Coury hadn’t wanted to take the class, but he didn’t think it would be easy, either. Suddenly Glover’s “get the nonbelievers to drop out” attitude sucked.
The coffee finished, and he grabbed both mugs. Thankfully neither of them had an early class tomorrow. Which was already today.
They’d covered everything and Coury would do fine. He just wanted to review it once more to be sure.
Making as little noise as he could, he crept down the stairs. Just before announcing his return, he stopped. Coury had fallen asleep on the couch, book open on his chest, Slider curled up next to him.
Damn. If only he were a small terrier, he’d be curled up next to Coury. He was beautiful awake, but asleep he looked like an angel.
Liam set the coffee down on the card table they’d used for practice tests and knelt by the couch.
“Coury?” He nudged his arm gently. Slider opened his eyes and then lazily shut them. “Coury?”
“Huh?” He turned and looked at Liam.
“You fell asleep.” He took the book off his chest and put it on the floor. “I guess that’s a sign we’re done.”
He stretched and his shirt rode up. This close, Liam could smell Coury’s scent. The top of his blue boxers peeked out from under his jeans. God. It wasn’t fair to be this close and not touch.
Liam stood; if he waited much longer, he’d likely do something he’d regret.
“Yeah, I didn’t realize I was this tired.” He sat up, rolled his neck, and flexed his shoulders. “Probably should have left before we did that last chapter.”
“No,” Liam said, shaking his head. “That’ll be on the quiz.”
“Right. Good thing I have a great teacher.” He yawned and scrubbed his face with his hands, then reached for his coffee mug. “I should probably drink that before I go.”
It was a twenty-minute drive back to campus at this time of night, but the idea of Coury driving this tired made Liam uneasy. “You should stay here. It’s after midnight.”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“No, you’re really not. You can sleep in the room Beckett used. We changed the sheets after he left.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can, and you are.” He offered Coury a hand to help him up. “Seriously. Don’t drive back.”
“I’m fine. Really.” He yawned again.
“Right and I’m an iguanodon from, when?”
“The Cretaceous period.”
“Excellent.”
“See, I’m awake enough to answer any question.”
“Awake enough doesn’t instill me with good vibes. I’ll feel better knowing you won’t crash, and we can run through this again in the morning.”
“I don’t want to be all that trouble.”
“Then just use the guest room. If you don’t, I’ll wake up Pop and have him talk sense into you.” He really wouldn’t go that far, but Coury was way too tired to drive.
“Damn, you don’t play fair.”
“All’s fair . . .” He shrugged.
Coury grinned and closed one droopy eyelid. “Is this love or war?”
“Both?” Totally love. Or at least lust. “I see it as all’s fair when trying to keep your friends safe.”
He breathed in, exhaled, and nodded. “I’m sure I’d be fine, but okay.” Coury leaned forward and pulled him into a hug. It was a surprise, and brief—too brief—but the heat seeped into Liam where Coury’s body had been. “Thanks for caring.”
If only part of his motivation hadn’t been that he just didn’t want Coury to leave. “Hey, I need you around to help me double my record for going out on Friday nights. Two in a row is a new best for Liam the Lionhearted.”
Chapter Five
Liam
Liam stifled a yawn as he packed his bag. Making Coury stay had absolutely been the right call for Coury. Unfortunately, not so much for Liam. Knowing Coury was sleeping fifteen feet away—in just his boxers—fucked with Liam’s brain.
He’d imagined Coury walking across the hall to Liam’s room, climbing into the bed, pleading he was cold . . . Liam would end up the little spoon and after a few wiggles, he’d send Coury into a lustful frenzy leading to Liam being fucked into his mattress. Several times.
Great. Now he’d given himself a boner just in time to leave the building. Thank God the cold air cooled him off. His phone buzzed, and Coury’s name flashed up. In the reflection from the screen, he caught his ridiculous smile.
He was in way too deep. “Hey, Coury, how’d it go?”
“You’re a fucking genius!” Coury said happily. “I feel like I aced it, which means I didn’t, but I’m sure I passed. Nothing looked unfamiliar.”
“Awesome.” It was. He’d spent too much time in his class worrying about Coury taking his test. “That’s great news.”
“Turn around?”
“Huh?” He spun and there across the courtyard was Coury, waving. Liam’s pulse jumped as Coury quick-walked to catch up to him, stuffing his phone in his pocket. “What are you doing here?”
Coury kept walking until he wrapped Liam in a wonderfully warm bear hug. “Thank you.”