Page 45 of Sugar

Piper laughed. “Better than I have in years. Thank you.”

Juno grinned and turned his head to give him an awkward, sideways kiss. “Good. I did too. Even with the snoring.”

Piper’s face blazed hot. “I didn’t know I snored.”

Juno burst into laughter and turned, setting his coffee down to kiss Piper for real. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s cute. You make this little ahh-mimimi sound.”

“There’s no chance in hell I do that,” Piper argued, reaching for him.

Juno laughed harder as he danced away from Piper’s grasp. “I’ll take a video tonight.”

With a growl, Piper caught him and pressed him against the counter, dipping his head low to speak almost directly against his lips. “Not if I fuck you unconscious, you won’t.”

Juno shuddered, all the laughter gone from his voice. “Promises, promises.”

“Now that I know I can…I will.” Piper kissed him a little more fiercely, then stepped back with a grin. “You can show me the night after that.”

Juno blinked, then burst into a fit of giggles. “You’re so weird. I love that.”

It wasn’t an I love you, but it was something. Piper hoarded the words behind the beat of his heart as he went for the fridge and pulled out a protein shake and shoved it into his backpack. He grabbed coffee after that, then added a few snacks and snagged a banana from the fruit bowl as Juno watched him.

“You ate something, right?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Juno said, then wrinkled his nose. “No. That doesn’t sound right.”

Piper chuckled as he peeled the bottom half of his banana, broke it in half, then ate a piece. “Is that something you’d be interested in?”

Juno shook his head. “Miles—my best friend—he’s got a thing like that going with one of his boyfriends. Emmett,” Juno clarified. “They were trying to keep it quiet while I was there, but I heard him a couple of times. It was kind of sweet.”

“It’s not something I’ve ever considered, but I get it.” Piper finished his banana, then tossed the peel and beckoned Juno close. When he had him in his arms, he tipped his chin up. “You can call me whatever you want.”

“Schnookems?”

Piper rolled his eyes.

“Sweetie-pie. Peach pit? Blowfish?”

Piper choked on his laugh. “Blowfish?” Juno made a fish face with his lips, and Piper heated up. “God, please tell me that’s not what I look like when I’m sucking you off.”

Juno blinked owlishly, but before Piper could panic, he burst into laughter. “No, honey. That’s not what you look like. You look so fucking hot it’s almost torture not to nut the second your mouth is on me.”

Fuck, Piper loved the way he talked dirty. He pressed his thumb to Juno’s lower lip, forcing his lips to part, and then he laid a wet, messy kiss to his mouth. “We can continue this discussion after the hike.”

Juno was on board. He left Piper to finish his breakfast while he got ready, and just as Piper was tossing the last of the unfinished oatmeal into the trash, Juno appeared. He was wearing skintight hiking pants, boots, and a long-sleeve Lycra shirt, and his hair was tied in a loose bun at the nape of his neck.

He looked like he ran an aesthetic adventure Instagram, and Piper was wildly turned on. And more than glad he hadn’t taken his Viagra. Turning away to compose himself, he grabbed their travel waters, slipping the strap of his own around his shoulder. He had salt pills with him, emergency stuff for his heart in his bag, and a first aid kid.

“This isn’t actually mountain climbing, is it?” Juno asked, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

Piper shook his head. “My brother always gave me shit for being such a Boy Scout, but he never complained when I always had something to patch him up with.” He hooked the strap of his backpack in the crook of his elbow. “I’ve never done this hike, but it’s pretty short. We’ll have to deal with a little water and a few hills, but that’s about it. I just like to be careful after everything.”

Juno nodded. He rubbed at his left eye—a habit Piper was starting to notice—and then he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Okay. Let’s do this. Eternal Flame.”

Piper nodded, then pulled him for a kiss before they headed out the door.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Juno had never been hiking before. Not really. He’d had plans to do it a few times with some guys he met who worked at the mall. He ruined one of his monthly eating-out budgets to get decent shoes and an outfit. Then plans fell apart.

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