Page 113 of All The Things: The Last Thing He Needs Omnibus

Ben’s smile turned predatory, playful. “More than twice your age. I’ve got regrets older than you. Does that bother you?”

“I wouldn’t say that, no. How much more than half?”

“I’m thirty-seven. You do the math.” Ben laughed again and finally pulled away.

“That’s not that bad.”

In response, Ben chuckled and lifted a brow.

“I mean… when I’m thirty, you won’t even be fifty.”

When Ben let out another loud laugh, Gavin’s skin heated with embarrassment. He could get nearly any guy he so much as looked at, but Ben? Ben made him feel like a stupid kid without even meaning to. Well, he assumed Ben didn’t mean to.

“I’ll be close enough, kiddo.”

Gavin huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m an adult now, Ben.”

He could tell Ben was trying not to laugh again. His brown eyes softened, and he stepped closer, putting his big hands on Gavin’s shoulders. “No adult feels the need to point that out.” He’d said the words gently, but Gavin still bristled.

“You’re an asshole, ya know that?”

Ben pulled him close and wrapped an arm around his waist. He reached his other hand higher, tangling his fingers in Gavin’s hair. “I’m glad you finally figured that out. I’ve been trying to tell you as much for months.”

All of a sudden, there was far less air in the room than there had been moments earlier. Ben held him tight, their bodies pressed together, as the music in the background seemed to surround them. Ben was dancing with him. Not the way they danced at clubs and parties when the hard rhythm pushed them faster, sent them into the space of others around them. This was different. Tender, slow. Gavin felt like he was in the middle of his own movie scene. But not the wild porn he’d hoped this night would turn into. Instead, he was in the middle of a chick-flick-gone-gay.

When Ben said, “You really are beautiful, ya know?” Gavin couldn’t help laughing. Not because he didn’t like hearing it from Ben, but when he pictured himself giving Tony the play-by-play of the night, he knew how cheesy it would sound.

“You have the weirdest seduction routine. I’m just sayin’.”

Ben

He’d already shared too much with Gavin. Not just tonight but nearly every night since they met. Gavin knew more about him than most of his friends, more than his family too, but that was only because there are things you just can’t tell your mother or sister.

Ben knew he was in deep enough already. He should let go of Gavin—literally and figuratively—and move on, let them both move on.

That didn’t feel like an option, though.

He tightened his hold on Gavin and dipped his head, brushing his stubbled cheek next to Gavin’s smooth, soft skin. “I don’t have a routine,” he whispered. When Gavin pulled back, just enough to see his face, Ben added, “And even if I did, I doubt I could think clearly enough around you to use it.”

The look he got for that simple, somewhat painful admission was worth all the cold showers and cheap hookups he’d had over the past several months. Gavin’s eyes widened with surprise, and a smile tugged at his lips, but mostly, he stared in disbelief.

Yeah, totally worth it.

Fighting his own smile, Ben asked quietly, “You sure you aren’t hungry?”

Gavin blinked once, slowly, then again. “I… What?”

They were still dancing, shuffling their feet in a clumsy box step, almost a waltz, but not quite. Ben pulled him closer. “Want me to make you something?” He really did need to eat more.

A sweet flush crept up Gavin’s pale skin, spreading over his neck to his cheeks. “No, I…” He breathed out a laugh and buried his face against Ben’s shoulder. “That’s not what I thought you were going to ask.”

Ben slipped his hand between them, tucked his fingers under Gavin’s chin, and tilted his face up. He traced his thumb against Gavin’s lower lip and smiled when Gavin looked him in the eye. “I hoped I wouldn’t have to ask for anything else.”

Not saying anything at first, Gavin stopped moving.

Ben could feel the sharp intake of his breath, maybe even a small tremor running through Gavin’s slight frame, as if his blood thrummed too hard in his veins.

“You don’t,” he whispered against the touch of Ben’s thumb.

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