CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Lake
It was a toss-up as to which I wanted to do more when I found out Khan had invited a special guest to dinner—kill the meddling twat or kiss him. On the one hand, I didn’t need the drama of seeing Blaze when I knew I couldn’t have him. On the other hand, I really missed the guy and wanted to see him—more than I’d ever thought possible. Knowing Blaze would be coming over either way, I resigned myself to just go with it. I helped Stephen prepare dinner while Khan ran upstairs to shower after his cleaning frenzy.
“Sorry I’m horning in on you guys like this,” I said to Stephen while I tore freshly washed lettuce into a large, green ceramic bowl. This was the first chance I’d had to speak with him since I’d arrived the day before, as his post-vacation work schedule had been heavy.
“Don’t apologize. We love having you here.”
“I’ll get out as soon as I can.”
“Lake, you’re not hearing me. Neither Khan nor I mind you being here, okay? Stay as long as you need to. You work all the time anyway, and when you are here, you’re good company for Liza Minnelli while we’re gone.”
“Right. I don’t even think that cat likes me.”
Stephen chuckled. “She isn’t crazy about most people.”
“She loved Blaze.” Why had I said that? Like it was some kind of gold star on Blaze’s character that Stephen needed to know about.
“So Khan said. Your Blaze sounds like a really nice guy, and from the way Khan tells it, gorgeous to boot.”
“He isn’t my Blaze.”
“Khan says he’d like to be your Blaze.”
I raised a brow. “Wouldn’t Khan want to be my Khan?”
“As my mother used to say, don’t be flip.”
I frowned at the cucumber I was peeling. “Khan is biased. He thinks I’m something special for some reason.”
“He’s right. That’s why we need to check this guy out before we’ll let you date him.” Stephen smiled wickedly, and I gave up because he and Khan were going to have their way regardless; it was pointless to try to convince them Blaze and I weren’t dating and weren’t going to be.
“Khan also mentioned you might want to talk to me about something else,” Stephen said.
“Khan’s wrong.”
“I’m a very good listener.”
I glanced at Stephen. “I’m sure you are, being a psychologist and all.” I tossed the carrots and cucumber into the lettuce and started chopping a yellow pepper.
“I’m your friend, too.”
“Thanks, but I don’t have anything to talk about.”
“Well, if you change your mind, I’m here.”
The doorbell rang, and I jumped.
Stephen grinned. “Nervous?”
“No, your doorbell is just unreasonably loud,” I grumbled.
“I’ll get it!” Khan breezed by us in a burst of Polo cologne. As I carried the salad into the dining room, I listened to him greeting Blaze in the foyer. I peered around the corner, hoping for a quick glimpse of Blaze when he wasn’t looking, but unfortunately, Blaze caught me, blue eyes locking with mine. He smiled, and my stomach jumped.
“Hi,” he said. How could a word feel like a touch? Oh, my God, that’s the corniest thing my brain’s ever come up with. Might as well quit my day job and work for Hallmark.
Feeling shy, awkward, and embarrassed, I frowned.
“Doesn’t Blaze look handsome?” Khan asked me. “I love the sweater; it matches your eyes,” he told Blaze.
I shot Khan a dirty look. “Stephen needs your help in the kitchen.”
“Oh, I get it. You’d like a moment alone.” Khan blew me a kiss before walking away.
I sighed and turned to Blaze. “You didn’t have to come.”
“I wanted to come. Do you want me to leave?”
I looked away. “Might as well stay since you’re here.” That wasn’t exactly what I’d meant to say—none of it had been. I just found it impossible to act like a pleasant human being. It floored me that I hadn’t managed to chase Blaze away by now.
I was not expecting him to grab me around the waist and pull me into a kiss, but once he did, my arms automatically encircled his neck, and I sank into the warmth of his lips on mine.
A low whistle drew us apart.
“Hot!” Khan fanned himself with a napkin. Stephen stood behind him trying not to smile.
“Dinner’s ready, but if you want to nip upstairs first, we can keep it warm for you, can’t we, Stephen? Give me a minute to activate the indoor surveillance cameras, though.”
“Shut. Up.” I strode past them and heard Blaze chuckle. “Traitor,” I called over my shoulder. Blaze caught up to me and laced our hands together.
“I am completely on your side. Oh, my God! Is that filet mignon?”
Stephen always cooked a wonderful meal, but he’d really outdone himself this time with filet mignon, salad, stuffed potatoes, and pecan pie for dessert.
“Great. They’ve won you over with food,” I said.
“You and Blaze make a gorgeous couple,” Stephen said.
Blaze grinned and stuck his hand out to shake. “You’re not only a wonderful cook, you have great taste. I like you already.”
Khan formally introduced Blaze to his husband while I sat down and started filling my plate. Blaze slid into the chair next to me, and a kaleidoscope of butterflies took off in my stomach. I’d be lucky to be able to digest my food, I was so giddy at having him near.
We chatted for a while about Stephen and Khan’s jobs and what they’d done on their vacation in Alaska. During a lull, Blaze said, “Lake, Ax said you knocked ‘em dead last night on the pole.”
I tried not to smile like a schmuck. “It was a good crowd. I got a lot of tips.” It felt funny talking about my pole dancing after Khan’s and Stephen’s careers, although I knew no one at the table judged me. I also knew I was my own worst critic.
“I’ve always wanted to see you pole dance,” Khan said. He turned to Stephen. “We need to go to the Banana one night.”
“If we can ever find a night when you’re off, I don’t have the kids, and we aren’t both exhausted, we’ll do that, sweetheart,” Stephen replied, digging into his potato.
