Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 93(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 93(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
Oliver started to look away. “Okay, you’re obviously caught up in the afterglow of your first—”
“No.” Matthew reached up to grip Oliver’s chin. “I know all the excuses. I’ve used them. But none of them explain away what I’m feeling, and I won’t deny it just to make you comfortable.”
He let him go and sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees. “This is a day of firsts for me. I never thought I would be the one demanding a real relationship.”
“You didn’t?”
Matthew shook his head. “Until recently, all I knew about passion, love and commitment was that I wanted no part of it. Feeling that much, enough that you’d rather die than be without that one person? It’s selfish to everyone else, isn’t it?”
His parents had been his only example for most of his childhood. Grump had never spared Matthew the truth about what had really happened.
Tommy Finn had fallen for Lily on their first date and she’d loved him despite his gambling problems. They had three children and were happy for a while, but sweeping the addiction under the rug didn’t make it go away. Wanting to give his family more than his job would allow, he’d started borrowing from some very unsavory characters, thinking a few good runs of luck would even things out. That luck never showed up. When he finally came clean, Lily was so determined to help him that she went with him to work out a payment plan instead of staying home with her children.
“What happened?” Oliver asked softly.
“My father couldn’t pay his debts. My mother was collateral damage.”
But his grandfather always believed she’d brought her death on herself after seeing her husband fall. That Lily had loved him too much to go on without him.
Oliver pressed himself against Matthew’s back, and he leaned into that heat. Needing the comfort it gave him.
“You think they chose each other over you.”
“I know they did.”
“I lost mine to an impatient driver and a slow red light. Senseless. I was a baby, so it doesn’t compare, but no child ever wants to lose their parents.” He hesitated. “Until recently? You mean your cousins? Your brother falling in love?”
“I mean you.”
Matthew dragged him onto his lap and wrapped his arms around him. Oliver could have struggled, but he leaned against him instead. Instinctively trusting him.
“You didn’t know me a week ago, Matthew. Didn’t know you’d like sex with men a week ago.”
“Telling me to slow down?” Matthew smiled against his skin. “I can do that. As long as you’re willing to stick around for a while so we can see where this goes.”
“Are you asking me out again?”
“Oh, we’re not done with our first date yet, Legs. But I think it’s safe to say that you’ll be seeing a lot more of me.”
“If I agree to that, you know my family isn’t like yours. Things could get complicated.”
“Grand. I’m brilliant at complicated things.”
Oliver rubbed his ass on Matthew’s lap, making his erection flex in reaction. “Why do I want to say yes?”
“Because I’m incredibly charming? Good in bed? Easy to say yes to?”
“You shouldn’t be,” he murmured. “You should be the last person I want, especially now. I thought you were just another aggressive straight guy who wanted to get in my pants.”
“You’re not wearing pants,” Matthew said helpfully, sucking on the skin of his neck. “And I believe we’ve established that I’m not straight so much as adaptable.”
He stopped kissing Oliver and leaned back, looking into his eyes as his words sunk in. “Especially now? Another aggressive straight guy?”
Oliver scowled. “Are you always going to ask this many questions?”
“I’m a curious man. But I’ll make up for it. Now tell me this prick you just compared me to doesn’t have something to do with you borrowing your cousin’s car to show up at my brother’s gym.”
Matthew had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the answer.
Chapter Five
Rory: If you go down the handcuffs-and-leather-paddle-road, don’t be too rough with him. He looks like he might bruise easily. Then again, he might like that kind of thing. If he does, I want details.
Robert: Leather paddles…? Matthew, this was a bad idea. Under no circumstances should you take any more advice from your cousin. I’m not sure how Rig and David deal with him on a daily basis, but it’s just a coffee date, for God sake. Try to keep things in perspective.
Rory: Consent, Matthew. Always get consent.
Robert: Leftovers might not be enough to put up with this.
Matthew reached down to help Oliver off the mat. “That was good. Lord knows you’ve got the strength to do this, Legs. It’s your reaction time that could use a little work.”
Oliver glared up at him balefully. “If I’d gotten enough sleep, my reaction time might be better.”
Matthew winced at that. His fault. Last night, after they’d talked, he’d taken Oliver again in the shower. Then woken him up a few hours later with a blowjob that Oliver had been inspired to reciprocate. He’d reciprocated so well that Matthew lost time and possibly saw God.