Page 60 of A Thousand Cuts

“But—”

“No buts,” she said loudly. “Your boy will be okay while you’re gone.”

Liam clearly heard that. He gaped at Fix, who cut the call and dropped his phone onto the couch next to him.

“Sorry about that,” he said.

“She…she knows?”

“My entire team knows my end of things. It’s impossible to keep anything a secret from that bunch. So nosy.”

“Right.” Liam bit his lip and looked away. “And you’re okay with them knowing? About…me?”

“Hard not to be okay when it’s my fault they know,” Fix said with a smile. “I kinda talked about you a lot, and thought about you nonstop.”

That earned him a smile. A real one. Shy, but bright, and Fix wanted to bottle it and take it with him to make his day better. Liam was stunning in the early morning light, bathed in muted gold with his honey blond hair glowing.

Their gazes locked, a bubble forming around them and nudging them closer, suggestive pressure urging them on while blocking out everything else around them. The only sound was a joint heartbeat, finding a twin rhythm as the distance closed inch by inch, bashful and timid.

Liam’s face tipped up, offering Fix the honor of viewing it wide-awake without a single guard in place. The beauty of him stunned Fix, freezing the air in his lungs and making it hard to think of anything but eyes of limpid green, cheeks brushed rose red, lips petal pink and parted just barely.

A tease of tongue snuck out to wet them, leaving the tender skin shining and glossy. Fix wanted to capture that tongue withhis own. He wanted to lick the moisture away and dampen his own dry lips with it.

They swayed closer, like gravity had centered in the space between them, inevitable, fundamental. Liam’s breath hit Fix’s face and Fix’s hand reached out for him but hit nothing as Liam pulled back awkwardly.

“You’ll be late for work,” he croaked, breaking the spell between them.

Fix curled his fingers in the cold air as he watched Liam shy away from the magnitude of feeling. He was overwhelmed, it was plain to see, so Fix swallowed the black hole of need within him and smiled reassuringly.

“Right.” Fix forced himself to get up, his body screaming at him with new pains. “I’ll just…”

“You can use my shower!” Liam jumped in to say. “I mean…I don’t know how far away your house is and you have to be on the case soon and so I figured you can shower here and I can make you breakfast. If you want. I’m not a great cook but I can do toast and tea. You probably don’t want toast. Maybe…”

“Liam,” Fix said, voice only slightly sharper. Liam clamped his lips shut as he wrung his hands in his lap, vacillating wildly between wanting to pull back and obviously wanting Fix close. “Breathe.”

He actually inhaled, then released the breath slowly. “Sorry.”

Fix smiled. “I’d love some tea and toast if you don’t mind.”

Liam stood up from the sofa so fast Fix thought he’d trip over his blanket and King as he moved with him.

“Easy there.” He reached out and gripped Liam’s shoulders, steadying him in front of him for a moment. Liam’s skin was warm even through his clothes, and Fix found his thumbs stroking the highest points of his shoulders gently. Anything to feel him for a moment.

Liam shifted a little self-consciously, adjusting his hair and trying to get it to lie flat.

“You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” Fix said to dispel any thoughts from Liam’s head that were telling him otherwise.

Liam’s hand stilled as he blinked at Fix in wonder before exhaling, “Oh, you’re dangerous.”

“Truthful,” Fix corrected.

Liam shook his head pushing Fix away, but the corners of his lips were curling. “Go shower.”

Fix chuckled and ducked into the bathroom, feeling about ready to explode he was so happy. He rushed through his shower, refusing to acknowledge the fact that he was naked in the same tiny space Liam used naked. He ran cold water over himself when his dick took notice of that, nose filled with Liam’s scent and mind reeling with images of Liam wet and warm from the shower.

Fix wondered if they’d fit into the cramped space together. If he’d ever get to hold Liam against his body and worship him as water cascaded over them. He gripped his cock to stop himself from coming just thinking about it, desperate to relieve the tension but feeling wrong doing it with Liam on the other side of the door.

His mind decided to torture him though. It conjured up goose bumps on pale flesh, breathy moans, gentle pleas of ‘Daddy’ and ‘more,’ thin fingers gripping Fix’s hair, and long legs wrapped around his waist.