Leaning Into Series: The Complete Box Set

by Hayes, Lane

  I dropped my pizza crust and leaned forward. I didn’t understand the emotion in his voice and though I had zero desire to dissect any more of my past, I wanted to know what he was thinking. I grasped his hand and squeezed his fingers until he met my gaze.

  “Then why are you crying?” I asked gently.

  “I’m not crying. I’m overwhelmed by beauty. That’s all.”

  “Beauty? What kind of beauty?”

  “Love, understanding, family. You tortured yourself with doubt, physically and mentally, and found your way to the other side. No one gave up on you. Even when they struggled to understand you, they didn’t walk away. Fast forward a whole other lifetime, and you’re trying to show your appreciation. You took a job you didn’t want and made a success of it. I don’t think it’s just because you want them to be proud. I think it’s a show of love.”

  I let the ambient noise of restaurant chatter float over our table before answering him. Once again, he left me scrambling to catch up.

  “Thank you. I’m not completely altruistic. I do make a salary, you know. And commission.” I made a funny face to indicate I was aiming for lighthearted.

  He smiled wanly and threaded our fingers together. “Can I tell you a secret without you freaking out?”

  “Uh…sure.”

  “I think you’re a good guy under that yummy exterior, and it kind of scares me. There’s a good chance I’m going to fall in love with you after all. And if I do…I’ll hate you forever.”

  His flamboyant delivery diluted the sentiment and relegated it to an amusing throwaway line. I couldn’t pretend to follow him this time. I was firmly two steps behind. Nonetheless, I felt compelled to watch him closely and see where he led.

  I frowned. “I don’t want you to ever hate me.”

  Miles shook his head and gave me an indulgent smile. “I was joking. I could never hate you. You’re too shiny and beautiful. I can’t decide if I want to stare at you or mess up your hair and lick you all over.”

  “Definitely the second part.”

  He pulled my hand to his lips then licked the side of my thumb and bit it. “Like that?”

  “It’s a start,” I said in a huskier than usual voice.

  We snickered like a couple of school kids but when our laughter subsided, we couldn’t seem to look away. It might have been a natural release of pent-up tension after sharing sensitive pieces of ourselves. I was horny for sure, but the added dose of butterflies indicated I had a bigger problem than the obvious hard-on pressing against the zipper of my suit pants.

  Our friendship and my steady-growing infatuation had collided. Something was happening between us. I felt it deep in my bones. It was big and fierce and strong and had the unmistakable earmark of being the very thing Miles had warned me against.

  * * *

  We strolled purposefully through the mall, making sure to be in constant contact. Our fingers, elbows, or shoulders brushed as we leaned into each other, commenting on window displays we passed on our way to the exit. When we stepped onto the busy sidewalk, Miles grasped my hand to avoid being separated in the throng of pedestrians. And he didn’t let go. We traversed Market Street hand-in-hand. Our stride was even and unhurried. The thrill of this simple connection somehow fed the building sensual energy. I could almost feel the zing of awareness through him and into me. With every step, I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone in my life.

  I called the valet to bring my car around when we neared my office building. Miles thanked the older gentleman for opening the passenger side door before climbing into the vehicle and somehow, even that was sexy. The tilt of his chin, his smile and graceful movement. Had he always been so beautiful? I wondered if I’d unconsciously recognized something in him all along but hadn’t looked beyond the surface. I’d thought his silly superhero ties and socks were a whimsical sort of armor that, paired with his sharp tongue and searing wit, erected an invisible force field. Maybe that was partly true, but it wasn’t the whole story. And suddenly I had to know more.

  I stopped at the traffic signal on the corner of Montgomery and Pine and turned to face him. “What’s your favorite color?”

  “Red…or pink,” he replied a little too quickly.

  The streetlights and neon signs twinkled like stardust around him in the darkened interior of my Audi, giving him an angelic look at odds with the lusty curl of his full lips.

  “No. What’s your real favorite color?”

  He frowned then pointed out the window. “I don’t know, but are you waiting for yours? The light’s green, Gio.”

