Page 45 of Luxuries of Lust

“Your brain gets quiet?” Rusty asked, the joint still hovering in front of his mouth.

With a nod, Gem plucked it from Rusty’s loose grasp and took another deep drag. “Yeah, my head is so loud all the time, andmy meds help. They take the edge off and help me think around all the noise, but the noise is still there. An annoying buzz instead of an overwhelming cacophony. But weed or a toe-curling orgasm? That’s when my brain is blissfully quiet, at least for a little while.”

Rusty inhaled the burning smoke, letting it fill his lungs and sit there for several long seconds. Then he exhaled and said, “Sorry. That must be exhausting.”

Shrugging loosely, Gem took another hit. “It’s just my lot in life, I guess. If that’s the worst I have to deal with, then I am insanely fortunate.”

As Gem handed the joint back to Rusty, he stretched and wandered to his bedroom, disappearing around the room partition. “I’m gonna change. You wanna borrow my juicy shorts again?”

“I’m good,” Rusty said as took another long, deep drag. The smoke burned exquisitely, sweeter than the spicy tobacco he usually liked, but he relished it all the same. Smoking was the one vice he indulged.

The doorbell rang, and since Gem was changing, Rusty answered it, joint dangling from his lips as he took the food Gem had ordered. He handed the guy a tip, then kicked the door shut behind him as he carried the bags into the living room.

“Want water?” Gem called from the kitchen, and Rusty grunted an affirmative as he opened the food boxes, stomach rumbling at the savory scent of Pyclese rice and minced meatballs, honey and chili seasqynt, and salted kili-stuffed rolls. He didn’t know why Gem had ordered Pyclese food, but he wasn’t going to complain.

“That is some good weed,” Gem said as he crossed the room and placed two water glasses on the coffee table. “I’m already feeling it.”

Glancing up, Rusty froze, mouth parting enough that the joint fell from between his lips and rolled across the coffee table. He must have been feelingthe weed too, because his brain had gone eerily blank, gaze catching and holding on Gem’s legs. His long, long legs. They were bare and thick and covered in artful swirls of color he wished he could see.

Now, Rusty had seen Gem in booty shorts before. He’d seen him in mini-skirts and cocktail dresses. Hell, he’d technically seen Gem naked—though that had been when Gem was drugged and sick, so Rusty had done his best not to reallylook, wanting to offer Gem whatever privacy and dignity he could.

So this wasn’t the first time Rusty had seen Gem’s legs, but for some reason, the cloth booty shorts Gem had changed into were making his brain glitch. They were a light color—yellow, Rusty thought—and so short he could see the slightest swell of Gem’s asscheeks. They were nice, and Rusty wondered if the design of color on his thighs painted his ass as well.

He followed the color swirling down Gem’s thighs where it disappeared into the striped fur under his knees. He had pretty knees, which wasn’t something Rusty had ever noticed about a person before. But, yeah, Gem had nice knees, as knees went.

“Rus?”

Two hands landed on Gem’s hips, bringing attention to his cropped tank top that was either very old or purposefully frayed to appear worn. It revealed Gem’s lean, smooth stomach and the jeweled piercing tucked into his belly button, and for the briefest of moments, Rusty wondered what that expanse of skin would feel like… or taste like.

Which was the weirdest, most horrifying thought he could ever think. What the actual fuck was in that weed?

“Rusty?” Gem said again, louder this time, and it jarred Rusty out of whatever drugged trance he’d fallen under.

“Huh?”

Gem blinked his large eyes lazily. “You okay?”

Rusty nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“You sure? You’re looking at me like… Honestly, I don’t even know. You’ve never looked at me like that before,” Gem said, and heat prickled over Rusty’s scalp. “Are you mad at me? Did I order the wrong stuff? I thought you’d want Pyclese food.”

“The food’s fine. It’s good. Great, even. Everything looks”—Rusty’s gaze dropped, once again, to Gem’s legs—“great. You have nice knees. Did you know that?”

Gem blinked in a wave from left to right. “What?”

Honestly, Rusty wanted to ask himself the same question, becausewhat?

“Uh, nothing. I didn’t mean it like that,” he said.

“Like what?” Gem asked, and Rusty shrugged.

“I don’t know. I just meant they’re objectively nice. Not everyone has nice knees, but you do. Just thought you should know,” Rusty said, and oh my gods, why was he still talking?

“Thank you?” Gem said, though his tone lifted at the end, making it almost a question.

“It’s no big deal. Don’t make it weird.” Rusty splayed his suddenly clammy palms. “Why are my hands so sweaty?”

Wrapping an arm around his middle, Gem burst into laughter, and Rusty scowled. Well, he tried to scowl, but Gem’s laugh was so happy and bubbly that he found himself smiling instead. He liked when Gem laughed and smiled and… Well, he just liked when Gem did all the things.

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