Vann leaned over the kitchen island countertop, staring at the two dozen takeout menus in front of him, trying to decide from where to order an early dinner before their weekend together ended. As comfortable as he felt at the halfway house, he hated the thought of leaving Drayton’s home. They had spent endless hours lying in bed or on the couch, doing nothing but enjoying the comfort of finally being together without the worry of someone catching them in their stolen moments.

So much had happened since Friday night that he still found himself processing the billion thoughts going through his mind. He still couldn’t believe he was a rich man. That was one change he’d need some major time to process. It was a good thing…a great thing. But he hadn’t been kidding when he’d told Drayton it scared the crap out of him.

He glanced up from the menus, watching Drayton sit in his favorite chair in the living room. Drayton’s body curved comfortably in the glove of the soft, white leather, funny-shaped couch-like furniture by the window. He appeared at ease, staring out at the view, even though his tone of voice and frown indicated otherwise. He couldn’t understand what Drayton was saying. Italian? French? German? Regardless of what language he spoke, Dray could mumble foreign words to him like that anytime. Fuck, that sounds hot as hell.

Vann sighed and crossed his forearms on the countertop, discarding a few of the menu options. If he couldn’t decipher what the hell the foods were, he tossed the menu aside. It was no wonder Drayton didn’t have anything to eat in the fridge. He had enough takeout menus to mix things up for a full month. And yet, Vann still imagined Drayton would forget to eat when focused on work. He glanced up again and pursed his lips. Something wasn’t right. Drayton rubbed his temples, mumbled a few final words into the phone, then disconnected the call. He tossed his phone on the side table and ran both hands through his hair. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, letting his arm fall over the single armrest.

“I take it that was work?” Vann asked.

“Yes.”

“On a Sunday?”

Drayton turned toward him. “Sorry about that. There’s a German designer I needed to speak to who’s in Australia for a conference.”

“To replace Sean?”

Drayton sighed. “Yes. He hasn’t shown me a sketch that fits the motor. So I need to find an answer to this problem.”

Good riddance. Something about that guy just didn’t sit well in his gut. Aside from the obvious lust that burned in the fucker’s eyes for Drayton, there was something else there he didn’t trust. He just couldn’t peg what the hell it was.

“So this designer person. Interested or not?”

Drayton rubbed his eyes. “The guy won’t take a chance. Something about a…‘challenging environment’ or something. He didn’t want to talk to me. He couldn’t even believe it was me calling him. He thought I was the company attorney or recruiter.”

Vann scowled. “Isn’t that a bit…weird?”

“The part where I’m the one making the call or the fact that I have to try to convince someone it’s actually me calling?” Drayton sighed and rubbed his eyes again. “That’s how it’s been with each person I’ve called.” He stretched his arms above his head as he stared out the window. “I think ‘weird’ sums it up about right.”

“You’ll find someone. Everyone I’ve spoken to at the company loves working there.”

He looked over to Vann. “I didn’t have this much trouble trying to find a designer when I found Sean. Now there’s nothing I can say or offer to lure any of these people to give me a chance.” He quieted again and frowned, turning away to look out the window again.

Vann saw a hint of the younger version of Drayton—the one who sat alone on the bench outside the yacht club. He hated that. Hated the sadness that often colored Drayton’s mood when he felt he was disregarded or ignored.

Vann pushed off the countertop and opened the drawer that held a mess of knickknacks. Drayton had mentioning preparing the entire house for their weekend, stocking tubes of lube within reach of every single room with a drawer or hiding place. He chuckled as he pulled out the brand new tube, loving how the planner side of Drayton was always a few steps ahead of things. He strutted over to Drayton’s spot in the living room and placed the tube on the end table.

Drayton’s lips parted and his chest rose and fell with each breath.

Vann grabbed Drayton’s shorts at the waist with both hands, smiling when Drayton raised his hips so he could yank the shorts off. He pitched the clothing to the side, never breaking eye contact.

He straightened and raised an eyebrow, giving Drayton one of his cocky smirks. The one he knew always made Drayton smile.

Drayton chuckled and bit his lip, curling his finger in a “come here” gesture.

Vann pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. He stuck his thumbs inside the waistband of his own shorts and slowly inched them down as he seductively moved his hips in a grind-like circle, giving Drayton a private show that used to always get him excited. He was stronger now, broader, with a heck of a lot more muscle mass. And he wouldn’t deny he flexed those muscles and tightened his abs a tiny bit more than needed to arouse his private audience. He turned so his backside faced Drayton and peeked over his shoulder. He slowly bent as he lowered his shorts another inch, teasingly pushing his ass up in the air.