  I drove through a few intersections before lowering the volume on the radio and trying again. “So, what is it?”

  Miles let out an amused snort and turned in his seat. “What makes you think I wasn’t telling the truth?”

  “You answered too fast.”

  “Because it’s a simple question,” he retorted.

  “To some people, maybe. Not to you. So…?”

  He hesitated for a second then nodded. “Blue.”

  “I thought so.”

  He went quiet for a moment then leaned across the leather console into my space. He set his hand on my inner thigh then brushed his thumb over my crotch. “What’s your favorite color?”

  “Blue…or black or—what are you doing?”

  “I’m just checking to see if this conversation is making you horny.” He gripped my prick through my trousers and hummed in my ear. “Yep. It appears so.”

  “We’re almost home. Back up before you cause an accident,” I warned.

  “What are you going to do when we get there? Will you fuck me in the garage? We can climb into the back seat and I’ll sit on your cock and ride you—”

  “Stop,” I growled as I turned onto my street.

  “But you want me,” he purred as he unzipped me and slipped his talented fingers inside my briefs.

  I pressed the garage door opener with my right hand and cupped my left hand around his and ground my erection against his palm while we idled in the driveway. “Yes, but I don’t have a condom or lube so…stop.”

  He didn’t stop. He freed my cock and bent his head to lick the tip before sucking in earnest.

  I groaned his name as I slowly guided the car into the garage. Then I turned off the engine and clicked the fob until the door began a slow slide behind us. I glanced down at his bobbing head and did my best to swim above the onslaught of sensation and my own frenzied emotional state. I felt raw and scared of my feelings. I wanted to tell him I knew something was changing, but I wasn’t sure he was ready to hear it. I raked my fingers through his hair and lifted my hips to meet his mouth.

  The seat belt stopped me. “Mi…baby.”

  “Mmm?” He pulled off my cock and banged his head on the steering wheel as he sat up. “Fuck. That hurt.”

  “Inside. Now.” I unclicked the seat belt and opened my door.

  He grabbed his bags and bolted from the car, racing up the stairs ahead of me. I kept my gaze locked on his ass as he dealt with the lock. Lust turned to bemusement when he scurried down the hall ahead of me, flipping lights on as he made his way to his room. And when he slammed the door shut behind him, I was straight-up confused.

  I leaned against the doorjamb and instinctively reached for my throbbing pole sticking out from my fly. I was hard enough to hang a towel. What was he doing? His untimely quest for privacy was uncharacteristic. The guy rarely closed doors. It didn’t matter if he was showering, brushing his teeth, or getting dressed. Modesty wasn’t a concern. Usually.

  “Mi? What are you—?”

  “Stay there. Please. Just…give me a second to do…something,” he said in a harried, muffled tone.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m—” A clatter followed by a loud bang sounded. “I’m fine. Don’t come in until I tell you to in…five, four, three…okay. Now.”

  I turned the knob, peeked my head around the door, and stopped in my tracks. My jaw dropped cart
oon-style at the sight in front of me. Miles in black mesh and lace underwear on his hands and knees in the middle of the unmade bed.

  “Holy fuck.”

  Miles chuckled lightly and swayed his hips. “You like?”

  I swallowed hard and nodded distractedly before finding my voice. “Yeah. I like.”

  “Then come and get me,” he purred.

  I retrieved the supplies from the nightstand and set them on the mattress next to Miles. I kicked aside the duvet when it slipped on the floor then unbuckled my belt and shoved my pants and boxer briefs down my legs. Then I reached for the lube, intending to get right to it. But something stopped me. I was desperate to be inside him, but I didn’t want to rush this. I’d never been with a man wearing lace underwear. I splayed my hands over his ass, pulling the material as I kneaded his flesh. I traced his crack with my thumb and then moved between his open thighs to cup his balls and palm his heavy cock. The sharp duality, the contrast of his obvious masculinity sheathed in a delicate fabric, sent a shiver of intense desire skittering down my spine. If I didn’t get a condom on fast, I might not make it.

