Chapter Twenty-One

THANE tucked the overnight bag behind the seat of his truck before walking upstairs to get Blake. He hadn’t told him where they were going for dinner—or what other plans he’d made—but he didn’t think Blake would protest. When they’d managed time to talk since their aborted date the weekend before, Blake had said more than once how much he was looking forward to a date where they weren’t interrupted.

Short of his house burning down while he was gone—and he’d kill Derek if that happened on his watch—nothing was going to interrupt them tonight. Spring break had started that morning, and Blake didn’t have anywhere to be until school started back up a week from Monday. Thane knew. He’d asked. Not that he was planning on hijacking all of Blake’s vacation. Thane still had to work, after all. But he had every intention of hijacking the rest of the weekend. He’d thought about seeing if Blake would have dinner with him on Friday so he could have two full days, but that would have required a change of clothes and for Blake to miss his weekly drinks with his friend. Thane had decided it was easier to surprise him with one night. He had condoms, lube, and an extra toothbrush for Blake. They didn’t need anything else.

Blake opened the door wearing the same ass-hugging suit, with a dove-gray shirt this time. Thane didn’t even wait for him to say hello before pulling him into a thorough kiss with lots of tongue. And wandering hands.

“Mmmm,” Blake said when Thane let him go. “I like that kind of greeting.”

“Anytime you want, sweetheart. Just say the word,” Thane said. “I figured you wouldn’t appreciate it at school, so I’ve been playing it cool, but I’ll never refuse to kiss you hello.”

“Where are we going tonight?” Blake asked.

Thane grinned. “I think you know the answer to that.”

Blake sighed, but Thane could see the amusement in his eyes. “It’s a surprise.”

“Exactly. We should go, though. It’s a forty-five-minute drive with no traffic, and on a Saturday night, we might have traffic to worry about.”

“Nowhere in Lexington is forty-five minutes away,” Blake said. “Which direction are we going?”

Thane shook his head. “You’ll see when we get there. Come on. We don’t want to be late.”

THANE took the parking ticket from the valet when they reached Boone Tavern almost exactly forty-five minutes later. Blake stepped out of the other side of the truck and looked up at the façade of the historic tavern and hotel. The white colonnades reached to the second story and gave the front of the building an elegant grace. While Blake was preoccupied with the architecture, Thane slipped the valet an extra twenty to take his bag up to the room. He didn’t want to ruin the surprise by letting Blake see the bag now.

“This is amazing,” Blake said when Thane came around the car to join him. “I’ve lived in Lexington since I was fourteen, and I’ve always said I wanted to come out here to have dinner, but I’ve never done it.”

“Then I’m glad I thought of it,” Thane said. He squeezed Blake’s hand as they walked into the lobby. The hostess seated them at a table overlooking the garden. It would be dark before long, but it added to the ambiance, and Thane approved of anything that put such a charmed look on Blake’s face.

Once they’d ordered their drinks, Thane excused himself on the pretext of finding the restroom. He checked in for their hotel reservation and slipped the key into his pocket. He’d save that surprise for after they’d eaten.

Just in case Blake didn’t like the idea as much as Thane hoped he would.

“I’VE never had rabbit before,” Blake said as they left the restaurant at the end of dinner. “It was really good.”

“Good,” Thane said. “I’ll have to try it if we come back.” Blake started toward the front door, but Thane caught his arm. “Unless you want to take a tour of the garden in the moonlight, you’re going the wrong way.”

The confusion on Blake’s face made Thane want to kiss him. He didn’t, but only because they were standing in the middle of the lobby. Instead he reached in his pocket and pulled out the room key. “So we won’t be interrupted.”

He met Blake’s gaze and waited. It took a moment for Blake to catch on, but his smile when he did was everything Thane could have hoped for. “You have the best ideas.”

Thane laughed. “I owe Derek a case of bourbon for staying with Kit and Phillip. You’ll have to help me pick it out. I don’t know anything about bourbon.”

If anything, Blake’s smile grew bigger. “I can do that. Let’s go find our room.”

Their room was the last one at the end of the corridor on the second floor. Thane suspected they’d be able to see the mountains in the morning, but for now, his only interest in the window was closing the drapes so he didn’t have to worry about the sun waking them up.

“I didn’t pack anything,” Blake said, wringing his hands nervously when Thane turned back around. “That’s the one problem with surprises.”

“Don’t worry,” Thane said. “I packed toiletries for both of us, and you won’t be wearing your clothes long enough for them to get dirty.”

BLAKE shivered at the husky timbre of Thane’s voice. He wanted that so desperately he could taste it. He took a step forward—apparently the agreement Thane had been watching for, because he swooped in and pulled Blake tight against him. Blake buried his fingers in Thane’s hair and tugged his head down for a kiss. Thane met him halfway and devoured Blake’s mouth. Blake tightened his grip and arched up against Thane’s larger body, his head swimming already. They’d been building toward this for weeks now, and he didn’t want to wait any longer.

“You’re sure your nephews aren’t hiding under the bed?”

Thane made an inarticulate sound, low and feral. Blake shivered and reached for his tie. Thane had stopped him last time, wanting to undress Blake himself. Blake almost hoped Thane would take charge again, because he wasn’t sure he could undress with Thane watching him so intently. He got his tie loosened and the top button of his shirt undone before Thane pounced.

