Kentucky: Is it just me or can you not stop thinking about last weekend too?

Rory: It’s like you read my mind. I’ve been fighting the urge to text you this for two hours.

Kentucky: Never fight your urges with me. I want to hear from you.

Rory: I won’t waffle next time. How’s your day going?

Kentucky: It’ll be better in three hours when I get off work. I’m hoping I can see you. If you’re not sick of me, that is.

Rory: Three hours... I’ll be waiting in your driveway.

Kentucky: It’s too hot for that. There’s a key under a rock in the flower bed by the front door. Wait inside.

Rory: Okay. See you then.

Kentucky: Can’t wait.

Rory: Tired of me yet?

Kentucky: I don’t think that’s possible. Why?

Rory: I’m in the mood for steak, but I don’t want to cook. So I was hoping you’d let me take you to dinner.

Kentucky: You know what time I get off. I’d love to see you, steak or not.

Rory: I’ll be waiting when you get home.

Kentucky: I can’t wait.

Rory: Do I need to come up with an excuse to be waiting?

Kentucky: Absolutely not. This has been the longest day ever and I miss you like crazy. Knowing you’ll be there when I get home is the only thing that keeps me sane some days.

Rory: How about this? Let’s just assume I’ll be waiting unless one of us says otherwise.

Kentucky: I like this plan. See you soon.

Rory: Hugs.

Kentucky: I just wanted to say these past few weeks with you have been the best of my life. Every time I have to tell you goodbye, those are the worst moments of my life.

Rory: It’s like you stole all my words. I feel the same way.

Kentucky: Good, because you’re not getting rid of me.

Rory: Awesome. All my nefarious plans are coming to fruition.

Kentucky: MWHAHA.

Lisa: What are you doing today?

Rory: Nothing. What did you have in mind?

Lisa: A day of shopping. **hopeful face**

Rory: I’d love to.

Lisa: Yay. Send me your address and I’ll pick you up.

Rory: I might be a little late tonight. I talked your mom into getting a new hairstyle she’s been too scared to try.

Kentucky: You have a habit of talking my mom into things. I’ll be here when you’re done.

Rory: Good, because I miss you.

Kentucky: **whimpers** same.

Kentucky: My dad says thanks for the new hairstyle. You made my mom happy.

Rory: I just sat with her. She was the brave one.

Kentucky: Still. You’re amazing.

Rory: xoxo

Rory: My friends want to meet you. They’re accusing me of keeping you hidden.

Kentucky: We can’t have that. I don’t want to be hidden.

Rory: You might change your mind once you meet them. We’re having a pool party slash cookout at my house tomorrow. How does two o’clock sound?

Kentucky: I’ll be there.

Rory: Bring something to swim in.

Kentucky: Anything else?

Rory: Nope. Just you. Try not to be too sexy. I don’t want to fight everyone for your attention.

Kentucky: Swim trunks and my regular face. Got it.

Rory: Grrr. Don’t make me spank you.

Kentucky: Promises. Promises.

In a matter of minutes, Kentucky would be there. Rory didn’t know whether to cheer or cry. His friends weren’t for everyone. All Rory could do was pray they behaved. Being good wasn’t often on Lucas, Bryson, Shawn, or Jay’s agenda. Unless they were being good at it. That they could do. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep Kentucky to himself forever. He’d already gone too long without introducing him to his chosen family. As nervous as he was, the moment the doorbell sounded, Rory found himself rushing to the door. He was so stupid over Kentucky. It hadn’t been that long since they’d last seen each other. Hours really. Still, he couldn’t get to the man fast enough to suit his heart.

He paused for a half a heartbeat with his hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. Once he was certain he didn’t look like he’d just run for the door, he turned the knob. At the first sight of Kentucky’s gorgeous blue eyes, Rory’s heart skipped a beat. While wearing a red and white striped tank top and red shorts, Kentucky looked sexy as sin with his swimming trunks slung over his shoulder. Fuck, it was ridiculous. Rory thought every little thing the man did was perfect. He couldn’t control his smile. Happiness sounded in his voice.

“Hey.” Even to Rory, he sounded breathless.

