Incandescent

So I allowed instinct to take over, my fingers winding around his neck and hauling him into a tight hug. So tight, in fact, that my dick was on board with it, and from what I could tell, so was his. It felt foreign, yet so achingly familiar that my chest throbbed.

“Shit.” I pulled away. “I’m not trying to poke you or anything. It’s just—”

“Natural,” he murmured. “Especially after so long.”

“Exactly.” I sighed. “You’re good at this. Making me feel comfortable.”

“Not like it’s a hardship,” Marcus said as our eyes met.

“I just appreciate it, is all.” I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. I didn’t know what made me do that. That whole natural thing, I supposed.

Marcus’s eyebrows rose as he stared at me, his fingers squeezing my hip. His hand was warm and heavy, and I liked how it anchored me. His lips parted as if he was searching for the right words, and I imagined what it would be like to inch my mouth closer and fit our lips together. To steal his breath, to surprise him even more.

Instead, I held myself still and went for honesty. Bravery too. “I always thought you had nice eyes—warm and kind. Your lips are nice too.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled at my admission. “If we’re complimenting each other…I like your hair and your body.”

My hand again found my gut, which had seen better days. “I don’t know about all that, but thank—”

“Hey,” he said, his fingers covering my hand. “Don’t sell yourself short. I guarantee that I like everything I see. You’re a good-looking man, Lane.”

“Well, fuck.” I averted my gaze as my skin flushed. “I haven’t heard that in a long time. Let alone from another guy.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Does it matter if it’s another guy?”

“Obviously not. Except to certain people in my life, and that’s not something I’m ready to face. Not with Grant—”

“No other people are here,” he replied, his hand sliding up my chest to my neck, making shivers travel the length of my spine. “This stays between us. No one knows our needs like we do. It’s nobody’s business anyway.”

Before I could respond, he tugged me back into his arms, kissed a sensitive spot right below my ear, and sighed against my shoulder. Pinpricks lined my skin, the sensation so close to the surface, everything felt magnified. When a whimper escaped my throat, Marcus drew back, concern in his gaze.

“Lane?” He cupped my chin, forcing me to look at him.

“Do you think our needs are similar?” I asked just above a whisper.

He shrugged as his hand dropped to my hip. “Possibly. Maybe we should find out.”

I looked at his eyes, his mouth, and felt electric energy spark between us. I angled my mouth closer to his, banishing all thoughts from my head and relying solely on instinct. “Is this okay?”

He nodded, his eyes closing briefly on a sigh.

When my lips brushed against his, Marcus shivered. One more gentle pass before my mouth settled against his, resting there as I took in the different sensations. His lips were plumper and a little chapped. There was no aftertaste of balm or gloss, and it was hard to reconcile that at first. But I just closed my eyes, tuned out all that other shit, and let myself enjoy it. Feel safety in it. In him.

When Marcus hummed, pressing his lips lightly against mine, I sighed, finally pushing the doubt and guilt aside. Instead, I focused on the prickliness of his beard, his brusque movements and sounds, and the solid bulk of his muscles as our bodies inched even closer.

Marcus kissed me gently, then more gruffly, his desperation obvious, and I gave back in kind, my tongue slipping out to brush across the seam of his lips. He moaned low in his throat when our tongues finally met, flicking against each other hesitantly, then more bravely, tangling, exploring as we ate each other’s groans.

It was almost too much and not enough as my heart galloped in my chest like a dozen wild stallions, breaking free and feeling too reckless all at once. I could feel his stiff length aligning with my own, providing solid friction as my fingers gripped the small of his back, then his waist, his shoulders, finally settling in his hair as the kiss went on for who knew how long.

My stomach filled with a warmth I hadn’t felt in ages, and I was liable to come in my pants if we didn’t cool it. But I also couldn’t find it in me to care.

My lips felt tender, but the steady pressure of his mouth against mine was wholly satisfying and filled me with overwhelming relief, momentarily appeasing the desperate loneliness gnawing at my insides.

Marcus pulled away to catch his breath, his expression open and vulnerable.