Professional Distance (Thorne and Dash 1)

Dash tilted his head as though thinking. “We could rent a boat, and you could take me sailing, maybe play a little pirate and captive.”

Thorne’s pulse accelerated. Taking Dash out on a boat would be a big step, one that might make it impossible for him to keep a professional distance. He’d never taken anyone sailing except Clint.

“It’s been ages since I sailed.”

“Have you forgotten how?”

“No, but can we wait on that?”

“Sure,” Dash said. He looked perplexed, but he didn’t ask any questions.

What else could they do? “What about the art museum?”

“No, you already go there. I need to get you out of your comfort zone. How about the aquarium?”

“I’ve never been there.”

Dash eyes widened. “Really? You’ve never seen the whale sharks?”

“Never.”

“Then we’re going. I’ll take you to my favorite breakfast spot, give you my personal tour of the aquarium and then teach you more about the movies of your own childhood.”

Thorne frowned. “Doesn’t sound like enough time in bed to me.”

“I promise you’ll get plenty of that. By the time we’re done tonight, your poor ass will need a rest.”

“My cock won’t.” Thorne ran a hand over his cock, showing Dash how hard he was.

“Beast!” Dash slapped at him playfully. “You’ll shock me with your animal lusts.”

Thorne rolled his eyes.

“You need to get out more. Do things. And I don’t mean client dinners or charity balls.”

Thorne sighed. “Fine. Food. Aquarium. Movie. And then fucking.”

“Perfect,” Dash said, beaming at getting his way.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Thorne woke to Dash licking his ear. He tried to push him off, but Dash had a firm grip on his shoulder. “Get up. Get dressed. I’m taking you to breakfast.”

Thorne turned over and scowled at him, blinking in the bright morning light. “What time is it?”

“Time to be up and awake.”

As Thorne stretched, he felt every overused muscle in his body. His ass was still sore as hell from being spanked—fucking spanked—by a sassy little shit who was trying to make him wake up far too early after fucking him two—or was it three?—times, including once in the middle of the night.

“I’m not getting up.”

“I have ways of making you get out of this bed that you won’t like.”

Thorne snarled. “Don’t even think about it.”

“It’s nine thirty, and I’m starving.”

“Nine thirty?” Thorne couldn’t remember when he’d last slept that late. “Fuck.”

“Not before breakfast. You would’ve had to wake up earlier for that.”

Thorne sighed. “It would’ve killed me, anyway.”

Dash patted his leg. “See, it’s in your best interest to go out with me and recover a bit.”

Thorne looked at Dash, his impish grin, his ruffled hair, the T-shirt that was too tight or rather just perfect to show off his body. “I’m willing to risk it.”

Dash shook his head. “Get in the shower. We’re going to breakfast and then I’m going to show you my favorite animals at the aquarium.”

Surprisingly, Thorne wanted Dash to show him around the aquarium even more than he wanted to drag Dash back to bed.

***

An hour later Thorne and Dash were seated in a vinyl booth with duct tape placed over several cracks in the seat. “Are you sure about this place?” Thorne sure as hell wasn’t.

“Relax.”

He scowled at Dash. “You say that a lot.”

“You’re tense a lot.”

Thorne looked around. The diner might look decrepit, but it was packed with a wide-range of clientele: men in business suits, women in tennis skirts, families, people of all skin colors, and only a few patrons whose appearance was as ragged as the surroundings. He and Dash had waited twenty minutes for a table.

A thin, dark-haired waitress who looked about Thorne’s age approached their table a few minutes after they were seated. “Riley,” she said, her face lighting up. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”

“I’ve had a busy few weeks,” Dash/Riley said. “Sally, this is my friend Thorne.”

Sally gave Thorne an appreciative glance. “Good morning, Thorne. What can I get you?”

“Coffee, please, a lot of it.”

“Can do. Same for you, Riley?”

“Yes, and go ahead and bring us some biscuits and gravy while we decide what else we want.”

Sally grinned. “Good choice. And may I say you are looking particularly fine this morning.”

Dash blushed, actually blushed. “Thank you.”

Thorne grinned at him after she walked away. “If you ask me, you look damn fine every morning.”

“You’ve only seen me in the morning twice.”

“And both times I wanted to drag you right back to bed.”

Sally returned swiftly with coffee and biscuits. The coffee was good, much better than Thorne expected, and the biscuits were absolutely divine.

“Good, huh?” Dash asked after they’d each eaten a few bites.

Thorne nodded. “Very.”

“I’ll never get tired of you agreeing with me.”

Thorne kicked his ankle under the table. “Cheeky bastard.”

“You love it.”

“Yeah, I do.” That was the problem.

Dash perused the menu. “Hmmm. What to order next?”

“Next? Isn’t this enough?” Considering Thorne usually had nothing but coffee for breakfast—maybe a muffin or croissant from a street cart if he was feeling extravagant—he’d already eaten three times his usual amount.