Cole swallowed, the man’s light grip scalding his elbow. “Uh... yeah. I’m...” He glanced anxiously toward the stage. “I’m not sure this is the place for me.”
“How will you know until you give it a chance?” he nodded toward the bar. “At least, let me buy you a drink. It’s really quite nice here. Lots of sweet boys,” he tilted his head and smiledsweetly, “like me, who will treat you so nice.”
He’s a stripper.Until that moment, Cole wasn’t sure if he was a dancer or a customer—he wasn’t dressed like the other strippers on the floor. Still, the man’s energy matched the club’s vibe, and Cole felt pulled into it, unsure how to escape the momentum that suddenly carried him away.
Cole allowed the man to lead him to the bar. It was crowded, but they found a couple of empty stools near the far end and took a seat.
“What’s your poison?” Gabe asked.
“Uh… beer.”
Gabe snapped to get the bartender’s attention, then hollered out their order. He looked at Cole, drawing him in with those eyes. “So…” He brushed the back of his fingers along Cole’s forearm. “What else?”
“What…” Cole swallowed, suddenly breaking out in sweat.
“You’re here.” Gabe leaned in without crowding him, his blue eyes softening with a quiet heat that warmed Cole’s blood. “Might as well enjoy yourself.”
His knuckles kept casually caressing Cole’s arm. Cole let out a suppressed breath as the bartender set down their drinks. He grabbed his beer, tempted to wipe the chilled glass all over his flushed face. Instead, he took a few gulps of the cold drink, savoring the cool rush that spread through his chest and settled in his stomach.
Cole cleared his throat. “I’m not here for… that,” he mumbled, taking another drink. “I just wanted…” His words failed him. Wantedwhat?Gabe gazed at him with the same question on his handsome face. Cole stared back, noticing justhowhandsome he truly was. He’d become mesmerized by his lovely blue eyes without really taking in the rest of him. Gabe’s short, richly dark hair enhanced the soft blue of his eyes, bringing out their vibrance. A thin skiff of dark stubble speckled his strong jaw—neat, not patchy. His lips were full, but nottoofull, and the slightest shade of pink.
Cole looked away when he realized he was staring at the man’s mouth. He took another long drink of beer as his clothes started to stick to his skin, and his heart beat unnaturally fast. Beads of sweat broke out across his forehead, and he felt overheated inside his own skin, thinking he should get some air before he passed out. But he didn’t move. Wasn’t sure hecouldmove as Gabe stroked his arm and gazed at him, a faint smile on his lips.
“Wanna dance?” Gabe asked, with a slight abruptness that jolted Cole.
“Huh?” Cole nearly choked on a swallow of beer. He looked at the dance floor where couples gyrated against each other, hands wandering a bit too freely in some cases, and eyes glazed withlust. There was a pull in thefreedomof it all, but Cole didn’t feel ready forthat.
“I, um…” He shrugged. “I can’t dance.” It wasn’t a lie. He had never learned. After surviving hell,dancinghad been the last thing on his mind.
“I bet you can.” Gabe looked him over, his smile stretching, crinkling his baby blues. “Something tells me, you’ve got moves evenyou’renot aware of.”
Cole was sure he was mistaken. He laughed nervously. “I doubt it.”
“Let’s find out.” Gabe slid off the stool and took his hand.
“What… I don’t…” Every muscle in Cole’s body resisted. “I can’t…” His eyes darted to the dirty dancers scattered across the floor. “… do that.”
Gabe chuckled and squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to. We’ll stick to the basics. Just regular dancing.” He made a V sign with his free hand. “Scout’s honor.”
Cole doubted this guy was ever a scout, but he found himself following him onto the floor without further resistance.
CHAPTER 2
It was instinct by now for Gabe to immediately fall into rhythm with the music, turn his body loose, and let it do its thing. It took some effort to get his hips to behave as he drew Cole against him, striking atraditionaldance pose. Taking the lead, Gabe touched Cole’s waist as the young man nervously rested his hand on Gabe’s shoulder and slid his other hand into Gabe’s palm.
Cole’s breath quickened, and in this club, that usually meant the customer was sufficientlyturned on, and it was time to get down and dirty. But not this time. Well, the “turned on” part was true—there was no disguising that reality for Cole—but he wasn’t ready for what Gabe brought to the table.
“Relax,” Gabe said, their faces close. The man’s gray eyes held his gaze steadily. In fact, he seemedunableto look away. That was good, at least in Gabe’s mind. He liked the way Cole looked at him. And not the same way he liked it when lustful customers looked at him. This was different. It tickled his belly button and made him smile. “Come a little closer.” Gabe squeezed Cole’s waist and urged him closer until their bodies touched.
When Cole swallowed with a soft gulp, it profoundly affected Gabe. His loins sizzled, and he forcibly kept his hips from pushing invitingly against the man.I want to fuck this man. The thought was more casual than lustful, as if it were just a simple fact he couldn’t deny. He knew better than to let his thoughts “go there” with customers, and he rarely did. But Cole caught him by surprise; he wasn’t the club’s typical customer.
Was he a customer at all? Or just a patron? He’d said he wasn’t here forthat. Most men, Gabe wouldn’t believe. But he believed Cole.
“Nothing to be nervous about,” Gabe murmured with a smile. “Believe me, no one is paying attention to us.”
Cole nodded, took a deep breath, exhaled, and kept staring into Gabe’s eyes.There’s a whole world behind those gray eyes. The thought suddenly popped into Gabe’s mind, but he didn’t push it away. Something about Cole pulled at him, convinced him that Cole was someone he wanted to know—not just between the sheets.Definitelybetween the sheets, too, but notonlythere.
We could be friends.The thought gave him a warm feeling that left him a little stunned. He’d made many friends since coming to the Phoenix, and they were all good guys. But Cole was different somehow. Gabe couldn’t explainhowand didn’t see the need to. Who cared? If something felt right, why question it?
