Page 111 of These Wicked Hearts

“You literally are not.” He grins.

I lean in, kissing him gently without a thought. Slow enough that a soft noise leaves his lips. My fingers spread along his stomach, and when he pulls back, he looks up at me.

“There’s nothing simple about you, Atlas.”

My hands stay firm on his stomach. Neither of us moves, locked in this standstill. A rush of emotion so strong hits me hard.

Our mouths are inches apart, his breath mingling with mine. I’m sure he can feel my heart beating against his back. Then Gage kisses me again, slow at first, as if he’s waiting for my brain to catch up.

Gage slowly sets his guitar down then turns in my lap, straddling my waist. My hands curl over his hips. Then he leans in, pressing a deeper kiss against my lips.

Everything about it feels warm. A little dizzying. The lazy drag of his lips and slow grind on my lap making my cock take note. But he doesn’t move to do more, even though I know he feels it. The way he keeps rolling and shifting his hips would give me away.

“Atlas,” he murmurs into my mouth.

The way he says my name makes heat flow right through me.

“Yeah?”

Gage pulls back and looks at me for a second. “I love being strangers with you.”

I huff a laugh then kiss him harder. The tension snaps instantly. My hands slide up into his hair, fingers threading through the blue strands. Gage’s mouth moves against mine with growing urgency, while his fingers dig into my shoulders as if he’s trying to keep control.

My thumbs trace small circles over his hips as my fingers dip into his waistband, my hands on his ass. His hands trail down before dipping into the front of my sweats and cupping my length. I break the kiss and watch him

“Gage—”

“Yeah?” He strokes me, making my eyes roll back, but I take his hand out, ignoring his frown. “What’s wrong?”

I lick my lips and shake my head because I don’t know what’s wrong. Nothing is wrong. “Nothing. I just, I like lying here like this. I don’t, I mean, this is nice. I want to keep listening to you, though.”

Gage blinks at me for a moment. “Okay.”

I pull him in for one last kiss. My hands smooth up his back then hug him against my chest. He collapses against me, resting his head on my chest with my fingers slowly stroking along his spine. “Your heart is racing.”

You make my heart race.

As I think it, I shove it away for later. Instead, I adjust, letting him turn back around in my lap. He picks up the guitar and starts to play while I sit and try so hard not to tell him how much I feel and how badly I’ve fallen.

I hear footsteps and open my eyes just as Gage walks into my room naked. “Oh, hello, good morning.” I smile, trying to focus through the grogginess.

“Don’t get any ideas, we’ll have to head out soon if we want to get up there before noon.”

I look at him and follow his line of sight. “He’s saying hi.”

“Enthusiastically, it seems.”

I squeeze my erection and sit up. “Or, and here me out . . . we stay here, I don’t see Grey, and I let you fuck me. That sounds better, huh?” Unfortunately, he pulls his briefs up over his ass. “Come on!”

He turns to me, bracing his hands on my thighs, and leans in to kiss me. “While I would love to stay in this bed with you all day, I know that if we don’t get going now, you’re going to try and talk yourself out of it.”

“Pterodactyl.”

“Atlas.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “The safe word is for sex.”

“Come on! Why do you care? You have no robot in this fight.”

His lids cut to slits. “What? You mean dog?”