Just Keep Swimming - 4. Chapter 4

Almost near the end. Just one more chapter to go after this (Liam's POV) and it will be mostly my brand of "smut" which means more language and less bow chicca bow wow soundtracks.
Gabriel is always cool under crisis but surprise surprise...so is Liam. IT's amazing what can happen when you pause and take a breath... Anyone else waiting for Superman? Wonder which one of them it is....

Gabriel

Liam Bailey was a mess-a delicious nerd to the ninth degree, with a disturbing affinity for klutzy disaster, Gabriel thought, lips quirking into a grin as he watched Liam head down the hall to the bathroom after Gabriel gave him directions. When Gabriel heard the distant click of the bathroom door lock, he got up to start putting the remaining French toast casserole into equally divided portions in plastic containers for Kora and Harlow. They’d probably finish it tomorrow as soon as they got home, but that just meant Liam would have to hang around to show them how to make a new batch.

The thought made Gabriel’s heart warm.

He knew it was probably too soon to be this attached to someone he barely knew, but after hearing Liam speak earlier in that slightly self-conscious way of his about how he’d helped his sister and nephew when they’d needed him, and seeing how he’d been willing to go after Mary with his own Mama Bear instincts for Kora and Harlow’s sakes… That’d just confirmed two things for Gabriel. 1) Liam Bailey was a good man 2) Gabriel wasn’t going to let him go easily now that he had him. If occasionally regrouting his floors was the price Gabriel had to pay in order to spend time with Liam, he’d do it willingly. His career choice had helped him accumulate quite the collection of hardware supplies and premium health insurance.

A deeper smile curled the corners of Gabriel’s mouth wider and wider until it turned into a low chuckle as he put the containers into the fridge, then loaded the dishwasher with the plate and cutlery he and Liam had been sharing. He wouldn’t start the wash cycle until he had Kora and Harlow’s dishes as well, but setting up the dishwasher gave Gabriel something to do other than fantasizing about knocking on the door to give Liam a helping hand. Gabriel wasn’t into X-rated water sports and he doubted Liam was, but Liam was a guest and peeing with a hard-on really did suck.

The sudden explosion of what sounded like the original Tetris game music, startled Gabriel away from the X-rated possibilities in his head. Amused, he looked over at Liam’s cell where it was propped against the vase of flowers. He allowed the call to go to voicemail since it wasn’t his phone. However, when his own cell began buzzing a moment later with an unfamiliar number, Gabriel answered it on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Gabriel?”

The woman’s voice wasn’t one Gabriel recognized and the fact that her voice was distorted with the unmistakable, choked-up sound of tears, wasn’t helping him to place it.

“That’s me. Who’s this?”

“I’m Bonnie, Liam’s sister. I’m so sorry to call your cell, but Liam wasn’t picking up his and I know he’s with you. Your number is listed on the soccer team parent contact sheet he keeps pinned on the side of the fridge.”

The anxiety in Bonnie’s voice was pitching so high, neighborhood dogs within a twenty mile radius would probably start howling soon in distress. Gabriel immediately closed the door to the dishwasher so he could make his way toward the bathroom to get Liam.

“Hey, Bonnie. Liam’s in the bathroom. Are you all right?”

As Liam’s sister prattled on with rising hysteria about a chair, a cookie jar, and Brady falling, Gabriel drew on his years of experience dealing with angsty girls to narrow down the details and get the overall gist of what’d happened. After calming Bonnie down enough for Gabriel to get the name of the hospital and assure her that they’d be there as soon as possible, Gabriel hung up. Apparently there was a change in his and Liam’s lazy homebody plans tonight.

Liam opened the door before Gabriel could knock. His grin was so warm and relaxed that both Gabriel and his dick regretted he was bringing bad news.

“Hey. I figured out the pee situation but if you’re here to help-with the hard-on issue, that’s still on the table,” Liam said with one of his crooked, but genuine smiles.

“I wish,” Gabriel said, moving over to steal a quick kiss meant to reassure Liam before he spoke. “Bonnie called me. We need to pick her and Brady up at the hospital.” Gabriel curled his fingers reassuringly around Liam’s arm when he felt that toned bicep go rock stiff beneath his touch.

