Chapter Ten
CHAPTER TEN
ANTICIPATION ZINGED THROUGH Liam as he settled into the passenger seat of Tate’s beat-up old car. If someone offered him a million dollars, he couldn’t name the type of car, but he had a feeling it wasn’t made in the last decade, maybe a decade and a half.
Not that he cared. Hell, Liam hadn’t even owned a car until a month ago when he purchased a used Ford Explorer. Cars didn’t impress him. Living in New York City, he barely knew anyone who owned a motor vehicle. What did impress him was a man showing up for a surprise date, so obviously out of his comfort zone, just to be with him.
Swoon.
His heart wouldn’t stand a chance if Tate did things like this often.
Had he admitted too much a moment ago when he said he wanted Tate? Hopefully not. Tate had to want him, too, right? Why go through all this trouble otherwise? And knowing what he knew about Tate, it had been trouble. The kind of mental trouble that involved overthinking and second-guessing himself.
“So,” Liam said as he turned to face the sexy man he’d jerked off to that morning. And the night before. Possibly twice. Tate looked good behind his car’s steering wheel, comfortable in his command and control of the vehicle. His jeans were a familiar pair he wore often, but the short-sleeved blue Henley he hadn’t seen. The fabric hugged Tate’s muscles in a way that had Liam fighting an erection the moment he climbed in the car. “Tell me something about yourself.”
Tate cast him a quick side-eye before focusing back on the road. “Like what?”
Cornfields stretched on as far as the eye could see. They were heading south and west in a direction Liam had yet to explore. Still, it was funny how quickly he’d acclimated to seeing the flat farmlands out his window as he traveled.
“Like… what’s your favorite movie?” They could start with something light and easy to keep Tate from getting spooked.
“My favorite movie, huh?” He sat with one arm outstretched, gripping the top of the steering wheel and the other propped against the closed window. The car’s air conditioning chugged along, doing a fair to poor job of cooling the inside, but if they opened the windows, it’d be hard to talk, and Liam wanted to hear everything Tate had to say. The man fascinated him. He was a mess of contradictions, thanks to being surrounded by narrow-minded assholes.
Liam had a feeling there was so much more to Tate than met the eye. Even in the short time they’d known each other, Tate changed around him. He let his guard down a smidge, but Liam was selfish enough to want the whole package. He wanted Tate to trust him enough to be himself if the poor guy even knew who that was.
“ Fight Club .”
Liam smiled. “Oh, interesting. You like a movie with a little bit of a mind fuck, huh?”
That drew a laugh out of Tate. “I do. Always have. Momento , Requiem for a Dream , those kinds of movies have always done it for me. Psychological thrillers and dark comedies are my two favorite genres.”
Interesting . Liam soaked up the information. “You know, I can see it.”
“I love Chuck Palahniuk. I read Fight Club after watching it, then read everything else he wrote.” Tate shrugged and glanced at Liam, who could barely contain himself in his seat. “What?”
“You’re a reader?”
The switch flipped, and Tate went from open to closed-off in the blink of an eye. “What? No, I mean—”
“Okay, let’s get one thing straight… or not straight since it’s us.” Liam chuckled as Tate rolled his eyes. He turned in the seat, tucking his legs under him so he could fully face his driver. “This is serious, so listen. I’m not going to judge you.”
Tate’s eyes narrowed.
“I’ll say it again. I am not going to judge you . When we’re together, like this, just the two of us, you’re free.” He waffled his hand back and forth between them. “Understand, Tate?”
He watched as Tate’s grip on the faded steering wheel tightened. Maybe it was stupid to push the man as tense as he’d become, but this was vital to their relationship.
And to Tate’s self-acceptance.
Liam continued, “No matter what you tell me about who you are and what you like, I will not judge you. And if you’ve been hiding so long you don’t know who you are yet, I am a safe place for you to explore that. So, tell me you like to read, tell me you like to make fucking aroma therapy soaps in your trailer, and I will do nothing but ask you to tell me more because I really like every single thing I learn about you.”
Tate’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. For a moment, it seemed he wouldn’t respond, but then he spoke. “I… this is new to me.”
“I know.”
“You’ve met some of the people in my life. They’re assholes on a good day.” He glanced at Liam with a fierce expression. “I’m used to keeping my shit on lockdown.”
