It makes me angry.
My hand lifts to knock hard on his door, but the door opens before I can give an angry rap of my knuckles on wood.
He’s dressed casually. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen him wearing anything but a suit. The sight of him in black joggers and a soft hunter green shirt makes my mouth go dry.
“Why did you just roll over?” I demand. “You should still have your job. You’ve worked your ass off for the firm.”
“Hello to you, too.” The corner of his mouth turns up, and he steps back, holding the door open. “Come in. Unless that’s all you have to say.”
My anger dissipates. Evan always has that effect on me. He’s…ease. Comfort. Goodness.
I have a lot more to say, but first, I need to do something.
Fisting a handful of his shirt into my hand, I tug him toward me. Evan’s breath catches, and it’s the sexiest damn thing I’veever heard. I brush my lips over his—soft, at odds with my words. I breathe in his scent and kiss him again, sinking my teeth briefly into his bottom lip.
“Oh, I’m coming in. There’s nothing to stop us now.”
“Good, because I almost just let go of the door and locked us out.” Evan gives me a rueful look and shoves the cascading door back open. “I left the fob inside.”
That thought makes me shake my head. “That would be the final straw on a terrible day.”
I follow him inside. His apartment has high ceilings and an exposed brick wall, but it’s compact. More vertical space than actual square footage. His furniture is very industrial and masculine. It suits the vibe of the building. I immediately spot a black-and-white photo on his console table of him, a young woman, and two people in what I would guess to be their sixties. Obviously, his parents and sister. They’re on the beach, dressed casually. A visit to their son in South Carolina.
It reminds me again that I want to know everything about Evan.
“So why are you so angry, exactly?” Evan asks, padding in his socks to his couch. He gestures for me to have a seat in a club chair opposite him. “We were really playing with fire today.”
“Because if this is just where we were going to land—you leaving the firm—we could have done this a year ago. You could be a year further with another firm. We could have spent all this time together.” Feeling obstinate, I sit on the couch next to him.
“Yeah, but you would have never suggested I leave the firm. That’s not how you’re built. You wouldn’t have asked me to sacrifice my position. And truthfully, I had blinders on. I was on a career trajectory. It never really occurred to me to look for another job, and maybe I didn’t know if this was real or just a potential hookup. We haven’t really discussed any of that.”
He’s right, of course. And maybe a year ago my answer would have been different.
“This isn’t a hookup. Not to me.” I drop my hand over his and entwine our fingers. “For fuck’s sake, Evan. I’m in love with you.”
His eyes widen. “What?” He visibly swallows. “But…I…God, Christopher. I’m in love with you, too.”
Just like that, it’s out there and all my anger falls away. Evan loves me too, and we’re going to work this out. All of it.
We both close the space between us.
Then we’re kissing in a hot, passionate collision. My hands are in his hair, and he’s tugging at my tie as we explore each other fully.
“I feel responsible for today,” I murmur between kisses. I should just shut the fuck up, but we’ve spent a year not communicating enough and now I want it all out there. Everything.
“I’m a big boy, Christopher,” he says. “I make my own choices. I was right there with you. And I’m leaving the firm with no regrets. Absolutely fucking none.”
It’s the absolution I need. I cup his cheek. “God, you’re fucking perfect. And so damn pretty. How are you this pretty? You’re like a painting.”
He laughs softly. “You better mean a Greek God.”
“Hell yes, I do.” I kiss him again, hard, then bend down over his lap.
I need to finish what I started earlier. In a second, I have his hard cock out of his joggers, and Evan swears. As I stroke him, I glance up and give him a grin. “Damn, even your cock is pretty.”
“Fuck you.”
It’s my turn to laugh. I feel light, heady, amazing. This is real. This is just the beginning.
