to every conversation with Jaden.
For once, Jaden didn’t feel like a freak talking about his life or future. He didn’t have to pretend to be better than he was. Henry had already seen him at his worst, and for some reason, he’d liked what he saw.
So maybe he could love Jaden at his best.
Jaden looked up at Henry, noticing his lips so soft and close. He leaned in to press one long kiss against Henry’s lips. For the first time in years, he felt sure of himself.
“I want to leap.”
12
Henry
It seemed like a dream when Henry finally stirred into wakefulness. He recognized Jaden’s smell instantly, the flutter of hair by his nose, the feeling of his warm skin pressed firmly against Henry’s front.
Last night they’d made out, tenderly, for a long time. They’d talked for hours on end—until dawn cracked the long, sleepy darkness. Even then, the bubble hadn’t shattered. They’d curled up together in Jaden’s bed, scarcely able to sleep, stirring every few hours to smile and nuzzle into each other.
Even now, as morning drew into afternoon and the sunbeams crept across Jaden’s bedroom floor, Henry’s heart fluttered with sharp pangs of excitement. This thing between them, so tender and new—he wanted to shelter it against the winds of life.
Jaden stirred, pressing back against Henry’s body. A surge of desire coursed through Henry at every inch of smooth skin sliding along his own. He caught his breath, enjoying the pinpricks of heat that danced down to his belly and beyond.
I haven’t had good morning sex in forever, Henry thought, smiling to himself. For years, he’d found it easiest to fuck in the darkness when he could sleep to escape the exhausting whirl of thoughts that struck afterward.
Now, though… it was a delicious mental image.
Henry’s arm was draped around Jaden’s waist, his hand flattened against his chest. He rubbed in a slow circle and then brushed his fingertips across one of Jaden’s perfect, pointed nipples.
“Nnnh.” Jaden’s long, low sound was soft but pleased, half-awake.
The sound made Henry’s dick throb instantly, his mind taking him right back to the last time he’d seen Jaden come—all over him.
He swallowed hard, almost quivering with impatience as he let his fingertips glide in little circles around and over Jaden’s nipple. He knew it was a hot button for most guys, though some were more sensitive than others.
Jaden was very sensitive. He whimpered and then stretched and squirmed against Henry. That sexy little ass pressed into Henry’s thick, throbbing, soft length. It made Henry’s stomach flip with the fire that was suddenly burning away every lingering moment of laziness.
“S’good,” Jaden mumbled into the pillow, his face still turned downward and one arm flung over his head.
Henry grinned to himself and pressed his lips to the back of Jaden’s neck, pinching his nipple and rolling it slowly between his fingers.
It was impossible to miss the sharp gasp and the way Jaden stiffened. With their legs tangled, Henry even felt the tremble that passed through Jaden’s thighs.
Jaden pressed back into Henry so hard he could feel the ridges of his spine pressing into his breastbone. His fingers curled into the pillow, gripping it tightly as his breathing grew shallow and quick.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” Henry murmured. He walked his fingers up to the other nipple and flicked the very tips of his fingers quickly across it.
“Fuuuck,” Jaden groaned, almost inaudibly from under the pillow and the crook of his arm.
A soft laugh burst from Henry. “What was that?” He scraped his nail in a slow circle around the sensitive nub, curious just how sensitive he was—and how far he could push Jaden.
“Good fucking morning to you, too,” Jaden mumbled, his voice rough and low. He shifted, bringing one hand down and under the sheets.
Henry couldn’t see what he was doing, but he could certainly feel the shift of the bed and the way he clenched and gasped all of a sudden.
Jaden shifted, not quite lying on his back, resting against Henry’s chest and kicking one leg across Henry’s legs. The sheets settled over his lower body, and they rose and fell with his hand.
That was a much better view.
Henry grinned to himself and mouthed at Jaden’s neck. “Got a little morning wood problem there?”
“I wouldn’t call it a problem.” Jaden twisted, straining around until Henry could peck his lips. “More of an opportunity.”
Henry laughed again, his whole chest glowing with affection. Jaden was adorable. “I agree.” He ran his hand slowly down Jaden’s belly, admiring the soft trail