Page 14 of Hitting the Jackpot (Las Vegas Littles #4)

Jesse kissed the back of Lake’s neck. After making love, Jesse had whispered quietly to Lake until the boy had fallen asleep. Jesse should be asleep but he just couldn’t force himself to close his eyes when he could continue to stare at his boy.

His boy.

After tonight there was no way that Jesse was ever going to let Lake go. Jesse was completely in love. The boy’s soft breathing brought Jesse back to the only other time that he’d shared a bed with anyone.

Jesse wasn’t one to stay after he’d had sex.

Staying meant that he’d inadvertently say or do something that would reveal one of his secrets.

When he’d had sexual partners in the past, Jesse rarely even undressed all the way.

Luckily, a lot of men thought it was sexy when Jesse fucked them with just his pants open.

A kink that Jesse had used to his advantage.

He’d known that being with Lake would be different.

There was no hiding anything from Lake. Hell, Jesse didn’t want to keep things from the boy. Lake already knew more than anyone, except for his brother.

Thinking about Jacob made Jesse want to reach out. Jacob had always been Jesse’s confidant. They’d shared everything. Ever since the thin dirty mattress on the floor in the rundown house had been their sanctuary from their father.

Jesse would shove Jacob into the corner and lie over him so that if their father did come into the room, he couldn’t get to Jacob. He was the older brother. It might have been by just a few minutes, but he was meant to protect Jacob.

His brother often teased him that Jesse’s over protectiveness stemmed from trying to save him.

Since Jacob was the smartest person that Jesse knew, Jesse was okay with the teasing.

Because he was overprotective. Jesse knew that about himself.

It could be a problem in the future since Lake was such an independent person.

If Jesse had his choice, Lake would never have to see or talk to his family again.

Jesse knew the pain and trauma of letting family go. He was also an expert on what happened when someone allowed their family to control them.

“Why are you thinking so hard?”

Jesse jerked as the soft voice surprised him. “What?”

Lake’s cheerful giggle raised the hairs on Jesse’s arms.

“Why are you awake?” Jesse asked as he hugged Lake tight from behind.

“You were thinking so loudly that it woke me up,” Jesse responded.

“I was not!” Little sassy boy. Jesse smiled.

Lake gripped the hand that Jesse had laid on his stomach. “What were you thinking about?”

Jesse sighed. It already felt like he’d split his wrist and bled all over the place to share his story.

“You don’t have to,” Lake said quietly.

And now he did. “I was lying here thinking that the only other person that I’ve shared a bed with is Jacob.”

“Your brother?” Lake asked. “I’m not trying to be a brat but I know you’ve had sex with other men.”

Jesse snorted. “Of course I have. That doesn’t mean that I’ve slept with them after. I’ve never held anyone like this.”

“You’re trying to tell me that I’m special,” Lake commented.

“No, I was just answering your question. About what I was thinking about.”

“I never had to share a bed with my brothers, but I shared a room growing up with Jack and Brex. Justice and Lenon shared. After Justice left Jack moved in with Lenon leaving me with Brex,” Lake shared.

“You lived in the apartment with Jack and Brex?” Jesse knew that Lake hadn’t enjoyed his time with his brothers.

“After I got back from the service,” Lake replied. “It was either them or my parents.”

“You were old enough to live alone,” Jesse pointed out. He didn’t mean to push but getting Lake to talk about his family was like pulling teeth.

“In this economy?” Lake asked. “I could live alone but I don’t know that I could afford it.”

“There’s more,” Jesse said. He kissed the back of Lake’s neck in encouragement.

“I don’t like being by myself,” Lake said. “Living alone.”

Jesse could understand that. It was a whole different world with Jacob several hours away.

“There’s something about the noise and chaos that I find comforting.” Lake snorted. “That sounds so stupid.”

“It doesn’t,” Jesse assured his boy.

“Yes, it does.” Lake rolled so they were facing each other.

“My brothers are complete assholes. Living with them was terrible. I still stayed because it was better than being alone,” Lake told him.

“I begged my brother not to take the job in Surf City,” Jesse confessed. “He’d been at UNLV and I thought he was happy here. When he told me…I lost it. We’d never been apart before.”

“Oh, Jesse!” Lake peppered kisses across Jesse’s chin. “That sucks.”

“His mind was made up,” Jesse said. “No matter what I said, I could see that Jacob was going to take the position.”

“He’s happy there though?” Lake asked.

“Jacob loves it. He has a cute little house a block from the beach and six blocks from the university.” Jesse shook his head. “He rides a damn bicycle to work every day.”

“Wow,” Lake drew out. “I can’t even imagine.”

“Me either,” Jesse agreed. “It’s like stepping back in time when I go see him. There’s a main street that has all these little shops along the road. It’s a specialty university so very few students and residents. The complete opposite of here.”

“I’d like to visit it,” Lake said.

