Chapter 26
D ANIEL SAT IN the conference room of Leighton & Associates and tugged on his tie. He couldn’t believe how tight and restrictive it felt this morning, but after a week of not having worn one, it felt like a noose around his neck.
He was trying to remember that he was there to woo the partners who’d flown in from the New York offices, not think about what Brantley might be doing right that second.
“Daniel,” his boss greeted him as he walked in, buttoning his suit jacket. “So glad you could get back here this morning.”
Todd Leighton was a tall, lanky man with thinning hair and wire-rimmed glasses.
He’d always reminded Daniel of a reed a strong breeze would knock over, but it would take more than that to bring this man down.
He was an aggressive and ruthless lawyer who pulled no punches when going after what he wanted, and he’d taken Daniel under his wing when he’d arrived in Chicago and interned at his offices.
He’d groomed him in his own image for this very moment.
Daniel got to his feet and held his hand out. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”
Todd took his hand in a tight grip and clapped him on the back. “I know. I know. I hate pulling you away from your vacation, but nothing is as important as this moment will be in your life, Daniel. This will change everything…”
As Todd continued to talk, Daniel kept one ear on him, but his mind was replaying his past week.
That first moment when he’d seen Brantley.
The moment they’d first kissed in his hall again.
The night they’d gone dancing and when they’d walked home along the beach.
That moment he’d realized he still loved him…
And he knew right then that this wasn’t the moment that would change everything. He’d already had that moment.
He’d had it back in Brantley’s bed seven years ago and again on that last night when he’d taken him home and worshipped every inch of his body.
“Okay,” Todd said, and rubbed his hands together. “They should be here in a few minutes. I’m going to go and get your portfolio and hunt down Suz for those damn coffees. Don’t you go anywhere.”
As Todd left the room, Daniel looked at his cell, and just as he’d suspected, it was blank. No new messages, no missed calls—nothing.
Well, what the hell did I expect? I didn’t ask him to call me. But fuck, he wished he would.
Glancing at the clock, he frowned. It was nearly nine thirty and it already felt as though he’d been up for hours.
Was this how his life was going to be from now on?
His days dragging by even when he had so much to look forward to?
Or would it eventually get easier? Less difficult to function when he was there and his heart was somefuckingplace else.
The real question was, Do I want that to be how I function?
“Daniel?” Moira was standing in the doorway with her head poking inside and an arm full of files. “Here are the cases I was told to pull.”
As he stared at her, all the words coming out of her mouth faded until he could only hear his heart pumping out a message he’d been too distracted to hear. The realization hit him with the force of a Mack truck.
He didn’t want to be there at all.
“Daniel?”
He clasped her shoulders in his hands and cocked his head to the side, and when he grinned at her, she raised an eyebrow, apparently shocked by an expression she’d rarely seen on him before.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“You know what? I’m feeling fantastic. But I need to leave.”
“Leave?” she squeaked out.
“Yes, leave. I’m sorry, Moira, but we won’t be getting that corner office after all.”
As he took a step around her, she touched his arm and flashed a smile back at him.
“Daniel?”
“Yes?”
“Is he worth it?” she asked.
One of the reasons he’d hired Moira was that she wasn’t anybody’s fool—and right now was no exception.
“He is more than worth it.”
She nodded and squeezed his arm. “Then what are you waiting for?”
“Leighton’s gonna be pissed,” he warned.
“So?” she said. “What else is new?”
Leaning down, he kissed her on the cheek and whispered, “Thank you. I’ll be back for my things…eventually.” Then he went to his office, grabbed his briefcase, and headed for the elevator.
This is madness, he thought as he got on and took it down to the parking garage. But during the entire descent, he couldn’t get the ridiculous smile off his face. It might be crazy, but fuck, nothing had ever felt as right.
Getting in his car, he thought about everything he needed to do once he got back to the apartment. Pack, book a flight, hire a car…and, no doubt, call his mother.
It was just turning ten when he returned to his condo. If he were lucky, he could get packed, head over to the airport, and be back in Florida no later than this evening.
He pulled his keys from his pants pocket as the elevator doors opened, and when he stepped out into the hall, he came to an abrupt halt. Because there, standing by his door, was?—
“Brantley?”
