Page 52 of See My Words

Rylan felt like he was floating on air. “I—I can’t believe it. Coming from you, that’s just—”

He couldn’t stop chattering as they hiked deeper into the woods, and he peppered Chris with questions about his work, his technique, the politics of photography in foreign, sometimes hostile countries. By the time he wound down, Rylan realized they weren’t far from the spot he’d been with Scott and Minh the day before, where the three of them had lain on the rock and—he flushed.

As soon as the rushing water of Oak Creek came into view, Chris gave a pleased exclamation and pulled his socks and boots off before wading enthusiastically in. “God, that feels good. It was fucking hot by the ruins.”

Rylan set his camera down next to Chris’s on the shore and followed suit, picking his way through the creek, trying not to slip on the rocks. Chris held out his hand. Rylan took it, and they held each other up as they let the cool water refresh their sweaty, tired feet. Eventually they made their way back to shore and dropped down to sit side by side.

“Want some?” Chris handed him a plastic bottle, and Rylan unscrewed the top and took a huge drink, choking when the tepid water went down the wrong pipe and spewed back up and over his chin.

Chris chuckled as Rylan cursed and wiped it away, hesitating for a moment before leaning over to murmur, “Whoops, got a little here, too.” He ran his thumb over Rylan’s lower lip to the corner of his mouth, where he let it linger, stroking the sensitive skin.

Rylan stared at him, taking in the dark hair lightly streaked with gray, the handsome tanned face, the smile lines at the corners of his pale gray eyes. His fingers were rough and warm as they slid around to cup the back of Rylan’s neck and pull him closer.

“I haven’t even kissed you,” Chris whispered, his words little puffs of air against Rylan’s cheek, “and I’m already about to bust through my zipper. Oh, what you do to me, Ry.”

Rylan closed his eyes as Chris’s mouth settled on his. The kiss was gentle, seeking, tasting. Chris groaned, pushing Rylan to his back and following him down. His lips weren’t gentle this time, but firm, demanding, his tongue plunging deep.

Chris pulled back with a gasp, rocking against Rylan’s hip, letting him feel how hard he was. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” he said hoarsely, “about how you felt against me on the dance floor, those times you let me touch you, hold you—”

Rylan’s gut churned as regret, guilt, and indecision fought for dominance against an arousal that was making his blood run hot. He could have this man, right now, and he was everything Rylan would’ve said he wanted, except…he wasn’t Scott. Chris cupped Rylan’s chin and kissed him desperately, his knee nudging Rylan’s thighs apart. When he started to move between them, Rylan put his hands on Chris’s shoulders and held him back. “No. Stop, Chris. I can’t.”

Chris froze before pushing away to sit up. He linked his fingers behind his neck and sucked in deep breaths of air. “Jesus, Rylan. I’m sorry. Mauling you on a public trail like some sort of randy teenager. I can wait until we—”

“No.” Rylan sat up, too, draping his arms across his upraised knees. His body was tingling, his lips wet and swollen, cheeks abraded from Chris’s whiskers. “I mean, I can’t. At all.”

Chris’s eyes were searching. “Scott, huh?”

Rylan didn’t say anything, and Chris cleared his throat. “I could feel the tension in that kitchen this morning, and I knew his invitation was too good to be true. But I hoped maybe—” He sighed.

“I’m sorry,” Rylan mumbled, shame and misery moving through him. “I didn’t mean to lead you on, Chris. You’re so easy and fun to be with. I was really enjoying today, and I—”

“Hey.” Chris turned to him and slid his arm around Rylan’s shoulders. “I forget sometimes how young you are. You’re so mature, and you’re only what, twenty-three, twenty-four?”

“Twenty-three.”

“And I’m forty-one,” Chris said, a rueful smile on his lips. “Set in my ways. I know I come on way too strong, and since I don’t stay in one place very long, I tend to move fast and go after what I want.” He gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “Not to mention the fact that sleeping with my intern makes me sound like the worst of dirty old men.”

Rylan snorted. “Stop making yourself sound so ancient. You’re hot and incredibly sexy and if I wasn’t—if I wasn’t in love with a—with a stubborn jerk, I’d happily fall into bed with you, internship or not. Happily.”

Chris bit his lip with another small groan and dropped his arm from Rylan’s shoulders, his eyes dark with suppressed hunger. “Temptation, get thee behind me.”

They put their shoes on in silence before picking up their cameras and heading off down the trail to Chris’s car. When they arrived back at the cabin, the tension between them had mostly dissipated, to Rylan’s relief. “Chris, please stay for dinner, at least. Knowing Minh, he bought out the entire Sedona Whole Foods and has prepared quite the feast.”

Indeed, the mouthwatering smell of steaks on the grill wafted down to their noses, and Chris smiled. “I’d like that.” As they ambled toward the cabin, he said casually, “So what’s Minh’s story? Is he single?”

Rylan laughed. “Single and looking,” he said teasingly. “For a sugar daddy, that is.”

Chris smirked. “Is that so? Well, this could be a—very interesting night after all.” Rylan smiled at him as they headed up the porch stairs, and he reached out to wipe some dirt from Chris’s cheek.

“Have fun?”

They broke apart as Scott’s voice came at them from the depths of the shady porch where he was slouched in a rattan chair, phone on his knee. Rylan nodded. “We did,” he said, continuing on inside the cabin without another word, Chris on his heels.

Minh had some music blasting from the kitchen, and he was singing at the top of his lungs while he worked on dinner. Rylan chuckled to himself as Chris set his stuff down on the foyer table and wandered that way.

He trudged up the stairs and grabbed his bag from the guest room before heading into the master, where he shed his dusty, sweaty clothes and kicked them into a heap.

“What are you doing in here?” Scott appeared in the doorway, his lips a hard line, his eyes raking Rylan’s nakedness, fists clenched at his sides.