“They’re all right,” Gabriel assured him. “Brady somehow managed to get up on a kitchen chair to get the cookie jar you keep on top of the cabinet, and he knocked it off. He cut his hand on one of the broken shards when he tried to pick up one of the cookies. Bonnie took him to the ER. Thankfully it’s been a slow night, so they got seen quickly. The doctor said Brady doesn’t need stitches and will be fine, but Bonnie wanted you to know just in case you came home and saw the broken jar. I told her we’d meet them at the hospital since she took a cab. She’s a little rattled.”

Liam’s jaw ticked. “I knew I should’ve put that damn thing on the fridge. Brady’s a climber, so taking a bathroom break while he’s awake is always a possible calamity in the making. Bonnie probably feels guilty because she had to leave the room for a minute.” He sighed. “I’m sorry about this, Gabe. Full disclosure, when I was walking over here, I imagined a possible hospital visit in our future thanks to my recent adventures of ‘Liam goes spastic around the sexy neighborhood contractor,” but it didn’t go down quite like this. On the upside, we both have clothes on in this scenario.”

Liam’s soft huff of frustration and droll look prompted a chuckle from Gabriel before he pulled Liam into his arms. Gabriel’s heart settled into a steady, contented thump when Liam relaxed into his hold instead of pulling away.

“Kids get into scrapes. Their bones are made of rubber and their heads are usually full of poor choices. Accidents happen, but Brady’s ok. That’s all that matters. We adapt and life moves on.” Gabriel stole a quick kiss. “Let me get the girls caught up on what’s going on. I’ll send them over to Chris and Lexi’s house and then we’ll go get Bonnie and Brady.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Liam protested as he pulled back, a long finger sliding his drooping glasses up his aquiline nose.

“I know, but we already made plans to spend the night together while the girls have a sleepover. This is just a detour to the original end result.”

Liam stared at him silently for long enough that Gabriel wondered if he’d overstepped. But before he could think of an addendum to that that statement, Liam moved toward him with that same fluid grace he showed in the water. One hand tangled in the material of Gabriel’s shirt so Liam could pull him down for a deep, tenderly eager kiss that was laced touched with an almost hungry gratitude that Gabriel felt as much in his balls as he did his tonsils.

Ah… ah yes. The lingering remains of strawberries and cream couldn’t quite overpower something purely Liam. Gabriel let Liam control the kiss, allowing him to sweep his tongue into Gabriel’s mouth-probing, stroking, melding the two of them together with a skill he wouldn’t have expected from a man who could level an entire pre-set dining room table in under five minutes when he got nervous. Kissing Liam earlier had been a game led by Gabriel. This right now, was all Liam’s rodeo—passionate, tender and surprisingly incendiary.

Gabriel usually switched without discrimination depending on who his partner was and what they were both in the mood for, but when Liam backed him up against the wall with the sweetest kind of aggression, the younger man’s hands smoothly sliding into the back pockets of Gabriel’s jeans to squeeze his ass possessively without any trace of his earlier, unconfident nerd, Gabriel resented that he’d have to wait till much later to ask Liam to lick him like a spoon, then fuck him stupid.

Gabriel grunted softly when Liam broke the kiss. When their eyes met, there was a wicked, self-satisfied light visible in the pale blue depths even behind Liam’s glasses.

Damn. Nerds really will take over the world.

“I like you… so much right now…” Liam murmured into Gabriel’s mouth, echoing Gabrie’s earlier sentiment after he stole another kiss. “We will be continuing this later in my heated pool, after your first lesson. Miss Manners and her rules about no-sex-on-a-first-date can go scratch.”

Gabriel grinned even as his pulse picked up enough that he’d be shocked if Liam couldn’t feel it. “Remember, I can’t swim, Liam.”

“I know, but floating is easy, especially when you’re being held up… from the inside.” Liam flashed another grin so self-confidently wicked, that Gabriel forgot how to breathe for a moment.

All hail the goddamn nerds.

“I’m a lot more graceful in the water that I apparently am in your kitchen,” Liam continued. “And…” he leaned in to brush the gentlest kiss over Gabriel’s mouth, “I wouldn’t let you drown. It’d tank my YELP review score.”

Gabriel smirked. “I’m not worried about drowning… I’m already in too deep as it is... If I start to drown at least I’ll get some premium mouth-to-mouth.”

“I recertify my CPR training every six months.”

