Jake dried his hands and prowled into the living room, making sure Riley was watching. Kingston glanced up when Jake stopped beside him, one pale brow arching in confusion as the silence stretched on for a few seconds too long.
“Can I help you, big guy?”
Jake shot a smirk at Riley and sat down beside Kingston, patting his lap like he was asking a skittish cat for attention, knowing he’d won when Kingston eagerly climbed on and straddled his thighs.
“You guys doing some dick measuring?” Kingston asked, chuckling as he glanced at Riley and stuck his tongue out.
Jake gripped Kingston’s chin and redirected his attention to him, mostly because he didn’t want there to be bickering, but also because he wanted to look into Kingston’s eyes. They were a pleasing shade of blue that suited his pale skin and freckles.
It was no wonder Riley had become enamoured with the feisty blond so quickly. Kingston brought an intense and bright energy to the room that was distracting enough to make you forget how beautiful he was, but it was hard to miss when he was so close.
“Your staring is the cutest thing,” Kingston said, uncaring that Jake still had a grip on his chin and was holding his gaze captive.
“I’m glad you find it cute and not annoying like some do,” Jake muttered, dropping his hand from Kingston’s face. “I know my actions can be off-putting?—”
“Who were they?”
Jake’s thoughts came to a grinding halt at the sharp edge of anger in Kingston’s voice. Whatever point he’d been tryingto make vanished the moment he caught the expression on Kingston’s face.
“Huh?”
Kingston was clenching his jaw, and everything about his body language warned he wanted to hit something, but Jake didn’t know if it was going to be him or a nearby wall.
“Who said shit like that to you?” Kingston asked again. “Do you know their names or where they live?”
“King, we’re not going to hunt down Jake’s high school bullies and kill them,” Riley said sternly, like he was scolding a child throwing a tantrum. “I handled it. Jake is just very self-conscious of the way he socially interacts, so give him a kiss and reassure him that he’s perfect and he’ll cheer up.”
The anger in Kingston’s posture slowly sizzled out, but he was scowling when he turned on Jake and tightened his hold on him. “Ifanyoneever gives you shit about that stuff again, you come find me, okay? Promise?”
Jake nodded so Kingston could relax, but on the inside, his heart was beating hard enough to hurt. It wasn't sadness making his chest ache—it was knowing that Kingston cared.
Not because he had to, and not because Jake needed looking after. Kingston simply cared for his well-being, and that fierce protectiveness settled something restless inside him. It was the same feeling Riley and Allen gave him when they hovered and worried and made sure he was okay. The same feeling that made Jake feel safe.
And every time it happened, it became a little easier to love him.
“I promise I’ll tell you,” Jake said softly. “Thank you for looking out for me.”
Kingston nodded and caught his bottom lip between his teeth, worrying it hard enough for the skin to turn white as a faint blush crept across his cheeks. The dusting of red only madehis freckles stand out more, leaving them scattered across his skin like flecks of paint.
Pretty.
The thought hit Jake with enough force that he acted on instinct, and he reached up and brushed his thumb across Kingston’s lower lip, easing it free from between his teeth. The moment Kingston’s mouth relaxed, Jake leaned forward and kissed him.
Kingston let out an indignant squeak that was swallowed by Jake, who grinned at the startled response. He kept the kiss politely chaste, giving himself time to acquaint himself with Kingston’s taste and sounds, mapping his reactions out in his head and storing the information for later.
When he finally drew back, both of their lips were swollen, and Kingston’s anger had completely dissipated. Satisfied with the outcome, Jake glanced across the room where Allen was blowing kisses at him, and Riley?—
Riley had his mouth pressed to Allen’s neck and was deliberately sucking a dark bruise onto pale skin where it would be impossible to hide. The bastard maintained eye contact the entire time, looking at Jake like he was daring him to comment on it.
Fine. It was a draw.
“Why do you have to make everything a competition?” Jake asked, unable to keep the sulkiness out of his voice.
Riley shrugged and pulled back, revealing the full extent of the damage he’d left behind. “Just trying to properly motivate you, Mousey.”
Allen immediately looked to Jake for an explanation, but Jake shook his head. There was no way to explain what was happening without ruining his plans for later.
He still had chilli to cook and four agonizing hours to wait before he could ask Allen the question he’d been carrying aroundsince Christmas. Four hours of pretending to be normal. Four hours of keeping his mouth shut.
