Page 111 of Rules to Love By

Definitely not so Eli’s lips on his. Or his tongue sliding along Marcus’s lips.

He opened, letting Eli inside as he leaned closer, suddenly eager to banish the chill that had never quite left his core after his ill-advised scooter ride.

Tentative, he ran his palms down Eli’s arms. Why he was so reluctant to return the touch, he wasn’t sure. Shyness had never been a problem for him. He’d been with many men objectively more physically perfect than Eli and had never been afraid to touch them.

Gently, Eli slipped his tongue out of his mouth and lifted his chin, whispering as he kissed down Marcus’s jaw. “Go ahead. I don’t break.”

Oh, but I might. Marcus closed his eyes and held his breath.If I get used to this and it goes away. Nothing else can go away.He squeezed his eyes tighter.

Eli planted clusters of kisses along his throat. “You’re tensing up. What’s wrong?”

“Mmnn.” He lifted his chin higher.Nothing. Nothing is wrong. It’s all so gloriously right.And he was stuck in his head, unable to find his way out.It’s perfect.And he couldn’t find his way to pleasure even while Eli was drawing a roadmap to it on his skin with breath and lips and patience.

“Marcus.” Eli’s hands were back on his face, tilting him to the light, forcing him to pay attention. “That’s rule number one.”

“What?”

“Answer the question when I ask.”

“What question?”

“Any question. How can I fix it if—”

Marcus jerked away. “I don’t need you to fix me.”

“Not you. Us. What we’re doing.” He pursed his lips, and his shoulders slumped. “I told you I’m no good at this.”

“You were doing just fine.”

“You… weren’t with me.”

“It was good. You were good. I…” He wrapped both arms around himself. “Is this a sex rule or a dating rule?”

“What? It’s not—I mean…” With a huff, he moved in again and took Marcus by both arms, holding him steady, instilling calm with his grip. “It’s an all-the-time rule. You’ve spent a lot of time not saying the things to people that you need to say. And I get why. Iris was sick. Your uncle Johnathan didn’t give a shit. Tris had his own life to figure out. You were holding it together for everyone else. But here, you don’t have to.”

“You want my crap all over you?” The knife edge in his voice, designed to cut before Eli could by telling him no as all the others had, didn’t even make him flinch.

“Trust me, I am well used to other people’s crap. Sort of why they come to me.”

And ouch.The reminder dug deep. Marcus pulled away and paced to the bed. “I’m not them,” he practically whispered.

Eli’s footsteps followed him, but he didn’t turn.

“I know.”

“I don’t want their rules.”

“Marcus—”

“This is different. We’re different.”

“Yes.”

“That’s what you said. This is someplace you’ve never been before, and neither have I, so we don’t use all the rules you used with everyone else. We make our own.”

Eli turned him around. “Yes.” His touch now was firm, still gentle but uncompromising in a way Marcus hadn’t expected from someone who could be so soft on the outside. “Like the three-date rule. That’s new to me. To us.”

“You can’t force me to answer every question you ask, though.”

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