Page 97 of Clean Finish

We hadn’t made plans for our next “lesson” yet, and as much as they always left me feeling a little heartbroken after he’d left, I was in too deep now. I craved him even more than I already had. I’d gladly take the pain if it meant I got more of him.

Sunday’s headline match had just started, and we were sitting in the private box, Holt and Taylor watching the wrestling while Larkin and I sat on the back couch. He was leaning heavily into my side, Cora draped over both our laps as we finished off our crossword.

“Is twenty-one down ‘apology?’” Larkin asked doubtfully. He was never confident when he guessed an answer, even though he was often right.

“Looks like it fits.” I grinned over at him and held out the pencil. “Go ahead.”

He leaned even closer to scrawl it in, and my thigh tensed when his other hand landed on it. Right at the top. Very close to my groin.

I assumed he was just steadying himself at first, but when he handed the pencil back and shot me a tiny smile, his fingers tightened in a gentle squeeze and stayed where they were.

My gaze darted down to his mouth, then flickered over to the backs of Taylor and Holt’s heads on the couch in front of us. Holt’s arm was around Taylor’s shoulders, the pair of them nestled together as they watched the wrestling and talked quietly.

Larkin licked his lips, his breath hitching as he leaned closer as if he was going to kiss me, then jerked back in a rush and looked down at the crossword book. Clearing his throat, he said, “Okay, last one.”

I forced myself to look down too, staring blankly at the last clue for thirty-six across.

Pining (7 Letters)

“Pining,” Larkin said uncertainly. “Is it something to do with pine trees? Like, is ‘pining’ the word for cutting them down? Is it ‘cutting?’”

My mouth quirked, but I filled in the word without saying anything. Longing

“Oh.” He let out a bleat of embarrassed laughter. “My guess was so stupid.”

“No, it wasn’t.” I smiled over at him, then tucked my pencil into the book and closed it. “Will you hold on to this? Just gonna go to the bathroom.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Larkin took the book and shuffled back a little so I could stand, transferring Cora fully onto his lap.

She snorted herself awake, long tongue flicking out as she smacked her lips and blinked up at me blearily. As I stood, Larkin held her up so her little body was hiding his face and said, “I’ll miss you, bro.”

When he lowered her again, his face was flushed. He squawked out an awkward laugh. “That was, um, I was just pretending to be Cora. That was stupid. Sorry.”

I chuckled, wanting more than anything to lean down and kiss him. “It was cute.”

He grinned at me, watching as I left the room. I headed back to the office to use the bathroom there, and as I was washing my hands after taking a quick leak, I heard the door outside open.

Larkin was perched on the edge of his desk when I emerged. He immediately flushed and held up a charging cable. “Just came to get my charger.”

I nodded and smiled at him. “Show over?”

“Not yet.” He grinned. “Corey is still kicking Biff’s ass.”

I glanced back at the door, which he’d closed behind him, then took a step closer to his desk. “Where’s Cora?”

“Taylor’s fussing over her.” Larkin sounded a little breathless as I approached, and his knees subtly spread wider like he wanted me to step between them.

So I did.

“I…” He swallowed, cheeks sweetly flushed as he gazed up at me. “You… Did you finish that bread yet?”

“Got enough left for a couple more slices.”

He nodded, nibbling on his lower lip. “So I should probably come over soon to make more.”

“Only if you don’t mind.”

“I want to.” Swallowing nervously, he reached out and fingered one of the buttons on my shirt, then searched for a reaction in my eyes as he hooked his finger between two buttons and pulled me even closer. I instinctively obeyed until his warm thighs bracketed mine.