"Is that where you're from?" I asked.
"Kind of. I was born there but moved to Caparica when I was a kid. I moved back to Porto in my twenties and have stayed since."
"What brings you to Lisbon?"
"Job opportunity."
"I take it if you're here drinking that you're not too sure about it?"
Talking to this gorgeous man was as easy as breathing. The wine kept coming, and I felt more relaxed than I had in goodness knows how long.
I found out about his job as an architect, and despite my mild state of drunkenness, I got the feeling that in his career, he'd mostly stayed in the shadow of his husband. I didn't get the idea that this was something that bothered him, more like it was a role he'd comfortably settled into.
He was also curious about me and my job. As it turned out, he'd helped design a youth shelter in Porto and was working toward getting vital funding from the city council to design a center for LGBTQ victims of domestic violence.
He was talking about his designs so excitedly that he didn't notice he was leaning toward me. To be fair, neither did I until he stopped talking, his eyes moving between my eyes and my lips. I didn't think it was possible for his eyes to get any darker, but I was wrong.
It would only have taken a small move forward and my lips could've been on his and then I could've found out what I'd been dying to know all night, how soft his lips really were. My mind conjured an image of him lying on top of me, his eyes burning with pleasure, and desperate moans escaping my lips as he consumed me like the last drop of water during a drought.
The only thing that was stopping me was that we'd both drunk more than a few glasses, and something was telling me he would regret it afterward. That damned vulnerability I saw in him was still there, and I didn't want to take advantage of how easily I'd been able to read him.
As soon as I leaned away from him, his expression changed from desire to disappointment. I excused myself to go to the bathroom before I gave in to the kiss he so clearly wanted.
I sagged against the bathroom sink and looked at myself in the mirror as I washed my hands. My skin looked pale thanks to the amount of time I spent indoors. My dark-rimmed glasses did nothing to disguise the bags under my eyes, a side effect from never having enough sleep.
The bathroom door opened with enough force that the loud noise caused me to look in that direction. I didn't have enough time to react to the presence of the sexy man I'd been talking to all night before he took a few steps in my direction, put a hand on my neck, and crashed his lips into mine.
When our lips met, I jolted with the spark that went through me. He stopped for a quarter of a second before he took everything from me with that kiss. His hand tightened around my neck while the other went around my back to pull me closer. I had no choice but to let him take, borrow, steal anything he wanted from me. No, that's not correct. I had a choice, and I chose to give in. I'd never been one to submit to someone before, and I also couldn't understand how I knew this was what both he and I needed. I just did.
My hands were on the sink behind me, so I used them as leverage to grind against him. His body was a fireworks display of emotion as he pressed against me. I wanted to put my hands around him, touch him like he was touching me, but I was too afraid any sudden movement could pierce the thin bubble we were in.
"Fuck, you guys are hot together."
As soon as I heard the voice coming from the door, I knew the bubble hadn't just been pierced. It had evaporated.
My passionate and vulnerable silver fox took a few rapid steps back until he hit one of the stalls. His chest was heaving, and he was struggling to breathe. He looked from me to the guy at the door.
I thought he was going to have a panic attack, so I dared to move forward toward him.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Was all he said before he ran out of the bathroom. I wanted to go after him, but I was sure he'd left the bar, too, and my self-preservation instinct kicked in to stop me. I'd already given too much to a man I hadn't even got a name from.
