Page 68 of Say It Again

“Nuh-uh, keep going.” He sounded strangely confident, like a porn star on poppers and not someone barely clinging to lucidity. “Whatever you want. Take as long as you need. But keep going.”

It was the kind of moment that was sure to become a memory, all saturated in dreamy colors and soft-focused around the edges. He cradled Aaron’s head in his neck and took him gracefully. Skillfully even. He’d do anything Aaron needed.

He’d arch his spine and moan through his teeth. He’d grip the sheets and whimper while Aaron unleashed into him. He’d part his lips and swallow his own cum because Aaron had said Drink and shoved dripping fingertips inside his mouth, down his throat. Every last drop, sweet boy. Every last drop.

He’d gaze up at him, completely blitzed with his eyes wide and his heart battering through beats, and he’d say somewhere between a whisper and a growl, “You are a fucking god.”

And Aaron would come inside of him within seconds.

THE ONLY sound in the room was the slow revolution of the ceiling fan. Daniel lay twisted in a tangled heap of arms and legs atop Aaron’s chest as he breathed in the neighbor’s honeysuckle, an easy rhythm in sweet succession of inhales.

He’d be sore tomorrow, but he couldn’t locate a single bone that cared. He smiled against Aaron’s skin, almost vibrating in the lingering high from their little joyride. “Aaron,” he whispered. “Are you asleep?”

Aaron drifted his fingertips down his arm. His voice was deep and underscored with fatigue as he said, “No, sweetheart. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

Aaron sighed, “My life.”

“What about it?”

“I don’t know.” He tossed an arm over his face and shook his head. “Nothing. Never mind. I think I’m just tired. Would it be okay if I stayed here tonight? Or I can leave. No worries.”

Something in Daniel’s heart sputtered. He shook his head and squeezed Aaron tighter. “No, don’t leave. I don’t want you to leave.”

Aaron pecked his forehead. “Thank you.”

“In fact….” Daniel took a gulp and mustered all of his courage. “I want breakfasts.”

“Yeah?” Aaron rubbed his arm. “We can do breakfast.”

“No, breakfasts. Plural. I want more than one.”

Aaron angled his head to see him a bit better.

“And I want lunches too. I want dinners and dates.” He bravely pushed himself up to a seat. “I want you to meet my friends and Madeline. I want you to meet my mom. I want all of it.”

Aaron’s eyes brightened, and his smile got spectacularly sappy. Underneath his handsome, steel-clad exterior was a creature with such a tremendous soft spot that Daniel ached to touch it. To soothe him. To stitch up his painful past with a patchwork of affirmations. You’re good enough. You did nothing wrong. You’re safe with me. I’ll take care of you too.

The potential for something epic here had to outweigh the chance his entire heart would thoroughly break one day. And even if it didn’t, that was a problem for future Daniel.

He shifted to wriggle onto Aaron’s lap and loop his arms around his neck. An hour later, he could still feel him inside like the wind could feel all the thrown caution. He closed his eyes and whispered onto Aaron’s lips, “I want all of it with you.”

Chapter Sixteen

A FEW WEEKS later, Aaron stood in a hotel room with his arms crossed, trying to keep his irritation from bubbling over into a screaming match. He was supposed to have met Daniel at the studio five minutes ago, and his new client—well, new and former client—had turned out to be a nightmare.

“Come on,” the nightmare said. “Just take it and go. It’s a lot of money. A lot.”

“I’m not arguing that it’s not a lot,” Aaron said, cracking his neck. “I’m saying it’s not what we agreed on.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” The guy slung an arm toward the bed, where an envelope stuffed with bills lay. “That’s an insane amount of money. Not to mention, I bought you an entire meal, and this is probably the nicest hotel room in the city.”

No, it wasn’t. Not even close. Usually Aaron got the money up front—always get the money upfront—but he’d failed to do it because sometimes he was human, and sometimes being human meant he leaned too far on the goodwill of others. Plus, this guy had been referred by a solid client, which should’ve had some merit but didn’t.

“The price is the price,” he said, checking the time on his phone. Daniel had made plans to attend an outdoor concert. He was supposed to be meeting Olivia. Aaron was going to disappoint them both. “You don’t like it? You never have to see me again.”

“Look, man.” The guy shrugged, his arms thwacking heavy by his sides. “I don’t have that kind of money right now.”