by Hayes, Lane
A vacuum-like static rang in my ears. It wasn’t until Danny nudged my arm that the typical raucous bar noises filtered through again. And when he scooted his barstool back a foot or two and raised his hand to flag down a server, everything seemed to return to normal. Sort of.
“Gin and tonic for my friend and I’ll have another martini, please. Thanks.” Danny tipped back the last of his drink then handed it over before twisting to face me. “So other than being out twenty-five bucks and possibly having an awkward conversation at work on Monday, that didn’t go so bad.”
“I—I don’t get it. What just happened?”
“We agreed to let Geordie win the bet, remember?”
“Sure, but that was fucking weird. Geordie knows you let him win, and Lauren knows you’re full of shit. And I’m…annoyed. How did I get stuck here with you?”
Danny snorted. “We’ve already established that you like me. Stop being an uptight fuddy-duddy.”
“A fuddy—? You’re…” I gritted my teeth and tried to think of a stinging insult to fit the situation. “Annoying.”
Lame. And the “That’s the best you’ve got?” twinkle in Danny’s eye told me he agreed with me. I was about to let him have it when the waiter stopped to deliver our drinks. When we were alone again, I leaned into him and kicked his shin for good measure.
“Ow. Relax, Ry. I still want to kiss you, you know.” He popped the speared olive from his martini into his mouth. “With tongue.”
“You’re reading way too much into a stick of spearmint gum, honey. Don’t flatter yourself. It was a joke,” I huffed derisively.
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“Are you fucking nuts? I’m not kissing you,” I announced primly.
“You want to though. Admit it,” he teased.
I blew out an exaggerated breath, sucked down half my cocktail, and slid off my barstool. “I’m outta here. See you Monday.”
Danny grabbed my belt loop and yanked me to his side. “You didn’t let me finish. I was about to say…”
“Yes?” I prompted with a rolling hand gesture.
“I want it too.”
We stared at each other for a heated moment. I had no clue what he was thinking, but it seemed weird to ask for clarification. When the growing tension went on a beat too long, I wanted out. “See ya, Danny boy.”
I pushed my way through the crowd and gulped for air when I finally reached the sidewalk. I didn’t dare stop to enjoy the refreshing autumn breeze. If I wanted to avoid any further confrontation, I had to boogie. Danny was the type of guy who liked having the last word, and that wasn’t happening on my watch. I fished my keys from my pocket and power-walked toward the parking lot behind the bar.
“Ryan!”
I ignored him and picked up my pace. I spotted my car and clicked my fob to unlock the door. Danny called my name again. I could tell from the sound of his footsteps behind me that he was closing in quickly. I had to hurry or—
Too late. A hand on my elbow yanked me sideways.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I fumed, pushing his chest to no avail.
He moved into my space until his nose was less than an inch from mine. He was too big and imposing, and the look in his eyes was straight-up dangerous.
My dick twitched in my jeans. Of course it did. I had a bad habit of coveting what I couldn’t have and getting turned on by the chase. My past was littered with embarrassing short-term affairs or crushes on guys like Wes and Finn. Men I admired but never had a real shot with. I didn’t want to add Danny to that list because against my better judgment…I liked him. Really liked him.
I leaned against my car and crossed my arms then tilted my head and fixed him with a blank stare I hoped conveyed the opposite of what I was feeling. Disdain, disinterest…that was better than lust and need followed by hurt, embarrassment, and a strong desire to crawl into bed and hibernate for a week.
“You’re my problem,” he retorted. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Home. It’s been a long day. I’m tired.”
Danny clenched his jaw as he shoved his hand through his hair and glanced unseeing at the brick wall to his left. The lone streetlamp cast a yellowish glow over us and threw shadows over Danny’s face, making him look fierce and yet somehow, troubled.
“You’re not tired. You’re mad at me, and you’re not going anywhere until you tell me why.”
“Watch me.”
