Page 26 of Ethan

No.

The truth was, I was close to tears.

"Can I be honest with you?"

A flash of concern passed through his eyes. But his voice was solid. "Always."

"I don't want this night to end."

In his eyes, relief.

And understanding. Agreement.

"I'm going to miss you until I see you again," Daniel said, confirming the parameters of what we were doing tonight. And what we weren't doing. I was … I was close to tears.

My body ached for him.

Daniel's fingers moved from lifting my chin to stroking my cheek. I leaned in against them, soaking up their warmth and affection. He drew his tongue across his lips as his gaze traveled from my eyes to my lips and back again. I parted my lips and bit my bottom one.

"God, you're beautiful," Daniel whispered as he threaded his fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck. I trembled beneath his touch, his words filling a need I'd never known I had.

He drew me closer, his breath drifting across my lips. I steadied myself to fall into a deep abyss of euphoria with this man who had appeared in my life so unexpectedly.

Yes. God, yes.

I sighed and closed my eyes as he kissed me, ever so softly.

I gripped the shoulder of his coat to keep myself from crumpling to the ground as I turned myself over to him. I moaned, captured. There was only Daniel.

Golden trinket locks I'd come to believe no keys existed for fell open, dangling, one after another inside my chest. They left my heart exposed as our lips collided, seeking.

A chasm threatened to consume me as he pulled away.

Not ashamed of the fact, I whimpered.

Daniel was quiet as he gazed into my eyes, stroking my cheek. He dragged his fingers across my lips. "That was the best kiss I've ever had."

Shiver.

"I'll keep more warm for you." My cheekiness was coming back online.

Daniel smiled. "I'll gladly collect them." He leaned his back against his car, returned my phone, took his from me, pocketed it, and pulled me to him, his arms wrapped around my waist, my hard cock pressed against his. He moved his hands onto my ass. "God, you feel good."

I ran my fingers across the hair at his temples then dug them into the short salt-and-pepper strands that framed his handsome face. I parted my lips, holding my mouth open, my top lip touching his. We shared breath—once—twice. His warmth filled me.

"Jeezus," he muttered then clasped the back of my head, guiding my lips to crash against his. This kiss was harder. More urgent. One hand on the back of my head, the other hauling on my ass.

I changed my stance, grinding my cock against his hard shaft. There was no doubt about his attraction to me. He'd never done this with a man before, but his body was all in.

We needed to stop before I dropped to my knees right there in the parking garage. We were both gasping as I pulled away. "I'm going to leave you to take that kiss home with you."

Daniel chuckled. "Regretting my earlier decision about taking our time."

I brushed my index finger across his puffy bottom lip. "I want you too … but not tonight."

Daniel nodded. "You're right. I should go before I haul you into my car."

I moved back so he could open his driver's door. Our gazes were locked until he closed that door. I rubbed my chest as he pulled out of the parking spot and drove away. I tried to close some of those little locks that had been left to hang open. My heart felt entirely too unprotected.

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