Chapter 15 #2
“Oh wow.” Jalis laughed suddenly, a startled, almost disbelieving sound. “I belong here. Nearly.” He turned to him, his eyes bright. “You wouldn’t have let them take me, would you?”
Kaden brushed his thumb over Jalis’ knuckles, but not moving to full-on hand holding. “No.”
Even as he said that, he wasn’t entirely sure how he could have altered the outcome. Begged, maybe. Made a fool of himself. Cried in front of strangers. Whatever it took. And it might not have been enough. None of that mattered now. Jalis was here legally, for the time being at least.
“We’re getting you some clothes on the way home. You have nothing to wear. Unless there’s stuff at my place. Is there?
“There isn’t. Thank you. I’ll pay you back when I can.”
“Not me. My dad transferred two hundred pounds into my account for you.”
Jalis stopped walking. “Oh.” He swallowed, then huffed out a breath that was half-laugh, half-sob. “That’s…really kind of him. Now my eyes are leaking.”
“You—” Kaden frowned. “You said that before. Leaking. About eyes.”
Jalis froze. “Yes.”
Kaden thought Jalis might push, but he didn’t. Well, remembering that was a start.
Kaden enjoyed shopping with him. He was intrigued by the way Jalis hovered near the racks at first, as if afraid someone would tell him he wasn’t allowed to touch anything.
But once he started trying things on, he was unstoppable.
He kept popping out of the changing room, grinning shyly, tugging at a sleeve or pulling at his collar.
“This one’s too big, right?” No.
“Too long?” No.
“This looks ridiculous.” Yes.
“Is pink okay?” Yes. God, yes.
“Are these jeans too tight?” Jalis turned in front of him.
No. You look fucking… Now Kaden’s jeans felt too tight.
Watching Jalis having fun, seeing the way he grew in confidence was everything.
Kaden leaned against the wall, arms folded, a softness in his chest he didn’t bother to analyse.
This was different. Jalis was different.
And yet, there was a little voice in his head reminding him Jalis was the reason he’d been in hospital.
When Jalis finally stepped out of the store in clothes that were his, new, clean, chosen by him, he looked taller somehow. Real. Bloody gorgeous. Just like a male model except Jalis had a broad smile on his face and models rarely smiled.
They went home with bags cutting into their hands and laughter trailing behind them up the stairs. Inside the flat adrenaline ebbed, leaving behind something tender and fragile. They took off their jackets and shoes. And Jalis stood in the middle of the room, looking unsure again.
Kaden was just happy to be back to the life he did remember. The rest would come, he hoped.
“This is our first day until you remember our real first day,” Jalis said. “When you do, I want you to know that I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad with me.”
Kaden crossed the distance between them and took Jalis’ face in his hands.
When Jalis leaned into him, the last of Kaden’s restraint gave way.
Arms wrapped around each other, they stood and hugged, the world narrowing to shared air and the steady reassurance of bodies pressed together.
He wasn’t going to think of why Jalis might be sorry.
He only wanted to think of now. Kaden cupped his chin, gave him a tentative smile, then kissed him.
Oh God. Everything was perfect: the touch, the taste, the lurch in Kaden’s stomach, the electricity running through him…
His senses had shot to instant overload, his balls tightening, his cock turning granite hard.
Jalis had his arms wrapped tight around him, pushing himself against Kaden and groaning into his mouth.
Kaden had to force himself to pull back a little or he’d have combusted.
But moving from Jalis’ lips to his neck, exploring the ridges and curves of his ear, feeling him shiver against him, then whimper, it all wound Kaden tighter, not calmed him down.
Jalis clutched at his back, his fingers dragging at Kaden’s T-shirt, as he flexed his hips against him.
Kaden rocked into him with thoughts of take this slow evaporating faster than snow on warm ground.
Along with you don’t know who he is. He admitted he was the one who hurt you.
His body overruled his head. Jalis threaded his fingers in Kaden’s hair and nibbled his upper lip, then his lower.
When he pulled back to look into Kaden’s eyes, he thought his heart was going to stop.
He’d never had anyone look at him that way before. As if he was…everything.
When Jalis nuzzled Kaden’s neck, fireworks ignited all over his body.
Want and need grew too strong to resist. They took turns to explore each other’s face in between kissing.
Kaden trailed his tongue down the slender column of Jalis’ throat, then sucked at his Adam’s apple.
He could feel Jalis’ erratic breathing, and the desperate way he swallowed.
Then their mouths met again, their tongues tangled, and he tasted so sweet, felt so hot that Kaden began to shake, overloaded by the intensity of his feelings.
He changed the angle of his head, kissed Jalis more deeply, and the sensation in his chest was like a wave desperate to break, a rocket with a fuse burning.
Kaden wanted this moment, this first kiss, to last forever, wanted it seared on his heart, written in the sky, carved in stone.
He no longer cared about remembering. This was all he needed to remember, all he needed to know.
“Take off your clothes,” Jalis whispered.
“You too.”
They stripped without taking their eyes off each other and the moment they were naked, they were back in each other’s arms.
“Let’s lie down before we fall down.” Kaden guided him over to the bed. At least it was a small double and not a single. They lay side by side and kissed again. Soft to hard and back again.
Hands wandered, stroked, teased and Jalis climbed on top of him so their cocks were wedged together.
“Oh… Oh…” Jalis was gasping. “What… I can’t… This feels so good. I can’t …oh…aah.”
Kaden licked the line of his mouth, nipped his lower lip, sucked his upper lip, then fucked his mouth with his tongue, his hands cupping Jalis’ arse. Their hips worked together, the friction making Kaden’s spine tingle. His balls felt so full and heavy, they ached.
“I’m going to come,” Kaden gasped.
He soared on the swell of pleasure sweeping through his body, and as Jalis cried out, warmth spreading between them, Kaden came too clutching Jalis tight against him. Oh God, that was so good.
For a long time, neither of them spoke. Kaden wanted to ask Jalis if he was alright but he kept quiet. Maybe he’d freaked him out. But the longer the silence continued, the more anxious he felt.
“Have we done that before?” Kaden whispered. “When we messed around?”
“No. Not that. It was… It was…”
Kaden held his breath.
“The most amazing thing ever!”
Then Kaden exhaled.