He threw another punch, hard enough to send pain straight up his arm. It grounded him and kept him from doing what he wanted most—driving across the city, pounding on Liam’s door, and taking what was his.
Jacob’s divorce had been finalized yesterday. No noise, no fight, just the quiet end of something that had never been built to last. He was only starting to see that now. What he and Caroline had was comfortable and convenient, but it had never been enough to build a life on. He finally understood that being stable wasn’t the same as being happy.
He had given Caroline everything she asked for—more, even. It was the least he could do. She would never have to worry about money again.
The bag swung toward him and he caught it with both hands, steadying it against his chest. His arms trembled from exertion, and his shirt clung damp to his body, but the restless energy inside him wouldn’t settle. He pressed his forehead to the bag, trying to steady himself, but Liam’s face was there every time he closed his eyes.
The doorbell rang, catching him off guard; he wasn’t expecting anyone. He pulled the gloves off, dropped them on the bench, and wiped his face with the towel before heading to the door.
When he pulled it open, the world narrowed to one thing—Liam.
He stood there with his hood up, shoulders hunched, hands jammed into his pockets like they might give him away. He looked exhausted, caught between bolting and breaking. He was so fucking gorgeous that Jacob’s chest clenched hard enough to hurt.
Liam met his eyes. “Hi.”
Jacob just stepped aside, letting Liam pass without a word, the door clicking shut behind them.
“I shouldn’t be here,” Liam said after a moment.
Jacob leaned back against the hallway wall, arms folded across his sweat-soaked shirt. “But you are.”
Liam ran a restless hand through his hair. “I was going to wait.”
Jacob’s brow furrowed. “For what?”
“To tell her first. To do it in the right order. But I couldn’t stay away.”
Jacob’s chest pulled taut, the question burning through him before he could stop it. “You’re leaving her?”
“Yes.” His voice was certain. No hesitation. “It’s not working.”
Jacob held his gaze. “What changed?”
Liam swallowed. “Nothing’s changed. That’s the problem. It’s been three months since I broke this off and you’re still in my head every damn day. I wake up with you there. I go to sleep with you there. I can’t scrub you out, no matter how much I try.”
The weight of it landed between them, honest and heavy.
Jacob pushed off the wall until he was standing in front of him. “So what are you saying?”
Liam’s jaw trembled. “I love you.”
The words ripped through Jacob, leaving him shaken, and for a long, suspended moment he could only stare. His hand rose without thought, finding Liam’s jaw, his thumb tracing the line of it with a reverence too deep for language. The touch was quiet, carrying everything he’d never managed to say. Liam’s eyes fluttered shut, undone by the contact, as if Jacob’s hand alone could unmake him.
“Are you sure about this?” Jacob asked.
“Yeah.” Liam’s voice broke, but his certainty didn’t. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
The dam inside Jacob ruptured. He caught Liam by the neck and crashed their mouths together—three months of restraint gone in a heartbeat. Liam clawed at his shirt, dragging it over his head before pulling him close, like he couldn’t bear even a breath between them. Jacob was no better; his hands were everywhere at once. He couldn’t stop. Every touch was hunger, every inch not enough.
Liam groaned desperately against his mouth. “God, I missed this.”
Jacob bit his lip and kissed down his throat, voice breaking against skin. “Then don’t leave again.” The next words were a growl. “You’re mine.”
Liam’s breath shuddered, his reply immediate. “I am.”
They didn’t make it far. Clothes were shoved down in frantic tugs and shoes kicked off as they slammed into the nearest wall. They couldn’t be bothered to look for a flat surface; there was no time.
Jacob’s hand wrapped around both of their cocks, squeezing hard, as Liam broke against his mouth with a moan that sounded wrecked. It made Jacob want to press him harder against the wall and take everything.
