cuddling, either. Hello, Pot!”
“Shut up, Kettle!” Jordan retorted before they both burst out laughing.
When he brought Bennett’s face up, the intention was clear and Bennett opened to meet his tongue, kissing him as deeply as Jordan seemed to need. They stayed there, devouring each other, raising the temperature in the room, and yet Bennett felt as though they were both trying their hardest not to rut against each other. He really wanted to feel Jordan against him, but he also wanted to go slow, take his time, build the sweet tension that had replaced the sadness of the minutes before this one.
Jordan pulled back, resting his forehead against Bennett’s. His hot breath fanned Bennett’s cheek, his breathing as uneven as Bennett’s was.
“Can I call you Benny?”
Bennett grinned. “Can I call you Jay?”
Jordan kissed him again. “If that’s the best you can do, then sure, Benny.”
Fuck! He loved this side of Jordan. He got a kick out of how playful he could be, how unexpected his responses were.
“What, you’d prefer Jordy?”
Jordan sputtered. “The fuck?”
“Or maybe Danny”? Bennett was on a roll.
“How can I get him to shut up?” Jordan wondered aloud to the room.
“You could k…”
The word was replaced by Jordan’s lips on his again, his tongue sweeping into Bennett’s mouth and tasting every corner. Jordan bit his lips, first the top, then the bottom. Bennett kissed him back, suddenly needing more than a few hot kisses in Jordan’s kitchen. And he wanted to be more comfortable when he was getting what he wanted.
“Can we take this somewhere else?” he asked huskily, though he chased Jordan’s lips as they pulled away from his.
Wordlessly, Jordan took his hand and led him to the living room, and Bennett settled into the cushioned leather seat next to him, turning so he could face him. Jordan objected, growling as he pulled Bennett over onto his lap, pulled his head down, and kissed him again.
“Fuck! You’re so distracting,” Jordan groused even as he nipped his lips again.
Bennett laughed. “Like you care,” he replied, scraping his teeth over Jordan’s jawline. “Anyway, what exactly am I distracting you from?”
The smile that bloomed on Jordan’s face was so full of affection and gratitude, it floored Bennett. What had he done to deserve that?
“You’re very good at making me feel better,” Jordan said soberly. “You de-escalated that moment very efficiently without making me feel like an ass for getting so bent out of shape over something that happened thirty-three years ago.”
“Hey,” Bennett said, immediately serious, “there’s no statute of limitations on grief, Jordan. They were your parents, and whatever happened took them away from you forever. You’re never gonna be too old to feel sorrow about that.”
He slid off Jordan’s lap, and continued, “If it’ll make you feel better to tell me what happened, I’m listening. But you don’t have to, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks.”
A heavy sigh escaped Jordan’s lips as he sat forward, clasping his hands between his knees. Bennett settled in next to him, dreading what he was going to hear yet eager to hear it as well.
“My parents were shot and killed during a home invasion and assault.”
It was clear that the memory was as sharp and painful as ever. Bennett tried not to react with the horror that he felt, even without the details he knew he was going to get.
“My dad hadn’t come home as yet — he was a corrections officer. Mom had just finished cleaning up after dinner, and I had helped her dry the dishes. She sent me to wash up and bring my homework so she could help me with it. I was just coming out of my room with my bag when I heard a loud thud. I didn’t hear her, and I’m not sure what made me not call out for her.”
This time Bennett did gasp. He couldn’t help it. Because he knew without a shadow of doubt that if Jordan had called for his mother, he’d likely be dead, too. The thought filled his chest with such a sharp pain that he had to rub it to relieve the sensation.
“I remember being really scared that I couldn’t hear her. I guess I knew something was wrong, because why wasn’t she humming like she always did? I got back to the kitchen in time to see a man over my mom. She was on the ground, fighting to get him off her, but he was big and he was straddling her. I couldn’t see his face, but I could see my