Chapter 7

  Red’s playful poking had Laz squirming, and when Red slid his fingers under Laz’s T-shirt as they walked, Laz couldn’t stop his snort-giggle. Normally he didn’t like anyone tickling him, but Red was just so damned loveable that not only didn’t he mind it, but Laz welcomed his touch.

  “Oh my God, quit it.”

  Red let out a mock gasp. “Are you ticklish, Lazarus?”

  “What gave me away?”

  “Ooh, you’re just full of sass, aren’t you?”

  They reached the kitchen, and Laz turned to face Red, stood on his toes, and nipped at Red’s bottom lip. “I’d much rather be full of something else.”

  Jeez, what had gotten into him? Well, he knew what he wanted to get into him. He really needed to get ahold of himself, but being around Red made him feel kind of giddy, and now that he’d tasted Red, he wanted more. Something about Red made him feel so bold and confident. Was it because he felt safe with Red? Because he knew that Red would never purposefully hurt him or make him feel bad about himself?

  Red groaned and made a grab for Laz, but Laz slipped from his grasp with a laugh, walking backward into the kitchen.

  “Nice try, Russell.”

  “Little smart aleck.”

  “Sit that fine butt down while I whip us up some eggs Benedict. Do you like avocado?”

  Red took a seat at the counter. “You kidding? Lucky would disown me if I didn’t eat avocado. His mom serves it at every meal; I kid you not.”

  “His family’s in Miami, right? Along with Ace’s?”

  “Yeah, they have a cousin who lives down there too. He’s a SWAT officer. Actually, he’s getting married in a few months. Maybe if you’re not doing anything around that time you’d like to come?”

  Laz paused halfway through opening the fridge door, his heart skipping a beat. “That depends.”

  “On?”

  “Whether I’ll be going as a friend or your date.” Laz glanced at Red, holding back a smile at the way Red toyed with the fruit bowl in front of him, his cheeks flushed. Unlike Laz’s skin that was a natural tan thanks to his Greek roots, Red’s skin was exceptionally fair, which meant when he blushed, it was very evident, and gorgeous.

  “I was, um, hoping you’d like to go as my date. If you want. No pressure. I don’t want you to think you have to just because, um…. Crap. My God, could I be any more awkward?”

  He really was too sweet. Laz smiled wickedly. “You mean because we got each other off?”

  “Yeah, that,” Red replied with a cough.

  “Red?”

  “Yes?”

  Laz closed the fridge door, and Red swiveled his chair as Laz rounded the counter. He visibly braced himself as Laz put his hands on Red’s knees and spread them before stepping in between his legs. He loved the man’s strength, but mostly he loved how despite Red’s impressive physique, he was gentle and often uncertain, like he wasn’t aware of how amazing he was.

  “Were you under the impression I was all sweet and innocent?” Laz asked, slowly running his hands up Red’s thighs. Red swallowed hard, and Laz slid his hands up and under Red’s T-shirt.

  “Well… not gonna lie, it kinda crossed my mind.”

  “Sweet, yes.” Laz leaned in to brush his lips over Red’s. “Innocent, not so much. Are you disappointed?”

  “Disappointed?” Red’s eyes darkened with want, and he slipped his fingers into Laz’s hair, grabbing a fistful of it, his other hand taking hold of Laz’s right hand and moving it over to the hard cock tenting his pants. “Does that feel like disappointment to you?”

  Laz groaned. It most certainly did not. He loved how Red seemed incapable of not touching him, particularly his hair. “You know, at this rate we’re never going to get anything done.”

  “Yeah, but on the other hand, sexy times.”

  “You make a very solid”—Laz stroked him through his pants, making Red release a growl that went straight to Laz’s groin—“point.” He pulled away and smiled at the little whimper Red let out.

  “That’s just mean.”

  “Aw, your pout is so cute.”

  “And yet….” Red motioned to his groin before swiveling back toward the front.

