Secret Cravings(9)

“I can’t. I’d balloon up if I ate that.”

“You look great. Actually, you could probably gain a lot of weight and still look great.”

Luke blushed. “So you’re saying I’d look great no matter what?”

“Yep, you really are beautiful.” Oh, crap, he couldn’t believe that he’d said that. What had he been thinking? He didn’t want this guy to know how he really felt. He didn’t even know how he felt.

“You really don’t know who I am, do you?”

Bryan stared at Luke but had no idea what he was talking about. “Sorry, should I?”

Luke looked around the coffeehouse, but no one was paying any attention to him and Bryan. This was New York, and greater celebrities than Luke lived nearby. “No, I am hungry, though. Maybe an apple and a banana. Let me go see what they have.”

“No, sit down. I’m buying.” Bryan bought Luke a banana and an apple. “Here you go. You sure that will be enough?”

“I’ll eat some egg whites or chicken when I go upstairs. So, how come you’re over here? It’s early. You don’t work over here, do you?” Luke asked.

Bryan ducked his head. How to explain everything? The guy was beyond beautiful, and nice too. His gaze was intense and filled with intelligence. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, you know,” Luke challenged him.

Bryan’s gaze shot up. His eyes locked on to the banana that Luke was consuming and lust fired deep in his loins. He wanted to be that banana. Luke caught on quickly, his smile stretching from ear to ear.

“Come up to my place,” Luke said.

Bryan shook his head. “I can’t. I’m not like that.”

“Like what?”

Bryan glanced around, making sure no one was listening to their conversation. “I can’t just have sex with you. I don’t jump into the sack with—”

“Guys?”

“Anyone. I don’t screw around. I like to get to know the person first. And I’ve never… You know.”

“Been with a guy?”

Heat flamed across his face. “I’ve been… I’ve given… Hell, this is—”

“Don’t say hard.” Luke laughed.

Bryan thought he must look like a little kid, being so embarrassed by Luke’s words. But it was true—he wanted to be with this guy. He wished he didn’t have a conscience and could just take the elevator upstairs and sleep with Luke, to taste what he had to offer and be happy about it.

“I’d like to see you again,” Bryan said. The surprise on Luke’s face was quickly replaced with a mask of indifference, but Bryan had seen it.

“Tonight?”

Bryan picked up his coffee cup, trying to hide his excitement at the idea of seeing the other man so soon. “We could meet somewhere for dinner. I’m finished at about six.”

“Where?” Luke leaned in close. Their arms touched and he jumped back.

Bryan felt the connection too. He wanted to feel it again. Maybe it was a mistake to hang out with this dude when he was so attracted to him.

“How about Frankie’s? Little Italian place a few blocks from here?” Bryan asked.

“Um, not pasta.”

Bryan hoped this guy wasn’t too into dieting. He didn’t look anorexic, but you could never tell. “Why don’t you pick?”

“There’s a chicken place a few blocks away. Meet me in the lobby of my building and we can go from there.”

Anticipation wound through Bryan. Getting excited about a date with a guy felt strange, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Luke. His dreams had been filled with images of the man and what he wanted to do to him, but first, they needed to get to know each other better.



* * * *



Nichole pulled her phone from her pocket and stared at the display. She should call Bryan. He was nice, sweet and special, but what if he turned out to be a jerk like the rest of them? She had started to time her walks with Joey so she wouldn’t run into Bryan, but today she was running late because she’d stopped to grab a cup of coffee. Not that she’d needed the extra caffeine.

She jumped off the train and made her way to the surface, not wasting any time checking out the people. Joey would be waiting, probably rather impatiently. She’d pick up three other dogs at this stop and would walk them for forty-five minutes. Then she would be off to a set of new assignments uptown.

The morning had been difficult. A Maltese had bitten another dog. It had been so totally unlike the sweet little girl dog, but the owners of both dogs had had to be notified, and it hadn’t gone well. She would have to make another adjustment to her schedule.