Chapter 27

His hand shook as he smoothed it down Levi’s arm. For a split second, his fingers gained the same translucence, like whatever magic worked its way with Levi bled into him. A trick of the light, sure, but heart-stopping all the same.

Words failed him. He wanted to tell Levi what a prize this night was, how excited he was, how much he feared it would all fall apart because that’s what happened at the end of a really good trick, right? Somehow, the mark always lost out, the win snatched away at the last minute. But Levi didn’t want to hear about his weaknesses. He’d been attracted to the supposed glamour, the thrill. There was no room for reality, not even in the confines of his tent.

So he kissed him again instead. Hardly a loss, a win all on its own when Levi opened to him at the very first breath. He fumbled with Levi’s unfamiliar belt, taking in each groan and sigh when he accidentally—maybe on purpose a little bit—glanced across the other man’s covered erection.