He set his palm against the door, caging me on one side. “Talk to me, Ry.”
Nope. Not happening. I pursed my lips and looked away.
“Fine. Let’s try this instead. I’ll tell you what I think is wrong and you say hot or cold. We’ll make it into a game.” When I rolled my eyes in response, he chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes. Here goes…you’re mad because you wanted Geordie and Lauren to stay.”
“Cold.”
“Okay. You’re mad I gave Geordie money.”
“Coldish warm.”
“What’s that? Is it like someone putting an ice cube in your coffee? And don’t roll your eyes again. They’re gonna get stuck like that, and then you’ll really be sorry.”
“You’re an idiot.”
He inched closer, enveloping me in a blast of heat and need. “Hmm. Wanna know what I really think?”
My vision blurred. I struggled to focus but it wasn’t easy. My heart beat like a drum, my pulse raced, and breathing was a real challenge. If he didn’t back up, I might pass out. The fear of explaining a random fainting spell kept me upright. Well, that and the car. “I’m not sure,” I replied in a weak voice.
“You want me to kiss you.”
Silence. Not answering. No way. No how.
“Am I hot or cold?”
“Cold?”
Danny’s lips curled at the corner on one side, giving him a roguish look that reminded me of every bad boy type I’d ever lusted after. James Dean, Marlon Brando…he was sex personified.
“Try again,” he commanded, lifting my chin and rubbing his thumb along my scruffy jaw.
I stared into his eyes and whispered. “Hot.”
Bam! Danny pounced like a tiger.
He held my face in his hands then sealed his lips over mine in a toe-curling kiss that sent me reeling. I clutched at his shoulders to keep from toppling over then angled my head slightly and softened the connection. I obviously wasn’t thinking coherently. I should have pushed him back again, but when he hummed into the kiss and licked the seam of my mouth in a wordless request for entry, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. Not yet.
Danny expertly glided his tongue alongside mine in a sensual twist that made me yearn for more. I slipped my arm around his waist and pulled him against me. He was hard and getting harder by the second. When I tilted my hips experimentally, Danny groaned into the kiss and broke for air.
We studied each other intently. His nostrils flared as his gaze roved over me. There was a hungry, almost feral quality to his expression. I needed space to breathe but at the same time, I didn’t want him to go. I loved the way he surrounded me. It was a heady sensation to be the object of his desire. If that was what was happening, of course. Maybe I was dreaming. But then he spoke.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for three months now. You taste as good as I thought you would. Fuck, you’re so…much.”
“So much?”
“Yeah, I feel like I caught a butterfly and I don’t want to give you any room to escape.” He caressed my cheek then threaded his fingers through my hair and kissed me again. Slower this time and with care like he truly thought I might break or slip away. I hadn’t been handled with this much care in…well, ever. The gentle yet insistent tangle of tongues stoked the fire between us. We were chest-to-chest, hip-to-hip, but it wasn’t enough. My breath caught when he rocked his jean-clad erection against mine in a search for friction. I pulled back to gauge his expression before I climbed him like a cat testing a new scratching post.
And I saw Danny. My
coworker. The hot intern who could charm any customer into buying an extra case or two of wine after hanging out at the bar longer than they intended because the wine was fantastic and the company was even better. What was he doing here with me?
A passerby let out a wolf whistle as he moved toward the SUV parked two spots away from me. “Get a room, boys,” he advised with a laugh.
Perfect timing. The small diversion was my cue to back up and regroup. Alone.
“I should go.”
Danny bit his swollen lip as he reached out to trace my jawline. Then he stepped aside to give me space to maneuver to the driver’s side. I opened my door and settled behind the wheel…just as Danny opened the other door and flopped into the passenger seat, crushing the remnants of the to-go bag lying there. He slipped the paper bag out from under him and held it up.
“Well, this is shocking. I would have taken you for a neat freak. Looks like I was wrong,” he said in a mocking tone.
