Lonely Hearts by Heidi Cullinan Read Free Book Online Page B

their clothes in the car, laughed at the futility, then lit up cigarettes and sauntered to the marina. Once there they went their separate ways, but Baz kept his gaze on Elijah.
    He should be relieved. This was the part that made him crazy, the moment when a guy wanted more and Baz knew he couldn’t do it. It was refreshing to have somebody on board with him for a change. Elijah was right, they were Sid and Nancy all the way. Terrible idea. Sure, they could fuck occasionally. They’d had a fun night together, bled off some raw from a rough day. End scene.
    Except Baz couldn’t stop thinking about him. It wasn’t simply the sex, either. And of course he wanted to explore finding out if Elijah was as enthusiastic a top as he was a bottom. But it was more that he wanted…well, more. More banter. More side eye. More of Elijah regarding him warily, like he didn’t trust Baz at all. Getting all intense and up in Baz’s face.
    Looking hungry. Aching. Wearing the expression on his face matching the feelings Baz concealed inside.
    Baz tried to push Elijah out of his head, or at least into the quiet obsession he’d been previously, but he wouldn’t go. That made sense when they were still at the reception. It made no sense when he was at the hotel with Marius.
    Okay, a lot of it was Baz couldn’t stop wondering if Elijah had gotten out of the reception in one piece—Baz hadn’t seen him leave. Giles and Aaron were watching him, right?
    He could check. Aaron was rooming with Elijah.
    Marius watched Baz pull out his phone as they entered the elevator. “Everything okay?”
    â€œJust checking on something.” He tapped open Aaron’s contact information.
    â€œIf the something is Elijah, he left with Aaron and Giles twenty minutes ago.”
    Baz paused, registering the censure in Marius’s tone, but he still tapped out the text. Hey, Aaron. Elijah make it to your room okay?
    He let out a breath when the reply appeared on his screen. Yes. He’s already asleep.
    K thx. Baz clicked his phone into sleep mode and tucked it into his pocket. He ignored Marius giving him a look and continued toward their room with all the confidence in the world that Marius, the world’s biggest mother hen, would launch into Baz in his own time.
    Actually, he acknowledged as he opened the door with his keycard, Damien was more hen, the one to get in Baz’s face about stupid decisions. Marius did more silent judging. He did his shepherding around the edges. What was weird, though, was neither one of them had lit into him once he’d come to the reception after fucking Elijah. Damien had raised an eyebrow, and Marius was decidedly full of glances with heavy meaning, but nobody had sat him in a chair and said, “Hey, what the hell were you doing with Elijah Prince?”
    He wasn’t sure what it meant that they hadn’t.
    Frowning, he stripped out of his clothes and into a pair of boxers. He was tugging the waistband into place as he caught a glance of Marius sprawled on his bed, hands behind his head, an enigmatic expression on his face.
    Baz sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. Fine. Say what you’ve got to say, and stop making me crazy.”
    â€œGet yourself ready for bed first. I got your light out already.”
    Baz glanced around the room, and sure enough, his portable lamp sat on the desk beside Marius’s overnight bag. It was tricked out with a special red bulb which, while not exactly a standard treatment for photophobic vision, helped Baz. The red light made his life look like hell’s boudoir or old-time-photography darkroom, but it meant he could take off his goddamned glasses and remove his contacts without the wrong flash of light giving him a five-hour migraine.
    â€œThanks.” He saluted Marius and went to the bathroom.
    Getting ready for bed was more than brushing his teeth and maybe scrubbing stray jizz from his face. To