Invitation accepted.
The ride in the elevator to the penthouse was overshadowed by the presence of the bodyguard. Usually, Derek didn’t give a shit that security hovered and heard every word he said. They displayed the utmost discretion and were completely professional. The bodyguard stood against theback wall, hands folded in front of him, staring straight ahead, oblivious and unreactive. He could have been a tree trunk next to them, but the close proximity felt invasive and intrusive with Travis in the mix.
Derek kept catching Travis’ eye, and every time he did, a big smile greeted him. The atmosphere in the small space thickened. They both knew they were going back to the suitefor so much more than food.
The elevator doors opened and Derek practically raced down the hall, nerves tickling his belly.
Travis, on the other hand, strode beside Derek, cool and confident. Arms swaying back and forth, Travis’ long legs propelled him down the hall at a leisurely pace, and Derek needed to keep slowing down to match his gait.
When they gotto the suite, Derek fumbled with the card key. It took him three tries before he unlocked the door. He blamed it on the way each hotel varied, but his overexcited hormones were to blame.
Brandy came running toward them as soon as they were inside and circled their legs in greeting.
“Who’s this?” Travis asked, with a happy grin.
“This is Brandy.” Derek pattedher on the back as she leaned against his knee. “Brandy, meet Travis.” She looked at Travis, waiting for acknowledgment from a new person in the room.
“I think she understood what you just said.” Surprise made Travis’ voice rise.
“Sure she did. She’s smart. You can pet her. She loves people.”
“I never had a dog.” Travis extended his hand so she could sniffit, and she gave it a big sloppy lick, then circled his legs a few times and sat politely next to him. Travis gave her a tentative pat on the head. When she leaned into him, he started to scratch her neck with both hands. As she responded, a wide grin spread across Travis’ face. “She’s so cool. Is she yours?”
“No. She’s Cam’s. It’s her first time on the road and she’s handling itlike a diva. By the end of the tour, she’ll probably have her own king size bed.”
After a few more pets, Brandy retreated to her fluffy dog bed in the corner and curled into a ball. The quiet turned awkward, and butterflies invaded Derek’s stomach. It was both stressful and exhilarating in a weirdly enjoyable mix of not knowing what to expect and anticipation of what would happennext.
They turned toward one another at the same time, heat rising inside Derek as they made eye contact.
Derek took a step forward.
Travis took a step backward.
They both smiled wider.
Derek took another step forward, and Travis stepped back again.
“What are you doing?” Derek asked, with a small taunting laugh.
“I came here for a meal. What areyoudoing?”
The way Travis looked Derek up and down, the sexy half-closed lids, and that coy little grin, made gooseflesh rise on Derek’s arms and legs. Derek couldn’t remember the last time someone sent chills over his body, and he wanted this man more than he’d wanted anyone ever before. “I’m going to kiss you,” he said evenly. “I’m going toput my arms around your waist, pull your body against mine, and I’m going to kiss you.”
The light-hearted expression melted off Travis’ face. Lust and want mixed with pure desire and emotion stared back at Derek. He was suddenly nervous and self-conscious about the kiss, as if it was the first kiss of first kisses. Derek was accustomed to demanding, hard and voracious kisses and lovemaking,but he knew that Travis would be the kind of guy that wanted it tender and leisurely, savored and enjoyed. It left Derek unsure and hesitant.
“I thought you were going to kiss me.” Travis pouted slightly, with a beautiful pronounced bottom lip.
That plump bottom lip begged to be bitten, or at least sucked into Derek’s mouth. He couldn’t lift his gaze, and placed a brazenhand on Travis’ shoulder so the man couldn’t back away again. Derek was done playing games. Restraint, caution, uncertainty could all go to hell. Moving in closer, he felt the heat radiating from Travis’ body. With one hand possessively clapped onto Travis’ deltoid, Derek brought the other hand to Travis’ cheek. He intended to slam his mouth into Travis’, but the tiny, barely audible whimper thatleft Travis’ lungs made Derek halt to a slow, seductive brush of lips on lips.
Travis leaned into the kiss with mild pressure and rested his hands on Derek’s waist, while the fingers of his left hand glided back and forth along the ridge of Derek’s waistband. The soft whimper reappeared, this time muffled, sealed inside Travis’ lips, before they slowly parted to allow Derek’s tongueentrance.
Deepening the kiss, a rush of heat traveled down Derek’s back and settled in his groin. He pressed his body into Travis’, and met the man’s erection straight on like a steel rod, eradicating all questions and every teasing gesture about what Travis really wanted. As Derek’s hands dropped to either side of Travis’ pelvis in order to create stability against his jutting hips,Travis’ hands moved through Derek’s hair and up his back. Long fingers pressed into Derek’s scalp, holding their mouths together.
The softness of the kiss remained, now accompanied by a slow rotation, but the heat level escalated several degrees. Panting breath hit Derek’s cheek, while he struggled to balance his intake of air. Breathing through only his nose didn’t offer enough oxygen,and he felt lightheaded, dizzy beyond anything he’d experienced before. Or maybe the airy feeling was simply a buzz of delirium brought on by the captivating man in his arms.
“Take me to your room,” Travis whispered against Derek’s lips.
Without saying a word, Derek led Travis to the back of the suite and into his room. He locked the door behind him and turned to facea man that was worth the wait. Travis leisurely stood, leaning against the ornate foot board, one ankle crossed over the other, his fingers stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans. Derek’s patience was nearly exhausted. Moving quickly, he eliminated the space between them in a few strides. He took Travis’ face in his hands and imparted a mouthy kiss. Travis responded by slowing the momentum andstilling Derek’s impatience by holding his face steady. Unused to the slow, languid movement in which their tongues and body touched, Derek found that he savored the kiss so much more this way. Each second brought another wave of sensual desire. He tasted all of Travis. Felt and enjoyed the texture of his mouth. He breathed in the passion exuding from this man. This new unrushed experience heightenedthe pleasure, and he let Travis take the lead.
