Both sated, they showered together, a little of the tension eased. “We don’t let this happen again,” Riley murmured when the water was turned off. “It’s my fault, I know—”

“Don’t say sorry,” Jack warned.

Riley felt the smile inside him before it hit his lips. Jack had done that. He was the one who made Riley smile from the heart just by getting bossy and up in his face.

They dried off, and Jack rummaged in the various cupboards around the room. Complimentary this, free that, and he had a comment on each one. The robes were thick and fleecy and wrapped around Riley twice even though they ended well above his knees. Jack’s robe seemed to fit him way better, and Riley was so fascinated at the shape of his lover in toweling that he only half heard the call Jack was making to room service.

All he did hear were the words extra bacon, and that was enough for his smiles to break into laughter. Just the mention of bacon was enough for his tired mind to make all kinds of connections.

“You remember the salad?” Riley managed between laughs.

Jack smiled at him, but his forehead wrinkled in a frown. “You want salad? I can call back.” He glanced at the menus like he was looking for a selection of greens. Riley knew it would kill Jack to order one of the fancy side salads that he absolutely hated.

“No, you remember the benefit, the night when you first sucked me off in the car, when you got all hot and grabbed my dick and told me that you had a contract and it belonged to you.”

Jack blinked for a minute, and he had that expression he got when he was attempting to make sense of a situation. Riley could see the exact moment that recollection hit Jack because his expression morphed into a wolfish grin. He knelt onto the bed next to Riley and leaned over to kiss him.

“Oh. That salad,” he said.

Riley yanked him down, and they lay next to each other looking up at the ceiling.

“How are you feeling?” Jack asked.

Riley had a thousand ways to answer the question. His feelings were complicated and all wrapped up in everything that had brought the two of them to this point in their lives.

“I’m good,” he said after a pause.

Jack turned on his side and placed a hand flat on Riley’s chest, right over his heart. “I was so scared,” he admitted. “Completely and utterly lost.”

Riley’s chest tightened. “I couldn’t imagine not being here with you.”

Jack sighed loudly. “You know, when it all happened, I wasn’t alone at all. I had everyone, but I didn’t want them. No one left me alone, and I hated it, and I realized just how much you are part of me. Despite the kids and siblings and friends, at the core of it is you and me.”

Riley had never heard anything so profound, and he placed his own hand over Jack’s.

“Jeez, Jack,” he murmured. “And you’re here in my heart.”

Jack nuzzled Riley’s neck with his nose, then pressed a kiss to Riley’s skin right at the pulse point in his throat.

Then he said something that was so Jack, so right, so perfect. “I think we need to fuck like rabbits before we turn into girls.”

Riley snorted a laugh, and soon the two men were sprawled on the bed laughing like loons. Only the arrival of room service actually broke them up from laughing so hard that Riley had tears running down his face.

Good tears.

* * * * *

The two men ate burgers and fries, but Jack couldn’t resist commenting. “These are like the tiniest burgers I’ve ever seen,” he muttered. Then he stabbed something on his plate and waggled it in front of Riley. “What the fuck is this doing on my plate?” he asked with exaggerated horror.

Riley stifled a laugh. The innocent tomato hung there in all its red glory, and in a swift move, Riley stole it. Then in the interest of fairness, he forked some bacon and watched as Jack took it from him. They’d nearly finished, but when Jack’s tongue darted out to lick the traces of salty goodness from his lips, it was Riley’s undoing. His cock, which had been half-hard watching Jack eat, went to full-on ready so fast he swore he would be dizzy from all the blood rushing south. Pushing away the meal on the small table, he climbed on the bed on all fours. Then he looked back at Jack, whose mouth was hanging open.

“Dammit, Jack, tell me you brought lube.”

Jack got with the program in what could have been called a comedy of errors. He tripped over shoes, got his hand tangled in the belt of the robe, and couldn’t find what he’d bought in the hotel shop. Finally he lifted the tube aloft like a trophy, and with great foresight, he gathered the dishes and pushed the table outside the room before putting the Do Not Disturb sign out and locking the door.

Finally he was on the bed, and Riley smiled at him with his best attempt at a sexy smile.

“Jeez, Riley,” Jack murmured. Then he was encouraging Riley onto his back. “I want to see your eyes,” he said softly.

Riley didn’t argue; he turned as instructed and what he saw really took his breath away. Jack was smiling down at him with so much love in his eyes it hurt to look.

They made love slowly. They’d already taken the edge off in the shower, and as Riley helpfully pointed out, Jack was thirty-five on May first and they should take it carefully now his age could be rounded up to forty.

Jack answered by pushing another lubed finger into Riley and making Riley arch off the bed with a whimper as Jack’s fingers gently caressed him inside.

“I’ll show you old,” Jack said in fake anger.

“’M ready,” Riley said. His voice was as ragged as the need that consumed him. Jack pushed inside, and it was like Riley was coming home.

He wrapped his legs around Jack, urging him on, until the rhythm they set was punishing and hot.

Jack came first, his neck muscles straining, a sheen of sweat on his skin. When he rested a little more on Riley, it was enough for Riley’s trapped cock to get more friction and he shouted his completion as he came between them.

“Know one thing, Riley Campbell-Hayes,” Jack said while Riley attempted to get his breath back. “I will always love you.”

Riley wanted to say something clever, coherent—hell, he’d be happy to string together words into a sentence. Instead all he managed as a lethargic peace stole his thoughts was “Back atcha.”

Chapter 19

Riley had a lot to celebrate. Beta Four had paid off, and finally he felt like he was in control of CH Consulting and the direction it was going in, and in control of the shit that had been in his head. It had been three months since the hotel room, and he was totally honest with Jack about every little thing he felt. He’d never felt more in love and more needed. The school was ready for taking its first students next week, and the July fourth celebrations had a double meaning. They were thankful for each other and family and also for everything they could do.

And before everyone arrived for barbecue and music, he and Jack were stealing time for a ride. It had been a long time since the two of them had carved out time for just riding with no purpose, and as they moved away from the house, Riley could feel himself relax inch by inch into what the day could hold.

“Logan will be here today, don’t forget,” Jack commented as they reached a high point toward the very end of D land. “Hayley seems okay, but …”

“Yeah, I actually think she might be over him for a while. She’s determined he’ll notice her when she’s twenty-one, so she’s biding her time.”

“She told you that?” Jack laughed. “Sounds like she has some of you in her.”

“Me?” Riley was affronted. “I’ll have you know I very rarely bide my time.”

“I remember, you were always more of a feetfirst, ask questions later kind of man.”

Riley reined Alex to a stop, and Jack followed suit with a question on his face. “What?” He looked around as if there would be something physical that Riley was looking at.