“You’ve done it before,” Jack said with a grin.
“Hmm. Okay, fine, I’ll think about it,” Gabriel said, sticking his tongue out when Jack laughed.
“You can take my debit card to go ring shopping,” Jack told him with a wink.
“I already bought you a ring, smartass,” Gabriel said.
Jack laughed, then looked at the other man’s face and immediately sobered. “Wait, what? Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“A couple of weeks ago.”
“Why…didn’t you—”
“I wasn’t sure you were ready yet. You’ve never mentioned it before.”
“Ah, babe, I’m sorry if I made you doubt—”
“If I had doubts, I wouldn’t have bought rings,” Gabriel interrupted with a smile.
“Do I get to see—”
“Nope. You said you were going to wait until I felt like asking, so I’m going to think about it for a while.”
Jack frowned. “What if I ask you first?”
“Sorry, no. You put the ball in my court and I’m keeping possession.”
“Ooh, I love it when you make sports metaphors. I’ll put the ball in your court, Dollface.” He reached toward Gabriel’s belt.
“Dollface?” Gabriel repeated incredulously, slapping his dirty hand away. “Dollface? I have to go to work,” he said, turning away.
“Babe, don’t be mad. God I really want to send you off to work with a white handprint on your ass and it’s just…so tempting…”
Gabriel reached back and knocked his hand aside, even though Jack had stopped short of touching him. “You’re insufferable,” Gabriel told him.
“Okay, I’ll be good. Please may I have a kiss before you leave?”
Gabriel turned around to find Jack pouting and batting his eyelashes. Gabriel glared at him. “You,” he said, poking Jack in the stomach and stepping closer. “I told you,” he said, jabbing—not ungently—again as Jack stepped back. Gabriel followed him, “the first night we spent together—” poke “—that my knees weren’t great, Mr. Windsor, and now—” He poked Jack again; Jack was now backed up against the counter, his hands held palms-out in the air, “—you think I should get down on one knee—”
“I don’t need kneeling, I’m easy, remember?” Jack showed his teeth in a hopeful grin.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “And you don’t even know my name.”
“I do.”
“I didn’t ask you yet.”
“I do know your name.”
“Hmm. Say it. And if you say Dollface, so help me…”
“I want to touch you.”
“Focus,” Gabriel said, frowning.
Jack grinned. “Sugarlips,” he said.
Gabriel stepped closer, not quite letting their clothes touch. He leaned forward, letting his breath fan Jack’s mouth, and murmured, “That’s better.”
Jack tried to kiss him and made a sound of frustration when Gabriel drew back a bit. “I love you, Sugarlips,” he said.
“Well, in that case,” Gabriel answered, finally cracking into a crooked smile. He leaned in to brush his lips against Jack’s. “I’ll kneel if you want me to. For whatever reason,” he added, the dimples in his cheeks deepening.
“You bought me a ring?” Jack murmured against the curve of Gabriel’s lips.
“I did.”
“Can I stick my tongue in your mouth?”
Gabriel chuckled. “For about thirty seconds and then I need to leave for work. And keep those hands up where I can see them.”
Jack hesitated, searching his eyes. All traces of humor gone, he said, “Babe, if you want me to ask—”
“No, I’ll ask you tonight,” Gabriel answered with a grin. “And I’ll make it romantic. But you have to wait until then.”
“Do I have to wait until then to say yes?”
“Yep.”
“Okay.”
“You’re down to twenty seconds, you’d better get that tongue in—”
Rising From the Dust Page 40