Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Holden leaned up on his elbow. “Aren’t you going to put some clothes on? Someone might come to the door or…somebody might come home.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“You’re a shameless nudist, Ezra Marsden,” he snarked, primly pushing his glasses along his nose.
“Tiger and stripes, ya know? Be right back.”
I returned with the towel in record time, flopping next to him in bed while he cleaned the mess of sweat and cum from his chest.
“Are you—was that…?” he asked, biting his lower lip and blurting, “Do you have any questions?”
I tried to think of the most science-y query possible to make him laugh as I rolled to face him. I came up blank. “Why did we waste so much time?”
Holden smiled. “ ’Cause you thought I was too persnickety, and I thought you were too…you.”
“You’re still pretty persnickety, and I’m still me. I wished we would have figured out that those weren’t such bad things sooner.”
He ran his fingers through my hair tenderly. “Me too. We’ll just have to make the most of the time we have now.”
I set my hand on his hip and nodded. “The bar exam will be behind me soon. I’m going to spend the rest of July and all of August right here.”
“In bed?”
“In your ass,” I deadpanned.
Holden smacked my arm and faux glowered. “Never mind. You’re still too you.”
I made a dive for him, secured his wrist next to his head, and licked his neck and cheek till he almost kneed me in the nuts. I gave him a stern look before sliding to his side.
“You don’t mind me so much. C’mon, admit it,” I cajoled playfully.
He flashed a pretty smile at me. “I like you quite a bit, Ezra. And I’d be more than happy to spend the month with you.”
We shared a dopey smile before I pulled him to my chest in a bear hug, knocking his glasses askew. I solved that issue by putting them on my nose. That was when Holden got kind of swoony, rambling something about tattoos, muscles, and spectacles ticking sexy boxes for him. So, of course, I ruined the illusion by crossing my eyes and making a funny face.
We laughed and then kissed and when we could breathe again, we talked…about space and stars and lacrosse. There was no real rhyme or rhythm to our conversation. And that was okay. The content didn’t matter as much as just being here…like this—naked in my bed, sharing snippets of our lives. Like new friends…and old friends.
Eventually, I turned off the light and dozed off with him cradled against my chest. I couldn’t speak for Holden, but I wasn’t ready to give this up any time soon.
I woke up feeling light-headed and woozy. And alone.
I glanced over at the dent in the pillow next to mine and replayed the previous evening in my head. It was like something out of a dream.
From the moment I’d signed my name on the dotted line for the house in Santa Monica, I’d wanted to see Holden. I’d had to remind Cole that we were both taking the bar next week and going out for a celebratory drink or ten and crashing Beth’s place probably wasn’t a great idea. Since when was I the adult in the room?
I’d left him in Santa Monica and made the drive home, mulling over which review course to tackle in a lame attempt to keep panic at bay. Cole was right. Santa Monica made sense. It was a good change and the timing couldn’t have been better. Moving was a symbolic new start to a new era. With any luck, I’d be a real live lawyer working for the LA firm where I’d interned for the past year. Chances were good I’d have the new place to myself a lot too. Cole spent most of his time with Beth these days, and if I were a betting man, I’d bet he’d move in with her next year.
And I’d be on my own. In Santa Monica. Working for Rossman…a total douche. A well-connected douche, but still…was this really what I wanted?
It didn’t matter. The ball was already in motion. Change was coming, and I couldn’t stop it.
But when an overwhelming urge to be with Holden had hit me hard, I didn’t fight it. Even though I’d known he was at rehearsal and that I’d have to share him with a dozen Renaissance enthusiasts. Even though I’d known I’d end up helping the geek squad instead of studying, I hadn’t cared.
Nothing mattered but him.
And last night…fuck, that was everything.
I pulled the pillow to my nose and inhaled. Yeah, it smelled like Holden. My cock gave a happy twitch at the memory of being inside him. I slipped my fingers under the elastic and gripped my shaft, remembering Holden’s fingers wrapped around my pole, cupping my balls. And my hands all over him—stroking, licking, teasing…my finger in his ass, my cock in his hole. Fuck, I wanted inside him again.