“I want to take you there,” Jesse replied. “We can hang out on the beach. You’d wear a little tight speedo for me, right?”

“Only if you wear one for me,” Lake quipped.

“I’ll agree to that.” Jesse would after all agree to anything for his boy.

“You better. You already said I could watch you swim in the morning,” Lake reminded him.

“You could swim with me,” Jesse asked.

“I would much rather watch you,” Lake said.

“Okay, baby.”

Lake rubbed his lips over Jesse’s bottom lip. There was a slight tremble.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m great. Still a little shocked that I’m here with you.”

“You were a brave boy,” Jesse said.

Lake’s eyes widened. “I really was.”

“It meant a lot that you came for me tonight. No one has ever done anything like that before.”

“Because you’re the more dominant partner?”

“I think it’s because I never let anyone. I knew that they were using me for my money or clout,” Jesse confessed.

“And you let them?”

“It was better than being alone,” Jesse admitted.

“We have more in common than I thought,” Lake said.

“I knew,” Jesse said. “I knew we belonged together.”

“You say that but how could you know?”

Jesse wanted to laugh and crack a joke. This was embarrassing.

“Are you blushing?” Lake teased. “Oh my God! You are!”

“Maybe we should discuss discipline for a naughty boy,” Jesse questioned, hoping for a change in the subject.

Lake shook his head. “I’m a good boy. Everyone knows that.”

“Wicked,” Jesse reminded.

“Only for you,” Lake said. “Now why were you blushing?”

“That first time I saw you,” Jesse said.

“I couldn’t even talk around you. Remember that?”

“Except that wasn’t the first time I saw you.”

“Sure it was,” Lake argued.

“No, baby. You came to the club to sign some paperwork. You were wearing a pink button-down shirt tucked into black jeans with shining black boots. I was coming out of the supply room trying to figure out where two cases of napkins had disappeared to. You passed the hall that I was standing in and I swear to fucking God that I saw heaven. Like the ceiling opened up and the sun was shining down on you. Fuck! I might have heard harps playing.”

Lake stared at him in silence for several long minutes.

Was that too much? Just as Jesse was beginning to regret being that open and honest with Lake, the boy began to giggle.

The giggles turned into full belly laughs.

Jesse’s mouth dropped open. Lake was laughing at him?

Lake grabbed onto Jesse’s shoulders before pushing Jesse onto his back and hovering over him.

As sexy as it was to be manhandled by him, Jesse’s feelings were more than a little hurt.

“I thought I imagined you,” Lake said seriously.

“What?”

“When we met. We were being introduced, and it was like someone had gone in my head and made you from my fantasies.”

“I think that’s laying it on a little much,” Jesse replied.

“Unliked the skies opening up or hearing harps?” Lake teased.

That was fair. “Aren’t we a pair?”

Lake rested his chin on Jesse’s chest as he peered up at him. “A good pair. The best.”

“We are pretty awesome,” Jesse agreed. “It’s early. Do you want to go back to sleep?”

“No,” Lake drawled.

“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

“No.”

“What do you want to do?” Jesse questioned.

Lake bit his lip. “There is one thing.”

“Anything, baby. What?”

“You promise not to laugh?” Lake requested.

“I would never laugh. Not at anything you wanted to do.”

“Even if it’s childish and a little silly?” Lake asked.

“Baby.” Jesse wrapped his arms around Lake’s back. “I’m a Daddy and you’re a little. There’s nothing childish or silly between us.”

“But this isn’t about little time. It’s about…sexy time.”

“I like sexy time too,” Jesse assured him. He ran his palm down Lake’s back to his ass.

“Can we kiss?”

“Always.” Jesse lifted his head.

“No, I mean kiss,” Lake said. “Like just kiss and kiss. Maybe some rubbing?”

Jesse grinned. “Does my boy want a good old-fashioned make-out session.”

“Is that okay?”

“I would love that,” Jesse replied. “There’s nothing I love more than kissing you.”

Lake leaned closer. “Really?”

“Baby.” They were close enough that their lips brushed as Jesse spoke. “Yes.”

Lake closed the distance. The first kiss was soft, barely there, but that quickly led to them sharing a deeper kiss. Jesse flexed his fingers before trailing them across Lake’s lower back.

Lake moaned as Jesse ate at his mouth.

Their breathing picked up. Kissing wasn’t something that Jesse had given enough credit to.

This was wonderful!

Jesse really liked this.

He kissed Lake harder.

The boy was grinding his lips gently.

If this was how mornings would go, then Jesse would happily give up sleep for more moments like this.

The kisses were almost drugging.

With his eyes closed and Lake’s heavy body on top of his, Jesse didn’t want to ever move. Maybe they could just stay in bed. Forever. Jesse had the money to hire an entire staff that could take care of their every need.

Staying in bed was the best idea that he ever had.