Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79314 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79314 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Shane stared at him. “He knows? You think he wouldn’t care as long as no one found out?” he asked, weirded out by the concept. In his vengeful dreams, Ed Beck was horrified by his son’s sexual orientation, so this spoiled his plan a bit.
Ros’s gaze drifted off in a thoughtful expression. “I think he blocked it out. Maybe he just thinks that he straightened me out by paying for my college. Joke’s on him, I’ll be out once I’ve got my diploma. But… I do want to see you. Is it okay with you that we stay in the closet for now? And what’s it like for you? Do your friends know?”
Shane exhaled with relief. He’d hidden his sexuality for the past ten years, despite fucking guys, and handholding in public might be a bit too much for him. “All my roommates are gay. Do any of your friends know?”
“No… But I have this friend who’s bi, and I think she might be suspecting me, but we kinda never talked about it. So you have roommates? What about your parents? Um… how old are you?” Ros laughed off this barrage of questions and nuzzled Shane’s ear.
A jolt traveled down Shane’s neck, all the way to the tips of his toes, but he managed to keep his voice steady. His parents were not people he’d want any of his friends to meet. “Mom and Dad... they’re not around anymore. But it’s not like I need them at thirty-two, right?”
“I guess not. So you live with a group of gay friends? That sounds really cool.” The gentle fingers stroked his nape as the rain poured around them, creating a bubble of comfort.
Shane closed his eyes and put an arm around Ros, eager for his warmth. “I’m mostly friends with one of them, Frank. Not that close with the others. One’s a weirdo, the other’s Frank’s oversexed nephew. That kid causes lots of drama.”
“Have you… with any of them?” Ros asked carefully.
Shane could laugh at the innocence infusing this question. Any of his jail buddies would have straight up asked if they fucked.
“Used to, with Frank. But that was a long time ago. We’re not really each other’s type. He couldn’t compare to you when it comes to good looks,” Shane said with a smile.
Ros snorted. “Oh yeah? Shorter hair?”
“Nah. But he’s built like a bear.” Shane squeezed Ros’s slender yet muscular thigh. “Am I your type, or did I just happen to be around?” he asked, watching the boy’s reaction. And in that moment, he knew that as much as he wanted to keep fucking Rosen regardless, he did care about the answer to that question.
Ros bit his lip with the smile sparkling in his eyes. “You’re very much my type. I’ve always liked guys who were a bit older than me. I had a crush on my teacher back in high school. It was embarrassing.”
Shane couldn’t help the grin spreading on his mouth. “A teacher? Really? Did you imagine crawling under his desk and blowing him during class?”
Ros laughed and punched his shoulder. “Stop it! I kinda imagined staying after class, him helping me with an assignment, and you know, one thing leading to another…”
“I could teach you some other things,” Shane said with a wiggle of his brows.
“Oh yeah? How to tell coke from ecstasy?”
“Don’t take either,” Shane said, resting his hands on Ros’s buttocks and leaning in to smell his neck. “So… you’re dealing because your allowance is too small or—”
Ros sighed. “I’m trying to save up a bit just in case, so I have something of my own once I finish college, since it’s very probable Dad will cut me off once I’m out. On one hand, I don’t wanna think about it too much, but on the other, I’m not stupid. I need to have some kind of safety net, and I’m pretty sure he keeps the stream of cash small so I keep being dependent on him. I think he likes the control. Plus, he’s a Scrooge. He’ll literally give me coupons for things instead of money.”
This didn’t sound like the kind of father-son relationship Shane assumed the Becks had at all, but he shook off the sense of unease that snuck its way into his gut and got busy kissing Ros’s graceful neck. “Sounds like he’s a bit of a scumbag.”
“It’s… not ideal. The only person he spares no expense on is my stepmom. She’s the weather lady at Channel Six, and it looks good if a politician’s spouse is glamorous. You know, the aspirational kind of wife for his voters,” Ros said with a bit of bitterness to his voice, but then his lips quirked, and he arched his back with a beautiful smile. “What do you want to do other than dealing? Or are you a live-in-the-moment kinda guy?”