Page 108 of The Way Home

A soft kiss to Caleb’s collarbone. “Mmmm, why not?”

A slow smile spread on Caleb’s face, probably the first time he’d smiled all week. “I need time to get hard again.” Leaning down until his lips brushed the shell of Jamie’s ear, he whispered, “Then I’ll break the bed with you, okay?”

A surprised gasp squeaked its way out of Jamie’s lungs. Unraveling himself from Caleb’s arms, Jamie shimmied over to the nightstand to grab the bottle of lube. His bare ass and legs on display like this was an effective method for getting Caleb hard again.

As Jamie opened the drawer, he frowned.

“What is it?”

“Did you get rid of our… uh, rings?”

A sharp pain shot through Caleb’s chest on the wordrings.Jamie had been pretty adamant about not wanting to discuss the engagement the few times people brought it up around them.

“Of course not.” Caleb folded his arms behind his head. Jamie’s eyes flicked to his biceps and lingered before, apparently remembering his own question, shaking his head and returning to the nightstand.

“Where are they then?”

Caleb frowned. “Um, I just moved them somewhere else. We’ve been getting a lot of use out of this drawer,” he snarked, nodding to the lube. “So I thought putting them in a more secure place would be safe. Until…” The words caught in his throat. “Well, until we need them again. If we do.”

Jamie kept his head ducked, but Caleb saw a flush creep up the side of his neck. Did he think Caleb should get rid of them?

“So… where are they?”

“In the closet.” Caleb nodded toward the door. “Code to the safe is 5524.” The date he proposed.

Jamie returned to the bed, but his focus had shifted. The energy in the room felt different now.

Caleb forced himself not to spiral about these questions from Jamie. They were together—engaged or not. Caleb had made his peace with the fact that their future may not look the way he’d previously planned. With the possibility that marriage might not be on Jamie’s mind for a long,longtime.

So he did the only thing he knew would bring Jamie back to him. Reaching forward, Caleb pulled him into his lap. Jamie let out a surprised gasp before melting into a soft, slow kiss, until thoughts of safes, codes, and futures dissolved from the room.

As Jamie squirmed in his lap and whimpered against his lips, Caleb reached around and wrapped a palm around his cock. “Mmmm, where were we?”

Chapter 29

“Don’t you havea job?” Jamie teased as he adjusted his plinth back into place. JB hovered against the far wall, glaring at him.

“Idohave a job,” he replied coolly, “but I cannot do that job if I am worried sick about you.”

A dismissivepshworked its way out of Jamie’s throat. “I was only an hour late for work,chéri.” The French word sounded a bit like Jamie had choked on his spit. “Also, does my plinth look like it’s been touched?”

Tilting his head side to side, he studied the little marble pedestal. The exhibit was only a few weeks away, and everything needed to be perfect for the staff run-through. Running a hand through his curls, Jamie stood and stretched his legs.

Leaning back and eyeing the plinth again, he nodded to himself. “Clarence definitely fiddled with it—”

“No one touched yourfuckingplinth!” JB’s tone snapped Jamie’s attention away from the exhibit. JB never raised his voice like that.

Why was he so upset? Sure, he’d rushed in late, stashed his bike, and immediately gotten to work on the display. There wasn’t much time left before the exhibit opened, and, as a curator himself, JB surely understood that.

Clearly, though, the man was miffed. His handsome, usually smiling face was pulled into a deep frown, and his suit looked wrinkled.

Jamie turned fully toward him. “Jean-Baptiste… are you reallythisupset that I was late?” JB dragged a palm down his face, muttering a curse in French.

“Use yourhead,chéri.” When he lowered his hand, his eyes were red.

Jamie’s heart dropped. “JB, what—?”

JB stormed forward and yanked out his mobile. “Have you even checked your phone?” he demanded. “Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? Or what you’ve put your man through?” A sharp pang of guilt shot through Jamie.