Drayton licked his lips, the desire obvious in those pale gray eyes.

Vann turned around to face Drayton. He finally stripped off his shorts and spun them on his index finger a few times before tossing them aside. He stepped forward and swung his leg over Drayton, straddling him.

The corners of Drayton’s mouth twitched into a tentative smile and his hands gripped Vann’s ass. “You know, if you agreed to do the design work, it would solve all these issues.”

Vann leaned in closer and braced his hands on the back of the chair, bookending Drayton’s face. “We talked about this. You need a designer, not a guy who drew one good sketch. And you said Sean runs the entire department. I don’t have a clue what that involves, so I’m not your guy.”

“You are my guy.” Drayton leaned up and met Vann’s lips with a kiss. “And you are far more talented than ‘a guy who drew one good sketch.’ I really wish you could see how gifted you are.”

“We’ve got a few hours before I need to get back to the house. Is there anything in particular you’d like to do?” He slowly, not-so-subtly ground his hips into Drayton, hoping to change the subject. “I can think of a couple of things, but…I don’t know if you’re interested.”

A glint of mischief washed over Drayton’s expression. He thrust his hips upward as he pulled Vann forward, letting Vann know he was definitely interested and open to the subject change.

“I was thinking we could switch things up.” Vann looked off to the side when Drayton stilled. “You always try to top from the bottom anyway.” He chewed his lip as an odd hollowness ate away at him. He’d thought of a thousand different ways to break the ice on the subject, but it seemed he had never considered one big variable. “If you don’t want—”

Drayton reached behind Vann’s neck and pulled him down, slamming their mouths together in a fierce kiss that evaporated any doubt from Vann’s mind.

Vann gripped Drayton’s hair and tilted his head to the side, pulling and guiding his mouth in a kiss that curled his toes. He wanted this but wouldn’t deny he was a bit nervous.

And excited.

And horny as hell.

And entirely too amped-up to make this last anything more than an embarrassing few seconds. He tore away from the kiss, gasping a few breaths to settle the stampede in his chest.

Drayton ran his fingertips through Vann’s short hair. “How long have you thought about switching things up?”

Vann turned away, stopping only when Drayton gripped his chin and forced him to refocus on those piercing gray eyes. He didn’t know how much he should say, or how he should say it. But somehow, Dray made it a bit easier to be honest and true. “I…” He sighed. He sucked at this type of thing. He was much better when he didn’t overthink things, and he’d had too much time to chew this one over.

Drayton cupped his face and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. “All joking and teasing aside. Just be real with me. Pretend we’re by the tree, in our private spot by the lake.”

Vann frowned and looked away. He wished all the special words came easy to him the way they did for Drayton. It was effortless keeping everyone at a distance, but Dray always seemed to find the secret doorway to his hidden fortress and ease him into a comfortable space where nothing he said or did was ever wrong.

He remembered those days well, everything leading up to it and everything that followed. He remembered it all too well.

“After the repair shop cut my hours, I didn’t have a lot left over to get you a nice gift for your birthday. I know you said I never had to buy you anything, but I wanted…” He leaned forward, crossing his arms on Drayton’s chest and resting his chin on his folded arms. “I wanted to buy you something you didn’t need to hide. So I went to a fancy store and looked at what they had. I remember those sales reps thinking I was going to pack their entire inventory under my T-shirt.”

He looked off to the side at some random spot, remembering how he’d kept his hands visible at all times to avoid the store reps throwing him out before he’d had a chance to buy Drayton’s gift. “The only thing I could afford there was a pair of socks or a tie. The socks would be hidden in your shoes, but the tie…everyone would see that.” He glanced up at Drayton. “It was a nice tie. A silk one. I knew you were working at that research lab, and I figured the tie would always show under that plain lab coat thing. I thought it was something from me you could have and not hide…and maybe…think of me.”

Drayton’s eyebrows twitched in that way they always did when he was trying to figure out the details of a story and those unspoken words that often filled in the blanks.

Vann rolled his eyes. “I can’t wrap worth a shit. I was planning on waiting for you in your bedroom when you got home, buck naked wearing nothing but the fancy silk tie and a ninety-nine cent bow stuck to my ass.”

Drayton snorted a chuckle. “That’s so romantic.”

“Well…it could have been. It was a really nice bow. I got it on sale.”

