Justin was at a loss. Finn’s story had equal parts enraged and saddened him, while surprisingly not leaving him feeling sorry for the man. His own challenged youth might not have been ideal, and while he’d often questioned the love of his mother, he had never once found himself in a position where he hadn’t been in complete control. The fact Finn had managed to progress as far as he had in his career, in his life, was a testament to Finn’s mettle.
Helping him relax enough to have a conversation with Leo would be easy.
The problem was the idea of Finn wanting to be with Leo at all.
Justin and Finn had moved from the kitchen table to the living room couch, the mostly empty bottle of wine on the floor between them. King trailed along behind them, his so-ugly-it’s-cute face damp from the water he’d sloppily lapped up after devouring Finn’s leftovers. Justin had never been a dog person, but King appeared to be at least tolerable.
Finn had slowly relaxed the more they’d spoken over supper. Justin couldn’t help but feel a measure of attraction for him, enticed by his good nature and handsome features. The soft buzz from the wine helped to take some of the edge off, but any more and Justin would risk his control slipping. He couldn’t afford that. “Let’s try talking about movies. That’s usually a great topic of conversation and a basis for you to compare interests.”
“Okay.” Finn’s gaze slipped over to the giant stack of DVDs piled in the corner of the room. “You could probably tell from my collection that I’ve got eclectic tastes.”
“Citizen Kane and Aliens. Yes, that had caught my eye.” They were strangely two of his favorite movies as well. “What makes a good movie for you?”
Finn’s face brightened, something that sent a tingle down Justin’s back once again. “I’m big on character development. I don’t care about genre particularly. I just need to see that growth from beginning to end. And it doesn’t even have to be positive growth. Too many movies these days make those changes artificial. I like to see a character turn dark, make choices they know aren’t right, but they feel they need to do it because it’s the only way.”
“That’s one of the reasons I prefer television to movies. It gives them a chance to grow.”
“Yes. Exactly.” The more excited Finn got about a topic, the more he moved his hands. At the moment, he was reaching for the wine with one while waving a loopy circle in the space between them. “There’s so much good television on right now.”
It was a joy to simply be chatting with someone about nothing of consequence. To not have to worry about making a serious point that would be acted upon or critical in a business meeting. This was . . . pleasant.
Finn shuffled closer to him on the couch. “What about you?”
Justin blinked. “What about me?”
“You said you like TV. What are some of your favorite shows?” Finn’s free hand was now resting on the cushion between them. His long fingers were brushing the fabric in a circular motion that was hypnotic.
“Orphan Black.” He hadn’t seen the last season, but it was high on his list. Not to mention, it was the only thing that came to mind.
“Yeah, that one’s awesome.” Finn’s hand stopped, and Justin finally looked up.
Right into Finn’s gaze that was far closer now than it’d been moments before. The tingle had morphed into a full-body shiver as Finn’s crystal-blue eyes pierced into his. Shit, he’d had too much wine if he was being this affected by Finn’s presence. This wasn’t supposed to be about him; he was here to help Finn on his date with Leo.
“How am I doing?” Finn’s voice was softer, but no less earnest than it’d been before. “Better?”
“Much.” Without being able to stop himself, Justin leaned in to Finn. “You’re a wonderful conversationalist when you’re relaxed.”
“I’ll have to make sure I have lots of wine on my date, then.” Finn’s eyes dipped to Justin’s lips. “It seems to help.”
Justin wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them, to press his mouth to Finn’s and see what the wine would taste like on his mouth. It had been far too long since he’d been with someone to enjoy the mutual exchanging of pleasure. Without looking away, he moved his hand until his fingers brushed Finn’s. Their gasp was synchronous.
God, this was such a bad idea when he knew Finn’s affections and attention lay somewhere else. But after years of putting everyone else first, Justin wanted to take something for himself. Something small, something that, once Finn moved on and Justin was left alone, he could keep with him.
Without breaking contact with Finn’s hand, Justin shifted closer. “There’s something else we should practice. So that you’re ready.”
“What’s that?” Finn was moving as well, stopping only a few inches away from Justin.
“I assume you want to seduce Leo.” The other man’s name tasted foul in his mouth; the idea of Finn being with that ass in any way was enough to make him nauseous.
But when Finn’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and his lips parted, Justin couldn’t think of anything but wanting to get closer.
Wanting to touch.
Wanting to be . . . everything.
“Ah . . .” Finn couldn’t seem to look into his eyes any longer. “Yeah.”
“You need to know how to seduce with your words as much as you do with your body.” Justin slid his fingers along the back of Finn’s hand. “A touch can be a powerful thing, but so can the right phrase.”
Finn swallowed. “Like what?”
Justin’s body was threatening to betray him, to move on its own, to press against Finn in a way that there’d be no coming back from. Stop. This isn’t supposed to be about you.
He pulled in a long, slow breath. “Leo strikes me as a man who likes compliments. Who needs them to feel a sense of worth. Start with something basic.” He cupped Finn’s cheek, rubbing his thumb along the skin beneath Finn’s eye. “I’ve never seen blue eyes that clear before. Like little beacons in a dark place.”
