Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Gray?” he said as he turned around.
“Hi.” Gray smiled and walked up to him. “How was your day?” He wove his fingers through Jack’s hair and brushed their lips together.
“Good. Busy, but much better than before. The new team’s working out and I’ve been able to offload quite a bit of my work to them. I feel like I can finally breathe.” Jack circled his arms around Gray’s waist. “How was yours? You met up with Thom after work, right?”
“Right.” Gray kissed his forehead. “My day was weird.”
“What happened?”
“This probably isn’t a conversation to have in the closet.” He paused. “Or maybe it is.” He shook his head and rubbed his palms over his eyes. “That’s a little too on the nose and I’m beat.”
“Go sit down. I’ll grab a sweatshirt and meet you on the couch.” Jack turned around, rustled through the hamper, and pulled on a cozy hoodie. “This one’s my favorite.”
“That one’s mine and I’ve worn it. That’s why it was in the hamper.”
Jack pulled the collar over his mouth and up to his nose. “I know.” He inhaled Gray’s scent. “That’s why I chose it.”
“C’mere.” Gray tugged him into his arms and held him tightly. “You are adorable.”
He rested his head on Gray’s chest and enjoyed the quiet moment, the stress from the day melting away.
“Do you want to sit down?”
“Yes.” Gray took a deep breath and stepped away. “I should change too.” He loosened his tie and slipped it over his head.
“Want me to get you a drink?”
“I had drinks with Thom, but I haven’t eaten. I should probably put something in my belly other than liquor.”
“I’ll order dinner while you finish up.”
He picked up his phone and placed a delivery order as he walked to the living room. “All set,” he said when Gray came in. “ETA is half an hour.”
“Thanks.” Gray sat on the other end of the couch and then lay back, putting his head in Jack’s lap.
“Comfy?” Jack asked.
“Uh huh.”
“Me too.” He trailed his fingers through Gray’s hair. “Your furniture fits perfectly in here.”
When Gray moved in, they had redecorated the living room with his things and gotten rid of the aesthetic but uncomfortable furniture the decorator had picked.
“Fits and is usable.”
Jack laughed. “I know. I know. The old stuff was awful. I’m glad it’s gone.”
“Mmm.”
“What happened at work?” He massaged Gray’s head.
“One of the newer partners, who I barely know and haven’t seen more than a time or two, came into my office and propositioned me.”
Jack stilled. “What?”
“I’m sorry.” Gray wrapped his hand around Jack’s. “I dealt with it. It won’t happen again.”
He closed his eyes and willed his trembling muscles to loosen.
“Jack?”
Drawing in a deep breath, he looked back down at Gray. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Gray smoothed his hand up and down Jack’s forearm. “I get it.”
“I’m glad one of us does.” He shook his head in frustration. “I shouldn’t still react like this. I know you love me. You tell me and you show me, and I know.” He put his hand over his heart. “But sometimes there's still a voice inside me that says it can't last, that you won’t want me anymore. I’m doing better at shutting it down but when stuff like this happens...” He winced. “I just love you so much that sometimes I can't breathe. My chest is so full it hurts. I can't lose you; I won't survive it.”
“I will never, ever stop loving you and wanting you, Jack. Not ever. Not for any reason. No matter what.” Gray’s expression was sincere, unwavering, certain, and it soothed him.
“Thank you.” He combed his fingers through Gray’s hair again, the familiar motion and Gray’s calm demeanor helping clear his mind from the red haze that washed over him when other men came onto Gray. “Did you talk to Thom about it?”
“Yes.”
“Do we need to worry about any backlash at work?”
“Thom doesn’t think that’ll happen and I don’t either. He’s in another practice group, he’s a partner, and he has a wife and seems to be at least partly in the closet so he’s not likely to make a scene.” Gray rolled his eyes. “The guy’s an idiot but he doesn’t seem like a threat.”
“Okay.” Jack trailed his finger across Gray’s jaw. “Good.”
Gray closed his eyes again. “How was your day?”
“It was fine. Since we’re already talking about not thrilling things, I want to ask you for a favor.”
“Sure.” Gray opened his eyes and sat up. “What do you need?”
“I talked to Jaime today.”
“You talk to Jaime all the time. He’s your business partner.” Gray chuckled. “What’s going on?”
“He mentioned that we haven’t all spent time together. The four of us.” He knew Gray wasn’t Jaime’s biggest fan. Not that he said as much, but his expressions when Jaime’s name came up spoke for themselves as did his body language when they were all together with their friends. “What do you think about having him and Oliver over for dinner this weekend?”