God, I was never going to get tired of that gorgeous smile. He curved a hand behind my head and drew me in, and just before our lips met, he whispered, “Deal.”
That kiss was relief and love and everything in between. So much tension I hadn’t even noticed before—in me and between us—melted away, and there was nothing left but this. Us. Two guys who had a ton of life’s bullshit piled on our plates, but still found our way to each other.
When we parted this time, we were both out of breath.Meeting his gaze, I wasn’t at all surprised to see an entirely new set of feelings burning in his.
“Now that we’ve talked all that through…” He grinned and tipped his head toward the stairs, then raised his eyebrows.
I returned the grin as I took his hand and rose.
And oh, yes, we were definitely on the same page.
CHAPTER 40
PEYTON
I’d had makeup sex a handful of times in my life, and there was always a certain amount of both relief and release. It always meant that whatever had driven us apart or put us out of step was dealt with. Maybe not completely gone or resolved, but enough that we knew we could move past it. Whatever lingering emotions we had from the fight, we channeled into the sex until neither of us could move and nothing felt insurmountable anymore.
When Avery pulled me down onto his mattress this time, it was all that and so much more. This wasn’t just landing in bed because we were back on the same page—it was coming home. I was absolutely turned on, hungry for his touch and aching to be inside him, but what we were doing now was a release in its own right. As if I’d already come once and now we were just getting each other spun up again.
Except I hadn’t come yet. I hadn’t come since the last time we’d touched. That hadn’t been all that long, really—not even forty-eight hours—but it felt like too damn long. And yet, just holding him like this, making out while ourhands rememorized each other’s bodies, was as much a relief as the most powerful orgasm I’d ever had.
How stupid was I to think this was a crutch? Or that he was half-assing any of this?
I moaned into his kiss and held him even tighter against me as I rolled us over onto my back. He sighed into my kiss as he settled on top of me, and I was dizzy with need and relief. Never again was I second-guessing him, and no way was I backing away from this because of past-driven fear. All the therapy and God knew what else it would take to keep me from being scared of ghosts—well, I’d deal with that later.
Right now, all I wanted was Avery.
He broke the kiss, and I chased his mouth until our lips met again. From the soft whimper, he didn’t mind at all, and we were lost in another long kiss that was somehow both languid and demanding. A kiss for its own sake, but also a means of driving each other wild until we were both shaking with need.
Hewasshaking when he broke away this time, and he touched his forehead to mine as he breathlessly whispered, “Would it be too much to ask for you to fuck me until I scream?”
All the air rushed out of me as I arched under him, nearly coming just from his plea.
“Not… Not too much to ask at all.” I slid my hands up his back. “This might be quick if I do, though.”
His grin was beyond sexy. “Then you’ll just have to fuck me again, eh?”
Whatever smartass retort I might’ve had faded away as he rubbed his dick against mine. “God, Avery…”
“Is that a yes?”
“It’s an ‘anything you fucking want but get the damn lube already.’”
His laugh was wicked and when I looked up at him, so were his eyes.
Oh my God, I was so in love with him.
And I wanted him so, so bad.
“Get the lube,” I whispered, the words coming out as more of an order this time.
Avery got the lube.
That wasn’t to say we made much progress toward me sliding into him, though. Too much making out. Too much getting lost in each other. Even when we finally got the bottle open, we only got as far as slicking up my dick, and then his just for the hell of it, and suddenly we were pumping each other in between breathless kisses.
“We’re both gonna come this way,” I murmured against his lips. “We’re gonna—I want to fuck you, baby.”
He made a sound that was both hunger and protest, as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to keep going like this or if he wanted what he’d originally asked for. Finally, though, he stopped, and when he lifted himself off me, it was my turn for a mix of“God, yes”and“wait, no.”
