Page 22 of This or That
Mike: 3 – Troy: 0
“I want to give what we started a try… give it a try… give us a try.” With that, the friend zone vanishes. I’m not going to call him out on his inconsistency, that’s for sure. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” I pull short intakes of air to suppress the urge to kiss him right here. “Every goddamn minute.” Impervious to my escalating yearning, Mike angles his face in such a way that his hot breath grazes my earlobe and speaks straight to my aching dick. “I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want you, Troy Hunter.” Now, I’m thankful that my jacket conceals the evidence of my arousal. “So, which is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“This or that?” Oh, now he’s playingmygame. He leans closer and questions in a whisper, “I mean, would you rather have my lips wrapped around your cock or be balls-deep in my ass?”
What? Did he just mention my cock and his ass without stuttering? “You can’t be serious! I didn’t ask for that!” My throat constricts. “That’s not fair, Mike. You’re tempting me with options I’d enjoy, knowing full well that you’re not going to follow through.”
“Says who?”
Chapter 14
Piece of My Heart
Mike
There’s no awkward silence during the forty-minute drive to Greenwich Village. There’s just two guys bringing each other up to date on what happened in LA or what triggered my unexpected departure from Rio. There’s screaming when I open the door to my gigantic brownstone.
I noticed how Troy’s brown eyes widened as he slid into the passenger seat of my brand spanking new BMW in the airport parking lot, but he didn’t comment. After all, what’s the big deal? It’s not like I’m sixteen and bought my first car!
“How many of you live here?” His jacket slips from the crook of his elbow and falls to the floor as he turns in every direction in the middle of the foyer.
“What do you mean, how many? I already told you that I’m single. I’m too old to have roommates, so it’s only me. Why?” It’s odd how his questions rattle my nerves.Am I pretending to be okay with having him here?I shake my head absentmindedly, chasing the stupid thought away, and it’s replaced by warmth settling low in my gut. My hand has a mind of its own and circles his wrist. We lock eyes. The heat turns to an irrepressible hunger for the person that I’m not supposed to be drawn to, but undeniably am. Touching him was a bad idea; it’ll undoubtedly lead to swapping spit in the entryway, which isn’t how I want this to go. Damn, my attraction to this guy is surreal.
“I don’t understand. I thought all Manhattanites lived in apartments. This is more like a house.” He breaks eye contact and adds in a whispered voice, “This is bigger than the house where I spent my childhood near Dallas, and there were seven of us.”
Now he’s the one who sounds odd. His voice. His words. His demeanor. It’s the first time that he’s revealed something personal, and from the way that his eyes focus anywhere but on me, I sense there’s something there. Yeah, he rubs the back of his neck, so it’s not the time to press the issue. Large family, but he didn’t say that hegrew upthere… My pulse accelerates as my overthinking head worries that he might have lost his parents or something. It’s not the time to pry quite yet, so I make a mental note for later…
Damn, I’m seriously considering alaterwith a dude! What has he done to me?
I disregard my apprehension and focus on the initial topic. “Yeah, it’s pretty big, but I knew this four-floor apartment was mine from the second that I stepped inside! The basement’s also fully finished,” I brag, realizing that this piece of information might sound on the abductor side. Nah, it’s perfectly normal to discuss my place’s layout.
Relax, man!
My brows knit and I fumble with my phone to put some music on. The moron that I am snickers at the irony of the random song, although I don’t want to apply pressure.I’m Your Manby Leonard Cohen. How fitting! I glance at him; his eyes convey mirth. He and I both know why we’re here, right? Clearly, it’s not to shoot an episode for HGTV. His eyes meet mine and his fingers reach for my hat, discarding it on the long black leather couch in the living room. His head swivels, and before I know it, his lips sweep across mine while his thumb rests behind my ear. The sweet gesture is so unexpected that it makes my entire body quiver in anticipation. I’m not nervous, merely expectant, but I need to buy myself some time.Am I going to let him fuck me? For real?I break the kiss and rub the back of my stiff neck, saying, “If you behave, I’ll give you a quick tour. I know that it’s bigger than the cabin, so the tour will take a bit longer. Let’s go.” For no other reason than to show him the way, my fingers crook and snatch his. My skin grows feverish. I can’t wait to be naked with him again.
“Must be a hassle to clean such a huge place,” he jokes when we arrive at the small backyard that’s encased between the adjoining buildings’ walls and designed to protect the area from prying eyes. It’s not suffocating, rather a little slice of heaven in the madness of a busy city.
“Right. It’s a good thing that I’m not stuck doing it myself then. Come on, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
A sly smile forms on his face. “Well, climbing the numerous stairs is a good workout.” Of course, he’s joking, considering how in shape he is. The second we arrive at the landing, he glances up and we both burst into laughter since this floor is mostly occupied by my private gym.
We stay on the threshold of the open-plan workout space. “See, it’s like you read my mind. Climbing the stairs is the warm-up. I have some gym clothes if you feel like working out.” His lower lip covers his upper one, and I cock my head towards the next flight of stairs. “Upstairs is the guest area, and the top floor is the master bedroom.” I swat his ass to get him moving.
A sigh escapes my mouth as we both catch our breath.
“By the way, how did you know which flight I’d be on?”
Running my fingers through his hair, I stifle a grin. “It took you long enough to ask!”
“I… I guess I was too stunned by your presence. Then, I tried to make sense of it…”
“It may come as a surprise, but I pay attention. A couple of your texts hinted when you’d be back.” I cough lightly. “Also, sometimes connections and money help.”
“Sometimes?” His strangled voice comes out as a question.
“Yeah, let’s leave it at that or you’ll think I’m a stalker and that’s how we ended up on the same cruise.” I’m not revealing my sources. “Wanna grab a shower?” My cheeks burn at what my attempt to change the subject implies. “I mean, with the plane and everything… I thought that maybe… you…”