Finn’s skin flushed beneath his touch. “Really? I . . . ah . . .”
Justin scooted closer. “You don’t need to say anything but thank you.”
“Thank you.”
“Why don’t you try it?”
Justin might be good at words, but he’d never been one to handle compliments with ease. Compliments had never been bestowed on him in abundance.
If at all.
He had no idea what Finn would say, no idea if he had any qualities worth complimenting. When Finn didn’t immediately speak, he pulled back. “I meant to say, pretend I’m Leo. You need to practice what you’ll say to him, so it comes naturally.” Of course, Finn wouldn’t have anything to say about Justin; they barely knew one another. Barely friends. Justin wasn’t exactly one to inspire love notes and lust.
The few inches he’d retreated evaporated as Finn followed him. “What I’d say to Leo?”
There was something off in his voice, though Justin couldn’t pinpoint what. “That’s why we’re here.”
Finn slid his hand along the back of the couch, close to Justin’s body. His gaze locked on to Justin’s so intensely that the words Justin had relied on as his weapon and shield fled his mind. For the first time in his life, Justin was at a loss.
“I’d say, ‘You have an amazing smile.’” Finn’s voice penetrated Justin, sending little bolts of lust exploding through him. “‘It brightens up the room whenever I see it.’”
Justin rarely smiled. No one cared about his joy, his pleasure. Sometimes, he didn’t care himself.
“‘I can pick out your voice in a crowd, no matter who else is there or how loud things get.’” Finn turned his hand so Justin’s fingers were now laced with his. “‘It’s like I have radar that’s focused on only you. I remember your scent long after you’ve gone. It drives me crazy.’”
Leo. He’s talking about Leo. “That’s good.”
Finn narrowed the distance, until it was almost painful to keep looking into his eyes. “‘I want to kiss you. I’ve dreamed about it.’”
“Yes.” Justin let his eyes close for a moment, needing a brief respite from Finn’s quiet intensity. “He’ll love that.”
“Should we practice that as well?” Finn squeezed his fingers. “The kiss?”
No, they shouldn’t. Justin should get the hell out of here before things went too far and he was left a broken, discarded toy. Instead, he tilted his head just enough so their mouths lined up. “Nothing worse than an awkward post-kiss moment. Good to rehearse.” He traversed the final short, deliciously narrow space between them, and kissed Finn.
Despite his hesitation with words, there was nothing tentative about Finn’s actions. He opened his mouth wide, letting his tongue brush across Justin’s bottom lip. Neither of them took the kiss deeper, leaving it a nipping exploration. But God, did Justin want more. Wanted to pull Finn in, to press his body against Finn’s until they were both a moaning mess. He wanted to be at the center of this man’s world, to be on the receiving end of the beautiful intensity that was laser focused on another man.
An undeserving man.
Justin’s chest had tightened to the point where he could barely breathe. His cock was hard as stone, and it would only take the slightest of strokes to get himself off. It was too much. He pulled back and turned his face away, looking at their distorted reflections in the window. “That’s good.”
“Justin . . .”
“If you do exactly that, say exactly that, then the next step of your date with Leo will be to the bedroom.”
Finn’s hand slipped free. “Maybe I shouldn’t have him over.”
“Why not?” Justin stood, turning so his arousal wasn’t obvious. “What’s the point of chasing after a man if not to woo him to your bed? You want him in your life; best to make sure you’re compatible in all things.”
“I . . . Shit.” Finn also stood, rubbing the back of his neck as he began to pace. “I lied to you. He’s not coming over here. We’re going to a restaurant. I didn’t think I could handle two dates out somewhere, so I invited you here.”
The rush of passion that had flowed through Justin suddenly bottomed out. “You lied.” It shouldn’t surprise him; Justin wasn’t the target of Finn’s affections. What would it matter if he wasn’t truthful? It didn’t. Not at all. “That’s fine. Though you could have simply said it was too much. I’m not doing this for me.”
Once again, Justin should have realized he was simply being used as the tool, the means to accomplish the desired end. He’d let his guard down slightly, and this was the end result. Finn, while sweet and attractive, was clearly in love with Leo. While tonight’s location might have been under false pretenses, he hadn’t been anything less than honest about where his desires lay. That was at least something.
“No, it’s not fine.” Finn marched over to him and took him by the shoulders. Gone was the timid man from a few moments ago, and back was the confident seducer. “I shouldn’t have done that to you, not when you’ve been nothing but kind and supportive. I’m sorry.”
Those were words Justin had never heard associated with himself. “There’s no reason to apologize. You need someone to help you rehearse your script. I can do that. I’m good at being what others need. Been told that more than once.”
Far too good.
But while he might not be the hero of this particular romance, he wasn’t about to let himself become the villain. Best if he left before emotions started to run too high. “Thank you for the meal. You really are a wonderful chef. Goodbye, King.”
Not wanting Finn to say anything else, he grabbed his things and left.