He spun Blake around and fitted him into the curve of his body. Blake leaned into the heat pressing against his back. Thane manhandling him probably shouldn’t have turned him on the way it did, but he couldn’t stop the thrill he felt at having Thane take control. He shimmied a bit in Thane’s embrace, hoping to hurry him along.

Thane didn’t hurry, per se, but he did spread one large hand over Blake’s stomach, so close to his aching erection he could feel the heat without actually making contact, and held him still. “Don’t tempt me.”

“Isn’t that why we’re here?” Blake asked.

Thane pinched his side in reply. Blake just moaned and gave himself over to whatever Thane had planned. Thane nipped at his neck and then rubbed his jaw along Blake’s skin. The prickle of his beard drove Blake wild. “Are you going to see anyone who will care if you have a hickey this week?”

Blake tipped his head to the side, baring his neck. “No one but Heidi, and she won’t care.”

Thane nipped the same spot again, then opened his lips and sucked hard. Blake shuddered in his arms, sure if Thane did much of that he’d come in his pants. “I thought you told me I wasn’t going to be wearing my clothes long enough to get them dirty. If you don’t hurry up and undress me, I’m going to make a liar out of you.”

“That sounds like a challenge.” Thane’s voice rumbled in his ear.

“Thane!”

“Relax, sweetheart. I’ll take good care of you, I promise.”

Blake squirmed a little at the pet name. He could live with hearing Thane call him that for the next fifty years or so. “I know you will. Just… now?”

Thane chuckled and sucked on that spot again. Blake thought for a moment that Thane really did intend to make him come in his pants, but he took mercy on Blake and unbuckled his belt and untucked his shirt. “Toe your shoes off,” Thane murmured.

Blake did as Thane said and stepped out of his shoes. Thane pushed his trousers and underwear down to his knees, leaving Blake gasping at the sudden shock of cool air on his skin. He trembled against Thane as Thane worked open the buttons of his shirt. This was it. He was finally going to bed with Thane Dalton.

He pushed the thought aside as unworthy of both of them. Thane wasn’t a goal to be achieved any more than Blake wanted to be another notch in Thane’s bedpost. This meant something.

Thane finished undoing Blake’s shirt and peeled it off him. “Get comfortable. Let me get what we need and I’ll be right there.”

Blake might have protested, but his legs were barely keeping him upright. He’d never manage to get Thane undressed. Next time he’d be more in control of himself and would insist on returning the favor.

Yeah, right. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to being the center of Thane’s attention.

He crossed to the bed, pulled back the covers, and climbed beneath them. If it were warmer in the room and he was a little bolder, he’d kick them to the foot of the bed in silent offering, but the room was cool and he was nervous. Thane would have to take his presence as an invitation instead.

Thane rummaged in a small bag for a moment before straightening and coming to stand right next to the bed. He set a package of condoms and a bottle of lube on the bedside table, then stepped back and started to undress. Blake watched avidly as Thane stripped off his jacket and shirt. Blake had felt his chest and shoulders through his clothes and had admired his arms in his T-shirts, but this was the first time he’d seen Thane’s bare chest. His mouth watered at the sight. Thane was even more built than Blake had imagined, all rock-hard muscle covered in black hair scattered with silver, just like his head. Blake shifted on the bed, gaze fixed on Thane as he moved to his pants. He dropped his trousers first, leaving him in nothing more than a pair of black boxer briefs. It figured Thane would wear black. Then he pushed those down as well and straightened, letting Blake look his fill.

It was too much and not enough, all at once. Thane didn’t preen beneath Blake’s gaze. He didn’t need to. He knew his own appeal. He’d proven that with every seductive touch and heated glance. Blake couldn’t stand the waiting any longer. He lifted the covers, inviting Thane to join him.

Thane slipped in beside him, stretching out the length of Blake’s body, and suddenly the covers were too much. Blake kicked them off as Thane rolled on top of him. Blake spread his legs to let Thane settle between them. He hissed as the movement brought their cocks into contact. As good as it felt, though, that wasn’t what he wanted. He shifted so that Thane’s erection slipped lower, bumping against his entrance. He’d waited twenty years for this moment, and now that it was here, he couldn’t wait any longer.

“Next time I’m not going to let you rush me,” Thane said as he took Blake’s cues and reached for the lube.

“Next time I won’t need to rush you,” Blake replied. To his relief Thane didn’t linger over the preparations, but he didn’t rush either, taking the time to stretch Blake thoroughly. If Blake hadn’t been begging for more with every caress, he was sure Thane would have lingered, drawing it out and teasing him until he couldn’t think straight.

He’d passed that point somewhere around the time Thane unbuckled his belt.

When he withdrew his fingers and slid home, Blake thought he’d died and gone to heaven. Then Thane leaned over him and took his mouth with the same gentle care, and Blake knew he’d never known tenderness until now. He shook apart beneath Thane’s ministrations. Thane followed seconds behind him. He rolled to the side so he wouldn’t crush Blake but kept him tucked tightly against his side.

Blake fell asleep to the sound of Thane’s beating heart.