“puppy dog” eyes. Gabriel grinned. “Look at that face. This is not the face of a vindictive animal.”
“Yeah,” Clint muttered.
“Maybe he wouldn’t have done it,” Axel murmured, smiling. “If you’d let him snuggle with you.”
Another grunt and Clint released a hard breath. “Yeah. Don’t really appreciate a cold nose drilling into my armpit.”
“You either?” Cole chimed. “Gabe does that to me. Hate it.” He grunted as Gabriel’s elbow caught him the gut.
“I’ll show you drilling,” Gabriel smirked.
“Fine,” Cole chuckled and rubbed his stomach. “Just don’t piss on my side of the bed.”
Angel pressed his lips in a tight, amused smile and leaned against Dane. “Not sure what that says about a relationship when you have to tell your boyfriend not to piss in the bed.”
“Smart ass,” Cole snorted and grabbed Angel, tickling him relentlessly.
“Stop!” Angel choked on his laughter.
Cole kissed him hard on the neck and released him. “You little brat.”
“He really is,” Dane confirmed, a teasing smile quirking his lips.
“Hey,” Angel scowled. “You’re the incorrigible one.” He snickered and shot a look at Cole and Gabriel. “Just like those two.”
Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “Hey, what’d I do?”
“Fuck,” Cole chuffed. “What haven’t you done?”
Axel watched them, amused. His heart warmed at the sight of Angel so happy and surrounded by those who loved him and who would forever protect him. It felt good to think that maybe one day he himself might be a real part of Angel’s new family.
I want you to meet my brother, Axel.
Not step brother, but just…brother. In that simple introduction, Angel had claimed him.
Clint’s fingers tightened around the belt and drew Axel a fraction closer. He glanced at the cowboy. Clint gazed back at him, his jade green eyes heavy with affection and want, and that hint of a smile playing again at the edge of his lips. Axel ached to kiss him, but Gabriel nudged his arm before he could seriously consider the notion.
“Hey,” Gabriel flashed a sheepish smile. “I want to apologize for the way I acted when we first met.” He chuckled. “Didn’t mean to freak you out.”
Axel licked his lips slowly and nodded. “It’s okay,” he said quietly, then smiled. “I…overreacted.”
“Trust me,” Cole grinned. “You’re not the first to have that reaction.” Dane laughed and agreed.
“Shut up,” Gabriel scolded. “I’m trying to apologize here.” He looked at Axel and smiled. “So…we good?” He held out his hand.
“Yeah,” Axel nodded and shook on it. “We’re good.”
Clint stood up and uncurled his fingers from the belt, his palm flattening against Axel’s lower back. “I actually have a couple things to take care of,” he said and looked at Axel. “Do you mind waiting here?”
“Uh…no, I guess not…” he glanced at Angel.
“Of course you can wait here,” Angel smiled.
Clint cleared his throat and stepped away from the bar, his hand dropping away from Axel’s back. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be.” He cast a quick look at Gabriel and the others that Axel couldn’t quite interpret. “If I get delayed, could someone give Axel a ride back to his apartment?”
“No problem,” Gabriel nodded.
“Thanks.” Clint hesitated then lightly touched Axel’s arm. “I’ll…see you later.” He dragged his hand over his mouth, hesitated again, then turned away.
Axel stared after him, his heart sinking a little that Clint didn’t kiss him. He pursed his lips and glanced at the others who were clearly reading him like an open book.
“You know,” Gabriel spoke up, with relative volume. “If Cole ever walked out without kissing me, I’d kick his ass.”
Cole smirked. “He would try. But even so…”
Clint’s steps faltered half way to the entrance. When he turned around, Axel’s heart went wild, beating crazily as the cowboy strode back over and, without
“Yeah,” Clint muttered.
“Maybe he wouldn’t have done it,” Axel murmured, smiling. “If you’d let him snuggle with you.”
Another grunt and Clint released a hard breath. “Yeah. Don’t really appreciate a cold nose drilling into my armpit.”
“You either?” Cole chimed. “Gabe does that to me. Hate it.” He grunted as Gabriel’s elbow caught him the gut.
“I’ll show you drilling,” Gabriel smirked.
“Fine,” Cole chuckled and rubbed his stomach. “Just don’t piss on my side of the bed.”
Angel pressed his lips in a tight, amused smile and leaned against Dane. “Not sure what that says about a relationship when you have to tell your boyfriend not to piss in the bed.”
“Smart ass,” Cole snorted and grabbed Angel, tickling him relentlessly.
“Stop!” Angel choked on his laughter.
Cole kissed him hard on the neck and released him. “You little brat.”
“He really is,” Dane confirmed, a teasing smile quirking his lips.
“Hey,” Angel scowled. “You’re the incorrigible one.” He snickered and shot a look at Cole and Gabriel. “Just like those two.”
Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “Hey, what’d I do?”
“Fuck,” Cole chuffed. “What haven’t you done?”
Axel watched them, amused. His heart warmed at the sight of Angel so happy and surrounded by those who loved him and who would forever protect him. It felt good to think that maybe one day he himself might be a real part of Angel’s new family.
I want you to meet my brother, Axel.
Not step brother, but just…brother. In that simple introduction, Angel had claimed him.
Clint’s fingers tightened around the belt and drew Axel a fraction closer. He glanced at the cowboy. Clint gazed back at him, his jade green eyes heavy with affection and want, and that hint of a smile playing again at the edge of his lips. Axel ached to kiss him, but Gabriel nudged his arm before he could seriously consider the notion.
“Hey,” Gabriel flashed a sheepish smile. “I want to apologize for the way I acted when we first met.” He chuckled. “Didn’t mean to freak you out.”
Axel licked his lips slowly and nodded. “It’s okay,” he said quietly, then smiled. “I…overreacted.”
“Trust me,” Cole grinned. “You’re not the first to have that reaction.” Dane laughed and agreed.
“Shut up,” Gabriel scolded. “I’m trying to apologize here.” He looked at Axel and smiled. “So…we good?” He held out his hand.
“Yeah,” Axel nodded and shook on it. “We’re good.”
Clint stood up and uncurled his fingers from the belt, his palm flattening against Axel’s lower back. “I actually have a couple things to take care of,” he said and looked at Axel. “Do you mind waiting here?”
“Uh…no, I guess not…” he glanced at Angel.
“Of course you can wait here,” Angel smiled.
Clint cleared his throat and stepped away from the bar, his hand dropping away from Axel’s back. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be.” He cast a quick look at Gabriel and the others that Axel couldn’t quite interpret. “If I get delayed, could someone give Axel a ride back to his apartment?”
“No problem,” Gabriel nodded.
“Thanks.” Clint hesitated then lightly touched Axel’s arm. “I’ll…see you later.” He dragged his hand over his mouth, hesitated again, then turned away.
Axel stared after him, his heart sinking a little that Clint didn’t kiss him. He pursed his lips and glanced at the others who were clearly reading him like an open book.
“You know,” Gabriel spoke up, with relative volume. “If Cole ever walked out without kissing me, I’d kick his ass.”
Cole smirked. “He would try. But even so…”
Clint’s steps faltered half way to the entrance. When he turned around, Axel’s heart went wild, beating crazily as the cowboy strode back over and, without
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