"It'll be late before I get off," Kane said, to his own surprise. He absolutely didn't do casual sex. That was one hundred percent against his beliefs, but here he was taking whatever Avery offered.
"It doesn't matter the time," Avery said, and Kane nodded. This time Avery let him sidestep away. The distance helped with his perspective as he looked down his body, making sure his clothing lay right. He buttoned his suit jacket to hide his erection.
"I messed up your hair," Avery said from behind him. He was close again, not as near as before, but close. "Kiss me again before you go."
"Not here," Kane said, afraid of his own lack of control.
"A small kiss, something to tide me over until tonight." Avery leaned in, and Kane obliged. He forced himself to keep it small, to end the connection after a couple of swipes of the tongue. "I live a few buildings over, but I can come to you after you're off."
"Your house is fine," Kane said and ventured a look up into Avery's eyes. The intensity was still there. Just like before, those eyes had a way of robbing him of any sensible thought he might have, so he forced his gaze away and his body forward, moving them from the wine room.
"I'm completely open to wherever if it changes. What time do you get off?" Avery asked.
"Around two. Is that too late?" Kane never looked back as he moved them down the hall.
"No, whenever, even if it's later. I'll write the address down for you. Please don't stand me up," Avery whispered, sliding a hand back around Kane's waist, tugging him back against his body, before he took the first step up the stairs. Kane only nodded and closed his eyes, allowing the embrace. After a full minute, Avery let him go with a warm press of lips on the back of his neck before they walked back upstairs.
"I need to brush my hair," Kane said, pushing the dining room door open for Avery.
"Don't stand me up," Avery repeated. Kane never looked back, only nodded as he retreated to his office. He needed time. Avery Adams had gone from being the guest from hell, to kissing him like he'd never been kissed before. A kiss that extracted his soul and had him agreeing to a one-night stand. He was going to need lots of time to figure all this out.
Chapter 7
The time ticked by, and energy Avery didn't know he possessed coursed through him. It was already a little past two in the morning. As he watched the minutes pass, Avery wondered about the wisdom of the way he left the restaurant tonight. He had written his address and phone number down on an order ticket at the bar and waited to hand it to Kane personally. The later it got, the more convinced he became that hadn't been the best decision. Maybe he should have stayed until Kane got off for the evening, just to ensure the man didn't change his mind.
Avery had wanted time to prepare for Kane coming over. He changed his clothes several times before finally deciding on a pair of worn Levi's and an old sweatshirt from his years at Yale. He was barefoot and underwear free. He paced his strategically darkened living room. Candles were lit, music played softly in the background, and a bottle of wine sat chilling in an ice bucket.
Much like with that devastating kiss in the wine cellar, Avery had no idea where his need to romance Kane came from. He couldn't remember ever requesting a kiss, let alone stopping at just a kiss. Not really a kisser to begin with, he certainly never lit candles and played romantic tunes waiting for someone to arrive. But with Kane, he wanted things different. What those were, he wasn't entirely sure yet. All he knew was he wanted Kane more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life and this waiting only caused an uneasy desperation to build that he couldn't even understand how to process.
As the clock hit two twenty, Avery's internal panic began. He pulled the phone book from the drawer and searched for the restaurant's telephone number. He picked up the phone, but changed his mind. He decided to go there. When he put his address in Kane's hand, he made him promise again not to stand him up. He kept telling himself that Kane must have felt the draw between them. How could he not? But that didn't help his frantic heart. Avery grabbed his jacket, planning to go find Kane. He jerked open the door and came to an abrupt halt. Kane stood there, his fist in the air as if he was about to knock. Instant relief flooded Avery, and he reached out, grabbing Kane by his coat lapels, dragging him inside the condo.
"I didn't think you were coming," Avery said, and Kane looked down at his watch.
"I told you I got off at two," Kane said with that same sound of confusion in his voice he'd had at the table earlier.
"I know, but it's almost two thirty." They stood together in the entryway with Avery peeling off Kane's jacket as he spoke. The desperation of a couple of moments ago made him fumble with his task, but his most urgent goal in the world seemed to be to get Kane naked as quickly as possible. If he were naked, he couldn't leave. Avery didn't think, he just reacted and worked at undressing Kane.
"I had to walk over," Kane started, but Avery was past the point.
"You look good in regular clothes. I wondered how you'd look in jeans. You're hot as hell in those suits you wear." Avery tugged Kane's T-shirt up and over his head, smiling at the well-defined chest and arms now within his grasp. Kane didn't respond to the praise and Avery worked his jean buttons open.
"Button fly is only cool on commercials," Avery said with a small chuckle as he peeled back the layers of buttons until he pushed Kane's jeans down his ass, getting stuck on his thick thighs. For the first time since Kane entered, Avery looked up at his face. He saw uncertainty there, and Avery mentally counted backward, trying to remember the last thing Kane had said. He'd been so wrapped up in himself, he'd failed to do what he intended—romance Kane into his life.