Kentucky snagged Rory’s shirt and towed him in for a kiss. “Hey,” he whispered against Rory’s lips.

Rory hopped backward, feeling like a little kid in his excitement. “Come in.”

As Kentucky stepped over the threshold, a line appeared between his eyes. “You know, I’ve just realized this is the first time I’ve been inside your house. That seems odd.”

It was true. The move hadn’t really been purposeful. They just always ended up staying at Kentucky’s place. “I hadn’t thought about it, but you’re right.”

Kentucky looked in every direction, taking in the place. “Um, can we revisit the topic of what you do for a living? This place is amazing.”

Rory laughed. “I live here with four other people. Trust me, splitting the bills five ways makes it dirt cheap. My friend Jay is the actual owner though.”

“Okay, but still, I’ve never seen you work, and this place… wow.”

Rory took Kentucky’s hand and headed for the back door. “Considering I work online and while you’re at work, you wouldn’t see it. Plus, it’s not exactly steady work.”

Kentucky dragged his feet, making it impossible for Rory to rush him outside to introduce him to everyone. “If it isn’t steady, how do you pay your part of the bills?”

Rory shrugged. He kept his gaze locked straight ahead, hoping he didn’t give away how evasive he was being. “My work is freelance, and I do some graphic design stuff. It comes and goes, so I’ve learned to save for rainy days. Plus, I get royalties from different projects I’ve worked on over the years. Come meet my friends,” he said, throwing open the back door and cutting off the conversation. His friends were huddled around the grill, arguing over the best way to cook each item. The way they always did. Bryson would win. He always did. Lucas and Jay would give up first because they were too into each other to bother with anything else for long. Shawn would argue the longest because he loved watching Bryson lose his temper. Then he’d give in gracefully, enraging Bryson further. Things never changed around their house.

“Hey, guys, come meet Kentucky,” Rory called as he circled the pool to the other side of the portico.

They turned as a unit. As if they’d planned the move ahead of time, they each dropped their gazes to Kentucky’s toes before slowly undressing him with their eyes. Kentucky shifted uncomfortably under their stares. Rory bit back a chuckle.

Shawn, the ginger of the bunch, stepped forward first. He lowered his shades, showing off his amazing green eyes. “Hey, gorgeous. Welcome to our humble abode. I hope you like overcooked and under seasoned food, because that’s what Bryson will be serving at some point today,” he said, motioning to an obviously irritated Bryson at his back. He held a hand out for Kentucky. “I’m Shawn, by the way.”

Kentucky shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Bryson pushed him aside. “I’m Bryson. He’s an idiot. I’m an amazing chef and he won’t hesitate to eat all this off my ass later.”

With a chuckle, Kentucky shook Bryson’s hand too, before Lucas took over.

He passed Rory his drink before holding his hand out for Kentucky to shake. “Lucas,” he said, sounding as calm as always. Lucas was the still waters in their group. He was also Rory’s best friend, and the one Rory had known the longest.

Jay didn’t have time to introduce himself before Kentucky focused on him. “You look familiar. Where have I seen you?”

Rory’s insides froze.

Jay beamed. “I don’t know. Have you ever been to L.A.? I haven’t lived here long and would definitely remember meeting you.”

Kentucky closed one eye as if that would help him remember. Despite the shaking in Rory’s stomach, Kentucky looked adorable. He snapped his fingers. “You used to do commercials for that one makeup line, right?”

Somehow, Jay’s smile brightened. He absently stroked Lucas’ stomach. “Yaaaas, queen. I didn’t even think of that. That was so long ago. I was a teenager. Practically still a baby.”

Kentucky made a dismissive noise. “You’re still practically a baby.” Before Jay could blush and argue, Kentucky focused on Rory. “May I use your restroom? I also need to change,” he added, pulling the trunks from his wide shoulders.

“Sure.” Rory motioned toward a nearby set of French doors. “If you go through there, that’s my bedroom. You can use the one in there.”

With a wink, Kentucky headed that way. Rory watched his ass for every step.

“Wow. He really doesn’t know who you are, does he?” Lucas said the second Kentucky was out of earshot.

Rory took a sip of Lucas’ drink before handing it back. “Nope.”

