Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
The lights dim, and the music changes to a slower tempo.
“Wanna dance?” Aaron asks against my ear, and I feel a buzz of electric heat streak across my skin.
I want to say no because I’m not much of a dancer, but when will we ever have another chance?
Once I nod, he stands, and I follow him past swaying twosomes to a spot near the DJ booth. I grip his hand and place it over my shoulder as my fingers find his waist.
He likes that idea because his pupils dilate, and his other arm glides around my neck as he sinks into my embrace.
I press our cheeks together as I tighten my hold and take it all in. His scent, his soft breaths against my neck, and the way he feels in my arms.
When he brushes his lips against my ear, I shiver.
I groan, angling my head, and when our mouths meet, I’m lost in him. The bar melts away, and it’s just Aaron and me standing close, our hands in each other’s hair, our tongues meeting in a slow, sexy dance.
I hear a distinct, “Holy fuck, they’re hot together,” coming from his friends’ table, and I can picture Chase fanning himself.
I laugh against Aaron’s lips, and his eyes crinkle in a smile.
“Anytime you want to bolt, just say the word,” he says as I bury my face in his neck, smelling and tasting his skin. For all the anxiety over driving here and questioning if it was the right decision, right now, the timing is perfect, like it was meant to be.
“I appreciate that,” I reply, resting our foreheads together. “But this feels nice.”
“It does.” He draws back to look at me. “But I’ll admit I can’t wait to get you alone.”
“Tell me about it,” I reply, nipping at his shoulder. “This is your world, so you call the shots…”
His eyes widen. “Is that what you want?”
“Uh-huh.” I peck his lips. “I’m all yours for the night.”
“Well, damn, I like the sound of that.”
I sigh, my heart feeling like it might burst wide open because I don’t want to let him go, but I also don’t know how we can make this work. I’m thinking too far ahead again instead of just living in the moment.
When the song ends, we head back to the table.
Chase says, “I’m about to have my world rocked. Or at least my bed.” He motions with his cell, where I spy a hookup app. “So I guess this is goodbye?”
After he hugs Aaron, I say, “It was nice to meet you.”
He curves a brow. “Hopefully, we’ll see you again?”
“You never know,” I respond, avoiding Aaron’s gaze.
“Damn, Aaron, small-town men are refreshing,” Spencer says over my shoulder. “Not like the jackasses you’ve hooked up with lately.”
I automatically stiffen because hearing he was with anyone else bothers me more than I thought it would. A hell of a lot.
“Hey, you all right?” Aaron asks, placing his hand on my shoulder. “What Spencer means is that even in a large city, the LGBTQ scene can feel small—”
“Really?” I clench my jaw. “Seems like you have plenty of options.”
“I do…” he sputters. “I have, but Spencer is dead wrong with his timing. I haven’t been with anyone since our first hookup at my motel in Aqua Vista. I swear to you I haven’t—”
“Even if you had, it would be your right.” My gut churns. “We’re not…we never made any sort of agreement.”
“Maybe we never verbalized it, but if the tables were turned, I would be bummed and jealous. It’s just natural after all the things we’ve shared.” His gaze connects with mine.
“You’re right. I would be. I am. But with me so far away, it would be easy enough for you to—”
“Is that what he did to you? Theo?” He grits his teeth. “Was he with other men while the two of you were together?”
“Apparently so.” My shoulders deflate. It feels like we have an audience, so I turn toward the door. “He finally admitted it after I asked him repeatedly to tell me the truth. I don’t like games.”
My legs start moving toward the exit, and Aaron follows me. “I’m definitely not trying to play games.”
“I just don’t know how to do this,” I admit once we’re outside. “Maybe showing up here only muddies the waters. No way this will end well.”
“How the hell do you know how it will end if you never give it a chance?” He throws up his hands. “I want you, Jack. I don’t know what that means for us, but I think about you all the time.”
“I think about you too. You’re on my mind all fucking day. I can’t do anything without thinking about sharing it with you.” My heart swells and aches as his eyes soften. “But that doesn’t mean the long-distance will work.”