“I’ll still wait.” Graham pressed closer, his arms warm as he tightened his grip on Thad. “I can be patient.”
“Even if I can’t spend the night? Even if I’m not here as much as you want me to be?” Thad whispered.
“Yes. Even then.”
Fuck, I love you,Thad thought again, and he wanted to say it aloud, but he couldn’t. Not yet. “I want to be what you need,” he said instead.
“Youare,” Graham said and the confidence in his voice made Thad lift his head.
There was something fierce in his eyes now, that same look he got when he was tearing down the ice, intent on scoring a goal.
When no opponent could stop him.
That breathless, beautiful look of determination made Thad reach out and cup his cheek because it was aimed athim.
But they weren’t opponents. They were in this together. And Thad had to trust Graham’s determination was enough to drag them to the finish line.
“Thad, when I saw you sitting on the floors of HCI that day, I didn’t—I didn’t stop to talk to you because you were handsome and cocky and all of the things you tried to show everyone you were. I stopped because you looked like you needed a friend. Let me be yourfriend,” he whispered. “I don’t want that part to change for us. No matter what happens in our romantic relationship.”
Thad drew in a sharp breath, tracing his thumb across Graham’s cheekbone.
The grip on his waist tightened as Graham looked him in the eye. “I want to be your boyfriend, your partner in the future, but above everything else, let me be yourfriend. Let me be there when you need it. Whatever this is, however long it takes you to get where you need to be, just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t give up on us. Don’t give up on yourself.”
“Technically that’s two things,” Thad murmured.
Graham laughed softly. “I was trying to be all serious here.”
“Sorry.” Thad forced the smile that had been teasing at the corners of his mouth to go away. “Continue.”
“Youdeservegood things, Thad. You’re a good person, whatever you say about yourself.” Graham’s tone was earnest.
Thad bit down the urge to argue like he had earlier with Harlan.
“So let yourself be happy. With me.”
“Okay,” he whispered. “Okay. I promise I’ll try.”
The relief on Graham’s face made Thad want to lean in and kiss him, but before he could, Graham took Thad’s hand, tugging him toward the bedroom. “C’mere.”
So Thad followed.
In the bedroom, Graham stripped off his clothing, then got to work on Thad’s.
For a moment, Thad stood there, his head reeling with everything that had happened.
But when Graham stepped close again, settling his warm, solid body against Thad’s, he quickly got on board.
He pressed his lips to Graham’s, sighing at the familiarity of his taste. He liked the small sounds Graham made as they kissed, the way his back felt under Thad’s palms as he ran his hands along the smooth, muscular planes.
He liked the way Graham slipped his tongue between Thad’s lips and kissed him like he never wanted to stop.
And Thad didn’t either.
For a little while, Thad stood there with his nose full of Graham’s scent and his cock hardening against Graham’s stomach as they kissed. And when the urge for more was finally too strong to ignore, he walked them backward toward the bed, tumbling onto it and pulling Graham down over top of him.
