The Hookup

Grant found the first empty seat at the bar, the seating arrangement put his back to the entrance and the other half of the room. Not something he liked, always preferring his back to a wall… or a hard chest. He smirked at the thought. In tonight’s case, a hard chest and body were exactly what he needed to drive away his funky mood.

As Grant settled in on a cushioned stool, the tight stretch of material binding at his thighs once again caught his full attention. He lowered his gaze to where the seams of his uniform were getting a workout, and he absently tossed his cap on the polished bar top. Yeah, something didn’t feel quite right with the slacks. He pushed back on the barstool and shifted his ass, trying to get comfortable in a pair of pants he hadn’t worn in a while, but had hoped would get him laid.

“What can I get you?”

Grant lifted his eyes, but not his head, his gaze landing on the bartender standing on the other side of the bar. He remembered this guy; the bartender had worked at The Hookup years ago when he used to be a regular.

“I’ll have a whiskey smash, no sugar.”

The bartender gave him a curt nod as he placed a cocktail napkin on the bar in front of Grant. Next came a small bowl of nuts. Grant ignored the lure of the salty nuts, a treat he would have normally dug into, but not tonight. The constriction around his thighs made the decision easier. Grant sighed. He worked out every day, especially now that he didn’t have a job. He tried to stick to a strict diet but had been honestly failing lately. The guy he lived with always had cake around their kitchen—and he nibbled at it, couldn’t seem to help himself. He had also been drinking more, like every day from about four in the afternoon until bedtime.

Hmmm. Maybe the problem was his ass, not his thighs. He grabbed the material at the knee and tugged, adjusting himself in the chair to negotiate more room inside his snug slacks.

“Home from deployment?”

Grant froze at the words. The sexy rumble of the man’s voice oozed with promise. The raw invitation in those three words had Grant immediately interested as he considered the question. Slowly, not wanting to appear too eager, he lifted his gaze and turned his head toward the alluring voice. Grant’s reply tangled in his throat as he was met with the most beautiful amber eyes he’d ever seen. Mesmerizing in color and flaked with gold and full of heated intensity, they held him hostage far longer than he’d intended. The guy stood close, closer than most would deem appropriate for new acquaintances.

The man’s presence claimed all of Grant’s personal space and everything Grant had been stewing over was instantly forgotten. The exact reason he had liked this bar so much came back in a sudden rush of explosive lust. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“Here you go. You want something?” The bartender asked the man as he set Grant’s drink on the napkin. Thank God for the bartender’s interruption or Grant would have made an idiot of himself for sure. He tore his gaze from the sexy newcomer and reached for the alcohol—a little bit of liquid courage to help swallow the lump of words caught in his throat. He downed confidence-building gulps until the ice clanked against his teeth.

“Yeah. I’ll have what he’s having. Make it two. Looks like he needs another. I’ll start a tab. Add his drinks to mine.” With the credit card handed over and the bartender departed, the sexy man’s gaze moved back to him. Grant was again held captive by the intense stare as the man bent closer to him, so close the guy’s scent had him wanting to bury his face in the crook of his neck and draw more of the tantalizing aroma into his lungs. Grant’s heart sped up as the newcomer casually rested his forearm on the edge of the bar, angling his body toward Grant.

The man was beautiful in all his sandy blond good looks, smelling of refined elegance, expensive cologne and rich leather, things Grant liked, but rarely splurged on. But it was the man’s lips that made him instantly hard. Lips that plump and full made for long lingering kisses, vulgar words, and carnal activities. The image he conjured in his head had him excited for the prospect and shifting uncomfortably on his stool as the material of his slacks trapped his cock behind his zipper.

“Haven’t seen you in here for a while?” The man spoke again, his casual stance not able to hide the intensity of interest in his eyes.

The heated current that ran down Grant’s spine added another layer of anticipation to the smoldering sex-fueled haze he’d been in since laying eyes on the well-dressed man. That deep husky voice alone would be enough to have him agreeing to anything the amber-eyed man asked of him. Grant had to remind himself there was a game to be played. Rules had been put in place for a reason. He cleared his throat, straightened his spine, and willed himself to meet the stare of the man whose focus hadn’t wavered and whose naughty grin hinted at promised passion.