Page 19 of Daily Grind
God, this man. Soft and hard. Forceful, yet yielding as he surrendered to Rob—then demanded the same in return.
They broke apart slowly. Brian’s eyes were wide and he licked his lips. “Chocolate.”
“And cookie dough.” Brian’s ice cream flavor.
Brian laughed, but it was tight. Too tight. “There’s something I should tell you.”
A throb of cold leached through Rob. He loosened his hold, opening space between them. “Yes?”
“I’ve never done this before.”
Rob’s heart hammered in his chest. “Licked ice cream off of a guy’s fingers?”
“Well, that, too.” Golden eyelashes flicked up and Rob was staring into Brian’s eyes. “I’ve never kissed a man before.”
Oh.Shit. He didn’t know what to say. Didn’t help that his first instinct was to giggle, because there wasno waythat kiss was from a straight guy. He finally found some words. “But you’re interested in me?”
“Oh, God, yes.” It came out in a tumble, all strung together. “I just don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
Standing on a sidewalk in public in Squirrel Hill. Rob slid his hands into Brian’s. “You’re not straight, are you?” He couldn’t be. Closeted? Maybe.
“No I’m—” He swallowed and spoke through a tight voice. “I’m bi. Bisexual.” Brian shook, and the deep lines were back in his brow. Tension upon tension. It wasn’t nervousness—it was terror.
Everything clicked into place. All the hesitation, all the uncertainty.
Gay guys weren’t always kind to bi guys. So many myths that led to cruel rejections. He’d seen that a few times. He knew that fear, too. Wondering if you’d made a mistake. Picked the wrong guy. Worried that heaven would quickly turn to hell and hate.
“Oh, Bri.” Rob pulled him into a hug, his voice thick in his ears. “It’s absolutely fine to be bi.”
All the tension left Brian and for a moment, Rob was certain he was the only thing keeping Brian on his feet. Deep breaths that evened out. Brian found his strength and pulled back. “I don’t live that far from here. Would you—” He bit his lip.
“I’ll walk with you.” He took Brian’s hand at let him lead the way. He wouldn’t spend the night, though. Not after that, no matter how hard he was or how much he wanted Brian.
From the heat of Brian’s hand, the flush on his skin, and the moisture Rob spotted at the corner of Brian’s eyes, he had a feeling Brian was too ripped apart inside to make any good judgment calls.
He wouldn’t take advantage of that. He wanted more than a quick fuck—he wanted another date. Many, many other dates. He wastiredof meaningless sex. Too old for that.
They walked around the block and back toward Murray Avenue on a street that ran parallel to Forbes. About halfway down the block, they came to a three-story house. “I live on the third floor,” Brian said.
Very close to Grounds N’at. No wonder Brian could take so many shifts.
They stopped on the small covered porch and Brian paused by the door. “Do you want to come up?” Hope in Brian’s voice and nerves everywhere else.
Again, Rob drew Brian close and kissed him, this time a tad more demanding. Wanting. Needy. They came together as before. No question as to their mutual desire. Brian was rock-hard. When Rob cupped his arse and ground against him, Brian made a little helpless sound in the back of his throat.
Lips sliding against lips and tongues fighting for purchase. Brian may have never kissed a guy before, but he had the whole process down pat.
God bless the women Brian had dated.
From the way Brian ran his hands down Rob’s back, pressing fingers into muscle, when they did make it into bed, it would be hot and heavy and give them both bruises. Brian kissed like he wanted to climb Rob’s body.
He wouldn’t mind that at all. A hot, horny guy who’d never had cock, but came with years of experience? Soundedexactlylike Rob’s idea of fun.
Except tonight was not that night. He gently separated from Brian. “I want you very very badly.” He stroked a thumb over Brian’s cheek. “But I’m not going to come up tonight.”
He steeled himself for Brian’s disappointment, but his heart still flipped when it came. The furrowed brow, the way he pulled back. “Why?”
“I generally don’t fuck on the first date.” True, though he didn’tdateall that often. “I don’t want this to be some kind of hookup. I wantmorethan that—or at least the space for it to grow.”
