Dante - Daryl Banner Page 0,41

to move out of their place someday to start my life. And also … well, you’ve got so much space here …”

As if answering him, that one word “space” seems to echo into every corner of my apartment.

“I’m not asking to move in,” he clarifies. “Even if that’s … sort of what I’m doing.” He blushes, then rushes into his point: “Dante, we need to take this to the next level.”

And just like that, he’s switched my heart right back on.

He’s got a way of doing that.

“This …?” I wag a finger between his chest and mine, eyebrows lifted. “You and me …? To the next level?”

“Yeah. Us.”

“Us … in what way?”

A knowing look crosses his face. His lips curl. “Professionally. Sexually. Creatively … whatever it is we’ve got going on between us. Yes. We need to take … this … to the next level.”

A grin breaks over my face. “Then let’s take it to the next level, boy.”

“Is that a ‘yes’? Are you saying ‘yes’? I need you to be clear about it,” he then insists, his eyes turning hard. “You know how I am.”

Oh, I know how he is. I know what he wants. I am quickly realizing that I’m the exact thing I wish I had when I was his age.

Maybe we’re not so different after all.

I take him by the waist and pull him against my body. “Yes,” I say, then put a firm kiss right on his soft, inviting lips. “Yes,” I repeat between kisses, laying them all over. “Yes, yes, fuckin’ yes.”

“I think I’m in the mood to try out some of my new … inspirations,” he breathes against my lips.

I grin. “Let’s get to work, then.” And joined by my muse with the sparkling blue eyes and wisdom beyond his years, we head to the studio, ready to continue this dream I thought was a word away from falling through my fingers. Now, I’m just as certain it’s here to stay, to grow, to thrive.

[ EPILOGUE ]

Zak hops briskly down the stairs of Piazza Place in his simple gray hoodie. He’s got a long night’s shift of dancing to look forward to at Aubergines, but before heading out, he figures he ought to drop off his rent early, since it’s the end of the month. He heads down to the door of Dante’s basement apartment and gives it a knock.

ZAK

Dante doesn’t answer his door right away.

I’m guessing he’s in the middle of a shoot. I probably should have called; I know how annoyed I get when I’m interrupted in the middle of a cam show in my apartment.

My phone buzzes with a message: Hey it’s Mack. Can I take your shift tonight? I need the $$$ and Larry is fucking with my hours.

Larry and Mack aren’t on great terms. I know exactly why Mack’s hours have been cut.

But that isn’t a skirmish I wanna get myself caught in. I text him back: Sorry man, I can’t change the schedule, you know how Larry gets.

I knock on Dante’s door again.

Mack replies: Dude I’d do it for you. C’mon. Larry will forgive you for giving me your shift. He hates me. Can’t you call in sick and suggest me?

I lean against the wall, pensively pursing my lips, as I consider it, then respond with: Ask Larry. Tell him you’ll do green room clean-up before closing.

His reply is lightning fast: I fucking hate green room clean-up!

I chuckle to myself. This guy has no concept of tit-for-tat. I type back: You want the shift or not? Then I knock on Dante’s door a third time.

After a lot of apparent typing and erasing and typing again, he finally replies: Alright, I’ll do it.

Good—I reply—Let me know if he takes the bait.

I lift my hand up again.

The door swings open. Dante stands before me in all his muscular glory, wearing nothing but a red and gold leather harness across his chest, two red cuffs on his wrists, a black-and-red leather thong, and two fat leather boots that could crush stone.

I lift my eyebrows. “Interrupted something?”

“Nah, just another Saturday,” teases Dante with a smirk. “C’mon in.”

“Oh.” I lift the envelope of cash. “I was just dropping off my—”

“C’mon in,” Dante repeats from inside, where he rounds the corner of the front entryway, going out of sight.

I enter his apartment, which I’ve only stepped foot in twice before. I take in the spaciousness of his place, surprised at how huge it is. Though, to be fair, it’s basically the combined size