Perfect Alignment (Thorne and Dash 3)

“In a toppy mood, are you?”

Thorne gave him a look that sent heat shooting to Riley’s cock. “I just might be.”

Riley ripped the paper off the box and opened it. The bracelet inside was intricately woven, beautiful. “Oh, wow! Thank you. It’s beautiful. It reminds me of the ropes on your boat.”

“Our boat,” Thorne corrected.

“Yes.” He looked up and nearly fell into the lust in Thorne’s eyes. “Our boat.”

Someone cleared their throat, and Riley realized the server was standing nearby with a tray.

“Would you prefer I gave you more time?” he asked.

Thorne shook his head. “No, please go ahead.”

When the kartoffelpuffer was placed in the center of the table and two small plates were left for them to use, the server hurried away as if sensing they really would’ve preferred to be alone.

“Maybe I should have requested the private room,” Thorne said.

“Maybe, but we would’ve been tempted to put it to lascivious use.”

“Mmmm, I could arrange that.”

Riley shook his head. “I don’t think this is that sort of establishment.”

“No, but they do love me.”

“Apparently so.”

Riley held out his left arm. “Would you put the bracelet on me?”

“So you like it?”

Thorne was adorable when he was fishing for praise. “I do. It’s perfect and much better than a ring because I’m really not taking this one off”—he gazed longingly at Spiderman’s face—“except when I knead dough, but I keep it right by me.”

“You do realize that was my only option,” Thorne said, inclining his head toward the ring.

“Think about the first time we came here, and imagine the man who sat across from me proposing the way you did.”

Color rose into Thorne’s cheeks. “You’ve changed me. A lot.”

Thorne pushed his chair back from the table, and Riley frowned, unsure what was happening. Thorne walked around the table, took his hand, and knelt by him. “Riley Dashwood, will you marry me?”

“Thorne, you don’t—”

He laid a finger over Riley’s lips. “Yes, I do. I swore I’d do this right, even though I didn’t actually buy a ring. And before you answer, think carefully.”

Could Thorne possibly think he’d changed his mind?

“At the lake house we’d been through a lot, we’d both been afraid things were over between us, that we couldn’t come back from all we’d said. I meant to wait. I knew it was crazy to propose right then when we’d just gotten things settled, but I needed to know how you felt. I’m not patient when it comes to you.”

“Thorne, you’re not patient when it comes to anything.”

Thorne smiled. “So I asked and you answered, but I wouldn’t hold you to that. If you wanted to reconsider, I—”

“Thornwell Shipton, nothing would make me happier than to be your husband.”

“You’re sure?”

“More than sure.”

Riley held out his arm, and Thorne fastened the bracelet on it. When he rose to his feet, the tables around them erupted in applause.

Thorne turned an even brighter pink as he sat, but Riley turned to everyone and beamed. “Thank you!”

When he was focused on Thorne again, he said, “Why did you do that if you didn’t want the attention?”

“I did it for you.”

The quiet sincerity of his words hit Riley so hard tears welled in his eyes. He shouldn’t have worried. This moment was perfect, and while he and Thorne would surely have their disagreements, they belonged together. Everything was going to work out.

Riley reached for one of the small plates, put a potato pancake on it, and handed it to Thorne. “Let’s eat.”

Thorne smiled.

“I love you,” Riley said.

“I love you too. We’re really doing this, right?”

“We are.”

CHAPTER THREE

After they’d wrapped up the amazing meal with dessert, Thorne called for a car. Riley slid into the backseat first, and Thorne followed him. Riley looked so content, and Thorne needed to taste him right then and there. Fuck whatever the driver thought. He cupped Riley’s face and kissed him, not a gentle kiss, not a kiss with promise for later, but an I’m-going-to-fuck-you-as-soon-as-I-get-your-clothes-off kiss. Riley gasped against his mouth, and Thorne fucking loved that he’d surprised him. Riley usually knew exactly what Thorne was thinking when it came to sex.

Riley hesitated at first, but then he surrendered to what Thorne needed. They groped and kissed and ground against each other like… Well, not exactly like teenagers—they had a bit more finesse than that—but like people Riley’s age. No. Fuck that. Why should anyone be too old for this? Thorne grabbed Riley’s leg, encouraging Riley to straddle him. “Thorne, fuck, we’ve got to wait. I—”

Thorne cut his protest off with another kiss. He fucked Riley’s mouth with his tongue, unable to get enough of him. Riley gave in and straddled him, thrusting against him, their cocks rubbing along each other. Thorne wished they were naked, but even as wild as he felt, he knew that would be taking it too far.

The car stopped. Riley slid off him and straightened his clothes. The smile on his face made Thorne’s embarrassment vanish. He instructed the driver to put it on his tab, and he and Riley exited the car and half ran into their building.