Josh’s smile was still dreamy, and he threaded his fingers through Liam’s hair, probably sending the ringlets into fabulous disarray.“Oh, like I’m letting you go now,” he purred.“Now kiss me, like I asked, or I’ll get pushy.”
Liam’s smile felt like it took his entire body to achieve, and he nipped playfully at Josh’s kiss-swollen lips until Josh took his mouth and ravished him.
And still moving inside his lover, they began again.
Ladies and Gentlemen I Present You….
THEY FELLasleep eventually, Josh tucked inside Liam’s embrace like he’d apparently always should have been, only to be awakened by the alarm from his phone on the floor.
“Crap,” Liam mumbled, finding his own phone on the bedstand.“We should beleavingnow.”
Josh ran his lips over Liam’s bicep, practically purring.“We can be a little late,” he said, conscious that he was the one who’d said they should be at Glencoe at two.“We can get some lunch, take our time….”
“Wow,” Liam said, chuckling.“If your parents had known this was what it took to get you to relax—”
“Don’tfinish that sentence,” Josh said, laughing.Carefully, he swung his legs over the bed and took stock.Lower body?Completely debauched, ass a little achy, everything else floaty.Perfect.Upper body?Shoulder hurt like hell and, oh, hey, headache developing from who knew?Not eating enough?Eating too much?Endorphins?Anti-sex chemo residue?Whatever.Josh was tired of his fragile body’s fragile body reactions.He wasn’t giving up what he and Liam had done,literallyto save his life.
But he must have made a sound, because Liam was out of bed and heading for Josh’s shaving kit.He came back with a glass of water and a slightly stronger painkiller.
“Thank you,” Josh said meekly.“Why does my head hurt?”
“Dehydration,” Liam said with an evil chuckle, and Josh echoed it.Liam was still standing by him, hand out for the cup with the water, and Josh wanted to touch him.He handed Liam the cup and ran his hand over Liam’s taut stomach, his smooth ass.Josh, who was surrounded by muscular man-gods, appreciated Liam’s fitness without the showy muscles.
This was a man who could hug you and make you feel safe without cracking your skull on his biceps, and who could also hold his own in a fight.
It was a physical feature Josh found particularly appealing, especially now as he reasserted his familiarity with as much of Liam’s body as he could reach.
“Mm… none of that now,” Liam murmured, capturing his hand.“We really do have to get a move on.”
Josh stood creakily and leaned into Liam’s body.Liam set the water down and pulled him tight.“If I said ‘I love you’ right now, would it sound clingy?”
“Yes,” Liam murmured, kissing him.“Say it.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.No more pushing me away.”
“No more,” Josh promised, leaning his head on Liam’s shoulder.He didn’t want to admit it, but he wouldn’t have the strength to do that—never again.
THE HOUSEwas full, even at two o’clock, and the kitchen, as usual, was bustling.Phyllis was there, directing her minions, some of whom were prepping for dinner that night and a few who were making sure there were snacks available for anyone dropping by.
Phyllis had been a fixture in the mansion at Glencoe since Josh was very small.A midsize woman with spiral curls of brown and gray, she’d first taken the job because it allowed her to get her doctorate in philosophy while not requiring her todoanything with it—not teaching, not publishing, both of which she abhorred.She’d stayed because they’d become a family.
Now she greeted Josh with a smile, because she saw him nearly every day, but Liam?Liam she greeted with a squeal and a hug and a “I was so happy to hear you were back!”
“You know I only came back for you, my sweet English rose,” Liam said, and Josh chuckled because he’d really played up the East End in his voice.
And Phyllis ate it up with a spoon.“Oh, my good lad you are.Come to steal away this’un now that ’es come to his senses?”She’d been born and raised in Chicago, but she gave that accent her all.
“Hey!”Josh laughed.“You’re required to be on my side!”
“It was making you crabby,” she said primly.“Now here.”She shoved a plate of sliders into Liam’s hands.“Take these downstairs to the others.They’re excited to see Josh.Apparently they can’t have a proper breakdown of a job without him.”
“I thought that’s what you were doing this morning on your tablet,” Liam muttered, following Josh through the kitchen.
“No,” Josh said, thinking about the bare minimum report he’d gotten from Danny.“They were taking it easy on me.”
“I think if Interpol knew how much work criming was, they’d simply raise the minimum wage in most countries and watch the crime rate drop overnight.”
