The moment he entered, he spotted Vik. He sat at a table near the door, his head down as he stared at his phone. Temple walked over to him. “Vik.”
Vik’s head jerked upright. “Temple.” He shot to his feet, taking a step toward Temple before stopping. He looked unsure of himself suddenly and Temple hated that he was the cause. He wanted to cup Vik’s face and kiss him so badly.
“Can we talk?” Temple asked.
Vik nodded quickly. “Yeah.”
Temple glanced around. “My place? It’s closer.”
When Vik agreed, Temple guided him out the door with a hand on his lower back. “I’ll drive us,” he told Vik. “I’ll bring you back to get your car when you’re ready.”
All through the short car ride, Vik didn’t speak. He sat with his hands in his lap, staring straight ahead. Temple had so much he wanted to say. He wanted to apologize for leaving Vik alone after what they’d shared, but he decided to wait until they were behind closed doors to air it out.
Once they got upstairs and Temple closed the door behind them, Vik spun toward him, his lips parted, but Temple held out a hand. He needed to get everything in his head out first.
“Demming was just here.”
Vik paled, his eyes going wide. He was familiar with the other freelancers. Henry had invited them all to dinner one Thanksgiving. Vik knew enough to know that Demming only showed his face when a new job was on the table.
“I worked with him and the others only once since Henry died. I couldn’t—It’s been too painful. But he showed up personally to offer a new job. He and the others—”
“I don’t care! Don’t do it. Please.” Vik closed the small gap between them quickly, grabbing Temple’s hand, holding it to his own chest. Over his heart. Temple stared at him, taking in the way Vik’s heart pounded.
“Vik—”
“No.” Vik shook his head. “I will always regret not telling Henry my thoughts on this. I’m telling you because I don’t want to make the same mistake; don’t leave. Don’t leave me.” His lips trembled. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Temple didn’t want to lose him either. But what were they doing? He eased his hand away from Vik’s hold, bringing it up to cup the back of his head. “You’re not going to lose me.”
Vik worried his bottom lip with his teeth. “Do you regret what we did? Because I don’t.” Vulnerability softened his eyes, made them brighter when he said, “I want you, Temple. Not because you remind me of Henry. This isn’t grief talking. This is me telling you that I want you because you make me feel things I didn’t think I still could.”
Fuck. It was as if he’d reached into Temple’s head and was reading his fears aloud, one by one.
Temple wanted to wrap his arms around him, soothe him. He wanted to strip him naked and fuck him on his hands and knees on that floor, put marks on his body so he’d never forget who did it to him.
Vik touched Temple’s jaw, stroking him. “In such a short time, you’ve made me feel seen and heard. Cared for. Protected.”
It was a tragedy that Vik didn’t get to feel that way all the time, but Temple wanted that. He was ready to sign up for that job full time.
“I want to do the same for you,” Vik continued softly.
No one—not ever—had spoken those words to him. Temple blinked the moisture from his eyes. “Vik.”
“Do you see him when you look at me?’
Temple shook his head. “No. And I’ve been beating myself up because I keep wondering what he would say. How he would feel if he were here.”
“But he’s not here, we are. We can focus on a dead man, walk away from each other, and be miserable—I would be miserable—or we can try this. Us.” He took the hand Temple had at his nape and linked their fingers, lowering their joined hands between their bodies. “I know he wouldn’t want us to be miserable.”
“No. He loved us too much,” Temple agreed hoarsely. And if Henry loved them, he’d want them to be happy. However they found that happiness. With whomever. He exhaled.
Vik smiled, looking so stunning, so happy in that moment, Temple had to kiss him. He lowered his head, brushing his lips to Vik’s, groaning when the other man opened for him with a whimper. Vik’s grip on his fingers tightened.
“I told Demming no,” he murmured against Vik’s lips. Later he would call Syren, who Temple didn’t doubt would have something already lined up for him. A job that was low risk and would ease Vik’s worry, but for now…
Now, Temple lifted Vik and carried him into the bedroom, placing him gently on the bed and stripping both of them quickly. The last time they’d done this, it’d been quicker, rougher.
It’d be different this time.
He made love to Vik, taking his time to worship him. By the time they were done, Vik would have no doubt how Temple felt about him. He kissed the other man from head to toe and everywhere in between. Biting, nipping. Vik’s breathy moans and hoarse cries were music to Temple’s ears, letting him know that Vik was with him every step of the way.
When he closed his mouth around Vik’s cock, the other man yanked on his hair, crying out his name while bucking up into his mouth. Temple gagged around him, but that was no deterrent. None at all. He broke away just long enough to retrieve the lube from the drawer in the nightstand then slid two slick fingers into Vik—one at a time—stretching him, loving the way he writhed and arched, legs opening wider and wider.
He tasted so sweet, Temple didn’t want to stop sucking on that dick. But he did once he deemed Vik stretched enough for him. He reversed their positions, lying on his back, staring up at Vik who rose above him with heavy-lidded eyes, lips red and swollen. He straddled Temple, maintaining eye contact as he lowered himself onto him, taking Temple inch by inch.
He felt like magic. And Temple couldn’t stop staring at that blissed-out anguish on Vik’s face as he welcomed Temple into his body. His moans reverberated, getting louder and louder with every inch of Temple he swallowed.
When Temple was all the way in, they both stilled. Vik gazed down at him, expression so tender, Temple couldn’t help but wonder how he even deserved to have Vik. But it didn’t matter. He had him and he would make sure Vik knew it went both ways.
He stroked a hand up Vik’s right thigh, smoothing it over his ass. Then he settled both hands on Vik’s hips, grunting when Vik rocked on him. Tentatively at first. Then with more confidence.
It was impossible to hold off his orgasm the way Vik rode him, ass so tight, muscles wrapped around him in that warm vise grip. Temple bit down on the inside of his cheek, eyes slamming shut as pressure built and built…
Until it burst and he was shouting Vik’s name and tasting blood. He roared out his release, heart thudding in his ears as their cries blended together. He remembered enough to pry his eyes open and reach between them, stroking Vik’s dick back to full hardness and bringing him to orgasm. Vik gave it to him with his mouth open, fingers digging into Temple’s chest.
When they’d wrung everything out of each other’s bodies, Vik collapsed onto him and Temple wrapped his arms around his sweat-slicked body, kissing his ear.