A combination of vulnerability and passion simmered behind Reed’s golden gaze, and recalling their incredible night together, Carter refused to think another man would touch Reed, kiss his mouth, and have their name on his lips. The only name Reed would call out in passion would be Carter’s. One night together hadn’t been enough to satisfy Carter, and he wanted, no, heneededmore. He needed to be inside Reed. Their eyes locked, and Carter quivered as unfamiliar possessiveness seared through him. The deep earthy taste of Reed bloomed on his tongue, and the fire in his blood burned bright and sharp.
After taking a deep swallow of his drink, Carter gazed at Reed in contemplation, then ignoring all the rules,hisrules, made a decision and leaned forward, resting his crossed arms on top of the bar. “We’ll have an arrangement. It shouldn’t be too difficult. I have obligations that keep me home except for one weekend per month. That’s when we’ll meet and spend our time together. Other than that…” He shrugged. “There’s no real need for us to talk. We aren’t dating or romantically involved. It’s not even friends with benefits since we’re not really friends.” Carter narrowed his gaze. “What do you think? Can you handle it?”
As he spoke, Reed’s eyes grew wider and wider, and Carter’s heart sank. Even considering their night of amazing sex, Reed’s inexperience showed, and what Carter proposed might be too much for him to handle. Reed might want love and that hearts-and-flowers shit. A relationship. Snorting inwardly, Carter took another drink. Relationships were nothing but another avenue for someone to disappoint him, and he’d had enough disappointments in his life.
“Yeah. I think it might be exactly what I need.”
Coughing up his drink, Carter wiped his mouth on his sleeve. It took a moment to suck in enough air before he could answer. “It is?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah? You’re sure?” The wheels were working in overdrive behind Reed’s eyes; doubt, fear, lust, and excitement flashed in their golden depths.
“I go to school full-time and work here; I don’t have time to think about relationships or lovers. They’re not worth my time or effort.”
Reed hesitated over the last part, and Carter sensed a story there, but it wasn’t his business. There wasn’t going to be any sharing of lives and cozy dinners for two.
“I think,” Reed continued, “what you suggested will work for me. But I want certain things as well.”
“Oh?” said Carter, his interest piqued. “Tell me.”
“Last time after we…” He reddened and gnawed on his lip, and Carter thought he looked adorable in his effort to be discreet. And sexy. Actually Carter wanted him right then and wondered how soon Reed could leave so they could go back to his hotel room.
“Had sex?” Carter offered helpfully. “Fucked?”
“Shh.” Reed hushed him, his eyes darting side to side. “People don’t need to hear about my personal life.” He leaned closer, and Carter enjoyed having his undivided attention. The smattering of freckles across his nose gave him a youthful appearance, and Carter noticed a ring of green around the rim of his golden eyes. Before he could stop himself Carter reached up and skimmed his fingertips over those freckles, watching the flush of desire rise in Reed’s face.
“Carter, stop.” Reed blinked and pulled away. “Last time you dismissed me like the maid when we were finished. If we’re doing this, I deserve a full night.”
“You can have the whole fucking weekend; how’s that?” Carter stood and laid a twenty on the bar. “Are you ready to go? ’Cause I’m horny as hell and I’m all for starting the weekend right now.”
Once again, Reed gave him that anxious stare, and Carter cocked his head. “Are you worried about something? You have the strangest look on your face.”
Instantly Reed’s eyes shuttered flat and a faint yet troubled smile tilted his lips for a moment. “No, I’m fine. I’m thinking about how soon I can get out of here without leaving them in a lurch.”
“And that would be…” Carter quirked a brow. “As I see it, we have from now until around three p.m. on Sunday when I go home. I intend to put that time to good use.”
“Um, sure. I’m fine with that. But I need to get a change of clothes and stuff and get my schoolwork from my apartment. Maybe I can meet you back at your room?”
“Have you changed your mind and decided to bail?” It wouldn’t surprise him, Carter realized. Reed’s brain might have finally overtaken his libido and put the brakes on his unorthodox proposal. “Do you want to forget about it?”
“No, not at all.”
The swift response brought a smile to Carter’s face. “Good. Because I have plans for you. I’m not going to reveal what they are right now,”—he leaned forward again—“but I promise they’re very dirty and involve getting naked and wet.”
That glazed expression from their first meeting a month ago crossed Reed’s face again, and Carter knew right then he had Reed hooked. He took out a pen and wrote his room number and full name on a napkin. “Here’s my info. Whenever you’re ready, come over.” Without waiting for permission, he leaned over the bar and kissed Reed, once again falling into the sweetness of his lips and tongue. Hazily, he thought he could get used to this arrangement of theirs very easily with a man like Reed warming his cold hotel bed.
When he walked out of the bar he wondered if Reed’s heart pounded as hard as his. Off-kilter, Carter decided to check on Jacks and make sure he was okay.
“Taxi.” He stuck his hand out and jumped into the cab that immediately pulled up in front of him and gave the cabbie the name of the hotel. He pulled out his phone and called home.
“Carter, what’s wrong?” The anxiety in Helen’s voice rang clear.
“I was about to ask you the same thing. I had a funny feeling all of a sudden and needed to hear Jacks’s voice. Is he around?”
“Of course.” Her voice softened. “I think he misses you too. When we were doing his therapy today he pointed to the picture of the animals in the zoo and said, “I want to see that with Carter.”
His stomach churned. Time and again, Carter kept wondering if he was being selfish in going away for even the once-a-month weekend and voiced his concerns to Helen.
