COUNTLESS butterflies attacked Bo’s queasy, hungover belly with the unforgiving beat of their wings. He groaned and placed a hand over his stomach as memories from the night before ran through his throbbing head in a taunting stream fueled by shame and remorse.
He didn’t regret asking Adam to kiss him. Not really. Had he said yes, Bo would’ve been thrilled to wake naked in his bed rather than tangled in the sheets of his own, fully clothed. But Adam hadn’t said yes.
It made sense. Bo couldn’t fault Adam for turning down his drunken come-on. After all, hadn’t Bo been the one making sure their relationship remained platonic the past few months? Hadn’t he been the one pushing Adam away despite the relentless pull that kept trying to draw them together?
Without the brain-numbing power of alcohol twisting his good senses, Bo’s stupidity stood out like a shiny beacon of absurdity. Why had he tried to push himself on Adam? There was no possible positive outcome. Not because Adam didn’t want Bo, but after months of being denied, there was no way he’d accept Bo’s drunken flirtation as anything other than an error in judgment.
But it wasn’t. Not this time. He was tired of fighting his desires and heartsick from watching Adam do the same. And why should they? Bo trusted Adam. He hadn’t at the beginning when he hadn’t known the man, but he did now. Even if giving in to their physical cravings wound up ruining their relationship, Adam wouldn’t screw him over. He wouldn’t fire Bo without warning or kick him to the streets, destitute and alone.
At the very least, Adam would give him time to find somewhere else to go. And now that he had his GED, Bo had a better chance of getting another job. Not just a job, but a good job. One that might pay a comparable wage.
He rubbed at his temple as he headed for the kitchen. It was Sunday, so despite his inebriated threat, there would be no waking Adam. With coffee or without. This was Adam’s only day to sleep in, so Bo wouldn’t bother him. But as soon as he got up, they could pick up where they’d left off. Hopefully with Adam’s tongue down Bo’s throat and a whole heck of a lot less clothing.
When Bo rounded the corner into the living room on a beeline for the kitchen, his bravado drained away with a whimpered yelp. A blistering flush crept up his neck to heat his cheeks as Adam glanced up from his lounge on the couch.
It was barely eight o’clock in the morning. Why was Adam already awake? No, scratch that, how was Adam already awake? It took Bo forever to pry him out of bed. He’d never once seen him get up under his own power before 10:00 a.m. at the earliest.
“How are you awake right now?”
Adam rested the book he’d been reading on his chest. He offered a shrug and a small smile. “I set an alarm.”
Bo raised his brows in disbelief. “An alarm woke you up? How?”
“By beeping really loud and on repeat.” Adam’s smile turned wry. “Believe it or not, I’ve been finding my way outta bed on my own for thirty-eight years before you came into my life.”
“But I thought your PAs woke you up.” Panic had the warmth in Bo’s cheeks cranking up to a simmering scald. Had he been doing something he wasn’t supposed to do? Did Adam not want him climbing into bed with him and…. Crap.
Adam chuckled and pushed to a sitting position. He slipped a bookmark between the open pages and set his book on the coffee table. “I usually had them pop their head in to make sure I didn’t hit snooze too many times, but that’s about it. However, when you took it upon yourself to rouse my ass with those adorably frustrated grunts and shakes, I decided it was a much more enjoyable way to wake up.”
“You mean….” Bo’s jaw dropped. “That wasn’t part of the job? Kyle told me you were impossible to wake up. He said I’d have to ‘get physical’ and asked if I was okay with that. I never would have—”
“Of course he did. Fuckin’ bastard.” Adam snorted. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t complaining, was I? I am a pain in the ass to wake up, but it’s usually my ass feeling the pain, not someone else’s. It was a nice change of pace. Plus, it got you into my bed. Even if it was innocent in nature.”
Breath rushed from Bo’s lungs as his heart thrummed to life at breakneck speed. Adam wanted him as much as he wanted Adam. He couldn’t possibly doubt that. So why couldn’t he ask for what he wanted now that he was sober?
Adam cleared his throat. “Anyway, I set my alarm because I wasn’t sure how early you’d be up and wanted to make sure we cleared the air before things had a chance to get uncomfortable. I don’t want you thinking anything’s changed. You were drinking and riding high on your GED success. Things were said you didn’t mean. That happens to us all, and it didn’t bother me in the least. Everything between us is still 100 percent as it was, okay?”
It really wasn’t fair how perfect Adam was. He’d gotten up early on his day off to ensure Bo didn’t worry about how big of a fool he’d been the night before.
The only problem was, Bo wanted things to change. He didn’t want things to be as they were. He was ready for more, even if that more was a gamble. It was a risk worth taking.
“What if I meant what I said?” His voice came out gruff and pitched far lower than normal. “What if I really did want you to kiss me?”
Adam swallowed. The lump at his throat bobbed with the exaggerated movement. He drew a knee up on the couch so he could face Bo more directly. “Did? Or do?”
“Do. Definitely do.” A rush of courage bolstered by Adam’s low groan spurred Bo to move. He rounded the couch and stopped in front of Adam. Stormy gray irises, darkened by the desire evident in their depths, met his own hungry gaze. “What about you? Did? Or do?”
