What We May be (4 page)

Heat radiated from Rick’s body, almost palpable in the small elevator. “You don’t have to try and convince me to try Japanese.” His voice was hoarse. Was that an effect of Jared’s touching? God, he hoped so. “I’m willing to give anything a go at least once.”

“Oh, that’s not sweet talk.” He stepped closer. Rick didn’t retreat. “Haven’t you learned that about me yet? I think it, and it comes right out my mouth.”

Rick’s eyes smoldered where they locked on Jared’s. “I figured that out the first time I met you. It’s half the reason why I gave you my number.”

Another half-step. He wasn’t sure if the lurching of his stomach was because he could feel Rick’s strong thighs brushing against his or because the elevator was twenty years 28

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old. “What’s the other half?”

The unmistakable glance at his mouth made it clear, but Jared was stopped from experiencing it firsthand by the bell announcing the car was stopping. Jared stepped away only enough to make it polite for strangers. He itched to grab Rick’s ass and see if it felt as firm as it looked. His daring almost made him laugh. Hard to believe how nervous he’d been only a few minutes earlier.

The doors opened into the lobby. Jared led the way out to the curb, glad the fifty he’d left with the cabbie was enough to keep him waiting. They slid into the back seat, thighs lightly touching, and after they’d pulled into traffic, he let his hand come to rest on Rick’s knee.

“I’m glad we finally got our schedules worked out.”

Rick’s soft smile made his stomach lurch again. Nope. It wasn’t an effect of the elevator after all. “Me, too.”

The ride to Nobu was quicker than he’d expected. He kept his hand on Rick’s knee the entire way, pleased that Rick didn’t shift away or do anything to discourage the contact.

Rick was clearly out, but Jared got the impression he wasn’t big on public displays. He would bet Rick would’ve been that way even if he’d been straight.

When Rick insisted on paying for the taxi, Jared opened his mouth to argue, only to snap it shut again. Letting him have this leeway now gave Jared more leverage when he wanted to pay for dinner. There were a lot of pricier places to eat in Manhattan, but he doubted Rick was ready to drop a couple hundred dollars for a single meal, not on a nurse’s 29

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salary.

Walking into Nobu always relaxed Jared, no matter what kind of mood he was in. The main dining room was light and airy, the birch tree posts adding to the rustic feel. One wall was dedicated to the sushi bar, while tables were scattered across the wooden floor for more formal dining. As they waited to be seated, he noticed Rick staring at the wall made completely from river stones, another soothing element in the open atmosphere.

“I love this place,” Jared said. “It doesn’t matter how wound up I might be when I get here. By the time I leave, I feel like I can take on the world again.”

Rick grinned. “The food’s that good, huh?”

“Better.”

Their table gave them an excellent view of the wall Rick admired, but as soon as he saw the menu, Rick’s brows drew together into an adorable frown. “Do I look like a pansy if you order for me? I have no idea what’s good.”

“Well, what do you like?”

“I don’t know. I guess I can always just get the steak.”

“You’re not coming to Nobu and ordering steak.” He plucked the menu out of Rick’s hand and replaced it with the drinks menu. “You can pick out the wine.”

There was a pause. “I can’t get a beer?”

Jared bubbled with laughter. “How about I get you sake instead?”

Rick yielded with more grace than he’d expected, remaining quiet as Jared went ahead and took care of their 30

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drinks and food order. He lounged in his chair, his warm eyes sweeping over the room, always returning to the river wall while he waited to get Jared’s attention again.

Except Jared was aware of every little movement.

Something about Rick commanded it, even with his less than fashionable attire or his insouciant pose. He wanted to say it was the man’s size, and while that probably played a part in it, he wasn’t so naïve not to realize it was the man himself. He wouldn’t have been so nervous about a simple dinner date if Rick didn’t get to him in ways untouched in years.

