When the door shut behind us, the classic rock that was the soundtrack to my life filled the air, and Ryan stopped and looked back at me. The hallway was tight and the lighting pretty shit, but after the chaos and turmoil of the night, I finally felt like I was home.
I backed him up against the wall and, before he could say a word, crushed my lips down onto his. I wasn’t sure what kind of response I’d get after everything that had gone down, but when he grabbed my lapels and pulled me to him, I sank into every single feeling I’d been keeping bottled up inside me.
The fury, the passion, the frustration of the night—I poured it all into the kiss as I devoured his mouth.
Ryan moaned and slid a hand over my shoulder. I pushed my tongue between his lips, and when he sucked on it, my cock stiffened.
I ran a hand down to his thigh and hiked it up around my waist, then began to grind myself up against his tight body. I nipped at his lower lip and began to kiss my way up his jaw to his ear, and I could feel his hard-on rubbing up against mine.
The steady pounding of the music was in time to the throbbing of my dick. I was about two seconds away from pulling him into Jon’s back office when the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted my plans. Ryan tensed as I shut my eyes and counted back from ten.
When I finally had myself under some kind of control, I raised my head and spotted Jon. The fucker had his arms crossed and a smile the size of Texas on his smug lips.
“Date night?”
“Yeah,” I said. “We heard this place had a new dress code.”
Jon glanced down at his usual flannel and jeans. “No one told me about it. But with the rate you’re tearin’ each other’s clothes off, I figure I’ll score myself a jacket and pants in a few more minutes.”
“Shut the hell up,” I said.
“I don’t think we’ve officially met,” Jon said, holding his hand out. “Suspenders, am I right? I’m Jon.”
Ryan swallowed and pushed off the wall, and I had a feeling his cheeks were flaming red.
“Uh, yeah, that’s me. I’m Ryan.” He took Jon’s hand and shook. “I believe I have you to thank for that first night I was here?”
“Depends which part you’re thanking me for, the free drinks or making Jameson go save you.”
“Making him? Oh, I see how it is.” Ryan looked at me. “In that case, definitely the free drinks.”
I narrowed my eyes as Jon laughed and clapped me on the arm.
“Yeah, yeah, asshole.” I shook my head. “You gonna give us free drinks tonight, or you wanna maybe move so we can go buy some at your bar?”
“You’re gonna sit at my bar dressed like that?”
He had a point. GQ had attracted enough attention the first time he was here. The last thing I wanted was eyes on us tonight, especially when I’d just gotten out from under a microscope.
“Why don’t you go into my office? I have feeling that’s where you were headed anyway. What happened? You spend all your money at the opera and not have enough for a hotel room?”
“Jesus, Jon.”
“Hey, it’s a legit question. I can’t remember ever seeing you in a tux. I’m shocked you even own one.”
“I don’t, I rented it, and if you’re done being a total pain in the ass, I’ll take a bottle of your best bourbon.”
He looked between us and frowned. “A whole bottle?”
“It’s been a long night.”
Jon didn’t say anything, knowing me well enough that if I was reaching for the bottle, then something must’ve gone down. Instead, he moved to his office and shoved open the door.
As Ryan stepped inside, Jon offered his friendliest smile, but it always came off a little craggy and scary.
“If this guy gives you any trouble, you let me know, okay?”
Ryan nodded. “He won’t.”
“Uh huh.” Jon aimed a doubtful look at me, but I didn’t want to get into all of that. I was well aware someone like Ryan was way out of my league, but that was the last thing I needed to hear from Jon right now.
I went to step inside, but before I had a chance, Jon took hold of my arm. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Great, here we go. I could just imagine how this was going to go down. Jon pulled the office door shut, separating us from Ryan, and his smile dropped.
“You good?”
I should’ve known Jon would see through my act. He’d known me too long. Here I was showing up at his place looking for a hard drink and wearing a tux.
I ran a hand through my hair. “Why? Don’t I look good?”
“You look like someone I’ve never met before. So I’m gonna ask you again, you good?”
“Yeah.” I slipped my hands into my pockets, then sighed. “Was just reminded of where I do and don’t belong tonight. Nothing I didn’t already know.”
“Ah, okay. Now I’m starting to understand. Where were you tonight?”
“A charity event.”
“Oh. That’s better than what I was imagining.”
“You’d think, but I would’ve taken the fucking ballet or opera over this. Anything would’ve been better than what happened tonight.” When Jon just stared at me, I sighed. “It was Future’s Hope.”
“What was?”
“The charity they were all there donating to. It was Future’s Hope. Right there up on some damn movie screen. The kitchen I ate in, the room I fucking slept in. Where Simon—”
“Where Simon grew up. I know. I’m assuming no one there—including Ryan—knew you were in and out of there.”
“Well, he fucking does now.”
“Gotcha.”
I thought back to the way I’d blown up at the Peninsula and shook my head. “I kind of lost it on him.”
“Ryan?”
“Yeah. Between that and everyone asking a million questions about who I was and how the two of us met—it was too much. I didn’t belong there with them.”
“So you said.”
“You know I’m right. This is me. This bar. This side of town. Not the grand ballroom of the Peninsula.”
Jon shrugged. “Says who?”
“Says me, and every person there who clutched their fucking pearls when I told them I was from the South Side.”
“Well”—Jon looked to the shut office door—“he doesn’t seemed to have taken it too bad, and he’s the one that matters, right?”
I scrubbed my hands over my face. “It’s more complicated than that.”
“Is it?” Jon squeezed my shoulder. “Listen, you have this tendency to punish yourself for things out of your control, and you push people away, thinking that they’re going to feel the same. But that guy in there sure doesn’t look like someone who thinks badly of you. He looks like someone who thinks you’re pretty fucking great.”
“He deserves better than someone like me, Jon. He deserves the knight in shining armor. Not the poor street rat.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. Despite everything you went through as a kid, you pushed through it all and became someone I’m damn proud of.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, my emotions too raw, too close to the surface to hide.