On a Roll by Beth Bolden (best historical biographies TXT) 📕

he’d end up changing Milo’s name for their food truck, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of hurt at that, but what would he gain, instead? Sean didn’t know. He felt the world opening up in a way that it hadn’t in a very long time.

And god, more than that, he was feeling his blood heat up just from that brief kiss and from having Gabe touch him. “Hey,” Sean repeated with a grin, “we should get out of here.”

“Nope,” Gabriel said firmly. “We made it six goddamn months here, and we deserve to celebrate.”

“What’s a better celebration than getting naked?” Sean teased.

“Oh, that’s happening, but just a little bit later,” Gabriel promised. He leaned down and kissed him again—another one of those all-too-brief moments where it ended practically before it began. Sean had been hungry for it before, but now he felt ravenous.

“Haven’t we waited long enough?” Sean wondered.

“Yeah,” Gabriel said. His arm slid down Sean’s back and rested right at the curve of it, right above his ass. The heat of it burned into his skin, through the thin cotton of his tank. “But I think we can wait a little longer.”

“Can you though?” Sean trailed a finger down Gabriel’s bare arm. It seemed wild and impossible that they’d never touched like this before, because it felt like they’d been in each other’s space for so damn long, but he knew that this was all new because it felt new.

He watched as Gabe swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I guess we’ll see,” Gabriel admitted. “Trust me, there’s nothing I want to do more than drag you behind my truck and pin you down and make you scream. Give you everything you’ve wanted.” His tone was rough and strained, and the look in his eyes was so intense, Sean felt like he could fall in and be perfectly happy staying there.

“Yes.” Sean didn’t even recognize his own voice. “Yes, let’s do that. Right now.”

Gabriel threw his head back and laughed, deep and slow. “You could tempt a saint, you know?”

“Good thing you’re not a saint,” Sean said.

“Yeah, but I’m serious. Tony went to a lot of trouble for this party. He’d be disappointed if we ducked out early.”

“You don’t think he’d be excited?”

Gabriel laughed again, and his fingertips dug into Sean’s skin. His breath came a little harder. “Let’s grab another beer and make the necessary rounds, okay?”

“Fine,” Sean said, trying not to sulk.

He’d waited years, a few more hours shouldn’t be the end of the world. But it felt like it. Like he’d been strung too tight and he might just explode.

Gabe nudged him. “Should I tell Ren that he should find another place to sleep tonight?”

“Does he do that?” Sean wondered, which was really a stupid question—of course Ren did—but it felt like all his brain cells had been reduced to ash. What would he feel like after Gabriel took him apart and put him together again? Destroyed, probably, in the best possible way.

Gabriel chuckled. “If I ask, I’m sure it won’t exactly be a hardship for him to figure it out.”

“We could always go to my place.” Milo had never set foot in his townhouse, so it didn’t feel wrong to suggest that Gabriel come over.

“You’re sure about that?” Gabriel asked.

Sean hadn’t even noticed they were moving, but they’d ended up in front of the cooler. He’d been too absorbed in Gabriel, probably. He watched as Gabriel grabbed them two beers, taking the tops off with a quick flick of his wrist. He took the one Gabe handed him, taking a long sip. “I’m sure,” he said.

Gabriel smiled again, deeper and sweeter. More private, like it was just for Sean. “Okay, that’s decided, then.”

“I guess we really have to go socialize, don’t we?” Sean said. He glanced around. The number of people milling around the fire pit had grown. Tate’s sister had shown up, and his boyfriend, too, who’d brought along a few of his friends, all members of the Los Angeles Riptide.

They weren’t the only professional athletes either—Ryan Flores, the co-owner of the lot, had invited some of his teammates, from the Dodgers organization.

Sean saw Lennox, the gruff guy that Ash had invited over by the bar, chatting with Jackson and Alexis.

“You know, this might be even better than the Funky Cup,” Gabriel said, his own gaze following Sean’s, as he took in the crowd that was slowly growing. So many people who’d been there for them during the last six months.

“Don’t let Jackson hear you,” Sean said. “And you know what, it is better, because it’s ours.”

“Yeah,” Gabe said, and Sean could feel his gaze on him, hot and possessive, and his hand settled again on his back, the heat of it soaking through his shirt. Sean thought for the fiftieth time in the last ten minutes, why were they waiting? They could leave right now.

Nobody would even notice if they left.

The only person he needed to convince was someone who was beyond stubborn; who wouldn’t leave just because he’d decided they shouldn’t.

But really, it wouldn’t be that hard to convince him. All Sean had to do was tap into that dark, hot, passionate streak that he knew Gabriel had. He was all fire and heat and impulsiveness.

Sean tipped his head up towards Gabe. “Hey,” he said quietly, “I need to grab something from my truck. You wanna come with me?”

“What a stupid question,” Gabe said. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

They were halfway across the lot, when they were stopped by Tony.

His eyes were glued to where Gabe had a hand on Sean’s back still. “Hey, guys,” he said, his casual tone nothing like the intense interest in his expression. “What’s going on? You bugging out already?”

“Nope,” Sean said. “I’m just grabbing something from my truck.” Gabe’s dick, that’s what I’m gonna be grabbing, and it’s gonna be good, so you’d better leave us alone. Same way we left you alone when you and Lucas were all up