CHAPTER 17
JOHN
The following morning,I slipped out of bed and left Brent sleeping. I didn’t remember him being such an octopus in his sleep, but I wasn’t complaining. Normally I didn’t care to be touched when I slept. But it was different with him. Even if I had to contort my body like Tom Cruise inMission Impossibledodging all those laser beams just to get out of bed. I even turned the pillows so that if he rolled back over, he’d have something to hug.
It all boiled down to no matter how clingy he was, I loved the feel of him in my arms, and how his squirming all night left hisJoe Maloneall over my skin. If I didn’t think he’d flip the fuck out and run, I’d tell him how I really felt with all the words. But I knew the best plan of action was to let him come to the conclusion we belonged together on his own.
I slipped out of his room and headed to mine for some shorts. Brent had been exhausted last night after his massage and collapsed into bed. So when he woke up, I wanted to have breakfast ready for him.
I’d just turned the coffeemaker on when I got a glimpse of him heading toward the kitchen. Clad in only workout shorts, hiseyes were barely open as he scrubbed his hands over his face. My eyes trailed down his chest before I turned away.
“Morning,” he said. His arms slid around my torso, bringing his bare chest to my bare back. He leaned his chin on my shoulder as he pulled me closer. It was exactly the reaction I’d been hoping for.
“Morning, sweetheart.” I tried not to give myself away.
“Whatcha doing?”
I smiled and turned so he was in my arms. “I was going to make you breakfast, but we don’t have much to work with. Do you guys ever cook?”
“If by cook you mean heat up a frozen dinner, then no. We eat out.”
“We need to fix that. How about I take you to breakfast then we head to buy some groceries.”
Brent smiled. “You know how to cook?”
“I do. And I’m going to cook for us tomorrow. We’ve got that dinner tonight.”
He leaned in and kissed my chin. “I think I owe you something this morning.”
I kissed the tip of his nose. “No, you don’t. Last night wasn’t about that. It was me taking care of you.”
“But I’m supposed to take care of your needs for the next ninety days.”
I ran my right hand across his cheek before curling my fingers around the back of his neck. With my left arm holding him to my chest, I took a little chance.
“Brent, I enjoy taking care of you and having someone I care about in my life. I’m a protector and a caregiver.”
He stared into my eyes, confusion still there. “What have I done to make you care about me, John? My own parents could give a shit anymore.”
I leaned in and kissed him sweetly. “We’re like peanut butter and jelly, you and me. We’re good alone, but when put together, it’s a perfect pair. You’re addicting like sugar and I’m the savory balance to your sweetness. Jelly may run, but the peanut butter isn’t going anywhere. We’re meant for one another. You just have to let me get onto the bread.”
I kissed his cheek as he took a deep breath. His chest rose and fell a little more quickly than normal. I hope I hadn’t sent him into panic mode.
“What if my brand of jelly doesn’t go well with your peanut butter?”
Smiling, I humored him with a response I knew the hurt young boy in him could live with. “The peanut butter and the jelly have a ninety-day return policy. If for some reason the jelly and the peanut butter don’t work together, they can be returned. But the peanut butter wouldn’t be the same without his favorite jelly.”
A smile crept across his handsome face. “Okay. I can try to do this for ninety days.”
I grinned and nodded. “Deal. But I might lose the receipt.”
And I pulled his mouth to mine as he melted into me.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Brent mused, rubbing his hands together like some kind of movie villain. We were early for the party, so I knew I had time to grill him.
“Why?” I asked, warily. “What have you done?”
He looked over at me. “Why do you assume that I’ve done something bad? Is the trust in our relationship already waning, Mr. Peanut Butter?”
