“Thanks for stocking the fridge,” he said.
She sighed theatrically. “You’re welcome. Just make sure you bring the rest home so Mrs. Martin doesn’t have to decontaminate the place.”
“Got it. No decontamination.”
Someone laughed loudly nearby. “I’d better go. There’s free beer and pizza, and I’m starving.”
She sighed. “Go. And have some fun for a change.”
“I will.” He probably wouldn’t. He usually snagged a few pieces of soggy pizza and washed them down with a couple of beers, then head home.
“See you Monday,” she said.
“See you then.” He tapped the phone and set it on the table.
“This seat taken?”
Graham preferred as little interaction with other people as possible. He worked to come up with an excuse to make a quick exit. “Actually—”
He looked up and froze. 247 was smiling down at him.
Graham’s heart took off like a runner out of the starting gate. “It is now.” He gestured to the chair next to his and did his best not to show how happy he was to see the man again—he’d learned years ago that it was always best to play it cool.
247 sat and raised the beer he’d been holding. Graham tapped it with his own. “To a great race,” 247 said.
“To a great race.”
“I’m Dan.” 247 offered his hand. The handshake was warm, firm, and just long enough that Graham knew Dan was interested too.
“Graham.”
“Good to finally meet you.” Dan’s smile was warm and inviting. Almost familiar.
“Same here.”
Dan took a long pull of his beer.
“Have we met before?” Graham asked, curiosity getting the better of him. “Maybe at another race?”
“Don’t think so,” Dan replied, blue eyes bright with pleasure. “This is my first in the area. Besides, I’m pretty sure I’d remember you.”
His memory might not be great, but Graham liked the answer. “How’s the woman you rescued doing?”
“She’ll be fine. It wasn’t a bad sprain.” He shrugged. “She just stepped the wrong way. Sad, though. She probably would have placed first in her age group.”
“And you would have beat me easily,” Graham pointed out. “That was really kind of you to help her out.”
“No biggie. I don’t really do these races to place. I’d like to think if that had been me, someone else would have stopped.”
Graham considered this. He’d have flagged down a volunteer, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t have stopped for the woman or Dan, for that matter. “You’ve been competing for a while, I take it.”
Dan nodded. “Since college. Worked my way up to a full Ironman a few years back, but I prefer the shorter races. You?”
“A friend of mine competes,” Graham explained. “She told me I should check out triathlons. It took me a few years to get my swimming up to par, but I competed in my first half three years ago. I’m hoping to do an Ironman next season.”
“Good deal.”
“Not so good,” Graham admitted, “since I’m having a hell of a time fitting in the training.”
“I know the feeling. These days, if I train at all, it’s mostly at the crack of dawn, although I’m usually relegated to the stationary bike in my basement.”
Graham chuckled. “Ditto.” At least the gym in his building had a great view of downtown Raleigh. He’d seen more than a few sunrises from there.
“They say the mark of a true triathlete is wearing your tri suit underneath your work clothes so you can snag a few extra minutes of training.”
“That, and the lovely tan that ends where your shorts begin.” Graham laughed and shook his head.
“But it’s all worth it. Because in the end, we can drink cheap beer and eat lousy pizza.” Dan lifted his bottle, wiggled it back and forth, then set it back down. “I need a refill.”
“I know a place with better beer and some of the best fresh oysters in town,” Graham said. Already the party was winding down, and the thought of another Bud didn’t exactly appeal.
“I’m game.” Dan pressed his thigh against Graham’s and Graham leaned into the heady pressure. He shifted in his seat to accommodate his hard-on. Dan was definitely game for more than just drinks. That would be a first, picking someone up at a race.
They slipped out of the bar and onto Front Street. The breeze off the river felt cool as they walked the three blocks to Randy’s Sea Dog. The place was filled nearly to capacity, but they found a high top by the window. It was a tight squeeze for two men their size, but the feel of Dan’s body pressed against his made it that much more interesting.
“What do you recommend?” Dan asked after the waiter took their drink order.
