Page 55 of Caught Running
“Bad? Me? Bad?” Brandon huffed. “Son of a bitch, making me think I’m going to scare you off. Always teasing and making light of things.”
“But . . .”
“No buts!” Brandon insisted as he took Jake by surprise, rolling them and straddling his hips. He grabbed at Jake’s wrists. “You tellmenow, Jake. If only this once.”
“Tell you what?” Jake asked teasingly as he stretched out under Brandon and smiled. The smile faded and his eyes darkened as he looked up at his lover. “That I think I’m in love with you?” he asked seriously.
Brandon stared down at Jake with wide eyes, totally speechless. Then he shook himself. “Not—Not unless you mean it,” he stuttered. He saw Jake’s eyes change, change like they did when they were in the midst of driving each other crazy, and his breath caught.
Jake was silent, looking up at Brandon in the light of the single lamp. “I’m pretty sure I love you,” he stated calmly.
Brandon thought his heart would give out before Jake said something else. And his comment was just as earthshaking as the one before it. Brandon slowly let go of Jake’s wrists, lowering his hands to the other man’s chest as he peered at himin wonder. Jake gave him a crooked, slightly self-conscious smile and shrugged.
Brandon studied him, drawing on the cues he’d memorized in Jake’s behavior. “You’re not teasing,” he murmured, a statement rather than a question.
“No,” Jake answered with a shake of his head. He was beginning to wonder if he’d been a little too hasty. He’d thought he’d read Brandon right, he usually did, and he’d thought he’d get a similar admission in return. Now he was getting a little nervous. And blushing harder.
Jake’s reddening cheeks made Brandon smile, and he slowly bent over until their chests touched and their mouths rubbed together. His eyes closed, eyelashes brushing over Jake’s cheekbones. Jake licked his lips and closed his eyes, raising his chin and humming. Brandon’s tongue followed after his lover’s, lightly skimming into a kiss, slow and easy. And when the kiss ended, he sighed, cheek to cheek with Jake. “Love you, too,” he breathed.
Jake didn’t move or speak. He simply kept his eyes closed and tried to remember to breathe. He’d never told anyone he loved them. And he’d never been happy to hear it before this moment. A shiver ran through him, and he turned his head against Brandon’s, sliding his hands around the other man’s back.
Brandon had nothing else to say. Nothing could top that one, he thought, feeling dizzy and warm all over. Jake said it first.Amazing. He drew in an easy breath, the vise around his chest giving way, and slowly levered himself up to look at his lover. Love, now. Not just lover.
Jake finally opened his eyes and looked up to meet Brandon’s. “You still tired?” he asked after a moment of composing himself.
“I feel remarkably energized, actually,” Brandon said, eyebrow quirking. “I’m sure I’ll crash hard later, though.”
Jake smiled briefly and then bit his lower lip, a frown creasing his forehead. He couldn’t think of a thing to say. His heart was still racing.
Brandon’s brow furrowed, and he reached to slide the pad of his thumb over the abused lip. “What’s this for?” he asked in a soft voice.
Jake’s eyes closed at the gentle touch, and he smiled again. “We’ve made me speechless,” he answered with a little laugh.
Grinning, Brandon lightly nudged the tip of Jake’s nose with a knuckle. “No witty comeback?”
Jake huffed and shook his head. “Kiss me,” he requested softly. More than happy to obey, Brandon didn’t hesitate, dipping his head to capture Jake’s lips in a slow, open-mouth kiss that lasted for some time before he finally pulled away. Jake reached up as soon as Brandon moved and tugged him back down, moaning into the second kiss and tangling his fingers in Brandon’s hair.
Heat tearing through Brandon’s gut, he pressed his body closer to Jake’s, starting to rock his hips slowly, a groan escaping from deep in his throat. Every touch and every sound took on a whole layer of meaning, and Brandon’s hand shook as he cupped Jake’s face.
Jake groaned and raised his knee to slide his foot over Brandon’s calves, wrapping his legs around him as he did so. He jumped violently when a knock sounded on the door.
When Jake sat up suddenly, Brandon flailed and grabbed at his lover’s shoulders to keep from flying backward. But his pulse spiked, and he closed his eyes, gasping for breath. “Fuck,” he hissed, his denim-covered groin rubbing against Jake’s boxers-covered one.
“Yeah?” Jake called out in answer to the knock, his voice only a little hoarse.
“Got some surprise visitors for you, Coach.” Troy’s voice came through the door.
Brandon lowered his forehead to Jake’s shoulder for a few seconds before pushing himself back to crawl off Jake’s lap.
Jake flopped back down and sighed as he willed his body to calm. After a moment he rolled off the bed and slid back into the track pants and T-shirt he’d shed earlier and then shuffled to the door to open it.
Brandon sat at the table, sliding on his glasses and shoving around a stack of papers. When the door clicked open, he glanced up to see Troy standing there with his head bowed, looking up at Jake guiltily. Beside him stood Misty and four of her cheerleaders, smiling pleasantly. Brandon’s stomach turned.
“Uhh,” Jake managed to comment.
“They’ve traveled all this way to support the team,” Troy supplied in a tight voice. “But they didn’t think to call ahead for rooms,” he added. “We’re going to have to double-bunk some of the boys.”
Jake nodded in a daze and half-turned back into the room. Then he stopped and turned back uncertainly. If he went to get the clipboard, Misty would surely shoulder her way in. “We’ll clear up two rooms for them tonight,” he finally answered, annoyance over this development barely concealed. “The rest of the week you’re on your own,” he told Misty coldly.