Page 79 of Claimed By my Father's Enemies
He orders two flutes. Hands me one. We clink glasses. He pulls me in by the waist, kisses me once, and steps back to look at me. His thumb moves against my hip before he drops his hand.
I turn toward the room. And that's when I see Carter.
He is easy to find. Taller than most of the people around him, exuding confidence. He too is all in black, but he wears it with elegance, instead of the predatory vibe that William gave off.
He is talking to a man in dark Arabic clothes, when his eyes find mine and there is no hesitation. He excuses himself from the conversation and starts to move our way.
He doesn't stop for the people who try to catch him. Brief, polite refusals, and then he keeps coming. Through the crowd, toward us, and I feel Adrian's arm come around my waist and tighten.
This is the moment. Both of them. Here. Together. The reality of it is different from the idea of it. This reality has a pulse. I can feel mine in my throat.
Carter reaches us.
He looks at me and says, "I would say that you look beautiful, but that word is not enough to describe how you look tonight."
Heat floods my face immediately. "You look very handsome yourself." And then not wanting Adrian to feel left out I add. "Both of you."
Adrian's mouth curves in a smirk. "Both of us? Maybe later."
"Don't be rude." Carter says it at the same moment he reaches past me and pulls Adrian into a half-hug. Theybreak apart and something passes between them, quick, male, entirely comfortable. I expected friction. I expected the specific discomfort of two men who want the same thing standing in the same room. But there is none of that.
Adrian looks at me, something warm and deliberate in his face. Then he leans in and kisses me, thorough and languidly. When he pulls away his eyes are dark and amused.
"I'll let you two talk," he winks at me, turns and disappears into the crowd.
I don’t know what to say or what to do right now. One thing is to think things in the abstract. Another thing is having one man you like kiss you in front of the other man you like.
Carter pulls me gently to his side whispering in my ear. "Breathe."
The feeling of his mouth so near my ear makes goosebumps appear in my skin. I tip my head up and he kisses me. Steady, like he has all the time and and we are alone.
"I missed you," he murmurs against my mouth.
I can only give him the truth. "I missed you too."
Our bodies are touching and I can feel the energy vibrating between us. The party continues around us, but it's reduced to background noise.
"How do you feel about this?" he says. "This situation. Between us."
I try to find the answer. It is not one thing. Nervous. Excited. Scared. Carter must see the conflicting emotions show in my face and starts to say, "If you don't want—"
I grab his forearms.
"I want it." It’s fundamental that he knows this. "I just don’t know how to… this is new to me."
He nods in understanding and he pulls me for another dizzying kiss. "It's new to me too. But you are worth it."
His hands move to my hips and pull me flush against him. I can feel exactly how much he wants me, hard against my stomach, unmistakable, and I can’t help the moan that escapes me. He exhales slow and controlled. He traces one finger from the curve of my shoulder all the way down my arm. Slow. Deliberate. Closes his hand around my wrist. Lifts it. Presses his mouth to the inside.
His lips are warm against my pulse. "The things I want to do with you."
I am going to dissolve in front of all these people.
Someone clears their throat.
I do a little jump on the spot, startled. Carter just raises his eyes over my shoulder with complete composure.
"What is it, Steve?" and I can feel the strain in his voice.