“I know that too. I’m not asking you to spill your guts to me. I get it might take you a while to feel like you can trust me, but I just want to make sure you know you can. I’ll keep your confidence and never judge you. I am and always will be a safe place for you, no matter what happens or doesn’t happen between us.”
Tate cleared his throat. Was he struggling to accept what Liam said? Or could he be feeling the same intense connection and desire to be closer to Liam, not only sexually but in all ways? After a few tense seconds, he rasped, “Thank you.”
“Trust me when I tell you it is my pleasure.” Liam extended his hand, palm up, resting it on the center console.
He counted the seconds as Tate’s gaze bounced between his hand and the road ahead. Liam would give it until twenty, then pull back. When he got to twelve, Tate shifted, taking the steering wheel with his left hand and placing his right on top of Liam’s.
Triumph surged through him, but he fought to keep calm and not bounce in his seat. Instead of cheering like he wanted, he closed his fingers around Tate’s and said, “He’s gay. Did you know that?”
“Huh? Who?”
“Chuck Palahniuk.”
“Oh, yeah. I did know that.”
The conversation lightened after that, flowing without any effort on Liam’s part. They continued talking about books and movies and discovered they had similar tastes in many things, except food. Tate had never eaten sushi, a horrifying fact Liam planned to remedy as soon as possible.
After thirty minutes of driving through farmland, Tate turned onto an unmarked road Liam never saw coming. It was more of a dirt path than a road and ended at a creek after about a hundred yards.
“Whoa.” Liam craned his neck to get a better look at their surroundings. “Where are we?”
“This is the back end of a huge commercial farm.”
His eyes widened. “Are we allowed to be here?”
Tate’s chuckle made his cheeks burn. “Not sure, to be honest, but I’ve been here hundreds of times and haven’t been caught yet, so…” He shrugged.
“How do you know about this place?”
“My old man worked here when I was a kid. For about a decade after he split, he would randomly show up at the trailer park every six months or so. Mom loved it. She’d make him take Randy and me to work with him until he disappeared again. There wasn’t anyone to supervise us while he worked, so we did a lot of exploring and found this place. Around the time I turned twelve, my old man didn’t come around for two straight years. But I managed to get myself here sometimes and still come when I need… space.”
Their gazes locked. Liam saw the vulnerability staring back at him. Tate let him see the vulnerability. The weight of the responsibility of protecting this man’s sacred emotions pressed down on him, but he was up to the challenge. “And you brought me here.”
A single nod was all he received in reply. It was enough.
Liam squeezed Tate’s hand and then released him as he turned toward the door. “Well then, let's get to picnicking.”
“This time, I wanted space… with you,” Tate spoke to his back, but the position didn’t dim the impact of the admission.
Afraid his emotions would show all over his face, Liam kept his back to Tate. “That sounds perfect to me.”
After they climbed out of the car, Tate went to the trunk while Liam absorbed their surroundings. The creek ran so clear the water looked drinkable. They were in a smallish clearing surrounded by cornfields on either side of the creek. The tall plants provided privacy and made him feel as though they were the only two souls for miles.
Maybe they were.
“This is beautiful.” He inhaled, drawing in the sweet scent permeating the air from the growing corn. It was one of the first things he learned to love about driving through farm country. “So, what’s the plan?” He spun around, and his jaw nearly hit the dirt. “Tate…” he whispered.
The man had pulled a duffle out of the trunk and now kneeled, setting up an idyllic picnic. He’d spread a red blanket over the ground and unloaded food containers. Liam happened to turn as he was pulling a bottle of white wine from the duffle.
Wine? Somehow, he didn’t peg Tate as a wine drinker, which meant it was for him.
His heart swelled to near bursting.
This man was proving to be very dangerous to Liam’s heart. If Liam wasn’t careful, he’d fall down the slippery slope of romantic feelings and end up hurt. He was almost certain Tate had never dated another man. The first was always memorable but rarely lasted.
It was the starter relationship, the training boyfriend, not that they were even boyfriends. Ugh, if he didn’t get out of his own head, he’d miss this incredible experience and spend the next month kicking himself, so he swallowed down the surge of emotion.
“Tate, this is incredible. I can’t believe you did all this.”
