Page 64 of Alessio

“It is right now.”

Their reminder.

They could have this. It would be there, present and effective like they needed it to be. That didn’t mean it would fix everything. Sex didn’t work that way, not for them. But it helped.

Alessio stared at the ceiling above him, body thrumming and sensitive in the best way. “I could love her.”

His words were soft in the darkness. Like maybe if he didn’t say them loudly, then they wouldn’t come true yet. He wasn’t sure if he was as ready for that as he had been for this.

He heard Corrado’s swallow.

Audible, and weighted.

Like the rest of this, too.

It was all too fucking heavy.

“I could,” Alessio said again.

“You should. You should.”

Alessio shifted around Corrado in the walk-in closet, reaching past to grab the folded pair of black jeans sitting in a pile of other plain, black jeans. It was almost amusing because even Alessio’s clothes had remained in Corrado’s room, although the man didn’t.

Corrado slipped a watch onto his wrist, already mostly dressed after their shared shower. He wasn’t soon going to forget that, or the night before, either. It always led to far better mornings when he woke up next to the person—people, now—he wanted. Last night seemed like it was for him and Alessio, and this morning … well, it was only for Les.

From the second the man backed him against the shower wall, to the way his teeth had found the back of Corrado’s neck when he fucked him.

Like that, they connected better.

It was easier.

“Yeah, this is gonna have to do,” Alessio muttered.

Corrado eyed him from the side, smirking. “You’re practically naked.”

In nothing but black jeans, showing off inked, tanned skin, nipple rings, and the hard-cut V of his groin, Alessio stared back at Corrado like he didn’t see the problem. He hadn’t even bothered to pull on shoes or socks. He worked on affixing his row of bracelets and his favorite watch to his wrist as he asked, “And?”

Corrado shook his head. “And nothing.”

It spoke to their differences again.

The things which make them unique.

Corrado was up and dressed in slacks, his usual silk button-down, and ready for the day, bad mood not included. He couldn’t be in a bad mood after a night and morning like the one they had. It had been a long fucking time coming.

Alessio liked a bit of laziness when he first woke up after a night like the one before. Half-dressed, partially awake, still happy, all things considered, but not sure if he wanted to start the day or not.

Leaning against the row of shelving in the walk-in closet, Alessio said nothing as Corrado pulled a silk tie from the rack that matched the navy blue of his shirt. He didn’t mind the man’s attention, because it wasn’t unusual, but he still figured after the night before, maybe Alessio had things to say.

“What?” Corrado asked.

“Nothing.”

“You sure?”

Alessio grinned. “Just thinking I missed this, is all.”

Corrado stilled as he threw the tie around his neck, the ends hanging down. He peeked up, meeting Alessio’s stare to hold it as the silence echoed all around them. Not that he needed to repeat or confirm what Alessio had said because he heard it fine. He didn’t think Alessio needed Corrado to say he felt the same, either.