Though he would never be able to replay the conversation afterward, time slipped away from Jared in a bubble of laughter, smiles, and small, intimate touches. Rick might not travel in the same circles he did, but he was smart and easygoing, willing to concede points when he knew he was in the dark or wrong, yet tenacious with the few topics Jared hit that he believed strongly about. Jared learned more about his work, about what it meant to go to the homes of those suffering from the incurable disease. Rick didn’t share specifics—patient confidentiality, he explained early on—but he didn’t have to. The pictures he painted gave Jared new appreciation for just what it was he did for a living.

But there was more to the dinner than just the fresh discovery of a first real date. When the food arrived, Jared saw Rick’s initial reaction to the delicate presentation, how he stopped for a moment just to look it over before he dove in to sample. He might not care about all of the aesthetics Jared did, but he certainly knew how to savor a thing of beauty when he 31

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was faced with it. And the look on his face at the first bite…

Rick stopped in mid-chew, his eyes flying to Jared’s face.

Several seconds passed before he resumed chewing, but the shimmering delight was indisputable. “This is incredible,” he said when he swallowed.

Jared fought not to smirk. “I know.”

The second bite was drawn out even longer than the first.

Jared had never seen such an orgasmic look on Rick’s face before—the mouth soft, the small sound of enjoyment in the back of his throat. All of it left him hard and slightly dizzy with want for Rick, desire to see that same look because of what Jared was doing to his body rather than what he was eating.

When the bill came, Jared took it and waved Rick’s hand away when he reached for his wallet. “This is on me. I picked the restaurant, it’s my responsibility to pay.”

“Let me at least pay for my half.”

“How about you pay for dessert?” They had foregone anything on the menu because Jared couldn’t eat another bite.

But if he got Rick to promise a later treat, he was guaranteed to make this date last as long as possible.

Rick’s mouth pursed as he thought it over. “How about after dinner drinks instead? You picked your kind of restaurant. Let me take you to my favorite bar.”

He liked the sound of that. More alcohol, lower inhibitions…dinner had been bereft of any more of the innuendo from the elevator and cab, but Jared had high hopes that was simply because they were in a public place. The looks 32

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he kept catching from Rick promised more later. Now with the offer for a drink as well, that promise seemed much more likely to be filled.

“Do I need to change?” he asked with a smile.

Rick chuckled. “Not as long as you don’t mind being the only one in a suit.”

“Stand out in a crowd? Me? Never.”

“Good, because you look too good just as you are.”

It was the first compliment on his appearance to come from Rick’s lips all night. Jared didn’t need it—he knew he looked damned good in the Cavalli—but somehow, knowing Rick had noticed lit a new fire in his belly.

Rick was the one who hailed the cab this time, and they slid into the back seat, sitting even more closely than they had their first trip, as Rick gave the driver the address. His arm stretched across the back of the seat, his fingertips grazing along Jared’s shoulder.

God, he loved how Rick’s bulk just swallowed him up.

“Are you going to tell me where I’m going?”

“You’ll see,” came the cryptic response.

Neon twinkled against the night, peppering the strong lines of Rick’s face in color as they maneuvered through traffic.

Though Jared wanted to talk, Rick clearly didn’t find the need to, instead watching the people on the sidewalk as he continued to caress Jared’s shoulder. It gave Jared time to absorb every detail he couldn’t do so blatantly at the restaurant. Like the slight nick under his jaw where he’d obviously cut himself shaving, most likely right before Jared 33

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had shown up. He’d caught whiffs of Rick’s woodsy aftershave all night, but now, seeing the direct evidence of the task, Jared had the sudden desire to lean forward and lick over the small spot and taste it for himself.

As they turned a corner onto a quieter street, Rick unexpectedly abandoned his fascination with the pedestrians to shift his focus back to Jared. A smile was already on his lips.

“I didn’t say so back there, but dinner was amazing.” His hand stopped moving on Jared’s shoulder, as if to hold him still.
Like I’d actually pull away from it.
He tilted his head closer. The soft brush of his mouth across Jared’s didn’t last nearly long enough. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure.” He started to chase Rick’s lips when the other man pulled back, but the cab coasted to a stop, the driver twisting to say they’d arrived. Jared let him go with a scowl, but blocked Rick’s attempt to pay with an arm across his chest. “Fair’s fair. This one’s mine.”

