Page 22 of Say It Again
Was I doing that? Man, I’m just stiffened with embarrassment. Absolutely rock-hard with shame.
Aaron took a moment, then responded:
Yes, you may take a shower. I hope it relieves all that tight, thick, explosive stress of yours.
Daniel tossed his head back and laughed. Fat chance, but a boy could dream.
DANIEL TRIED not to sashay everywhere he walked, but Aaron lived in the type of building that made it impossible not to swish one’s hips as they strutted up. It was all the seamless glass and chrome trim, and these grand front doors that took him two tries to heave open. Everyone knew the more mammoth a front door, the fancier the place was.
Once inside the vestibule, he pressed the button for Aaron’s apartment and waited to be buzzed in, which happened in seconds, prompting the doorman, Santa Claus’s equally jolly brother, to chirp as he directed him to the elevator, “Enjoy your evening, sir. Give my best to Mr. Aaron.”
Of course he would give his best to Mr. Aaron. Mr. Aaron could have whatever he wanted. The whole thing felt very romance-in-a-Hallmark-movie with a montage of their laughing faces as the credits scrolled. What happens when high-powered and distinguished falls for indecisive and broke? Coming this fall.
The elevator dinged open, and there stood Aaron, wearing a dusty blue cashmere sweater, dark trousers, and his chocolatey brown hair all tousled to one side. It was very Young Elvis the way it fell into his eye, and his smile even pulled a bit higher on one side as he said, “Hi. You made it.”
“Hi, mister,” Daniel said, a little too breathy, a little too literally weak in the knees. “I just have to tell you that the flowers you sent are the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever received, and just because they’re the only flowers I’ve ever received, doesn’t make them any less beautif….” He trailed off, sniffing the air. “Oh my. What’s that smell?”
Aaron twisted back over his shoulder, pointing a thumb behind him. “Oh, does it smell like food? That’s my apartment.”
“Don’t you fucking tease me.”
Aaron chuckled. “I told you I was making dinner. Are you hungry?”
He nodded forcefully. The thing about food was that it was expensive. What wasn’t expensive were those tiny rectangles of jelly that sometimes came with bagels and such. He kept those in his car just in case he needed a pick-me-up, which did not do wonders to lift one’s pride.
“Well, come on. Dinner’s almost ready,” Aaron said, which was the same as saying, “Well, here’s a bunch of literal gold,” because the apartment he led them to—aside from being gorgeous—smelled like fresh bread had been baked and butter had been melted, and garlic had been simmering on a stove for a while.
“Oh my heavenly heavens.” Daniel’s mouth filled with saliva as he tapped his fingertips together and gawked over a pile of rolls in a basket. “What are we doing with these? Can just anyone eat these, or…?”
Aaron pointed to them. “Those? You want one?”
“I want seven.”
“Yeah, take as many as you want. And here. The bathroom’s this way.”
Seven seemed excessive. With six rolls cradled against his chest, he followed Aaron into the bathroom, where the stainless steel shone, and the towels made pretty towel accordions, and the multiple-faucet shower looked like it would accost whoever got in its way (in a good way). Even the lights had a welcoming pinkish hue.
“Wow, your bathroom is just as fancy as you are,” Daniel said as he gazed around, chewing on a roll. “And look, you even have a roll warmer.”
“Or some of us call it a blow-dryer.” Aaron prodded through a drawer. “Okay, here’s an extra razor. Hair products in that cabinet, a washcloth. What else do you need?”
“Nothing. All I require is a shower and your cock.”
“What?”
“What?” Daniel grinned sweetly. “I said all I require is a shower that’s hot.”
Aaron’s eyes narrowed to a squint. “I’ll leave you to your hot shower, then.”
“Mm-hmm, you do that.”
Oh, the posh shower products. The posh everything. A boy could get used to this kind of treatment with dinner rolls in excess, and hair masques with labels in French, and a bodywash that smelled like a sexy woodworking shop. Why was this man single?
He sped through the shower, toweled himself off, and swiped some styling product through his wet hair. For being so elegant, it was shockingly cozy at Aaron’s place. Even Aaron’s desire to take things slowly was oddly comforting. With the topic of sex off the table, perhaps there’d be more opportunity to get to know each other.
Wow. He had to blink hard at his reflection. He was officially this many days old when he’d had that revelation for the first time.
He wrapped his waist in a towel and padded into the kitchen, where he’d left his duffel bag. Aaron, busy tossing long-stemmed broccoli with a cream sauce, glanced up, and his gaze snagged on Daniel’s naked torso.