On a Roll Beth Bolden (best book club books for discussion .TXT) 📖

earlier to fall into bed with Gabriel, when they’d actually done it, they’d both barely had the energy to strip down, before falling asleep almost immediately, exhausted.

Sean did remember setting the alarm for eight, an hour before they needed to be at the lot, but when he glanced at his smart watch, he saw that it was just past seven. Still, despite the early hour, he felt well-rested and incredibly energized. More than ready to face whatever the day held.

He slipped out of bed, and went to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and peeing, before returning to the bedroom.

Gabriel’s eyes were open, the warm brown of them making Sean shiver with anticipation. “Good morning,” he said, his voice gravelly from sleep still.

“It is a good morning,” Sean said.

“Better than last night, in any case,” Gabe said.

“I . . .” Sean knew he shouldn't apologize; nothing that had happened last night—none of the many, infuriating delays—had been his fault. But he’d been just as disappointed as Gabriel. The kisses they’d shared had left him buzzing with anticipation.

But regret was nothing if you couldn’t keep your eyes open.

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Gabriel said, grinning. “Besides,” he said, sliding out of bed just as Sean returned to it, “there’s plenty of morning before we have to be at work.”

“Forty-seven minutes to be exact,” Sean said.

“I do like how ambitious you are,” Gabriel observed, dropping a soft kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Sean waited with an increasingly breathless anticipation as he heard the bathroom door shut behind Gabriel.

He’d seen the toothbrush that Gabe had brought. Had seen it sitting next to his, in the holder, and had been pleasantly surprised at his own reaction.

He hadn’t exactly expected that he’d freak out. But things were changing between them. Sean wasn’t stupid enough to deny that. But he wasn’t sure what they were morphing into, or if he should press pause while he figured out what he felt about that.

Except, the brutal honest truth was that he knew exactly how he felt, and all he felt was joy.

It was just really fucking nice not to be alone. Maybe, Sean thought, it would have been easier if that was all it was. A body to warm his bed on lonely nights, but the problem was that he’d never really wanted that. The only man he’d ever wanted since Milo was Gabriel.

So it was very hard to pin all of this on loneliness.

“You look like you’re thinking way too hard.”

Sean glanced up and saw Gabriel standing there, naked except for a pair of boxers, riding low on his hips, his tongue flicking out to wet his lower lip.

“Maybe you should come over here and make me stop,” Sean teased.

Gabriel stared at him a moment longer and then was on the bed, climbing onto him with a grace that belied his size. He cupped Sean’s cheek with one hand and it was shockingly tender, considering the way Gabriel was grinding his hardening dick against Sean’s own, sending a rush of anticipatory pleasure through him.

For a second, Gabe just hovered there, lips right above Sean’s, and he felt himself aching for it, straining to get closer, to that thrusting cock, and to his mouth, and to the man himself.

Then Gabriel kissed him, and it was hot and sweet and reverent and a whole lot dirty, his tongue delving deep, his mouth echoing the same minty flavor of his own.

“Fuck,” Gabriel said, and Sean could already feel him breathing hard, his heart racing a mile per minute as he pressed a palm to it. “God, I want you so much.”

“I want you too,” Sean said, feeling a little bashful about just how much. Sex had never felt like an imperative before, but with Gabriel? It was life or death.

“I want to be inside you again,” Gabriel said, and his voice had gone hushed. His eyes were worshipful as he slid a hand down Sean’s body, towards the edge of his briefs. “But more than anything, I want what you want.”

“I want that too,” Sean said. He couldn’t say anything else. The desire was so strong, it felt like it was going to wash over him in one suffocating wave. There was so much, he felt like he was going to choke on it.

He couldn’t remember ever feeling its equal.

Even with Milo.

But before that thought could even fully register, Sean pushed it away again. He couldn’t deal with that right now.

Gabriel’s fingers on his cock, smoothing the wetness on the head down further, as he gave him a firm stroke, were all he wanted to deal with.

Pushing himself up, Sean kissed him again, their mouths sliding together again and again, until he was lost in the sensation, barely even registering Gabe letting go of his cock and the sound of the drawer in the bedside table opening.

He relaxed into the feel of Gabe’s thumb sliding inside him, wet and welcome. He knew him now, and trusted him, and didn’t doubt for a moment that Gabriel would make him feel good. The first time had been so extraordinary, and even if it hadn’t been, he knew the man now, in a way that he hadn’t necessarily then.

Gabriel slid a second finger in alongside the first, and Sean groaned at the stretch, desperately craving more of it.

“Come on,” Sean begged. “I’m ready, I’m . . .”

The fingers paused inside of him and Sean’s eyes flicked open, only to find Gabriel staring at him, pupils blown, the expression on his face a mix of tenderness and raw desire. “You’re going to be ready when I say you’re ready,” Gabriel said, leaning down, and brushing a kiss across his mouth. “I want it to be good for you.”

“I’m with you, aren’t I?” Sean said, before he could stop himself. It seemed like with the pleasure short-circuiting his system, the filter between his brain and his mouth had seemingly disappeared. “It’s always good.”

Gabriel smiled, but didn’t say anything, but thankfully, moved his fingers again, delving