I’d promised myself then that I wouldn’t go back, but my resolve began to crumble as the week went on and I couldn’t stop thinking of Samuel. Memories of that night plagued me, and my work had suffered because of it. Not that anyone noticed, other than Korey.
He’d poked and prodded, wanting to know what had me so distracted, but I’d refused to tell him. I may never get to have Samuel the way I wanted, but the night we’d shared, the connection I’d felt with him, was special and I wanted to keep it all to myself.
I finished the rest of the show on autopilot and eventually made my way back to the changing area. Switching back into my clothes, I quickly grabbed my phone from my bag to check for any messages. My fingers froze over the screen though as I saw the unassuming app icon with a set of keys on it and the little red notification bubble in the top right corner.
I should’ve ignored the notification completely. I should’ve turned off my phone and put it back in my bag. I should’ve flown back home, curled up in my bed and slept for a week. There were many things I should’ve done. I opened the app instead.
My breath caught in my throat as I read through the message, naming a date, time, and location of the next swap party. One quick look at my watch told me that the party was the next day. Would it be so bad to go to one more? Maybe that was a one-time thing for Samuel and his wife and they’d decide to never go to another one. But what if he was there? And what if I got to talk to him? What if the connection between us was still there?
With a shaking hand, I pressed theconfirm attendancebutton. My head fell back, and I stared up at the ceiling as I let out a long, slow breath. Had I just made a huge mistake? Was I only setting myself up for disappointment? I popped my head back up and gave it a quick shake. I was being ridiculous. There was a good chance that Samuel wouldn’t even be at the party. If he wasn’t, I could move on and continue my search for someone special. If he was there…well, I guess I’d cross that bridge when I came to it.
The flight was a long one with Korey eyeing me suspiciously from the seat next to me. Eventually, I’d grabbed my pillow and pretended to sleep so he’d leave me alone. I spent the rest of the flight questioning my decision to go to the party. By the time I got home I was exhausted, so I crashed into bed and slept for a solid twelve hours. My dreams were filled with images of Samuel, stretched out on the lounge chair, his blue eyes staring up at me as a head bobbed up and down between his legs.
I woke with a shout, cum spurting up my chest and wetting the sheets pooled around my waist. I immediately felt embarrassed. I hadn’t had a wet dream since I was a horny teenager. I quickly stripped the sheets from the bed and started a load of laundry before climbing in the shower and washing away the travel grime and the cooling spunk from my chest.
After my shower, I went back to my room, noticing the time on the clock by my bed. I was going to have to hurry if I didn’t want to be late. I grabbed a tight pair of red jeans and a thin, black silk shirt. A pair of black, high-heeled ankle boots and some diamond-studded earrings completed the ensemble. With a little eyeliner and some lip gloss, I was ready to go.
My stomach was in knots as I pulled into the driveway of the sprawling mansion where the party was being held. I could hear laughter and music coming from the backyard, so I bypassed the house and made my way around it instead. There were more people there than at the last party, but the house was also bigger which probably included more rooms to get lost in.
Feeling the need for some liquid courage, I made a beeline to the bar area and ordered a whiskey sour. I tossed it back quickly and then ordered another. The bartender handed it to me and I slid a tip in the jar before wandering up onto the deck. From that vantage point, I could see the entire yard and I let out a low whistle. Whoever lived there must have made some serious dough because not only was the house a mansion, but they had an Olympic-size pool with a natural stone waterfall. There was also an outdoor kitchen that would make Bobby Flay’s mouth water and a large building off to the side which I wasn’t sure if it was a pool house or a separate apartment. Perhaps for the hired staff?
My eyes traveled over the mingling party guests. I tried telling myself I wasn’t looking for anyone in particular, I was just scoping out the night’s prospects, but it was a lie and I knew it. There was only one face I was hoping to see that night. One pair of sky-blue eyes and one set of kissable lips that could curl up into the sweetest smile.
I nearly laughed out loud at my own ridiculous thoughts. I’d barely spoken two words to the guy before we were both off fucking other people. So, what was it about him that got me so hung up? There were literally thousands of other guys in the city whom I could get to know who weren’t wearing a gold band on their finger.
I was about to turn and head inside, when laughter pulled my attention over to a group of people standing just to the left of a spacious flower garden. A man was talking, his hands waving in the air as he got carried away with his story while everyone else around him was listening with rapt attention. Everyone that was except one man whose head was turned, staring at me intently. His eyes widened when he saw that he’d been caught, and he quickly looked away.
I stared back at Samuel, willing him to turn my way. A few seconds later, I was rewarded when his eyes flicked over to where I stood. Holding his gaze, I gave him a slow, playful smile then held up my nearly empty glass, tilting my head in the direction of the bar. I held my breath the entire way down the steps and over to the bar, hoping that he’d take the hint and follow me over there.
It was only a matter of minutes before he moved in beside me at the bar. I looked up and suddenly felt tongue tied as his rich scent filled my nose and his blue eyes locked with mine. It was there, that low hum of electricity just underneath the surface of my skin. I’d only ever felt it once before, the night I met him.
“What can I get you to drink?” the bartender asked.
“I’ll have a scotch, please. Oliver?” A low heat pooled in my belly at the sound of my name on his lips, spoken in that deep bass.
“A whiskey sour, please,” I answered without looking away from him.
“You look amazing,” Samuel said, then his eyes widened as if he hadn’t meant to say those words out loud.
“Thank you. You look pretty good yourself,” I said with a smile, even though that was the understatement of the year. He looked so much better than pretty good. In fact, he looked down right edible. I didn’t think he’d take well to me saying that though. He was still too skittish and the last thing I wanted to do was scare him off.
A few moments later we had our drinks and began wandering around, looking for an empty place to sit and talk. There were no chairs available though and I wasn’t about to let an opportunity pass me by to spend some time with the man who’d been haunting my every waking thought. I looked around, searching for a place where we could go.
I glanced up at the house and then scanned the yard one more time, my eyes landing on the darkened pool house. Without a word, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind me. Jiggling the handle of the door, I was pleased to find it unlocked and unoccupied.
I tugged him into the dark building and shut the door, separating the two of us from the noise and the crowd. We stood close to each other, our breaths mingling as we waited for our eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. I realized I was still holding onto his wrist, so I let go, slowly, letting my fingers trace over his soft skin first. He drew in a sharp breath and I smiled into the dark. I reached behind me and turned the lock on the door. I finally had Samuel right where I wanted him, and I’d be damned if I was going to let him get away.