Drayton bit the corner of his lip. “I bet it was.”

“And you’ve seen my ass. It was pretty fucking spectacular.”

“Still is.” The playful grin slowly faded from Drayton’s expression. “You never got a chance because of what happened.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Vann—”

“Dray. I…can’t. It’s too painful and still haunts me after all these years. Seeing you like that…I can’t,” he finished, shaking his head, hoping Drayton didn’t hear the crack in his voice or notice the tears he held back.

Drayton wrapped his arms around Vann, brushing his fingertips along his arm. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than inside you right now.”

“That was twistedly romantic.”

“Romance a la Vann.”

Vann chuckled, loving how Drayton never made him feel awkward for his odd way of deflecting.

Drayton slid his hands down Vann’s body and cupped his ass, tugging him upward to meet his lips in a kiss. “I’m going to drive you so crazy you’re going to want to permanently switch.”

Vann held his stare. He was so turned on by the confidence in those pale gray eyes he knew his Dray could have him writhing and begging in a matter of seconds. “Doubt it.”

“Wanna bet?”

“If you win that bet…” Vann’s words trailed off as he ran his index finger along Drayton’s cheek then down his neck and torso. He leaned in close, licking the shell of Drayton’s ear before he whispered a few words. “It means I won’t ever be inside you again.”

Vann placed a teasing kiss under his ear, smiling when a moan escaped Drayton the way it always did when he hit that sensitive spot. “Do you really want to make that bet? I know how you like to win.”

“Fucking tease,” Drayton said with a growl.

He held back a grin. “How about I wager a bet we can both win?”

Drayton pushed his body upward and gripped Vann’s hips with a possessive force that shot a bolt of desire straight to Vann’s rock-hard dick. “I’m listening.”

Vann ducked his head for a moment and exhaled a breath through pursed lips, hoping to calm the raging need bubbling inside. He loved egging Drayton on. A challenge always boosted Drayton’s confidence and gave rise to that quiet beast that threatened to take over and lead when they were younger. Vann raised his head and narrowed his eyes. “If you’re sorta good at this, I’ll switch things up. I’ll top ninety percent of the time and give you a chance at my awesome ass for ten.”

Drayton’s strong, square jaw muscles twitched. “Sixty-forty.”

Vann chuckled. “That would require some insanely stellar skills on your part.”

A mischievous spark glinted in those gray eyes as Drayton inched closer.

The smile lingered on Vann’s lips. He’d missed this comfortable ease between them when they were alone. “Eighty-twenty is my best offer,” Vann said. “Assuming…of course, you can make me yell half as loud as you.” He raised an eyebrow and smirked, giving Drayton a casual, challenging shrug.

Drayton rubbed his palms against Vann’s bare ass in slow circles. He grabbed the lube off the table and snapped open the cap. “Kiss me,” he demanded.

Vann was so aroused he’d follow any command. He leaned in and latched on to Drayton’s lips, groaning into the kiss when Drayton’s slick finger finally breached him. Vann wrapped his arms around Drayton’s shoulders to tug him closer just as Drayton’s other hand pulled him flush against his hard and ready body.

Vann gasped, breaking the kiss. “Fuck.” He bit his lower lip and tilted his head back, screwing his eyes shut as a second finger moved in and out of his body, preparing and stretching him. He couldn’t have imagined this, the burn, the heat stirring in his belly, or the electricity sparking within.

Drayton licked and kissed up the column of Vann’s neck, scraping his teeth along Vann’s stubbled jaw. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this. Seventy-thirty.”

Okay, so maybe challenging this side of Drayton on this subject wasn’t the best move to get this show going. “Eighty-twenty was my best offer. And it’s only valid if you make me yell half as loud as you do.”

Vann gulped a breath, trying to slow the need coursing through his veins with each plunge of Drayton’s fingers inside him. He wasn’t going to last long if Drayton kept this up. “Dray, I swear, if you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to pin you to the floor and fuck you so hard I’m going to knock all that smart shit out of your brain.”

A smug smile spread across Drayton’s lips. “Such a dirty mouth.” He kiss-bit along Vann’s jawline, and sucked Vann’s earlobe into his mouth, slowly releasing the tender flesh between his teeth as he pulled away.

“Shit.” Vann panted each breath and dug his fingers into Drayton’s shoulders. “I’ll do anything you want, just…shit…what the hell was I saying?” He let out a strangled groan and rested his head on Drayton’s shoulder. He gasped when the cap snapped again. He turned and pressed his nose to the crook of Drayton’s neck and waited, trying to cool the desire crackling in his body. He raked his fingers in Drayton’s hair and gripped the silky strands, stilling when a firm grip on his hips positioned him and a piercing heat entered his body.

