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19

Jared

Waking up with Liam in my bed, all warm and snuggly tucked into my side, was everything.

Sleeping next to Ridley had always been a constant negotiation, all compromise and no clear winner. Who got to be the big spoon, tugging the blanket back and forth, either too hot or too cold. We were simply too alike, which we’d eventually agreed made us better friends than lovers. With Liam, though, it was so easy the way we fit together, and I never wanted to sleep alone again. He nestled perfectly against me as the little spoon, his ass cradled against my crotch.

It didn’t take long for my body to catch up with where my mind was at.

I tried to keep my morning wood to myself, honestly I did, but Liam wiggled his hips as he came to consciousness, grinding back into me. “Mm, good morning to you too,” he murmured in a deliciously raspy purr.

How was it possible he smelled so good before a morning shower? I leaned into him, burying my face against his neck and losing all sense. This was a dangerous spot I found myself in. I had to remind myself that this was new, precious and precarious, and just like with the first flicker of a fire, if I came on too strong, I might snuff it out.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut, though. I had the intense urge to hint at where I wanted him to be every morning, tucked against me just like this. “I know it’s way too early to talk about living together, but… can we talk hypotheticals?”

He stilled for a moment before he rolled to his back to look up at me. “Hypothetical? I thought living together would be a given. I just assumed— Sorry, I guess I thought we’d skipped all those steps.”

“And I said I wanted to revisit them all. I really don’t want to miss a thing with you, and I definitely don’t want you thinking you have no options. Just because you’re pregnant and I happen to be the father, I don’t want you to feel trapped. We agreed to give this a try, but you need to know that no matter what, I’m here for you. But I want you to be with me because it’s what you want, not because you think it’s an obligation.”

Now he rolled over fully to face me, wrapping an arm around my waist, entwining our legs. Our erections rubbed together, hot silky skin with just the right amount of friction for a little dry-humping. “Jared,” he said, his voice containing the slightest hint of scolding. He bit a nipple sharp enough to elicit a needy hiss from me, then licked all the way up my neck until I tipped my head back for more. “When I say I love you, do you think you’re coercing me?”

“No, but—”

Liam cut me off with a kiss that left me speechless, carding his fingers through my hair to hold me in place. “You know, I should probably work on convincing you anyway. Wouldn’t want you to doubt my sincerity.” He smirked before rolling on top of me and wiggling under the covers .

I closed my eyes, sinking into the sensation of his teasing fingers, his heated lips. He didn’t tease me for long, though. He licked up the underside of my cock, from the base all the way to the tip, where he lapped precum from my slit. Then his warm mouth engulfed me, sliding down the shaft until I felt myself nudging at the back of his throat. He sucked hard, and the vibration of Liam’s moan traveled through me, making my full body tingle and my balls tighten, and when he swallowed, I nearly lost it.

It was nearly impossible to keep still, and I flexed my hips, fucking up into his warm, wet mouth. “You’re heaven,” I told him. “I don’t deserve you.”

Liam had just brought his hands up to tug on my balls, rolling them around in his palm, when my phone rang.

My eyes shot open, and the spell was broken. That was Ridley’s ringtone.

Liam paused, his lips still wrapped around me, tongue undulating softly inside his mouth. I really, really hated to do this.

The phone blared a second time. “I’m sorry, I have to take this,” I groaned regretfully. Ridley was a texter by nature, he never called unless it was important.

Pulling off, from under the sheet I heard Liam ask, “Should I stop?”

I knew I should say yes, that it was totally tacky to be getting a blowjob while talking to my ex, but when it came to Liam, I found I was far more selfish than I ever could’ve imagined. “No, don’t stop.”

Reaching for the phone, I allowed myself one last moan before I accepted the call. “Hey, Rid. How’s—” When I heard Ridley sobbing through the phone, the awkward history between us disappeared. Worst-case scenarios spun through my head. “What’s wrong?” Liam must’ve heard the panic in my voice because he dragged the sheet back and looked up at me with concern .

“It’s Lula,” Ridley blubbered hysterically though the phone, and I sat up in a rush. “I swear I only left the room for a minute, and it was on the counter, I thought there was no way she could get up there with her little legs. It was an accident and I—”

“Ridley, what happened?” I snapped, my heart racing.

“Lulabelle got into the baking chocolate. I’m at the vet.”

“I’m on my way,” I said, already leaping out of bed. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

I pulled on last night’s jeans and a t-shirt. “I’m sorry, Liam. It’s Lulabelle. She ate some baking chocolate, and it’s toxic to dogs. Ridley took her to the vet. I need to go.”

“Of course! You can take my car. Or do you…” Liam cleared his throat, staring down at his hands in his lap. “Do you want me to come with you?” When he dragged his gaze up to mine, it was filled with this strange mix of hope and worry. He wanted to be there for me, but he wasn’t sure what his role was. We were still feeling our way through this.

“I would love if you came with me,” I told him.

“Yeah?” His soft smile dissolved as he registered what that meant; we were in a hurry. “Oh! Okay, let me get dressed real quick.”

