Page 83 of The Long Game

Given three people were now living in the apartment, this was for the best. What Sam didn’t need right away, like his snowshoes and winter outerwear, were tucked into Grady’s storage space in the basement.

By the time they were done, Grady was running the risk of being late to work. When he started to resemble a headless chicken, Jack caught his hand and brought him up short. “Go change for work. I’ve got things covered here.”

“Are you sure?” Grady asked.

“Yes. Go.”

Grady kissed Jack, quick and hard. “Stay tonight?”

Jack smiled. “I’d like that.” He tipped his head toward the couch. “I don’t think we’re going to have a lot of privacy, however.”

Grady’s low hum was, somehow, insanely sexy. “I like that you’re thinking about it, though.”

A shiver ran down Jack’s spine. “Kind of hard not to.”

“Oh, yeah?” Grady asked, smile wide. “We’ll just have to find ways to be quiet. I can whisper everything I want to do to you right into your ear.”

Jack shuddered and swayed toward Grady.

Grady kissed him, just a press of lips, but the way he lingered over it made Jackwant.

“Oh, Jesus. They’re canoodling,” Colton cried.

Grady’s lips curled into a smile but he didn’t pull his mouth from Jack’s.

“Leave them alone,” Sam said, followed by a thump.

Jack broke the kiss and Grady smirked. “Jack and I are just modeling a healthy relationship for you two.”

“Don’t do me any favors,” Colton groused.

Jack laughed and shook his head, but he kept thinking about Grady’s words. He liked the idea that he and Grady were in a healthy relationship, though he wasn’t deluded. It was Day Two.

But it felt like something he could have. Something he wanted.

And that was new.

“I’m going to run home and then to the store. You two want to come with me or are you going to hang out here?”

Sam and Colton jumped to their feet.

Group shopping it was.

By the time Grady came home that evening, there was actual food in the fridge, Colton had a new pair of jeans and four new t-shirts, and the breakfast bar had three shiny new stools.

16

Grady woke to the sounds of movement in the living room, followed by the distant flushing of the toilet in the washroom off the kitchen. He lay in bed, Jack cradled in his arms, and wondered why the only shower was in the bathroom attached to his bedroom and how the hell they were going to make this work.

When he and Jack had crawled into bed last night, already half-asleep from an early morning and a busy day, they could hear the boys talking from the next room. While the soundproofing between the floors was pretty good, the walls between the bedroom and the rest of the space weren’t thick.

It had been…inhibiting. Not enough to keep him from giving Jack a long and thorough kiss goodnight, but that was where they’d left it.

Grady craned his neck to see the time. His alarm wasn’t set to go off for another half hour, and all was quiet out in the living room once more. He let his hand wander down Jack’s back. He was achingly aware of the small, tight briefs hugging Jack’s glorious ass, but he didn’t do more than brush his fingertips along the taut elastic.

Jack murmured something indistinct and snuggled in closer. Grady buried his face in Jack’s soft hair and wondered if Jack was bothered by the steel lance poking his hip.

He contemplated waking Jack up, but Jack had run himself ragged trying to get the boys settled in while Grady was at work.

---