Page 99 of Necessary Space

“I’m quick to anger sometimes,” he said.

“And I’m quick to jealousy.”

He smirked, nodding and pressing his lips against mine. A smaller kiss, gentler, almost timid in its approach. He wasn’t telling or taking anymore. He was asking. He waswanting.

“I think it’s a lot of work to be with me, and I’m sorry for that too,” he murmured, fingertips digging into my back.

“It’s easy,” I promised him, “And if not easy, it’s at least worth it.”

“At least.”

I laughed quietly. “On a good day.”

“If I have your cock in my mouth,” he supplied.

“That is a very good day.”

Hendrix let out a long sigh, resting his forehead against my bare shoulder. I held him there, the corner of the couch digging into the meat of my ass, but also unwilling to move. Because Hendrix in my arms was perfect. He was perfect. And I didn’t want to ruin the moment.

“Unfortunately, I have to go to work, so today cannot be a good day for you.” He kissed my collarbone.

“Can it be a good night?” I tightened my hold on him. “I know you have to leave, but is this you saying that we’re okay? That you’re not tired of my youthful hijinks and that you’re not going to break up with me?”

He chuckled, pulling back enough that I could see his face.

“I love you, and that means something to me. I’m not…I won’t just walk away from you. Ever.”

“But I do love to watch you go.”

“You’re a menace,” he said.

“You love it. You love me.” I pressed my palm against his chest. Beneath the silk tie and the placket of his shirt, and also his godforsaken undershirt, his heart beat steadily. It beat for me.

“I love you,” he confirmed. “We’ll get through this, or around it, or whatever. But just like you need me to be patient with your jealousy, you have to be patient with my…”

“With your perfect submission,” I whispered, picking at the small button closest to my fingers. “You expect so much of me.”

“Is it too much?”

“Never,” I said quickly. “You expect me to be the man you deserve.”

“I expect you to be the man you are,” he corrected.

I didn’t know what I had done in some past life, or this one, to deserve the trust and grace that Hendrix always offered me, but I wasn’t stupid enough to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Move in with me,” I blurted, the words tangled and dangerous on the tip of my tongue. “I’ll throw Grayson out.”

“I already know he’s leaving.”

“Shit.”

Grayson and I had spent a long enough time talking about his plans the night before, and I hated his reasons, I hated the plan, but he was my best friend and I wanted him to be happy. If he felt like leaving our home was something he had to do to find happiness, then I wanted to support him in that. He tried to act like he was doing me a favor. With him out, not only would it benefit Wesley, who needed a roommate, but it would be doing me a favor as well. He’d be paving the way for me to decide what the rest of my life was meant to look like.

At the time, I had worried Hendrix wouldn’t want to be a part of it, but now…now I knew better. And so why not ask the question that had been in the front ofallof our minds?

“Move in with me anyway.” It was a question, even though I didn’t ask.

“Yes.”