“The local oysters are amazing, and you can’t beat the shrimp. That’s also local.”
“Sounds great.”
Dan curved his mouth around an oyster, and his eyes sparkled with mischief as he playfully sucked it down. He licked his full lips and met Graham’s gaze. Each time, Graham imagined what Dan might do with that sinful mouth if they were alone and naked.
Two hours later, after polishing off several pounds of peel-and-eat shrimp and a couple more beers, they made their way to the River Walk. The Cape Fear River was dark and quiet as they looked out at the Battleship North Carolina on far shore.
“Seems more imposing in the dark,” Dan said. “My great-grandfather served aboard a ship like that during World War II. I’ve never sailed anything larger than a Sunfish.”
“Different times.” And thank God for that, since Dan leaned in for a scorching kiss that certainly wouldn’t have flown in the 1940s, at least not in public. Graham put his hands on Dan’s hips and pulled him closer, exploring Dan’s mouth with his tongue. Dan slipped his hands over Graham’s ass and squeezed, causing Graham to moan with pleasure.
When the kiss broke, they both breathed heavily. Dan pressed his thigh between Graham’s legs, pinning his cock. Graham slipped a hand beneath Dan’s shirt and ran his fingers over the ridges of Dan’s abdomen and upward, where he pinched Dan’s hard nipple between thumb and forefinger and rolled it.
“Oh hell,” Dan hissed.
Graham’s laughter echoed off one of the buildings as he withdrew his hand. “I’ve got a place at the beach,” he said against Dan’s neck. “Maybe we should move the after-after-party there.”
Dan laughed and nodded. “I’m in.”
They walked in silence over to the parking lot next to the race-party venue. The elevator doors closed, and Graham pinned Dan against the wall and grabbing the globes of his ass. Turnabout was fair play, after all.
“What floor are you on?” Dan asked with a grin.
“Top one.” Graham was tempted to suggest they just ride the elevator up and down, but he heard the sound of a door closing and decided his car was a better, more private option. He tapped the button for the fourth floor and the elevator began to move. Graham leaned on the doors and kneaded Dan’s ass as Dan began to unbutton Graham’s shirt.
The elevator stopped and they both tumbled out, laughing.
“I’m guessing that one’s yours,” Dan said, pointing to the only one on the top level.
Graham nodded and a moment later opened the door to the driver side. He adjusted both seats back as far as they would go. “It’s a little snug,” he admitted.
Dan grinned. “Plenty of room for what I had in mind.” He pulled Graham’s shirt free, allowing it to open.
“We could get into so much trouble for this, you know.” Dan didn’t appear the least bit concerned. And given the late hour and the empty top floor, the chance that anyone would see them was next to none. Still, knowing someone might find them only added to Graham’s need.
Dan pushed Graham onto one of the seats, then opened the passenger side and leaned over. “Nice leather,” he said as he worked open the buckle on Graham’s jeans and pulled them down, “and I’m really liking that doubl
e-clutch transmission. No gearshift.”
Graham’s laugh became a moan as Dan mouthed the fabric of his underwear, tracing the outline of his cock.
“Shit.” Graham gasped as Dan squeezed his balls.
Dan gazed up at him and caught his lip between his teeth as he pulled Graham’s briefs down. Dan took Graham’s cock in his mouth.
“Yes.” Why hadn’t he thought of this before as a way to unwind after a race?
A soft ringtone brought Graham back to reality. Not his phone.
“They’ll leave a message,” Dan said and got back to work.
Graham closed his eyes as Dan swallowed him down, gently scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin. He began to suck, pulling up on Graham’s cock until he had his lips over the glans, then swallowing him again.
Heaven. Graham didn’t care that his glutes screamed as he tensed them to push his cock into Dan’s hot mouth. Tomorrow he’d spend a few hours in Terri’s hot tub. For now, the pleasure was far greater than complaints from sore muscles.
“God. Your mouth’s amazing,” Graham said between pants and groans. He was close, so close that he could barely—
Dan’s phone sounded again, and he sat up. “Graham, I’m really sorry. Whatever it is, it must be urgent.”
