Page 54 of Finding Grey
TWENTY-SEVEN
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DANTE
If the man standing at the end of the pool was my competition, I was done for. As it turned out, Alan was beyond gorgeous, with startling blue eyes and a fuck-me mouth gay men the world over would kill to have wrapped around their dicks. I had no doubt he’d manage to keep his teeth covered the whole time he was down there, too. Add to that the simple fact Alan could give Sean the out-and-proud life he wanted, while I couldn’t, and I was left to face the possibility no amount of rock star attitude would keep Sean from slipping away from me.
Alan’s handshake was firm as Sean introduced us, his gaze assessing me as I assessed him. “Sean’s told me all about you,” he said in a tone that implied they had no secrets between them.
My lips quirked.I’ll bet he hasn’t told you he knows what my come tastes like, or that I brought him to orgasm while his moans fell into my mouth.
“I’m surprised it took this long for us to meet, considering how much time Sean and I have spent together since I’ve been here,” I said, with a smug grin. “We’ve been all but inseparable.”
Sean’s nervous laugh interrupted us. “Alan has been super-busy lately working on an important project for the local council.” Alan glanced at Sean sideways. “That’s where you work, isn’t it?”
“Right,” Alan confirmed with a nod. “But my project will be finished soon, right about the time you’re due to fly away home.” He fluttered his fingers near my face, seeming to draw great delight from the convenience of the timing. Did he not care if I warmed Sean’s bed while he was unavailable, as long as I left in due course? What sort of twisted shit was that? “As soon as I’m free, Sean and I will be able to start making up for lost time. Won’t we, honey?” Alan wrapped an arm around Sean’s waist, his fingers sliding over Sean’s hip bone as he drew him close against his side. A snarl teased the back of my throat as I watched. I wanted to break Alan’s fingers.
With a tight smile, Sean said something about getting Alan a drink and then led him away by the hand. I was left to stare after them, my own hands fisting at my sides and a sick feeling in my stomach. I’d thought I was prepared to see Sean with another man, that meeting Alan would bring reassurance he posed only a temporary hindrance in the development of our relationship—friendship, whatever. The reality proved harder to stomach.
I spent the next hour sitting on the sidelines, pretending to pay attention to other conversations while watching Sean and Alan interact. At first, a green haze of jealousy clouded each observation, but the more I watched, the more I saw. There was something seriously wrong with the picture Sean so keenly presented. Now I knew he was willing to lie to protect himself, I wasn’t about to fall for it.
The sun was on the verge of setting when I approached the figure on the far side of the pool. “Mind if I join you?”
Gabi looked up at me in surprise. “Suit yourself.”
Sitting on the tiled edge, I lowered my feet into the water beside hers. “I figure we should get to know each other better.”
“Why do you figure that?” Gabi had been polite throughout lunch, but her behaviour stopped short of being friendly. I got the impression she’d reserved judgement where I was concerned.
“Because you’re Sean’s best friend, and I plan to be part of his life from now on.”
She shook her head with a quiet chuckle. “Does he get a say in this?”
I gave her a wicked grin. “Nope.”
“What about Alan?” she asked.
“What about him?”
“He might object to you getting all cosy with Sean. He is Sean’s boyfriend, after all.”
I looked over to the patio. Sean and Alan were visible through the transparent fencing. Sitting together at the table, they chatted over a couple of beers, relaxed in each other’s company. But they hadn’t touched each other the whole time I’d been watching them. There were no lingering looks of affection, and not a hint of sexual chemistry. In fact, the longer they sat together the more they seemed like old friends catching up on each other’s lives. Just then, Sean’s gaze slid sideways, to me. The instant he noticed me watching, he moved closer to Alan, placing one hand on the back of his chair. I almost laughed out loud at the obvious change. “Sean’s boyfriend,” I muttered. “What a crock of shit.”
Gabi’s eyes darted back and forth between me and Sean. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, I know Sean better than he thinks I do.” I knew how he acted when he was attracted to a man. The look he got in his eyes, the way he moved, how he held his breath. “Whoever that guy is, Sean doesn’t belong to him. He sure as hell isn’t in love with him.”
“I suppose you think he belongs to you?” Gabi’s expression was incredulous. “Why? Because you gave him some tacky nickname when you were teenagers? It’s hardly a brand of ownership.”
I glanced sideways at her. “He told you about us?”
Gabi lifted a shoulder. “As you said, I’m his best friend. I know everything.” Coming out of this woman’s mouth, the claim sounded genuine.
“Do you know why he’s lying to me about having a boyfriend?” She pressed her lips together in a thin line, refusing to speak. “Between you and me,” I added, “I saw the way Alan looked at you when you walked out here.”
She made a tutting sound. “Ridiculous. We’re friends, nothing more.”
“You really believe that?” Apparently so, considering the baffled expression on her face. “He looks at you, the way I look at Sean.” I lowered my chin, holding on to her gaze. “Have you seen the way I look at Sean?”