“You’re being paid a gazillion dollars to play a major league sport. Intense goes with that.” Rusty dared to lay a hand on Cross’s thick thigh. Talking about hockey player assets. “Anyway, your focus is a win for me. I’m playing a ton better since you started working with me.”
Cross looked down at Rusty’s hand on his jeans, then ran his fingers up Rusty’s arm to his shoulder.
Yes, come on. Kiss me.Rusty had made the move last time, so he was going to wait till Cross did this time. Not patiently. He parted his lips, licked them, eased his arm along the back of the couch. He felt like the horny boyfriend in some old movie, faking his move on the girl. Although no one would mistake Cross for a girl.
Cross slid his touch up Rusty’s neck to the corner of his jaw. “Can I?”
Rusty wasn’t sure what he wanted but whatever it was, “Yes. Yeah. Go for it.”
Leaning closer, Cross threaded his fingers into Rusty’s hair and guided him down into a kiss.
Oh, yeah.Rusty went willingly, tilting his head to fit their mouths together. The soft touch of their lips quickly turned urgent. Rusty held as still as he could and focused on kissing Cross. The rest could come later.
Chapter 10
Cross couldn’t breathe but he didn’t want to stop. Rusty was pliant under his hands, receptive to his mouth, his lips parted to let their tongues meet. Cross had always liked kissing for the emotional bond, but with Rusty, his body took over.This, and this.Lips and even teeth, nipping, plucking, gentle moments and then surprising heat when Cross found the right angle and plunged his tongue deep.
He broke away enough to suck air. Rusty wore a pink flush all the way down his neck, and a wide grin. “Hell, yeah. More?”
Cross managed to nod. As they kissed again, Rusty moved his arm from the back of the couch to Cross’s shoulders. The tight embrace made Cross dizzy and somehow they tilted into the couch until Cross lay sprawled against the arm with Rusty plastered on top of him. Normally, Cross didn’t like to be pinned down by anyone, but Rusty’s heavy bulk was like a weighted blanket, comforting and perfect.
Rusty kissed him slower, leaning down to bring their lips together gently, almost teasing, then leaning back. Cross had one hand tangled in Rusty’s hair, the strands silky between his fingers. He slid his other hand down Rusty’s back, feeling the planes of muscle and the knobs of his spine. Male. Strong. Solid. He paused his touch at the small of Rusty’s back.
With a groan, Rusty arched against his hand, pushing his groin into Cross’s thigh. Cross could feel the hard length of Rusty’s dick. His own cock twitched but he wasn’t there, not yet. He hoped Rusty couldn’t tell. He shifted sideways to gain a littlespace and clamped harder on Rusty’s back, pinning him against his leg. Rusty moaned into Cross’s mouth again and bucked over him, riding his thigh.
Maybe Rusty would come like that. Maybe he never had to know that Cross wasn’t hard. Cross wanted to make Rusty lose his mind with pleasure and just not worry about anything else.
But Rusty raised his head. “I lost you somewhere. You okay?”
“Fine! Great!”Yeah, that sounds convincing.“You’re a good kisser.”
“Some hookups don’t want to kiss, but some do. I got in a bit of practice.” Rusty propped himself on his arms, taking his weight off Cross’s chest. “You’re better than all of them.”
Cross couldn’t help scoffing. “I doubt that.”
“No, really. What, you think I’m lying to you?”
Cross turned to look past Rusty’s ear at the blank wall behind him. “I’m boring in bed. You don’t have to flatter me.” That had been one of Willow’s gentle-voiced stabs to his heart before she left, although, sweet woman that she was, she’d said,‘You don’t find me exciting in bed.’But he could read between those lines.
“Who told you that?” Rusty shifted his weight and laid a palm against Cross’s cheek, guiding his attention back, holding his gaze. “They were totally fucking wrong.”
“We’re not in bed yet,” Cross pointed out.
He fought a moment of panic that Rusty would want to fix that, but Rusty just rolled his groin against Cross’s thigh. “You have me so fucking hard right here on the couch. Do I seem like I’m bored?”
“No.”Not yet.Rather than give voice to his worries, Cross crunched up enough to kiss Rusty deeply. He used his hand behind Rusty’s head to pull him back down as he let himself slump to the pillows. Kissing he was totally up for. Hell, he apparently loved it even more than he’d realized. No doubt his mouth tasted of hummus and garlic, but so did Rusty’s. They fit together. Every shared breath and stroke of tongues pushed Cross farther out of his head into a world of strong arms, heavy thighs, soft lips, male scent, and deep rough breaths. No worries, no thoughts. Kissing Rusty was as easy and perfect as a breakaway on an empty net.
They separated again. Cross’s worry that Rusty would want to go to bed returned, but instead, Rusty wriggled in deeper against the back of the couch and tucked his head into a convenient space between Cross’s chin and the cushion. “Mmm,” he breathed against Cross’s throat. Not even Cross’s brain could make that anything less than a happy sound. Rusty’s dick still pressed hard along Cross’s leg but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to do something about it.
Cross let go of Rusty’s hair and wrapped his arms around his wide shoulders instead. Rusty murmured again and nestled in. It soothed something in Cross to know that Rusty found him desirable and kissable and wanted to be there with him. Even that lingering erection was an affirmation Cross realized he appreciated. He thought about offering a hand job. He’d enjoy being the one to get Rusty all hot and bothered. But this was so good, he didn’t want to break the moment, or talk about why he didn’t want one back.God, I like him.Cross kissed a lock of the blond hair teasing his cheek, fine strands insubstantial against his lips. Rusty would never know Cross was getting sentimental.
They drifted for a while, lying together. Rusty’s dick softened noticeably, although not completely. Rusty chuckled. “I could sleep like this but we’d both regret it.”
“Yep.” Cross was in no hurry to let go of him, though.
“Hey, question,” Rusty murmured against his skin.
“Yeah?”