Graham gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to bang his head on the car door.
“Hello?” Dan said. “No. It’s okay. … No. No, I understand, sweetheart. I’ll be back as soon as I can….” Dan’s voice changed from sympathetic and kind to more matter-of-fact as he continued, “Right. Sorry about that. I didn’t realize you’d tried me before. The restaurant was pretty loud. Sorry to make you wait.” He tapped his phone and pocketed it. He looked at Graham and pressed his lips together. “I can’t tell you how incredibly sorry I am.”
Not any more than I am. Graham strangled a sigh and tucked himself back in, then pulled up his jeans. A great night that would end with either a cold shower or his hand. Just perfect.
“I really didn’t expect—”
“Don’t sweat it.” The faster he got this over with, the better. “Things happen.” Like the wife or girlfriend back at the hotel, waiting for you. Normally he wouldn’t have cared—he never asked a hookup about his marital status unless he saw a ring—but answering a call from the little woman while you’re blowing another guy? Entirely unacceptable. Graham didn’t abide cheaters.
“You’re more forgiving that I’d be,” Dan said with a sigh. “I’m really sorry.” He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a card. “I’m moving to Raleigh. If you’re ever in the vicinity, give me a buzz.”
Graham had no intention of seeing Dan again, but he took the card. “Thanks.”
Dan ran a hand through his tousled hair, paused for a moment, then headed back to the elevators.
“Need a ride?” Graham asked, knowing he shouldn’t be so accommodating after the guy pulled a Cinderella, but unable to help himself.
“I’m at the Hilton. But thanks anyhow.” Dan pointed at the hotel across the street. “I’m really sorry,” he repeated.
Graham waved as Dan disappeared into an elevator. Graham pulled the card from his pocket. He crumpled it in his fist and tossed it into the trash.
Chapter Three
DAN Parker was never late. But his first day on the new job, and he had missed his appointment with HR by fifty minutes. His button-down stuck to his back, and his slightly too long, I-don’t-have-time-for-a-haircut hair felt clammy on his nape as he followed the administrative assistant to the conference room.
He should have taken his parents up on their offer to spend a few days in Raleigh while he and Lacey got settled in, but he hadn’t wanted to impose. Bad enough they’d had to drive to Wilmington and watch Lacey so he could compete in the triathlon. They were getting on in years and he worried about them chasing after a four-year-old.
“I’m so sorry,” Carly, the babysitter, told him when she’d called him at five that morning, sounding like death warmed over. “My sister-in-law in Durham can watch Lacey for the day, if you’d like.”
He’d driven a half-asleep Lacey to Durham at seven, but the traffic heading back into Raleigh had crawled along through a gauntlet of construction. He’d tried to focus on the song playing on the radio, but as each minute ticked by, he’d wondered if he’d made a mistake jumping so quickly at the job Terri had offered him. Maybe he should have taken more time to get settled in before starting work. As it was, he’d had less than a week to move into the new place and get Lacey settled into childcare. He didn’t even want to think of the piles of boxes all over the house.
“Don’t worry about it, Mr. Parker,” Carol from HR told him when he called from his car. “We can take care of your paperwork after the meeting with the partners.”
The administrative assistant held the conference door open for him, glancing nervously at a good-looking man in an impeccably tailored suit. He was leaning against a credenza, surrounded by a gaggle of young people in suits. With his dark curly hair, the perfect angle of his jaw, and piercing green eyes, he looked like he’d just stepped out of an advertisement for a high-end Italian designer. His expression reminded Dan of a marble statue: beautiful and inscrutable. And familiar.
Holy hell. It was Graham, the guy he’d nearly hooked up with two days before! This is not at all going well. He’d felt like a total ass leaving Graham high and dry. But Lacey started throwing up, and hearing her sob over the phone like that…. He’d been too nice to suggest that maybe the huge wad of cotton candy his parents bought her, not to mention the fried chicken fingers and milk shake she’d had for lunch, might have been the culprit.
