Somebody to Love (Tyler Jamison #1) - April Wilson Page 0,107

because some jackass called us a name?”

He turns to me, his eyes flashing angrily. “It’s not the just name-calling, Tyler. Wait until they find out at your work. What if Brad files charges against you for assault? What then? You could lose your job because of me! You could lose the respect of your peers because of me! Have you really thought this through?”

There’s so much fear brimming in his eyes, in his words, in his tone of voice. His eyes are red, his expression guarded. He’s really afraid I’ll bail on him.

I reach out to brush his hair back from his forehead. “Yeah, I’ve thought about all that, a thousand times over. And I’ll think about it a thousand times more. But you know what? I’ll also think about how happy I am when I’m with you. How even the thought of being with you makes me happy. And the thought of being without you guts me.”

I press my lips to his temple, savoring the heat of his skin, breathing in his scent. My gut tightens with longing and desire.

I cup the back of his head and skim my lips down the side of his face to his jawline, and then below, to his throat.

Ian’s rigid posture softens, and he arches his neck to give me better access. I turn him to face me and gaze into a pair of wary green eyes. It’s going to take a lot of work to convince him I won’t abandon him every time we hit a road bump. It might take years. Decades. Maybe the rest of our lives. “I’m not going anywhere, Ian.”

He squeezes his eyes shut, and his expression screws up in pain. I massage the back of his head and his neck, and he groans.

Darkness is falling fast, and the sky fills with the flickering light of distant stars. Up here, we have a front row view of the universe.

I put my arm around him and draw him close. “Since I met you, I’ve never been happier. You’re the last thing on my mind at night before I fall asleep, and you’re the first thing on my mind in the morning. When I’m at work, part of my brain is wondering what you’re doing, and I count the hours until I can see you again. I realize we haven’t known each other long, and maybe this is too soon—”

“It’s not!” Ian turns to face me, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and skepticism. He searches my gaze, as if measuring the truth of my words.

Yeah, this may not always be easy, but he’s so worth it. He’s turned my life upside down and given me something I’ve always craved—a connection. A partner. A soulmate. “I want you, Ian. In my life and in my bed. I want all of you, including your hopes and dreams, even your fears and insecurities. I’ve spent a lifetime without you, and now that I’ve found you, I don’t ever want to lose you.”

He exhales a shaky breath. “I know I can be difficult sometimes. I’m just so afraid you won’t think I’m worth the effort.”

I trace the shape of his ear with the tip of my index finger. “You are worth everything.”

He shivers, his eyes searching mine desperately.

“Have you ever made love up here on the roof?” I ask him.

His eyes snap wide open as he considers my question. “No. I’ve never brought anyone up here.”

“You brought me up here once.”

He grins. “Well, maybe you’re special.”

I turn on the bench, sitting astride it to face him, and then I coax him to shift so that he’s facing me. As I lean in to kiss him, my hands grab the hem of his t-shirt, and I lift it up over his head. It’s warm and humid up here in the climate-controlled greenhouse. It feels good. I run my hands up his arms, skimming over his muscles to his broad shoulders.

His fingers go to the buttons of my shirt, as mine go to his belt buckle. We undress each other slowly, under the purview of the night sky and a multitude of stars. We’re bathed in moonlight, and the foliage surrounding us provides ample privacy from curious eyes.

We stand to kick off our shoes and pull off our socks, and then it dawns on me. “Fuck! We need a condom and lube.”

Ian laughs. “Nightstand drawer. I’ll go get them.”

I reach out and grip his cock firmly. “I’ll go. You stay and think about