“Fine. I like them. Happy?”
“Thrilled.” He grinned up at him as Linc stood, collecting both their empty bowls.
“You go lie on your bed while I wash up.” He gave him a purposeful look, but Jacob didn’t move.
“You cooked, so I should help.”
“Nope. You said you wanted me to do all the work.”
“I meant—”
“Yeah, and if you want that, you’ll rest up.”
“Fine. Evil taskmaster.” He headed for the bedroom that was essentially only a bed, a door and some built-ins. Pausing at the door, he turned. “Linc?”
“Yeah?” Linc looked braced for more argument from him.
“Thank you. For coming. And for cooking. And for...just...thanks. That’s all.”
“Anytime.” Linc’s expression softened and he looked like he wanted to say more, but then he sighed. Making a shooing motion, he returned to the dishes, leaving Jacob to ponder what he’d been about to say while he arranged himself on his bed.
He didn’t bother with the TV on the wall—no sense in pretending they were going to do anything other than fuck. And he’d barely had time to scroll through his phone messages before Linc was kicking off his shoes and joining him on the bed.
“Kelley says she’s feeling better,” he reported as Linc plucked the phone from his hand.
“Good.” Linc set his phone back on the shelf, crawling toward Jacob.
“I feel bad. I pushed the pace too hard on her. And it’s my fault she had to do all the driving on her own this weekend.”
“A very wise guy once told me that guilt is pointless. It’s not your fault, but if it makes you feel better to apologize...” He held Jacob’s phone back out.
“I did.” God, he certainly didn’t deserve either Kelley’s forgiveness or Linc’s kindness, but he’d do his best to be grateful for both. “Right now I just want to forget about my own stupidity for a while, you know?”
“Been there. And you’re not stupid.” Linc rubbed his shoulder, voice reassuring before his touch turned more seductive, trailing down his arm. “But I’m happy to help. Roll over.”
“Yes, sir.” He loved how Linc’s eyes turned feral. Hungry. And Jacob was only too happy to be dessert.
Pulling off his shirt, Linc stripped down to his black boxer briefs. “You got stuff?”
“Drawer next to you. Expiration date is good—”
“I’m sure.” Linc’s arrogance was going to land him out on the steps, neither of them getting what they wanted.
“Because I just bought them. Last week. After we started fucking around.”
“Sorry.” At least he had the grace to look contrite. And instead of yanking off Jacob’s underwear as he’d expected, Linc straddled his hips, thumbs digging into Jacob’s neck.
“What are you doing?”
“Work. As requested, I believe.” He kept up the firm massage, strong hands loosening long-held knots in Jacob’s neck.
“Ass. You know what I mean. This isn’t fucking.”
“Nope. It’s not. Good that you noticed.” Still moving with maddening slowness, he worked over Jacob’s shoulders and biceps next, all the muscles that still ached from hauling the heavy gear that morning. “Settle down. You’d think you’d never had a massage.”
“Not from you.” And if he was honest, not one in a bed like this. Sports medicine ones, sure. But not a lover. Felt...strange. Intimate. Especially coming from Linc, who was usually so careful about keeping his distance on all levels.
“First time for everything.” Linc gave his ass a gentle slap, and a snippet of an old fantasy flashed in Jacob’s brain. Not that his actual first time had been that traumatic or anything, but there was something about the notion of it being Linc, not Tyler, that was particularly seductive. Linc wouldn’t have made him flip for who was bottoming and then made him feel bad for “losing.” And Linc would have lasted more than two minutes. But mainly, Linc would have been Linc.
“Oomph.” He couldn’t hold back a groan as Linc worked a particularly tense muscle around his shoulder blade. “Okay, you’re good at this.”
“Good.” Linc laughed. “Kinda winging it, to be honest.”
His humbleness was endearing to the point that Jacob had to turn his face into the pillow, reluctant to reveal how this gesture made his insides all gushy. But then Linc leaned forward, adding kisses to the mix, and Jacob’s inner marshmallow roasted as lust replaced sentiment. He already had plenty of evidence to say that Linc was almost as oral as he was, and the guy was definitely obsessed with Jacob’s neck. But tonight, he took it to another level, raining kisses down Jacob’s spine, licking over his shoulder blades, tongue even more devastating than his hands had been.
And right when Jacob thought he might be about to melt into the sheets, Linc scooted lower, hands kneading Jacob’s ass as his mouth teased all along the waistband of his briefs.
“Are we doing that thing where I have to beg you to fuck me again?” His voice managed to sound both sleepy and impatient.