Page 30 of Hot Zone

“We don’t know for sure, yet.” He rolled his shoulders. “I haven’t even thought about dinner.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”

I stepped up behind his chair and placed my hands on his shoulders. “That’s what I thought. You’re tense. Here, let me help.”

I started massaging his shoulders, using my thumbs to press on the knots in the back of his neck.

“Mars, this isn’t a good… oh man.” He groaned when I pressed on a hard knot where his shoulders and neck met. “You have good hands.”

“So I’ve been told.” I kept up the pressure until the tension in his shoulders lessened and his shoulders relaxed.

I was about to stop when he grabbed my right wrist with his hand and pulled me around the chair. Maybe just to tell me thank you or to ask me about dinner again. I really wasn’t surewhy, and I really didn’t care. I might not know what he wanted, but I knew what I needed.

I slid into his lap and looked up at him. He looked down at my lips, and I darted out my tongue and ran it across them, waiting to see what he would do. He reached up and slowly ran his thumb across my lower lip, and my whole body broke out in goosebumps.

Then his mouth was on mine, and fuck if it wasn’t a better kiss than I’d even imagined, and let me tell you, I have a great imagination.

My body melted into his, and he grabbed my ass, pulling me closer. I moaned and opened my mouth for him, and his tongue slipped inside, tangling with mine. The kiss went on and on until he suddenly pulled back, breathing heavily.

“Fuck, Mars, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Shouldn’t have done what? Kiss me? Because I beg to differ, I absolutely think you should have kissed me. As a matter of fact, I think you should do it again.”

He grabbed my hips and lifted me up off him. Then he stood up. “No, I shouldn’t have. You’re way too young for me, Mars. Not only are you Steven’s friend, you’re a guest in my house. I’m really sorry.”

I stood there, dumbfounded. This man had just set my entire body on fire with the hottest kiss I’d ever experienced, and he was sorry?

“Listen, Mars, don’t worry about dinner. I think I should go out for a while.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just watched him go. What were you supposed to say when a straight guy kissed you, apologized, and then announced they were leaving?

Chapter 10

Mars

I woke up Friday morning determined to make things right with Samuel. I’d climbed into his lap like a needy dog in heat, and that hadn’t been acceptable. He’d apologized last night like he was at fault, but I was the one to blame, not Samuel, and after he’d been kind enough to offer me a place to stay, too.

I rolled out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen, but Samuel wasn’t sitting in his usual spot.Fuck. Seriously kissing me was so bad the man couldn’t even be bothered to eatbreakfast with me the way he had every single freaking day since I started saying here?

At least he’d made coffee before he left. I stomped over to the coffee pot. My earlier thoughts about making things right gave way to annoyance. How was I supposed to apologize and make things right if he avoided me?

The cup I’d been using each morning was sitting on the counter like normal, but today, there was a piece of paper underneath it. I moved the cup to the side and picked up the paper.

Mars,

I had to go into work early today. Your breakfast is in the oven.

Samuel

Had to go into work. I rolled my eyes. Sure he did. It just so happens that the one time he gets called in early is the day after he kissed me, freaked out, and left.Whatever. I thought about ignoring the food in the oven, just to prove a point, but the question was… what point? It wouldn’t hurt him for me to skip breakfast, and I’d gotten kind of used to eating first thing.

I opened the oven and used a potholder to take out my plate. “Stupid delicious-looking breakfast,” I grumbled, and Kismet looked up at me and cocked her head. “Seriously, look at it.”

She didn’t seem overly impressed since she went back to grooming herself. I added my cream and honey to my coffee and ate the food. And, of course, it tasted as good as it looked.

Normally, I would’ve done my morning meditations, but I didn’t want to today. It would make me feel better, but the problem was I didn’t want to feel better yet. I wanted to wallow in my misery for a little while, so I skipped my morning routine and got ready for work.

The shop didn’t open for a couple of hours, but I’d been ignoring some of my least favorite tasks since the fire, so this morning would be a good time to get them done, and work would be a good place for me to put all this nervous energy.

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