“Almost,” Meridian said, still advancing. “I just need one more thing.”
He closed the distance between them until Ex was pressed against the door. His jaw was gripped while Meridian caged him in with his other hand. Meridian manipulated him just how he wanted him and tenderly pressed his lips to Ex’s temple.
“I need you to concentrate tonight,” Meridian said, his warm breath caressing his face.
Ex nodded, his eyes getting heavy and his body responding as though it wanted to have a quick round two. He bit his bottom lip as he tried to hold his erection at bay. He was borderline embarrassed, but he could feel how solid Meridian was too.
“Focus,” Meridian whispered.
“How the fuck am I supposed to do that with you this close to me?” Ex murmured as he slid his hands inside Meridian’s jacket, enjoying the fine material of his dress shirt against his cold hands.
“That's what I mean. I'm always close to you, all the time. And that won’t change, do you understand me? Nothing has changed in the field, so we have to pretend that we haven’t either.”
“Yes. I understand, Mere.” Ex tilted his head up and gazed at Meridian in a way that he hoped showed how fucking wonderful he thought he was, and the current plan that they were on their way to execute was nothing short of ingenious.
Meridian's eyes seemed to get even darker just before he leaned in and firmly pressed his mouth to his and sucked his tongue between his lips. Ex moaned and clutched at the back of Meridian's dress shirt. A small indulgence now was okay, they weren’t in the field yet. He reeled at the feel of Meridian's dick nudging his own. It felt as if his partner was trying to push him outside without opening the door. Ex leaned his head back against the hard wood while Meridian licked at his sensitive throat.
“We have reservations,” Meridian said, his raspy voice tickling the rim of his ear.
“You make it sound like we're going on a date.”
Meridian leaned back and gazed in his eyes. “Is that what you want?”
“I don’t want for something I can’t have. I know how we’ll need to live,” Ex whispered, then pulled Meridian back to him. He didn’t want to talk about this.
Meridian worked his way over his jaw to his lips with those soft, warm kisses, then murmured against his mouth, “We have to go.”
“Then you gotta unpin me and give me my tongue back.” Ex laughed, throaty and real.
Meridian eased back a fraction as if he wanted to get a better look at him. He didn't know what the expression meant that he gave him but Ex’s faint chuckle and slight smile quickly fell away into silence. Meridian turned off the foyer lights, making the cabin too dark for them to make out each other’s features, but he still caught a flash of radiance in Meridian's eyes.
An expression far different than before.
After Meridian checked his coat, he didn’t bother keeping his table in the dining room. Instead, he took a seat at the end of the pristine white marble-topped bar while Ex sat at one of the high-top tables on the opposite side of the lounge. He’d already surveyed the layout of the restaurant and knew this was the best location to keep an eye on their target and to watch the front door.
Meridian unbuttoned his suit jacket and glanced over the liquor selection stacked on gleaming glass shelves on an island in the center of the bar. Nikolai’s Roof on the thirtieth floor of the Hilton Hotel was so over-the-top-pretentious that the menu offered only four entrees at market price, and each guest was served complimentary champagne from the swan-shaped ice sculpture in the center of the room. It was absurd. However, what he did like was the brand names of international quality liquor.
“Good evening.” The bartender approached him with a mature, enticing smile. She placed a Hilton beverage napkin in front of him then braced both hands on the bar, staring him straight in his eyes. “I’m Daphne, Welcome to Nikolai’s. What’s your pleasure tonight... to drink?”
“Depends,” Meridian said, throatily, picking up on her innuendo.
He eased gracefully into character, knowing what he had to do, and the sooner he got on with it the better. The DA was already seated in the dining room with his company for the weekend. And since Mr. Chuck Rowland Senior had booked the expensive escort for the next forty-eight hours, this was the best way for Meridian and Ex to get to him without breaking one of their rules and involving a woman.
“On what?” She leaned in a little closer as if he was about to tell her some big secret. Her full, dark brown hair was pulled up into a beautiful style, with a few wisps and tendrils left out to dance around her face. She wore little makeup, just a touch of color on her eyelids and some gloss on her pink lips. Her starched white tuxedo shirt was unfastened to the third button and he was just able to see a hint of cleavage peeking out of her black lacy bra... and Meridian made sure she saw his interest.