The assistant mumbled something that Dan didn’t quite follow, waited until he was inside, and closed the door behind him. Graham made no move to approach him, although Dan thought he saw a flicker of recognition in those stunning green eyes.
Better get this show on the road. It’s not going to get any easier…. Dan was just about to introduce himself and make his apologies for being late when someone next to him said, “Dan, so good to have you with us.”
“Terri.” Dan took her hand, relieved to see Terri James’s familiar face. “It’s good to see you again. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“Don’t apologize,” Terri said. “Happens to the best of us. I’m just glad you took us up on the offer to join the firm.” Her smile was as warm and bright as he remembered from law school. He began to relax. “Let me introduce you to my partner and my best friend.” She gestured him over to Graham.
“Graham, this is Dan Parker. Dan, meet my partner, Graham Swann.”
“Good to meet you, Graham,” Dan said and held out his hand. In situations like these, discretion was always the better approach. If Graham wanted to acknowledge their near miss, he’d have ample opportunity. Still, what were the odds that sexy Graham with the perfect glutes would be Graham Swann? The man had quite the reputation in North Carolina: graduated top of his class at Vanderbilt University Law School, won a $4.3 million verdict in his first employment discrimination case, and founded one of the most successful employment-law practices in the southeast with his cut. All that, and he was only thirty-two, the same age as Dan. Except his bio didn’t mention he was a triathlete.
Graham’s face remained impassive as they shook hands, but Dan sensed Swann was more than just irritated. He was pissed. Not that Dan could blame the man, but—
“I have a meeting,” Graham told Terri. “I’ll leave you to handle the rest of the introductions.”
“Good meeting you…,” Dan began, but Graham had already turned and was headed for the door. “I’m afraid I haven’t made much of a first impression,” he added with a sigh. Dan had little hope of overcoming that first impression with the usual niceties.
“Don’t mind him,” Terri said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “He’s naturally prickly, but it’s been even worse lately. We’re drowning in work, and he’s taken the brunt of it. He’s been here until midnight nearly ev
ery night for the past two weeks. I’m sure he’ll be back to his usual self once you and the newbies over there are up and running.”
“I’m sure,” Dan lied.
“Settling in okay?” Terri asked.
“Normally I’d hit the ground running,” he replied. “But moving with a four-year-old is a bit more of a challenge.”
“I was so sorry to hear about Benn,” she said. “How are you and Lacey doing?”
“When Benn and I adopted her, I never figured I’d end up a widower and a single parent before she turned two,” Dan said. “But we’re doing fine. The last few years have been stressful, but they’ve also been pretty wonderful.” Still, he and Lacey needed a life, not the long hours spent working and commuting that gave them no time together. He’d jumped at this job even though it meant giving up his share as partner in the Wall Street firm he’d worked for since graduating from law school.
“I’m glad. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, okay?”
He smiled. “Thanks. The realtor and the moving company you recommended made it a lot easier.”
“Your parents live in the mountains, don’t they?”
“Near Asheville,” he confirmed.
“Graham’s from up that way. He’s got an amazing place near the Blue Ridge Parkway gathering dust—but that’s where you come in to lighten the load.”
“You said you had a few big cases gearing up for trial,” Dan said. “Anything interesting?”
“Could be. Graham’ll tell you more about it since it’s his baby,” she explained. “He handles the employment cases. I handle the labor ones, arbitration, and most of the proactive work with clients. There’s a little crossover, and some of the associates handle both, but mostly we tend to stick to one or the other. If you decide at some point you want to come over to the dark side, let me know. I’m happy to show you the ropes.”
“I may take you up on that once I’ve had a chance to settle in. For now, I’m looking forward to spending less time reviewing documents and more time in court.”
“You’ll get your wish. That gaggle of kids over there”—she nodded to the group of fresh-faced new lawyers who were helping themselves to coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts and gazing out over the city below—“will be taking on most of the discovery responses for Graham’s crew. We’ve also got a new paralegal starting next week.”
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