Page 45 of The Arrangement

“Mmm, I was really hoping you’d say that.” He angled his body and mine so he was leaning over me more than sitting beside me.

I had to bite my lip to keep from cracking or caving into the kiss I so badly wanted to give him. “Oh? And why’s that?”

“I believe someone promised me a treat,” he said, lowering himself to kiss along my neck.

“Wonder who that was, because I’m certainIsaid thatifyou were good, then youmightget to lick my finger again.” I was clearly possessed because I didn’t have the faintest clue how I’d said all of that without cracking once.

JD went stock-still, then slowly raised his head to look at me. Still channeling… something, I arched an eyebrow at him. “You did not,” he deadpanned, complete with a disgruntled frown.

“It was implied,” I countered, my lips twitching as I struggled to keep the laughter at bay.

“Uh-uh. You clearly said that I’d get to have my favorite treat and I think we both know that involves your dick in my mouth.”

“Do we?” I asked through a smile that was actively hurting my face. “And again, the criteria was thatyouwere good, not that thedaywas good. What do you think Andy’s ruling would be after you chunked him into the Gulf like a bag of bait?”

JD’s jaw dropped, shortly followed by his head, a miserable groan, and, oh yeah, the rest of his giant body.

“Oof,” I wheezed as he let his body become dead weight. “You’re squishing me, you freaking giant.”

“You’ll live,” he mumbled into my chest, refusing to move.

I wasn’t actually upset, not that he wasn’t heavy, but I could handle it. Plus, there was something… comforting about having his weight on me, like an anchor. No, that wasn’t right. More likea potted trellis. Something stable and sure, a foundation to keep you grounded while lifting you up, even when falling seemed inevitable. Yeah, that felt right, just like my hand running over the muscled planes of back felt right, and my fingers gliding through his bright red hair.

It was kind of silly, but the longer it grew, the curlier it got and the more boyish he looked. Don’t get me wrong, he’d always be intimidating as fuck when he wanted to be, but it was as if the sweetness that was on the inside was finally showing on the outside. Like a flower. Like a honeysuckle. LikemyHoneysuckle.

“It really was a great day,” JD said as he resituated so that some of his weight was on the couch and he could rest his head more comfortably on my shoulder.

“Your brother’s flowers are stunning. I mean the tiger on his back is impressive as hell, but the flowers that take up most of his left arm and shoulder are just…wow.” Truthfully, I’d been astounded to see Andy had tattoos at all, let alone been covered in them. An intricate floral sleeve on his left arm, going all the way up his shoulder and spilling onto his chest. A bright orange Bengal tiger, stalking down his back against a jungle backdrop. Not to mention the various assorted ones dotting every other major surface area, including a large family crest over his right ribs. And every one of them was complex, done in rich colors, vibrant against his pale skin.

“You know, I’m a little surprised you don’t have flower tattoos, given how much you love them.”

I shook my head and resumed rubbing his back. “The idea is nice, and as impressive as Andy’s tattoos are, it’s not the same. Part of what makes flowers so beautiful is that they don’t last. For all of their resilience, they’re delicate; they need to be cared for. Even then, they’re fleeting.” Unable to stop myself, I tilted my head to look down at JD and brushed my fingers along hischeek. “Butif you truly care for them, they’ll bring brightness and joy to your life. And if you’re especially attentive, they’ll come back. They’ll always come back,” I finished in a whisper, not sure what I was even talking about anymore. I was too lost in the way JD’s eyes were pulling me in, like the very currents I’d warned everyone about earlier today.

Then, like almost every other time, the distance between us seemed to disappear without either of us moving. One moment he was looking up at me, his chin perched on my chest. The next, my fingers were buried in his hair and our lips were fused together as we shared one breath. We traded unhurried kisses, letting our hands wander aimlessly over each other. God, the way his muscles flexed against me, the way his coarse hair tickled my palms, set me on fire in a way I’d never known existed.

When JD sat back on his heels to pull off his shirt, I was already tossing mine and reaching for his shorts. I wanted his bare skin on me more than I wanted air. No sooner had I successfully gotten ahold of the elastic on his shorts than he gently grabbed my wrists and pulled them away. I squirmed beneath him, aching for more physical contact. He took mercy on me and leaned down to seal our mouths together once more. I arched into him to close the distance faster and moaned at the incredible feel of skin against skin.

“Marc,” he groaned, moving to kiss along my jaw as he ground his hips against me. I loved it when he said my name like that.Loved it.And the way he was rolling his hips was driving me closer and closer to falling off the Cliffs of Insanity. “Please let me suck you.”

“Yes,” I gasped, bucking into him at the breathy request. He paused kissing along my neck to look at me. I already knew what he wanted, so I gave it freely… mostly. “Arum.”

He raised both eyebrows. “I’m assuming that’s yet another strange green flower.”

I smiled. Lord only knew what he would say when he inevitably looked up the arguablyverystrange flower. “Yes.”

“Guess that means I was good today after all, huh, baby boy?” he said with a smirk before laying a trail of kisses down my torso.

Remembering the rules from last time, I allowed myself to thread my fingers through his hair as he continued to work his way lower. Though I restrained my disappointment when that also meant he had to physically get up to fully remove my shorts. But, hey, three cheers to post-shower me for skipping the boxers.

His blue-green eyes were still devouring me when he hooked his thumbs into the elastic of his shorts. My breath caught in anticipation, and he paused, looking at me with raised eyebrows. I could have come up with another green flower. Probably. Or copped out with something like grass, but my thinky-thoughts were thinkied out.

“Green,” I said without preamble, my voice rougher than I’d ever heard it. But I didn’t have the bandwidth to think about that right now. All my focus was on each sliver of skin revealed as JD pulled his shorts lower. There was a very good chance that the weird strangled noise came from me when his dick popped free. Appeared he’d also gone commando.

My gaze riveted on the pearl of liquid gathered at the tip of his swollen head like morning dew on a petal, and I wanted more than anything to lick it off, to know what he tasted like. But this wasn’t about me. What I wanted could wait. This was about what James wanted, and if he wanted to suck my soul out through my dick, I wouldn’t stand in his way. I could almost laugh at how unironically I meant that. Then James was settling himself between my legs, and all other thoughts evaporated.

“Oh God,” I groaned, digging my head back into the cushion of the sofa and tangling my fingers in his hair as his lips sealed around my sensitive head and slid down. Of course, my damn hips bucked up as well, despite my determination to keep them firmly in place, and James immediately gagged. I quickly released his hair, an apology bubbling up my throat.

James clapped his hand over my mouth and held my gaze. “This is my treat, yes?”