Page 54 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

Hero worship.

Which meant when Xander was safe, and his life was back to normal…would he still want him?

Xander turned a fraction in his arms and leaned the back of his head on his shoulder.

Fuckin’ hell. How was he supposed to fight this?

He brushed his mouth along Xander’s brow, barely a touch, and still Xander shivered. The power of it went straight to his head, that he could undo him with almost nothing.

He moved to Xander’s cheek, just barely skimming his lips along his warm skin without taking more.

Xander shifted again, and Cassidy’s body betrayed him, his hardness pressing against Xander’s lower back before he could angle away.

“Mmm,” Xander hummed.

“Don’t,” he warned, but the word held no bite, hunger had already dug down to the bone.

“I can’t…I can’t stop wanting you,” Xander said hoarsely, his honest words sounding so vulnerable and devastating.

That was it. That fucking declaration took the last bit of fight Cassidy had, and he knew he’d lost the battle.

“Say my name again,” he said roughly as he brushed his lips across the bridge of Xander’s nose.

Xander swallowed, his breaths coming faster. “Cassidy.”

He tightened his grip and pushed in closer, whispering into the warm space at the corner of Xander’s lips. “No. Say the name you call me.”

Xander turned in his arms.

He had to tip his head back to meet Cassidy’s gaze, and the sight of him looking up like that made fire blaze up his spine.

“Cassie,” Xander sighed into his mouth.

His dick shouldn’t get that hard just from hearing Xander say that.

Xander’s eyes were still red-rimmed, lashes damp, face splotchy, lips flushed from the vodka and the almost-kisses.

“What is it you want from me?” Cassidy groaned.

Xander could have his pick of any man in the world. What the hell could he give him besides his protection? He was already getting that.

“I want you to hold me like you did in my bedroom…when you came for me.”

Something in Cassidy’s chest gave way.

He wrapped one arm around Xander’s back and pulled him in close, tight enough to feel the breath leave him.

He slid his other hand up Xander’s spine and into his hair, cradling the back of his head.

Cassidy stared down into those sad blue eyes, and the room, the city, the case seemed to fade away.

Xander eased his hands up Cassidy’s chest slowly, pausing over his pecs.

“Please don’t pull away this time,” he pleaded.

Cassidy clenched his jaw. “You’ve been drinking.”

“Not enough to not know what I’m doing…or what I need.” Xander’s fingers tightened in his shirt. His voice shook, but it didn’t waver.