Demming by Avril Ashton

Eight

Hart couldn’t remember the last time he had butterflies in his stomach at the prospect of a date, but he did this time as he exited his vehicle and spotted Sawyer waiting for him in front of a restaurant in Flushing. He heard his breaths as he walked up to the other man who watched him with an almost predatory gleam in his eyes, hands in the pockets of his pants. He wore what seemed to be his usual, a white shirt under a sport coat and dark trousers.

His eyes didn’t appear to move from Hart’s as he approached…

Or was it Hart who couldn’t look away?

There was an invisible thread connecting them, reeling Hart in until he stood in front of Sawyer, unable to hide the wide smile that made his face hurt. “Hey.”

“Hey.” His voice was low, intimate, wrapping Hart in a heated promise that had his toes curling. “Thank you for coming.”

As if Hart would’ve said no to more time spent with him. He swallowed a scoff at the idea. “I wouldn’t miss it.” Sawyer took his hand then, his skin so warm, grip so secure, it had Hart’s pulse tripping. He glanced away from Sawyer’s intense scrutiny and glanced at the restaurant. “What is this place?”

Sawyer’s grip tightened a fraction as they entered. “A friend recommended it. He says they have the best Korean barbecue.”

Hart almost tripped over his feet as he glanced over at the man at his side. “Korean barbecue.”

Sawyer dipped his head. “You said it was one of your favorites.”

He did? “I did?”

“You did.”

It was indeed one of his absolute favorites, but he didn’t even remember mentioning it, so it must not have been a significant encounter. But Sawyer remembered. He pressed his lips together to keep from smiling again, though he didn’t know how well he succeeded as Sawyer led them to a booth in the back and waited for Hart to sit before he did the same. “I’ve had some amazing Korean barbecue, so your friend better not disappoint.”

Sawyer grinned, eyes glittering. “He’s never steered me wrong yet.”

Who was that friend? Hart couldn’t help but wonder, but he didn’t ask. A young woman appeared at their table to take their orders and Hart waited until she left before speaking. “How was your day?” Shit, he winced at the question.

But Sawyer didn’t seem to mind. He shrugged. “It was…” He shook his head. “Let’s just say I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad I’m here with you.” His gaze bored into Hart’s. “And the longer I’m here with you, the more I forget just how much of a disaster today was.”

The words flattered, but Hart didn’t miss the stress lines in the middle of the other man’s forehead. “You want to talk about it?”

Sawyer blew out a breath. “Not particularly, because I don’t want to spoil this thing we have—”

“Nothing can spoil it,” Hart reassured him. He touched Sawyer’s hand lying between them on the table. “Listening to you talk about your day will change nothing. Not if we don’t want it to.”

Sawyer searched his gaze as if trying to find the truth of his words. He hoped he saw it and believed it. “I’m only going to say be happy you’re an only child. Dealing with a younger sibling is not for the faint of heart.”

“Your younger brother?” When the other man nodded, Hart said, “If he’s anything like you then I believe it.”

Sawyer’s lips twitched. “Like me?”

“Intense. Confident.” Hart regarded him under his lashes. “Focused. Overwhelming.”

”I overwhelm you?”

“In the best way,” Hart reassured him quickly. He glanced away, heat rising to wash over his face and neck. “In the best way.” When Sawyer didn’t respond, Hart turned back to find his stare on him, tangible enough to leave scorch marks behind. He grabbed his water and took a gulp.

And Sawyer watched his every move without speaking.

It could easily have been sleazy, making Hart feel like a bug under a microscope, but he didn’t. He had to stop himself from preening under Sawyer’s stare, from blushing. How was it he hadn’t been with another man?

Hart bit his tongue to keep from asking, but Sawyer must have caught on because he asked, “What’s on your mind?”

Hart cleared his throat. “The fact that you’ve never been with another man. It’s so difficult to wrap my mind around.”

Sawyer frowned. “Why?”

“Because you’re—” He waved a hand. “You’re sitting there so calm and comfortable.”

Sawyer shrugged. “I’m a grown man. I know what I want.”

“What about women? Surely, you’ve had relationships.”

“I have had women in my bed. As far as relationships, I could never find the time.”

“Are you saying that time is now?” Hart spoke around the lump in his throat. “And that person is me?”

Sawyer just watched him steadily, eyes doing all the talking for him.

Wow.

The meat they’d ordered—pork belly—arrived, and they got to cooking it on the grilling table in front of them, maintaining small talk until everything was ready. Meat cooked, Hart loaded up on kimchi and the seasoned veggies that were served as side dishes and moaned on his first bite, flushing when Sawyer lifted an eyebrow. “Your friend was right.”

