Page 66 of Laugh

“Yeah,” I murmur slowly, now studying his profile as he flips through the menu to find one of our favorite movies. He’s probably exhausted after spending so many days in the hospital, plus the surgery and the trip home. All of it must have drained him.

Brushing off his confusion, I settle in next to him when the intro to the movie begins. I’m relieved that he stays awake throughout the entire thing. My worry over his memory completely dissipates the further along we get into it, both saying the lines of our favorite parts. He nails every single one of them.

I love every second of it and I’m disappointed when the movie comes to an end. Sighing, I lean back and roll my head back to face my friend. He looks exhausted and I know it’s time for me to go home.

“Can I come see you tomorrow?” I ask him, not ready to leave, but knowing I have to.

“Please. Bring snacks too because my mom has already started making this whole notebook of all the things Ishouldbe eating. I’m going to starve if I have to eat in all the food pyramid categories.”

Giggling, I wrap my arm over his stomach and hug him. “Got it. I’ll bring all the candy and chips I can manage to fit in a well-disguised bag. She’ll never suspect a thing.”

“Thank God,” he moans, patting the back of my hand and closing his eyes.

“Get some sleep, podmate. I love you more than Ron Burgundy loves whiskey.”

Marcus is quiet for a moment, and I worry that he’s already fallen asleep. When a slow smile spreads across his face, my heart rate picks up. “Got it,” he says, leaving me hanging.

“Got what?”

“The best one.” Cracking an eye open, he looks at me, his smile broad and almost cocky, like he knows he’s about to win. “I love you more than Brick loves lamp.”

I explode, laughing into his shoulder. His shaking body as he laughs is so jittery that he almost bounces me off of him. Wiping away a stray tear, I sit up and smile down at where he’s laying against his pillow.

“Best oneever. Well played, my friend. Well played.”

I lean down and give him another hug before moving off the bed. His sleepy voice teases, “I’ve got lots of time to come up with more. Be prepared to bring your A-game.”

Tapping the side of my nose, I throw him a wink. “I’ll be prepared. Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Night, Harry,” he mumbles, already falling into a much-needed sleep.

“Night, Marcus,” I whisper into the room and shut the door behind me.

I wait outside his room for a few minutes to collect myself, then make my way downstairs. I’m ready to go home because I’ve got some serious research to do tonight.

Chapter 25

Waiting is the Worst

Haddie

When I went to work yesterday to talk to my boss, I decided to ask for the rest of the week off. Never once in all the time I’ve worked there have I taken a last-minute vacation. The few Ihavetaken were planned well ahead of time and approved after I ensured that they’d have plenty of staff to cover my responsibilities. They were happy to accommodate my emergency.

Right now, I’m curled in the middle of Beau’s bed, wrapped around him like a fucking parasite, and don’t want to be anywhere else. The feel of his bare legs intertwined with mine, his weight pinning me down to the bed, is heaven. It’s like I can live in a fantasy land where it’s only him and me, naked, snuggled, and if the hardness against my thigh is any indication, quite a bit turned on.

Sex is still new to me, and I can’t help but question if I should instigate. The worry that he’s not in the mood or he thinks I’m being silly is tickling at the back of my mind, but honestly? I really want to put his cock in my mouth.

It’s. Right. There.

Beau is still lightly snoring next to me, so I know that his hard on is a result of morning wood combined with my light,accidentalbumps up against him. We got home so late last night that we only had enough energy to shower and fall into bed in our towels, now wadded up somewhere at the foot of the bed.

I woke with my fingers idly playing with the sparse hair on his chest. When my brain was functional, I slid my hand down the little trail of hair leading to the glorious piece of him lying hard and pulsing against his lower stomach.

His skin is heated, and when my hand touches his stomach, his muscles clench from the contact. Biting the inside of my cheek, I glance up at him and reassure myself that he’s still asleep. That spot between his eyebrows is completely relaxed, and he’s at peace.Not for long, Captain Thor.

Trailing my fingers lower, I graze the skin just above where his cock is resting and giggle when I feel his hand wrap around mine. He doesn’t stop me. Instead, he moves my hand lower and guides me to wrap my fingers around his shaft and squeezes along with me.

We both release our held breaths at the same. I can feel him in my palm, scorching my skin and throbbing. I tucked my head against his shoulder, so he lets my hand go and reaches up to thread his fingers through my loose hair, then grips it by the root to tilt my head toward him.

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