Liam grinned and nipped at Gabriel’s collarbone before he drew back, letting Gabriel know he was going to call Bonnie. He didn’t wait for Gabriel to respond before he headed to the kitchen to get his cell and let her know the cavalry was coming. While Liam took care of his family situation, Gabriel went back to the kitchen to stand in front of the freezer again for a few minutes so that he could address his situation, also known as the hard-on that Liam’s words and kisses had inspired. When Gabriel’s body was ready to rejoin polite company he went down to the basement to catch Kora and Harlow up on the slight change in tonight’s plans.

Gabriel made a good living and was well off enough that he’d be able to comfortably afford for both his daughters to pursue both college and grad school if they chose, even with inevitable future inflation. However, sporting visible wood around his kids would inevitably guarantee the need to start a new fund for them to use towards years and years of therapy, so he and the freezer were probably going to become really good friends.

Grinning despite the change in plans, Gabriel called Lexi and Chris to let them know they’d have company earlier than expected. He knew they wouldn’t care, but proper “dad brain” was synonymous with responsibility. Shit happened and you adapted. He and Liam would adapt together.

***

Liam had been quiet most of the way to the hospital, using one hand to text with Bonnie. His other had remained wrapped firmly around the hand that Gabriel wasn’t using to drive. That small show of unconscious trust, seeking comfort from his touch, sent defibrator strong jolts to Gabriel’s heart. Despite Liam’s protests, Gabriel dropped him off at the front door, then went to find parking. By the time Gabriel had navigated the sprawling hospital, located the cafeteria, picked up a package of Oreos and a pint container of milk, then found a cheerful nurse willing to direct him to the Emergency Room waiting area, Liam was sitting in an orange plastic chair with a content-looking Brady on his lap.

For a moment, Gabriel just admired the view. Despite the frenetic vibe of the hospital ER, people scurrying back and forth like ants on a recovery mission, Liam’s posture was relaxed, missing the tension that’d been clenching his jaw on the car ride over. He seemed taller, and broader right now. More solid, likely because of the size of the little boy’s head resting against his left shoulder. Brady’s body was tucked firmly into the curve of Liam’s and braced in place by his uncle’s protective hand. His own small right hand was covered in three bright blue band-aids.

Because Liam’s head was dipped down low as he spoke quietly to his nephew, Gabriel couldn’t see the expression on his face. But he could clearly see Brady’s—the kid was looking at his uncle like he saw only Superman, not plain old Clark Kent.

Gabriel was right there with him.

Everyone loved a hero, especially the ones who were content to stand in the shadows, quiet and unassuming until they were needed to prove just how strong and dependable they were, never letting you fall on their watch.

This time, the blooming warmth Gabriel felt was located in his heart, not his dick.

Yeah, kiddo, I see it too.

Gabriel hadn’t spoken to Bonnie before tonight, but he’d seen her coming out of Liam’s house once when he was driving Kora and Harley home from the mall. He hadn’t thought anything of it at the time since he knew Liam was gay. He’d assumed that Bonnie was a parent who had a kid enrolled in one of Liam’s swim classes, but with her now seated beside her brother in jeans and a thin, cream-colored sweater, Gabriel could easily see the biological similarities between the siblings. Bonnie was older, but they had the same pale blue eyes and peaches and cream complexion, though Bonnie’s thick blonde hair was threaded with cornsilk pale highlights like Mary’s had been a few years ago when she’d been trying to blend her graying strands with her natural blonde. If there were any remaining doubts Bonnie she and Liam were related, Brady’s excited, “Mommy, it’s Mr. Gabriel THE CANDY MAN!” confirmed her identity.

Bonnie smiled, standing up as Brady scampered off of Liam’s lap and hurled himself at Gabriel’s knees. Thinking fast, Gabriel tossed the packages of sugary contraband in his hands to Bonnie instead of Liam—since he did plan to eventually leave the hospital and get his new boyfriend into a bed—before he scooped the little boy up onto his left hip. He had daughters not sons, and no nephews since he was an only child, but the technicalities for affectionately gentle manhandling of minors was the same regardless of gender.

After Gabriel spent an appropriate amount of time oohing and ahhing with sympathy over the three Band-Aids that bisected Brady’s little palm, Brady was satisfied with hugging Gabriel hard with happy childish acceptance, before retrieving his Oreo reward from his mother for being a good patient. He smiled when he thanked Gabriel after a gentle prompt from Bonnie.

