Their ride lasted about forty-five minutes before Aiden guided them back onto the lake road, finally pulling up to Sam and Graham’s property. He shut off the bike and set the kickstand with his foot, while they both removed their helmets. Marc handed his to Aiden then slid off, wobbling a little. Aiden grabbed him by the arm, holding him steady as he climbed off, too.
“You okay?”
Marc nodded, feeling silly. And disappointed they hadn’t gone to Aiden’s house. Maybe he had read the signs wrong. Maybe the man had been messing with him. Hell, it wouldn’t be the first time a man had done that.
“Thanks for the ride,” he told him. “I loved it.”
“You have to work in the morning?”
Marc nodded and glanced at the sky. The moon looked overly big and he wondered if it was one of those super moons he’d read about. The light filtered through the trees surrounding the houses and butting up to the road. “I better get home. Thanks again. This was fun.”
He headed to his car, with Aiden close on his heels. “I’m fine, Aiden. You don’t need to make sure I get to my car safely. It’s like ten feet away from your bike,” he joked.
Aiden caged him in, with Marc’s back against the car door and Aiden’s arms braced on the roof. “I wasn’t worried. I just…wanted to do…this.”
His lips caressed Marc’s in a gentle, sweet kiss. Slowly, softly, Aiden tasted him. He nipped at Marc’s lower lip, and Marc whimpered, unable to hold back. Heat warmed his skin from the inside out and he enjoyed the slow build up. Aiden’s tongue swept inside Marc’s mouth as he took control of the kiss. Their tongues glided together, the wet heat driving Marc wild. Aiden tasted like brats and mints, and Marc smiled against Aiden’s mouth, realizing the man had eaten a mint in anticipation of this moment. The brush of his stubble on Marc’s skin felt incredible.
He slid his hands to the man’s shoulders, because, God, he was all muscles and strength, and Marc felt the power in him. His hands ran down Aiden’s arms, then he grabbed the man’s hips, pulling him closer so they touched from their chests to their legs. The kiss deepened and Marc felt Aiden’s hard cock pressed against him, and he moaned, rolled his hips.
Aiden cupped Marc’s ass and lifted him. Marc instinctively wrapped his legs around Aiden’s waist and held on tight, never breaking the kiss. Aiden’s moan sounded sexy as hell. Marc placed small kisses down the man’s cheek, along his jawline, reveling in the beard, and knowing he might have burn on his skin in the morning. He didn’t care and continued down Aiden’s neck.
“Fuck, your mouth is so hot,” Aiden breathed. “God, I…I feel like a fucking teenager.”
Marc prickled at that, but pushed it away. He knew Aiden wasn’t teasing him about his size. Marc had a lot of insecurities about that and had been bullied for years, so his mind always went there first when it came to comments that might be mean.
Aiden gasped when Marc nipped at his neck and moaned again when Marc licked it. “Better?” he whispered.
“Mmm. I don’t want to leave, but—”
“We have to,” Marc interrupted, knowing Aiden was right. He rested his forehead on the man’s shoulder and breathed in the mingled scents of musk, male, and the lake. His cock throbbed.
Aiden slid him to his feet, and Marc stepped back, staring up at him. The man looked gorgeous, even with his hair mussed from the helmet. He was built like a mountain, and all Marc could think about was climbing him. Which was reason enough to leave. He was determined not to fall back on old habits, but walking away from Aiden was harder than he thought.
“Good night,” he whispered as he got into the car.
“Night,” Aiden said.
A moment later, when Marc pulled away and looked in the rearview mirror, he saw Aiden still standing there, watching his car.
It wasn’t until Marc arrived home that he realized Aiden hadn’t asked for his phone number. Perhaps the feelings were all one-sided. He’d read the signs wrong before with men. If Aiden had been truly interested, surely he would have asked for his number—some way to contact him again. But then he remembered, he hadn’t asked for Aiden’s number either. Damn!
He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling long into the early morning. He knew the lack of sleep would make the work day hell.
When sleep finally claimed him, he dreamed of emerald eyes and vintage motorcycles.
