Page 73 of A Simple Mistake
“Honestly, I love that woman, but she has a knack for messing with your head.I’ve told you before that you not being perfect or omniscient won’t screw up anything between us.You don’t hear me any better than the boys do.”He grinned and drained the wine in his glass.“And neither do I when I’m up to my eyeballs in other people’s problems, so there.”He held out his glass for a top-up and Gareth reached for the bottle.“We’ve had this conversation.And we’ve been doing what works for us for over two years now.I’d say we just keep doing it.”
They clinked glasses on that, because it seemed right, and when Jack set his glass down and leaned across the table, Gareth was only too glad to give him the kiss he asked for.
“You were right,” Gareth said much later when they were setting the kitchen to rights.His mind had been whirring away in the background while they finished their dinner, and Jack had walked him through the next day’s work.Theyhadhad this very conversation before.More than once, in both directions.They each had moments of insecurity where their relationship was concerned.This time, though, Gareth had realised something else.“You were right.”
“About?”
“Deciding to hunt predators.”
“You’ve never argued against that.”
“No, but… I supported your choice because it was somethingyouneeded to do, not becauseIbelieved it was necessary.”
“And now you do?”
Jack’s tone held no irony, but Gareth felt the heat in his cheeks.Hypocrisy had crept up on him, and it stung.He was a protector.The self-limiting bullshit could take a running jump.He hung the dishcloth on its hook and pulled Jack close by his belt loops.“And now I do,” he said, wrapping his arms around Jack.“And I’ll do more than stand in your corner.From now on, I’ll stand right beside you.”
Some days, the din in Jack’s head would only cease when Gareth told him to keep still and then edged him until he was ready to scream.On other days, Jack only had to glance at Gareth, and the world disappeared.He never questioned the why or how of it, too grateful for what he’d found.
He might disagree with Gareth’s mother making Gareth question himself at every turn, but Jack acknowledged she had a point.Between their jobs, their extracurricular work, and their decision to bring up Daniel and Nico together, it would be easy to lose sight of each other.Jack never wanted to lose sight of Gareth.The man owned Jack—body and mind—and Jack had to make sure he didn’t forget it.
Dragging Gareth into the shower had helped with that.
Staying there until they were pruney had helped, too.
And curling up together in bed, nothing between them but skin and heat, helped most of all.
“How do you want me?”Gareth’s voice was all gravel.
Jack considered and judged that Gareth wasn’t yet ready to be seen.Some things took time and Jack, after weeks of phone calls and imagination, was fine with that.“On your front,” he ordered.
Gareth’s back, that beautiful vee, ropey with muscle, was a droolworthy sight.Or it would be, if those muscles weren’t tension-tight, bulging in all the wrong places.
Relaxation first.Then he could get Gareth all riled up.
Jack grabbed massage oil and set to work, kneading and smoothing, working out knots as he went.He loved it when Gareth did it for him and he was always up for returning the favour.
Gareth’s back dealt with—and another couple of purpling bruises discovered—Jack dug his fingers into Gareth’s hamstrings until Gareth writhed, then kneaded his arse to even better effect.When Jack dove in and licked a stripe up Gareth’s crack, Gareth howled.
He had a love-hate relationship with rimming.Nothing got him out of his head faster, even as it made him squirm and lose his breath.But he could also come just from Jack’s tongue, and Jack knew it embarrassed him.
He’d never understood why, and Gareth had never stopped him when he felt in the mood to take Gareth apart.So he carried on, licking and teasing, leaving finger marks on Gareth’s hips where he held him still.Every time he glanced up, that gorgeous expanse of Gareth’s back was right there, and he could judge how far Gareth was gone not just by the sounds he made, but also by the thin sheen of sweat making him glow in the lamplight.
And yes, he was a sap, but so what?
When Gareth tensed under him, Jack redoubled his efforts.He slid his hand under Gareth’s hips and wrapped his fingers around his weeping length.A couple of strokes were enough for Gareth to lose it.
And Jack loved watching it.
He loved seeing blissed-out Gareth even more.
When Gareth turned over and held out a hand, he went without hesitation, snuggling into Gareth’s side, despite his body screaming for relief.He’d get to that in just a moment.For now, he wanted to bask in Gareth’s sated little smile and run his hands over the parts the massage oil hadn’t yet reached.
Gareth had other ideas.
As soon as he had his breath back, he turned Jack onto his side, threw a leg over Jack’s hips, and pulled him close into his body.He kissed the soft skin behind Jack’s ear, while his fingers teased Jack’s nipples with a touch just shy of painful.
“Damn, that’s good.”Jack didn’t mind admitting that when it got him more of the same.
