Hard to Be Good (Hard Ink #3.5) by Laura Kaye Page B

Kat smiling at him. This time, though, it wasn’t a sarcastic or troublemaking smile. It was full of warmth and happiness. She nodded at him, her gaze skating for just a moment toward Charlie. And though he didn’t need her approval, it still made him feel happy to have it. And lucky. Because both Kat and Nick had always supported him. No matter what.
    After dinner, Jeremy and Charlie took a long turn reading documents. Marz, Emilie, Easy, and Jenna helped, while the others took up watch in the snipers’ roosts or guarding the perimeter. Half of the Ravens took a guard rotation, while half slept, bunking down in sleeping bags on the gym floor.
    By about one o’clock in the morning, the words on the screen in front of him started running together. “I’m afraid I’m starting to skim this,” Jeremy said in a low voice. “And I don’t want to miss something important.”
    Marz rubbed his eyes. “Yeah. You guys have been at this long enough. Call it a night.”
    “What about you?” Charlie said. “You’ve been here all day.”
    “I know, but—”
    “Come up with me,” Emilie said, cutting him off. A look passed between them and then Marz agreed and started shutting things down.
    As they quietly crossed the gym, Easy fell in next to Emilie. “Thanks again for today.”
    “Any time. And I mean that, Easy.” She smiled at him and then at Jenna, who gave her a hug.
    “Thanks, Em,” Jenna said, her dark red hair contrasting with Emilie’s chocolate brown.
    Emilie worked as a clinical psychologist, and Jeremy really hoped those words of thanks meant that Easy was getting help. Just last week Easy had admitted to the whole group that he was struggling with suicidal feelings. Jeremy didn’t think he’d ever been in a quieter room than when Easy confessed what he was going through.
    While the other two couples made their way up the steps to the third floor, where they were staying in an apartment Jeremy had only partially finished renovating, he and Charlie went back to his apartment.
    Mr. Clean had apparently come through some time in the past few hours, because the wreckage of dinner had all been cleaned up. No doubt that was thanks to Becca and Sara, who’d been going out of their way to try to take care of everyone.
    They crossed the quiet apartment and arrived at the door to Charlie’s room first.
    It had been way too long since Jeremy had touched Charlie, or held him, or kissed him. Pinning him to the door, Jeremy leaned in for a long, lingering kiss. Charlie tensed at first, but then melted into the kiss, his hands coming up to Jeremy’s shoulders, his neck, his hair.
    Jeremy wasn’t sure what he wanted, but he knew what he didn’t want.
    He didn’t want to be alone.
    He didn’t want to be apart from Charlie.
    And he didn’t want to play things safe.
    “Come to my room with me,” Jeremy said, nuzzling his lips against Charlie’s ear. “I haven’t had nearly enough of you yet.”

 
    Chapter 9
    C HARLIE ’ S HEART RACED as Jeremy closed and locked his bedroom door. Which was a little ridiculous, given all the time they’d spent alone together over the past couple of weeks. But now, things felt different. Things were different. Because they’d admitted having feelings for each other, because they’d been together, because Charlie wanted to be with Jeremy in every way he could.
    Which made him a little unsure. Normally, he’d just stretch out on Jeremy’s bed, his back resting on pillows stacked against the wall. But he wasn’t sure if that would mean something different to Jeremy now.
    So he waited for Jeremy to take the lead. Standing in the center of the dark green room, one wall covered with more of the drawings he’d seen downstairs at Hard Ink, Charlie tugged his hands through his hair. It was just long enough that he could pull the top of it into a knot if he wanted, which he did sometimes when working at the computer.
    “What’s the matter?’ Jeremy said, walking up to him.