Chapter 4
Aiden
Aiden had lain in bed for hours thinking about Marc. He couldn’t remember ever being this excited about meeting someone. Marc’s beauty was striking and had literally taken Aiden’s breath away. And that kiss was the greatest of his life. From the moment he’d met Marc, he felt a pull that had only intensified after the bike ride.
When he awoke at 6:00 A.M., Marc was the first thing on his mind, and he reached for his phone, wanting to text him “good morning,” not really caring if that made him sound too eager. It was only then he realized he’d never asked for his number.
It felt like a punch to his gut. I forgot to ask for his number. What the hell was wrong with him?
Maybe he could get the number from Sam, or at least have Sam pass his number to Marc. Anxious to get to work, he hurried through his morning routine and arrived at the office a good thirty minutes early. Considering he had slept only a few hours, he was kind of impressed with himself.
He hung out in the break room, and when Sam walked in, he jumped up to meet him.
“Hey,” Sam said, narrowing his eyes. “What’s going on? You look…jittery.”
“Oh, yeah. Third cup of coffee.” He held up his mug. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Sam arched an eyebrow. “Really? Hmm…surprised Graham didn’t tell me. Marc shares everything with him.”
“Everything?”
“Trust me. No secrets between them. I realized when I fell in love with Graham that Marc was part of the package.” He smiled. “Even was jealous of him once when I showed up and he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.”
Aiden’s heart stuttered and he gaped at his friend.
Sam held up a hand. “No, nothing happened. They’ve only ever been just friends. That’s it. But they are very close. So, like I said, I’m surprised he hasn’t already called Graham to fill him in.”
“Well, despite what you think, I dropped him off at his car and watched him leave.”
“Seriously? From what Graham was saying, I assumed you guys were…well, you know. But Marc’s not been dating. He’s been kind of in dry dock since he decided to figure out what he wanted.”
That statement made Aiden hope what Marc wanted was him. “Listen, I forgot to get his number,” he admitted sheepishly.
Sam laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. “Seriously?”
He glared. Sam wasn’t going to make this easy. “Do you have his number?”
Sam grinned. “I do.”
“Well?”
“Graham would be pissed if I gave it without permission.”
Aiden had been afraid of that. He sighed and sat in his chair. “Could you at least pass my number on to him?”
“Now that I can do.” He texted into his phone. “I told Graham you’d like him to send your number to Marc.” He glanced at the clock. “Looks like it’s time to get to work. Julie said we’ve got a lot of urgent visits. Sounds like strep may be going around again.”
Shit. He loved his job as a nurse and enjoyed working with kids, but strep could be dangerous. People were still so uninformed about it. It amazed him how many parents thought you could still let it “run its course.” Unfortunately, that could lead to heart issues and a rare disorder, called PANDAS, short for “pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections.” Aiden hated to see children in so much pain when they should’ve been brought in days, or even weeks, earlier. Most parents were on top of things, but sadly, still too many didn’t understand the urgency of strep.
It would probably be a long
day. Although, when busy, his mind couldn’t dwell on the man he couldn’t get out of his head.
* * * *
Three days later, he still hadn’t heard from Marc, and it ate him up. What had he done wrong? Had he said something? He’d hounded Sam for days, even though his friend promised that Graham had passed Sam’s number to Marc.
God, he’d never reacted like this.
“I know I’m driving you crazy,” he admitted as they exited the office at the end of the third day. “I can’t get him out of my mind.”
“You just met him,” Sam reminded him.
“Didn’t you say you were hooked on Graham the first time you met him?”
A goofy smile spread across Sam’s face, and Aiden felt like punching him. “Yeah. I did. It was definitely fate that we met.”
Aiden stopped and stared at him. “That’s how I feel about Marc. We had a connection, and I know I sound crazy or obsessed, but I just need to know if I have a chance at dating him.” He shook his head. He’d never had to chase a man. Hell, he had men throw themselves at him. But he didn’t care. He wanted only Marc.
Sam rested his hand on Aiden’s upper arm. “Okay. I get it. Look, let me talk with Graham and I’ll call you later tonight.”
