Thefact he hadn’t backed away, hadn’t flinched whenItouched him, made me wonder ifI’dbeen reading things wrong this whole time.Therewas only one way to find out. “Youknow what?Ifyou promise you won’t get offended ifIdrift off, then yeah, let’s find something to watch.It’snot likeIhave a long trip to get home.”
Whenhe turned his head toward me, his brilliant smile felt like a punch to the solar plexus.Hestood completely still, his intense gaze boring directly into my soul.Hislips parted slightly, andIfroze, prayingIwasn’t misreading the signs.
8
ANSON
Mybreathing came in quick,shallow pants asIstared atKevin.Neverbefore hadIwanted to push someone up against a wall soIcould devour their mouth, but the moment his tongue peeked out from between his lips,IknewI’dnever forgive myself ifImissed out on tasting him.
“Tellme to stop, andIwill,” he whispered.Thehairs on my arms stood on end as if an electric charge swirled around us.Ihad no idea what was about to come, butI’dbe damn ifIwas going to stop him.Heleaned in slightly, his hand sliding over my biceps, shoulder, and around the back of my neck.Thepress of his fingertips seared me.Iwas caught, and there was no way to escape. “Fuck, please,Anson.”
Mycock thickened at the sound of my name coming out in a needy whimper.Igripped his hip, spinning him so his ass was pressed against the edge of the counter. “Sayit again.”
“Youwant me to beg?”Hispupils were blown.Hestill held me by the nape of my neck, arching his back so there was no mistaking his erection as it pressed against mine. “Iwill if that’s what it takes.I’vewanted it for so long you probably wouldn’t believe me ifItold you.”
Whatin the fuck wasIdoing?
DamnifIknew, butIwasn’t a fucking quitter. “Tellme.”
Kevingroaned, and he broke eye contact.Whenhe tried tucking his chin to his chest,Igripped his jaw, forcing him to look at me. “Don’thide from me.Ifyou want this, you have to give me whatIwant too.”
“Ihave to be dreaming,”Kevinmuttered.Iwas pretty sure he hadn’t meant to say that aloud.
Ifhe was dreaming, that made two of us.AndIdidn’t want to wake up.BeforeIcould stop myself,Icircled my arm around his back, pulling his body tight to mine.Themoment my lips crashed against his,Kevin’sbody went slack.Hislips were softer thanIhad imagined, moving against mine with a gentle hesitancy that belied the strength in his embrace.Ajolt zinged through my body asKevinregained his footing, taking control of the kiss.
Theworld narrowed to that delicious point of contact, his taste—subtle and sweet, like the aftertaste of craft beer—lingering on my tongue.Thesounds of our breathing mingled, a testament to the moment’s intensity.Heshoved me backward, his hands gripping my ass tightly so there was no wayIcould escape the way he worked his hips, threatening to make me come in my pants.
“Fuck, ifI’dknown it would be like this,Iwould have begged you years ago,”Kevinsaid breathlessly when the need for oxygen overcame our desire.Henipped his way along my jaw, eventually latching onto my earlobe. “Thenagain, you didn’t actually make me beg this time, did you?”
Whenhe started sucking on my neck, my panic over him leaving a mark was short-lived.Itwisted my fingers into the back of his hair, jerking him away. “Doyou want me to?”
Iwasn’t a complete idiot.Iknew there were plenty of people who got off on someone taking control.Hell, my own brother and his husband had an arrangement like that, even when they weren’t in the bedroom.Thatwasn’t somethingIcould giveKevin, but this…if it was what he needed,Iwas willing to try.
Maybe.
Fuck, how would he react when he realized just how inexperiencedIwas?Ihad no business being in charge of anything in the bedroom.
“I’venever…”WhenKevinpressed a hand to my chest,Iwondered if he could feel how furiously my heart was beating.
Inthe split second it took me to figure out where in the hell to go from here,Bartcame running into the room, his nails clicking against the tiles before he barreled into our legs.Hejumped up, demanding pets fromKevin.Notme, of course, becauseIwas persona non grata in his life as soon as there was someone who didn’t know all his tricks.
“Hey, boy, are you sad no one’s giving you attention?”Kevincooed as he bent and scrubbedBart’smangy head.Thedog appeared to be in seventh heaven.Hequickly rolled onto his back, bearing his tummy for the manIwas pretty sureIwanted to still be kissing.Thesour pit forming in my stomach definitely couldn’t be jealousy becauseKevinwas playing withBartinstead of me.
WhenBartfinally had his fill of being the center of the damn universe,Kevinreached for the edge of the counter, groaning as he rose to his feet.Thesecond his eyes met mine,Iknew we wouldn’t be getting back to whatever we’d been doing.Hestretched his arms high over his head, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “Youknow, maybe it’s for the best ifIhead home.Everymuscle in my body hurts from today, which is stupid becauseIdidn’t really do much.”
“Giveyourself credit,”Iinsisted. “Youmight not have been running after bad guys and tackling them to the ground, but walking on concrete and uneven grass with all that gear you wear can’t be easy.”
Kevin’sexpression softened. “You’reright.It’sa pain.Literally.Wantto do dinnerMondaynight?Ifyou don’t have anything going on earlyTuesday, maybe we can hang out and watch something then.”
“Yeah, that sounds great.”Atleast it didn’t seem likeI’doffended him.Andthe way he’d kissed me back said my impulsiveness hadn’t been completely unwelcome.Now,Ijust had to figure out what in the actual fuckI’dbeen thinking.Inforty-five years,Ihadn’t once been overcome with this urge to devour someone.Noone had left me with a damp spot on the front of my jeans asIwalked them to the front door, both of us unfulfilled. “Myplace or yours?”
“Whydon’t you come over to my place when you get done with work,” he suggested as we walked toward the door. “Thatway, we can putBartoutside if we need a bit of privacy.”
Thefurther removed we got from the kiss, the moreIquestioned if there would be a repeat.Ifthereshouldbe a repeat.Iwas too damn old for some sort of sexual awakening, andKevinwas well beyond his time being taken up by someone who wasn’t sure if there would be any sort of future with the person he spent his time with.
IfIwere a good man,I’dcome up with an excuse to get out of dinnerMonday, and then next weekend,Iwould encourage him to hang out with hisPinevillefriends he’d mentioned a few times.Theproblem was thatIwasn’t that selfless.
AsIclosed the door behindKevin,Iwasn’t sure ifIwanted to hugBartor strangle the little cockblocker for ruining the moment.
