Love Him Free (On the Market #1) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,47

was willing to concede right then.

He had a lot to think about—not just the videos with Rocco, but everything Collin had said. How it was okay to just know when someone was right for you. How it was okay to not be…normal, the way everyone else was. How therapy wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world—and what he hadn’t said. How being a little bit broken didn’t mean he wasn’t worth loving.

When Birdie was gone, Simon contemplated just giving up—locking up shop and going upstairs and waiting for Rocco to get back. But he glanced behind him then, at the photo of Bubbe smiling between him and Levi when they weren’t quite old enough to understand what this bakery might mean to them one day, and he knew. He knew it was coming to a close—and he accepted that—but he wasn’t ready to hit the end on their legacy just yet.

Chapter Eleven

Of all the things Rocco thought he’d be doing when he got to Cherry Creek, none of them involved perusing vacation rentals so he could film a series of amateur porn videos where he made his little baker friend on Twitter come without touching his dick. And Rocco had also started to believe that nothing could get him really and truly worked up again. A person, yes. He had been wildly attracted to Eric on and off during their relationship. The softest, quietest, most vanilla love-making between them had often been the most erotic sex he experienced.

But this thing with Simon? It was everything. Knowing that he could get Simon off by a few quiet words and the drag of fingertips along his neck made him wild with power and want, but he acknowledged the voice deep inside him that told him he wouldn’t feel this way if it had been anyone else but Simon.

In truth, he could lay Simon down and fuck him missionary style and he’d still be out of his mind with desire. He could lay him out, strip him, and tie him up before fucking his throat with long strokes of his cock and he’d get off just as hard as if Simon was on all fours, doing little more than spreading his thighs for Rocco.

It was the man. It was the man, with his curls, paint-splatter freckles, soft belly, and slightly crooked smile. It was the man who didn’t like himself much, but wanted to—and Rocco knew he wouldn’t rest until Simon freed himself from the belief that he wasn’t worth any of this.

Rocco would burn his life to the ground if it meant keeping Simon in it, and he had never felt like that before. Not even with Eric—not for a single moment they had been together. Rocco had once thought about marrying Eric too. He had thought about just making it official and choosing to spend the rest of his life with that man, but that seemed such an absurd, far-off idea now.

He almost wanted to send Xander a thank you note for being the piece of shit who had been sneaking around with Eric behind his back.

It was with that smile he walked into the lawyer’s office which sat next to the newspaper, and offered over a hand-written note and a blank check.

I’d like to make an appointment and pay for a retainer in order to draw up a contract.

The secretary looked like she was a hundred years old. Her arthritis-bent fingers took the note, eyes squinting behind her bifocals. Her lips moved, and he knew she was speaking, so he waved at her to get her attention, then signed, ‘I’m deaf.’

It was not necessarily a universal sign, but even a person with almost no ASL usually got the gist. She stared at him a long second, then started to speak again.

“I’m deaf,” he said aloud.

Her brows furrowed, and her finger pointed toward the door, lips flapping. He had a feeling she was dismissing him, and his anger started to rise before the door behind her desk opened and a man walked out. He looked a lot younger than Rocco—maybe late twenties, and a little nervous and harried. His hair was light brown, skin pale, fingers soft when he extended his hand and Rocco took it.

The man said something that looked like, “Right this way,” and the beckoning gesture was enough for him to trust it.

He passed the old lady and moved into the office, finding it cozy and warm with mahogany furniture and leather sitting chairs. The man gestured