Page 92 of The Long Game

Jack winced. “Yeah, maybe not them. But I’m sure the Dipsy Doodle will be happy to have you.”

He’d make sure of it, actually. He’d gone to school with the owner.

“I hope so. It’s not what I want to do forever, but I at least want to be able to help with the rent until I get my own place.”

Colton frowned. “But you don’t have to move out.”

“I know,” Sam said, then smiled slyly. “But these two aren’t the only ones who might someday like to get laid with some privacy.”

Colton cracked up. Once Jack saw Grady’s face, he did, too. It wasn’t easy being a big brother.

“Well, onthatnote,” Jack said, rising to his feet and winking at Grady, “I think it’s time for bed.”

Colton’s laughter died. “Eww.”

After turning off lights and setting a last pot to soak, Grady followed Jack into the bedroom.

Jack closed the door and leaned against it.

Grady’s voice was a low rumble. “Alone at last.”

“Indeed we are,” Jack murmured, keeping his voice down. He could barely see Grady, the only light coming from the nightlight in the bathroom, but he managed to snag the hem of Grady’s t-shirt and tow him in. Grady braced his arm on the door by Jack’s head.

Jack felt surrounded by the warmth of Grady’s body. He skimmed his palm over Grady’s hip and tucked his hand beneath the loose t-shirt.

“And what would you like to do, now that we’re alone?” Grady asked, his voice rubbing over Jack’s skin like the brush of warm fur.

“Do you know what I like?” Jack asked, a flutter of nerves kicking off in his belly.

“I have some ideas,” Grady said with a slow smile. “But I’m still learning.”

Jack chuckled. “That. That’s what I like.”

“My dazzling sense of humor?”

Jack snorted.

“Then what?” Grady asked.

“That you talk,” Jack explained, his voice going hoarse as his throat dried up. “You ask. You tell me what you want and it makes me want those things even more. I’m not big on surprises,” he allowed, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to do lots of things. Try new things.”

Grady was silent for a moment and Jack knew he was using that big brain of his to work out why Jack was the way he was, but it was soon pushed aside in favor of a slow grin that Jack could barely see but still made his knees weak.

And that was another thing Jack liked. That Grady knew the truth, could guess why some things worked better or not at all for Jack, and didn’t question it. He just made it work for them both.

Of course, it helped that Grady seemed tolikespeaking aloud every dirty thought that ran through his head.

“Do you want to know what I’d like to do right now?” Grady asked.

Jack shivered, and Grady’s grin became positively wolfish.

“What?” Jack asked in a whisper.

Before Grady could answer, a loud thump issued from the living room, followed by a squawk of outrage. Grady let out a beleaguered sigh.

Jack chuckled and cupped Grady’s cheek with the hand that wasn’t exploring the broad expanse of Grady’s back. “You’re allowed to say you want to crawl into bed and go to sleep aftergoing out there and telling them to knock off whatever the hell they’re doing.”

Grady shook his head. “No. Unless there’s smoke or arterial spray, they can deal with it themselves. At least until morning.”

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