Six years ago, Jarrett Kessel helped his best friend’s little brother deal with his family’s rejection when he came out. He saw potential in the tempestuous teenager. Talent. Then, they both moved on with their lives.<br><br>Now, the FBI needs Jarrett’s help. Sketch artist Eli Locke is their only lead in finding a killer, but he’s nowhere to be found. Though the Feds are convinced Jarrett is the best way to lure him out, he’s not so sure. Until they show him the web comic Eli has created, with a superhero who bears a striking resemblance to Jarrett.<br><br>When Eli gets an email out of the blue from the man who changed his life, he doesn’t even consider saying no to a meeting. Jarrett is even more amazing than he remembers, and the fact that he’s all right being the role model for the one thing that means the most to Eli is just icing on the cake. But the truth about the murder comes out, and even though he had nothing to do with it, Eli wants to run. It’s up to Jarrett to keep him from ruining his life for good, before the killer finds them both and does it first ...

Outlined in Ink

It lacked the urgency from the dance floor, but Eli was smiling all the same when they parted. “I like it when you do that,” he said.


Jarrett ran his thumb over the corner of Eli’s mouth, fascinated by the tiny dip and how quickly the bottom lip swelled to ripe proportions. “I like kissing.”


“I actually meant the not asking part.” His lashes dipped for a split second in obvious embarrassment, but lifted again to meet Jarrett’s gaze as boldly as ever. “Like you know you can. Like you know I want it, regardless.”


The confession startled him, even if it shouldn’t have. They’d been dancing toward this moment for years. He would never have made a move on a confused, just out teenager, no matter how cute he was, but he’d known from the start Eli was different. And now he could learn everything about him, with full knowledge that each understood what it was the other wanted.


Chapter 39