Where We Left Off - Romeo Alexander Page 0,33
at me like he does you, I wouldn’t want him to stay a friend for very long.”
Nathaniel didn’t know what to say to that, so he allowed the conversation to lapse into silence. She eventually handed him the room key, wishing them both a pleasant night and turned back to whatever she had been doing before they’d walked in.
Nathaniel stared down at the card in his hand and spared a thought for what was about to happen. Oh sure, once upon a time, he and Tyler had almost headed down this same road before. But it had been years, and they had only just reconnected. Was it really such a good idea to reignite the very same thing that had sent Nathaniel's life into a tailspin? The very same thing that had his father watching him like a hawk, waiting for him to inevitably screw up and make his life even worse?
Before the rabbit hole of dark thought could go any deeper, he heard the double doors of the lobby open. He turned to see Tyler stride in, dressed plainly, but the confidence he strode in with would have fit in any of his father’s various cocktail parties and business meetings. And when he spotted Nathaniel standing awkwardly near the elevator, his face lit up, and he remembered the receptionist’s words with stunning clarity.
Tyler cocked his head when he reached him. “What?”
Nathaniel shook his head. “Nothing, just thinking.”
Tyler chuckled, the plastic bag around his wrist crinkling as he moved. “Dangerous.”
“Maybe,” Nathaniel agreed. “We’re on the second floor.”
Tyler leaned forward, into Nathaniel’s space, as he pressed the call button. “Second floor it is.”
A chime announced the arrival of the elevator and they slipped into it, pressing the button for the second floor. Tyler stood on one side of the car, while Nathaniel stood on the other, both watching each other.
As the doors closed, Tyler cocked his head. “So, I guess I’m going to get the answer to my question.”
“Which one was that?” Nathaniel asked.
“Whether you’re still fond of wearing those jockstraps while working out,” Tyler all but purred.
Nathaniel cleared his throat as the car lifted, taking them up to the second floor. “You certainly have grown...more bold since the last time I knew you.”
Tyler looked down at himself. “What, too big for you?”
Nathaniel chuckled, feeling his face warm again. “Oh, no. Big looks good on you. I was referring more to your newfound attitude.”
“I think it was always there. But it’s a bit like the training that Elliot and Clay gave me. I just had to get comfortable,” Tyler said, eyes boring into Nathaniel.
The car slid to a stop, doors opening. “Don’t mistake me. I’m not disapproving.”
“Good,” Tyler said, pushing away from the wall and stepping into the hall.
Nathaniel followed after him, watching Tyler from behind as they walked down the hallway. He still wasn’t sure if he had just never noticed the broad and confident gait that Tyler had before or if the man was actually strutting as they approached the door. Much like his comment about Tyler’s size, though, Nathaniel wasn’t going to complain about what he was seeing.
Pressing the keycard to the lock, Tyler pushed into the room, flipping the light on as they went. Two beds, unnecessary in Nathaniel’s mind, sat against the right wall, opposite the desk where a TV sat on the wall above it. Light streamed in through the window at the back of the room, drowned out as Tyler turned on the main room’s light.
“Nothing fancy,” Tyler told him.
Nathaniel chuckled as he stepped past him. “As if I need something fancy. Tonight is just for us, I don’t need anything else.”
Considering what happened on the beach, he shouldn’t have been surprised when he felt Tyler’s hands on him again. Yet he still gave a soft yelp as he was turned around and pressed against the desk. Tyler’s green eyes burned down into his own as he pressed close, kissing Nathaniel before he could think of what to say.
A small gasp escaped his throat as he had no choice but to sit on the edge of the desk. One of Tyler’s hands stroked down his neck, over his chest, and settled on his hip. For his part, Nathaniel was just as eager to run his hands over Tyler, taking in the bulk of his chest, the solidness of his stomach and with only a moment’s hesitation, the growing bulge at the front of his shorts.
“Oh,” Nathaniel managed as he felt the length against his