His Horizon - Con Riley Page 0,104

find Rob closing the laptop, frowning.

“Thought I told you that it’s pointless trying to stream porn with our slow connection,” Jude teased, similar happiness to his sister’s maybe filling every vein in his body, heart pumping glee through arteries that felt full to bursting. Rob didn’t answer, so Jude squinted. “Don’t tell me you were mooning over Guy Parsons’ byline picture again. You know he’s as good as married.” At least that aroused a tired huff of laughter. “You could look at me instead,” Jude offered, pulling off his T-shirt. That caught Rob’s attention, his frown melting and his cheeks taking on more colour when Jude knelt between his knees to unfasten his jeans. Jude paused before popping the last of Rob’s fly buttons. “Or were you looking at hotel rooms in St Ives again? Silly when we’ve got a hotel of our own right here.”

“Our own,” Rob said, looking pensive again, like earlier. “Until your mum and dad are back.” He added swiftly, “And thank God for that.”

Jude did pray to every deity he could recall as he tugged Rob’s jeans down, his cock firming with each kiss Jude laid on it. Jude offered thanks for small miracles and big ones—for a shared bench at a cooking contest, for a storm that washed Rob back to him, and for another that shipwrecked his parents with all of the One for Luck’s provisions. He licked away a jewelled bead of pre-come while counting more treasures, Rob top of a list that made him feel wealthy even if Jude’s bank account was empty. What did money matter when he had all this? Jude mapped a body he loved with every cell of his own, pressing that emotion in with his fingers, he hoped, as he took Rob into his mouth. He’d go into debt for the rest of his life as long as he got to give this man pleasure.

“F-fuck,” Rob said not too long later. “Fuck, I’m close.”

Jude looked up to see Rob almost as undone as he felt, teeth digging into his lower lip and hips canting helplessly upwards, strain evident in his grip on the desk seat. Jude blinked and Rob’s expression transformed in that split second, bliss lighting him from the inside, coming as Jude swallowed. He sagged back, boneless, watching as Jude undid his own jeans to stroke himself off, only to take over, Rob mapping him just as Jude had—touching, stroking, exploring territory that was his for the taking.

He could have it all, Jude knew in a way that went soul-deep.

Rob might have signed an agreement with Louise, but he owned Jude’s heart, lock, stock, and barrel.

Jude woke the next morning to the sound of Louise screeching far louder than the seagulls roosting on the boatshed roof. She flung open the door and shouted, “Pack!” She then noticed that her brother was virtually naked, along with Rob who yanked up a sheet of rainbow batik. She clapped a hand over her eyes, then peeked through her fingers once they both were covered. “Okay, okay dress first! Then pack!”

Jude caught the duffle she threw at him. “Lou. What—?”

“Plane tickets!” She said like that was a full explanation, expanding when Jude didn’t immediately hurry. “They were in our email inbox this morning. Two each. The first from Newquay to Heathrow, then onwards. God, if Trevor was here right now, I’d kiss him.”

“Trevor?” Jude scrubbed at his face like rubbing sleep dust away might help make sense of his sister.

“Seriously, Jude. Will you hurry? Marc’s waiting to drive us.” She was gone before he could ask more questions.

“Well,” Rob said as he sat up. “You heard the woman.” His kiss on Jude’s shoulder was followed by a gentle shove. “Better not keep her waiting.” The flurry of activity that followed was frantic, Jude too busy to do more than take the passport Rob passed through the open window of Marc’s car once he, Louise, and their hastily packed bags were in it.

“You’re not coming to see us off?” Jude motioned to the empty backseat beside him. “Marc’s car isn’t like Betsy, you know? It can fit four people.”

Rob winced as though Jude had said something painful instead of joking, but before Jude could ask why Rob leaned forward and brushed a quick kiss to his lips. “Someone’s got to run this place.” He blew a last kiss as they pulled away from the Anchor.

Jude replayed that final moment as they passed cottages that were starting to fill with