Professional Distance (Thorne and Dash 1)

Riley accepted the call. “Good morning.”

“Not before coffee,” Marc answered. “Did you decide what to do about Thorne?”

“I spent the weekend,” was Riley’s noncommittal answer.

Marc muttered something.

“What was that?”

“I’m worried about you.”

Why was Marc so infuriating? “But you said—”

“To consider how much you wanted it.”

Riley stirred the eggs he was scrambling. “I did. I’ve never wanted anyone more.”

“Have you told him that?”

“What should I say? Hey, tonight’s free of charge. Let’s pretend it’s a date.”

“Riley, be serious.”

“Nothing I can think to say sounds right. I’m not ready for that yet.”

Marc made a noise of displeasure. “When will you be?”

“I don’t know. I need to be sure he won’t laugh at me.”

“Do you think he will after this weekend?” Marc asked.

Riley slid the eggs onto a plate and started buttering his toast. “What if this is just a crush? What if it passes? I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

“I’ve seen you crushing plenty of times, but I’ve never heard you talk about anyone like you talk about Thorne.”

Marc was right, and Riley knew it, but he wished it were that simple, that the feelings would go away and he could get on with his life. “He asked me for another weekend.”

“What did you say?”

Riley took his plate and coffee mug to the tiny table by the window and gazed out at the morning sky. “I said I’d do one night, not two. I can’t do another whole weekend. I could barely make myself leave last night.”

“You need to tell him. And then it either ends or it changes.”

Marc was right. For all his flighty ways, he was absolutely right. But Riley wasn’t ready to risk ending things with Thorne. “I’ll go back this weekend and then maybe—”

“Riley.”

“I know. I asked for your help, and now I’m not listening.”

Marc laughed. “Sounds like we switched places.”

“Yeah, it does.” Riley took a sip of coffee. “How are things out there?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

Riley smiled. He’d known Marc would pick up on that. “Damn right I am.”

“Things are weird.”

Riley finished a bite of eggs. “Weird how?”

“Hamilton keeps wanting us to hook up with other guys, which is fine, but I’d like to have some time for just us. He’s always going to LA, and when he’s home he wants to go out. I must be getting old, but sometimes I just want to stay in, watch movies, hang out, like we used to do.”

Like Riley wanted to do with Thorne. “That sounds like a bad scene. Don’t you think you should—”

“No, I’m not going to run back to Atlanta, not yet anyway.” Of course he wouldn’t. Marc would wait until that asshole had completely broken his heart.

“You can have your old room back anytime.”

“Thanks.” Marc sounded sad, defeated, and Riley wanted to punch the bastard who’d done that to him.

“We’re both fucked, aren’t we?” Marc asked.

“Yeah, probably, but try to take care of yourself.”

“You do the same.”

Riley hung up and realized he wasn’t all that hungry after all.

***

Several weeks later, as Dash and Thorne lay in bed on a Saturday morning, Thorne propped himself up on his elbow and looked at Dash, really looked at him, like he was seeing all the emotions Dash wanted to keep hidden. “I have something special planned for next week.”

“You do?” Dash asked, heart pounding much too fast.

“Yes, if you can stay the night and most of Saturday. I’d love for you to stay longer.”

Dash considered how to answer. He’d stayed overnight some weekends and others not, trying to fight what was becoming an addiction to Thorne’s bed. “I can stay until Saturday evening.”

Thorne smiled. “Then you should bring some clothes you don’t mind getting wet.”

Dash couldn’t keep the surprise off his face. “We’re going sailing?”

“If you’d like to.”

“I’ll stay the whole weekend.” The words were out before Dash had made a conscious decision to say them. If Thorne was ready to share something that had been his passion, things were moving in the right direction. A relationship might be improbable, but not impossible, right?

“You will?” Thorne looked like he’d been certain Dash would say no. “I don’t have to offer my ass this time?”

Dash smiled as he pulled on his shirt. “I have a feeling you’ll be offering your ass even if you get nothing extra in return.”

“I hate it when you’re right.”

But Dash knew Thorne didn’t really mind at all, not when Dash was right about sex, anyway. He could see the outline of Thorne’s hard cock under the sheet. Get out of here before you’re tempted to suck him off.

“Of course you do.” If only this wasn’t a business transaction. What if he asked Thorne for it not to be? What if he suggested they went sailing off the clock? The words swam around in Dash’s mouth, but he refused to let them out. He wanted to see Thorne on a boat, the one place he might relax, let go, be himself for more than a few minutes. He wouldn’t risk losing his chance by asking for something ridiculous. One more weekend and then something would have to give.