Page 124 of Cross the Line
I cant my lips to his. “I don’t need you to go easy on me. Ever. I can take whatever you give me, Sweetheart.”
A slow gasp drags my breath into his lungs, inflating his chest into mine. When he swallows, my words boomerang through me with a heated pulse. I shift back into the doorjamb, and he follows until we’re filling the doorway.
“We’ll see…” His grin ghosts my lips as he squeezes my hip and then pushes away.
There’s a pep in his step as he saunters towards the back of the house. Before he gets too far, I clutch his arm, halting his smooth strut.
Something flips in my stomach as he twists back into me. He waits. I search for the real reason for the unrest clawing at my gut.
“Jayden,” is all it takes for the words to tear loose.
“Please be careful.”
His face softens as he grips my hips and hauls me into him. His skates press into my shoulder. The sheathed blade cutting into the top of my chest as though I need a reminder of how dangerous our sport can be.
“There’s a lot going on, Eli, and I heard you on the phone with Connie last night…”
Deep, boring eyes narrow on mine. “Then you should’ve heard me telling her that I’m good. I’m focusing on the good shit for once, and trying to let go of the crap I can’t fix… That’s out of my hands. You know?”
I nod. Wishing that his words were enough to ease the weight in my chest. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t?—”
“If you want me to sit out and cheer for you instead, I can do that.” His mouth twitches. “You know, if you’re too… ummm… ch-ch-chicken…”
His fingers dig into a new spot on my hips, and I squirm with a full-body guffaw.
“Jayden Joshua Behnam-Morrow, did I just find your tickle spot?” The teasing lilt loosens the knot in my gut.
Another belly laugh shakes out of me, releasing the tension coiled around my bones.
“Stop it!” My laughter is choked by the rough jostle of our bodies. The heated friction sinks through each layer of our clothes as his skates fall behind him, and my hands slink to his hard ass.
“Stop? Stop what?” Eli leans in, tilting his lips to mine. His breath taunts across my mouth while his fingers continue teasing me into a contrary fit of giggles.
Giggles.
I’m a twenty-seven-year-old man, giggling like a schoolgirl.
Not cool.
This was not on my card for today orever. Impressed or embarrassed, I’m too wrapped in him to give worry more breathing space.
“You want me to stop this?” He asks with a sly lick across the seam of my mouth. At the same time as he tickles me again, my lips part, and he teases the tip of my tongue with his. “Or this?”
Fuck.
I don’t want him to stop. Period.
Before I can answer, he deepens the kiss. Tongue shoving into my mouth, he drinks up all the tension left in my body as I melt into him.
Just when I’m losing myself to the bittersweet green-tea taste of him, he pulls back, palm warm on my cheek while he sucks at his bottom lip.
Our chests rut together in breathless abandon. The hot banter cooling to something content and steady.
“I’m okay, Jayden,” Eli says, his voice tender and certain. “I’ve got it under control. I promise.”
I nod, and he adds, “Trust me, okay?”
I nod again, and his grip on my face tightens as he presses his forehead to mine.
