~~~
Levi’s breathing came in gasps, and his heart stuttered in his chest as he fought off the sated after-sex haze. He had no idea if Thane had gotten off. He’d kind of lost his mind buried inside that tight ass. He kissed Thane’s shoulder and reached between their joined bodies to hold the condom’s rim as he pulled free of the warm confines. The loss of such a mind-blowing connection left an immediate emptiness in his soul. God, he loved being inside Thane. He had never experienced anything like that with anyone.
“Are you good?” His voice sounded husky and deep even to him.
“More than,” Thane said in a harsh whisper Levi could barely hear. The thick sound of the other man’s voice proved he’d gotten to Thane just as much as Thane had gotten to him. Levi closed his eyes, squinting as he tried everything in his power to pull himself together. He could barely remember where he was or what he had been doing before he’d lost himself in Thane Walker.
“I need to get a rag to clean up.” Levi was still a little unsteady on his feet, his knees weak and his legs like rubber as he stepped back and pulled the condom off before tying it in a knot.
“I got it,” Thane said, his voice a little stronger. He had evidently recovered faster than Levi. Thane straightened, stretching to reach something on a shelf near the back wall. With his slacks still pooling at his feet, Thane turned toward him while running the towel over his hand. “Let’s get a room for a few hours when you get off. I think we need to talk. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Of course, Levi loved their sex. The first time hadn’t been a fluke after all. He and Thane fit well together, more so than anyone he’d been with before. The offer to spend time together was tempting, very alluring, but talking seemed more a code word for Thane trying to persuade him to take money, and he wasn’t ever putting himself in that position again.
Levi shook his head, not trusting his voice as he looked around for a place to discard the condom while taking the towel from Thane’s hand, swiping it over his sensitive dick.
Thane leaned into him as Levi started to turn away, then reached out, grabbing Levi’s arm, stopping his retreat. “Please. I was wrong. I’m sorry for hurting you. That was never my intention. Let me make up for how I made you feel.”
“No.” Levi prayed his voice sounded stronger than he felt. He wasn’t open to discussing what had happened between them. He couldn’t, not without revealing the inner turmoil inside his heart. This was the way it had to be with a man like Thane—he had to keep the boundaries in place. He tugged from Thane’s hold, severing the contact as he walked the few steps toward a trashcan to discard the condom.
Levi tossed the rag in the trashcan and pulled his briefs in place as he started for the curtain. From the corner of his eye, he saw Thane pull his pants up and start to follow, but Levi had to stop him. They couldn’t take this out to the floor.
“Don’t follow me. And please don’t bring it up again. It’ll ruin this.”
The club, the music, the low chatter of the guests just feet away slowly sank in. Levi was back to himself as Thane tucked in his shirt, fastened his pants, and buckled his belt. He should go. His break had to be long over by now, but for some reason, he stalled. His attention remained focused on the stunning Thane Walker standing in complete submission less than a foot away from him. Melancholy slowly blanketed his heart as he watched Thane straighten his clothing. No question, he was into this man. Really into him. Thane just did it for him, checked every single box of what he wanted in a man.
The loneliness he’d always fought grew stronger, almost suffocating him, knowing his heart’s desire was emotionally out of reach.
“I hadn’t planned on this happening like this. I just wanted to thank you for the employee assistance and show you there were no hard feelings.”
Thane’s face fell, and he started to speak, but Levi immediately lifted a hand, stopping him from interrupting.
“If you’re planning to be around tomorrow, I’ll bring that money back to you. Maybe during my lunch break at the clinic.”
“I’m leaving in a few hours, and I don’t want the money back, Levi. I want you to keep it, please. Look, we really need to talk,” Thane said, stepping into his space.
Levi fought the urge to pull Thane against him and kiss that sad expression off his face. What he wouldn’t give to be able to confess to Thane all this passion building inside him. Sex with Thane seemed to make him a little emotional. Levi’s resolve wavered. No, he didn’t want that. Thane was too sophisticated, too worldly. He’d sense weakness then manipulate Levi if for nothing more than the knowledge that he could.