Page 107 of The Way Home

Her eyes softened at his words, and Sally smiled, eyes fixed on the board. Try all she might, she still had no chance of winning.

“We missed you,” Ang said softly, putting a hand on top of Jamie’s. “It’s so nice to see you… here.” Her eyes flitted around the flat as if to sayhome. The space was quite messy, his stuff thrown all over the place despite Caleb’s best effort to keep it organized, and music played softly over the Bluetooth.

His heart did a little jig in his chest. Hefinallyunderstood what they all meant when they said they missed him.

He’d missed them, too. In a way.

“No, dumb dumb!” Freya shrieked.

Ang let her head thunk against the counter before standing and putting on her mum voice. “Freya Elizabeth, we donottalk to our friends like that…” She rushed into the living room, leaving Jamie and Sally alone.

Sally finally averted her gaze from the board. “Doing alright, Jamie? I heard you were cleared to bike.”

“Yeah, I was.” He smiled down at his cards. “Can’t wait to ride to work tomorrow. I hate the Tube.”

“Weirdo.” She dropped her voice lower. “And things are going well with Caleb?”

His eyes shot up. “Yeah, they are. Why?”

Sally shrugged. “Just checking. You know I’m here if you need anything. Hell, I was the one who helped Caleb propose thefirsttime.”

Jamie set down his cards. “You did?”

A bright smile spread on her face. “Hell yeah. Who do you think helped him with all those bloodycandles—”

“Oh!” Jamie stood abruptly, causing the table to wobble. “I don’t—please stop. I don’t need the details.”

Her eyes stared up at him, wide and guilty. “Oh, sorry. Are you upset?”

“No, no. I just don’t want to hear about…” He wrung his hands in front of him. “The engagement.”

Her eyebrows pulled together. “You don’t?” She glanced toward the living room. “Do you not think you want to marry him, J? Cause if not, I think he needs to know that—”

“What?” Jamie accidentally yelled the word, drawing the eyes of Caleb and Ang. Lowering his voice, he leaned toward Sally. “No, that’s not it at all. It’s just that…”

His heart rate sped up. Apparently, he was saying this out loud for the first time. To Sally. In a whisper-shout. “I want to propose tohim.And, I dunno, I just don’t want to hear about the last time and have it influence how I do this. I’ll let him tell me after he…” He wiped his palms on his trousers. Suddenly, it felt like his heart was beating out of his chest. “Oh God, Sally, is this a terrible idea?”

Sally’s look of shock morphed into one of annoyance. Rolling her eyes, she cursed under her breath.

“Bloody hell, J. That man wanted to marry you the moment he saw you.” She snatched her cards back up. “Sit, you wanker. I’m going to beat you at this game if it’s the last thing I do.”

Having Jamie inhis arms was slowly unraveling the knot of anxiety in Caleb’s chest. Plus the luxurious blowjob he’d just received.

“Mmm,” Jamie hummed against his skin as he kissed his way up his stomach, along his ribs, and finally nuzzled his head into Caleb’sneck. Gentle fingertips explored the ridges of Caleb’s abs as Jamie slung a leg over his hip.

He was in full koala mode now.

When he lifted his head to meet Caleb’s gaze, Jamie’s curls were disheveled from where Caleb’s fingers had been stroking, and his cheeks were flushed a gorgeous pink. Unable to stop himself, Caleb kissed his forehead, his temple, then his cheek—anywhere he could reach.

The moment he had gotten off the phone with his sister, discussing their father’s declining health, Jamie was quick to get him naked. The man was insatiable and seemed to know that this would be a very welcome distraction to Caleb.

Brushing his thumb lazily along Jamie’s smooth cheek, he asked, “What do you want, sweetheart?” His head felt dizzy as he came down from his orgasm. He could feel Jamie’s hardness against his leg.

Jamie looked just as sex-drunk, even though he hadn’t come yet. Dark lashes fluttered over spring-green eyes as he smiled.

“I want you,” he breathed, shamelessly grinding his cock against Caleb’s leg. “I want to come with you inside me.”

“Fuck.” Caleb let his head fall back into his pillow. “You can’t say shit like that to me, Jamie.”