Chapter 22
“I love the scent of your cologne,” Thane whispered in Levi’s ear as they slowly swayed back and forth to “Demons” by Fatboy Slim. Macy Gray’s voice was sexy as hell, and Thane was certain this was the best dance floor in all of Coronado. He’d planned to take Levi back to where they’d started, try to rewrite their first date. As far as he could tell, the place held the same allure as before. He and Levi were magic together, everything Thane remembered from their first night together.
“Mmm,” Levi muttered. Levi had managed to seal himself inside Thane’s heart tonight. There was no turning back. Tonight, Levi had drunk more, gotten more comfortable, and let his hair down, so to speak. Perhaps Thane had encouraged Levi to drink a little more; he certainly hadn’t let Levi’s glass go empty once he realized Levi was a happy, agreeable drunk.
Now, Levi’s eyes were closed, the man’s thick body pressed against the length of his, letting Thane guide their movement. Thane held on tight, kept Levi right there locked against him, as they moved seductively to Macy’s unique voice. The song was as magic, erotic, and sensual as the man in his arms.
“This needs to be our new song,” Thane said, dropping his head so his lips were close to Levi’s. Every so often Levi would lean in and press his lips against Thane’s neck in the sweetest possible caress. Next time, he wanted that kiss to land on his lips. “Babe, when this color grows out, don’t add more. I like your hair’s natural color.”
“They call me Red,” Levi whispered as if that explained anything. Thane let the words bounce around his head, tried to understand, but didn’t really grasp their meaning.
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve often thought of you as my redhead,” Thane confessed. “My sexy redhead.” Thane felt Levi chuckle and start to pull away. Thane wasn’t ready to let him go and reached a hand up, encouraging his head back down. “Just dance with me. Let me hold you and pretend I didn’t fuck this up in the beginning. That you’re as into me as I am you.”
Levi’s warm breath slid over his skin as he snuggled his face into the crook of his neck, tightening his hold. “I hope I remember you said all that in the morning.”
“I hope you don’t,” Thane said. They had come to a standstill on the dance floor, no longer moving, just holding each other. “I’m afraid you’ll run away scared.”
Regretfully, Levi’s head came up, looking at him with less than two inches between their noses. “I’m not scared. I’m practical.”
Thane stared at Levi and contemplated that declaration. Instinct more than any well thought out plan had him answering before he thought better of it. “You’re scared.”
“You’re really nice to look at.” Tipsy Levi was really random. Thane busted out a laugh at Levi’s compliment.
“Well, I have something to confess to you. Something I should have told you before now, but on my honor, when it happened, I truly didn’t understand that you didn’t know.”
Levi’s gaze turned speculative and locked on his. Thane’s heart began the slow steady build of nervous anxiousness. Who the hell was he kidding? He was the scared one.
“But first, I think you need another drink.”
“If I have another drink, you’ll be carrying me to the room,” Levi answered.
Whatever Levi saw caused him to stand a little straighter. Levi didn’t move away nor did he let go of his hold, but Thane could tell he sensed something substantial coming. Thane swallowed the lump that formed. He just couldn’t justify another day with this hanging between them. Until he told the truth, he’d never know for sure if they were able to move forward and make a go of this relationship.
“My name is Nathaniel Walker. I’m from Baltimore, Maryland, graduated from Johns—”
Levi finished his sentence. “Hopkins University.”
Thane gave a single slight nod and his arm locked around Levi’s waist. They stood there, staring at one another for maybe a dozen seconds. Hell, he couldn’t be sure, time stopped for him as he waited for the fallout. The quiet between them felt mind-numbing. Thane’s guilt grew as he watched Levi’s complete non-reaction. Maybe he needed to explain.
“When I first reached out to you, I didn’t know you couldn’t see my nickname on my profile. I just enjoyed talking to you, getting to know you. You’re a fascinating, intriguing man. After I realized it, I honestly didn’t think you’d open up if you knew it was me…”
Levi’s warm hand cupped the nape of his neck, and his gaze dropped to Thane’s lips. He said nothing as he drew Thane to him and took his mouth at the same time his hips rolled forward and their erections met. Levi went straight for total domination. The kiss was possessive and urgent. Thane was so caught off guard that it took him a second to catch up. He found himself in the middle of the most erotic kiss he’d ever had and was struggling to process what just happened.