Aiden nodded, hope threading through him. “I promise, if he doesn’t want to see me, I won’t ask again. I’ll give up.” Even though it would tear him up inside.
Aiden finally slid into his car to head home. The memory of his almost-empty fridge had him running to the market first. It would give him something to do instead of sitting at home stewing.
* * * *
An hour later, he entered his cabin, his arms full of groceries, when his phone rang. He dropped the bags as gently to the floor as he could and pulled his phone from his pocket. It was Sam. He swiped the screen.
“Hey, didn’t expect to hear from you so early.”
“Well, I talked with Graham and why don’t you run over and have dinner with us, okay?”
“Sure. I can be there in about fifteen minutes. I need to put groceries away.”
“See you soon.”
Aiden picked up the bags and made his way into the small kitchen, quickly putting everything in its place. He was out the door and on his motorcycle in minutes. He normally drove his car to work, but otherwise, he used the motorcycle for everything else.
He pulled up to Sam and Graham’s house in mere seconds, and found himself seated at their kitchen table a few minutes later, eating some amazing fettuccine Alfredo.
“Okay, who made this?” Aiden asked, glancing at both men. “Because I may need to steal you away from the other. This is incredible.”
Sam grinned. “Graham made it.” He leaned his elbows on the table and stared at Aiden. “But if you lay a hand on him, you will regret it.”
“Whoa, jealous much?”
Graham swatted at Sam. “Stop it!” Then he turned back to Aiden. “He’s kidding. Anyway, he knows I’ll never want anyone else.”
Aiden watched as they kissed and his stomach did a flip. He wanted what they had. He was thirty-two and tired of the bar scene, the clubs, the dating apps—well, hook-up apps, really. He wanted something real, and what he’d felt when he’d met Marc had given him hope he could find that.
He ate, waiting for them to bring up Marc.
Graham spoke first. “Look, I’ve been friends with Marc a long time. I know him better than anyone and I think he really likes you.”
Aiden grinned, not caring that it felt like they were teenagers in the school cafeteria talking about who likes who and what boy was the cutest.
“Wait,” Graham said, raising his hand. “He’s been hurt in the past and he’s spent the last six months trying to figure things out.”
“Yeah, Sam told me.” And he hated knowing anyone had hurt Marc.
“So, what I’m saying is you need to take it slow. He acts likes he has a lot of confidence, but when it comes to relationships, he’s really insecure.” Graham took a sip of his wine. “I wouldn’t normally confide in you about this, but the thing is, I think you’d be good for him. I guess you could say I’m very protective of him.”
“I just want a chance to get to know him. See if there’s anything there. And I think it’s great he has such a good friend in you. But just so you know, no matter what happens, I would never hurt him.”
“I know. I get it. And I know this might seem a little dramatic to you, but I wanted to be upfront. I did give him your number that morning. I didn’t hear from him until after work and all he texted was ‘thanks,’ so I’m not sure what he’s thinking right now.”
“I’m not asking him to get married, you know,” Aiden grumbled, fighting the feeling of rejection that welled up in him. If Marc had been interested, he would have called, right?
“We know that,” Sam said.
“It’s just, I…I’ve never felt anything like what I felt when I met him. It was like this beautiful, tender-hearted, smart, funny, amazing man had dropped from the sky and I…just want to get to know him.”
Graham stared sympathetically at him.
“So, we have a plan,” Sam announced as his eyes lit up. Aiden could almost imagine him rubbing his hands together in glee.
“And that would be?”
“Sam’s birthday is Saturday,” Graham said, “so we thought we’d invite Marc to go with us to the club where Sam and I met. We’re inviting you, too. I think if you guys were in the same space, you could talk…see if there really is anything between you.”
Aiden nodded, then sipped his wine. “That sounds like fun.” The fact his heart pounded in his ears over the idea of seeing Marc in a few days was not something to think about for the moment. “Casual. See if we click. I got it.” He wasn’t sure he sounded as nonchalant as he’d intended.
