Owen gripped Chad’s face, looking directly into his eyes. “For fuck’s sake, Chad, you’re wanted. You’re wanted so badly I’m surprised you aren’t overflowing with it.”
Chad gripped Owen’s wrist. “Yeah? Who wants me, O?” His voice was a whisper.
Owen answered it with a whisper of his own, watching as Chad’s dark lashes blinked. “Me.”
And then, of course, a cell phone went off, loud and shrill in the quiet of the moment, jolting both of them where they sat on the couch, inches from each other, slicing like a knife through the conversation Owen didn’t think either of them was prepared for.
Chapter Eleven
Chad pulled out of Owen’s grip, cursing his phone for breaking up the moment and also thankful. Because that moment had been too much, too intense, and he needed to regain his bearings before he could continue it.
Which was why he didn’t ignore his phone and instead scrambled for it, knocking it to the floor before picking it up and answering it with a hasty, “Hello?”
“I need you here.”
Chad’s brain took a minute to catch up before he realized who was talking. “Brax?”
“Of course it’s fucking me.”
Chad blinked at the clock. “What do you mean you need me there? It’s noon.”
“You wanted extra hours, yes?”
“Yeah, but—”
“So I have extra work for you. Be here in ten and I’ll pay you time and a half.” And then he hung up.
Chad growled at his phone because while he liked the interruption, he didn’t feel like going in to work early. He dropped his cell onto the table with a clatter. “Uh, so that was my boss. I have to go into work.”
Owen didn’t answer, and Chad looked at him over his shoulder. Owen’s brows were furrowed. “You have to go in to work?”
“Yeah, you know, that thing I do? How I pay my bills?”
“I called out to spend the day with you, and you can’t tell your boss you can’t come in at a minute’s notice?”
True, but no, he couldn’t. Not now that he’d committed himself to a big fat tuition bill. “I’m not salaried. I get paid by the hour, and I need the damn money, okay?”
“But you’re a bartender, what do you have to do now?”
Chad shrugged. “Who knows, but he’s paying me time and a half.”
Owen didn’t look convinced. “Can’t you tell him—”
“I get that you think I just smile and make drinks, but it’s still a job, okay?”
Owen stared. “Why are you getting defensive?”
Why was his temper flaring? The fact he didn’t know only pissed him off more. “Just because I’m not some big, um, whatever you are at a magazine doesn’t mean my job doesn’t matter.”
Owen’s eyes narrowed as he stood up. “I never said that. You really have a habit of putting words in my mouth. Unless I tell you exactly what I think of you and your job, don’t assume, okay?”
“Fine,” Chad spat back. He knew he was being an asshole, but everything about the last twelve hours had left him raw. He didn’t have his armor of leather and sarcasm. “Look, I gotta get ready, so…”
“So I’ll be leaving.” Owen walked down the hallway to the bedroom.
Chad followed, feeling like a puppy with his tail between his legs. He opened his mouth to say something at the same time Owen turned around, with an accusing finger pointed at Chad’s chest. “You know what? No. No, I’m not leaving like this. Not after the night we had and the morning we spent in this apartment. I’m done getting into arguments with you that are utterly ridiculous.”
He wasn’t the only one. “I’m sorry, all right?” Chad leaned against the wall and tugged on his hair. “This morning was nice. And now I got this phone call, and the real world is back in my face, and I’m pissed about it, okay? I’m pissed.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his bare toes.
Another set of toes came into his sight line. Then a hand rested on the back of his neck. “Is that all?”
Chad shrugged, but it felt off. “And I guess I’m getting used to this. You. Us.” He gazed up at Owen from beneath his lashes. “Being wanted.”
Owen pressed forward and kissed him then. It wasn’t like any kiss they’d had before. Those kisses had been a little angry and a little prideful and a lot of lust.
This kiss was soft. And slow. And had no purpose, no goal, other than tasting each other, enjoying the feel of lips and skin and tongue and teeth.
By the time the kiss ended, Chad was breathless and Owen looked shocked, his glasses crooked on his nose.