Say It Again by Tessa Hatfield

Author:Tessa Hatfield [Hatfield, Tessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2024-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

THE ONLY sound in the room was the slow revolution of the ceiling fan. Daniel lay twisted in a tangled heap of arms and legs atop Aaron’s chest as he breathed in the neighbor’s honeysuckle, an easy rhythm in sweet succession of inhales.

He’d be sore tomorrow, but he couldn’t locate a single bone that cared. He smiled against Aaron’s skin, almost vibrating in the lingering high from their little joyride. “Aaron,” he whispered. “Are you asleep?”

Aaron drifted his fingertips down his arm. His voice was deep and underscored with fatigue as he said, “No, sweetheart. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

Aaron sighed, “My life.”

“What about it?”

“I don’t know.” He tossed an arm over his face and shook his head. “Nothing. Never mind. I think I’m just tired. Would it be okay if I stayed here tonight? Or I can leave. No worries.”

Something in Daniel’s heart sputtered. He shook his head and squeezed Aaron tighter. “No, don’t leave. I don’t want you to leave.”

Aaron pecked his forehead. “Thank you.”

“In fact….” Daniel took a gulp and mustered all of his courage. “I want breakfasts.”

“Yeah?” Aaron rubbed his arm. “We can do breakfast.”

“No, breakfasts. Plural. I want more than one.”

Aaron angled his head to see him a bit better.

“And I want lunches too. I want dinners and dates.” He bravely pushed himself up to a seat. “I want you to meet my friends and Madeline. I want you to meet my mom. I want all of it.”

Aaron’s eyes brightened, and his smile got spectacularly sappy. Underneath his handsome, steel-clad exterior was a creature with such a tremendous soft spot that Daniel ached to touch it. To soothe him. To stitch up his painful past with a patchwork of affirmations. You’re good enough. You did nothing wrong. You’re safe with me. I’ll take care of you too.

The potential for something epic here had to outweigh the chance his entire heart would thoroughly break one day. And even if it didn’t, that was a problem for future Daniel.

He shifted to wriggle onto Aaron’s lap and loop his arms around his neck. An hour later, he could still feel him inside like the wind could feel all the thrown caution. He closed his eyes and whispered onto Aaron’s lips, “I want all of it with you.”

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