  “Sorry-not-sorry.” Laz laughed. “And yes. I would love to go with you to the wedding as your date.” He got to work making them breakfast, noting the extra bounce in his step. It was sweet how Red couldn’t help but try and join in the cooking, whether it was by offering to slice the avocado, or toast the English muffins, or stir the hollandaise sauce. In the end, Laz gave into the puppy eyes Ace was always going on about. He was going to be in big trouble if he didn’t develop an immunity to that look. “While I put together our Bennies, how about you whip me up a cappuccino on Colton’s fancy coffee machine and make yourself one of those fruit smoothies.”

  Red was out of his stool so fast Laz let out a snort of laughter. It was like Red had been relegated to the naughty step or something and his sentence was finally over. They moved around the kitchen together, and Laz could see himself doing this every morning. Red would most likely be making breakfast for them while Laz made their drinks as they prepared for the day ahead. They’d eat together, wash up, and then kiss goodbye, wishing the other a good day as they headed off.

  Whoa, it’s a little early to be thinking about living together.

  As he set their plates down, it struck him that he’d been in a relationship for years with Bryan and they’d never moved in together. Bryan claimed he needed to recharge in his own space not clouded by someone else’s energy, and since being around Bryan the majority of the day could get pretty draining, Laz had never complained. Had they ever truly been a happy couple? Maybe in the beginning, but what did it say about them that Laz had always been happy to return to his little apartment alone? Moving in together had never appealed to either of them.

  And yet with Red, it wasn’t just easy picturing them living together, but the thought made Laz happy. The idea of sleeping in the same bed with Red, of waking up next to him, lounging around the house with him, making meals together in their shared kitchen, it all appealed to Laz a great deal.

  “What are you thinking?” Red asked as he placed Laz’s coffee in front of him.

  “Thank you. I, um, was just thinking about how comfortable I feel around you.” He wasn’t ready to admit he was thinking about them living together. The last thing he wanted was to freak Red out. Their relationship had only just changed, and even if it all felt so right, things were moving quickly as it was. He needed to slow his roll and not rush into anything.

  Red’s smile was stunning, and Laz might have let out a dreamy sigh because Red chuckled. “I feel comfortable around you too.” He leaned in and kissed Laz. “Thank you for making breakfast.”

  “There’s extra hollandaise sauce if you want it. I kinda like to drown my eggs in it.”

  “I’ll remember that,” Red said before taking a big bite of his breakfast and releasing a moan. Laz narrowed his eyes at him, and Red swallowed his mouthful before speaking up. “What?”

  “I would like to get through breakfast without a boner, if that’s okay with you.”

  Red let out a bark of laughter. It was rich, warm, and lit Laz up from the inside out. Laz had just taken a bite of his breakfast when Red let out a deep, rumble of a groan that went straight to Laz’s dick.

  “Oh, mmm, this is so good.”

  Laz tried his hardest not to laugh. He took a sip of his cappuccino, doing his best to ignore Red and his very not-food-related moans and groans, each one more exaggerated than the last.

  “Okay there, Sally. The hollandaise sauce is good, but it ain’t that good.”

  Red moaned. “I don’t know. The way it goes down my throat is just so satisfying.” Another decadent moan followed.

  “Oh my God, stop making those noises,” Laz said with a laugh. “Seriously, you and that poached egg want to get a room?” He bumped his leg into Red’s, and Red bumped his back, making Laz snort. They were ridiculous. It occurred to him then that he’d never had this much fun at breakfast before, and certainly not after fooling around with someone. Probably because before Bryan, the guys Laz slept with never stuck around long enough to have breakfast. Man, what a sad state of affairs his love life had been. Had. Was it too much to hope for that things would be different with Red?

  They stopped horsing around long enough to eat and finish their drinks. When Laz got up to clear the plates, Red stopped him.

  “No, you cooked, so I’ll wash up. That’s the rule.”

  “Okay. I’m going to go grab my phone. I left it on your nightstand. Be right back.”

  “Could you grab mine too?”

  “Sure.”

  Laz went upstairs, unable to help his dopey grin when he walked into the bedroom and his eyes landed on the unmade bed. Oh my God, he’d actually made the first move. It was so unlike him. When it came to dating, he was pretty oblivious. Bryan had teased him that he wouldn’t know someone was flirting unless they dropped to their knees in front of him and gave him a blow job. Yeah, his ex-boyfriend was a real gem. He needed to stop thinking about Bryan, but it was hard to eliminate all thought of someone who’d had such an impact on his life, and not in a good way.

