“Let’s get started!” Duke yelled from his office, his booming voice loud enough to reach them, even if they’d been standing outside.
“We better get in there,” Ford said, glad for the interruption.
Dana grabbed his arm – just like before – when he went to walk by him. “We cool, Ford?”
Ford kept his eyes on Dana’s nose, refusing to get lost in that pleading look again. “Yeah, we are.” Dana looked like he wanted Ford to say more, but when Ford didn’t, his arm was released. He walked out of the break room swearing at the heat he felt from Dana’s touch.
Dana
He thought his eyes were going to catch fire and melt in his skull. That’s how badly his eyes burned from staring at his computer monitor all day every day for two weeks. Duke told them it wasn’t going to be easy to find the Grossman brothers, not with all the connections and family they had. Thank heavens most of their trusted entourage was right here in Atlanta, but this wasn’t a small city. They’d reviewed the case files thoroughly to pick out names of likely people to start watching and put together a pattern. Dana did most of the computer searches and after another eleven hours today, he was exhausted. Duke could be overzealous when he had such a high-profile bounty. His company was considered one of the best and he’d do anything to keep that title. But when Vaughan – Duke’s life partner – was out of town on business, Duke had nothing but time and a drive to let work keep him distracted from missing his lover.
Dana went into his kitchen and took out a couple things to make a ham and cheese quesadilla. He wasn’t a great cook by any stretch of the imagination, but he didn’t have to live on frozen meals or order in every night, either. While the butter sizzled in the skillet his thoughts went back to Ford. The private conversation they’d had helped ease the tension they’d caused in the gym but Dana still had an unsettled feeling in his gut. He and Ford had unresolved issues, and he found himself still thinking back to Ford’s admission when they were on the mat… with that massive body on top of him.
Why did Ford care if he was being treated well by his girlfriend? Men – who weren’t even technically friends with each other – didn’t worry about those types of things. Dana could only hope that Ford actually did respect him. However, the next thought that entered his mind was: what if Ford cared for him in the same way he cared for Brian. Saw Dana as a little brother. Ugh. Shit. He certainly hoped not. Ford didn’t exactly reciprocate Dana’s touches to his arm.
Dana propped his hip against the counter with the spatula dangling in his hand. He didn’t usually take time to reflect back on his life, but the way he’d been feeling lately was causing him to do that more and more.
“Have you been with a man before?” His coach asked. He was so handsome. Maybe not in the conventional, model kind of way, but Dana was so enamored with his skill and knowledge that he’d morphed from a teacher and mentor to someone he had a craving to be around, to smell, to listen to. But his marksman training coach was nine years older than he was. Dana was of legal age, but barely. He’d just turned twenty-one a few months before. Any type of relationship between them was strictly forbidden. He’d been taking a rifle training course through the NRA while working at a gun range in Buckhead. His goal had always been to enter into marksmanship competitions and as soon as he turned legal age, he sought to reach that goal with every ounce of determination he could muster. He heard opposition and discouragement from all directions, especially his old man, but not Fisher. Fisher believed in him. Enough that when his classes were over and he’d far surpassed any other student, Fisher began to train him privately. The heat between them sparked, sizzled and combusted until neither could fight it anymore.
“I’ve had boyfriends, Fish. I’m not a virgin.” Dana tried to deepen his voice and sound more confident than he felt, but his body still backed up as his coach advanced on him. He didn’t know why he was running, God knows he’d wanted this for so long.
“I asked if you’ve been with a man.” Fisher put his large hand up on the door when Dana’s back hit it and he couldn’t go any farther. “Not boyfriends.”
Dana swallowed a mouthful of nerves and saw when Fisher’s dark brown eyes dropped to his throat. Damn, Dana wanted him to touch him so bad, his cock was pulsing and jerking in his jeans.