by Ariel Tachna
Owen snorted. “I’m never going to be bored with you around, am I?”
“I don’t know. Are you?”
“Let’s finish eating and we’ll find out,” Owen suggested, feeling bold. Derek swirled his last bite of spaghetti onto his fork and shoved it into his mouth. Owen laughed and applied himself to finishing his own plate. As much as he wanted what came next, though, the spaghetti was just too good to rush.
Derek didn’t seem to mind, watching Owen eat with dark, hungry eyes. Owen slowed down more, savoring every bite as he put on a show to watch the hitch in Derek’s breathing each time he sucked a noodle into his mouth. “Tease,” Derek said roughly.
“Only if I don’t follow through,” Owen replied, his voice unsteady with his pounding heart and the tingling along his nerves. He hadn’t felt like this since…. Actually, he couldn’t remember ever feeling like this. This was more than just anticipation. This was—
He didn’t get to finish his thought because Derek was on his feet, stalking toward him. Owen rose to meet him, his fork clattering on his plate as it fell unheeded from his fingers. He arched up onto his toes as Derek drew him into a torrid embrace that nearly lifted him off the ground. His pulse picked up even more at the thought of how easily Derek could manhandle him if he wanted to—and how carefully Derek kept that strength in check, making Owen feel protected, not trapped.
“Let’s take this upstairs.”
Derek’s growl was Owen’s only warning before he was swept off his feet into Derek’s arms. Laughter bubbled up in his chest as Derek carried him toward the stairs. “Don’t drop me.”
“Don’t squirm, and I won’t.” The absolute confidence in Derek’s voice shattered the last of Owen’s doubts. Derek didn’t need false posturing or flashy clothes to prove himself. He knew exactly who he was and what he was capable of. He wouldn’t play mind games or make excuses or resort to emotional blackmail. Owen threw his arms around Derek’s neck and relaxed completely into his hold as Derek strode up the stairs and into Owen’s bedroom like he owned the place.
He set Owen carefully on his feet, watching him like a hawk, although Owen didn’t know what he was looking for. It didn’t matter. Owen had already shared his darkest secrets with Derek. Whatever Derek saw now, it would be easy in comparison. Owen reached for the hem of Derek’s T-shirt, but Derek caught his hands. “We’re in no rush.”
“Speak for yourself,” Owen said with a pout. Derek chuckled and lowered his head to capture Owen’s lower lip between his teeth. Owen grabbed for Derek’s waist to steady himself as Derek sucked lightly on his lip. Son of a biscuit, how did Derek make his head spin with nothing more than a kiss? Owen had never reacted like this to anyone!
“So responsive,” Derek murmured against Owen’s jaw as he kissed his way along it, leaving behind a trail of tingles from his five o’clock shadow. “I knew you would be.”
“Because it’s you,” Owen managed breathily before Derek kissed him again, stealing all breath and thought. Owen swayed in Derek’s embrace, knowing Derek wouldn’t let him fall.
Derek took a step forward, then another, until Owen bumped against the edge of his mattress. He sat down, pulling Derek with him until they were reclining on the bed, Derek’s weight pressing Owen down into the soft foam. This was what he’d dreamed about, alone in his bed, since the first time they’d kissed, and now it was happening. He undulated beneath Derek, using the full length of his body to caress Derek, who rocked down against Owen, rutting into him sensually.
Owen tipped his head up, asking silently for another kiss, which Derek gave him immediately, mating their mouths with all the tenderness implied in his promise to make love to Owen rather than fuck him. Owen’s eyes fell closed under the sensuous onslaught. Derek braced his weight on one elbow and ran his other hand up Owen’s arm to the collar of his shirt. Without ever breaking the kiss or speeding up the maddening movement of his hips, he traced the line of Owen’s collar down to where the top button rested. It popped free beneath Derek’s agile fingers, baring more of Owen’s skin to the cool air. Owen’s eyes flew back open when Derek broke the kiss and licked the hollow at the base of Owen’s throat. He swallowed hard, but a moan escaped anyway. He was already desperate for release, and Derek had hardly touched him. Against his thigh he could feel just how similarly Derek was affected. He moved his leg between Derek’s as Derek opened the next button and nuzzled at the skin he discovered.
