Love Is Always Write Volume 4

and anyone else chasing them.
    "I think I know where we are," Jory said. "Come on, the main road is over there. We can hop a bus if we get lucky."
    "Is that how you got here?"
    "Yeah, I figured they would take you to Snyder. He didn't hurt you, did he?"
    Bob shook his head and gave him a ghost of a smile. Bob realized he would put up with a lot of torture in order to have Jory's concerned look turned on him.
    "Geez, you must be freezing. Here." Jory stopped and shucked his coat. He held it open for Bob to put on and he did so gratefully, soaking up the warmth left by Jory's body.
    "Now you're going to freeze," Bob commented. It was no longer raining, thankfully, but Jory's meager clothing was no protection from the cold.
    "Not if you warm me up," Jory said and stepped closer. A faint blush dusted his cheeks and his lashes lowered, as if he feared Bob would reject his obvious offer.
    Bob wrapped his arms around Jory and pulled him close, then leaned in for a kiss. Jory's lips were cold, but they parted after a heady, breathless press, and his tongue was very warm. Jory leaned even closer, until they stood torso to torso. Jory kissed brilliantly, not too dominant or passive, but with just the right amount of give and take. His tongue explored the sensitive areas of Bob's mouth thoroughly, and Bob thought the rhythm of his heart during the insane video game was nothing to what it became; his own skin felt electrified now. Once begun, Bob was not sure he would ever be able to stop.
    Jory pulled away just when Bob started to consider air as optional rather than necessary. Their eyes met, and Bob wondered at how a little kissing could make someone even more attractive. He supposed it was nothing more than seeing Jory's wet lips and knowing the potential for more kissing was not only possible, but likely.
    "Bobbin," Jory said breathlessly and chuckled.
    Bob leaned in and nipped him on the jaw. "That is a terrible nickname," he growled.
    "It's perfect," Jory replied. "Come on, we're standing out in the open and Snyder will have his goons looking for us."
    He pulled away and then linked his hand with Bob's again. They crossed the soccer field and skirted the edge, staying near the woods while watching the parking lot for suspicious-looking cars.
    "Did you really steal the code from your father's company?" Bob asked, not wanting to do anything that would cause Jory to pull away, but also unwilling to enter… whatever they had… under any illusions.
    Jory did not seem bothered. He grinned at Bob. "It isn't his company, but yeah, I snagged the code from one of his encrypted servers. The man never could come up with a decent password. I started cracking them when I was ten."
    "Why?"
    Jory shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes I think I do it so he'll notice me. We used to do everything together. I was his favorite until he found out I was gay. Then everything changed."
    Bob squeezed his hand and nodded, knowing there was nothing he could say. Bob had been one of the lucky ones. His mother was a kindly soul who had accepted it with a shrug and a gentle, "Just be happy." Bob's father had died when he was small, so Bob had no idea how he would have reacted.
    "I used to work at the same place as my father, but I left everything behind and moved out. Now I make lattes and crazy art that I can't sell. I'm about as big a disappointment as it gets." The words were flippant, but the pain beneath was obvious.
    "Well, I can't say I'm unhappy with the outcome. If you were still working in cubicle-ville, I never would have met you. Why did you pick me, anyway? To play your game, I mean."
    Jory smiled. "I noticed you the first time you came in with Alyssa. I pestered her like crazy asking questions about you. I thought you didn't like me, since you never gave me more than a cursory nod."
    "What? She never said anything! And I was terrified to even say hello. You're so…. Well, you know you're gorgeous, right?"
    Jory stopped long enough to plant a molten kiss on Bob's lips that left him wishing they were anywhere but a public place, miles from a decent horizontal surface. "Alyssa thinks I'm not good enough for you. She always tried to warn me away. She's probably right."
    Bob made an indignant huff. "I think I can decide who is good enough for me! I'll be having a talk with her when she gets back."
    "You're adorable when you're angry. I think I'll—oh shit, there's Snyder's car. Run!" He took Bob's hand again as the dark car spun through the