Drawing Closer by Jane Davitt Read Free Book Online Page A

heroic--" Gray felt the blood rise in his face. "Did he tell you what I said?" he demanded, remembering the fingers stroking his back and shuddering at the thought of
    the two of them laughing at him. "Look, it was a fucking joke, okay? And I'd have cut down the
    fucking roses for her anyway."
    "Roses?" The man looked puzzled. "Are we out of legend and into fairy tales now?"
    "Is that supposed to be funny?" Gray snarled. "Sorry, but I'm not laughing here."
    "So touchy. Why?" Enlightenment flashed across his face. "Oh, God, no, lad. I didn't mean --
    well, of course I didn't. Your talk of roses made me recall a rather lovely illustrated copy of the
    Sleeping Beauty story, complete with the requisite thicket of briars for the hero to slash at,
    sword in hand. Or, from what you say, pruning shears? Far more practical."
    "Practical. Right." Gray sighed, giving up on getting a grip on the conversation. "Look, are we done here? Because in case you didn't notice, I was heading for the door marked 'out'."
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    "Alone?"
    The word caught him and held him in place.
    "Yeah. Alone. Don't have much choice about that, do I?"
    The man's eyes were watchful now. "Fell out with your boyfriend? That was fast."
    "Do you ever make a single fucking bit of sense?" Gray shook his head as realization dawned.
    "No. No way. Carl. You mean Carl."
    "Tall, blond, wearing you like a scarf?"
    "Friend since fucking ever , straight, and here to hold my hand because I threw up three times today I was so fucking nervous?" Gray sneered into that blank, wary face. "That Carl?"
    "That would probably be the one." The man nodded and held out his hand. Gray stared at it and
    he sighed and let it drop. "Drew Miller. Dealer in antiquarian books, known Charles for, hmm, six
    years or so, and let's just say I have more in common with Carl than you when it comes to whom
    I bed." He smiled. "Nice to meet you, Gray. Now if you'll excuse me, Charles is waiting in the car, about to take me somewhere to celebrate his birthday, if he knows what's good for him. He
    wasn't in the best of moods, but who knows? That might change."
    "It's his birthday?"
    "Does that matter?"
    "Not to me." Gray smiled savagely. "But if he didn't like being nine years older than me, I don't suppose he's wild about it jumping to ten."
    "Now we both know that makes no sense," Drew said gently. "So let's not give it another
    thought, shall we?"
    "Tell him--"
    "Do I look like Cupid?" Drew enquired, twisting to peer at his back. "No, no wings. I thought not. Tell him yourself."
    "What car?"
    "My rental. Silver sedan parked outside that revolting health food shop. Did I mention that I'm
    here from New York for the night? And not stopping with Charles because his damn cat makes
    me sneeze?"
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    "Right."
    Gray slammed his hand against the door, forcing it open and flinging it back. Drew was walking,
    but he was running, feeling the sidewalk smack against his shoes and jar his body with every
    step.
    By the time he reached the car his breath was stuttering in his throat, hot and dry, but it didn't
    matter. He yanked the car door open and leaned in, kissing Charles in what felt like one
    continuous movement, all of it, coming to a halt only when their lips met. He kept it at a brief,
    hard kiss because otherwise he'd have been moaning into it, melted and dizzy, and pulled back.
    "Not my boyfriend, any more than Drew's yours," he said. "Happy fucking birthday, you
    stubborn asshole."
    Charles stared at him for the longest moment and Gray licked at his lips, wanting to capture the
    taste of Charles while he could, waiting, because damn it, he couldn't say any more than that.
    "Thank you," Charles said finally. "I--"
    The driver's door opened and Drew got in. "Oh, be off with you, Charles. I'll find a fast-food
    drive-thru and go to sleep belching and cursing your name."
    "There's no need for that." Charles reached out and grabbed at Gray. "No. Don't go. Not yet." He looked dazed