Drayton pressed a kiss to Vann’s temple as he wrapped his arm around Vann’s shoulders. “Breathe.”

He followed Drayton’s command, feeling completely lost as to what to do next. Strong arms held him tightly and pulled him up, cradling him in a sitting position. He let out a long moan as Drayton slid deeper inside his body with the shift in position. He dug his fingers deeper in Drayton’s shoulders, trying to ground himself against the unfamiliar sensation and the rising heat prickling his skin.

“I love you,” Drayton whispered, leaning forward and placing soft kisses along Vann’s neck as he pushed up into him. Each thrust…slow and precise, each whispered word…soft and endearing.

Vann slid his hand up Drayton’s neck and into his hair to hold him in place while his other hand splayed across Drayton’s back for balance. The grip on Vann’s hips tightened. He groaned and met each upward thrust with an equal downward push, needing to bind their bodies closer. It was too much, yet not enough.

“Harder,” he growled, pushing his body forward into Drayton.

Drayton planted his feet on the ground and caged Vann in his arms, raising their still-joined bodies from the chair. He gently laid Vann on the living room couch and hovered over him for a few seconds.

The strength of Drayton’s hold and the unwavering power of his movements sent bolts of lust throughout Vann’s body. “You…carried me?” Vann said in disbelief, still breathing heavily, trying to drag precious air into his lungs.

A wicked grin made an appearance. Drayton gently pushed forward, offering a reminder he was still buried inside him. “How hard?”

Vann’s heartbeat thundered. The dominance and commanding strength in those pale gray eyes awakened his hungry libido’s greed for more. “That depends on how badly you want to win this bet.” He bit his lower lip to hide the excited smile that threatened to break free.

Drayton leaned in for a tender kiss, slow and deep, with unmistakable love and longing.

Vann reached up and sighed, threading his hands into Drayton’s hair, holding him in place as he let the love pour into his soul. He felt lightheaded and weightless, held down only by the lean muscled body pressed against his chest and the heated length firmly buried inside him. He crossed his ankles behind Drayton’s back and pulled him closer, needing and wanting more. He moaned into the kiss when Drayton resumed a slow pace, sliding his heat into Vann’s body in languid, deep glides.

He was hyperaware of every burn that transitioned to pure bliss as Drayton’s pace sped, pounding into him with untamed need and passion. Vann’s body was a ball of fire waiting to explode. Sweat sprung from every pore, creating friction with the leather rubbing harshly against his back.

It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but the man inside him and cementing their bond. He reached down and gripped Drayton’s ass, pulling him closer with a growl, demanding he abandon all control.

Drayton braced his hand above Vann’s head and relentlessly thrust his hips into Vann, pounding away at every negative word, every excuse, and every naysayer’s comment stored in Vann’s memory bank. Leaving only a message of love and need and passion greater than anything negative that dared take center stage.

He was loved. He was desired.

And he was needed.

He tightened his hold on Drayton. His eyes burned as a beautiful song boomed from his soul with a joyful melody that squeezed his heart. A sudden peace settled in his spirit, as if finally arriving at a secret, sought-after destination so few ever found.

He gasped each breath as he fought the thunderstorm at the base of his spine. Warm lips pressed against his neck and words of love were whispered in his ear, pushing him off that cliff of euphoria and letting his soul fly free as it shattered with his climax, spilling his release between them as a flood of heat filled his body and a roar of pure bliss echoed in the room.

Harsh, deep gasps of breath skated across his shoulder. He reached behind Drayton’s neck and brushed the sweaty strands of hair. He closed his eyes and let the peace settle in his chest, soothing his spirit and mind like a magical balm.

“I love you,” Drayton whispered, then pressed a kiss to Vann’s shoulder, their bodies still joined. “You didn’t yell. Does that mean I lost?” Drayton hesitantly rested his body on him, finally easing into the embrace when Vann welcomed the comforting weight against his chest.

Vann pressed a kiss to Drayton’s cheek and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, holding him close, refusing to admit his soul had screamed and yelled louder than any sound ever recorded in history. “You’re a tough negotiator. Fifty-fifty. And that’s my final offer.”

“You drive a hard bargain.” Drayton quietly chuckled and pressed a kiss to Vann’s lips. “But I think we’ve got a deal.”