Arik's hands tightened around Liam's waist and thigh before deliberately relaxing, as though he were forcing himself to move slowly, and one of them drifted toward the waistband of Liam's pants.
Liam's stomach clenched, the tension growing stronger with every unhurried brush of Arik's fingers against his skin.
His palms remained pressed to Arik's hard chest, gathering the soft linen of his sleeping shirt beneath them as he tried to steady himself.
"Arik…" he began.
Arik moved before Liam could finish, sitting upright against the wall behind the bed while keeping Liam securely astride his lap, the motion so effortless in his changed body that Liam barely had time to catch his breath.
Large, warm hands slipped beneath Liam's shirt, spreading over his waist and back before gradually lifting the fabric, every movement accompanied by slow caresses that made it impossible to mistake patience for restraint.