“Wow,” Lucas repeated, sounding floored. “That has to be a first. It’s also kind of sweet.”

“You should tell him,” Jay cut in, wiping away Rory’s joy over finding a nice guy who knew nothing about Rory.

“You definitely should,” Shawn said, throwing in his two cents. “This isn’t the kind of thing you keep to yourself.”

Jay, Lucas, and Bryson nodded along with Shawn. Bryson was the one who spoke up. “If you really like him, you have to be honest. He’s a big guy. What if he loses his shit when he finds out? You could get hurt.”

Jay looked upset. Rory wished everyone would shut up. It was obvious they were reminding Jay of the past. “You should stick to your crowd,” Jay said, sounding panicked and confirming Rory’s thoughts. “Nothing good can come of this.”

The more they spoke, the more the pressure grew in Rory’s chest. “Just let me handle this my way,” Rory snapped. He took a breath and tempered his voice. “I really like this guy, y’all. Please let me deal with things in my own time. Plus, for all we know, he might just be pretending he doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know I recognized him right away. It could go both ways.”

Shawn rubbed Rory’s back. “It’s okay. This is your thing. You’re allowed to have a life too. Handle things your way.”

Unfortunately, now that they’d all made valid points, Rory felt like shit for not being honest. He liked Kentucky. Possibly he more than liked him. In truth, he couldn’t find the words to tell Kentucky everything. He wasn’t ready to lose him. “I’ll be back,” he said, stepping around them, and heading for the house. They were right. He should say something. The longer he stayed silent, the worse things would be. He spotted Kentucky the moment he cleared the door. Kentucky was eyeing the photos on Rory’s shelf.

He flashed Rory a smile over his shoulder. “You weren’t kidding about your friends being your family. There isn’t a single picture of your family.”

Rory moved to the bed. After crawling onto the king-sized mattress, he sat cross-legged and stared at Kentucky. He looked so sexy in his swimming trunks. Rory wanted to lick him. Instead, he stayed on topic. He needed to tell Kentucky everything. “Not everyone is as lucky as you are.”

“You’re not unlucky. Your friends seem great,” Kentucky said, closing the distance between them.

Rory watched his approach with his heart in his throat. He didn’t know where to start. “I have something I need to tell you.”

Kentucky crawled onto the bed. He kept moving until he forced Rory onto his back. His large body covered Rory. “Yeah, I have something I need to tell you too.” Kentucky hovered over him. Rory had an odd thought. He really loved the way Kentucky’s hips felt against his inner thighs. Kentucky swept Rory’s hair away from his face. His gaze moved over Rory’s face. Rory held his breath. Kentucky didn’t say anything.

“I thought you had something to tell me,” Rory said quietly, scared to break the spell.

“You’re beautiful. It stole my thoughts for a second.” A happy inner sigh rose in Rory. Kentucky didn’t stop there. “I miss you a lot when you’re not around.”

A lump swelled in Rory’s throat.

Kentucky kept going, stealing more of Rory by the moment. “It’s hard for me not to rush you and I don’t even know what I’m rushing toward. I just don’t want to be anywhere else other than where you are. You make me better.”

Rory tugged on the band in Kentucky’s hair, setting his locks free. His heart was full. It was hard not to pretend they were in a bubble where it was only them.

“What did you want to tell me?”

Rory didn’t answer right away and the confession he’d intended wouldn’t come. Instead, he ran his fingers through Kentucky’s hair, creating a curtain around the man’s face. “I was raised in a group home. That’s why there’re no pictures of my family. I literally have no family. All I’ve ever had is my friends.”

Kentucky’s gaze moved over Rory’s face. He looked more serious than Rory could remember seeing him. “You have me.”

While holding Kentucky’s stare, Rory cupped Kentucky’s face, drawing him closer and joining him inside the curtain of hair. “I could see myself in love with you,” Rory said as he touched his lips to Kentucky’s. Maybe he was there already. He didn’t know. Rory had never been in love. Not even close. But Kentucky felt right—like there was no one else he wanted to be with again. He wanted to hear every detail about Kentucky’s day. Rory just wanted to sit at his side and hold his hand. Kentucky was warm and safe. He was the loving hand Rory had never felt caressing his life. His soul. The thought of losing him terrified Rory. He couldn’t let it happen.

