churning sensations that had every nerve ending shooting out signals of lust. Every secret craving fought for the end he wouldn’t get here.
Carter loosened his hold on Rock’s hips, the rumble of his throat clearing snapping reality back to Rock. He opened his eyes and stepped away when he saw that Carter was backed against his car and had nowhere to go. Relinquishing his hold on the man was one of the hardest things he could remember doing, but he did.
He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and wrestled with where to look. What happenednow? Was this it? He swallowed and hoped to hell it wasn’t.
“Rock.”
There was a deeper tone to Carter’s voice that reached out and grabbed the fraying hem of his nerves. He looked up and was held by the open emotion in Carter’s eyes.
Carter moistened then held the edge of his lip between his teeth before it popped out. “That was nice.”
Nice. The chuckle that sprang from Rock was lined with the bitter edge of understanding. It’d been way beyond fucking nice for him.
“Better than,” Carter said before Rock could speak. “I…” He glanced away, the first hint of insecurity showing as his jaw worked over the words before he turned back to Rock. “Any chance you’d like to get together again?”
The tone and question was casual, but the underlying tension wasn’t. It strung between them in the chilled air on delicate strings, waiting to be crushed. Was Carter really worried that he’d say no? How was that possible?
Rock shoved away the preservation instincts that had guided him to this point and took another leap toward the life he’d been afraid to hope for. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
Carter’s smile was warm, if not full. “Good.” His smile fell as he dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his keys. “It’s not for money, you know.”
The mumbled statement gave away Carter’s fear and shot a dose of strength into Rock. He reached out and grabbed Carter’s hand, the keys pressing into his palm. Carter jerked his head up to stare at Rock. The little flash of self-doubt was squashed behind an assured gleam that Rock remembered from their first dinner together.
Now that he knew the man better, it was easy to define the falseness in the cocky arch of his brow. Although Carter hid them well, he battled his own layers of doubt, which Rock wanted to destroy.
“I’d empty my bank account to see you again. But you’re worth more than that.” Rock waited for the laugh that was sure to come from his cheesy words, but they didn’t.
Well, maybe not a laugh, but Carter’s mouth did struggle and twitch to suppress a grin before it burst free. “You have got to get out more,” Carter said, shaking his head. “I’ll call you. We can do something next week.”
It was a statement, but Rock answered anyway. “That’s good. It’s easier for me to get time off during the week.” He could probably get a weekend night off without any problem, but he didn’t want to deal with the questions or stress about Carter’s weekend schedule. They didn’t need that stuff between them.
Carter leaned in and gave him one more light kiss that had Rock wanting to haul the man back for a replay but he didn’t. He turned away and headed for his truck, feeling a bit lost.
“Hey, Rock.”
He turned around to see Carter poised in the open door of his car.
“Thanks for trusting me. I hope I helped.”
The tightness in Rock’s throat prevented him from answering, so he nodded instead. His response was grossly lacking in communicating the depth of his gratitude, but it was all he had right then. Even if nothing worked out between them, Carter had given Rock a piece of himself that was past time he acknowledged.
He was gay. He’d said it and he’d just had the most fucking fantastic kiss with a man and there wasn’t an ounce of guilt or shame simmering within him.
Carter’s sedan left the lot as Rock sat in his truck and tried to process the
Carter loosened his hold on Rock’s hips, the rumble of his throat clearing snapping reality back to Rock. He opened his eyes and stepped away when he saw that Carter was backed against his car and had nowhere to go. Relinquishing his hold on the man was one of the hardest things he could remember doing, but he did.
He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and wrestled with where to look. What happenednow? Was this it? He swallowed and hoped to hell it wasn’t.
“Rock.”
There was a deeper tone to Carter’s voice that reached out and grabbed the fraying hem of his nerves. He looked up and was held by the open emotion in Carter’s eyes.
Carter moistened then held the edge of his lip between his teeth before it popped out. “That was nice.”
Nice. The chuckle that sprang from Rock was lined with the bitter edge of understanding. It’d been way beyond fucking nice for him.
“Better than,” Carter said before Rock could speak. “I…” He glanced away, the first hint of insecurity showing as his jaw worked over the words before he turned back to Rock. “Any chance you’d like to get together again?”
The tone and question was casual, but the underlying tension wasn’t. It strung between them in the chilled air on delicate strings, waiting to be crushed. Was Carter really worried that he’d say no? How was that possible?
Rock shoved away the preservation instincts that had guided him to this point and took another leap toward the life he’d been afraid to hope for. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
Carter’s smile was warm, if not full. “Good.” His smile fell as he dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his keys. “It’s not for money, you know.”
The mumbled statement gave away Carter’s fear and shot a dose of strength into Rock. He reached out and grabbed Carter’s hand, the keys pressing into his palm. Carter jerked his head up to stare at Rock. The little flash of self-doubt was squashed behind an assured gleam that Rock remembered from their first dinner together.
Now that he knew the man better, it was easy to define the falseness in the cocky arch of his brow. Although Carter hid them well, he battled his own layers of doubt, which Rock wanted to destroy.
“I’d empty my bank account to see you again. But you’re worth more than that.” Rock waited for the laugh that was sure to come from his cheesy words, but they didn’t.
Well, maybe not a laugh, but Carter’s mouth did struggle and twitch to suppress a grin before it burst free. “You have got to get out more,” Carter said, shaking his head. “I’ll call you. We can do something next week.”
It was a statement, but Rock answered anyway. “That’s good. It’s easier for me to get time off during the week.” He could probably get a weekend night off without any problem, but he didn’t want to deal with the questions or stress about Carter’s weekend schedule. They didn’t need that stuff between them.
Carter leaned in and gave him one more light kiss that had Rock wanting to haul the man back for a replay but he didn’t. He turned away and headed for his truck, feeling a bit lost.
“Hey, Rock.”
He turned around to see Carter poised in the open door of his car.
“Thanks for trusting me. I hope I helped.”
The tightness in Rock’s throat prevented him from answering, so he nodded instead. His response was grossly lacking in communicating the depth of his gratitude, but it was all he had right then. Even if nothing worked out between them, Carter had given Rock a piece of himself that was past time he acknowledged.
He was gay. He’d said it and he’d just had the most fucking fantastic kiss with a man and there wasn’t an ounce of guilt or shame simmering within him.
Carter’s sedan left the lot as Rock sat in his truck and tried to process the
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