  I pulled my suit coat off then moved to the side of the bed. “Come here.”

  Miles glanced sideways then narrowed his eyes. “Aren’t you gonna—”

  “Yes, I’m gonna…but kiss me first.”

  He looked like he was going to argue, but he knelt up instead and shuffled toward me. He licked my bottom lip then sucked it tenderly as he unbuttoned my shirt. I moaned his name and pulled him against me, slipping my hands under the mesh to squeeze his bare ass.

  “I thought you’d want to just…do it.” He jutted his hips back and forth, wordlessly begging me to get moving. “Do you like this?”

  “The lace?” I asked, peeling it over his ass with care before grabbing the lube. I poured some on my fingers then pulled his cheeks apart and massaged the sensitive skin around his entrance. “Mmmhmm.”

  “Oh…fuck. Then why aren’t you inside me? Hurry.”

  “No.” I smacked his ass hard. “Slow down.”

  Miles whimpered as he pushed my shirt off my shoulders. Then he laid his head in the crook of my neck and raked his fingernails down my back. I pulled back slightly and sealed my mouth over his. Our tongues dueled in a frenzy, gliding and twisting in the familiar dance we’d perfected in a few short months. He began writhing in earnest when I tapped his hole and slipped my middle finger inside.

  “More. Please,” he moaned.

  I immediately added a second digit and then the tip of another. It wasn’t long before we were slick with sweat and precum and more than half crazy with need. I broke the kiss and did my best to get my breathing under control. It wasn’t easy. My heart beat like a drum, and every nerve in my body hummed. Electricity crackled and whirled between us insistently.

  “Lie down, baby,” I instructed in a sexy-hazed voice. Miles nodded then wriggled out of my arms and lay flat on his stomach. “No. On your back. Close to the edge.”

  He hesitated for a second before flopping over gracelessly. I kicked off my shoes and socks, rolled on the condom and added lube, then stepped between his legs. I set my hand on the back of his thigh and lined my rigid cock at his entrance and pushed. We sighed in unison as we stared into each other’s eyes. We held the connection as I slowly entered him. I noted the soft catch in his breath and the way his lower lip trembled. He seemed so delicate like this. So fragile. I wondered if I was seeing something new. Like a layer closer to the surface he hadn’t meant to reveal.

  I hooked my fingers under the bit of lace and pushed it out of the way. Then I gripped his shaft with my right hand and began to move. Miles arched his back and reached for my nipples, rolling them between his thumb and forefinger as he locked his legs around my hips and drew me closer. His feet on my ass and the erotic pull on my sensitive tits spurred me on. I picked up my pace and pushed his thighs open wider still then fucked him with abandon. The mattress squeaked in protest as we moved like thunder. I tried to keep tempo, stroking him in time with a steady rocking motion. But when I lost my rhythm, he swatted me away and took over. Then he curled his hand around my neck and drew me over him. He kissed me sweetly then bit my chin and gave me a sultry smile.

  “Fuck me, Gio.”

  The combination of the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and the way he physically surrounded me made my name sound almost lyrical…meaningful. I faltered for a moment as I tried to make sense of a new facet in this connection. I didn’t understand it, but I loved this feeling. Somehow I knew I belonged here. With Miles.

  And that was when I let go.

  I pistoned my hips relentlessly as I gave in to the mad race for release. Miles flung his arms around my neck and held on tight as I bucked and groaned and finally fell headlong into ecstasy. I came so hard I saw stars. My whole body tensed as pleasure flooded my senses, leaving me brutally spent in the aftermath but aware of Miles still moving underneath me. I fused my lips to his, devouring him with a hungry kiss, then I slipped my hand between our sweat-slicked torsos and jerked him off. He came with a cry a moment later.

  Cum shot across his chest and hit his chin. He laughed when I licked it off and then kissed him again. Or maybe he thought the “yummy” noise I made was funny. It didn’t matter. I loved the way he clung to me almost as much as I loved his blissed-out, happy expression. It should have scared me that the first thing that went through my head was…He’s mine.

