Page 96 of Back to You

“Bet he took that well.”

“You know, it was sad. He told me I was smart, and that I shouldn’t end up like him. I just saw the future I could have had if I hadn’t hit rock bottom. It was terrifying. Not just because you weren’t in it, but there was nothing other than work. No life, no friends, no love. Just … work. How can anyone live like that?”

“I don’t know,” Brandon said. “But I’m sure happy to hear you say it.”

They smiled and clinked their glasses together softly.

“Are we celebrating something special tonight, gentlemen?” the server asked as she cleared their plates away.

“Just the future,” Brandon said.

CHAPTER 21

BEING THE EXCELLENT date that he was, Brandon walked Ethan to his front door. Well, formerly their front door.

“Where are you living now?” Ethan said.

“You know that apartment building on the corner of Broad and Grant?”

“Oh yeah. Do you like it?”

Brandon smiled. “Not really. But it works for now.”

Neither of them said anything to that. They both realized it was too soon in their reconciliation process to talk about living together again.

Brandon wasn’t entirely sure what to do now. As much as he’d love to be invited in, was it too soon? He decided to follow Ethan’s lead on that.

All too soon, they’d arrived at Ethan’s front door.

“Here we are,” Ethan said, leaning back against the door.

“Here we are,” Brandon agreed. He shuffled his feet nervously.

“Are you okay?” Ethan said, clearly amused.

“Hey, shut up, okay?” Brandon said with a laugh. “This is nerve-wracking! I don’t know if I should go in for the kiss, or just a hug, or a handshake or what!”

Ethan was now fully laughing at him. “A handshake, yes, definitely.”

Brandon grinned and stuck his hand out. Ethan took it.

Then used it to pull him in to a kiss.

Brandon had never known you could smile into a kiss before Ethan. Then he’d often felt himself smiling when he kissed Ethan. Now was no different.

They started soft and sweet, just tasting the wine still lingering on their lips. Brandon stroked his tongue lightly over Ethan’s bottom lip, and pulled it gently between his teeth. He was obsessed with Ethan’s mouth. He had a thin upper lip and a full bottom lip that Brandon just wanted to bite all the time.

Ethan’s hands rose to Brandon’s arms, sliding up until he looped his arms around Brandon’s neck as they deepened the kiss, tongues tangling gently before backing off. Brandon slid his hands around Ethan’s waist under his jacket, feeling the swell at the base of his spine where his back curved down to his perfect ass.

They stayed there, making out against the door, for several long minutes. Their kisses turned bolder, more aggressive the longer they went on, and Brandon felt as though his head was going to explode.

A soft giggle behind them pulled them apart. One of the neighbors nodded as she scooted by, heading for her door down the walkway.

Ethan ran a hand through Brandon’s hair and smiled. “Do you want to come in?”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” he said breathily as he pulled out his keys.

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