“Yeah.”
“Okay, so you do that, and I’ll tell you the basics first. You’ll deal seven cards each and leave the rest upside down. If you have a red three, then…” He word-vomited the rules at me, then reiterated it all slowly as we began to play. “It’s harder to cheat when we play one on one, but if we ever played against Ethel and Anabelle, we wouldn’t stand a chance—they had their own micro-expressions code and all. Those cheaters know how to cheat.” His smile faltered. “Knew. But Ethel still does it, even during a one-on-one game with me.” He slurped his iced coffee through the straw and met my gaze. “Anabelle would be happy I taught someone new.”
I caressed his cheek with my knuckles. “Now I’ll need to figure out good cheating techniques to honor her memory.”
Milo waved a finger at me. “Don’t you start.”
“Is counting cards cheating? ‘Cause I can do that. It used to drive my siblings crazy.”
Milo gasped, covering his face with his hand. “Math brain! Oh no.”
I nodded. “They all hated the little shit who’d beat them at any game I could calculate the result of.”
“Big brain and big dick. You really are a cryptid.” Milo giggled at his own joke so hard he rolled onto his back.
I leaned over him and braced myself on my elbows. “And you like that, don’t you?”
“Maybe.” He made a thinking face. “I’d have to test some functions again to make sure.”
I sat up and sipped my iced latte. “Sure. But, Milo?”
“Mm?”
I lifted one eyebrow in a mock-dissatisfied mode. “My coffee is missing a crucial ingredient.”
Milo chewed on his lip, his eyes glinting with mirth. “Are you complaining?”
“What if I am?” I grazed his ankle with my thumb.
“Then you’ll have to get your special syrup yourself. Milk it, as it were.” He snorted.
“With pleasure.”
“But then I’ll suck you off.” Milo tapped his chin with a finger. “Or maybe use my feet.”
“Only if you’ll let me lick them clean after.” I waggled my eyebrows.
“Deal.”
I patted his calf. “Wait here.” I stood up and went inside, returning with a small wicker basket full of necessities I’d prepared before.
“Food? I thought you’d be eating something else?” Milo’s grin was positively wicked. While I’d been gone, he’d undressed and now lay naked on his side with his head propped on his elbow. The early afternoon sun hit his beautiful body, bathing him in an unearthly glow. If I could blink and take a picture, I would. Then again, I’d remember Milo like this for years to come, I was sure of it.
“I needed coconut oil.”
Milo giggled and rolled onto his back. The completely unreserved way he gave his body to me astounded me to no end. He had nothing to fear from me, but neither had any other of my partners; yet they’d always approached me with caution, as if my height and build itself was a threat. Milo trusted me with his pleasure, and the sentiment was mutual. Was I ready to trust him with my heart?
Now was not the time to overthink my feelings.
Milo wiggled his toes at me, the cheeky little bean. I fell for it and grabbed him by the ankle, licking a stripe over his instep.
He giggled, but I tightened my grip and sucked his toes, moaning around every single one. “Your feet are perfect.” I kissed his shin and up his leg.
“Not tiny?”
“You informed me that size ten is not small, so no. But definitely ideal for sucking.” Throwing his legs over my shoulders, I licked a stripe from his hole to his balls, then took his cock into my mouth.
“Rowan!” Milo shoved his hands into my hair and arched to my touch.
