Page 95 of Say It Again

“Come take it from me.” Aaron broke into a wide grin. “I dare you.”

Daniel chuckle-growled, but just as he started to crawl toward him, Aaron’s phone pinged from the coffee table with a text, and suddenly he was lunging forward to retrieve it so quickly that he practically threw the laptop at Daniel.

“Whoa.” Daniel fumbled to grasp it. “Everything okay?”

Aaron’s eyes scanned the screen for a long moment; then he blew out his breath like he’d been holding it for a while. “Okay, kid. I need you to hear me out on something.”

Daniel curled his legs into himself and listened as Aaron began to explain an “opportunity” he’d been given. It was an “opportunity” that involved dinners, business meetings, and a man named Marco. It was an “opportunity” that he described in fantastically vague and nonthreatening language, using terms like “temporary scenario,” “mostly platonic,” and an “unfathomable amount of money for what it is.”

Which was what again? What the hell was it? When Aaron was finished, he looked totally drained. Probably because he assumed Daniel was going to panic, but it wasn’t panic muddling his brain so much as it was confusion.

“Do you have any questions?” Aaron asked. “Anything at all?”

Daniel licked his lips, zigzagging his gaze around the apartment. “I guess I don’t understand why you’re telling me this. It’s not usually something we talk about. Are you afraid you’ll start developing feelings for him?”

“What? No.” Aaron gripped his hands. “I’m telling you this because I won’t be home tonight. And there’ll be a few more occasions where I won’t be able to come home.”

“Oh.” Ahh, there was the panic, puckering behind his breath. “Oh, but I thought you said—”

“I know what I said, but this is different. I need you to trust me.” Aaron squeezed his fingers. “You trust me, right? You trust I have our best interest in mind?”

He did trust him. He wholeheartedly trusted Aaron. But he’d established that boundary for a reason. Regardless of how good the intentions, one couldn’t expect their heart to care. Sleeping with this Marco guy as in actually sleeping with him felt very heart-forward indeed. The heart carved its own path for better or worse.

“I promise, it’s not going to be that bad, and apparently he’s only in town for a few weeks. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

That was the kind of thing people said when everyone around them would definitely notice they were gone. Specifically, when they lived together.

“I am going to make this up to you.” Aaron cupped his face in his palms. “I’m going to make sure you feel supported and taken care of. I’m going to make sure you want for nothing.”

“Why do you keep saying that? Want for nothing. What does that even mean? What do I want? I’ve never asked you for anything.”

“You don’t need to ask. That’s the thing. I’ll take care of you. I desire to take care of you. You know what else I desire?” Aaron cautiously kissed his hand, peering up through his lashes. “To take you out dancing this weekend.”

Ooh, no he did not. Daniel shook his head and narrowed his eyes but had to pinch his lips together to keep from smiling. “That is low, sir. You think you can just take me out dancing whenever you need a solution?”

“What’s so wrong with wanting to show you off, huh?” Aaron whispered, hesitantly leaning in to kiss his neck. Daniel smothered the urge to gush. “You’re so precious. I want to show the world.”

Well, dammit. He was only human, so he exposed his neck further as Aaron kissed his way to that one place near his collarbone that made his flesh pebble in goose bumps. Call him scheming, but now would be a good time to hoist the only leverage he had. “Fine. But it’s dancing and the interior design conversation.”

Aaron halted, pulling back to eye him.

“Remember that promise you made?”

Aaron groaned as he stretched his neck. “I’m not going to say it, because I don’t think I have to.”

“That there’s nothing you can do to make what you make now?” His eyes rolled closed with his nod. “Trust me, it’s been said.”

“So long as you know.”

“Oh, I know. And I disagree.”

“Absolutely we can have that conversation, sweetheart.” Aaron wrinkled his nose. Ever the good sport. “Cannot wait.”

As Daniel stared back at Aaron, his smirk eventually dissolved. He sucked in a breath and dropped his gaze to the sofa. “You remember what we agreed, right? If you start to develop feelings—”

“Not going to happen, kid.”

“If you start to develop feelings for one of them, I’m the first person to know.”

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