Perfect Alignment (Thorne and Dash 3)

The doorman greeted them with a muted smile. If he had a man like Riley, wouldn’t he be too eager to wait? Wouldn’t anyone?

When they were finally alone in the elevator, Riley very deliberately stepped aside when Thorne tried to grab him. He leaned against the railing, holding himself in a way that made Thorne unable to keep from letting his gaze drop. Riley’s cock pressed against his pants, clearly as eager as Thorne’s for more attention. Riley toyed with his bracelet, distracting Thorne’s attention. His fingers caressed his wrist and slowly spun the circle of silver. Thorne was mesmerized. He wanted to kneel and run his tongue over Riley’s wrist, to feel the pulse there. How the hell was that simple touch, that slow movement of his fingers so erotic? By the time the elevator reached their penthouse apartment, Thorne was panting.

Riley spun and was through the elevator doors before Thorne could catch him. He unlocked the door, which was good because Thorne didn’t think himself capable of finding his key. Thorne kicked the door shut behind them and reached for Riley, taking hold of his arm and dragging him back.

Riley shook his head. “Let’s relax and have a drink first.”

On most other nights, Thorne would’ve given mock protest and then enjoyed Riley’s game of anticipation. Riley loved to drag things out, to torment him, and then make it all the better when they finally fucked. But tension had been riding him all day, about work, about dinner, about proposing all over again and giving Riley another chance to say no. God, what if he had?

He yanked harder on Riley’s arm. “No. Now.”

“Remember what I’ve taught you.”

“I’ve been anticipating you all day.”

“Mmmhmm. I just bet you have.”

He kissed Riley’s neck, nuzzling into his shirt, nibbling his collarbone. “How could I not when I was getting ready to propose again?”

“How could you not anyway? You’re fucking insatiable, Thorne.”

“And you love it.”

Riley laughed. “I do.”

Thorne kissed him, and Riley gripped his ass, pulling them together. “We’re getting married,” he whispered against Riley’s lips.

“Did you really not believe it until today?”

“I don’t know if I believe it now,” he said between kisses to Riley’s jaw.

“It’s true. It’s real.”

Thorne groaned. “So what do you think? Hawaii? Santa Fe? Miami? A cute coastal town in Maine?”

“For what?”

“For us to get married?” Thorne’s voice was breathless. He reached for the fastening of Riley’s pants, but Riley pushed him away.

“Married?”

“Yes.” Thorne looked at him quizzically, unable to think straight with his cock so hard. “You just said—”

“Wait. You think we’re going to elope?”

“Aren’t we?” Thorne reached for him again, but Riley stepped back. What the fuck? “I thought—”

“You insisted on a traditional proposal. You thought you weren’t doing things right without a ring, but now you want to elope? I’ve already asked Marc to be my best man.”

Thorne thought Riley was joking at first, but those words were like a splash of cold water on his overheated face. Riley was truly upset. Fuck. Everything had been going so well. “Riley, I didn’t even know you’d told anyone.”

“I just told Marc today. But what on earth made you think…? And why haven’t you told anyone? Are you the one having second thoughts?”

“Second thoughts? What the hell?” The words came out louder than he meant.

Riley backed up more. “I told you what I wanted. Back when we were first…” Riley seemed desperate to suck in air. He was pale except for his flushed cheeks.

“Fuck, Riley. Are you okay?”

“No. I. Am. Not.”

Was this really such a big deal? How the fuck had he screwed this up so badly? “It’s okay. Just talk to me. When we were first together…?”

“When I confessed to you that I wanted the picket-fence dream—”

“That included a traditional wedding?” Why hadn’t Thorne gotten that?

“I thought you wanted that too. I thought you wanted what Kathryn had.”

Thorne frowned. “I want a fantastic marriage with the man I love, but I would never want her wedding.”

“What was wrong with her wedding?” Riley asked.

“My family was at it.”

Riley rubbed his forehead. “So you want us to run away?”

“Not in secret. We don’t have to take off for Vegas in the dark of night, but I thought we’d take a trip and get married while we were gone.”

“Without Marc? Without Kathryn or Susan or Lauren?”

“Well…yes. This is about us, not about them.”

“Thorne, weddings are about celebrating with people you love.”

“I love you, and I want this to be about us.”

“That’s what a honeymoon is for.”

Thorne ran a hand over his hair. “Look, we’re both busy. You’re starting your own business. Do you know how much time Kathryn spent planning her wedding?”

“Oh, so it’s not worth your time?” The bitterness in his voice had Thorne stepping back this time.

“Riley, you know—”

“It’s a once in a lifetime thing, Thorne. Or at least it’s supposed to be.”