“Danny…”
“Don’t kick me out. I need a ride and it just so happens, I’m heading in your direction. I live in the same complex as you, other end, by the pool.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Small world, eh?”
“Too small.”
“Stop pretending you hate me, Ry. You were sucking on my tongue a few minutes ago. You must like me a little.”
I turned on the engine and cast a bored look across the darkened car interior. “I don’t know what to think, Danny. I don’t know what your game is, and I don’t want to guess. So yeah, I’ll take you home but, do me a favor and just keep quiet.”
He held my stare but didn’t respond. I decided to take his silence as acquiescence. I pulled out of the parking spot and headed home. To the condominium complex where we both lived. How freaking bizarre was that? Why didn’t he mention it sooner? Perhaps it was slightly paranoid, but I felt like I’d been stalked or at the very least, punked. Now here I was, battling a raging boner and the only thing I knew for sure was that I was in over my head.
Chapter 4
We made it to the first light before we started talking over each other.
“Aren’t you going to—”
“How long have you—”
“You go first,” Danny offered before pointing at the green light. “Can we listen to some tunes? It’s so…serious in here.”
“Help yourself.”
He leaned over, brushing my elbow as he adjusted the volume on a country station. “There. Now, what were you going to ask me?”
“You like country music?”
He chuckled, twisting sideways to face me. “Sure. Do you?”
“It’s okay,” I replied vaguely. “I like some songs better than others.”
“That’s probably the rule for most things in life. I like all kinds of music. Whatever fits the occasion, you know? And right now, the mood in this car is a country one.”
“How so?” I asked, amused in spite of my determination not to be.
I noted Danny’s nonchalant shrug from my peripheral view before he glanced out the window. “The ones I like best make me laugh. Anyone who can put God, beer, an Appaloosa, and a cowboy hat in one sentence is fucking genius.”
“Which song is that?”
“I don’t know. Someone will write it though. I guaran-damn-tee it,” he drawled in a good ol’ boy accent.
I chuckled lightly and caught myself grinning as he hummed along to the song on the radio. I figured that was better than talking. Words would only expose me and truthfully, I liked the way he filled the small space with a lighthearted energy. He had a way of encouraging me to relax without saying much at all.
When I turned into the condo complex, Danny guided me to a corner unit located next to the gated pool. I pulled in front and noted details like the riot of red bougainvillea covering the stucco wall outside his patio. I bet it was pretty in the daylight.
“Okay. I’ll see you later,” I said when he didn’t jump out of the car right away. He hummed as he unbuckled his seat belt, but he didn’t reach for the door handle. In fact, he didn’t show any signs of moving at all. “Danny?”
“Don’t you want to know why I kissed you?”
“Because you’re madly in love with me, and you’re tired of bottling your feelings. The dam burst and your passion overflowed and it became…that kiss. Now off you go.” I pointed to what I assumed was his condo meaningfully.
He snorted good-naturedly but didn’t budge. “Not until I tell you it was amazing.”
I killed the engine then turned in my seat to glower at him. “It was amazing, but if you’re playing a game, I want in on it.”
Danny furrowed his brow. Long shadows fell over his face making it difficult to see his expression. “There’s no game. I just took a chance and did something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”
“So you’re gay?”
“Mmm. Maybe.”
“That’s not an answer. And don’t tell me you don’t do labels,” I snapped.
He cocked his head, no doubt curious about my sudden intensity. “Aren’t gay or straight or bi labels? All right, all right.” He put his hands up defensively when he could tell I was about to blast him. “I guess bi works.”
“Have you ever been with a guy?” I asked dubiously.
“Sure. Lots of times.”
“Sexually,” I clarified.
“I know what you meant, smartass.”
“And?”
He leaned across the armrest and moved into my space. “Well, this is a little indelicate, but you asked for it so here goes.…My first real sexual experience was with my opponent in the locker room after a tennis match. We were fifteen maybe. I forgot his name but not the hand job. That was pretty fucking memorable.”
