AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jack sat up and reached for him, but he stepped back.
“Nuh-uh.”
Jack blinked up at him all innocently though the smile he was trying to hide gave him away instantly.
“My turn to take care of you,” he said.
Jack swallowed and Zero got stuck staring at his throat, imagining his lips and tongue all over it.
“I haven’t exactly taken good care of you,” Jack said, his voice thick with emotion.
He snapped his gaze up.
“You’ve taken care of me exactly the way I needed you to.”
“I haven’t but you know what?” Jack stood and grabbed Zero before he could step away, pulling him against his chest. “I think we should take care of each other instead.”
Zero frowned at him. “I thought…”
“I think it’s time we did this right,” Jack said and lowered his head, lips brushing the corner of Zero’s mouth.
He turned his head, catching Jack’s lips with his. The kiss was slow and soft. Nothing like any of their other kisses. Those had been frantic and rough.
This one meant so much more. This was the real deal. Jack wasn’t holding back, at least not where his feelings were concerned. He was kissing him like he couldn’t get enough of him.
Jack
His brain wasn’t too scrambled to realize he needed to do better by Zero. The man had seen something in him and, even though he didn’t know what, he did know that he wanted to deserve that look of reverence Zero kept giving him. Zero thought he was the strong one, that he was the one who’d been through so much. He knew Zero enough to know the man didn’t realize just how much he’d been through himself.
He wanted to earn that trust and affection Zero had given him from day one. Zero had protected him. From King that first day. From Sully. He’d protected him from the blast of that bomb, rolling him under him. He knew protecting him with his body had been instinct and he found himself almost dumbfounded that Zero’s first thought had been to keep him safe.
Last night Zero had even saved him from himself.
He knew he didn’t deserve the man in front of him. How could he? All he’d done was fuck up and treat Zero like he didn’t matter when in fact… he was falling for him.
Was he completely overwhelmed and scared? Hell, yes.
About how he felt for Zero? No. Not in the least.
He was overwhelmed because he didn’t know how the hell he was going to protect Zero because he was scared of anything happening to him.
He brushed his fingers across Zero’s cheek as he stared into eyes that both fired him up like nothing else and made him feel safer than he ever had before.
He pulled Zero with him onto the bed and kept kissing him.
He didn’t know if what they did could be considered making love, but it was special and all theirs. He touched every inch of Zero’s body, mapping out every dip and curve and committing it to memory even though he planned on exploring his body many many times.
When Zero came apart in his arms, he pressed his face against his neck and breathed in the scent of him, of them. It was the smell of passion and promises.
It was everything he wanted and everything he feared he might lose.
Chapter Twelve
Zero
JACK WAS spiraling. He could see it. Hell, he could feel it. He just didn’t know what to do to stop it or help him.
He was going to do everything he could to keep Jack from going back to prison. It wasn’t just about him being locked up; it was about the people who wanted him dead. They were all in there. He wouldn’t survive a day. Not even with Ricky’s protection, which he may not even have anymore.
