Page 110 of All The Things: The Last Thing He Needs Omnibus

That would only count if you ever actually bought me one.

True. And since you’ve got about 3 years to go, I guess you’re out of luck.

He could picture the kid scowling and smiling at the same time. Goddamn it all. He’d been thinking about Gavin since the first time he’d seen him. Sprawled out on the dingy floor in a dive bar, drunk or high or both. Practically a child. Ben had gotten him on his feet, cleaned him up, and taken him home. He’d settled Gavin on his couch and gone to sleep in his own bed, but when he woke up just before dawn with Gavin naked, trying to climb under the covers with him, well, hell. Ben figured he deserved sainthood for turning that down. But even if Gavin had been legal—which he wasn’t at the time—he wasn’t big on getting off with guys who were too wasted to know where they were. Call him old-fashioned, but he liked his tricks at least coherent, if not sober.

That was over a year ago, though, and since then, Gavin had managed to wiggle his way into Ben’s heart. They were friends. They laughed together and sometimes danced together, talked for hours some nights.

Gavin had gotten his shit together a little, but maybe not enough. He’d quit doing the heavy drugs, but he still liked to party. Sometimes it seemed like he was doing it just to show Ben he wasn’t a kid. Which was an all-time backfire since only a kid would do that.

But none of that mattered now.

Ben stood in line, passed over the twenty for the cover charge, and cursed himself for being too stupid to know when to run.

Gavin

Tony arched his brow when Gavin crinkled his nose at the Shirley Temple in his hand. “Next time, give the guy more to go on than sweet and fruity.”

“I was trying to be cute.”

The laugh Tony let slip was probably well-earned, but it didn’t make Gavin feel much better. Nudging him with his elbow, grinning, Tony said, “Well, mission accomplished?” Before Gavin could say anything, Tony’s eyes went wide. “Don’t look, but your favorite tattoo artist just walked in.”

Every muscle in Gavin’s body went rigid. “Are you sure it’s him?” He resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder.

“He’s pretty hard to miss.”

Gavin’s heart beat harder in his chest as he tried to decide how best to handle the situation. “Does he see me yet?”

“I don’t think so, but he’s definitely looking around…” Tony looked away quickly. “Okay, he’s on his way over here.”

“Shit, um…” With no clear reason why, Gavin thrust his drink at Tony. “Take this,” he said, panicking. “And, uh… laugh.”

Tony took the drink, looking more than slightly ridiculous with the pink soda in one hand and his gin and tonic in the other. “Laugh?”

“Yes, like I just said something really funny.”

“Well, you are funny, but…” Being the best friend a guy could have, Tony threw his head back and laughed loud and hard. If he ever decided to go into acting, Gavin thought he might have a shot.

“Did I miss something good?” Ben asked as he stepped up to them. When he slipped his arm around Gavin’s waist, Gavin nearly jumped.

Turning to face Ben, Gavin wrapped his arm around one of Ben’s bulky shoulders, his fingertips tracing the colorful pattern that peeked out from under Ben’s T-shirt. “We were just talking about this guy that’s been cruising us all night.” He held Ben’s eye as he said it, hoping Ben wouldn’t turn his attention to Tony. He couldn’t see his friend at the moment, but he could practically feel Tony’s eyes rolling. “Did you come to buy me that birthday drink?”

Ben’s smile widened, teasing and sweet. “No,” he said pointedly before he leaned in and… kissed Gavin’s forehead. “I came to have a dance with the birthday boy before I head home.”

Ben

He’d known it was a bad idea, hadn’t he? So why was he surprised when Gavin took his offer to dance, not as a gentle letdown but as a challenge? Not even a challenge so much as an invitation to let Ben fuck him right there on the dance floor.

They’d been going at it for less than twenty minutes, and Gavin had plastered himself to Ben. The worst part? It was totally working. The little shit had Ben so hard in his jeans he wasn’t sure he’d be able to ride home without jerking off somewhere first.

As one song faded into another, Gavin pressed closer—which hardly seemed possible. He ground his hips against Ben and then looked at him, a knowing expression lighting up Gavin’s eyes.

Damn it.

“So you are happy to see me.” Gavin teased. Little bastard that he was, Gavin did another grind against him and then wrapped both arms around Ben’s shoulders, threading his fingers into Ben’s hair.

“I never said I wasn’t.” His response probably sounded more gruff, maybe even hostile, than he’d meant it, but it couldn’t be helped. He was too busy arguing with the one shred of sanity he had left. The part that kept telling him to head home, take a cold shower, and maybe move to another state before sunrise.

“You never said you were, either.” Gavin pointed out. Ben couldn’t tell if the pout playing on Gavin’s lips was for show or genuine. He knew for sure when Gavin added more quietly, “You never do, actually.”

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