“What about women? I heard you had a girlfriend.”
Danny huffed derisively. “If I had a girlfriend, do you really think we’d be having this conversation now? Geez, you think I’m a tool, don’t you?”
“No. I don’t. I’m just…I thought you were straight and that kiss threw me off, that’s all. I have a problem with—never mind.”
“No shutting down now. Other than chronic stick-up-the-ass syndrome, what do you have a problem with?”
I snickered at his playful barb and pursed my lips thoughtfully. “I have bad gay-dar. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a crush on the wrong guy, found out he was straight, and wished like hell he’d change his DNA and just…be ‘the one.’ ”
“Wishful thinking gone awry. I know all about that, but not with men or women. Sex is sex. It should be fun. Everything goes south when you try to make something into more than it is.”
“That’s cold. I take it you’ve never been in a relationship if that’s your attitude.”
“You’d be wrong.” He smiled but the gesture was tight and pained and in terrible contrast to the bleakness in his gaze. “But it’s just me, myself, and I now.”
I cocked my head, surprised at the pang of jealousy. “Who?”
“I’ll tell you all about it over a beer or two. We can turn on a country station and listen to some cowboy sing about his woman taking his car, his kids, and his self-respect while we’re at it. Trust me, the right amount of someone else’s sadness makes you feel better after a while. Schadenfreude is real. Are you coming in?”
I gave him a lopsided smile and nodded. “Okay.”
His answering grin blinded me. I gulped and cautioned myself to pull it together before joining him on the sidewalk in front of his place then following him up the brick pathway to his door. He made quick work of the lock and wordlessly threw open the door with his arms outstretched in welcome.
Every light in his condo was on and so was the TV. An infomercial reporting a must-have gadget that sliced, diced, and possibly even made your bed blasted through the speakers. Danny gave me a comical wide-eyed look before rushing to locate the remote control on the coffee table in the living room. I took the opportunity to check o
ut his pad and catalogue the similarities to mine.
His condo had the same high ceilings and brick fireplace. The kitchen and dining room were smaller and way messier. In fact, he was kind of a pig. There was a T-shirt and a pair of balled-up, dirty socks next to the newish-looking gray sofa, an open laptop and a mug on top of the coffee table, and a pile of Tennis magazines stacked underneath the side table. The messiness indicated a bachelor lived here while the mix of fresh furnishings juxtaposed to the worn beige carpet and vertical blinds screamed rental.
Danny turned off the television then headed directly for the kitchen and returned with two cold beers. He handed me one and then skirted the sofa and fell onto the middle cushion. He patted the space beside him.
“I won’t bite without permission,” he said, smiling in invitation.
I let out a half chuckle and then took a swig of beer before joining him. “Nice place. Looks familiar.”
“I bet. Yours is nicer for sure, but I am closer to the pool. That’s a bonus.”
“Until every kid on the block is splashing and screaming their heads off,” I snarked.
“I haven’t seen many kids. Then again, I moved here in June and I haven’t been around much. I just met my next-door neighbors last weekend. They were throwing a party and asked me to stop by.”
“Did you?”
“Sure. To be polite.”
“And?”
Danny made a face. “And nothing. I had a beer and left.”
“Now you sound like a fuddy-duddy,” I commented wryly.
“Ha. Well, they’re not my type. Besides, it’s bad form to screw around with a neighbor.”
“What do you call screwing around with a coworker?”
He chuckled softly. “Is that what we’re doing? I thought we were just having a beer.”
“This is why I don’t like you. I can’t figure out if you’re playing with me half the time or—”
Danny lifted his beer bottle then set it on the coffee table and sidled closer to me.
“I’m not playing. I’m not clever enough for mind games. They hurt my head.” He waited until I returned his smile to continue. “Look, normally, I’d agree this might be a bad idea. But I think we’re different.”