I could see myself in love with you. Those words rang in Kentucky’s ears. Kentucky could more than see himself in love with Rory. He was ninety-five percent certain he was already there. The other five percent was the part of him that was scared Rory was too good to be true. No one else motivated him or cared more about his happiness more than their own. Rory did. It was addictive. Plus, the man’s kiss... damn. He moved Kentucky.

The way their lips clung and tongues brushed; it was magical. He’d come to meet Rory’s friends, but it was like the world had disappeared. They were alone. Nothing else mattered. His fingers found the only two buttons that were buttoned at the center of Rory’s Panama shirt. He popped them loose. His mouth followed the trail of his fingers. The need to taste every inch of Rory was real and crippling. Rory’s skin was still warm from obviously being in the sun all day. He smelled like coconut. Kentucky’s mouth opened over Rory’s nipple. He scraped his teeth over the bud. Rory held his head and moaned. The sound vibrated against Kentucky’s lips, driving him wild. He moved lower, dragging open-mouthed kisses down Rory’s body. Kentucky knew he should stop. They needed to rejoin the party. He couldn’t pull away. Those fucking words. I could see myself in love with you. Kentucky’s fingers curled around the edge of Rory’s speedo. The material slipped down Rory’s hips like all it had been waiting for was the slightest urging from Kentucky. His tongue found the slight indention running down the center of Rory’s stomach. He traced it until Rory’s crown was between his lips. Rory’s hips left the bed. A whimper filled the air. Kentucky swore he had no plan to go this far. There was no stopping it now. Rory’s pre-cum tasted too damn good. Kentucky kept licking and sucking, searching for more. He needed the salt. The moans. Rory belonged to him.

Kentucky was merciless. He treated Rory like a meal. The sounds coming from Rory said he enjoyed the attention, but it wasn’t even about that anymore. Kentucky was half mad with the need to taste Rory’s cum. He couldn’t stop sucking, trying to get more in his mouth. Rory scratched at his skin and moaned. Kentucky held his hips in place, forcing him to endure the torment. Rory pulled his hair, holding on as he fucked Kentucky’s mouth with zero shame.

“Goddamn. Yes. Suck me. Fuck. That feels good. Take it all.”

At Rory’s demand, Kentucky took him down his throat before releasing him, only to suck him harder. A gasp bounced off the walls. Rory’s body went stiff. Cum flooded Kentucky’s mouth faster than he could swallow. Rory’s body shook as Kentucky licked away the mess.

“Jesus. Holy shit.”

Kentucky crawled up Rory’s body and captured his lips. His heart demanded more. He’d never felt so desperate to own someone in every way. It wasn’t about sex. This was something primal. The way he felt about Rory was so powerful, it didn’t want to be contained. “Run away with me,” Kentucky begged, pulling a chuckle from Rory.

Rory stroked his face. “We’re adults. We don’t have to run away to be together.”

Kentucky chased Rory’s thumb so he could place a kiss on its pad. “I don’t care. Let’s run away anyhow. We can live in the woods like wild men. Ditch our clothes and pick berries to survive.”

Rory’s entire body shook beneath him with laughter. “Okay. We could do that, or I could pack a bag and we could go to your place. Let’s sneak away. We could turn off our phones, close the blinds, and pretend we’re alone in the world.”

Kentucky wanted the picture Rory painted. Fuck the rest of the world. “What about your friends?”

Rory shrugged. “They’ll survive without us. I guarantee Jay and Lucas have already slipped away and Shawn is doing his damnedest to seduce Bryson while they’re alone. They won’t even miss us.”

Kentucky scrambled to his feet. His hard dick cried over the thought of not getting immediate relief. He didn’t care. Kentucky pulled Rory to his feet. “I’ll help you pack. Tell me where to start.”

Rory’s smile let him know he’d made the right choice. He wasn’t the only one who wanted this for real. “Get my bag from the closet. I’ll get my toiletries together.”

With a nod, they headed in different directions with the same goal in mind. They were stealing a life together, hoping for a future where they were never apart.