“Sure. Can I get you something while I’m at the counter?”
“I think I’m still good. Anthony has a dog biscuit for Happy, though.”
“Your dog’s name is Happy? That is awesome.”
“It is. She’s a good girl.” He reached down, touched her ruff gently.
“She’s beautiful. I’ll be right back.”
He listened as Lucien ordered and paid and a moment later came back to sit with him again. His hand was taken, the oatmeal cookie given to him. “Here’s Happy’s cookie.”
“Thank you. Happy. Happy Girl, Anthony found you a cookie.” He fed it to her then looked back toward the counter. “Thanks, man!”
“No problem, Trey my man.”
“Trey? You mean your name isn’t really Guy Wilks?”
Trey could hear the teasing tone in Lucien’s voice and that eased his nerves more than anything else so far.
“Nope. I know, impossible to believe.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Trey. It suits you better than Guy anyway.”
“At least they’re both single syllables, huh? Thanks for coming out to my side of town.”
“I wanted to see you and it was no trouble, honestly.”
Trey didn’t know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything, he sipped his coffee and grinned.
Okay. This was going okay.
“I have to admit, when I came to the signing, I wasn’t expecting someone…”
“Blind?”
Lucien chuckled. “That too. I was going to say sexy.”
“Oh, you’re funny. Thank you, though.”
“Oh, I wasn’t joking.”
There was no way. None. Trey appreciated the compliment anyway.
“Do you mind if I touch you?” Lucien asked.
“I don’t guess so.” Trey didn’t think anyone had ever asked.
Lucien’s hand slid along his cheek. “Silky and smooth, like it looks.”
Trey’s cock jerked, filling almost painfully.
“Your cheek makes me want to know if your other cheeks are as lovely.”
What? Wait. Surely he’d misunderstood. “The other cheek’s the same.”
“I must need to work on my flirting. I imagine I rely too much on my eyes. It makes you a challenge.”
“You’re… Oh, you are something else. You have a blind guy kink?” Because that would suck, just to be some guy’s fetish.
“No, I have a sexy guy kink. I’ve never been with a blind man before. I could let you know if it’s a kink if we get together.” Lucien chuckled, the sound as amazing as the man’s voice was. “I hope I’m not being too pushy—I’m just used to going for what I want and I want you.”
“I don’t know what to say, man. I’m flattered.”
And completely unsure about how to deal with this.
“I would love for you to be more than flattered.”
“I don’t… I have to be honest, man. I’ve never dated a man who could see.”
“Why not? And where do you pick up gay men who are blind? Is there a bar for that? I’m only half joking, too.”
“I haven’t met many. And how did you know I was gay? And bars are loud.” Trey never went to any.
“My gaydar is pretty good and you didn’t smack me when I touched you.”
“Oh. That’s probably a sign. We blind gay boys usually just rub.”
“Just rub?” Lucien sounded confused.
“You know, rub in the hope that someone springs wood?”
“Ah.” Lucien chuckled again, the hand on Trey’s cheek dropping along his arm to his thigh. “And are you springing wood?”
“Absolutely not.”
God, yes.
“No?” Lucien sounded skeptical, his hand beginning to slide up Trey’s thigh.
“N…nope. Cool as a cucumber.”
Oh, no phallic sounding vegetables…
Lucien’s hand continued to inch along his thigh, toward his crotch with its raging hard-on.
“This is a bad idea.” Trey scooted back. He was pretty sure he was trying to convince himself.
“You aren’t interested in me at all?”
“I didn’t say that. You have a voice like pure sex.” He needed to shut up.
“Thank you. So can we get to know each other better, then?”
“Are you a serial killer?”
“Nope. I’m not. But if I was, I’d probably say the same thing.”
“Yeah.” God, how was this supposed to work? Did you trust a guy just because? Did you never trust him? This was partly why he only dated blind men. The other part had something to do with his parents’ accusations that he was only interested in men because he wanted someone to take care of him. That had made him fiercely independent.
“How about I tell you a bit about myself,” Lucien suggested. “Would that make you more comfortable?”
Trey nodded. He loved to learn about people. Loved it.
“I own a gym. I love reading—horror novels being my genre of choice, as you might have guessed. My mom and sister are care carrying PFLAG members. Speaking of members, I’m a member of the Dragonfire club as a Top.”
“What’s the Dragonfire club?”
A gym…oh, there could be a book there.
“It’s a BDSM club.” Straightforward, no dissemination.
“A BDSM… You’re serious?”
Okay, that could be fascinating.
“I am. It isn’t something I hide because it’s an important facet of my sex life and I consider not mentioning it akin to lying.”
“So, what? You beat people? Is it dangerous?” Trey wanted to know more. And maybe not just for research. Because he’d already read up on it without using it in any books, hadn’t he?
“No, no. Beating is a very small portion of BDSM. It’s about…it’s about control. It’s about power. It’s about pleasure and pain and focus.”
Trey’s cheeks were heating up, his body suddenly achingly tight, and he fumbled for his coffee cup.
“Oh…” Lucien touched his cheek. “You have an interest in it yourself? A passion for the lifestyle?”
“I. I don’t. I mean. Okay. We need to slow down. I’m going to spill my coffee.”
“We’re only talking.” Lucien took the cup from his fingers and put it down on the table, then grabbed hold of his hands and held them.
Trey pulled in a breath, then another, then a third, and he began to relax.
“There you go. We’re only talking,” Lucien said again, deep voice soothing and exciting at the same time.
“Sorry. Sorry, man. That was unexpected.”
“No, I think it was good,” countered Lucien. “I think we have some chemistry, a little symmetry between us.”
