Page 70 of Only the Small Bones
“I’ll do the honors,” Leland said, making a show of unbuttoning Franky’s shirt. There were playful catcalls and low whistles coming from the audience. Once the shirt was off, he kissed a scowling Franky on the lips before ushering him to his stool.
“I’ll pay for this later,” Leland muttered, not sounding at all displeased by the idea before sitting in front of his canvas and directing us through the first steps.
“Wow, this is really impressive,” Leland said to Ryan sometime later. Franky had made his exit off stage, and now Leland was walking around checking out the finished results. “Is this natural talent, or did you go to art school?”
“Natural,” I said, and Ryan glared at me. His mood had only improved while he’d been lost in his work. It seemed to worsen with Leland’s approach. “He, ah, lost his voice,” I explained when Leland looked between us.
A guy poked his head in from the bar area, calling for Leland’s assistance with something. He excused himself, setting Ryan’s canvas back on its easel. Ryan fished his phone out of his jeans.
Ryan:Can we go now?
“Yeah, of course. Are you upset with me?” I rested a hand on his forearm when he went to stand without responding. He stared at me, his expression shifting from anger to a strange sort of resignation. He shook his head no, and worry snaked through me. The last time he looked at me that way was at the FreedomFighters gala. “You’ve been acting strange all day.” This time he did get up, exiting the studio.
We took an Uber home, my own mood deteriorating during the tense ride back to the apartment. I’d hoped this Christmas would be different. I thought I could erase the pain of previous years by making new, beautiful memories. Instead, I began to dwell on why this time of year hadn’t been my favorite since I was a kid.
Ryan beelined for the living room, leaving me standing at the front door. I trailed after him, observing his pensive reflection through the window he stood in front of.
“I’ll give you some space. Let me know when you’re ready to head back to Safe Haven.” I got halfway to the library when my phone chirped.
Ryan:You should want someone who can talk to you. Who won’t embarrass you in public. Someone you don’t need to translate silences for.
I turned back to the living room. Ryan sat on the edge of the coffee table now, head hanging, phone in hand. Kneeling down in front of him, I waited until he met my gaze.
“Youare who I want, Ryan.Youare enough, and so much more than I deserve.”
He shook his head, pulling up the text screen on his phone.
“Yes, you are,” I said adamantly, stopping him.If only you knew. “I couldneverbe embarrassed by you. Never doubt that.”
He rested his forehead against mine, stroking my neck and chest.
“What do you need?” I whispered, snapping the elastic from his hair so I could run my hands through the inky curls. I placed a kiss on his beauty mark, and he turned his head, catching my lips as I pulled away.
Ryan pushed me to the floor, falling on top of me as we kissed. He aligned his hips with mine, undulating against mycock, pushing his tongue deeper inside my mouth. I moaned, rolling up to meet his thrusts, untangling one hand from his hair to grip his ass. This was new, and I couldn’t get my body under control long enough to question it.
We mauled each other’s lips, getting sweatier by the second. It’d never been like this between us, our bodies touching this way, so close to the edge of everything. Moments later, Ryan tore his mouth away from mine, sucking in a razor-sharp breath, pinning me with his untamed gaze.
His hips continued to buck, and I held him to me with both hands now, increasing the friction. We were both on the brink of climax, one right move and we’d freefall into bliss.
A few more pumps and he threw his head back on a silent scream as he orgasmed, his nails biting into my shoulders. I’d never seen anything as raw and innocent and beautiful as Ryan letting go.
“Fuck!’ I barked, following right behind, shuddering beneath him.
Ryan fell limp onto my chest, his breathing unsteady as I secured my arms around his trembling body.
“Pretty sure I haven’t done that since I was fourteen,” I said after regaining the ability to form words. I dropped a kiss to the top of his damp hair, loosening my arms when he craned his head around in search of his phone. He grabbed it from the coffee table before burrowing into my side.
Ryan:I bet more than that happened between you and Xavier.
“What?” I grabbed his wrist to bring the phone closer to my face. I needed to make sure I’d read that correctly. “Where’d that come from?”
He deleted that message to type a new one.
Ryan:Are you saying it isn’t true?
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just didn’t expect to discuss it with you right… after.” I resisted the urge to squirm in discomfort. He’d alluded to knowing the extent of my relationship with Xavier before, stating he wasn’t sure if we’d become “friends” again during his first month at Safe Haven when we had no contact. He’d never been so outright about it before now, though.
Ryan:He practically drooled whenever you were near.
