Love Him Free (On the Market #1) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,52

didn’t seem in a hurry to go anywhere, leaving only to walk James before he settled right back in. He kept Simon close, he pet cat Rocco whenever he deigned them worthy of time, he threw the ball for pocket James when the pup started getting restless. He cooked lunch, and helped prep for dinner so Simon could cook the moment Shabbat ended. Rocco looked at him with soft, fond eyes, and he kissed him a lot. It felt…too good to be true.

Simon stretched like a cat as the sun dipped low on the horizon. He felt the anxiety buzz forming around the base of his spine, that familiar, antsy hum when the sun began to set. It would be another hour or so—maybe more—before it was finished, but he was anxious to do more. Simon appreciated that his faith required these reprieves from life. He didn’t always do what he was meant to do—technically. He didn’t always think about himself. He didn’t contemplate ways to be a better person, or a better Jew, or a better brother.

Sometimes he didn’t even feel grateful for this life—or to be alive.

Yet, he always walked away feeling like the Shabbat had meant something.

Breathing in motes of dust floating in a warm stream of sunlight, Simon turned onto his side. He felt Rocco startle a little, then glanced up to see him reading on his phone. Rocco’s cheeks went faintly pink, offering a sheepish smile as he flashed his screen toward Simon. It looked something like a webcomic, and Simon felt a rush of affection toward this man. This giant, stoic-faced, aloof man who also liked nerdy comics and had a pocket sized dog and, for whatever reason, just really seemed to like Simon.

Once upon a time, he had wanted to know him beyond his personality in films. He never felt brave enough to make up stories about what he might be like when he wasn’t Sylent, the imposing bear taking twinks apart one hand job at a time, but he had been curious. He wanted to know if he’d still like Rocco if he got to see deeper layers of him.

It was better than he could have expected. He was just as arrogant and spoiled as he was on Twitter, but he was also softer. He was kinder, and sweeter—he was brave, and he was protective. He could read the subtle motions of Simon’s body language, and he instinctively knew when to step closer, and when to pull away.

Simon hadn’t realized how much he’d needed that in his life, but was hard to know those things when he’d never let anyone close. He’d spent most of his years actively avoiding attention, but with Rocco—he wanted it. He wanted that laser focus on him, those dark eyes holding him in place, the mouth devouring every single one of his kisses like he was starving for them.

Fuck.

He was falling in love.

Pushing up onto his elbow, he let Rocco take him into his arms. He didn’t have to move, he just had to give in. Rocco used his strength against Simon, but Simon didn’t care. He wanted it—wanted to feel overwhelmed by every inch of this man’s body.

Rocco’s thighs beneath him were powerful, they spread to let Simon fit between. His head dipped in, lips already parted, and Simon was ready for him. The heat of Rocco’s kisses always seemed to consume him, but in the best way. He let Rocco tip his head back, let Rocco nudge his lips further apart, let his tongue fuck into his mouth in a rhythm that Simon knew—on instinct more than anything—that he wanted in other places.

“Please,” he groaned, unable to stop himself. His fingers dug into Rocco’s shoulders, and he spread his legs because he was close. Again. And Rocco knew.

“Simon,” Rocco said.

The orgasm crested…

“Hey, Simon?” Levi’s words punctuated the charged air between him and Rocco just before James began to bark.

The orgasm retreated, leaving a painful ache behind, and Simon fought to cover the space in his lounge pants that was furiously tented and wet with precome. Levi appeared only a second later, and Simon knew there was no way he nor Rocco looked put together. He watched it all dawn on Levi’s face, watched the color drain a bit, watched him take a step back.

“Oh fuck, were you…”

“No,” Simon ground out. Not yet. But he had been too close to begging for it. “Is there something you need?”

Levi looked vaguely embarrassed as he nodded toward Rocco,