Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 135792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Knox pulled on his hair. “Shouldn’t I be the one in a dress with hair like this?”
Liv scowled, putting away the food at record-breaking speed. His hands were itching for Knox’s warmth, and he was right back as soon as the fridge shut. He really did like Knox’s long hair, the softness of his features, which had so often been criticized by Knox’s dad, but there was nothing wrong with being a pretty boy with a nose ring.
“Nah. If I wanted to marry a girl, I’d have married one, right?” he asked, placing his hands on Knox’s sides.
Knox leaned into him as if they’d always shared this kind of closeness instead of expressing affection with silly shoves and pats on the back. “Well, you’re gonna have to wait until I can afford a suit. Unless I go with a tracksuit. Seriously though… is my hair too long? Or can I pull it off?”
Adorable.
“It looks really hot on you. Like you’ve just casually let it grow out,” Liv said, dropping into the sofa and pulling Knox into his lap. This was where his hot new boyfriend belonged. “And I like playing with it, if you couldn’t tell.”
He loved the smile spreading Knox’s lips. Joking around and poking fun at each other had always been a big part of their friendship, but Liv felt they were stepping into something new. A relationship which needed to make room for tenderness.
“I kinda… like it long. Always did. I think I’d like to grow it out. But you gotta tell me if it starts making me look baby-faced.” Knox wrapped his arm around Liv’s neck.
“You don’t look like a girl,” Liv said to cut his worries short, and rubbed his thumb over the blond stubble growing on Knox’s chin. Ah, how did he never realize how hot this scratching sensation could be? “You’ve got angular cheeks, abs for days, and a dick I love.”
Knox leaned down to kiss Liv. “And I loved seeing it in your mouth.”
Oh fuck.
Liv’s stomach melted at the intensity in Knox’s voice. The raw desire was thicker than Ezra’s fancy hot chocolate. He sank deeper into the seat and tightened his arms around Knox, as their mouths got reacquainted.
This was a new kind of kiss. One that didn’t need to lead to a sweaty tumble. Soft and so sweet. Liv found himself wrestling a strange emotion. Almost painful, the sensation spread in his chest, like the ache from a shard of glass that would kill him if he ever dared pull it out.
Liv had always watched Knox’s back and made sure he wouldn’t endanger his health too much, but what he’d learned about his boyfriend’s condition at the hospital made Knox seem somehow… breakable. He’d never say that out loud, but he already knew he was ready to do anything so that Knox would thrive.
If only he had a clearer idea of what that anything was.
Money. They needed money.
But that could wait until tomorrow. For now, he let his hands slide to Knox’s ass while their kiss deepened.
Liv closed his eyes, giving in to everything Knox wanted to bestow on him. This was about so much more than sex. Knox melted into him and shivered a little when Liv slid his cool hands under his T-shirt. Tender feelings stirred deep inside him as he pressed his cheek to his lover’s warm neck, reminding himself that the worst was over, and that for now, they were both safe. And while he’d previously only showed this part of himself to the girls he’d been with, the things he felt for them were a shadow of the intense satisfaction of holding Knox.
The sterile smell of the hospital lingered on him still, but the trace of the lemon shampoo Knox had used two days ago was a reminder of the good times before the storm. Liv tuned into his warmth and closed his eyes, knowing that he could sit and make out like this for hours.
But just as he tried to steal another kiss, Knox pulled away with a shy smile. “I need a shower. It’s been a bit long.”
Right.
Liv’s hands left Knox’s buttocks, and he winked. “Men, right? Always trying to get in your pants. Let’s get you clean.”
Knox gave him one more kiss and got up. “I have an injured shoulder, not broken legs.”
Liv snorted, following him right away. “If you think you’re getting rid of Nurse Liver, you have another thing coming,” he said and pulled off his top.
The way Knox’s gaze settled on his pecs was something he’d forever keep in his spank bank. He flexed them for good measure, and loved the face Knox made when he realized he’d been caught staring.
“Okay, Mr. Nurse can come if that’s all he’s wearing.”
Knox tried to then remove his T-shirt, but it was a struggle, so Liv helped him out, revealing the bruised, partially bandaged torso. Seeing it from up close made Liv shudder as the moment the bullet entered Knox’s body flashed through his mind in a never-ending carousel of horrors. His stomach tightened. His face burned. But he couldn’t make this about himself and shook off the unwanted memory, putting on a smile.