Page 55 of Just a Bit Guarded

Because Will’s behavior was driving him crazy. Gadiel didn’t know how to read him.

Willwatchedhim. He rarely let him out of his sight, his eyes watching his every movement. Was he just being an overzealous bodyguard or was it something else?Gadiel had no idea.It was entirely possible he was being pathetic and reading too muchinto Will just doing his job. He wasn’t exactly an unbiased party, after all.

The most frustrating thing was, although Willhad said several times that what had happened between them was a mistake, he... hetouchedGadiel. All the time. It was never anything lewd—an arm around his shoulders, a hand on his lower back, on his nape, on his ankle, fingers tipping up his chin to get his attention; stuff like that—but the personal space between them seemed nonexistent these days.Partly it was probably because the cramped living quarters forced them to constantly invade each other’s personal space, but was it the only reason Will was so handsy with him? Will’s strong hands seemed to be always on him.Guiding him. Steering him. Gently but firmly moving him aside if Gadiel was in the way. Will moved him like he had every right to put his hands on him. Something about it made him all hot and squirmy on the inside. He couldn’t get enough.

He’d never get enough.In truth, he was hopelessly addicted to Will’s attention and his touch—hopelessly addicted to Will.

He didn’t know what would happen if—when—Will was taken away from him.

***

“Gadiel.”

Gadiel shivered. Will had a way of saying his name, firm but gentle, that made him all warm on the inside. Molten.

“What?” he said belatedly.

“You’re in the way,” Will said, a note of amused exasperation creeping into his voice. “Again. I need to open that fridge if you want to eat something warm for dinner.”

Gadiel blinked innocently. “It’s not my fault there’s so little space,” he said, not moving. His body was already tingling in anticipation. Will was going to touch him. He was going to put his hands on him and move him. Like a thing. His thing.

“Of course it isn’t,” Will said dryly, laying his hand on Gadiel’s nape and applying pressure to move him aside.Gadiel nearly moaned from how good it felt and had to bite his bottom lip. Their gazes locked, and heat pulled to Gadiel’s crotch. He wondered what Will would do if he grabbed Will’s hand and put it between his legs, if he ground against it until he brought himself off.

Gadiel blushed, hoping his lewd thoughts weren’t written all over his face.

Something flickered in Will’s eyes before he looked away and opened the fridge.“But you don’t have to be so close while I make dinner. You can sit on the couch.”

“But I want to help you.”

“We both know you’re hopeless in the kitchen. I never thought I’d meet someone more terrible at cooking than Scott, but you proved me wrong.”

Gadiel pouted at Will’s back. “Now you’re just being mean.”

“Kid, you nearly burned the apartment down the other day.”

Gadiel winced, but try as he might, he still didn’t feel particularly bad about it. How could he, when Will had been so intense and overprotective afterward? Will had patted him downtwice after extinguishing the fire, alternating between scolding him and asking if he was okay. Gadiel had been okay. He had been so okay that he had been embarrassingly close to coming from all the fussing, scolding, and touching.

Anyway.

“It was an honest mistake, don’t be a bore!” Gadiel said, stepping into Will’s personal space and pressing his cheek between Will’s shoulder blades. He breathed in. “Maybe you could teach me how to cook? I’m a fast learner.”

Will’s back was tense against his face. But he didn’t say anything about Gadiel being all over him.

Gadiel bit his bottom lip. He wanted so badly to run his hand over Will’s chest, his abs, and grope his cock, but he didn’t dare to. It wasWill. Gadiel was scared shitless of losing the affection he saw in his eyes if he pushed too hard.

So he pulled back and tried to act normal over the next hour as Will taught him how to makechicken cacciatore—or rather, supervised him as Gadiel made it.

It was a miracle that he hadn’t burned the kitchen down, considering how distracted he was by Will’s gaze and attention.

“Good job,” Will said when they sat down to eat.

Gadiel beamed at him and, unable to contain the hungry, needy monster inside him, leaned over the small table and kissed him on the stubbled cheek. “Thankyou. I only managed it thanks to you.”

Will laid his hand on Gadiel’s chest, probably to stop him from toppling over, and his thumb grazed Gadiel’s nipple through his T-shirt. Gadiel whimpered against Will’s cheek,going half-hard.Will tensed up for a moment before gently but firmly pushing him away. “Let’s eat while the food is still hot,” he said, picking up his fork again.

Swallowing a whine of disappointment, Gadiel shifted his attention to the food on his plate. He ate, barely tasting it.

He didn’t understand Will at all.

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