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Holden’s smile was too big to contain as his heart soared. “There’s something about you too, you know.” When Greg’s eyes opened wide in disbelief, Holden caressed his jaw with his fingertips. “You have no idea how disappointed I was when you didn’t text me.” Greg opened his mouth to protest, but Holden placed a finger over his lips. “It’s fine. Really. Because now we have this.”
They kissed for a bit, just soft touches of their mouths, then fell silent. Holden listened as Greg’s breathing deepened. As gently as he could, he reached over and turned out the light. It had been something of an emotional roller coaster of a day listening to Greg disclose so many personal things, and Holden couldn’t understand how anyone could have treated this man with so little regard for his feelings or safety. How could they have listened to Greg lay himself bare and then walk away because he seemed to present challenges they weren’t willing to face? And how many times had Greg been rejected by someone he connected with deep enough to want something more?
Holden was humbled by Greg’s trust, and his appreciation and gratitude for the man’s courage and strength grew as he watched Greg’s face relax as he fell deeper into sleep. Though he had no idea where things would go between them, Holden vowed if he walked away, it wasn’t going to be for any of the reasons people had before, which was as much of a promise as he could make given the issues in his own life.
Chapter eleven
Greg
Afterbreakfastinthehotel’s restaurant, they took the train back to the airport and picked up the rental car: a Lexus RX. While Greg teased Holden about the extravagance, he loved the heated seat and the smooth ride, the satellite radio, and the smell of the leather interior. It was so much more comfortable than the bus would have been. Plus, the company was infinitely better.
Holden had surprised him at every turn. His generosity, his understanding, but most of all, how comfortable Greg felt with him. Greg could count on one hand—and still have fingers left over—the number of guys he’d gotten naked with on a first date, but he’d sensed Holden wouldn’t push him or think Greg was offering more than he had been, and the fact that he’d been right made Greg very happy. The day before had been everything he’d always wanted a first date to be, including the shower. And waking up with Holden in his arms and the promise of more time together? The world was looking shiny and bright as they turned away from the city and headed for the mountains.
He texted his mom and told her the GPS placed their ETA around four thirty in the afternoon. Rose texted back a thumbs up and heart emoji. A few minutes later, Greg’s phone buzzed with an incoming message. Chuckling as he read it, Greg turned to face Holden.
“She wants to know what you like to eat to make sure she has it on the menu. I think she’s making sure you’re coming with me.”
The smirk on Holden’s face told Greg he’d taken that comment as a double entendre, but thankfully, he held back any comments. Instead, he told Greg he was ex-military and spent about three weeks out of four on the road most months. “I’ll eat anything as long as it won’t kill me.”
Greg relayed that information, then watched as the landscape changed from urban to rural. The snow was still thick on the ground with gray piles that were more ice than snow from the plows clearing the highway. Fortunately, the temperature had climbed above freezing, and though the road was wet from snowmelt, they weren’t in danger of encountering any ice.
“I can’t remember there ever being a storm like this so late in the year,” Greg said. “But at least it means we’ll still have snow for skiing.” He paused. “You do ski, right?”
“Good enough to stay upright on the beginner’s slope,” Holden said, but his grin told Greg he was full of shit. “I can hold my own.”
When Holden smiled or grinned, it made the lines at the corners of his eyes crease, and Greg was struck again with how attractive he was, how well he wore his forty-eight years.
Although he was often interested in older men, he usually ended up with guys his own age due to the circumstances of his career and the options available for meeting potential partners. He’d had very little luck with dating apps and stayed away from the ones aimed only at hookups like Grindr or Scruff. Luis and Darius—and Micah when he lived with them—favored clubs, but clubs didn’t tend to attract a lot of older guys. How lucky was it that Holden had come to Neon that night?
“Why are you staring?” Holden asked.
“I like looking at you.”
Holden held his right hand out, and Greg took it, caressing Holden’s palm and tracing the outline of his fingers. When he looked up and caught Holden’s gaze, he saw arousal beginning to flare in those hazel depths.
“Now who’s staring?” Greg teased, following the lines with his fingernails, then grinning as Holden shivered. He’d done that a lot the previous night, and it made Greg happy to know how much he affected Holden.
“You’re going to turn me on too much to concentrate on the road if you keep doing that,” Holden said. With a squeeze, he let go and returned his hand to the steering wheel.
“Can’t have that,” Greg said.
“Not while I’m driving. And not in front of your parents either, in case you had it in mind to try and embarrass me.”
“I would never.” Hand over his heart, Greg feigned shock, but the truth was, yeah, he probably would have run his foot up Holden’s leg or put a hand on his thigh while they were at the dinner table just to tease the man.
Holden gave him a side-eyed glare, but the corner of his mouth twitched. “I’ll believe it when it doesn’t happen.”
Greg shrugged. “I promise. At least for tonight.”
The laugh Holden gave him in response was deep and rich, the sound a caress in Greg’s ear. This time, he was the one to shiver. He definitely liked Holden; liked touching him, liked the feel of the man’s body both under his hands and when they’d lain next to each other in bed the previous night. Greg was definitely attracted to him.
He turned to face the window, watching the mountains rise around them as they climbed in elevation. While Greg liked taking the bus because it was convenient and cheap, he was often so tired when he arrived in Denver he fell asleep as soon as they left the depot and missed most of the trip. Time and again, though, his gaze drifted back to Holden, taking in the man’s features, the way he held the steering wheel, remembering the feel of Holden’s body beneath his hands and lips.
The silence between them was easy, comfortable. The product of two people who were at ease with each other and didn’t need to fill the air with useless noise because they were content just to be together. Greg had had that kind of ease with Micah, often going most of the day without speaking when they’d been in the LA condo together.
With a pang of longing, Greg picked up his phone and fired off a text to his friend:How’s married life treating you?
He stared at the screen, but when no dots appeared, he started to place the phone back in the center console. A buzz told him Micah had answered, and he turned the phone over to see a photo of a beautiful arrangement of roses. Greg was about to respond with a heart emoji when another photo appeared of a second bouquet. Then, a third and a fourth. After the fifth photo, Micah texted:Jake might be overcompensating a bit, and the tears laughing emoji.
