Page 26 of Stay A Little Longer
“It’s okay.” Trent shrugged again, “I get it, maybe better than anyone else ever could. It’s a small town. People talk. You have your reasons and they’re just as valid as mine were. I’m not going to judge you for not being out. That’d be pretty damn hypocritical of me. But I am out now, by choice or not, so I just figured… you don’t need me hanging around you, making it harder to keep your secret so… I’ll keep my distance.”
Lance had to take a moment to suck in a breath because… damn. Trent had just hit him right in the gut. He didn’t hate him. He didn’t judge him. He’d been ignoring him because he thought it was the right thing to do, the only thing to do and what Lance would want. But the words clawing up his throat completely contradicted what he knew he should say, what he knew he should want and for once, he didn’t hold the truth back.
“That’s not what I want.”
Trent’s head tilted slightly, surprise painting is handsome face, “What isn’t?”
“You… keeping your distance? That’s not what I want.”
A heavy sigh filled the air and Trent moved a little closer, “What do you want, Lance?”
“I…” This time the words got stuck in his throat and he couldn’t force them out no matter how hard he tried. Self-preservation and years of experience told him it was impossible. He couldn’t say it. Shouldn’t say it.
He couldn’t tell this gorgeous man that he wanted him, that he wanted to spend time with him, wanted to kiss him and touch him, wanted him in his bed and in his life. The words wouldn’t come and he made a noise that didn’t sound human, an embarrassing noise of defeat. He grit his teeth and hung his head, knowing he didn’t deserve any of that. Not when he couldn’t promise anything in return, didn’t have anything to give. Couldn’t even say the damn words.
“Hey.” That deep, rich voice was soft and close, so damn close that the touch that came a second later didn’t even surprise him. It did send a shudder of awareness through him and he fought a whimper. Trent lifted his chin with one hand and pinned his gaze as soon as it met his own. “How about you just tell me the truth? One truth for right now? Something simple and easy and we’ll go from there?”
The out was more than he could have asked for. The second chance more than he deserved. Lance scoured his brain for something he could admit, without giving away too much, and he finally found the simplest of his desires. The one that was blatantly obvious even if he hadn’t intended it that way.
“I want to have dinner with you.”
Trent’s lips quirked and his eyes moved to the grill. Two steaks. Lance was grilling two steaks. Not one. As if he’d hoped for this moment even unconsciously.
“I’d love to have dinner with you.” Trent’s thumb brushed his lower lip and Lance sucked in a breath of awareness tinted with man and musk, cologne and soap, “But I want something in return.”
“O-Okay.”
“One kiss.”
Lance’s breath stuttered out and his heart kicked in his chest. His knee-jerk reaction should have been to pull away, or at least to glance around. They were outside, in the wide open. Anyone that came by could see them. If it was anyone else he’d have said hell no, not here and not now, but this was Trent. And when he spoke again, his voice low and husky, his blue eyes fixated on Lance’s mouth, he knew that he wasn’t going to deny him.
“I wanted to kiss you this morning, in front of Lemon and Shane. You were wearing those fucking man-magnet sweats and I wanted to kiss you, wanted you so bad I could taste it. I’ve wanted your taste back in mouth since the moment I brushed my teeth. So if we’re gonna eat together, I want to taste you again before I taste your cooking.”
It was a damn miracle his knees didn’t buckle. A feat of monumental proportions that he didn’t just launch himself across the small space separating them and take the kiss. After that little speech, those flame-igniting words, the last thing Lance wanted was to simply eat with the man. Hell, he wanted to eat him.
But Trent had asked, nicely, for a kiss. One kiss. He’d been very clear about that. Not a make out session. Not a down and dirty grind and fuck. A kiss. So Lance held himself completely still and simply nodded.
Trent’s lips twitched again and then his mouth was on Lance’s. Soft and sweet and… Oh God, he groaned as Trent’s taste punched him in the gut. Strawberries and cream. Trent didn’t just kiss him, he tasted him. Licking at his bottom lip, enticing his mouth into opening so he could slide his tongue in. He kept it light and teasing though, small flicks instead of all out possession. And when Lance all but curled into him, he drew back, ending the kiss and meeting his eyes again.
“Mmm.” Trent leaned back in and brushed their lips together once more, “Been missing that taste all day.”
Lance shivered and the words fell out of his mouth before he could overthink them, “I missed you.”
Trent’s lips twitched again and then a full smile graced his handsome face, “Good. I missed you too.”
“You did?”
Lance could feel his cheeks heat with embarrassment that the question had slipped out. The words too. All things he shouldn’t have said. They showed his doubts, his inexperience, his complete and utter inability to keep his head and his heart on the same page. Because even if it shouldn’t be, his heart was involved where Trent was concerned.
He really was a gigantic fucking idiot and he was racing headlong into his first broken heart with no safety net whatsoever.
“I did. Everywhere we went today, I wished you were there with me, was hoping I’d run into you so I could invite you to join us.” Trent nodded, his eyes warm, “I understand why you couldn’t but now that we’re here, together, just the two of us… let’s have dinner.”
Lance nodded. That sounded good. Dinner was good. He could cool down a little. They could talk. Get to know each other better. It was win win. Just so long as he didn’t burn the steaks.
“You know you’ll have to let me go for me to finish grilling?” He smirked when Trent didn’t move away from him.
“Smartass.” Trent kissed him again, a quick peck on the lips before releasing him.