Sawyer’s teeth flashed when he grinned, eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’ll be sure to tell him that.”

There wasn’t a lot of talking after that, just more sounds of Hart enjoying his food and Sawyer taking him in with an amused expression.

“What do you plan to do with the property?” Hart asked when he took a break and came up for air.

Sawyer sipped his water with a shrug. “My mother’s birthday is coming up,” he said quietly. “It will be a gift for her to do with as she sees fit.”

Thinking back on what he remembered learning from both Jeb and Sawyer, Hart knew that his parents had built their jewelry business from scratch. “That’s gonna be some gift. You’re a good son.”

A muscle ticked in Sawyer’s temple. “That’s debatable.”

“Why would you say that?”

“There are just…other things she wants that I can’t give,” Sawyer told him. “Things about my life she doesn’t agree with.”

“Like what?”

“My job.” Sawyer sighed, dropping his napkin onto the table. “All the traveling. I’m gone more than I’m home and it’s…difficult for her.”

Speaking of jobs… “What exactly do you do?”

Sawyer’s expression turned guarded. “It’s difficult to explain.”

“Try me.”

“My team and I travel all over the world helping people find and retrieve things. Doesn’t matter who hires us, or what they want, as long as we get paid.”

Hart cocked his head. “Like…mercenaries?”

Sawyer shrugged. “You could say that.”

“Hmm. But your mom wishes you didn’t do that?”

“Right.”

“And your brother too, I would assume.”

Sawyer pursed his lips. “Maybe, but Bryce wouldn’t tell me that.” His mouth twisted in obvious self-deprecation. “He’ll just tell me to fuck off back to where I came from. And ignore my calls and the fact that I’m paying his college tuition. College he’s not attending, by the way.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

Sawyer shook his head. “No, I’m sorry.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I did say I didn’t want to mess up our vibe.”

Hart smiled at that. “Nothing about our vibe is messed up, Sawyer.” He touched the inside of the other man’s wrist. “We won’t let that happen.”

Sawyer’s gaze dropped from Hart’s eyes to his lips and Hart felt it, hot and heavy, drying his mouth out until he was left aching for a taste of Sawyer.

“Thank you for being here with me,” Sawyer said hoarsely. “I didn’t even ask about your day.”

“My day was long and dragging because I couldn’t stop watching the clock, counting down the hours until I saw you,” Hart confessed with no small amount of embarrassment. “I don’t remember shit about any meetings I took or what phone calls I had, because I could only think of you.”

That quickly, flames flickered in the depths of Sawyer’s eyes, reminding Hart of the night before—of Sawyer’s lips and his moans and the way his hands felt on Hart’s body. The weight of him on top of Hart, the way he kissed so eagerly…

“Hart.”

He blinked at the raw quality of Sawyer’s voice and swallowed. “Yeah?”

“You’ve got some sauce on the side of your mouth.”

“Oh. Where?” He touched his face then lowered his hand, holding Sawyer’s gaze. “Can you get it for me?”

Sawyer didn’t blink and Hart forgot to breathe when the other man touched his face, deft fingers tracing his lower lip then the top. The loud din of the crowded restaurant fell away and it was just them, Hart lost to the heat that flared so brightly, like a beacon or a glow from a lighthouse, guiding him toward Sawyer. Still, he drowned in the depths of those green eyes turned darker with the desire that vibrated between them.

“I like touching you,” Sawyer murmured.

“Me too.” Hart blinked. “I-I mean, I like you touching me.” He wanted more of that too. Soon.

Sawyer dropped his hand and licked his lips and now Hart was the one ogling him, staring at his lips and remembering their kiss, the way Sawyer’s tongue laid waste to his control and turned him into a pile of dust.

“Does your father know I’m buying the property?”

Hart shook his head to try and focus on Sawyer’s words and not the sexy way his lips moved. “Uh, no.” He cleared his throat.

“What does he know?”

“Only that you inquired about buying it.” He recounted the conversation he had with his father that morning.

“When will you tell him?”

“When the deal is done.”

Sawyer cocked his head. “Do you feel like you’re doing something wrong by selling to me, is that why you haven’t told him the truth? Or is there another reason?”

“No, I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong.” Though come to think of it, when his father had done what he did to acquire the property, he’d been of the same mindset. “I just don’t want him interfering in the deal.” He broke Sawyer’s gaze. “Plus, he’s still not well and I don’t want to do anything that could cause him to have a setback.”