“You think?” Trey actually grinned, the urge to put his dark glasses on huge.
“I think we do big time.” Lucien’s hands still held his and it was like they were connected, electricity buzzing between them.
“I didn’t mean to short out, man. Sorry.”
“No apologies necessary.” Lucien touched his cheek again, stroking.
“You’re very tactile.” Trey wanted to feel so much.
“Well, you can’t see me, right? I have to communicate somehow.”
“Yes.” He nodded, rocking into the touch.
“Take me home, Trey. Let me give you what you need.”
“This is dangerous.” Frightening. Stupid. Erotic as fuck.
“Phone someone. Tell them you’re going to check in and they should call the cops if you don’t. Then give me your safe word and we’ll do this. I promise it’ll be worth it.”
“Let me see you. I need to look at you, first.”
Lucien took Trey’s hands and brought them to his face. “Like this?”
“Yes.” Trey scooted closer, focusing.
Broad nose and a high forehead, smooth skin, no wrinkles. Lucien’s eyelashes tickled his fingertips. He smiled, traced the full lips, the hint of stubble on the man’s throat. Lucien smiled as well, lips pulling up beneath his fingertips.
“You’re lovely.” His voice came out husky.
“Thank you.” Lucien’s deep voice made his balls ache.
God, Trey wanted this. He wanted to take a chance. He wanted Lucien.
Lucien raised his hand and kissed his palm, lips warm, breath blowing over his skin as the kiss ended.
“I want you,” Trey admitted.
“Tell me your safe word, beautiful.”
“Hammer.” His cheeks burned that he had one.
Lucien’s finger slid along his hot cheek. “Excellent. Now tell someone, arrange to check in at a specific time.”
Trey nodded, grabbed his phone and dialed Allison, his personal assistant.
“Boss? Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I— Look. I’m going to get together with Lucien. Can I check in with you later?”
“Sure, boss. What’s his last name?”
“Uh. Last name?”
“Boss. Seriously? You don’t even know his last name?”
“Sampson,” Lucien said quietly.
“Sampson. Lucien Sampson. Can I check in with you, please?”
“Of course you can. When are you checking in?”
“Is six a.m. too early?”
“No, that’s fine, boss. You don’t call me at six a.m. and I am coming over with the cavalry.”
“It’s a deal. Thanks, honey.”
“Play safe, boss.”
“I promise.”
“Okay, have a good time and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Night.”
She hung up and that was it, he’d made the call. He swallowed, so nervous, so turned on.
Lucien grabbed his hand again. “All right, Trey. Take me home.”
The man’s voice ramped everything up another notch.
“Okay.” He packed his laptop, and grabbed Happy’s harness. “Come on, girl.”
“Trey? You okay? You need help getting home?” Anthony called out.
God, he had good friends. “I’m okay. Lucien can help.”
“Have a good night, then.”
“Thank you for the coffee,” Lucien said to Anthony.
They went out and Lucien touched his hand again. “Would you like to take my arm?”
“Please. I live across the street and half way down the block.”
Lucien put his hand on the man’s arm. “The coffee shop is close to home, then.”
“It is. It’s a good place.” At the corner, he felt for the button to switch the light.
Lucien stayed his hand. “It’s already on.”
“Thank you.” He listened for the beep-beep of the light indicating it had changed and was safe for him to continue.
It came and they headed across the street, Happy a familiar presence at his side, Lucien an unfamiliar one. He counted his steps, the smell of rosemary at the gate familiar, leading him home.
“This is yours? It’s charming.”
“It is. Three-zero-six.” The gate creaked when he opened it, and the bells jingled, too.
“And you know you’ve got the right place because of the jingling bells. That’s neat.”
“I’m pretty sure, but it always is weird to walk up someone else’s sidewalk.” And embarrassing.
“Have you done that? Tried to put the key into someone else’s lock?”
“More than once.” He headed up the stairs, climbing the steps easily, and unlocked the door.
“Happy doesn’t know?” Lucien closed the door for him, locked it.
“She does, but her focus is on obstacles. There’s a set of steps not far along the road. She’s always watching those.” He pulled Happy’s harness off, checked her water and unlatched the doggie door.
“I can pet her now, yeah?” Lucien asked.
“Yeah. She loves ear scratches.”
“Cool. Hey, Happy. I’m Lucien.”
He heard her panting and whining happily and knew Lucien had to be loving on her. Crazy pup. Trey adored her.
“She’s a lovely dog, man. Of course, I’m more interested in her owner.”
“Would you like a drink? I have coffee, water, milk, soda.”
“We just had coffee… I’d rather have you.”
Lucien’s touch slid along his arm.
“Oh.” He turned to face his soon-to-be lover. God, he never did this. Suddenly, he didn’t know why.
Lucien’s hand kept moving, cupped his cheek and tilted his head. Then those wide, warm lips he’d felt covered his. He opened up, moaned, sliding his tongue along Lucien’s in a lazy greeting. The kiss became deeper, Lucien’s tongue staying with his a moment before slipping in to sweep through his mouth.
Trey reached up, curled his hands over Lucien’s shoulders. Oh, broad. Strong. Lucien wrapped around him as well, using those big hands to grab his ass and pull him close. Lucien was hard for him, the ridge of the man’s cock thick, firm.
Lucien moved and pushed him against the wall. Their bodies pressed together. Trey’s need ached, his hips arching toward Lucien’s. He wanted.
“Bedroom?” Lucien asked, picking him right up off the floor.
“In the back. There’s a bed.” Oh, that was bright.
Lucien didn’t seem put off by his sudden stupidity. They headed in what had to be the right direction, Lucien encouraging him to slide his legs around the strong hips. He rubbed, needing friction, pressure.