Page 60 of Cold as Ice

“Why you’re doing this? Why you’re . . .you’re in my space and in my mind and making it fucking impossible for me to focus. Why you’re . . .stuck in here and I can’t get you out?Why.”

Mal was pacing again, but he couldn’t help it.

Standing still was impossible.

“And,” he continued, because he couldn’t seem to stop his mouth from moving either, “couldn’t you put a goddamn shirt on to answer the door?”

Elliott didn’t answer. He just lowered his arms. Stood there, without an ounce of shame and let Mal look, and Mal goddamnlooked.

“Is this bothering you, Mal?” he asked. It was practically a taunt.

“Youknowit is,” Malcolm growled.

“Why is that, do you think?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you,” Mal retorted.

Elliott rolled his eyes, but his expression was full of affection. “Mal, you’re really a trip.”

“I just want to know why. Tell me why. Then it’ll stop and we’ll just . . .” Mal trailed away, because it hit him just then, sudden and with a nauseating swirl of panic, that he didn’t want it to end. He hated feeling this way. But he knew, already, that he’d hate not feeling it more.

“Fuck,” Mal swore.

Elliott pushed himself off the door, took a step closer and then another. Mal moved back, trying to avoid Elliott invading his personal space again, but Elliott caught his arm, gently. Gently enough that Mal could’ve shaken him loose at any point, if he’d wanted to.

And he didn’t want that either, it turned out.

“How about this?” Elliott asked intently, his eyes never leaving Mal’s. “I’m going to try something and if you hate it, I won’t ever do it again, okay?”

Nerves surged inside Mal, and he licked his suddenly dry lips. Nodded.

Elliott tilted his head up and kissed him.

It had been a long time since Mal had kissed anyone. So long. Immediately, he knew,this is what you wanted.

This is what you came for.

It was impossible not to be greedy about it, and before Mal knew it, his hands were framing Elliott’s face and he was kissing him over and over again, in deep, desperate bites, like he could eat him up.

It didn’t matter if he was just a temporary amusement.

It didn’t matter if Elliott didn’t even mean it. BecauseMalmeant it.

Someone groaned and Mal thought it might’ve been him—but he wasn’t thinking at all. Not anymore. He’d wanted this so desperately, and now that he had it, he only needed more.

More, more, more.

They stumbled backwards, Elliott’s back thumping loudly against the door, and then Elliott’s leg was wrapping around his, andoh God, that was his cock, inescapably hard, against his thigh.

Elliott panted into his mouth, and a hand coasted down his back, the touch practically a caress, and then squeezed his ass,hard.

Panic streaked through him and Mal jumped back, breath and hands shaky.

“What are you doing?” he demanded, even though he knew. Even though he didn’t want Elliott to say it out loud.

If he did, Mal might lose himself in the desire for it, again.

“You don’t know?” Elliott asked slowly. He looked as blown apart as Mal felt. Lips red and wet, hair mussed from Mal’s hands, chest heaving.

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