CERTIFIABLE. I’M ONE hundred percent certifiable, Brantley thought for the millionth time since he’d boarded his flight to Chicago and then caught a taxi to the address Camille had given him.
What in the world had made him think he could just hop on a plane and track Daniel down? He hadn’t invited him. Hadn’t even told him he wanted to see him again. But…he’d left that note behind, and if there were even the slightest chance he would see him, then?—
“Brantley?”
When he looked up and saw Daniel standing in front of him, immaculate as ever in a black suit, a blue tie, and a crisp white shirt, the first thing that came to mind was, This man is everything I want.
The elevator doors slid shut behind him, and Brantley’s eyes shifted to the briefcase by Daniel’s side. He looked every inch the lawyer Brantley had imagined he would become, and he was finding it difficult not to go to him.
Daniel twirled his keys around his finger as he walked closer, and when Brantley remained silent, unable to think of a single thing to say, a crooked smile tugged at the corner of Daniel’s mouth.
“Well… This is a surprise, professor.”
“A good one, I hope.” Brantley remained frozen in place.
Daniel leaned past him to slide the key into the lock and shove the door open. Holding it propped there with his foot, he gestured for Brantley to come in with a tilt of his head.
“A very good one. I won’t even ask how you found me,” Daniel said.
Deciding not to let that linger, Brantley walked forward. “Nothing would’ve stopped me from tracking you down personally this time, Finn. Not one fucking thing.”
Daniel’s eyes smoldered a fiery gold that was so hot that Brantley was surprised he didn’t melt into the floor. The air around them was humming with tension, and Brantley was close to shaking from his need to touch him.
“Well, then,” Daniel said in a voice so low that Brantley was glad he was close enough to read his lips. “After you.”
Turning away before he did something rash—like attack Daniel where he stood— Brantley made himself walk into his living room.
A large television was mounted on the wall across from two plush couches, and a lounger was parked at the end of one.
He’d always loved those for reading, and could picture curling up there on a cold night.
He was about to go farther inside and take a look at the place when a hand took his and he was spun back around to face the man who owned it.
When he saw the fierce desire etched into the planes of Daniel’s face, he opened his mouth to speak, but Daniel raised a hand to stop him.
“Shh,” Daniel said as he touched trembling fingers to Brantley’s mouth. When Daniel dragged them down, parting his lips, Brantley sighed and reached up to clasp the material of his suit jacket.
“God…you have no idea how good it is to see you,” Daniel whispered, walking him backward.
Backward until— thump —his back was up against the wall.
Daniel moved in so close that he was fully aligned with Brantley from head to toe, and the look on his face was so potent that Brantley’s balls tightened.
Daniel was in his element there. His home, his world, his…everything. And standing there dressed in shorts and a casual T-shirt, Brantley was very much out of his.
With no more than a smile and a crook of his finger, Daniel would be able to have him do whatever he pleased, and while that realization was scary, it was also exhilarating as hell to surrender to. He was his, and Brantley had never been more certain of that than when Daniel spoke again.
“The first word I want to hear out of your mouth is my name when you’re moaning it or shouting it or however the fuck you need to say it. But I want to hear it off your tongue. First . Then we can go from there. Is that okay with you?”
When Daniel fingered the button of his shorts, Brantley nodded. Yes. God, yes, that was okay. He’d scream it from the rooftop if that was what Daniel wanted from him.
Brantley ran his hands up Daniel’s jacket, and when he got to the top of the lapels, it was like he’d been shot with adrenaline, because suddenly, he couldn’t wait to get him out of it.
Gripping each side of the material, he shoved it off first one shoulder, then the other, as Daniel leaned forward to capture his lips.
Brantley groaned and let him sink inside with no resistance, Daniel’s tongue sensually rubbing over the top of his as he pulled on the jacket that was halfway down Daniel’s arms and threw it to the ground.
Daniel raised his head and let loose a smile so sinful that it should’ve been illegal, and then he released the hold he had on Brantley’s jaw and lowered his hand so both were now working at removing his shorts.
They were unbuttoned and unzipped in less than five seconds, then they were around his ankles, and Brantley kicked them aside and reached for the silver clasp of Daniel’s belt buckle.