“Fuck. Do. It’s always been do.” Adam twisted on the couch so his feet were flat on the floor. His strong fingers dug into Bo’s hips and dragged him down to straddle his lap. Their cocks grazed through the thin fabric of their pajama pants, and a mingled moan laced the air before Bo crushed his mouth over Adam’s.
The lingering mint of Adam’s toothpaste tingled Bo’s tongue, warring with the bitter bite of his coffee. Rough lips and the burn of beard stubble paired deliciously with the dance of tongues and frantic rush of greedy hands.
Bo couldn’t get close enough. Everything in him screamed for more. After so many months of restraint, of shoving back his wants and needs, they came rushing to the surface now with choking intensity. He rocked his pelvis into Adam, relishing the hard heat that pressed back and the strong hands, lips, and tongue that matched his desperation so acutely. He couldn’t touch, taste, or feel everything at once, but he tried.
He slid his hands beneath the fabric of Adam’s form-fitted T-shirt. At the first touch of skin on skin, a whimper passed his lips. Adam broke their kiss, his hands gripping Bo’s hips as they both panted for air.
“If we don’t stop now, I’m afraid I’ll push too far.” Adam’s voice was gravelly and strained. “I want this, Bo. Fuck, do I ever want this. But I need to be sure you do too. Why don’t we give ourselves some space to breathe and regroup after a shower?”
Bo dug his fingers into Adam’s shoulders when he made to shift Bo off his lap. He wasn’t going to let Adam push him away. Not now. No frickin’ way. “Trust me, I want this. I’ve wanted it as long as you have. I’m down for a shower, but only if we’re getting one together. Either way, shower or no shower, I want you naked. Like, now. I might combust if I don’t feel your skin against mine in the next three-point-two seconds.”
Adam growled and drew Bo down for another mind-bending kiss. When they pulled apart, minutes could have passed. Or hours. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting Adam naked and inside him. He couldn’t take the wait any longer.
“Please.” Bo dropped his forehead to Adam’s, their erratic breaths falling into synchronized harmony as Bo rolled his hips in a matching rhythm. “I need you. I want you. Take me to bed. Please.”
“I… shit, Bo. I can’t. Not now.” When Bo halted his movements, his heart plummeting to his stomach, Adam knuckled a finger under his chin. “Hey, look at me. I’m not saying no. I’m saying not right now.”
Weren’t they the same thing? Bo forced a nod and pulled away. But before he could slide off Adam’s lap, Adam wrapped those strong arms around his waist and held him as a willing prisoner against the body he craved but couldn’t have.
“I want our first time to be special.” Adam rubbed his nose over Bo’s. “I don’t have the time right now to worship you the way I want. My training camp starts this week, so my Sundays are no longer my own. I’ve gotta be at the gym in forty-five minutes.”
Bo nuzzled into Adam’s neck to hide his pout. He was Adam’s PA. He should’ve been the one reminding Adam of his morning obligation, not the other way around. How had he forgotten about the training camp? Too much booze, that’s how. And not enough Adam. His eyes fluttered closed when Adam stroked a hand in slow, rhythmic circles over his back.
“I know this is going to sound stupid, but I’m going to miss you.” Bo walked his fingers up the back of Adam’s neck and toyed with the hair there. “You’ll let me drive you, right?”
Adam chuckled, and the deep, resonating tones tingled through Bo’s chest. Zaps of electricity fired under his skin as the vibrations traveled outward.
“Why don’t you join me? Not to work out, but you haven’t been inside my gym yet. You could come see what I do there every day. Meet some of the guys. Maybe watch me kick some of their asses in the practice ring.”
Adam wanted to introduce Bo to the men he spent so many hours of his life training with? Bo pushed away so he could meet Adam’s gaze. It was far too early to read anything into the request, even though his heart yearned to believe there might be more between them than physical desire.
Still, Adam had never asked Bo to join him at the gym before. It had to mean something, right?
Bo grinned, his heart thrilling beneath his ribs when Adam returned the expression with a wide, toothy smirk of his own.
“Okay, but only if you promise I get Naked Adam later.”
Laughter barked up Adam’s throat. He bucked his hips so their cocks collided and a delicious warmth seeped into the very center of Bo’s being.
“You can have all the Naked Adam you can stomach.” Adam threaded the fingers of both hands into the hair at Bo’s nape. He pulled Bo down for a soft, sweet, gentle kiss. Their tongues met briefly, a promise of what was to come rather than anything meant to encourage their current situation. Then he smacked Bo’s butt. “Come on. The sooner we get to the gym, the sooner we can get naked.”
Adam didn’t need to ask him twice. Bo bounced off his lap, hiding a groan at the sight of Adam fully erect beneath the forgiving fabric of his lounge pants.
In a few short hours, that would be all his. All he had to do was survive watching Adam get all sweaty and hot. No big deal.
Rolling his eyes for his own benefit, Bo hurried to grab a shower. A very, very cold shower.
The afternoon couldn’t come fast enough.