He’d never have thought it possible, but the man turned an adorable shade of pink. He rubbed the back of his neck, staring down at two chipped wine glasses in his hands. “I didn’t know what you liked so…” He shook his head.
“I’m easy. Whatever you have is perfect.” He walked over to the blanket. Tate’s gaze shifted up as he approached. The other man watched as Liam sat with his legs curled to his side like a mermaid.
Chucking, Tate said, “You even sit gracefully.”
Grinning, Liam shrugged. “Two decades of dance training will do that.”
“Two decades?” Tate unscrewed the wine and poured some into the glasses.
“Yep. Started when I was five, which is after many of my co-performers.” He accepted the glass from Tate and then held it up between them. “To safe havens, whether they be a beautiful place or an unexpected person.”
With a nod, Tate tapped his glass against Liam’s. “To safe-havens,” he whispered.
As he took his first sip, he kept his gaze on Tate over the glass’s rim. A crisp, fruity flavor filled his mouth, and he smiled. Sauvignon Blanc, his favorite.
Tate’s nose wrinkled before he swallowed. He pulled the glass away from his mouth and stared at it for a second before shrugging and going in for a second taste.
“Like it?”
“Not bad. Though I can think of something much more delicious to taste.”
There wasn’t anything better than Tate letting his guard down. The few times he’d allowed himself to flirt, the effort sent butterflies through Liam’s stomach.
“There you go, flirting with me again,” Liam said with a wink.
“That a problem?” An eyebrow arched into Tate’s forehead.
“Um, hell no. Quite the opposite. I love it. Flirt away.”
They grinned at each other.
“So, what did you bring me to eat?”
The man had enough food to feed an army. He’d brought cheese, crackers, grapes, an assortment of finger sandwiches, a fresh pasta salad, and one large cupcake for dessert. Liam couldn’t wait to share it.
“Seriously, Tate, this is amazing. Thank you so much for doing all this.”
“It’s nothing,” he said as he ripped open a bag of crackers.
“It’s not nothing.” Liam scooted until his knees bumped Tate’s thighs. “This is really wonderful. No one has ever put this much thought into planning a date for me. You made me feel really special tonight. Thank you.”
A world of emotions burned in Tate’s gaze—fear, lust, pride, and hopefully the same magnetic draw Liam was experiencing. He cupped the back of Tate’s neck and drew him close, pressing their lips together.
Tate gasped at the contact, and Liam took the opportunity to slip his tongue into the man’s sexy mouth. He tasted of wine, and the flavor went straight to Liam’s head. Unlike their other kisses, this one had no end goal or time limit. They weren’t in a club racing to get off or in his studio hiding from prying eyes for a frantic few minutes before Tate had to leave.
Liam took his sweet time exploring every corner of Tate’s mouth with licks and strokes of his tongue. He kept his hand on Tate’s neck, playing with the unruly strands of hair at the nape. How on earth did he get it so silky?
When Tate moaned and grabbed Liam’s thighs, pulling him until he straddled Tate’s lap, his cock hardened to near aching. The man beneath him was just as rigid but seemed to realize the same thing Liam did—they didn’t need to do anything about it right then. They could enjoy kissing and touching for the sake of being close and connecting.
But later, he wanted Tate in his bed and in his body.
“Come home with me tonight,” he whispered as he rocked his erection into Tate’s, drawing a harsh curse from the man. “After this, come to my apartment. Sleep in my bed. Fuck me.”
“Jesus Christ.” Tate nibbled along his jaw, squeezing his ass with those very strong hands. “We gotta stop, or I’m gonna lose it.”
It took Herculean effort, but Liam managed to wrench himself away. “What do you say?” he asked as he crawled back onto his own spot on the blanket.
“Yeah,” Tate said as he ran a hand through his hair and pressed the other one to his crotch. “Fuck, yes. I’ll stay with you tonight, Luxe. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
His heart threatened to beat out of his chest. “Then let’s eat because you, my friend, will need your stamina. It’s been a while for me, and I have a lot of pent-up desire.”
Tate lifted his glass in salute before downing the entire glass of wine in three gulps. The tremor in his hand had Liam grinning. Yeah, Tate wanted him so badly he was shaking with it.
Who wouldn’t love that?
For the rest of the evening, they alternated between eating, drinking, and kissing. As the sun dipped below the tall stalks of corn, Tate produced a battery-operated lantern to illuminate their private area. He’d thought of everything.
