“I really think you’re the bravest man I’ve ever met,” he confessed, almost shy.
I took it as some kind of affront, a challenge. Like he thought I was being weak by trying to push him away. “Pushing you away was brave, Drew. It took everything I had.”
He nodded and reached for my hand. “I know. I don’t want you to be brave for me, Trent. I want you to be brave with me.”
“Look at me, Forrester.” My eyes bore into his. “Look at my bruises and cuts. Look at the way people I’ve been friends with for years turned on me without even asking first if the rumors were true.” I gave his hand a squeeze. “Are you up for this?”
He scooted forward on the bed, our legs bumping together. “I’m asking for it. I’m asking for you.”
My chest felt tight, and it wasn’t because of my ribs. I felt near to max capacity with emotion, as if everything we’d been through to get to this moment had been nothing but practice. My doubt and fear was waning, being replaced with a sensation of luck.
I was sitting in Drew’s bed, beaten and bruised. Some people out there wouldn’t accept us. Our life would never be as easy as it might have been if we just stayed friends.
It didn’t even matter.
Our fingers were entwined together; his body carried the weight of mine more than once tonight. He was holding out his heart, extending it between us, offering me everything I honestly never thought I’d have.
He was so much more than I ever imagined.
How did I get so lucky? How was Drew able to look past my walls, past the fa?ade I built for everyone to see? He saw me for who I was. For the man I was still discovering… I wasn’t even sure who I would fully become.
But he seemed to see.
And he loved me.
“I can’t say no to you,” I whispered, my voice cracking halfway through. “Denying you anything would be like ripping out my own heart and abandoning it to the wolves.”
Drew cupped his hand around the back of my head and made a sound I could only describe as intense relief. He wasn’t smug he convinced me. He wasn’t arrogant he’d gotten his way. When he pressed his forehead against mine and met my eyes, all I saw was gratitude.
Both our chests heaved a bit, and his fingers dug into my scalp where he held me.
“Thank fuck,” he all but groaned.
I smiled. “If you think I’m protective now, it’s probably going to get worse.”
Now my defensive instincts weren’t only concentrated on keeping him safe… but on my radar was us. Two men who shared a single heart.
Vicious wasn’t even a strong enough sentiment to define how I was going to protect that.
“I don’t care,” he murmured, still holding my head against his. “As long as you’re my person.”
“And you’re mine.”
Drew’s eyes darkened. “No more talking tonight, frat boy.” Both hands grabbed my jaw and his lips covered mine.
He kissed me passionately, like we’d both jumped off a ledge into a bottomless well… His lips were the only ground I’d ever meet again. We tumbled together. Our tongues danced and caressed each other without hesitation. I rubbed my chin against his as we made out, the feel of his rough stubble causing tension to heighten inside me as my dick began to harden.
I didn’t feel any pain, not even when we slowly lowered as one onto the mattress. His body covered mine, but he wasn’t heavy. Drew supported all his weight on his hands and only allowed his chest and hips to brush me lightly. If my ribs weren’t busted, I would have pulled him over me completely and reveled in the strength of his body.
Our hips started grinding toward each other as our cocks rubbed together. I palmed his hips and pulled them closer so his dick was pinned beside mine and there was no room to do anything but rock slowly.
His head fell to my shoulder, and I whispered, “I love you.”
Drew moaned like the words only intensified his pleasure. Between us, his cock jerked. Abruptly, he pushed up, hovering just inches above me, caging me in.
I was far too big of a guy to ever feel that way, and between us, I was the protective one. But right now, I felt small. In this moment, it was as if Drew were the one protecting me.
“I want to be inside you,” he declared with passion-thick words.
We’d yet to explore that far with each other; we’d barely even talked about it.
Once again, he read me. Once again, he saw my deepest thoughts and cut them off.
“This isn’t just the heat of the moment.” He paused. “Well, maybe a little. But we both know this is only a matter of time.”
“No one said it has to be right now,” I said gently, not wanting it to sound like a rebuff.
In truth, the idea of him entering me was something I thought about a lot. I wanted it. I craved it. Sure, I was curious, too. I wondered if it would be pleasurable for both of us or just the one on top. Thing was I couldn’t imagine not liking anything Drew gave me. In fact, the mental image of him between my legs and filling my body made my mouth run dry and skin feel feverish.