  It was like Laz was slowly starting to find himself again after a long period of becoming everything someone else had wanted him to be. He’d lost himself. Everything he’d become had been what Bryan wanted, what would make Bryan happy, what wouldn’t upset him. After grabbing his and Red’s phones, Laz frowned as he headed back toward the kitchen. Somewhere along the way, he’d completely lost himself. He’d forgotten how good it felt to be important to someone, to have his needs considered and addressed.

  Maybe he was getting ahead of himself. Red cared about him, but did he see Laz as someone who was important to him after only a few months of knowing each other? Okay, stop overthinking everything.

  Downstairs, Red was loading the dishwasher, so Laz placed his phone on the counter for him.

  “Thanks.” Red smiled brightly at him, and Laz all but poured himself into one of the counter chairs. He was like a lovesick puppy. All he wanted was to climb Red like a tree, kiss him, and do all kinds of naughty things to him. Red’s loose pajama bottoms hung low on his hips, the thin material falling oh so perfectly over the roundness of his ass. A soft laugh caught his ear, and Laz’s head shot up, his face about to spontaneously combust.

  “I am so sorry.”

  The twinkle in Red’s eye was evil. “Sorry you were staring at my ass, or sorry you got caught?”

  “Definitely the latter,” Laz admitted, making Red laugh.

  “Well, at least you’re honest. I like that.” Red dried his hands and came to stand in front of Laz. He turned Laz’s chair toward him, and placed one hand on the counter so he could lean in, their lips all but touching. “That’s not the only thing I like.”

  “Oh?” Laz hummed. “What other things do you like?”

  Red brushed his lips over Laz’s. “I like your curls and how soft your hair is.” He slipped his free hand into Laz’s hair and ran his fingers leisurely through it. “I like your lips.” A barely there kiss touched Laz’s lips, and Laz sighed. “I like your body and how it responds to my touch.” Red pulled his fingers out from Laz’s hair, and trailed them down Laz’s arm, sending a shiver through him. Red’s lips tugged at the corner in a smile. “I like the feel of your hands on me.”

  Laz didn’t hesitate. He slid his hands beneath Red’s T-shirt, caressing the muscles of his chiseled abs, loving the tremor that went through Red, and the little huff of air he released. Laz widened his legs so Red could step between them, and he melted against Red as Red brushed his lips first over Laz’s cheek, delivering a feathery kiss before he placed a kiss to the tip of Laz’s nose. He moved his lips back to Laz’s while Laz trailed his fingers up Red’s torso, loving the feel of him, the softness of his skin, the contours of his well-defined muscles. Laz wrapped his legs around Red, keeping him close as Red brought their mouths together, their kiss quickly turning needy and hot.

  Red tugged Laz’s shirt off him, dropping it to the floor. Red’s shirt quickly followed. Cupping Laz’s ass, Red jerked Laz against him, their hard cocks rubbing against each other through the thin fabric of their pajama bottoms. Laz couldn’t get enough of Red, of his taste, his touch, the feel of that hard body against his own.

  Red’s mouth tasted like the fruit smoothie he’d had with breakfast, and Laz kissed him as if any minute now he might take his last breath, as if he were trying to imprint the taste of Red in his memory. Their bodies were pressed together, and Laz wrapped his arms around Red’s neck, arching his back, offering himself to Red. Whatever Red wanted from him, Laz was willing to give, because he knew Red would give as good as he got. Everything Red did seemed geared toward giving Laz pleasure, while Laz wanted nothing more than to please him in return. He wanted to make Red feel so damned good he’d forget everything but the pleasure he was experiencing at that moment.

  Laz squeezed his hand down between them and reached into Red’s pants to pull out his big, thick cock. His thoughts went to earlier that morning when he’d had his lips wrapped around Red’s gorgeous length. He used the pearls of precome at the tip to aid in the glide as he slowly stroked Red.