“You smell good,” Derek whispered as he licked Owen’s breastbone and opened the next button.
“So do you,” Owen replied. He could smell the sweat from Derek’s day, but it wasn’t overpowering, just more proof of Derek’s work ethic. Overlaid with the hint of Old Spice, Owen found it deeply masculine and incredibly arousing. He tugged at the hem of Derek’s shirt again, hoping this time Derek would let him take it off. Derek reared back long enough to tear the shirt over his head and toss it aside before falling back on Owen like a starving man. Owen ran his hands over the breadth of Derek’s shoulders, reveling in the hot skin beneath his palms. Derek practically radiated it. Owen squirmed beneath him, but Derek grabbed his hips to still him.
“If you keep moving like that, this will be over before it ever starts,” he warned.
Owen wanted hours spent naked together, rolling around on his bed. He wanted kisses and hands and blow jobs and the stretch of thick fingers and a thicker cock inside him, but it had been too long since he’d had any kind of tender touch, any whispered words of adoration, any titillation that didn’t come from his own hand. He writhed more deliberately beneath Derek, making sure to keep his leg pressed where it would do the most good.
“Fuck,” Derek muttered as he swiftly unbuttoned Owen’s shirt the rest of the way and captured one of Owen’s nipples in his mouth. Owen bucked beneath him, all inhibitions gone. He rode Derek’s leg hard, desperate now. Derek shifted to brace himself and kept up his attention to Owen’s chest. Owen cried out sharply and shuddered through his climax, panting for breath as Derek kept going, licking and sucking at one nipple while stroking and tweaking the other.
“Derek!” Owen gasped out.
Derek lifted his head, his lips wet and swollen from their kisses, his eyes burning with need. Owen bent his knee, lifting his thigh more firmly against Derek’s groin. “Your turn,” he urged.
“And if I want to wait until you’re ready for round two?” Derek growled.
It was tempting to tell Derek to see how quickly he could get Owen worked up again—because Owen had no doubt he could—but Owen wanted to see Derek as out of control as Owen had just been. He wormed his hand between them to cup Derek through the thick fabric of his jeans. It wasn’t ideal, but Owen made it work, curling his fingers over the thick shaft that he would get inside him next time. Derek groaned and jerked against Owen’s touch. A sense of power rushed through Owen at the thought of pushing Derek onto his back and teasing him, but he wouldn’t be that cruel after Derek had taken such good care of him. He squeezed a little more urgently and carded his other hand through the soft hair on Derek’s chest. Derek shuddered, a reaction Owen stored away for later exploration. He pressed a kiss to Derek’s Adam’s apple, feeling the prickle of stubble and catching another whiff of sweat mixed with Old Spice. At the rate he was going, he’d be hard every time he smelled it from now on.
Derek bucked into his touch with a groan and then collapsed atop Owen, panting harshly into his neck. Owen slid his hands from between them and stroked Derek’s neck and shoulders as he basked in the sated haze wreathing his senses.
“I must be getting heavy,” Derek murmured after a few moments.
Owen tightened his grip, keeping Derek right where he was. “I like it.”
Derek relaxed back onto Owen. A part of Owen wished they could simply never move, but they’d be gross and sticky in the morning, and none of Owen’s clothes would fit Derek. Eventually they’d have to separate.
“Next time, bring a change of clothes,” Owen murmured without thinking.
> “Does that mean there will be a next time?” Derek asked, lifting his head. “I didn’t exactly make the best showing tonight.”
“You made me go off from a few kisses and your leg between mine,” Owen said incredulously. “I think that’s a pretty amazing showing.”
“I didn’t have enough control to even get you naked.”
“Which makes me feel incredibly sexy,” Owen pointed out. “The idea that I could make a man like you lose control? Yeah, not complaining here.”
“You are a treasure,” Derek said as he leaned in to nuzzle Owen’s neck again.