“You’re welcome kiddo,” Gabriel said, looking on with amusement as Brady dove into his treat after Bonnie carefully opened the pint container of milk so Brady could reverently dunk one of the overly processed sandwich cookies into it, after first licking out the creamy center the way Harlow always did.

“No stitches,” Liam said “But Brady did end up acquiring himself a few admirers among the pediatric staff. I’ll have to remember the name of the hospital the next time I need to come in for an impromptu visit.”

“Which is not tonight,” Bonnie said, after shooting a look in Brady’s direction to make sure he was still sitting on the chair, little legs poking straight out in front of him in his Sponge Bob Square Pants pajamas. “You’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty tonight. Gabriel,” Bonnie said with a smile as warm as her brother’s. “Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it and so does Brady.”

She paused, her smile taking on an impish look, similar to the expression Harlow always got before she delivered a real zinger.

Gabriel waited for it.

“But next time you’re both rocking damp shirt hems and crotches, I hope for your sakes that it isn’t water.”

“Jesus, Bonnie!”

Liam’s blush crawled up his cheeks like wildfire, making him look even more adorably flustered than usual. Gabriel laughed. His clothing had mostly dried by this point, but neither he nor Liam had wanted to waste time by changing out of their water dampened clothing before driving to the hospital. If things went well tonight, it wasn’t like they’d be wearing clothes for long once they got back to Liam’s place anyway.

“What?” Bonnie asked. “You’re the one who told me it was water Liam, and I know you, little brother. If you ended up getting all nervous and tripping over yourself, it was probably because you guys were getting to a good part of the night.”

Bonnie grinned straight to her molars, then squeaked when Liam goosed her hard enough in the ribs to make her protest before he turned an even deeper, more appealing shade of pink.

Gabriel snickered. “Actually, the damp crotch thing happened before we even sat at the table with my kids. But there were definitely some nerves leading up to the spillage.”

“Speaking of kids, shouldn’t you be cutting off the impending sugar rush over there?” Liam complained, gesturing to his nephew who was licking the crumbs out of the Oreo wrapper.

Bonnie and Gabriel ignored both Liam and Brady.

“Gabriel, you do know he’s had a thing for you for ages right?

“Bonnie!”

Bonnie continued on as if she didn’t see or care that her younger brother was turning colors. “He started jogging an hour earlier than he used to once he figured out your morning work schedule. Did you know that Liam can run a seven-minute mile? I’d guess not, since lately it’s been like the intro to the Six Million Dollar Man every time he goes past your house. Daderdaderdader…”

Gabriel knew that he should probably step in and save Liam, or at least pretend to be the mature adult as the siblings nudged one another, but he was enjoying the playful bickering that reminded him of Kora and Harlow. He wasn’t sure how the hell he’d never made the connection between them before because side by side, it was so obvious that Bonnie and Liam were related.

“Really? A seven-minute mile?” He whistled, his gaze trailing over Liam lean form. “I can barely finish in ten.”

“Liam’s a man of an endearingly large number of adorable flaws, but the boy’s got staaaaamina,” Bonnie teased, though her own cheeks pinkened, hinting that she was probably being bold in front of a man who was more or less a stranger, because it was at her brother’s expense. “File that away for future reference, Gabriel. He’s been holding out for you.”

They all grinned, even Liam, when Brady’s little voice joined the party. “Uncle Lee-M’s got staaaaaaaaaamina.”

“Okay, we’re officially blowing this popsicle stand because the morgue is too far away for me to drag the body of a woman who always lies about her weight to the DMV,” Liam grumbled, scooping a gleeful Brady onto his shoulders after he tossed away the cookie wrapper and empty pint of milk into the nearest garbage can. “We’re going to find a nurse to sign us out, buddy.”

“Also known as running and hiding,” Bonnie said with another wide grin in Gabriel’s direction as Liam’s stride sped up despite the additional little boy weight currently sitting on his shoulders like a happy albatross.

Gabriel smiled as Liam took off down the hall. All the nurses within earshot of the entire exchange looked amused. Gabriel turned back to look at Bonnie with a questioning brow when he felt her slim fingers wrap lightly around his wrist.

