Love in Xxchange: Rory's Last Chance by Bailey Bradford (poetry books to read txt) 📗

I want. But first, what I meant was, make sure you’re sure. No.” He pressed a finger against Rory’s lips. “No.

This time, you listen to what I’m saying before you get all pissed off.”

Chance held Rory’s stare until he nodded in agreement, then he stepped back, not wanting to influence Rory with the strength of their physical attraction.

“I meant, be goddamned sure, Rory, because if you say it, I’m not letting you go.” The stunned look on Rory’s face would have been priceless had Chance been able to see past his RORY’S LAST CHANCE

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own need to ensure that his lover understood just how serious he was.

“What I want from you is exactly what you want to offer. But what I need,”—Chance’s hands fisted at his sides—“is for you to stop thinking that I don’t respect you, because I do, and as long as you don’t get that then shit like this will keep happening. I’m not saying this is your fault, but…”

God, no doubt he was screwing up all over again. Rory looked confused as hell, but Chance made himself forge on—he had to make the man understand.

“You didn’t even give me a chance to explain before you got pissed. You just assumed the worst. Doesn’t say much for your opinion of me, but I can see where it might take a while to undo the damage I’ve done.” This time it was Chance who stepped backwards as Rory approached.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I know you haven’t accused me of being any of the things I said. You’re not someone who plays games or uses people. I know that, I just…” Rory looked stumped for an explanation.

Chance stayed quiet, giving the man time to figure out what he wanted to say. He wasn’t going to jump in with any assumptions—that kind of thing was what had led to this whole misunderstanding.

Rory gave a start, cheeks flushing red with his sudden comprehension. He looked at Chance and was embarrassed and so cute with it that Chance found it difficult not to intervene.

“Shit. I think…I think I let insecurity take over.” Rory shuddered, actually shuddered as though the confession were distasteful. “Uh. I can see maybe how this whole talking about feelings and stuff is uncomfortable.” He offered Chance a sheepish smile.

Smiling back, Chance felt a weight lift off his shoulders. “Yeah, it is, and I think both of us will probably fuck it up plenty of times. But—and here’s the important part, Rory—”

Chance gave in to the need to touch and took Rory’s hands. “If we both try to remember that this whole relationship thing is something new—I’m thinking you haven’t done this much more than I have, right?”

Rory laughed and squeezed Chance’s hands. “I don’t think what happened with…with Art was what you’d exactly call a relationship, so no.” Ruddy slashes marked Rory’s cheeks at the admission as he looked away.

“Wait. What…” Chance ran Rory’s statement over again is his mind and still came to RORY’S LAST CHANCE

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the same conclusion, which couldn’t be right. “You don’t mean that he was the only—no.

You mean the rest were just casual. Right?” Has to be what he means.

The colour on Rory’s cheeks darkened as he kept his gaze averted. “Told you I don’t do that casual shit.”

Defensive and softly spoken, the words had Chance’s mind reeling. Yeah, Rory had said something to that effect, but Chance had still figured the man had some experience other than Art.

Chance’s stomach clenched painfully. Shit, had he ever been even half the man Rory was? He’d been a slut at that age, not giving a damn about anything much other than the next lay or the next bull ride. But if Rory didn’t do causal, what had he been doing at the bar that first night? Chance tried to push the question aside but couldn’t.

“Not that I’m doubting you, but now you have me confused.”

Rory’s brow furrowed with confusion. “Confusing you how?”

Chance reached up and swiped at Rory’s brow, smoothing out the lines there and then shrugged. “Since you don’t do the one night thing, why were you at the bar a few weeks ago? That’s about all those places are there for.”

Rory shrugged and looked away, embarrassment evident in the way his shoulders hunched. “I didn’t know.”

Now it was Chance’s brow that wrinkled. “What do you mean you didn’t know?”

Rory sighed and shook his head, still refusing to look at Chance. “I mean, I was naïve and stupid—and curious. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t what I found there in that bar.” Rory finally met Chance’s gaze. “I know that makes me sound like some kind of idiot, but I was a little shocked when I saw what was going on it that place. And then… “

Rory’s smile started out small and sweet, but grew as he looked Chance over. “There you were, trying to escape from two twinks. Something started burning inside me and all I could think about was how much I needed to touch you. So I did.” He shrugged, which did things to his chest and strong muscles that threatened to make Chance forget what they were talking about.

The club, and Rory thinking he was an idiot. Chance reached up and traced Rory’s jaw line with the back of his knuckles. “It doesn’t make you stupid or an idiot not to have known what clubs like that are for. Probably a sign that you have better sense than anyone else in the place, myself included. I was there, knowing what the place was, looking for something RORY’S LAST CHANCE

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that I knew I wouldn’t find there.”

Chance rubbed Rory’s lower lip with the pad of his thumb. “So you tell me, which one of us was the stupid one?”

Rory sucked the tip of Chance’s thumb into his mouth and swirled his tongue around the callused skin. It