Owen would have beard burn all over his neck and shoulders at this rate. He wondered if he could get away with wearing a tank top in the shop tomorrow to show it off. Mel would have a field day if he did, and he could only imagine what Kit and Phillip would say, but it would be worth it not to have to hide he had a lover, and a good one at that. Maybe not a tank top, but he could get away with a V-necked T-shirt that showed off some of it. He couldn’t wait.
Chapter Fourteen
OWEN stretched languidly when he woke up the next morning, letting the lingering well-being flood his senses. Derek hadn’t stayed after they’d made love, but Owen had gotten a chance to ogle him as he’d unselfconsciously stripped to take off his sticky boxers before pulling his jeans back on over his bare ass. Next time they’d get naked together and stay that way for longer, but even with Derek getting up and leaving, it hadn’t felt dirty.
Dragging himself out of bed, Owen caught sight of his appearance in the dresser mirror. As he’d expected, the beard burn hadn’t faded completely. Oh yeah, he’d gotten lucky last night. With a self-satisfied grin, he grabbed a white V-necked sweater that would make the redness stand out even more starkly.
He showered quickly, as much to get his hair wet as anything else since he’d showered after Derek left last night. He took a little extra time with his hair and reached for Le Male rather than his usual work cologne. They might not have a date planned for tonight, but he’d see Derek, and he wanted to look—and smell—his best. As often as Derek had commented about how good he smelled, Owen might never go back to any other cologne.
He floated down the stairs on a wave of anticipation, set the coffee to brewing, and started getting everything ready for the store to open. The pot had barely filled when he heard Derek’s familiar knock on the porch door.
“You could just come in,” Owen said as he opened the door and pulled Derek inside. “You know you’re welcome.”
Derek raked Owen from head to toe with a hot look. “Damn, you look good enough to eat.”
Owen preened beneath the approving stare. “Good. As long as you’re the one doing the eating.”
Derek growled, a low rumble in his throat as he leaned down to kiss Owen, hard and possessively. “I’d better be the only one.”
Owen poked Derek in the ribs. “Hey, have a little faith in me. I may be a hick from the country, but I don’t cheat.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about,” Derek replied. “It’s everyone else seeing how good you look. And you’re wearing the ‘fuck me’ cologne again.”
“Maybe I’m hoping you’ll take a long lunch break,” Owen said with a wink.
“You’re going to drive me crazy,” Derek groaned. Owen just laughed and poured them both a cup of coffee.
When he handed Derek his, Derek ignored it in favor of grabbing Owen’s chin and tilting his head to one side. “Damn, I didn’t mean to get so rough last night.”
“You weren’t rough,” Owen insisted. “And I have shirts that would cover it up if I’d wanted to hide it, but I don’t. I’m not ashamed of us.”
Derek traced the slightly abraded skin with callused but tender fingers. “I’m not either. I hope you know that.”
“You took me out to dinner. You snuggled with me on a blanket in Gratz Park. Your being ashamed of me never crossed my mind,” Owen replied. “But this is something new for me. I’ve never been allowed to be proud of a relationship before.”
Derek kissed him again, just as possessively but more tender all the same. “God, every time I think I have you figured out, you say something like that and blow me away again. I have to get to work or Kit and Phillip are going to come looking, but I’ll come find you when I get a break. It’s already been too long since I last kissed you.”
“Then kiss me again.”
Derek did, slow and wet and deep enough to steal Owen’s breath and leave him hard and aching in his skinny jeans. He might have miscalculated when he got dressed that morning, but then Derek ran his hands over Owen’s backside and all thought evaporated, mist chased away by the sun.
“Derek, are you coming?”
Owen and Derek broke apart at the sound of Kit’s voice.
“Not yet, I’m not,” Derek grumbled only loud enough for Owen to hear.
“Quickie on your lunch break?” he offered.
“We did quick last night, even if that wasn’t my intention,” Derek said. “Next time I get you in bed, I’m not letting you up until I’ve explored every inch of you.”
“Who said anything about bed?” Owen teased. “I have a perfectly good office—with a lock—just down the hall.”
Derek swatted Owen’s hip affectionately. “I like this new, bolder side of you, but I really do have to get to work. I don’t want the boys coming up here looking for me.”