As soon as their eyes met, that warm, open smile that was so much like Liam’s, broke over her face again. “Gabriel?”

“Yeah?”

“Normally I hate clichés but in this case... if you break my baby brother’s heart, I’ll cut your dick off.”

“You’ll have to get in line behind my girls.”

“You raised them well then.” Bonnie smiled deeply enough for her eyes to crinkle at the corners until they were shaped like little half-moons of pale blue. This time the hand that held Gabriel’s arm squeezed gently. “Thank you again for coming. I know it seems silly to rush a kid in an Uber to the ER for three Band-Aids and what’s probably going to be a monstrous bill, but I felt guilty that Brady got hurt in the first place and wanted to make sure he was ok. I also knew Liam would want to see with his own eyes that we were alright even if he won’t admit it. He's a softie when it comes to us,” Bonnie said with a slightly lopsided smile that reminded Gabriel of Liam. “I just hope this doesn’t ruin your night.”

“Not at all. If it were Kora or Harlow, I’d drop everything, too. This just helped solidify in my mind that Liam’s exactly the kind of man I want in my life. He puts family first. That means he’d take care of my girls like they were his own if anything ever happened and I couldn’t be there.” Gabriel gently squeezed Bonnie’s slim hand back. “We’re good. Kora and Harlow are spending the night at a friend’s house, so Liam and I are going back to his place after we drop you and Brady off at your home.”

“Thanks. Maybe we can all meet for lunch tomorrow at that diner in town that Liam really likes? He and Brady always share the breakfast burrito plate because it comes with cornmeal pancakes. Brady loves them, and Liam loves all Mexican food from the authentic stuff, down to Tex-Mex and Taco Bell.”

“Lunch sounds great, but I think Kora and Harlow would probably prefer for you and Brady to come over. You’ve created two new converts to the Bonnie brand of French toast.”

Bonnie laughed, then nodded. “Fair enough. Wait till I teach you to make it with Banana’s Foster’s sauce …”

***

After dropping Bonnie and Brady off, Gabriel drove his SUV back to Liam’s house. He parked the car in the driveway, letting Liam get out of the vehicle first so he could walk ahead to open the door and have a few minutes to neaten up anything inside if he felt he needed to. Gabriel took that time to text and update to his daughters, as well as Chris and Lexi in another text to confirm that everything was alright and that he’d pick Kora and Harlow up for lunch tomorrow.

After Gabriel got the basic housekeeping done, he headed up the walkway. Liam had left the front door open for him and was waiting in the kitchen, filling two metal cups with water from the tap. He’d removed his sweater and had on a plain white t-shirt instead of one of his usual themed, vintage ones. Liam’s jeans were a slightly lower rise than Gabriel’s, resting comfortably on his lean hips. Unlike the ball of nerves that he’d been at Gabriel’s place during dinner, Liam’s shoulders were relaxed now, his posture comfortable.

Gabriel’s gaze swept over the younger man slowly, taking in the colorful ink that went from his wrists all the way up to the short sleeves of his shirt on the right side before they disappeared underneath the white fabric that clung to all of that lean, athletic muscle.

From here, the tattoo looked like a complicated combination of binary code and symbols, with what resembled the tree of life, which Gabriel recognized only because Mary had hung a large metal one on their living room wall a few years ago. She’d taken it with her when she’d moved out. Above the tree was an intricately drawn human brain. Below the tree was an equally realistic rendition of a human heart, linked by DNA strands filled with more computer code, to a book. The tattoo took up Liam’s entire right arm in florid, expertly done line and color even though Gabriel didn’t have the faintest idea what it meant. He also couldn’t see Liam’s left arm from this angle, though he remembered Liam saying that he had full sleeves on both arms.

Liam turned when he heard Gabriel’s steps, smiling as he offered him one of the glasses. “A safer option,” he said with a teasing smile before he took a sip from his own.

Gabriel chuckled, sweeping Liam with another slow look over the edge of his cup. The mood hadn’t been killed by all of the earlier excitement, just set on the back burner for a while to continue a slow simmer that was better in some ways. They’d managed a mini-crisis together and were still standing, nothing changed between them except an increased sense of comfortable companionship.

“Do you still want to watch a movie and cuddle on the couch, or should we take this outside to the pool? It’s a nice clear night and like I said earlier, the pool’s heated and I have lighting around it outside to avoid slippage.”