“And you think knowing the truth will make that happen.”

“I don’t know, but I’m not willing to find out.”

“Whether you tell him now or later—”

“Yes, I know,” Hart snapped, then closed his eyes briefly. “I’m sorry, I just…I don’t want to think about any of that.”

“But you’ll have to eventually.”

Hart blew out a breath and sat back. “Eventually, yes.” And he wasn’t looking forward to sharing that news with his old man.

“I’m going out of town for a few days,” Sawyer said.

Hart jerked. “What? For a job?”

Sawyer dipped his chin. “You could say that.”

What did that mean? Hart narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”

“I won’t be gone long. Should be two days at the most.” Sawyer ignored his question.

Disappointment settled low in Hart’s belly and he imagined he’d just gotten the barest glimpse of how Sawyer’s family felt whenever he had to go away for work.

“Will I—Will I be able to contact you?”

Sawyer shook his head. “No,” he said softly. He took Hart’s hand and laced their fingers. “But I’ll be back before you know it. I promise.”

Hart stared down at where they were joined. “Then I’ll be here when you get back.” He lifted his gaze. “And I’d like to take you out next time.”

Sawyer smiled. “I’d like that.”

Sawyer paid for their dinner a short time later and they left, Sawyer walking Hart to his car. “Thank you for tonight.” He touched Hart’s elbow. “Can’t remember the last time I’d been on a date and tonight was…I enjoyed it.”

They’d reached his car and Hart leaned against it as he faced the other man. “I enjoyed you.” And he meant it. The food was amazing, but Sawyer eclipsed even that. He couldn’t resist brushing his knuckles over the other man’s jaw and everything inside him shook when Sawyer’s nostrils flared. Hart inhaled and took the subtle musk of Sawyer’s cologne into his lungs.

“Can I kiss you?”

Did he even have to ask? “Yesss.” Hart was the one to tip his head up, to brush his lips over Sawyer’s. To moan at first contact.

But Sawyer was the one to nudge him backward until Hart was plastered against his car. Sawyer deepened the kiss, one hand on Hart’s nape and the other cupping his face. The taste of him was even more potent this time around, going to Hart’s head quickly and making him dizzy. He fisted the front of Sawyer’s shirt and clung to him. His legs were useless, his senses gone except for the ones allowing him to taste the drug that was Sawyer Demming.

Hart wanted to spend the night locked in this embrace, devoid of breath, filled only with the sounds of Sawyer’s needy groans and Hart’s own whimpers while the world around them receded.

Sawyer kissed him thoroughly, leaving no part of Hart’s mouth untouched by his lips, his tongue. The fingers on Hart’s nape bit into him, but more than hurting they had him harder than ever, cock painful behind his zipper.

He couldn’t breathe, lungs protesting, and still, he hoped Sawyer never let him up for air. He hoped when the moment came that he combusted from this man’s kisses, Sawyer would finally understand just what he did, how thoroughly he’d taken over Hart’s mind and soul. It didn’t matter that they were new to each other. It felt as if they’d known each other for eons.

The kisses were familiar.

The way Sawyer’s hand skimmed his face then slid down his shoulder to grip his hip, so familiar. As if they’d done this dance before.

A million times.

When Hart angled his head, Sawyer followed, kisses hot and wet, just this side of desperate. Sawyer groaned and it rumbled in the barest of spaces between their bodies. Pressed together, Hart felt the evidence of Sawyer’s desire, causing a thrill that shuttled its way down his spine and settled in his balls.

Then Sawyer broke away, ending their kiss with a loud and wet sound.

Hart blinked at him, still caught in the thrall. He felt raw, as if Sawyer had raked his teeth over every inch of his body, leaving him turned inside out and unable to maintain his balance.

“I’ll see you soon?” Sawyer licked his lips. Hart’s cock jerked.

“Y-Yeah.” There was nothing he could do about his shaky voice and twitchy hands that wanted to haul Sawyer back into his arms and continue where they’d left off. His only consolation was the red that flared over Sawyer’s cheeks and neck. The heaviness of his eyelids and the memory of his hard-on that had been pressed to Hart’s. He wasn’t alone in this wanting.

Sawyer was there, keeping stride with him.

“Get in the car, Hart.”

He jolted and realized he’d taken a step toward Sawyer. He spun to face his car, grappling with the door handle and heaving out a breath when he finally got it open. He tumbled into the driver’s seat, buckled his seatbelt, started the engine, and pulled off, leaving Sawyer standing there, watching.

Hart drove all the way home with the goofiest smile on his face.