facial expressions, he tugged him a little closer, causing Jack’s hands to land on his chest. “I probably won’t be awake at the crack of dawn, so I can’t motivate you to get on the treadmill, but I’ll cook you breakfast after to make up for it. Plus, I can cuddle you and keep the scary food nightmares away.”
“Cuddle?” Jack asked breathlessly. “Like on the couch or”—he licked his lips—“in bed?”
“Whatever you want. I’m all yours anytime, anywhere, any way.”
Eyes wide and lips parted, Jack stared at him.
“I’ll be a perfect gentleman,” Gray promised before winking and adding, “well, maybe not perfect, but as much of a gentleman as you want me to be.”
