MY PULSE WAS RACING, AND my hands were itching to grab Garrett and kiss him until all the pain and misery of the last week was completely forgotten, but I held back. We needed to talk first. I needed to tell him how I felt about him, and I needed to know once and for all how he felt about me. His eyes ghosted over my face and I could tell that I’d taken him by surprise. I pulled my sunglasses off, so I could see him better.
“Are you really here?” he asked, reaching out a hand to cup my face. My fingers curled around his wrist and I turned my face so I could kiss the palm of his hand.
“I’m here.” I let my eyes roam over his beautiful features, reveling in the fact that he was so near. I turned my head at the sound of voices and saw a group of teenagers walking down the sidewalk, headed in our direction. I quickly shoved my sunglasses back on, pulling the bill of my hat down even further.
Garrett grabbed my hand. “Come on, let’s go inside before they see you.”
We raced up the steps and inside together, smiling at each other as we rode the elevator up to his floor. Once it stopped, we got out and I followed him to his apartment, careful to keep my disguise on until he’d unlocked the door and we were safely inside.
I pulled the hat and sunglasses off and took a look around as Garrett moved through the small space, turning on a few lamps. His apartment was neat and clean, with comfortable-looking furniture and a few knickknacks and framed photos sitting on the tables and shelves. I walked over and picked one of them up, staring at a younger version of Garrett. He was wearing a graduation cap and gown, a man and woman standing on either side off him.
“Are these your parents?” I asked.
Garrett came closer, looking over my shoulder. “Yeah, that’s them,” he answered, pride evident in his voice. I smiled down at the photo and then set it back on the shelf. “Would you like a drink?” he asked.
“No, I’m good.”
“Oh. Okay,” he said, glancing around like he wasn’t sure what to do.
“Garrett.” His eyes darted back to mine at the sound of his name. “I hope it’s all right that I came here.”
“Yeah, it’s alright.” He stopped and blew out a long breath then gave me a shy grin. “I’m sorry. Of course, it’s okay that you’re here. I’ve missed you.”
My heart swelled at his words. “I’ve missed you too. So much.”
I wasn’t sure if I moved first, if he did or if we both took a step at the same time, but the next thing I knew, he was in my arms and we were kissing. Finally. It may have only been a week since I’d last tasted him, but it had felt like an eternity. I took my time, reacquainting myself with the flavor of his mouth and the texture of his tongue as it mated with mine. When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against his, enjoying the warmth of his body seeping into mine through our clothing.
“I love you,” I whispered.
Garrett leaned back so he could see my face. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open. “What?” he asked, breathlessly.
“I love you,” I stated more firmly. “I knew I was in love with you when we were in Maui, but I was too scared and too stupid to tell you then. I knew that you were a private man and also the sweetest man I’ve ever known. I was afraid of what all the paparazzi and fans and everything that goes along with being with me would do to you. So, I walked away without telling you how I really felt, even though it was killing me to do it,” I explained in a rush. If it were possible, I’d swear that Garrett’s eyes had grown even wider, but I kept going.
“I went back home, thinking that I’d done the right thing by letting you go, that you would be better off without me, but I was absolutely miserable. Every day that I had to spend without you was worse than the one before and it was making it harder to breathe. Finally, Bethany came to my house and she helped me see what an idiot I’d been. She told me it was wrong to take the decision away from you instead of letting you decide for yourself. So, I hopped on a plane and came here, to tell you that I love you and that I don’t want to go another day without you.” My hands were shaking, and my heart was in my throat as I waited to hear what he would say.
Garrett stared at me for several seconds, a mixture of emotions flitting across his face. “You’re not an idiot. You were trying to protect me, and I can’t fault you for that. Besides, I did the same thing. Only I did it because I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough for you, that I’d do something to embarrass you,” he admitted.
I pulled him back into my arms. “You could never embarrass me. You’re perfect, Garrett, and I’d be proud to have you standing by my side, no matter where I am or what I’m doing,” I insisted. Then a thought occurred to me and I leaned back to look in his eyes. “Wait. You said you did the same. Does that mean…”
“I love you. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. I don’t care if I have to give up some of my privacy, because I’ll know that at the end of the day, when all the cameras and the people have disappeared, it’ll be just you and me.”
“What about your family and friends?” I asked. I had to be sure that he’d really considered everything, because once he agreed to be mine, that was it. I was never letting him go.
“They want me to be happy and I’ve never been happier than when I’m with you. Besides, I can come back and see them or they can visit us in California,” he assured me.
I could tell that he was serious, and my heart was flipping with joy. “What about your writing?” I asked, a smile growing on my face.
Garrett smiled back. “I can write anywhere, but there’s only one you, Dean Wilder.”
