“Shut up.”
Down the hall, a door opened, and a neighbor popped her head out. She saw them, rolled her eyes good-naturedly, and ducked back into her apartment.
Reece half groaned, half laughed. “You’re a menace to this building. And that wasnota lie.”
Grayson swung the door open. “You haven’t told me to put you down.”
“Put me down on thebedand I’ll forgive all of this.”
Grayson stepped inside, kicking the door closed behind them with his foot. He didn’t bother with the lights, crossing the space in two strides to tip Reece onto the studio’s bed on his back. He crawled over him and bent down so their faces were nearly touching.
For a moment, they were quiet, nothing but the sound of their twin breaths over the distant rumble of cars four stories below. The studio was dark, but downtown itself was lit against the night, and the surrounding high-rises illumined the large uncovered windows with a soft glow.
“I am feeling so many feelings,” Grayson confessed. “I don’t know where one ends and the next begins.”
The city lights danced across Reece’s face as he reached for Grayson, fingers twining in the hair at the back of Grayson’s head. “I got you,” he said, and pulled him down into an achingly gentle kiss.
Grayson let his eyes flutter closed, let himself be kissed, let the skill of Reece’s lips stoke the feelings running through him. Physical desire, which he’d never lost, but so many more feelings with it now, bright and sweet and urgent all at once.
“I can help you with feelings.” Reece slipped his hands under Grayson’s shirt, pushing the fabric up as he slid them over his bare stomach, his oversized pupils glittering with each catch of light. “Or I can make you feel so good that you lose yourself in the way your body feels.”
Grayson’s heart skipped with excitement.
“That would be option two, then?” Reece said slyly, tracing warm hands over Grayson’s skin.
“Fuck.” Grayson dipped his head, kissing Reece’s neck but breathing a little too hard to do it with skill. “You gonna read what I want like an open book?”
“Damn right I am,” Reece said unapologetically, his hands never pausing their exploration. “Going to find every word and every touch that makes these emotions rise.”
Grayson reached for the waistband of Reece’s jeans. “What if I pick option three?” In one move he popped open the button, flicked the zipper down, and bent his head, shoving Reece’s clothes out of the way so he could get his mouth on him.
Reece drew a sharp breath. “Evan.” His hands scrambled for Grayson’s shoulders. “Shit.”
His back arched and his hips lifted, and Grayson used the movement to get more of his cock in his mouth.
“Fuck.”Reece sounded desperate and already wrecked. “Fuck, Evan,wait—”
Grayson glanced up, and what he could see of Reece’s face was as dazed as if he was high. “I just started—”
“You don’tunderstand.” Reece was panting like they’d already gone three rounds, his fingers twisting Grayson’s T-shirt. “Making me feel good makesyoufeel good.”
“Well, yeah.” Grayson kissed his stomach. Reece groaned loudly. “And?”
“And?And the instant you put your mouth on my dick,it fries my empath brain.”Reece tugged at his shoulders. “Roll over.”
“But—”
“Now, Evan.” Reece tugged on him again. “And get your damn pants off.”
Reece’s tugs were gentle, because even worked up as he was, an empath was gonna handle someone else with infinite care. And obviously even if hehadused force, Reece wasn’t physically manhandling Grayson anywhere, but he obediently let himself be rolled over and onto his back. “I still don’t understand,” he said, toeing off his shoes and letting them fall to the floor as Reece kicked off his own sneakers.
“I feelall of it, allat once.” Reece had already shucked his jeans and was now yanking his hoodie and shirt over his head. “Do you know what it’s like feeling your mouth on me while I’m also feeling thatyou’reinto it?”
“Oh.” Grayson sat partway up, getting his own shirt off. “But this can’t be the first time—”
“It’s different with you.” Reece was stretching for the nightstand. “The way you feel about me—it’s different. Better.So muchbetter, Jesus Christ, I am going to have to work my way up to that.”
Grayson felt himself relax. He slid his jeans over his hips. “So it’s a good thing?”
