Page 65 of Night By Night

The crushing loneliness. Being terrified to let anyone in emotionally when he was living in Pennsylvania, because he was worried whether or not they were connected to Cameron’s family.

Before he could think about it too much, he reached up and cupped the back of Maddox’s head, the way Maddox was holding him, mirroring him.

“What do you need from me?” Hank asked. “Right now?”

He realized the sudden brightness in Maddox’s eyes was from tears he struggled to blink back. “Just for you to sayyes.” He didn’t move his hand from the back of Hank’s head, or his other arm, where it still curled around Hank. “Pleasemarry me.”

Where Hank’s hair had a slight natural curl to it, looking shaggy and unkempt if he let it get too long, Maddox’s brown hair felt straight and fine and soft under his fingers.

He met and held Maddox’s brown gaze for a long moment, saw the flecks of amber and chocolate there.

Took a moment to process how most of the voids in his life had been filled with memories of this man, and of missing him, even when Maddox wasn’t consciously on his mind.

Missing the relationship they’d had.

Missing their friendship.

The trust.

The thought of giving in and letting go to this man filled his brain with a sweet, quiet peace that called to him.

There was no other choice he wanted to make.

“Yes. Yes…Sir?”

A ragged laugh escaped Maddox and he cupped Hank’s face in both his hands, their foreheads still pressed together. “I won’t make you call me that. You don’t have to do any of that if you don’t want to. I’ll never force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I mean it. Even if we never have anything other thanthismoment like this, buddy. Even if all we are is friends who live together and are married.”

Hank took a long, slow breath and let it out again. “What if I…want to? What if Iwantto try it? What if I’m done pretending I’m a functioning adult and I admit I need a…need an owner?” He took a deep breath. “What if Iwantto be with you as more than just friends?”

Maddox’s thumb stroked Hank’s cheek. “Ever been with a guy before?”

Hank shook his head a little, his heart racing, pounding in his chest. “I mean, just those times we…you know, jerked off together, but that’s it.”

Was hereallythinking about doing this?

Hell,yeah, he was.

It wasn’t like what he’d been doing was working for him anymore.

Maybe itwastime for him to try something different.

Someonedifferent.

Someone he trusted, someone he knew would always have his back, no matter what.

Someone who knew everything about him and not only stared back at him unflinchingly but who wanted to step up and take control and make things right.

Someone JJ loved, and who loved her as much as he did.

“I mean it,” Maddox said. “I don’t need this from you if you aren’t comfor—”

Before he could lose his nerve, Hank pulled him in for a kiss. Dox’s deep, needy groan as he slanted his lips over Hank’s drove a spike of molten desire straight through Hank’s balls and into his cock.

Desire on a scale he honestly could never remember feeling before.

Their cheeks rasped against each other, both of them needing a shave. Their teeth clicked together but when Hank felt Maddox’s tongue sweep over them he met him there, tentatively at first.Bothof them tentative.

In a way, that reassured Hank, that he wasn’t the only one…nervous.