In under five minutes, we were out the door, racing for the car. Dr. Mayle’s office wasn’t far, and in no time, I was bursting through the door to the vet clinic, with Liam right behind me. I was familiar with the man at the desk, and he’d obviously seen me coming.

“It’s okay, Jared. Lulabelle’s gonna be okay,” Kel said immediately, cutting to the information I needed to hear most. He’d been working here longer than I’d had Lula, and he always made a point of knowing everybody’s name—no matter whether they had two legs or four.

“She’s okay?” I asked again to confirm, sagging on the desk as the adrenaline leached out of me .

“Lula’s going to be just fine. Dr. Mayle made sure I had an update to give you as soon as you got in.” He smiled softly, and I felt Liam’s hand on my back, offering me quiet comfort. “Ridley didn’t know how much she ate for sure, so they gave her something to help her bring it back up. We’ll want to keep an eye on her, and she probably won’t feel very well for a bit, but Ridley got her here in time.”

I blew out a long breath. “Okay… okay, thanks, Kel.” My legs were shaky, so I pointed to the row of chairs behind me. “I’ll wait over here.”

“Sure thing. Ridley will be out soon.”

I collapsed into a chair and dropped my head back on the wall, waiting for my heart to return to its normal rhythm. Liam sat down beside me and took my hand, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles. I rolled my head to the side to look at him. He seemed to feel a little out of place, peeking at the people with their pets, in carriers or on leashes, spread out around the room, waiting their turn. I appreciated that he’d come, even though there wasn’t anything specific for him to do. This was what being in a relationship was. Supporting each other, being there no matter what.

I just watched him in profile until movement caught my eye. Ridley came from the back room, his eyes red-rimmed, shoulders sagging. He saw me straight away and came over. I stood from my chair, and Ridley collapsed against my chest, crying fresh tears. “I’m so sorry,” he sobbed, his voice muffled in my shirt.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said cautiously, bringing my hands up to give him a hug. “You had no way of knowing she could get up there. It was just an accident.” I glanced over at Liam to make sure this was okay, but though he’d stood from his chair when I did, he was now avoiding my eyes, biting his lower lip.

When Ridley pulled back, he followed my gaze. “And you must be Liam. Thank you so much for coming, for being there for Jared.” Ridley threw himself at Liam next, not the least bothered that Liam didn’t hug him back. He seemed stunned to have my ex-boyfriend embracing him.

At that point, Dr. Mayle came out to talk to us. He assured us that Lulabelle was in the clear, but that he wanted to keep her overnight just in case.

“Can I see her?” I asked.

Dr. Mayle nodded. “Sure, but make it a quick visit. She’ll need her rest.”

I laced my fingers with Liam’s and brought him with me into the back. Brent, one of the other techs, pointed me to the right room, and I found my girl resting in a kennel, the door open. “Oh, baby girl,” I whispered, and her tail gave a weak thump.

“This is Lulabelle,” I told Liam, dragging him closer. “Lula, this is Liam.”

Liam brought his hand up for her to sniff, and she gave him a gentle lick. He huffed a laugh. “Hey, sweetheart.”

I watched the two of them for a minute, and my heart settled. My worlds had finally come together, and it felt right. “Are you okay?” I asked him.

Liam raised his brow. “I should be asking you that.”

I shrugged. “I’m okay. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t overwhelmed by everything.”

He chuckled. “Everyone keeps hugging me.”

My smile widened. “Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t know he was going to do that. Is it weird for you?”

“No! No, it’s fine. I’m fine. Ridley seems really nice.” He pinched his lips together, biting back what he actually wanted to say. I just waited him out, massaging behind Lula’s ears, and sure enough, he couldn’t hold it in. “I really don’t want to be the insecure new boyfriend, but can you please just tell me you’re not still hung up on your ex? Cause he’s really hot, and I’m not sure I can compete with him.”

There was zero hesitation when I shook my head and pulled him closer to kiss his temple. “I’m not even a little hung up. It was a mutual breakup with no regret, and I promise, it’s no competition. There’s only you, Liam. I love you.”

He melted into me, and we stayed like that, petting Lulabelle, until her eyes started to drift shut. “Okay, baby, I can take a hint. You feel better, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” I dropped a kiss on her soft forehead.

Ridley was in the hall, still talking to Dr. Mayle when we came out. We said our goodbyes, but Ridley looked past me anxiously to where Lula was sleeping. “Would it be all right if I hung around the waiting room for a while? Just to make sure she’s fine?” he asked the vet. I knew the guilt was riding him hard.

He nodded. “Of course. I’ll come find you when she wakes up.”

“Thanks, Doctor Mayle. I really appreciate everything you did.”

“Please, call me Beck.”

There was a pause as the two of them shared a long look, and I couldn’t possibly be imagining the heat kindling between them. I peeked at Liam to see if he was catching the vibe too, and he was working hard to smother a smile. “Right, we’ll just leave you two alone then,” I said as Liam and I extricated ourselves from the conversation. “Call me later.”

Liam didn’t have to worry about Ridley holding a torch for me either.