Personal Entanglement (Thorne and Dash 2)

Thorne raised his brows. “Do you now?”

“You want to, don’t you?”

“To ravish you?”

Riley nodded slowly.

Thorne never got his answer out because Riley pulled him in tight, grinding their cocks together. Thorne wished their clothes would disappear. He needed to feel Riley’s skin on his, to let that passion run wild, but—

Riley slipped his hand between them and started to unbutton Thorne’s pants.

“Ri— Oh my fucking God.” Thorne struggled for breath and for sanity. “Riley we shouldn’t.”

“I know,” Riley said, but he kept going.

“Anyone could step out here.”

“I know.”

“Fuck. If catering gets you this hot, I’m going to have to find you a job every night.”

Riley groaned as Thorne licked his neck. He unzipped Thorne’s pants and pulled his cock out, stroking him slowly, up and down, palm swishing over the head.

Were they really going to do this, get off right here with the people just inside the gallery? Hell, his sister was in there and so was Susan. But Riley’s hand felt so fucking good. Thorne closed his eyes so he could just feel.

Riley increased the pace of his strokes. Fuck! Thorne was going to come all over his tux. “Riley. Riley. I—”

Riley let go.

“You…”

“Stopped?” Riley smirked at him. The bastard.

“Yes.”

“I thought you wanted me to.” Riley’s tone was all innocence.

“I…did. I can’t ruin my tux. I have to go back.”

Riley smiled. “I know.”

“Wait. You never intended to finish this, did you?”

Riley shook his head, grinning, loving that he had the upper hand.

Thorne did too, but he refused to admit that. “Fucking cocktease,” he said, but with no venom in his words.

“An—”

“—ticipation.” Thorne finished the word with him.

“Trust me. When I get you home, you’ll be well satisfied. Sore as fuck, but satisfied.”

Thorne shuddered as Riley did up his pants.

“I’ve got to get back to the kitchen and make sure things are okay.”

Thorne glanced at his watch and sighed. “The auction starts soon. Kathryn is probably looking for me.”

When they stepped back inside, she was. She spotted them slipping in from the courtyard and smiled. “Now I know why you disappeared.”

“Go,” Thorne told Riley. “I’ll submit to her teasing alone.”

Riley smiled. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, you will.”

Kathryn gave Thorne a scathing glance. “You’re giddy, like a kid with way too much candy.”

“As long as you don’t make any cracks about me dating a kid.”

“Riley? Fuck, he’s more mature than you most days. That,” she gestured toward the courtyard door, “was probably your fault.”

“Only a little.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Is there a problem?” Thorne used his haughty business voice, the one that made people feel small and had them rushing to do his bidding. It worked on his sister about as well as it worked on Riley.

“No, I just wanted to find you to kick off the auction.”

“So we’re ready?”

“Not quite. Let’s give everybody time for a bit more champagne and sugar.”

“Then why—”

“Because Riley wasn’t in the kitchen, so I suspected you might be in a compromising situation.”

Heat rushed to Thorne’s face. “Did you really think I was going to drag him off to dally in the janitor’s closet?”

“Apparently you prefer the courtyard.”

No way was he getting accused of fucking on the job when he hadn’t even gotten off. “Kathryn, we didn’t—”

“Come on.” She rolled her eyes and took his arm. “Let’s check in with our auctioneer and make sure everything is ready.”

***

The auction was a thorough success. The paintings sold at the higher end of what they’d expected, giving both the art museum and the artists an excellent night. The museum board could now afford the repairs to the museum’s oldest galleries and still have a bit of money left over for acquisitions and a small bonus for the staff. Three society ladies had asked Thorne about the caterers, saying they simply must get their names. He was so pleased he could have floated to his car even without the prospect of the whole night with Riley—Dash—ahead of him.

Kathryn and Peggy, the museum director, were trying to move along the guests who wanted to linger. He noted that the bars were closed down now. That would help immensely. He pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen, eager to see Riley again and move him along too. It looked like Riley, Susan, and their crew were well on their way toward getting the kitchen cleaned up.

“Can I help?” he asked Susan.

She smiled. “You are desperate to get him home quickly, aren’t you?”

Thorne gasped in mock offense. “Of course not. I simply wished to graciously offer my services.”

“Then you can wash these,” Susan pointed to a stack of trays by the sink.

A few moments later, contrary to all expectations, Thorne was standing over a sink of soapy water, wearing an apron over his tux.

RILEY RETURNED TO the kitchen after taking containers out to the van. He froze in the doorway, unable to believe what he saw.