“We can meet at my place. Christian is always at Rory’s. Even if he were to come home unexpectedly, you can trust him too.”
He inclined his head. “You mentioned seeing other people. I guess that’s reasonable. I mean, we aren’t boyfriends and we don’t even know each other very well. But, if you meet someone else or just want out…I want to know. There’s nothing worse than being the last to find out it’s over.”
“I agree, but it won’t be an issue for me. I play ball and go to class during season. That’s about it. The chances of meeting anyone else are slim, and I’m not looking anyway. That’s why we’re talking about this.”
“True.” He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “What about that last one? Do you really want to get tested? It seems a bit premature.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I conceded. “We can shelve that one for now.”
“Uh, yeah. Last Friday was amazing, but we don’t have to…you know.”
“Fuck?” I supplied. “Don’t you want to?”
Phoenix glanced at the table closest to us. “Shh. Of course I want to. I just don’t want to rush you.”
I waited for the family of four to pass our table before answering. When I did, I leaned in and spoke in a low voice for his ears only. “Are you fucking with me?”
“No. I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
“Well, don’t. I like it better when you’re nasty.”
“How nasty?” he purred.
“Very. Bring it, baby. I’m up for anything. Literally. In fact, I’m half hard right now. I want you…bad.”
“Be more specific.”
“Okay. I want to fuck you. And if you want me to be totally honest, I’ve wanted to be as close to you as humanly possible since the night we met. I’ve thought about you for months. I wondered if you were the one who got away. But you’re here and we’re talking about stuff that makes me hard and dizzy at the same time, like it’s an exciting new business deal. And I’m no businessman so excuse me if I’m a little too real here, but I wish I was inside you right now. I want your arms all over me and your legs around me and I want you to beg me to go harder, faster, deeper…all night long.”
“Holy fuck.” Phoenix widened his eyes and licked his lips. “I think I’m gonna pass out.”
“Don’t do that.” I grinned and reached for his hand unthinking. “Come home with me instead.”
* * *
Phoenix followed me back to my place. He parked in a visitor spot near the entrance and waited for me in the lobby. We held hands on the elevator ride upstairs, but we didn’t talk. I figured we were both anxious to get naked and really, there wasn’t much more to say. But when I unlocked my door and held it open for him, I sensed that his silence had more to do with nerves than desire.
I pulled my jacket off and set it on one of the barstools at the kitchen peninsula. “Are you thirsty? We have water. Maybe wine too…or tequila.” I waggled my eyebrows playfully.
“Water is fine.” Phoenix gave me a lopsided smile, then spread his arms to encompass the open-style space. “Your place is nice.”
The two-bedroom apartment was actually pretty standard for the neighborhood. We had high ceilings and plenty of natural light from the bank of windows opposite our small kitchen. The decor was student chic, but nice. The focal point was the large flat-screen TV in front of the comfy sofa.
“Thanks. You were here last week, remember?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t notice much. And now I’m kinda nervous, so I’m probably going to start babbling about stupid stuff…like how many video games you have.”
“I have a lot,” I replied, handing him a water bottle before moving into the adjoining living area and flopping gracelessly onto the sofa. “Wanna play a game?”
“Now?” Phoenix perched on the cushion next to me and narrowed his eyes. “I thought you wanted to…”
“I do, but you’re biting your lip.” I pulled him against me and rested my arm over his shoulder before grazing my thumb across his mouth.
“Hmm.”
“Video games help me relax. Do you play?”
“I played Mario Kart when I was little. Does that count?”
“Yep. It’s a classic and I happen to own it. Let’s play.” I shoved a controller in his hands before rummaging through my games to find my battered copy of Mario Kart 7. “You’re probably gonna kick my ass here. It’s been awhile, but the game doesn’t really change. It’s a racing game. There’re some cool features like hang-gliding and underwater racing. Oh, and you can customize your vehicle too. So, check this out…”
Within ten minutes, we were completely engrossed in the game. Okay, that’s a lie. I had a hard time concentrating. Phoenix downplayed his skills and his competitive side. He was ruthless. He leaned against me when he turned corners or made wild jumps. When he passed a level, he whooped with joy and when he slipped on banana peels or crashed into oil cans, he growled in frustration.