Chapter 1 #2
“I lost a bet,” Dom murmured before he tucked his husband up against his side and pressed a kiss to his temple.
“Not that I’m complaining,” he added, his voice going husky.
A heated look flared between the two men and I had to work really hard to temper the envy that went through me.
What would it be like to have someone look at me like that?
To have them say something to me and mean something else entirely – something that only he and I would understand?
Logan’s hand settled on his husband’s stomach as they stared at each other for a moment, then he shifted his attention back to me. “We, ah, heard about what happened last night,” Logan said softly as his eyes landed on my face. “Do you need anything?”
I knew what he was really asking and I’d been expecting it. The foundation had been targeted with random acts of vandalism a few times and each time Logan had found out, he’d offered to talk to Dom about beefing up the security for the office.
“Cost of doing business,” I said. “You know that.”
Logan nodded sadly.
“I could have someone watch the place for a bit till things settle down,” Dom offered. “No charge,” he added hopefully.
Although part of me was scared enough to actually want to consider the offer, my attacker the night before had made it pretty clear what would happen if they got even a hint that someone was poking around in their business.
No, I was on my own.
“Thank you, but that will just give them what they want,” I lied. “They want me to be running scared.”
It was a true enough statement since plenty of homophobes had tried to shut me down by scaring me into submission; it just didn’t happen to be the case this time around.
Dom frowned, but didn’t comment.
Logan let his fingers twine through his husband’s as he said, “Well, we wanted to wish you luck on your speech – you’re going to do great.”
Logan was one of the few people who’d figured out what a fraud I was when it came to public speaking. I put on a good show, but he knew how wrecked I got standing in front of so many people, their undivided attention on me. Even the thought of it had my breathing ticking up again.
“Thanks,” I managed to get out.
“Okay, we’ll let you get back to it,” Logan said. “It was nice to meet you,” he added, his eyes on the man standing silently across from me.
At Logan’s unspoken question, the man reached out his hand and said, “Cruz. Cruz de la Vega.”
“Nice to meet you, Cruz,” Logan said with a nod, then Dom was shaking his hand. I barely noticed the couple wandering off to mingle with others because Cruz’s eyes were back on me.
“Well, I should go say my hellos to the other guests,” I said. “It was really nice to meet you.”
I took a step back, but before I could turn away, Cruz was stepping into my space. “We didn’t. Not really.”
“Didn’t what?” I managed to ask, though having the man once again just inches from me was making it so damn hard to breathe again.
“Meet.”
“Oh,” I said dumbly. “I’m, uh, Elliot. Elliot Wittier.
” I put out my hand and it was immediately engulfed in a strong, warm grip that I felt all over my body.
I’d been attracted to my fair share of guys over the years, but even the best sex I’d ever had couldn’t compare to what this man was able to do to me with the simplest of touches.
I both wanted to investigate it further and run as far from it as I could.
“Elliot,” Cruz murmured.
That was it. Just my name. No “Nice to meet you.” No “Pleasure’s mine.”
No formalities whatsoever.
Just my name spoken in such a way that I was pretty sure he’d found an untapped erogenous zone.
“Cruz,” I said. I’d said his name so I could test how it sounded, but it came out more like a breathless plea.
And I wasn’t the only one who’d heard it.
Cruz’s eyes went impossibly dark and his mouth parted just a little. Then suddenly, his fingers were tightening around mine and he was turning away from me.
But not to walk away.
No, nothing like that.
To steal me away.
And I went willingly.
Hell, I would have likely kneed anyone in the privates if they’d tried to stop us.
Cruz’s strong fingers threaded through mine as we weaved through the crowd. It wasn’t until we broke free of the warm bodies that I realized where he was taking me.
And I wanted to scream my thanks to the heavens.
There was next to no foot traffic near the alcove he practically dragged me into.
A huge potted plant covered in dancing orange and white lights hid our bodies from view as he pressed me back against the wall.
His body was flush with mine and there was just no missing what the folds of his costume were able to hide.
Just like the folds of my costume hid mine.
I groaned when his hardness brushed mine and I automatically put my hands on his waist.
To stop him from pulling away?
To keep myself upright?
I wasn’t sure and I honestly didn’t care. I cared about absolutely nothing in that moment except getting his mouth on mine.
But he didn’t kiss me. Instead, his fingers came up to touch the bruise on my jaw, then the one on my cheek.
It wasn’t until his thumb gently toyed with the marred flesh of my throat where my attacker had held me in his merciless grip that I let out an almost obscene whimper.
Twenty-four hours ago, I’d been in this same position and I’d been scared out of my mind at what would happen when those beefy fingers wrapped around my throat.
Now all I wanted was Cruz’s strong hand encircling that same spot.
It made no sense whatsoever.
“Please,” I whispered.
I had no clue what the hell was wrong with me, but I knew the thing that would fix it was in this man’s possession. He would know what to do. He would know what I needed.
I closed my eyes when his fingers gently closed around my throat. The pressure that he applied was only enough that I could feel it, not fear it.
And just like that, the anxiety slid from my body like a hot, heavy blanket I’d been carrying around my entire life and had been waiting until this very moment to shed.
It was insanity.
And I never wanted it to end.
But of course, it had to.
All dreams did.