Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 135792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Knox laughed and pushed on Liv’s shoulder. “Frank’s solving all your daddy issues.”
Frank squinted at him. “Watch it.”
“Okay, okay, I’m just thinking about the important questions. Like, do I call him ‘Riv’ now? Is my liver tattoo even still valid?”
Liv rolled his eyes. “We don’t have to change what we do. It’s not like the police are gonna bug us to make sure you use the right name.” But when Knox’s gaze captured his attention, bright and lively like a wild creek, a different idea bloomed in his mind. He rubbed Knox’s breastbone. It was so good to see him smiling again. “You could add to the one you have, so there’s a river flowing around the liver or… something.”
Knox held his gaze, making Liv’s heart skip a beat. Yeah, they’d been fucking for barely two weeks, but he could already see the kind of relationship they could build together in the long term. Because the attraction he now felt so clearly wasn’t just about the pretty blue eyes, easy smiles, or the enticing curve of Knox’s back. He had this eagerness to lean in, to let Liv lose himself in him, and was a warm and comfortable presence after years of friendship. Knox was perfect for him, and Liv had been so blind to it.
“I will. After the surgery.” Knox gave Liv a little kiss, as if he knew this topic was hard to swallow and he needed to soften the blow somehow. He turned back to Frank after having another gulp of cocoa. “And mine?”
Frank handed him the card. “Thought it’d be good to keep the initial, so we went with Colin.”
“There’s no K in—” Knox stared down at his new ID, his face turning into stone. “My name is Kolin?! With a ‘K’? Is this a fucking joke?”
Ezra snorted, hiding behind his mug as he leaned against Frank. “Beggars shouldn’t be choosers.”
“Someone got the short end of the stick,” Liv said with a wide grin, and when Knox tried to get up, he held him in place. “Come on, this makes it realistic. Just tell people your mom wanted an unusual spelling, and they’ll swallow the K right up.”
Knox shook his head, looking cute even now, with that frown on his face. “If you ever call me ‘Kolin’ in bed, you’re fucking dead.”
Liv couldn’t help but stall, admiring the beauty of blue embers dancing in Knox’s eyes. He was gorgeous even when angry. “Kolin,” he said in the most seductive tone he could muster but made sure the first letter stood out, hard and spoken from the very back of his throat.
“Stop it!” Knox whined. “It’s not hot. It’s like I should wear glasses and read books for fun.”
“It is so hot. From now on, whenever I go down on you, I want you to repeat that new name with a hard K,” Liver mused, kissing Knox’s ear as the pull to touch him became near impossible to resist. The loud sound of Ezra clearing his throat made him back away.
“It’s just a name. And books are fun,” Ezra said.
Frank got up. “Let’s go, boys, I’ve got work to do, and I still need to show you something.”
Knox gulped down his drink. “I can help if it’s, like, driving. I can manage with one arm.”
“No, you can’t. The doctor said you need to rest,” Liv told him right away, shooting to his feet. Knox wouldn’t drop dead from driving a car, but then he’d want to do more, and they’d already agreed that Knox would take it easy and let Liv take care of him for the time being.
Liv was not backing down from that.
Frank narrowed his eyes. “No. Just think of it as sick leave.”
“Thank you,” Liv said and entwined his fingers with Knox’s.
“I’m not some dainty flower,” Knox grumbled, but squeezed Liv’s hand back.
Ezra frowned and grabbed a canvas bag from the countertop. “No, you’re a man who cracked his collarbone taking a bullet, so take the time off and don’t complain. Most people would be glad for the time off, so be a good boy and don’t fuck up your recovery.”
Scolded, Knox lowered his gaze but stopped arguing, even though the twist of his lips told Liv how he felt about all this. Oh well, there were many ways to improve his mood, and Liv was certain he knew them all.
He’d have to juggle taking care of his new boyfriend and earning money for them both, but he’d manage. He always did.
Ezra passed Liv the bag. “Here’s a few meals you can just pop in the microwave. The stew is bone broth-based, so it will be good for healing. I also stocked your fridge with a few things.”
Knox looked up with his lips parted. “Oh, wow. Thanks. That’s… so nice.”
“Have I ever been anything but nice?” Ezra asked, and while the obvious answer was yes, Liv held his mouth shut and rubbed Knox’s back as he accepted the food.