But.
If he said so, things would only progress further. He would have to take his clothes off. Have to bare himself completely, every inch, laid out. And then Landen would see. Really see. And everything would stop anyway.
And that, that would be far more devastating than just sayingnonow. Than pretending he didn't want this.
He finally looked up.
Landen was still hovering over him. His expression was open, waiting, patient in a way that made Adriel's chest hurt.
The words were there. On the tip of his tongue.
Yes. Stop. I don't want this.(You don't want this. You don't want me.)
But they stuck. Lodged in his throat.
Something flickered in Landen's eyes. Too quick for Adriel to understand. Too quick to read.
Then he shifted. Moved from hovering over Adriel to lying on his side next to him. His body snug against Adriel's, warm and solid. He propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at Adriel with those eyes, those impossible eyes.
"Do you trust me?" Landen asked, his gaze never leaving Adriel's.
Yes.The word came immediately. Without thought. Without hesitation.
He knew he shouldn't. Knew it was foolish. Knew where this had led the last time he'd trusted a man too far out of his league.
But.
This was different. Landen was different. Adriel didn't know how he knew, but he knew.
So he nodded.
Landen's hand came back. It didn't go for his skin. It went for his hand. Pressed against Adriel's fingers, the ones still clutching the edge of his sweater in a death grip. His palm covered them, warm and steady, and then it just... rested there.
His thumb began to move.
Slow caresses across Adriel's knuckles. Back and forth. Soothing. Gentle. The motion was hypnotic, calming, made Adriel's racing heart slow just slightly, just enough to breathe.
His eyes never strayed from Adriel's face. Never dropped to his body, to the skin he was trying to hide, to the parts of himself he was sure would make Landen run.
Adriel's grip on the sweater loosened. Barely. Just a fraction.
Another breath. Another loosening.
Then his hand went lax beneath Landen's. The tension drained out of his fingers. His hand softened, opened, let go. Let it fall to the sheets beside him.
Landen's hand stayed where it was.
Hovering in the air for a moment. One. Two.
Then it fell. Landed on Adriel's hip. The warmth of it seeped through his jeans, through the thick fabric, settled into his skin like it belonged there. Landen's fingers spread, covered as much of him as they could, held him gently but firmly.
His thumb found a small patch of skin.
Where the sweater had ridden up, just above the waistband of his jeans. A sliver of bare flesh, exposed and vulnerable. Landen's thumb pressed into it, barely there, a whisper of contact.
Then it moved.
Circles. Slow, lazy circles traced into that tiny patch of skin. Round and round, the motion hypnotic. Each pass sent shivers up Adriel's spine, made his breath catch, made his hips twitch involuntarily.
