“Nope.” Jackson grinned and looked into Park’s eyes. That heated gaze made Park’s toes curl.
It wasn’t perfect, their lovemaking. There were pauses and false starts, and at one point Jackson jerked Park’s body too hard and Park hissed in pain as he twisted his injured wrist the wrong way. But then Park spread his legs and cradled Jackson between them, and they kissedas Park tugged on Jackson’s hair and Jackson tweaked Park’s nipples.
“You ready for me?” Jackson asked.
“Always. Anytime, Jack. I mean that.”
Jackson smiled. Then he kissed Park and thrust his hips forward, pressing into Park hard.
It hurt a little, but Park didn’t care, because Jackson moved inside him. He moaned as the pain started to ease, as his body stretched to accommodateJackson. Jackson went slow, pressing in and out, shifting his hips in a tantalizing way, conscientious of Park, asking after what he needed. Park let his injured arm lie uselessly at his side, but he used his other hand to pet Jackson’s back, to encourage him.
And as they kissed, warmth spread across Park’s chest, arousal zipped through his body, and he knew unequivocally that he would neverlove another the way he loved Jackson. He wanted everything with this man: the domestic scenes, the mind-blowing sex, and even the marriage. One of these days, he would take those rings out of that little box and offer one to Jackson and it would be the two of them together forever.
“I love you,” Park whispered to Jackson, holding him close.
Jackson kept up a steady rhythm, thrusting likehe couldn’t not move his hips. He pressed his face against Park’s shoulder. “I love you, too. So much, Park. So fucking much.”
Park’s body took over his mind, then, and he arched into Jackson. Jackson crushed his mouth against Park’s and they kissed, long and hard. Jackson’s hands were hot on Park’s skin, like magnetic gloves pulling everything inside Park to the surface. Park felt truly nakedunder Jackson’s gaze, like his emotions must have been written all over his face, but he didn’t care because Jackson deserved all of him. Jacksonsawhim, and he didn’t have to be anything other than himself. Park threw his head back and surrendered. He gave himself over to Jackson’s teeth nipping at his Adam’s apple or biting into the skin near his armpit. Jackson’s hands were hot, smooth, andmagic as they glided over Park’s chest.
“Park,” Jackson said shakily.
“Touch me,” Park demanded, needing just a little more.
Jackson seemed to understand what Park needed, because he wrapped his hand around Park’s cock and started to tug at it. Then his hand flew, pumping Park hard and fast, which was all Park needed to catch up, to get wrapped up in desire and pleasure and Jackson,and then they clutched at each other as they went over the cliff together, everything white-hot and soaring.
They panted and held each other while they both came down. Park felt a little uncomfortable now and his arm throbbed, but it was nothing compared to having Jackson in bed with him, holding him, kissing him.
After a few minutes, Jackson rolled off Park and lay on his side. He proppedhis head up on his elbow. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” said Park.
“Those rings. I’ve been thinking about them all day. Were you really going to...” Jackson shook his head, as if the thought were too much for him to even contemplate.
“Yeah. I bought them around the time Ving launched, actually.” Park shifted on the bed, elevating his wrist back up on the stack of pillows andreplacing the ice pack that had fallen to the side. He winced a little as pain shot through it, but he tried not to let that show.
“God, I hurt you, didn’t I?”
“No.” Park shook his head. “You only loved me. Tucker did this. But I’m all right. Forget about my arm for now and let me tell you this.” He took a deep breath. “I planned to propose once Ving was sailing along. I wish that I had,but I chickened out, I guess. I got so caught up in the fact that marriage wasn’t really legal, and then my father started giving me shit about how being with you wasn’t the right move for me, that you were holding me back, that... I don’t even know. He never approved, I get that, and I’ll have to deal with him tomorrow, too. I let him manipulate me to suit his own ends, though, but I’m done doingthat. I live my life for me from now on.”
“I’m glad.” Jackson smiled.
“Besides, if I were really going to do it right, I should have brought you back to Uncle Oliver’s Noodle Shop. That’s where it all started, right?”
Jackson laughed. “They should give us some kind of discount, for all the time we spent there.”
Park leaned over and kissed Jackson again. He suspected they stillhad a lot to work out, but he was tired and didn’t have much discussion left in him. “Tomorrow’s going to suck, too,” he said.
“Yeah,” said Jackson.
“It’ll be worth it in the long run.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. I finally feel like my life is headed in the right direction. When I entered politics, I felt uncertain about a lot of it, never quite sure I was doing the right thing. NowI feel no doubt.”
Jackson smiled. “Me neither.” He maneuvered the bedding so that he and Park were tucked under it.
Park snuggled up next to Jackson, bringing the pillows and ice pack with him. “I’m wiped. Maybe tonight, we can just, I don’t know. Lie here and watch TV. Deal with the world tomorrow.”
“I think that sounds like an excellent plan.”