“So, tell me about wanting to start your own business,” Liam said as they lay side by side, looking up at the stars. He had his head resting on Tate’s outstretched arm and felt a sense of peace he’d never had in bustling New York City. The air had chilled, and if it weren’t for the warmth of the man he cuddled up to, Liam might be cold.
“Oh, it’s just a silly thought. Doubt I’ll ever make anything of it.”
He frowned. Tate was a master at dismissing his own worth. Not on Liam’s watch. That garbage would stop now. With a huff, he pushed up onto his elbow, glancing down. Scruff dusted Tate’s jaw as though he hadn’t shaved in a few days. He couldn’t resist stroking a hand through the soft bristles that had tickled his cheeks and chin moments before.
“Tell me.”
Time ticked by as Tate stared at him. One thing Liam quickly learned about the man was his need to take a few minutes to process his words before he spoke of anything deep. Instead of turning away, assuming his command would be ignored, Liam waited.
Eventually, Tate spoke. “You might think it’s dumb, but I actually like what I do.”
“Why would I think that was dumb?”
“Because you make art with your fucking amazing body. I put ceramic on the floor.”
“Tate!” Liam socked him lightly on the shoulder. “That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m instituting a rule. Every time you say something disparaging about yourself, I withhold sex.”
A loud burst of laughter rumbled the body beneath him. “So, you’re saying I’m not getting any tonight?”
Well, shit, he hadn’t thought that one through. “Just shut up and tell me your dream. We’ll start tomorrow.”
Still laughing, Tate wrapped his arms around Liam and fully pulled him onto him. They now lay chest to chest, nose to nose. “No one ever gives a shit what I want.”
Ugh, stab me in the heart.
“Well,” he said, trying to keep the sadness of that statement out of his tone. “That changed when you met me.”
“My boss is close to retirement. He doesn’t really give a shit anymore. We accept easy local jobs because he isn’t motivated to go for anything bigger or learn more modern techniques. With social media and stuff, we could expand our market and reach new customers. But, as I said, he doesn’t give a shit anymore.”
“And you have ideas to expand?”
Nodding, Tate ran a hand up and down Liam's back. He swore he purred like a happy cat under the touch.
“A crapload of acreage was sold recently to a developer. They’re planning multiple communities and looking for subcontractors right now. I do good work and enjoy the design side of things. I also keep up with modern trends and what people are looking for. The shit they’re planning to build is ritzy as fuck, and I bet they’re going to have some really unique, intricate work. I’d love in on that.”
The passion lacing his voice captured Liam’s attention. This was more than a flash-in-the-pan idea—he’d given it serious thought.
“So do it,” Liam said. “Break away. Take your brother and Daryl.” He couldn’t keep his nose from wrinkling as he said that jerk’s name, but thankfully, Tate didn’t seem to expect him to like his friends. “Break away and approach the developer.”
“Just like that, huh?” The man below him smirked.
“Yes. Just like that. It doesn’t need to be more complicated. I recently went through a lot of the process with my studio, so I can help you.”
“Luxe…”
“Nuh-uh.” He placed his fingers over those tasty lips. “Don’t say no yet. Think about it first. It’s a really great idea. You’d make a fantastic boss. Just think about it. Okay?”
Nodding, Tate said, “Okay,” but the word was muffled by the fingers squishing his lips.
“Good.” Liam beamed.
It was the best date of Liam’s life, hands down. It probably ranked in the top five evenings of his life, period. With each passing second, keeping his hands off his date grew harder as did his cock.
When Tate snuck his tongue out and licked along the seam of Liam’s fingers, he sucked in a harsh breath.
“Kiss me,” Tate ordered in an impossible-to-resist growl.
They spent the next long while kissing and groping beneath the vast, starry sky. The longer they went at it, the more desperate Liam became, and before he knew it, he was rutting against Tate for all he was worth.
“Wait!” He tore his mouth away and rested his forehead against Tate’s. “Holy shit, we have to stop or I’m going to come.”
“And that’s a problem?”
“Right now, it is. I don’t want to come again until you’re inside me.” He lifted his head, and the white-hot stare gazing up at him had sweat rolling down his back.
Fire blazed in Tate’s eyes as he squeezed Liam’s ass. “Then let’s get the fuck outta here.”