“I didn’t bring my bathing suit with me.”

It was Liam’s turn to sweep Gabriel with a look that was undeniably male, heat slowly igniting around the edges. “Did I mention that I also have a really high privacy fence around my backyard that not even the nosiest geriatric neighbors can see through with their binoculars?”

Gabriel grinned. “Is skinny dipping usually conducive to teaching someone how to swim?”

“Nope. But I’m ok with it if you are.”

“I think I’ll survive as long as I’m not the only one baring it all. I still want to see all of your ink.”

“That can be arranged. Sometimes uncomplicated is the best solution for a situation.”

Liam grinned as he set his cup down on the counter before unceremoniously stripping off his t-shirt. Gabriel tried to exhale as discreetly as possible, his tongue suddenly plastered to the roof of his mouth. Although Liam looked slim and unassuming when he was fully dressed, Bonnie’s claim of his ability to run a seven-minute mile was much more plausible when he was half naked. The delineation of Liam’s hard, flat abs, toned chest and shoulders, were highlighted by vivid color and design elements that turned the younger man’s body into a living and breathing work of art that Gabriel wanted to both inspect and worship in equal measure. He just wasn’t sure which order he wanted that to happen in.

Choices, choices…

Gabriel suddenly understood why the directors of the YMCA Insisted that Liam wear long sleeved shorty wetsuits when he was teaching. It also made sense now why Liam always wore long-sleeved shirts at the ballpark. There wouldn’t have been one eye focused on the game if the spectators on either of the competing teams knew that the mild-mannered soccer/swim coach was packing all that beneath the lightweight fabrics.

Liam’s tattoo artist was a master who had somehow turned Liam’s left arm into a bionic design with a 3D effect due to the perfectly executed shading and angles. Forget the Six Million Dollar Man. That ink invoked pure sexy Robo Cop.

The tattoo gave off a different vibe than the ink on Liam’s right arm, which Gabriel could seem more clearly now. It was less open to interpretation of meaning, but the same masterful shading and fluidity of line and design made Gabriel suspect that the same artist had done both pieces, as well as the one on Liam’s chest. That one was a powerfully rendered, surreal image of an astronaut floating in a space of swirling color that swept down Liam’s abs in graceful whorls that disappeared into the waistband of his jeans. The focus was on the astronaut’s helmet, his face mask reflecting a vibrant cosmic landscape which included a roaming space rover, mysterious rolling hills, and a twilight gradient that made Gabriel feel like the final frontier might be more ongoing than any Star Trek episode thought.

“Jesus,” Gabriel breathed, his body reacting without hesitation to the smorgasbord laid out in front of him. His gaze traced over the sharply defined angles of Liam hipbones, tempting Gabriel to trace them with his tongue.

“Turn around. I want to see the one on your back.”

Liam waggled a finger at Gabriel in a gesture that every kid at their naughtiest had experienced at least once in their lives from a disapproving adult.

“We need to even up the playing field first. Lose the shirt. You can keep your pants on until we get out to the pool.”

Gabriel grinned, his eyes half-hooded. “Such confidence… What happened to the shy, nervous computer nerd who killed my kitchen?”

Gabriel’s tone was teasing, but his dick was hard enough to pound nails.

“You gave him permission to breathe and now he knows this is a sure thing, so prepare to have your hard drive updated.”

Liam waggled his eyebrows and Gabriel’s lips twitched. “Taking charge now?”

Yes, please.

Liam arched an eyebrow with a hint of amusement, eyes focused intently on Gabriel’s face like he was looking for nonverbal cues as much as he was listening to Gabe’s spoken words.

“Would you let me if I was?”

“Baby, I don’t care if you want to knock me to my knees and ride me like Seabiscuit. I just want you.”

Liam grinned. “Good answer. But I owe you a swim lesson first. Now, lose the shirt.”

Goosebumps broke out over Gabriel’s skin from the intensity of Liam’s gaze as he tugged his Henley over his head. His fingers fumbled the toss he made with towards the chair, with the intention of his shirt landing on it, when Liam’s hands went to his zipper, stroking his fingers slowly up and down. Gabriel and held sharply as a wave of lust to him so hard he felt dizzy.

