Page 125 of Jackrabbit

Well.

The sun slipped behind the mountains, painting the water gold and pink. Crickets started up in the desert beyond the fence, and Colt's hand slid into Beau's hair as Beau pulled him closer, kissed him deeper.

Toast purred on the deck chair, a low rumbling freight train of contentment.

Colt broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Beau's. His eyes stayed closed.

"Three days," Colt murmured.

Beau's hands tightened on his thighs. "I know."

They stayed like that until the water went cold and the stars came out.

Chapter 52

Eight Hours Until Charlotte

“Toast. Off.”

Toast settled more firmly on the top of Colt’s duffle, claws pricking the fabric as he kneaded it. Sighing, Colt draped his hoodie over the back of the couch instead.

“You're rude,” he told the cat, whose tail flicked as he yawned.

Beau's bag was next to Colt’s by the front door, a military green bag he'd probably had his whole life. It had a Rolling Stones patch on the bottom, the tongue and lips barely covering a ragged hole. Next to Colt’s traffic-cone-orange bag with black skulls all over it, it looked ridiculous. Mismatched.

Even though he'd repacked, like, four times, he needed to do it again. But if he moved His Majesty, he'd set off a yowl that would wake Beau, and Beau would get all bossy about Colt not sleeping again. And Colt hadtried, okay, but three hours was the best he had in him right now.

So the cat won this round.

He headed back into the bedroom anyway, keeping as silent as he could so he didn't get caught being a creep as he settled in bed and fixed his eyes on Beau. Eyes closed, mouth slightly parted, one arm still stretched across the bed to Colt’s side from when Colt had slid out from under it an hour ago. Gorgeous, all strong jaw and golden tan and crow's feet, and all Colt’s.

For—Colt checked the time on Beau's bedside clock—seven hours and thirty-two minutes, anyway. If Beau hadn't been working so hard to keep Colt fromdrowning the past two weeks, Colt probably would have woken him up just to kiss him, touch him, listen to that low, rumbling drawl. He'd been hoarding bits of Beau since Beau had destroyed him and held all the pieces together after, but it wasn’t going to be enough.

“We were supposed to have four months,” Colt whispered as he settled his hand next to Beau’s, just barely not touching.

Four months. Not two weeks, and definitely not two weeks where Colt was spiraling so hard he'd missed half the days. It fucking sucked that he was getting his dream but the tradeoff was this.

He pulled his knees up and rested his chin on them, leaving his hand where it was, eyes tracing the length of Beau’s fingers, the scar on his right knuckle, probably from a fight. Fuck. He wanted those four months. And he wanted those four months in a development car. The only way he could have both would be if Beau told Liberty who he was, fought to be his coach, followed him.

No big deal, really, just give up your whole goddamn life, come out of the hiding you’ve been in for twelve years, tell the world you’re more than qualified to be on my team.

Right. Completely reasonable thing for Colt to ask this man to do when all he’d asked for was four months. When Beau had agreed to it like he was relieved that was all Colt wanted.

“Can’t sleep?”

Colt’s attention snapped up, and he found Beau watching him with those amber eyes, all half-lidded and sleepy. He shook his head. “Sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t.” Beau grabbed Colt’s wrist and gave it a gentle tug. “C’mere.”

Pushing the covers aside, Colt slid under them and settled against Beau’s chest. Beau brought the covers back up and wrapped his arm around Colt’s shoulders, and even though Colt was wired, he let out a breath and went boneless.

“You’re gonna blow ‘em away, Colt,” Beau murmured against Colt’s hair. Beau’s voice rumbled against Colt’s cheek through his chest. “You’re ready. I promise.”

“I don’t think I am.” He squeezed his eyes shut and told himself he was talking about the tryout. “It happened so fast.”

“Coz you’re meant for more.” Beau ran his hand down Colt’s back and up again. “World just needed a chance to see it.”

Colt slid his arm over Beau’s stomach and drifted off despite everything.