Free Haven 1: Caution: Contents Under Pressure by Gabrielle Evans Page B

nose.
    “Anything is fine, Stavion.”
    “I’m sure it is, but I asked if there is something special that you like.” He leaned farther into the shower and pressed his lips to Jory’s as the shower soaked his head.
    It made Jory laugh. “You’re a nut.”
    Stavion chuckled along with him as he shook his head like a dog to dispel the water from his short, black hair. Jory laughed harder.
    Had he ever had so much fun doing something as dull as taking a shower? Stavion was trying so hard. Even if Jory couldn’t meet the man halfway, he could still make an effort. “I like grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, and warm chocolate pudding.” He bit his lip as he thought it over. “I think I’d like to try waffles, and maybe hotdogs. I’ve never had them before.”
    Something flashed in Stavion’s eyes before they softened, and he bent forward to capture Jory’s lips again. He kept the kiss short, but it was no less sensual for its brevity. “Get washed, Jory.” Then he slid the glass door into place and hurried out of the room.

    Jory just shrugged. Maybe Stavion really liked waffles.
    He finished his shower and dried himself quickly, only then realizing he had no clean clothes in the bathroom to change into. Oh, well, Stavion had seen him naked before. Wrapping the big, fluffy towel around his hips, he exited the bathroom, grinning a mile wide when he saw Stavion sitting on the side of the bed, waiting just for him.
    “I really like that shirt,” he commented apropos to nothing. It was a smoky, charcoal gray with little white buttons and looked incredibly sexy stretched across Stavion’s pale skin.
    Stavion looked down at his chest, then back up to Jory, and smiled. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
    “Do you think I could get some clothes like that?” Jory bit his lips and shifted nervously from foot to foot. The Enforcers had already done so much for him that it seemed selfish and ungrateful to ask for more.
    They’d bought him clothes, but they were all things like jeans, T-shirts, track pants, and gym shorts. He wanted something he could wear if Stavion ever took him somewhere away from the estate. The clothes he had were comfortable and practical, but they were nothing like Stavion’s. He didn’t want to embarrass his mate. He wanted to be someone—even on the outside—that Stavion would be proud to be seen with.
    “I don’t have any money, but I could do something else to pay you back,” he hurried to add. “I could help in the kitchen, or whatever you like. Maybe I could get a job that pays real money and pay you back that way. Or if I had a real job, I guess I could just buy my own clothes. Then again, I would probably need something to wear to work until I made some money. I don’t really have any skills, so I don’t know what kind of job I could get. And we live pretty far out here, so I’d have to worry about getting there. I don’t mind walking. That would be okay. I just have to know how to get there.”
    Jory sucked in a great lungful of air and chewed on his bottom lip when Stavion started laughing. Yeah, he knew they were unrealistic dreams, but he just wanted to be normal. Normal people had jobs, made money, bought their own things, and took care of themselves.
    “Jory, come here, baby.” Stavion held his arms open wide, and Jory dropped his head and moved to stand between his mate’s knees.
    Stavion gathered him in his lap and tipped his chin up to place a quick kiss on his lips. “I wasn’t laughing at you, okay?” He waited for Jory to nod. “I love your enthusiasm, and I think that was probably the most you’ve ever said to me at one time.” He chuckled under his breath. “Besides, it was kind of cute. I laughed because I was happy. That’s all.”
    How was Jory supposed to stay strong against something like that? He couldn’t and he knew it, so he didn’t even try. He didn’t even fight the goofy smile that spread over his face as he curled into his mate’s chest