Melting - Sean Ashcroft Page 0,20

from Seth. I wanted to tell them. I was bursting to tell someone that Hayden kissed me and I wasn’t sure where it was going before we’d been interrupted, but I wished it’d gone where it looked like it was going.

Because I did wish that. Seeing him today, when he’d finally relaxed, sealed that for me.

I wanted to have sex with Hayden Lewis.

Even if he was the boss’s son. Even if it was a terrible idea.

I hadn’t been this ridiculously turned on by a single person in so long I’d forgotten what it felt like.

But I couldn’t tell them, because it was Hayden’s secret as much as it was mine. If I swore them to secrecy I knew they’d keep quiet, but I’d still feel guilty.

“Okay, so, profile text,” I said as Hayden slid back into the booth we were occupying. Andre was a strong believer in eating before you went out, and I wasn’t about to argue with that.

“We’ve unanimously decided that you’re hot,” Seth said, grinning as Hayden went pink all the way to his hairline.

He was cute, too. In addition to being hot.

I actually wanted to wake up next to him and smile sleepily and ruffle his bed hair.

Which was intense, for me. I usually didn’t think far past the sex part.

“You know, if he can survive us, he can survive anything. Right, Wes?” Andre asked.

I was still thinking about profile text.

“Right,” I said absentmindedly.

“Tell them he’s on vacation,” Seth said. “No strings attached, no complicated emotional bullshit.”

“You love complicated emotional bullshit,” Andre pointed out.

“I’ve picked my complicated emotional bullshit man,” Seth said, pausing to sip his drink. “Don’t do it. Love’s a trap. I keep imagining this disgustingly cute future with him and I hate myself for it.”

I snorted, but a glance showed me that both Andre and Hayden had felt that hard.

They’d been imagining futures, too.

I never had. I guessed it hurt, but I had no idea exactly how.

“Yeah, but you’ve got the disgustingly cute future,” Andre said. “You’re living it. He loves you so much.”

“I know,” Seth said. “It’s terrifying.”

Well, at least he’d reached the point of accepting it. That had to be good.

From the outside, Seth and Mark looked like a strange couple, but the two of them were perfect for each other. Anyone who said anything about it would just have to deal with me.

I looked down at the phone again, trying to come up with something clever. I’d promised Hayden I’d help, and I wanted to do an honest job.

Even if I was starting to hate the idea of him going home with someone else.

“Okay, so…”

“Certified Fuckable,” Seth said. “TM Emoji.”

Certified FuckableTM.

“Isn’t that a little, umm…” Hayden rubbed the back of his neck.

“Confidence is sexy,” Seth argued. “And besides, I get to hand out certifications. Local twink approved. On vacation, great in bed.”

Certified FuckableTM. Local twink approved. On vacation, great in bed.

Seth peered over my shoulder, making a tiny sound of approval as he read what I’d typed.

“New screenname?” I asked.

Hayden wouldn’t quite cut it.

“Mr. Fuckable,” Seth announced. “You can trust me, I’m in marketing. I know how to sell anything.”

Andre snorted, but didn’t say anything.

I typed it in, but I wasn’t about to share it with the world without Hayden’s approval. He was already halfway through his fourth glass of water and still a little pink.

“Are you okay with this?” I asked, passing him the phone.

He looked straight at me, silver eyes glinting in the low light of the booth.

“I trust you,” he said.

I got the feeling that was an honor as I passed his phone back. Hayden didn’t seem like the kind of man who was quick to trust—and after his cheating asshole boyfriend, why would he be?

“Can we eat now?” Andre asked. “Since one of us is definitely getting laid.”

“Two,” Seth said. “I’ve been promised a spanking if I’m not home by ten.”

“It’s nine-thirty,” I pointed out.

“Exactly.”

“Wes!” a voice called over the noise of the club as we stood in the short line out front—they were careful about checking IDs this time of year, with so many people on vacation.

Oh shit. Goldie.

Oh no. He was one of the goddamn bouncers. He must’ve just moved here.

Crap. How could I forget taking a bouncer home?

That did explain the muscles.

As he walked away from what he was doing and left the other guy to handle it, my stomach dropped.

Beside me, a nervously-fidgeting Hayden went still.

Great. What was he going to think of me if it came out that I didn’t know