Page 28 of Iron

Gavin closes his eyes briefly, frustration and relief tangled together on his face. When he opens them again, whatever he was about to say has retreated somewhere. I want to scream.

“Not here in public,” he says, quieter now. “Not like this.”

“Then where? You name it, I’ll be there. Tonight. I’m done waiting.”

“My room.” He reaches out and brushes his fingertips against my jaw, brief, real, more than a nod, more than anything he’s given me since that night on Ben’s deck. “I’m not walking away this time. I promise you.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“You’d better not.”

He almost smiles, tired and fond and scared all at once. And I actually believe him.

26

GAVIN

TJ knocks on my hotel room door five minutes after I text him the room number, and the moment it closes behind him, whatever restraint either of us had evaporates.

His mouth finds mine before I even say hello. Hungry, demanding, nothing like the careful, hesitant version of him I’ve been remembering for weeks. His mouth opens for me and I sweep my tongue in then suck his hard.

I back him against the door, biting that plump lower lip until he whimpers, then I suck on it. My hands find his ass and lift him to wrap his legs around my waist, pressing his hard cock against my stomach. Mine is straining inside my sweatpants and I want to grind it against him. He makes a small sound against my mouth that shoots sparks straight through me.

“Been wanting this since Denver,” he breathes when we break apart just long enough for air. “Since that fucking tenth hole.”

“I know.” I kiss him again, slower this time, trying to memorize it. “Me too.” Sweeping my tongue over his, chasing that hot velvet, sucking and biting as he gasps and moans.

I carry us to the bed somehow, shirts disappearing, his hands mapping my chest like he’s been thinking about this exact thing for months. I’m right there with him, every rational thought I’ve been clinging to for weeks burning off fast.

I kiss my way down his throat, nibble on his collarbone, suck hard on a nipple, making a mental list of each reaction. His body is lean muscle, shoulders rippling, abs clenching. I want to lick all of him. Learn his body. Those beautiful pecs with those sensitive nipples begging me to torment them. Fingers tangle in my short hair, pulling and pushing. I suck hard, leaving a mark on his ribs, claiming him. His gasps and shudders are intoxicating, and I roll on top of him to work my way further down.

His breath hitches. His hands, a moment ago confident and exploring, go still in my hair, on my shoulder. I shimmy down and press a kiss to the top of his abs.

His breathing is shallow.

Panicked.

Wrong.

I pull back.

“Hey.” I brush his hair off his forehead, watching him carefully. “You okay?”

He doesn’t meet my eyes.

“I’m fine.” He tries to pull me back down. “Don’t stop.”

“TJ.” I don’t move. “Your body is saying something very different than your mouth is. Talk to me.”

He flushes, looking away, and I watch him war with himself for a moment before he exhales. Some of the tension leaves his shoulders, replaced by something more vulnerable.

“Fuck, I don’t want to ruin this,” he grimaces.

“Look at me,” I demand softly, and his eyes snap to mine. “You’re not ruining anything.” I shift to the side again, rolling off him and propping myself up on an elbow so I can actually look at him instead of pressing him down. “Talk to me? Please.”

He’s quiet for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling instead of at me. I wait, letting the silence do its work instead of filling it.

“Bad experience,” he finally says. “College. A guy I shouldn’t have trusted.” He scoffs, still not looking at me. “He wasn’t… patient, and… I’ve been scared of… that… ever since. But I want to. With you. I really want to, Gavin.”