Page 54 of The Gift
Julian turned even redder. “Yeah, Grindr is an appthat—”
“I know what itis,Jules.”
“Oh. Did you think we didn’t have it out here in the sticks?” He smiled tightly. “I will admit, the pickings are a lot slimmer than you likely had back in the city.” His smile fled instantly. “I mean, notyou-you. Not you specifically.Obviously. I mean, gay men. Men who… have sex with other men.” His words choked off with a strangled little cough. He took a deep breath and gestured helplessly toward the door and the waiting room beyond. “So, um, I should probably see patients now. Patients would begood.”
Sothiswas awkward Julian? The one he’d been warning me about for months?Shit. Scale of one to ten, how bad was it that this Julian was atleastas attractive as cool, competent Julian, and maybe evenmore?
“I was just surprised you were into Grindr,” I said. “I thought that was more one-shot dates andstuff.”
“Dates?” He huffed. “I mean, we could call them dates. Basically they were hookups. Booty calls. Scratching an itch. There are definitely some people who find dates that way—Cal and Ash met on an app. Did you know?—but, um, these were not those kinds of dates, no.” He pulled at the collar of his blue scrubs. “Is it warm in here? I should have Kathy check theheat.”
I lifted a hand to brush the dark hair from his forehead then trailed my fingers over his cheek to cup hisjaw.
“So, what you’re saying is that when Doctor Julian Ross needs to scratch an itch, he goes on Grindr?” Iteased.
He swallowed hard and tried to back away, but the exam table behind him blocked his retreat. “I haven’t lately. Not for months.” His lips quirked at the edges in a self-effacing smile. “But maybe I should, huh? For your safety.” He paused, then said, “Or maybe it’s time for our fakebreakup.”
I gripped his jaw more tightly. “No.”
His eyes lifted to mine, the blue at least a hundred miles deep. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me, Daniel. That’s… pretty fucking important to me. Okay? And I’m really worried that all this fake boyfriend shit is going to freak you out, if it hasn’talready.”
I lowered my head until my forehead was just above his. “Do I look freakedout?”
His eyes darted around my face, cataloging my expression. “N-no. But then, we haven’t seen each other in a week, soyes.”
“I’m not freaked out.” My breath ghosted over his lips and heshuddered.
“You’re sweet to say that,” he said, leaning his head back and putting his hands on my chest like he was thinking about pushing me away. “But the evidencesuggests…”
I dragged my thumb over his bottom lip and his eyes heated. “What does it suggest, Jules?” I askedsoftly.
“E-evidencesuggests—”
I leaned in closer, licked my lips. “Mmmhmm?”
“That you’re either trying to kiss me,or…”
“Or?”
He shook his head. “Or, I don’t know. I can’t come up with an alternative.” His eyes looked so bewildered, like he was convinced therehadto be analternative.
“Julian?”
“Yes?” It was a breath, hardly a fullword.
“I’m going to kiss you now.Okay?”
“But what about—” he beganworriedly.
“Jules, when I saidokay, I didn’t mean for you to factor all the world’s problems in. I just meant‘Do you want me to kiss you,Julian?’”
“Oh. Then…yes,” he said, like I was the slowest creature in the universe. “Duh.”
“Duh,” I echoed against his lips. I grinned and wrapped my arms around his waist, bending him backwards. He gave a little squeak as he lifted his hands to my shoulders, grabbing on tight. And then I kissedhim.
Just like the last time, it was fucking incredible—brand new and familiar all at once. I couldn’t get enough; not of his taste, not of his breathy little moans or the way his hands threaded into the back of my hair and held on for dearlife.
I straightened and brought him more fully against me, bending my knees to get the angle right. When my cock rubbed up against the firm heat of his abs, I moaned at the sheer perfection of it and promptly did itagain.