The bar in question wasn’t anything Jared would have noticed if he’d been walking by. The neighborhood was quiet, the front unassuming. Only the bar’s name lit up the front window in dark red neon.
Paulie’s
.

“So what is this place?” he asked, following Rick inside.

Dark wood swallowed any ambient light from the streets, while the brick walls were clearly structural rather than ornamental. The wood floor was pocked and scuffed, but even in the dim illumination, Jared saw that it was spotless. A bar blocked off a large section of a corner, with conventional 34

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wooden tables lining the wall. It looked like any bar, in any city, all the way down to the blue collar workers dotting the stools.

The burly man behind the bar turned around at their entrance and promptly smiled at them. “Someone’s all gussied up tonight.” A couple heads turned in their direction, but their glances were brief and detached, an acknowledgement rather than a judgment. The bartender picked up a pint glass and immediately started pulling something from one of the taps.

“Good to see you taking a night off for a change.”

Rick led Jared to the far side of the bar, settling into the corner stool and gesturing for Jared to sit next to him. “You know what they say about all work and no play.”

“Yeah, I actually stand a chance at getting some attention because you’re too busy to notice getting checked out.” With a grin that looked eerily familiar, the bartender slid the beer in front of Rick. “Not that tits are your style anyway.”

Their shared chuckle added another layer to Jared’s déjà vu. “This is Jared.” Rick rested one hand on Jared’s shoulder, gesturing to the bartender with the other. “And this is my cousin Alex.”

Now it all made sense. Paulie’s, Paulson. A family business of some sort. Alex didn’t physically resemble Rick, but the size and smile were enough to draw a line from one to the other.

“It’s good to meet you.” He offered his hand, holding his smile as they shook. “Nice place.”

“It’s home,” Alex agreed. “What can I get you?”

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He didn’t think asking for wine would probably go over well. “Whatever you poured for Rick is fine.”

With their beers in hand, Rick led the way to the far corner and the most private place in the room. It gave them an excellent view of the rest of the bar, but shielded them from most of the other patrons, the lighting dim enough to make Jared’s fair skin look golden.

“I guess that means your family is all here in New York.”

Rick nodded. “Isn’t yours?”

“My mom lived here while I was modeling, but as soon as I quit, she moved back to Toledo.”

“So it’s only you?” With a shake of his head, Rick reached across the table and took Jared’s hand, lacing their fingers together and letting them rest next to their beers. It was such a casual motion, Jared didn’t think anything of it until he remembered where they were. But a quick glance around the room said nobody was paying them any attention, not even Alex behind the bar. “I couldn’t do it. Sounds kind of lonely.”

“I’m too busy to be lonely. And having Theresa around is better than a little sis. At least I can threaten to fire Theresa every time she starts mouthing off too much.”

Though they had their drinks between them, Rick ignored his, his dark eyes warm and liquid as they regarded Jared. It was hard not to stare, harder not to get lost in imagining whatever it was that was going through Rick’s head. And all the while, Rick’s thumb kept caressing the side of Jared’s hand, as if it had an agenda all its own. Jared’s stomach was on permanent lurch mode, just like he’d been in a constant 36

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state of arousal all night. He didn’t foresee that changing any time soon.

“I’d like for you to come back to my place tonight.”

Okay, he’d been wrong.

Jared blinked more than once at Rick’s soft declaration. He was used to guys being upfront about their desires.

Sometimes, all Jared needed was a “Can I blow you?” from a cutie in a club to get what he wanted. But he hadn’t anticipated Rick being quite as direct. He didn’t know why.

Maybe because this was an actual date, and they’d had real conversations about things that were more than sex. It could have something to do with the fact that Rick had chosen to take him someplace where his family—extended or not—

could see them together, too. Lots of reasons. None of them negated what Rick had said, though.

“I think that’s doable,” Jared replied, matching Rick’s tone.

“Do you top?”

Another blink. “Why?”

The touches along his hand lengthened. “Do I need a reason other than wanting you to fuck me?”