I pulled him back in for another kiss, but it was different from any kiss we’d ever shared. This one was full of joy and elation, love and promises. Our kiss continued as he began walking me backward down a short hallway and into his bedroom. We stopped just short of the bed and began slowly and methodically undressing each other, kissing each inch of bare skin as it was revealed to us. “I love yous” filled the air around us and each one sent a surge of warmth straight to my heart.
I dropped to my knees in front of him, letting my eyes and hands travel all over his body. “You’re so fucking perfect. I can’t believe that you’re mine,” I whispered. I leaned forward, burying my nose in the juncture of his legs and breathing in his intoxicating scent.
His fingers sifted through my hair lovingly. “I’m the lucky one.”
He gasped as my hand wrapped around his cock and I angled it down toward my mouth, swiping the tip with my tongue and tasting his salty flavor. “Dean, please. Don’t tease me. I can’t take it right now,” he begged.
Not wanting him to suffer, I slid my lips over the head of his cock, taking him into the wet heat of my mouth and forming suction as I took him to the back of my throat over and over again. His fingers twisted in my hair, gripping the strands almost painfully as his legs began to shake, threatening to give out on him.
“Now, Dean. I need you now.”
I stood quickly, cupping his jaw in one hand as my tongue plundered his mouth and his arms wrapped around the back of my neck. He sucked on my tongue, tasting himself, as my other hand snaked around behind him, allowing one finger to slip between his cheeks and tapping against his pucker, bringing about a series of moans.
“Do you have supplies?” I asked.
Garrett’s eyes widened. “Shit. I do, but they’re out in my suitcase by the front door. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” He raced from the room and was back just a few short seconds later. “Here you go,” he said, presenting me with a small bottle of lube and a box of condoms. Neither had ever been opened.
I took the supplies from him, opening them quickly and tossing them onto the bed then I turned to him. He closed the space between us, kissing me and cupping my ass in both of his hands. Our shafts rubbed together, and I shivered at the feeling of his silky skin against my sensitive cock. My body was desperate for his and it wouldn’t take much to set me off.
“Get on the bed,” I said, a bit gruffer than I’d intended. Garrett didn’t seem to mind though, as he gave a low laugh and climbed on top of the bed, shaking his ass at me. My hand itched to spank that sassy little butt, but I flipped him onto his back instead.
He laughed again at my rough handling of him, but his laughter turned to groans and whispered pleas as I coated my fingers with lube and began preparing him for me. His playfulness, from just moments before, was quickly replaced with an intense desire to become one. When he was ready, I slid a condom on, slicked it, and then leaned over him, staring into his eyes. I was surprised to see all the same emotions I’d seen in his eyes when we were on the island. Only now, I had a name for it.
“Say it,” I whispered.
“I love you,” he responded without hesitation, gasping as I filled him in one swift motion. I pulled back out until only the tip of my cock remained inside him.
“Again,” I demanded, shaking with the urge to fill him.
“I love you,” he said, his words breaking off into a deep moan and his eyes fluttering shut as I shoved my hips forward. I couldn’t hold back anymore, and I pushed in again, going as deep as I could possibly go.
“I love you, I love you,” he repeated as I let loose, thrusting in and out of him in long, fluid motions.
Every time he said it, was like an overwhelming mixture of heat and love and want and desire filling me up and it pushed me closer and closer to the point of no return. I adjusted the angle of my hips, knowing exactly what I needed to do to get him there with me. His hand fisted his cock between us, stroking hard and fast. It only took one brush from the head of my cock to his prostate to send him soaring over the edge and I followed seconds behind him, both of us shouting the other’s name and clinging to each other.
I collapsed on top of him, my head resting on his chest and rising and falling with each of his labored breaths. I could hear his heart pounding against my ear and my eyes drifted shut as his fingers sifted lazily through my hair. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me and I lifted my head to see his face. I raised an eyebrow at him. “Why were there condoms and lube in your suitcase? Were you going somewhere?”
His cheeks turned that adorable shade of pink that I loved so much. “Well, my friends had a talk with me, kind of like Bethany had with you. They convinced me I was being an idiot also, so I have a flight scheduled for tomorrow morning to go to California.”
A huge grin nearly split my face in two. “You were coming to see me?”
“Yeah,” he answered, starting to grin.
“You’re going to have to cancel that ticket, just so you know.”
“I am?” he asked, his own smile growing.
“Yep. We’ll be flying home in my private plane instead, but not right away. I plan on loving you all night long and into the next day,” I informed him.
“Is that all? Because I planned on loving you for the rest of my life.” His eyes shone with all the love he felt for me.
“The rest of our lives sounds perfect to me.”