Page 56 of Home Ice

“I’m gonna come,” I warn him, and the way he moans around me proves he’s been waiting for this.

My ass tenses as I let go, flooding his tongue, hand gripping so tightly to his hair it has to hurt, but he’s not going anywhere. Not until he’s finished. He doesn’t tap out, just works to get it all down, and when he looks back up and meets my eyes, there’s no more teasing there.

Only something dark and powerful passing between us, holding more weight than I think I can carry.

Barrett’s eyes soften, and the moment passes. His tongue circles my oversensitive tip, and with me still in his mouth, I’m stuck in that place where I’m trying to go soft, but I can’t quite get there.

He looks so good down there.

“Damn, I wish I could take a photo of this.”

His tongue runs over me again, and then … he reaches into my pants, pulls out my phone, and passes it to me.

“Seriously?”

He just watches me. No answer. Doesn’t let my dick drop.

Mouth dry with nerves, I open my camera and point it at him. With the light correction on the screen, he looks even sexier. Eyelashes damp, cheeks still a shade brighter than usual, and lips a deep red where they meet my cock.

I take the photo, and as soon as he hears the shutter sound, Barrett finally releases me.

“Was that okay?” I don’t know why I’m suddenly feeling so damn insecure.

He stands, wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, then leans in and presses a gentle kiss to my lips.

“I think that was exactly what we needed.”

“Yeah?” I’m having this weird sort of comedown, almost like an adrenaline crash.

“Things have been … charged. Between us. These last few days really drove home how much I’ve missed you.”

I nod quickly. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“Things will never be what they used to be, but I really want to try and repair it, Jensen.” His fingers run over my jaw. “I’ll never be able to make up for what I did, but that doesn’t mean I ever stopped caring about you.”

“You have nothing to make up.” I tuck his dick away for him before doing the same with mine. I’m not sure what it was about the sex, but I think, genuinely for the first time, I’ve finally let go of my hurt. He never stopped caring, and I don’t think I even realized how much I needed to hear that. This huge weight shifts from my chest, and I’m finally able to enjoy the postorgasm vibes.

“You mean that?” he croaks.

“Yeah, I do.”

He tries to smile, but it gets caught halfway. “This won’t make things weird between us, will it?”

It’s the most ridiculous question he’s ever asked me. I unlock my phone to show him the photo I took. “I dunno. Do most best friends have sex pictures together?”

Barrett’s head falls back on a bashful laugh. “Probably more than you’d realize.”

“Want me to delete it?”

“Nope.” He does up the front of his shorts, then fishes out his car keys. “Maybe once you’re back in St. Louis, that will be the thing that makes you keep in touch.”

He’s teasing, like he’s always teasing, but I watch him walk around the car in the sneaky way I perfected long ago. He still makes me as curious as ever.

So I don’t say it, but I can feel it.

I don’t need a picture to keep in touch with him.

I never wanted to let him go in the first place.