I could almost hear Duncan’s laugh in his next series of texts.

See? You’re a natural bodyguard.

Drop the road trip idea. Come work with Harley and me.

Maybe. It remained to be seen whether he’d want me on board after we had that talk, but I wasn’t slamming the door on the possibility either. I needed some sort of plan, scary as admitting that was. However, before I could dwell too much on the next steps, Danny emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam and expensive-smelling shampoo.

“You were right as usual.” He adjusted the towel wrapped around his waist. Another hung loosely around his shoulders. “I do feel a little better.”

“Good. You want bedtime yoga or sleep?”

“Neither.” Pausing first to give me a heated look over his shoulder, he strode out of the room, leaving me to quickly haul myself off the bed and follow. He stopped again by the circular stairs to the upper level. “I want you more than either yoga or sleep.”

“You’ve got me.” I smiled at him, amazed my heart could hold everything surging in my chest. “But I’m also good with sleeping like we did last night.”

“That was sweet.” He trailed a hand down my jaw. “But right now… I need you.”

He scampered up the stairs, quite the sight in his flapping towel. Laughing, I hurried after him.

“And I need you with less clothes.” He gestured at my T-shirt and jeans.

“Yes, sir.” Still chuckling, I stripped down to nothing and then stretched out on the cloth mat in the center of the space next to his pile of fuzzy blankets. “This feels a little like making out in a tent.”

“Sorry.” He patted my shoulder as he lay down next to me, leaving the towel behind on the cement floor. “I know my bed is probably more comfortable.”

“Nah. It’s fine. I’ve slept in way worse places. At least this has good company.” I danced a finger down his bare chest. If we were going to do this, I would do my damnedest to distract him properly. “Maybe you need a little fun. Take your mind off everything else.”

“Yes.” Danny exhaled hard, his body relaxing against mine before he leaned in for a kiss, both of us on our sides. We kissed slowly, relearning each other’s mouths like it had been decades. I skimmed my hands up and down his bare sides, and when he shivered, I pulled one of the fuzzy blankets over us. Then we made out under the blanket, night sky hanging above us, time itself seeming to spread out until each kiss took minutes that felt like hours.

His lips were soft and pliant under mine, his easy compliance revving me up big time, making me fully hard and aching. But I tried my best to ignore my cock’s increasingly loud suggestions, wanting to draw this out as long I could. As usual, though, Danny ran out of patience far before I did.

“Cash.” He pulled me closer, grinding his cock against my hip. “I want to fuck. Need it.”

“Mm.” I groaned low, my cock all over this idea, even if my brain was still insisting on boring things like logistics. “You have stuff up here?”

“Lube.” He rolled away from me to reach for the nearby bookshelf. A purple patterned box revealed a hidden collection of lube packets and a plug that made me throb thinking about Danny using it on himself. “I’ve had fun on my own up here before,” he said, blushing. Frowning, he turned the box over. “No condoms. Darn it. I use them with the plug, but I seem to have forgotten to replace my stash. But I’ve been tested twice since rehab and not been with anyone new since.”

“Me too.” My pulse sped up, and my words too tumbled out quickly. “Tested, and you’re it for me in terms of recent sex.”

“I know.” Smiling, he ran a hand down my jaw, ruffling my beard. “You’re about as safe as they come. I want it. Please.”

“Like I can say no to you.” I welcomed his return to my embrace for another kiss, this one all too brief before he shoved me to my back. Straddling me facing my feet, he was already reaching for one of the lube packets before I realized what he was after. “Whoa. Whoa. Slow down.”

“Need it.” He gave me a pleading look over his shoulder, and the long expanse of his lean back muscles was indeed sexy as fuck. But as much as he needed quick and hard and now, I needed something else even more.

“I know.” I stroked his back with gentle hands. “But let me take care of you? Please?”

“If you must.” Making a frustrated noise, he wiggled against me. Enough of that and I would be on board with his right-this-second plan in a hurry. Instead, I showed him another of the flipping moves that seemed to amuse him so much, ending with him on his belly and me sprawled over him.


Tags: Annabeth Albert A-List Security Romance