Ian (Unbreakable Bonds 4.5)

“No. For hounding you about taking a night off.”

Ian snorted and relaxed in Hollis’s arms again. “No forgiveness needed. You’re right. I need the night off. Let other people cook for a change.”

“Does this mean that you’re going to let me cook on occasion?”

“Let’s take this one step at a time,” he hedged, patting one of the hands pressed to his chest. “Why don’t you help me find the tablecloth first?”

Hollis’s sweet nuzzle instantly turned to something more as he turned his face enough to capture Ian’s earlobe between his lips. The tip of his tongue ran along that bit of flesh, and Ian couldn’t stop the moan that rose up. It must have been the signal Hollis was waiting for because one hand slid up Ian’s chest, molding his T-shirt to his skin, while the other slipped down between his legs to cup his hardening cock.

“I think we should look in the bathroom,” Hollis breathed, releasing Ian’s earlobe.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” Ian forced out, not really wanting to stop, but an annoying voice in his head said that they really couldn’t do this. Not now.

“It can wait a few minutes.” Hollis licked along his neck and Ian found himself tilting his head to the side, giving the man better access while at the same time pressing backward so he could better feel Hollis’s hardening length against his ass. “I want an appetizer.”

For a moment, Ian thought of all the times Snow or Lucas or Rowe disappeared and realized…what the hell! Grabbing Hollis’s hand, he pulled him toward the bathroom. They could steal just a couple of minutes.###

Ian threw one last warning look at Hollis over his shoulder as the man swallowed the last of his snickers. He didn’t dare look in the mirror again. His face was still flushed, and there was only so much repair work he could do after Hollis’s wandering fingers threaded through his hair. Of course, the most damning evidence was the satisfied grin that he couldn’t wipe off his face. Not that he really wanted to. Hollis made him feel carefree and alive—something he’d been unable to enjoy until now.

Opening the bathroom door, he was immediately greeted by the sight of Snow leaning against the opposite wall, the missing tablecloth in his hand and a knowing smirk tilting up one corner of his mouth.

“Really, Mr. Pierce? In the bathroom?” Snow said with a mocking gasp.

“I learned it all from you,” Ian immediately shot back.

Snow straightened and, though Ian didn’t think it was possible, he actually looked proud of that statement. “At least it sounded like you had him on his knees. That’s my boy.”

Ian groaned and Hollis laughed from behind him.

“Let’s go. Dinner is getting cold.”

Ian followed Snow down the stairs, fighting back his own laugh when he heard Hollis happily humming to himself behind them. In the kitchen, they found Jude setting out the last of the food and gathering the utensils.

“Did you find it?” Jude asked as they crossed the living room.

“The tablecloth…” Snow said, holding up the package, “…and our lost guests. I’ll go put it on the table. You fix your plate.” As Snow started for the door, Jude gave a sharp, short whistle, stopping his lover dead in his tracks. He then held out his hand expectantly. Snow swore under his breath as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded bill, which he slapped in Jude’s hand.

“You made a bet?” Ian asked, coming to stand on the other side of the island across from Jude.

“Yep,” he replied as he pocketed the cash.

“What?”

“That you and Hollis would disappear before dinner.”

“And Snow thought we wouldn’t?” Hollis demanded.

“No.” Jude gave a little shake of his head as he handed Ian a plate. “He thought you wouldn’t disappear until after dessert.”Taking It SlowHollis woke slowly, disoriented, his lack of sleep during the past week threatening to send him back under. He’d thought he was in shape from the gym, but working on his house at night had all kinds of muscles angry at him. The pain wasn’t bad, just a sort of low grumbling, mostly in his thighs from squatting so often. When Jagger and his goons vandalized his house, they’d even busted up the tile and put massive holes in the walls, so he was starting from scratch in some areas.

The bedroom he shared with Ian was unnaturally cold, so he patted the bed to find the covers, then reached for Ian, who would be warm, and who would definitely take his mind off his hamstrings.

That’s what was wrong. He touched what was supposed to be Ian’s side of the bed and felt nothing but sheets. He blinked at the ceiling, then looked at the bedside clock and realized he’d only been asleep a few hours.

Hollis rolled out of bed and didn’t bother to put anything on as he went in search of his night-wandering boyfriend. Ian had been elated lately because the sleep crawling had tapered off. It had only happened once in the last month and then, he’d been stressing about a problem with his restaurant. Hollis wasn’t aware of any problems now. But anything could have set him off. He’d seen an image of one of Jagger’s men on television being led to jail in handcuffs once, and that night, Hollis had found him curled up on the laundry room floor.