“For the purposes of speaking about my testicles, yes,” Sam said between breaths.Ian was making him crazy with the way his fingers were mapping out the shape of his testes through his skin.Sam strained toward him, wanting to get his hips as close as possible.
“Let’s go lie down in bed,” Ian murmured in his ear, then took the lobe between his teeth and tugged lightly, tickling Sam with his breath.
“Yeah, bed,” Sam whispered.“I think I owe you a blowjob.”
“No, I want a handjob, with your dick against mine,” Ian murmured against his neck.
Sam shuddered and thrust his hips toward Ian harder.“Not here,” Ian said, then nipped at his skin.“I’m not as young as I used to be.I need a mattress.”
Sam fell asleep after coming again, and when he woke up, Ian was wrapped around him and snoring softly in his ear.Fights must also tire him out.Sam extricated himself carefully, trying not to wake Ian or instigate an episode of the usual grabby arms.He finally made it out of bed and turned to look back at Ian.
Okay, the black eye was kind of sexy.It made him look like the kind of guy Sam shouldn’t be with.The kind of guy Sam never thought hewouldbe with (even if he’d kinda, sorta wanted to), and the kind of guy Sam had taken Ian for at first.
But he wasn’t a bad boy, not really.Ian was amazing; loving and careful of Sam’s feelings and his insecurities.He defended my honor.
Sam rolled his eyes and sighed, reluctant to leave, troubled by the faint rumblings in his heart.There was a revolt brewing there.In spite of his best intentions, he’d fallen in love, and his heart was planning to make him acknowledge it.
Oh sheesh, he didn’t really want to fight a losing battle, anyway.Maybe it wasn’t going to turn out well, and maybe he was going to get his heart stomped on, broken, then drawn and quartered and hanged, but dammit, he wasn’t going to be a coward and run from it, right?
Right.
You win, heart.I love him.
Sam was so absorbed in his book, he didn’t notice when Ian got up.He was lying on the couch, head pillowed on one end and feet propped on the other, a paperback clutched tightly in his hands.He’d reached an exciting scene.He was preoccupied.Sue him.
“Got a thing for studs in kilts, kiddo?”
Ian’s voice exploded in his ears, and Sam jerked in surprise, nearly falling off the couch, pulling the book up to cover most of his face.He peeked at Ian over the top of it.“No,” he said, voice muffled by his paperback.After a second he added, “Yes.”
Ian grinned at him.
“Maybe,” Sam continued.
“I thought you were supposed to be doing homework,” Ian said, prowling—walking(he really did read too many romance novels)—over to the couch.Sam lifted his legs to make room.Ian sat and pulled Sam’s feet into his lap.
He inspected Ian over the top of his book a few more seconds before finally dropping it with a sigh.His face felt hot.“I finished my homework and you weren’t awake yet, so I started my new book.”
“Your new romance novel,” Ian corrected, then grabbed it before Sam realized what he was doing, making him yelp.
Sam pouted.“Give it back.”
Ian ignored him and looked at the back cover.“A Highlander, huh?”
“Oh God,” Sam groaned, covering his face.“Please don’t make fun of me.”
Ian dropped the book on his stomach.“Sorry.”He felt Ian rubbing his feet.He looked out from between his fingers suspiciously.“I think it’s cute,” Ian said.
“Oh,” Sam said, dropping his hands.Ianseemedsincere.He wiggled his toes so Ian would pay more attention to them, maybe rub each one individually.“The first time I saw you, you looked like a Highlander to me,” he blurted.Dammit.
Ian looked at him blankly a few seconds.Then he said, “At that rugby game?”
Sam nodded and fidgeted with his book, running his fingertips around the edges of the pages and fanning the corners.“They’re in all these novels, they’re practically their own sub-genre.I thought ...”Sam took a breath.“Later I thought ...um, fantasized you were chasing me, and when you caught me you’d ...”He circled his hand in the air, making a “you know” kind of gesture.
Ian’s grin about swallowed his face.“Ravish you, kiddo?Throw you down and take your ass?”
Sam squeaked, then nodded, pressing his lips together and cringing in shame.
Ian lifted Sam’s feet off his lap, then stretched out next to him on the couch, nudging Sam until he made room.Ian nuzzled his ear and cheek.“I’d love to do that sometime,” he said softly, his breath on Sam’s neck making his skin prickle.“But I’m not as young as I used to be, and I beat up some guy this morning.”Sam frowned, trying to turn his head enough to look at Ian’s face, but they were too close together.“And yeah, I got beat up some myself.I think I might be tapped out for a while, kiddo.”
