Page 86 of Flake It Til You Make It

“Well, you might want to make yourself scarce later, because we’re definitely going to be searing your eyeballs with all thisI love yousexwe’re going to be having tonight.”

Meoooooow.

“Yeah, you’re gonna have to deal with the imposition. Sorry.”

Meredith shot him a look from her blue eyes that spoke volumes.You’re not very sorry, at all.

And he wasn’t.

At all.

After scooping out Meredith some kibble as an apology, he put on his coat and scarf and took off towards Jolly Java.

On Sundays, Rocco usually closed about two or two-thirty, depending on how busy they were, and it was maybe a little bit selfish, but Taylor was happy when he pulled the door open to find that the coffee shop was quiet. Rocco was leaning against the counter, next to the register, typing on his laptop.

He looked up and Taylor was struck again by the way Rocco looked at him.

The way he’d been looking at him for awhile now.

Now he knew that look was love.

His heart clenched.

And the words, which had felt so trapped before, wanted to burst right out of him.

“Hey,” Rocco said. “I was just getting ready to—”

“I love you, too.” Taylor hadn’t been able to keep it in a minute longer. He’d had some pipe dream about waiting until they were alone, until he could try his best to make it as romantic a declaration as possible.

But maybe that didn’t matter at all, because Rocco practically ran around the edge of the counter and justjumpedinto Taylor’s arms. “I love you, so much,” he murmured into Taylor’s ear, and nothing had ever felt so right.

Then Rocco bit gently on his earlobe and murmured, “Rebecca offered to clean up and close today, because my family’s in town. So we can go upstairs right now, if you want. I have to take a shower,but—”

“I’m happy to get you as dirty as possible before getting you clean again,” Taylor finished.

Rocco beamed at him.

“I thought,” he confessed as they walked up to Rocco’s apartment, “that maybe they all might have scared you away. You know, with their Moretti-ness.”

“Hardly,” Taylor scoffed. “They’re a bit noisy, yes, and excitable, but they all mean well. They’re good people, your family. Not that I ever thought they could be otherwise.”

“I can’t believe they all just showed up, for Christmas,” Rocco said, unlocking the door. “I knew I missed them, but I didn’t even realize how much until they were all in my coffee shop.”

“Of course you did,” Taylor said.

Rocco shot him a look as they headed towards the bathroom. “Is that how you and your dad are?” he asked.

Taylor supposed he should have expected the question, especially with how close Rocco was with his own family.

“Sort of, I guess. I do see him. But he’s always so busy during the holidays, on all these committees, that I don’t want to push him to come out. I’ve got a family here, too. Trust me, I’m never alone on Christmas.”

“No, you won’t be,” Rocco agreed. “Come on, let’s get me all clean.”

“Dirty first,” Taylor insisted and lifted Rocco’s T-shirt off, tossing it onto the bathroom floor and then tugging his jeans down next.

It felt so right to follow them down to the floor, pressing a palm against Rocco’s bare chest, feeling his heart begin to beat faster, his cock hardening as Taylor leaned in and gave it an experimental lick.

Rocco’s hands buried in his hair, and the look of pure bliss on his face as Taylor let his dick slide between his lips was all Taylor ever wanted to see.

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