Freedom (The F-Word #5) - E. Davies Page 0,24

stomach.

The sight made Henry curl his toes with pleasure, a loopy grin spreading across his face. “Nice load. You can do that anytime.”

“Oh, man,” Jaden whispered, staring at the sight. He whimpered, clutching the comforter next to Henry’s head as he finally let go of himself. “That’s… you’re… we’re hot together.” Then he flopped on his side next to Henry, wiping the sweat from his forehead and giggling breathlessly.

“We are,” Henry murmured. He kissed Jaden first of all, tender and slow. They were both out of breath and disheveled, but the hazy gleam in Jaden’s eyes made Henry smile.

He finally carefully scooted away to grab a tissue. It seemed a shame to clean up so soon, but he had something better: the blissful satisfaction thrumming through his bones.

“Let’s do that again. Soon.” Jaden eagerly wriggled against the mattress, kissing Henry’s shoulder. “Please?”

“Tomorrow morning?” Henry grinned.

Jaden winked. “I was thinking back in Denver. I want to set a date before we leave. I think… I think I could be brave enough to leave the house if this is what happens.”

Henry caught his breath as he threw away the tissue and lay down again, wrapping an arm around Jaden and pulling him close. “Wow. Really?”

“Really,” Jaden breathed out. He looked nervous but excited, too. “It’s gonna be tough. I know that. But it’s worth it. And… um, a relationship would be really worth it. With you, I mean.”

Bless him, Henry thought, beaming at him. He squeezed Jaden around the shoulders, pulling him into his chest and kissing his hair. He admired Jaden so much for being willing to put himself under that much pressure. “I’ll make it easier for you,” he promised. “However I can. I want this to continue, too.”

It was like Jaden had flipped a switch inside Henry’s mind. All his anxieties just melted away in the face of the certainty in his heart.

“Thank you,” Jaden murmured with a sleepy little smile. “I’m glad you want more than a one-night stand.”

“Oh, I do,” Henry assured him, tilting his chin up for one gentle kiss against his lips. “I don’t do one-night stands any more than I do single serial-killing.” He winked.

Jaden burst out laughing, shoving Henry’s chest. “Oh, you. I’d like to serially fuck. And maybe even serially romance. We could serial date.”

“Serial date!” Henry laughed. He rolled Jaden onto his back and kissed him over and over until they dissolved in laughter together once more.

Yeah, he wanted to keep this guy around for a long time to come. But would it last beyond this one single, dreamlike moment?

This evening was the perfect bubble for just the two of them, sheltered away from the rest of their lives. There was no denying the obstacles they faced as soon as they woke up tomorrow.

But Henry did know two things for sure: he didn’t want to hide himself away from the rest of his life any longer, and he did want to help Jaden along his path, too. There was so much more to learn about each other back in the real world.

Could a relationship really come from one night like this?

Tomorrow would tell.

9

Jaden

The plane ride back to Denver felt hours longer than the outbound trip. Jaden took the window seat, angled his body toward Henry’s, and held his hand from takeoff to landing. And bless him, Henry never said a word of complaint. In fact, he spent the flight idly rubbing Jaden’s hand.

The plane itself wasn’t the hardest part. Even being way up in the sky wasn’t the scariest part of it all, because… well, it wasn’t really outdoors in the sense that Jaden knew. People didn’t walk on clouds.

But it was the trudge back through the terminal to the exit that crushed Jaden from all sides.

“Doing okay?” Henry kept a tight hold on Jaden’s hand and steered them for the luggage carousel.

“Better than ever.” Jaden managed a quick smile over at Henry before he spotted the expanse of the terminal behind him and shivered, looking down at his feet again.

He was glad Henry was taking charge, leading him out of this place, but holding hands also made him more anxious.

They didn’t talk about what came next for them until they reached the terminal doors. Then, Henry bit his lip and offered a nervous smile at him. “So, when can I expect the pleasure of seeing you again?”

“You can see me again anytime. Pleasure guaranteed,” Jaden teased, glad that it was so easy to flirt with Henry. It was strangely easier