  “Laz,” Red gasped against Laz’s mouth as their kissing grew more urgent, matching Laz’s hand movements as he pumped Red’s cock. Laz groaned when Red pushed Laz’s pants down, and pulled his cock free then took them both in hand.

  “Oh, yes. Make us both come, Red.” It was like his body was on fire. A blazing inferno raged within him, all for Red. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this, like his body couldn’t contain the need. It was a little terrifying how powerful these feelings were. He kept telling himself to take it slow, not to let himself get swept up in a man who appeared to be everything he ever wanted, but couldn’t possibly be. He was scared the bubble would burst. Scared he was right, and that Red was too good to be true. That it was all hot sex and sweet kisses now, and then later—

  “Stay with me,” Red breathed against his lips, and Laz sucked in a sharp breath. He let his head fall back, exposing his neck to Red’s talented mouth, his body shivering with pleasure. He let himself get lost in the sensation of Red’s firm grip on his dick, on the friction of their erections being stroked together. It was like he was going to crawl out of his skin with desire. Red thrust his hips over and over, and Laz dug his nails into the back of Red’s shoulder, his breath hitching at the low growl Red released.

  “Oh Fuck. I’m going to come, Red.”

  “Do it. Come for me, Laz. Come with me.”

  Red nipped at Laz’s earlobe, and Laz thought he would shatter. He cried out as his orgasm flooded through him, his come forming a sticky mess over their abdomens. Red muffled his own cry against Laz’s mouth, his release adding to the mess between them. He continued to stroke them until they were too sensitive. Little tremors shook Laz, and he let his head rest against Red’s shoulder as his breath steadied.

  “Are you okay?” Red asked softly.

  Laz nodded. He felt boneless. “Can we just get back into bed and, like, never leave?”

  Red chuckled. “We could, but then King would send Ace and Lucky to find out what happened to us, and that might get a little awkward. Also, Colton might wonder why I’ve suddenly taken up residence in his guest room.”

  Laz snickered before sitting back with a sigh. “You’re right. Darn our meddlesome and loving families.”

  With a quick kiss to the lips, Red cleaned them up before swiping their shirts off the floor and handing Laz his.

  “You know, if you wanted to keep yours off….” Laz shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not against it. Just saying.”

  Red looked down at himself, then flexed, his pecs doing a little bounce. “You like?”

  Oh, hell yes. He liked a lot. Laz nodded and trailed a finger down one of Red’s bulging biceps. “I want to lick you like a Popsicle.”

  Red let out a bark of laughter, and Laz groaned.

  “And I said that out loud, didn’t I? Will you excuse me? I need to go into the living room and crawl under the couch or something until I have brain function again, so yeah, maybe you should put on your shirt because clearly all this,” Laz said, motioning to Red’s general muscleyness, “short circuits my brain.”

  “You’re cute.”

  “I’m a weirdo.”

  “Then we’ll be weirdos together.” Red leaned in to murmur in his ear. “I would love for you to lick me all over.”

  Laz was about to volunteer a demonstration of his Popsicle-licking services when his phone rang. Damn it. He must have huffed or pouted or something, because Red chuckled as he put on his shirt. He stepped back into the kitchen to wipe down the counters.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Lazarus Galanos?” A woman’s voice chirped cheerfully from the other end of the line.

  “Yes, speaking.”

  “Mr. Galanos, this is Ms. Vargas’s assistant. I’m calling from Único Lifestyle Magazine about the editorial shoot you applied for. I’d like to apologize for taking this long to call you back. We had some scheduling issues with the designer we’re interviewing for the article, but everything is back on track. Ms. Vargas was very impressed with your portfolio, and she’d love for you to come in for an interview. Really, it’s more of a formality. She’s interested in hiring you for the job, but she always has to meet the photographer first to get a feel for them and what it will be like to work with them on the project. Are you still interested?”

  Laz didn’t even think about it. “Yes, of course! When would you like me to come in?” He was aware of Red’s gaze on him, and when he glanced up, he was surprised by the worry he saw. He offered Red a reassuring smile, and Red visibly relaxed, returning Laz’s smile, then resumed cleaning up.

  “How does next Thursday at 10:00 a.m. sound?”