Owen liked the new side of him too. He’d never felt so free in his life. “Go on, but that offer for the office is open-ended.”
With one more heated look, Derek grabbed his coffee and strode down the stairs to get the boys started, leaving Owen in the kitchen, high as a kite. He was still floating on air when Mel arrived an hour later.
“Well, look at you,” she teased when she caught sight of Owen. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy. You’re glowing with it.”
“I am happy,” Owen said slowly as he realized just how long it had been since he felt this good.
“I’m glad.”
They settled into their usual work routine, Mel manning the cash register while Owen checked inventory and planned his displays for the next month. He’d need to place a new order of romantic suspense and restock the LGBT section. Pride Month had been good for business. Even his display was looking picked over, and the month wasn’t finished yet. “I’m going to check some numbers and get a couple of orders ready,” he called to Mel as he headed down the hall to his office. The shop wasn’t busy enough that he worried about leaving her alone to run things, and if they got busy, she could always call him.
He’d been in his office for about half an hour when a commotion in the front drew his attention. With a frown, he headed out to see what was going on.
“Don’t tell me he’s busy. He’s the one who told me to come to the store before he’d give me the last of the money he owes me.”
The pit fell out of Owen’s stomach when he remembered he’d told Leroy to come to the store so he could get it in writing that he’d paid Leroy back completely for the bookshelves. If he’d remembered, he would have worn a different shirt and his work cologne, because he just knew how Leroy would interpret his attire. “It’s okay, Mel. I finished what I was working on, and I did ask him to come by.”
Leroy shot Mel an I told you so look Owen wanted to wipe off his smarmy face, but that wouldn’t solve anything. He simply turned back to his office, knowing Leroy would follow him. “You’re looking as delicious as always,” Leroy said.
Owen looked back over his shoulder to see Leroy ogling his ass. Yeah, he would have worn different pants today too, if he’d remembered. He ignored the comment until they reached his office, and he pulled the door to without shutting it all the way. “Did you bring the notarized statement that I’ve paid off what I owe you?”
Leroy approached, leaning in as if to kiss him. Cheek or lips, Owen didn’t know, but he had no interest in either. “I’m not playing games,” Owen said, putting a hand to Leroy’s chest to k
eep him at a distance.
“Don’t be like that, baby. I missed you.” The wheedling tone in Leroy’s voice grated on Owen’s nerves. How had he ever found this pitiful excuse of a man attractive?
“I’m going to ask one more time. Did you bring the paperwork?”
“Of course I did, but you didn’t dress like that with the expensive cologne because you want paperwork,” Leroy replied, tossing the paper on Owen’s desk.
Owen glanced at it long enough to see it was what he’d asked Leroy to bring.
He handed Leroy the final check and crossed his arms over his chest, making it as clear as he could without words that they were done and Leroy should leave. Leroy looked at him more carefully, his gaze landing on Owen’s neck.
“Looks like you’ve been too busy sleeping around to miss me.”
Owen rolled his eyes. “We broke up over a year ago. You have no right to my time or my affections anymore. The only reason you’re even here is so I can get the proof I need that I don’t owe you any more money.”
“My divorce is final,” Leroy said. “We can do all those things you always wanted now.”
Owen resisted the urge to scream. “What’s it going to take to get it through your head that we’re done? If you’d told me this a year ago, I’d have been over the moon, but you didn’t. You dragged your feet until I got fed up. I’ve moved on. It’s time for you to do the same.”
“You don’t really mean that,” Leroy said, advancing on Owen again.
“I really do,” Owen said. “I’d say the beard burn on my neck makes that pretty obvious.”
“Come on, baby,” Leroy said, crowding him against the desk. “We were good together. Admit it.”
“No, we had good sex sometimes, but you were never good to me or for me. You were too concerned with staying in the closet.” Owen didn’t push Leroy away. Leroy was bigger than him, and any attempt would be futile. He didn’t back down, though, holding Leroy’s stare implacably.
“Don’t be like that.” Leroy leaned closer. Owen brought his hands up to push Leroy away just as Leroy kissed him.