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Max huffed a laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything stupid slip out of your mouth.”
“Give me time.”
Max squeezed his hand. “Don’t. You’ve told me some of the insane things you’ve done, and you’ve got to have a brain to manage that level of crazy. And a general lack of self-preservation.”
“Hey, now! It’s because I’ve got a strong sense of self-preservation that I’ve managed to live this long and keep my friends alive.”
With a chuckle, Max leaned his head on Ed’s shoulder. Ed could feel his eyes fall shut as if something inside of him wanted to savor every little thing about this moment. He loved how Max could get all grumpy and snarky when he was around other people, but the second it was just the two of them, the man turned into a cuddly kitten.
“But to answer your unasked question, I’m okay. Better.” He released a groan and flicked at something on his pants leg with his left hand. “I don’t know. Calmer, I guess. Resigned. The news initially hurt. Yet after the shock wore off and my brain started functioning again, it wisely asked, ‘Am I really all that fucking surprised?’ And the answer to that is no.”
“It makes sense to be surprised. From birth, we’re conditioned to believe that our blood relatives are the ones we can depend on. The one group of people who are supposed to protect and treasure us. Even when presented with evidence to the contrary, we cannot break that conditioning overnight. It’s a long and painful process that often requires us to find a new family to replace the faulty one.”
Max snorted . “See. I told you. Nothing stupid coming out of your mouth,” he teased only to have it end in a sigh. “But what you’re saying is that I haven’t completely broken the conditioning, and I’m still looking for my replacement tribe.”
“Yes, but the best part about getting that new family is that they are one you’ve handpicked. And because you’re so damn smart, I have no doubt that your new family will be brilliant and protective just like you.”
“I don’t know. Alexei has been pretty adamant about adopting me. If this is going to be my new family, I have some serious questions about my sanity and so-called smarts.”
Ed chuckled. “Yeah, but that family comes with me. That helps to balance things out, right?” A little bubble of panic formed in his chest. Was this too fast? Was he pushing things when he shouldn’t? Max already had enough to worry about. He didn’t need this too. Right?
However, the man beside him showed no signs of struggling with the question. In fact, he was up and straddling Ed’s lap in the blink of an eye. Ed froze, his poor brain trying to take in all the delicious points of contact. Knees pressed tightly to his hips, hands sliding up his chest to rest loosely on the nape of his neck, thighs pressed into his thighs, and groin… Oh God, yes!
Max was the perfect, neat package of sexiness and grumbly snark that he’d been dying to get his hands on, but he was hesitating. Where did he put his hands? Waist? No. Hips? Maybe.
Cupping that sweet ass was his first choice so he could bring that lithe body in tighter, grinding their cocks together through their jeans. Yeah, the moment Max had jumped into his lap, his dick had gone from chill to hard frighteningly fast. The sudden blood loss had left his brain struggling to keep up with what was happening.
“If we’re family, how do you see me?” Max’s tone became light and taunting. He leaned forward and brushed his lips along Ed’s jaw. “The cute little brother?”
“Definitely not.” He turned his face to capture Max’s lips, but he darted away and moved to the other side of his face.
“How about the beloved cousin?” Max pressed a kiss to his neck just below his ear.
“No.”
Max straightened and arched one eyebrow at him. “Well, I’m not calling you daddy. Even though I might like it if you spank me.”
Ed choked on air for a second. That was not what he’d expected to hear, and now he had the image of his large hand landing against lily-white skin, turning it a light pink while Max moaned underneath him. He’d never been into spanking before, but he could give it a go if that was what Max wanted.
The man in his arms cackled and shifted closer, dragging a moan from his throat as they rubbed together through their jeans. “I was just teasing you, but it looks like some part of you is interested in the idea.”
Max moved his hips and Ed couldn’t hold out any longer. He grabbed Max’s ass with both hands, digging his fingers into the cheeks as much as he could through the jeans and pressing them closer. Max whimpered, his fingers gripping Ed’s shoulders.
