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“You’re outta here, Jason,” Plum says. “Go home now. I mean it.”
“Fuck you, bitch,” Jason the Drunk Guy says. There’s a collective gasp.
Then Alaric gets a good grip on Jason’s elbow and bicep and tows him out into the hall. “You heard her. Go home.” He shoves Jason away from the door. “Go home or we’ll call the police.”
“Fuck you!” Jason says, holding up middle fingers on both hands—but he goes down the hall and into what must be his own apartment.
Everybody sighs in relief. “Thanks, Al,” Plum says, putting a hand on his arm. I’m suddenly, wildly, jealous. “I probably should have sent him home an hour ago.”
“I prefer Ric as a nickname,” Alaric says to her. “And you are welcome.”
“We’re heading out now,” I tell Plum. “Work tomorrow, you know.”
She grins. “I burned a vacation day for tomorrow, so I could drink as long as I wanted.” In my ear, she whispers, “I like him. He’s a little weird, but a good kind of weird, I think.” It makes me smile when I whisper back that I agree.
In the rideshare back to our building, I hold his hand, running one of my fingers over his long elegant ones. His breathing changes. “Is that okay?” I ask.
“You can do whatever you want.” His head is close to mine, and his voice a little husky.
I need to ask him something. “You said I’m your friend.”
“You are. You’re my best friend I’ve ever had,” he says softly to me. We’re looking into each other’s eyes.
“You don’t want to date me?”
He’s silent for a moment, still looking right into my eyes. I know he won’t lie. “I do,” he whispers. “I’ve always wanted that. But I need to be your friend first. And you said to back off.”
I kinda did, didn’t I? And I didn’t correct myself, even if I did start talking to him. “I changed my mind,” I say. “I changed it that day. I guess I didn’t say so.”
He shakes his head, slowly, eyes still on mine.
“I want to kiss you, Alaric.”
He nods.
I kiss him. And the world melts away. It’s gentle and tentative, but there is fire underneath. Breath so hot it could burn me, a passion so hot it could torch my soul. This is what I’ve longed for. With only a few kisses, I’m already aching for him, my underwear damp through and my nipples alert.
Our driver clears his throat, and I realize we’ve arrived.
We kiss in the elevator going up. We kiss outside my door. We kiss while I try to unlock it, and then when I give up on that and have to concentrate on the keycard, he kisses the back of my neck. Whispers that I’m beautiful. That he can’t believe how much he wants me.
Inside, we ignore Bing and Dido’s impatient meows for attention. We drift down the short hall to my bedroom, still kissing. I get my fingers under the hem of his shirt, feeling his skin and relishing the growl in his throat. I lie on the bed, and pull him down to lie with me, and we kiss. We touch through clothes and then under them.
I’m on fire for him.
“I want you,” I whisper.
“Am I doing this right?” he whispers back, then sits up. “Shit. I don’t have, you know, protection. Shit. Shit.”
“You’re a virgin, aren’t you?” I know the answer.
He doesn’t answer at first, his eyes wary. “Is it okay if I am?”
“Are you willing to learn what pleases me?” I know the answer to this one, too.
“You know I am.”
“Then don’t worry any more. I’m on birth control and there’s no other reason for condoms.” I pull him back down and kiss him, more fiercely than I’ve ever kissed anyone else.
