Page 13 of Lustful Nights

“Hey, bro. I wanted to call and thank you for your help last night. I know getting older doesn’t mean much, but I’m appreciative that you helped me set up and do everything.”

“Of course. Sorry I left a little early. I had a lot of studying that I needed to get done today.”

“Have I told you lately how damn proud I am of you? Realizing you didn’t like what you were doing in life and deciding to go back to school? You knew it wouldn’t be easy, but here you are, kicking ass and taking names.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, closing my eyes, the guilt setting in.

“All right, I’m going to call Jensen and see if he wants to hang out. I’ll talk to you later.” He hangs up without saying a word, and I sigh loudly. Twirling around the phone in my hands, I look at the time, seeing it’s still thirty minutes till 4.

Well, what do I do now? I can’t show up on Jensen’s doorstep if Nick is there. But I’m also sure I will combust into a million little pieces if I can’t talk to him today. Decisions, decisions. My phone buzzes on the desk again and my heart does a somersault when I see Jensen’s name on the screen.

I probably should have remembered that I have his number in my phone.

“Hello,” I squeak out, wincing when I hear how squeaky my voice sounds.

“Hey, Lennox. Wanted to see if you’re still planning on coming by soon. Nick wanted to hang out, but I told him I had plans.”

“Plans with me,” I murmur.

“Yeah, or at least that’s what I was hoping for.” He chuckles and I squeeze the phone tightly in my hand.

“I’ll be right there.”

I don’t wait for him to respond. I hang up the phone and rush to get my wallet and keys. Before I know it, I’ve made it across town and I’m standing on his doorstep ready to knock.

“Hi,” he whispers when he swings the door open.

“Hi,” I reply, my feet stuck in place. Jensen is wearing dark blue jeans and a plain white tee stretched across his muscles. His hair is scattered haphazardly like he’s been running his hands through it, and a pair of glasses cover his ocean-blue eyes. “I didn’t know you wore glasses.”

“Oh.” He takes them off his face, smiling at me. “I usually wear them when I’m working. It helps with the strain from the screens.”

“They look great on you.” After dropping that small bomb, we both stare at one another, and I wait for him to make the next move. I still don’t know where his head is or what he’s expecting from this, so I need to wait. Because if I try to think about what this could mean, I’ll drive myself crazy with worry. “I’m surprised you didn’t come to the club to try talking to me.” Okay, apparently, I’m not going to wait for him to bring it up first.

“We should probably talk about that. Come on in.”

I follow him into his house, and I take a second to look around his space. I’ve only been here a handful of times and it’s always been with Nick. Jensen wasn’t really my friend, so I had no reason to be here. His home suits him, done in mostly black and shades of gray, but the bright red blankets and pillows thrown on the couch surprise me. I didn’t expect to see as much color as I do. There’s a bunch of art pieces on the wall, every one of them full of color. A few drawings, some framed, are scattered around the room. A vanilla scent is in the air, plus something that smells of just Jensen.

“Your place has changed a lot since the last time I was here.”

“I think it’s been like a year since you’ve been here. Hell, it was probably around the time I moved in.” He guides me to the kitchen, pulling open the door to the fridge. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Sure. Water is fine.” I watch as he rummages around in the fridge before handing over a bottle of water. “Is this as awkward for you as it is for me?”

Jensen laughs a throaty laugh, facing me. “Yeah, it really is. Honestly, the past couple of weeks have been really damn confusing for me. It feels like my whole life has been turned on its head, and I don’t know what to think anymore,” Jensen admits, his eyes meeting mine.

“Was the kiss a mistake?” I ask him quietly, avoiding eye contact. I’m not sure I can handle him saying our passionate kiss was a mistake. Running away and evading him for the rest of my life seems like the best option.

“What? God, no.” He comes to stand beside him, grabbing hold of my hand. “Lennox, that kiss was the best kiss of my life. Can we talk about everything? From the start to finish?”

“Sure.”

He grabs hold of my hand, dragging me toward his couch. I plop down onto the cushion, sitting with my knees underneath me. Jensen takes the spot right next to me and turns to stare at me head-on.

“All right, so I went to Peaches for a party for my boss. It was his bachelor party, and I had to go. I headed there thinking I would show my face and then I would leave quickly. That plan went to smoke as soon as I saw you on stage. When I got home that night, I couldn’t get you out of my head. I told myself it was because you’re Nick’s younger brother and there’s no way he would let you work there. So, I went back the following evening, telling myself it was only because I was checking in on you.”

“It was more than that?” I ask, hopeful.

“It was definitely more than that. I still can’t explain it. For as long as I can remember, I thought I was straight. I mean, I could acknowledge when a man was good-looking, but it never went more than that. Until you.”

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