  We lay quietly for a while then eventually cleaned up and made our way to my room at my insistence.

  “What’s wrong with my room?” he asked, running his hand down my chest.

  I kissed his temple and threaded my fingers through his hair. I’d never been much of an after-sex cuddler, but Miles didn’t give me a choice. He was big on snuggling at random times—like when we were watching TV or sometimes just engaged in conversation. We could be sitting across the living room from each other and he’d stealthily invade my space until I opened my arms and made room for him on my chest. I might have been taken aback in the beginning. But I’d chalked it up to a “Miles quirk” and figured I’d push him away if it got weird. Now, I pulled him closer, loving his nearness.

  “It’s messy,” I said. “I can’t relax around that much clutter.”

  “Hmph. I’m not tired yet, are you? We could watch a movie or something,” he suggested, gesturing to the flat-screen opposite my bed.

  “Okay. What do you feel like watching?”

  “I don’t know. A comedy or reruns of Parks and Rec? Something light then I’ll sneak back to my room and—”

  “No.”

  Miles propped himself on his elbow and gave me a searching look. “What are you saying no to exactly?”

  “Stay with me. In my room. I know it’s not Saturday but…I want you here.”

  Silence.

  Miles hated any prolonged quiet, so it was reasonable to expect him to say something. Anything. Yes, no, you’re crazy. When he didn’t, I opened my mouth to put us both out of our misery and find a way to take back my request. But he beat me to it.

  “What happens if I get comfortable and want to sleep here on Sunday or Monday or Tuesday? You’re going to get sick of me and—”

  “No, I won’t.” I set my thumb under his chin until he held my gaze. “I like having you next to me. Your snoring is kind of cute, and I can pull the extra comforter out of storage to keep warm when you steal all the covers in the middle of the night.”

  He snorted with humor then laid back on my chest. “So I snore and steal the covers, and you still want me?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  I did my best to keep excess emotion from my voice, but I wasn’t sure I succeeded. I stroked his hair, hoping the repetitive motion would help alleviate the wave of panic that suddenly gripped me by the throat. I wanted him. And I was beginning to think I might even need him.

  Chapter 11

  When Tom suggested that we let Stockton and my father think there was something bet
ween us, I’d braced myself for a few uncomfortable conversations in which I either told the truth or let them think what they wanted. I’d avoided discussing my personal life with my family since I’d made a mess of it as a teenager. Yes, they were supportive and loving, and I was grateful to have them in my corner. But we didn’t want the same things and ultimately, who I slept with was none of their business. Not to mention that the idea that a client gave even a passing thought about setting me up with someone was beyond distasteful. But as the last few weeks of the year drifted by, I figured I’d worried for nothing.

  Stockton never brought Tom’s name up in meetings. The most he’d done was invite us both to his company holiday party. We’d spent thirty minutes or so chatting about design elements he wanted to add in the final renderings before going our separate ways. No big deal. Though, I admit I was a little nervous when Talia issued him an invite at my father’s request to the Kostas Realty holiday party after I’d already asked Miles. He turned me down when I gave him the whole story. Honesty was important. I didn’t want him thinking I was holding back or worse, that I’d decided to sell myself out for this sale.

  Miles didn’t say much. He thanked me for inviting him but claimed he’d already planned to visit his mother in Fresno that weekend. I’d stood at that party dressed in a tux with a drink I nursed for four fucking hours, smiling with faux holiday cheer with clients and employees, and I thought about Miles all night. I knew he was with his mom, but the cellular silent treatment in the form of unreturned texts felt like he was sending a different message altogether. And being stuck with Tom was its own form of torture.

  “Nice party,” Tom commented idly as he sipped his champagne.

  “Thanks.”

  “I thought your parents might fly out for the occasion.”

  I turned to get a better look at him. “They’re too busy to travel at this time of year.”

  “That’s too bad. I was hoping to meet them.”

  “Why?”

  Tom looked a little taken aback by my sharp tone.