More Than Words - Jerry Cole Page 0,17

little bit crazy?

Setting up the monitor, he synced the pictures and then rubbed his palms on his jeans. He had never been as primally attracted to another human being as much as he was to Jordan O’Leary. It frightened him a little bit, because he barely knew the man. Had he been so long without sex that he was having withdrawal symptoms or something? Because how else was he to explain the nightly jerk-off sessions that starred Jordan in increasingly graphic roles and that ended in breathtaking orgasms like he’d never had before by himself?

The doorbell rang, jerking him out of his increasingly anxious introspection. Now was not the time for nerves. This was a business meeting, despite Jordan having agreed to meet him in his home studio because it was closer to where he worked.

“Rain check on the studio visit?” he’d asked when they’d changed the venue, and Bennett had readily agreed.

He’d take any excuse to have Jordan visit him again anywhere. And the only reason he had a tray of snacks and some beer out now was that it might take a while for Jordan to decide on what he wanted. Passing a hand over his t-shirt, he opened the door with a practiced smile on his face.

“Hey, Jordan! Come in, please.”

Stepping aside, he let Jordan into his home, closing the door just as Claus, his regal Persian cat, trundled his way over. The furry feline was always trying to find ways to escape, but his Houdini antics were not met with much success these days because he was older and less inclined to the great energy spurt he would need to dart between someone’s legs to get out.

“What a beauty!” Jordan’s exclamation brought Bennett’s head round in time to see him crouching and extending his hand to the all-white cat. “Come here, you pretty thing, you! Come to Uncle Jay!”

Bennett’s heart lurched in his chest. Those words, given in invitation to his cat and suggesting a closer relationship than actually existed between them, were doing crazy things to his heart. Jordan loved cats. That gave him an immediate in where Bennett was concerned. But were those words just the cute kind that adults said to little kids when they wanted to play with them? Or had he just called himself “Uncle Jay” because he couldn’t say ‘Come to Papa’? And did he want to explore more with Bennett that would require him to get along with Claus?

“What’s her name?” Jordan asked, interrupting his thoughts again.

“Claus, as in Santa…he’s male. Because when I went to pick him up at the shelter when he was a year old, he was dressed in a ratty red sweater.”

Jordan chuckled, smoothing his fingers over Claus’s exposed belly. Bennett could hear the cat’s loud purrs even from where he stood by the door.

“Was it Christmas time?” he wanted to know next.

“What gave it away?” Bennett asked sardonically.

“Between the colors — his and the sweater — and the name you chose, it was pretty much a no-brainer.”

His teasing grin made Bennett’s smile widen. He loved men with a sense of humor, men who could relax around him enough to tease, men who liked animals. Jordan ticked all those boxes, and neither of them had even said a word about their dating preferences.

Because this isn’t a date, dude!

“Come through. If you let him, Claus will monopolize your time completely and you won’t get any work done.”

Jordan followed him into his studio where he had the table set up with the wide screened monitor that he used to show clients work.

“If you’d care for anything to munch on while you search,” he gestured to the cart on the other end of the table, “there’s an assortment of snacks under the food covers. And beer in the fridge.” He pointed to the mini fridge under the table.

“Thanks.” Jordan smiled at him. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast. I worked my way through lunch and didn’t have any free periods this afternoon.”

Bennett watched him help himself to some crackers, prosciutto, and cheese, as well as a bunch of grapes, and he went to get him a beer so he could start right away.

“Here you go.” He handed Jordan the can. “If you prefer real food, I have stuff I can heat up in the microwave.”

Jordan shook his head. “This is fine, thank you.”

“When you see one that you like, click on it and it’ll be checked automatically,” Bennett told him.

He set the slide show to run, pulled a beer