When the Dead Speak by Bailey Bradford (books to read to increase intelligence txt) 📗

games, how to tease and flirt, whether harmlessly or intently, and he couldn’t see himself starting now—but he wanted Sev, with a pressing, aching need he hadn’t felt before, ever. He was trying to put it down to not being laid in years, but lying to himself wasn’t something he’d done much of and he was finding he wasn’t good at it, either. Best to just lay it out there, he figured.

“I want you.” Shit. That came out belligerent and defensive and more than a little snarly.

Sev’s laughter rang out in the truck cab, easily drowning out the noisy diesel engine and replacing it with a rich, musical sound. Laine felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment and tried to turn away but Sev’s hand tightened on his jaw.

“Oh come on, now, Laine!” Sev snickered then let his humor drop away. “You sound so unhappy about it, it was either laugh or get pissed. Am I supposed to be flattered that wanting me seems so distasteful to you?”

Laine could see the hurt in Sev’s eyes and closed his own on a wave of guilt. “I didn’t… That’s not it. I just, I’ve never… Damn!” Laine thumped the steering wheel and shook his head.

Sev pulled his hand back and spoke so softly Laine had to strain to hear him. “You just what? I don’t get what you’re trying to tell me, here.”

His sigh sounding like that of an old, tired man to his own ears, Laine opened his eyes and faced Sev. “I’ve never done casual sex, okay? I don’t know if I can, and you don’t seem to be—”

Sev’s hurt look shut Laine up. Sev nodded and reached for the door handle.

“Yeah, I get it, and maybe I would have agreed with you yesterday, or even before you knocked on my door this morning—probably right up until you hauled ass out of my room earlier.” Sev opened the door and stood on the ground. He paused with his hand resting on the handle, then turned to Laine. “I know I said no strings, but I thought… maybe there was something more here, you know? It scares me, sure, that this feels different, that I don’t want to pack up and run, and I kind of thought that was mutual. What do I know, though? Other than that I want you again, want you in ways I’d never thought about. But somehow, hearing you cast me as a good time slut…” Sev shrugged. “It just reminds me of why I’ve never tried, I guess.”

Laine cringed. He hadn’t meant to do that, but he’d been sure that Sev wasn’t interested in an actual relationship.

He shrugged again and clutched at the back of his gown as he turned away from Laine. “Can we get inside so I can maybe shower and put on some real clothes?”

Feeling like the biggest asshole in the world, Laine shut the truck off and got out. He grabbed Sev’s bag as well as the man’s luggage he’d had one of his deputies get from Sev’s room. “Sure. Look, Sev—”

“Forget it. I’m sure you were right.” Sev hurried to the front porch. “So I guess we can’t fuck since you don’t do casual and I don’t do anything but that, right? This should be fun.”

Laine didn’t miss the bitterness in Sev’s words, even though the man tried to make the whole thing sound like a joke. He’d have to be an idiot to miss it, though right now, Laine figured being an idiot would be a step up from where he was. All he could do was try again. “Will you just let me explain?”

“Nope, I don’t think my heart can take it.” Sev never even turned around, denying Laine the opportunity to judge the exact meaning of that statement. “Can you open the door or do you want to hand me the key?”

* * * *

Fresh from the shower, Laine was still trying to figure out how to make things right, or at the very least bearable, when Sev stepped out of the guest room, having taken advantage of the extra bathroom there. His dark hair wet and slicked back, and he was looking irresistible in a tight pair of faded jeans and a white tank top. Laine looked, not caring if it was rude, letting his gaze linger on the growing bulge he’d had his hands wrapped around earlier, then swept down the length of Sev’s legs and found himself growing achingly hard as he studied Sev’s narrow, elegant feet.

You got it bad, he thought, getting turned on by the man’s bare feet. Better get your act together. He watched as Sev brought his fingers to the silver necklace, fidgeting with it as he did when he was nervous. It was endearing, seeing that bit of fragility exposed unconsciously.

“Are you feeling better?” Laine forced himself to walk to the kitchen and started rummaging through the cupboard.

“I’m warm finally, if that’s what you mean.” The sound of a chair scraping against the floor told Laine that Sev was making himself comfortable at the table.

“I guess that’s a start.” Laine pulled down a jar of sauce then placed a bag of pasta beside it. “You good with spaghetti? It’s quick and I’m starved.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Do you have any beer?”

Shows how often I have company. I didn’t even offer the guy a drink. “Got some Shiner in the fridge. Hang on and I’ll get it.” Laine found the pans he was digging around for and set them on the stove. When he turned, he nearly ran into Sev, who had walked over to the refrigerator. Just being near the man had Laine’s dick swelling again, and when Sev opened the refrigerator door and bent over, Laine thought he was going to come on the spot. God, he wanted to touch Sev, lick his warm brown skin and just lose himself in that compact body.

Sev looked over his shoulder, the grin he’d been wearing slipping. He stood slowly and