Liam winked with a mischievous smile when the shirt completely missed its target. He gestured for Gabe to retrieve the shirt and when Gabriel obeyed, laying the Henley on the chair after carefully folding it, Liam slowly lowered his zipper and Gabriel had to remind himself to breathe because coming in his own jeans had been bad the first time he’d been with a guy when he was fifteen. It was completely unacceptable now that he was nearing forty.

There was something unexpectedly erotic about stripping in front of one another like two teenagers. They weren’t even touching, yet Gabriel could practically feel Liam’s hands on his own skin as the younger man lowered his zipper, then dropped his jeans, standing relaxed, with the denim pooled around his ankles.

He wasn’t wearing underwear and Gabriel felt all the air get sucked from the room as he inhaled hard.

Liam was longer than Gabriel would have expected, hard in his own hand when he curled it around the length that was ruddy red with arousal, contrasting with the paler skin of Liam’s fingers as he stroked himself slowly from base to tip and then back.

Naked nuns. Ugly, naked nuns with bunions and excessive body hair.

It’d been too long since Gabriel had even jerked himself off, so he was grasping at every possible straw to maintain his control, even though Liam was playing with him like a was a damn marionette. Gabriel couldn’t care less. He just didn’t want this to be over before it even started. His refractory time at thirty-eight was a lot longer that it had been in his twenties, and he wanted to make sure tonight was memorable because he and Liam rocked one another’s world, instead of having the evening being defined by a hair-trigger orgasm on Gabriel’s end.

“You’ve still got too many clothes on,” Liam said, his teasing tone breaking through Gabriel’s thoughts and forcing him out of his own head. “What’s the matter, Gabriel? Not in the mood to see my tattoos anymore?”

A nerve in Gabriel’s jaw ticked when Liam scooted a step back to tease. Unfortunately, he’d apparently forgotten that his pants were still tangled around his ankles. His surprised shout of genuine laughter when he stumbled, but didn’t fall, snapped the leash on Gabriel’s control.

I’m all in, baby.

Surging forward, Gabriel divested himself of his shoes, socks and jeans in record speed, Clothes scattering in every direction without ceremony while Liam kicked away his own jeans after stepping out of them. Gabriel had barely gotten his boxer briefs off before Liam reached for him, grabbing Gabriel’s hand to pull the older man toward him.

The move caught Gabriel by surprise and threw off his balance. He pitched forward as Liam stumbled backward into the wall, tugging Gabriel with him since their hands were still clasped together between their chests. Gabriel’s other hand splayed out on the wall above Liam’s head to brace himself.

“Christ, Liam…”

The headlights of a passing car cut across the living room window, briefly illuminating the fine bones of Liam face, spotlighting his smile as he dragged his and Gabriel’s joined hands up to brush a kiss over the other man’s knuckles.

“Sorry,” Liam murmured. “When I thought about sweeping you off your feet tonight, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

Gabriel snorted. “It's okay. I kind of like the unexpected, though I have the feeling my insurance agent won’t feel the same way when I have to change my homeowners policy.”

Liam laughed, his free hand slowly trailing up Gabriel’s side, seeming delighted when the caress raised another wave of goose bumps on Gabriel’s skin. “If the agent’s a woman, we have it in the bag. Women like me—they think I’m safe.”

Gabriel’s head dipped and Liam’s eyes closed, lips parting with a happy sound as Gabriel’s lips trailed along one of the bold, curving lines of colorful ink on Liam’s right shoulder.

“Liam, safe is about the last thing you are. You’re lousy for my health insurance and dangerous to my heart.”

The teasing glint in Liam eyes faded, replaced by a softer, warmer expression. He nuzzled along Gabriel’s jaw line, still holding onto the man’s hand. Just before their lips met, he whispered, “That’s the one thing I guarantee that I’ll never break.”

Liam put the hand not holding Gabriel’s, on his lover’s left shoulder and kissed his cheekbone. His breath was warm on Gabriel’s face, lingering for a moment as if letting Gabriel’s anticipation build, before Liam kissed the corner of his mouth, allowing his tongue to peek free and slowly trace the seam of his lips. The touches were light but not timid. Liam was deliberately teasing and Gabriel moaned before he freed his hand from Liam’s so he could cradle his face between both hands, crashing his mouth on Liam’s to plunder it. This thing between them, was a two-way street all the way…