Page 57 of Finley
Oh, Jesus, yeah. Great plan,Daniel told himself as he remembered the first time he’d had key lime pie with Brantley. As the waiter wrote it down and took their menus, Daniel saw the self-satisfied look on Brantley’s face and knew he’d done that on purpose.
Fuck,that was the problem with memories so hot that they singed a permanent mark on the inside of your brain. You could never escape them.
“And for you, sir?”
Daniel shifted in his seat and replied, “I’m going to share his.”
Brantley scoffed at that. “If you’re lucky.”
The waiter smiled at the two of them and then excused himself.
Daniel placed his hand over Brantley’s, and when he turned it over so their fingers lined up, he said, “I plan to get very lucky—and so will you.”
As Brantley entwined their fingers, Daniel gently squeezed them, and his chest tightened as if those same fingers had just wrapped around his heart.
This man was making it more difficult with every gesture, every word, and every damn memory that came flooding back to remain detached, because when it came to Brantley, Daniel knew there was no one he needed to be more careful around. Not only did he have the power to bring Daniel to his knees with a mere look, but he also had the power to break him once he was there.
When his eyes collided with the man watching him with silent intensity, Daniel pushed that thought aside. He knew what he’d signed up for, and so did Brantley.
“Okay, guys,” the waiter said as he arrived with one plate and two forks. “Here you go. Enjoy.”
As he placed the dessert between them, Brantley released his hand and Daniel picked his fork up.
Yeah, I can do this,he thought. All he had to do was keep his heart out of the equation.
Chapter 17
BRANTLEY HAD NEVER been more aware of his movements as he was while walking across his balcony and toward his front door.
He hadn’t bothered to see if Daniel was following him—he already knew he would be. But when he reached inside his pocket for his keys and a hand landed on his waist, he paused, and the keys jingled as his arm fell to his side. Daniel’s lips found the side of Brantley’s neck, and when his teeth nipped their way up to his jaw, he sighed.
Knowing he needed to get the door open and them inside or risk indecent exposure, he reluctantly pulled away from Daniel. When the fingers on his waist lingered before falling away, he savored the sweet slide of them.
He managed to get the door open before throwing the keys on the entry table. Then he was about to head to the living room, but Daniel said his name.
He stopped in his hall and turned around. Daniel was leaning against the wooden interior door. His legs were crossed at the ankles, his hands were casually resting inside the pockets of his pants, and his heated eyes and flushed cheeks made him look positively sinful.
“Come here.”
Shit.His dick became instantly hard.
“Come. Here. Brantley.”
He was in so much trouble. He knew that just as surely as he knew that what was about to happen in the next hour or so was likely going to ruin him for any other person on the planet. But that didn’t stop him from doing what he had been told.
It only took six steps for him to be back within touching distance of Daniel, and as a hedonistic smile appeared on his full mouth, Brantley shuddered.
“Closer,” Daniel whispered, which was the only sound in the otherwise silent home—unless the thumping of hearts counted.
As Brantley took another step, Daniel uncrossed his legs, straightened up against the door, and took his hands out of his pockets. And every single move was like a well-choreographed dance designed to drive Brantley out of his ever-loving mind.
He raised his eyes to the amber ones locked on his, and when Daniel crooked his finger, he didn’t have to say a word. Brantley was already moving—closer. He stepped between Daniel’s legs, and Daniel reached for his hips, tugging him the rest of the way.
Oh, God…God.This side of Daniel is potent as hell, he thought as he placed his hands on Daniel’s chest and ran them up to his shoulders and his neck. Then he slid them into his hair. When Daniel arched his head to the side, enjoying the sensual caress, Brantley did it again and twisted his hands in the longer strands.
The palms on his waist slipped around to his ass, and Daniel ground his hips forward, making Brantley groan in response.
He wanted to tear Daniel out of his clothes and take him right there, just as he had several times in the past. This wasn’t his show to run, though, and when Daniel lowered his head and told him, “Before we leave this hallway, I want to feel your lips around my cock,” he made it crystal clear whose show it was.And hell if I don’t want that too.