“So, you said you’re in the porn business?” Khan asked Blaze.
“Yes, my company’s called Hard Time Production.”
I enjoyed watching Khan’s mouth drop open. I knew he watched Hard Time.
Blaze took a bite of steak and moaned, and Khan shot me a look that plainly said, Oh, my God, you are so going to talk to me later about this.
“He just merged with Julianne’s company. Didn’t I mention that a while back?”
“I guess I didn’t put two and two together. So, Blaze is the guy you met at Dante’s party.”
“Yep.” I got up to fetch the pecan pie out of the kitchen, and Khan followed me.
“You’ve been a busy bee while we’ve been gone,” he said under his breath. “I expect a full report, and no claiming a headache tonight.” He carried a tray of coffee into the dining room, and I followed with the pie.
“I can’t move,” Blaze groaned when we’d finished dessert. “You two couldn’t eat like this all the time and look like you do.”
“We have a gym in the basement, but no, Stephen rarely has time to cook. We eat a lot of salads.” Khan began picking up plates.
“I’ll clean up,” I said.
“I’ll help.” Blaze stacked the empty cups and followed me into the kitchen. “Your friends are great.”
“They certainly like you.” I set the dishes on the counter and turned on the faucet.
Standing behind me, Blaze slid his arms around my waist. I’d been on a low simmer since our kiss, and his touch set me instantly aflame. “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he whispered into my ear.
Try as I might, I couldn’t keep myself from melting into him.
“And what about you? How do you feel about me?” Blaze lowered his lips to my neck, and a cascade of chills washed down my back.
“You’re okay,” I said, the words coming out embarrassingly breathy. Blaze took the edge of my ear between his teeth and bit down, and I gasped, my cock jerking in my jeans.
“You like that?” Blaze asked before doing it again.
“We really need to get these dishes done,” I rasped.
“Okay.” Blaze let me go, and I immediately wanted him back. Hands a little shaky, I busied myself washing off the plates and handing each to Blaze to stack in the dishwasher when I was finished. When we emerged from the kitchen fifteen minutes later, Khan and Stephen were nowhere to be found.
“This is Khan subtly giving us alone time,” I said.
Blaze grinned and led me into the dimly-lit living room where he pulled me down on the couch with him. “I missed you in my bed last night.”
My God, the man was going to kill me. I needed to make it clear to him that we didn’t have a relationship before things really got out of hand. Instead, I let him kiss me. Or maybe I kissed him. Whatever, things went from PG to soft porn within seconds as our lips devoured each other. The heat in the room rose several notches as our hands wandered. I wanted to rip Blaze’s clothes off his body, but with Khan and Stephen upstairs, I felt like we were making out in my parents’ house.
Blaze moaned into my mouth. “If you hadn’t insisted on leaving, we could be doing this in my bed.”
My brain had disconnected. I couldn’t even remember why we weren’t at the clubhouse. Oh yeah, I thought it would be better to stay with Khan and Stephen. Obviously, I was a fool. I brought my leg around Blaze’s waist as he pressed me back into the cushions and kissed a trail along my jaw and neck. I tried to talk myself into pushing him away, but I couldn’t. Blaze was like a drug; I’d had a taste of him and was doomed to crave him for the rest of my life.
And fuck, I needed my fix.
Blaze had my jeans open and his mouth on my cock before I realized what was happening. I barely managed to suppress my shout of pleasure as his tongue swept over my glans. Holy shit, the man could suck dick. Hadn’t he said I was the first guy he’d ever been with? He must be a natural, born to Hoover a man dry with those tempting lips.
I threaded my fingers through his soft, dark hair and watched him bob over me, his saliva running down my shaft and pooling on my balls. I realized I was grunting and bit my bottom lip, not putting it past Khan to eavesdrop if Stephen didn’t stop him. When Blaze released my cock from his mouth long enough to lick my nuts and then slurped me up again, I abruptly came. I didn’t even have time to warn him and was amazed when he swallowed most of it.
“God.” I sagged back on the couch and watched as Blaze took out his cock with a shaking hand and jacked off over me.
I let out a laugh. Then another, the high of coming so hard turning me into a giggling mess. I couldn’t stop. Blaze smiled indulgently at me as the last of his spend dripped onto my abdomen.
“First time I’ve ever been laughed at after sex,” he said.
I shook my head, body trembling with mirth and residual pleasure. “It was really good,” I managed to murmur. “I hadn’t expected this.”
“I told you, I want to be with you.” Blaze ran his hand up my thigh. “And unless you sincerely don’t like me, you need to stop fighting me on this.”
I sobered and put my junk away.
“I’m not good dating material,” I said.
“So you’ve said. Let me be the judge of that.”
We sat in companionable silence for a while, just resting against each other and enjoying the quiet. I’d never felt so comfortable with anyone, and it was scary. It was also something I wasn’t sure I could give up now that I’d experienced it. But maybe I could take a chance?
Eventually, Blaze stood. “I guess I should go. Tell Khan and Stephen thank you for me, will you?”
“Sure.” I walked him to the door on legs still weak from our activities.
“You working tomorrow night?” Blaze asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be there.” He pecked me on the lips and the next thing I knew, he was roaring down the street on his motorcycle.
“He gone?” Khan’s voice came from the darkness behind me. “What happened?”
“Looks like I’ve got myself a boyfriend,” I said, not sure if I wanted to laugh some more or start crying.
Khan let out an ear-piercing squeal and hugged me.