He hung around a little longer and helped with the dishes before heading home. Now he just needed Saturday to arrive—and prayed Marc would talk to him.
* * * *
Thankfully, the next day at the office, Sam informed Aiden that Marc would be coming to their house Saturday to swim a while, then accompany them to the club later.
Over the next few days, Aiden bought four new outfits, new shoes, had his hair trimmed, and cleaned his entire place. He was jittery and on edge as he tried to fill his time. It was amazing all the things you could do to pass the hours. His bike gleamed. His floors were polished. The urns by the dock had new flowers in them—pink and yellow zinnias—because the lady at Home Depot told him they were hearty.
He’d even downloaded a bunch of Wham! and George Michael songs and played them constantly when at home.
On Saturday, he worked on his old dock. He really needed to replace it, but he hoped, with some TLC, he could make it last another couple of summers.
He loved living at the lake where the peacefulness and serenity filled him. At night, he’d crack his window—even if running the air conditioning—just so he could hear the waves lapping at the edges of the lake and the dock. Cicadas, birds, crickets, he loved hearing it all. During a storm, the plink of raindrops falling through the trees always put him right to sleep.
He’d purchased a jet ski, but had no boat yet. He was hoping to buy a used one sometime next year, but he also had a lot he wanted to do to his cabin.
The place was small, but perfect for him. The second bedroom had a mattress in it, but he’d never had anyone need to use it, so he considered turning it into a workout/office area. He hadn’t made up his mind, though.
Since purchasing the home, he’d replaced the old linoleum floor covering the living and kitchen areas with hardwood. His friend, Gary, had helped him install and stain it, and Aiden was incredibly pleased with how it had turned out. He loved the dark wood and wanted to replace the cabinet doors in the kitchen and stain them to match the floors, or something close. He’d also replaced the vintage cone-shaped red metal fireplace with a small river-rock one. It suited the room and the style he wanted his home to portray.
Now, when he finished working on the dock, he was a sweaty mess, so he jumped in the shower to get ready for the night. He wanted to look good. He wanted to impress Marc. Shit, had he ever wanted to impress a man? He was used to hook-ups and nothing serious. But he wanted more. And he wanted it with Marc. It didn’t matter that he barely knew the man. He knew enough. He knew how his heart reacted to him.
Knowing Marc had been at Sam and Graham’s house swimming this afternoon had been hard, because the caveman in Aiden wanted to go over and grab him and kiss him until he agreed to be his. The rational man in him, however, knew not to do that or he’d be arrested and taken to jail. So he bided his time until it was finally time to go.
He took a last look in the mirror before he left. His dark jeans fit tight, while his gray V-neck shirt pulled taut across his chest and arms. He’d put product in his hair, trimmed his beard, and gargled with mouthwash.
He donned his black leather jacket and grabbed his keys, then made sure he had his phone. Ready.
He sure hoped Marc was also ready, because he was going to do everything he could to sweep the man off his feet.
Chapter 5
Marc
Spending the afternoon at the lake with Graham and Sam had been the perfect way to unwind after an incredibly stressful week at work. Graham had brought up Aiden only once, and when Marc told him he didn’t want to talk about it, his friend had let it drop.
Marc understood why his friends were confused. Anyone with eyes could have seen that he and Aiden had made a connection on the Fourth of July. Hell, he’d been half out of his mind with lust when he’d left Aiden that night, fighting the desire to turn around and ask the man to take him to bed. He’d panicked when he’d realized how badly he’d wanted to just go back to his house for a quick fuck. That was what he’d spent the last six months trying to get away from. He wanted to know a man, build a relationship. And he knew that with one hot look from Aiden he’d have been naked in his bed without a moment’s hesitation.
But he’d made it home without giving in. Not falling back on old habits had felt like a victory, until he’d realized Aiden hadn’t asked for his number. He’d stayed up most of the night analyzing that. Had the man simply forgotten? Or after they’d kissed, had he decided he didn’t feel an attraction? Now Marc was doubly glad he hadn’t given in and driven back. Finding out that Aiden had been looking only for a one-night stand would have killed him.
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