Rye snuggled up against Jake a little more. “When you do that, I... just want to stay here... forever,” he said.
“Ah, well, maybe that was my plan all along.” There was a short pause, and then Jake let out a long breath and asked, “May I kiss the top of your head?”
The question was so careful and thoughtful that Rye hesitated, but only for a second. “Y-yeah.”
Jake smiled against him and then pressed the lightest of kisses into his hair. And it felt wonderful and intimate in a way. Rye sighed contentedly, and as he watched Jake’s fingers continue stroking back and forth across his hand, he foundhimself wishing he could tell Jake he didn’t have to ask anymore—that Jake could kiss him like that whenever he wanted to.
In fact, he wished... he wished he could kiss Jakehowhe’d wanted to earlier in the day, before all of everything had interrupted their beautiful morning together.
He closed his eyes and turned his hand over, happy but not surprised when Jake kept touching him, his fingertips tracing random patterns on Rye’s palm. He let out a small hum as his skin tingled with an odd warmth that he felt all the way down into his toes.
“I want to... kiss you,” Rye said quietly, and he shifted in Jake’s arms, tilting his head back. Jake gazed down at him with so much affection, Rye felt his heart stutter a little.
“I’d like that.” Jake brought his hand up to brush Rye’s hair back off his face, letting his fingers trail along Rye’s temple.
Rye shivered and then reached up and set his palm against Jake’s cheek. “You said that this morning, too, I think.”
“Ah, um, well, it’s true,” Jake said, his voice catching as he closed his eyes and seemed to lean into Rye’s touch.
Something about Jake’s words and how he said them, combined with the pure bliss in Jake’s expression, made Rye shiver again. He smoothed his thumb along Jake’s cheek, and then he stretched up just a little and touched his lips to Jake’s jawline.
“Mmm. You missed the target there,” Jake teased lightly, opening his eyes halfway.
Rye gave a small half-smile and shook his head. “I’m getting there.”
“Hmm.”
He repeated the same kiss, but just a little higher this time, and then again, letting himself feel everything—the coarseness of Jake’s beard, the tiny twitch of the muscle in Jake’s jaw, the warmth of Jake’s breath.
And then he pressed a kiss to the corner of Jake’s mouth. A tightness in his chest made him pause, and he took a couple of slow, deep breaths as Jake lowered his forehead to touch Rye’s.
“That was closer,” Jake whispered softly.
“Yeah, I’m . . . getting there.”
“Take your time.”
Rye laughed lightly but then ran his thumb across Jake’s cheek again.
And finally,finally, he leaned in the rest of the way and touched his lips lightly to Jake’s. The kiss was soft and full at the same time, and his stomach swooped in some unexpected, wonderful way. He made a little sound, some embarrassingwhimper or something, and he felt Jake smile against his mouth. That, too, felt wonderful and warm and new.
Rye pulled back and dropped his chin, his heart racing. His hand slipped down to Jake’s chest at the same time as Jake’s fingers brushed against Rye’s jaw, sending another sharp shiver through him.
“Mmm, that was more, uh, on target,” Jake said as he leaned closer so their foreheads touched.
And Rye laughed quietly and pressed his hand into Jake’s chest. He could feel Jake’s heartbeat—strong and steady, and he swallowed hard as a mess of new emotions began to overwhelm him.
He closed his eyes. “Sorry I... sorry I took so long.”
“Ah, no,” Jake said softly. “It was more than worth the wait.”
Those words seemed to settle in the warmth growing in Rye’s chest, and he let out a long sigh and nodded. “Yeah, I... think so too.”
Chapter Sixty-One
Jake
LeavingRyeaftertakinghim home on Thursday night was harder than Jake expected. He lingered as long as he could, taking Shirley up on her offer for dinner and tea and helping her do the dishes when they were finished eating. But after Rye quietly excused himself to go rest, Jake didn’t have any other reason to stick around.
