taste. God . He needed to stop thinking like this or he’d get hard again.
“I suppose… but I don’t want to put you in an awkward position. Just don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“It’s okay. We’ve got a safeword. If I yell ‘gibbon,’ you’ll know we’ve gone too far.”
Justin burst into a surprised snort of laughter. “Okay. Well, that will definitely get us noticed.”
Sean grinned, teeth gleaming in the flash of a car headlight from outside. “I think we’re there.”
The cab was pulling up outside the front of the hotel where the party was being held. Justin let go of Sean’s hand to pay the driver. Meanwhile, Sean got out and walked around to open Justin’s door.
“Thanks.” Justin took Sean’s proffered hand and climbed out of the taxi.
Sean laced their fingers together and squeezed. “We’ve got this.”
CHAPTER SIX
They’d aimed to arrive fashionably late, because Justin wanted to make an entrance. But when he saw how packed it was through the double doors that led into the function room, Justin wished they’d got there a little earlier.
Gripping Sean’s hand so tightly it was probably painful, Justin pasted a social smile on his face as they walked into the crowded room. His eyes scanned the people until they landed on the person he hoped was paying attention.
Andy was standing off to the side, deep in conversation. His dark head with its short, conservative cut turned towards the man beside him. Andy’s companion laughed at something he’d said. Justin gave him a quick once-over. A little taller than Justin, with brown hair and broad shoulders, he was cute, Justin supposed. The jealousy he’d been expecting was more of a flicker than a flare.
As though he could feel Justin looking at him, Andy’s new man looked up and met Justin’s gaze for a moment. Justin held his head high and drew Sean closer into his side. “There they are,” he muttered, still trying to smile and look relaxed. “Has Andy noticed us yet?”
Sean slipped an arm around his waist. “Yep. He just clocked you.”
Justin looked back at his ex. He caught the surprise on Andy’s face before his ex schooled his features into indifference. He gave Justin a curt nod, which Justin returned.
“He’s such a git,” Justin muttered. “Can’t even manage a smile for the bloke whose arse he used to plough. That’s just rude.”
Sean stiffened beside him and put a proprietary hand in the small of Justin’s back, steering him towards a table where there were trays of drinks laid out waiting. “Come on. I need some alcohol for this.”
“Beer goggles, huh? Charming. I’m not that ugly.”
“Not for that . For this whole situation. Being sociable with people I don’t know, dancing later…. You know I can’t dance unless I’ve had a few.”
Sean picked up two flute glasses of fizzy stuff and handed one to Justin. “Cheers, darling.” His eyes glinted as he grinned and clinked Justin’s glass with his own. “It’s a pleasure being your plus-one. But I’m not a cheap date, just so you know.”
“Do you put out?” Justin deadpanned.
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
That teasing glint in Sean’s eye was still there, and Justin had no clue what was going through his head. Was this all just a joke to him? Was Justin imagining the sexual tension that seemed to be hovering between them, getting thicker by the second? Maybe it was one-sided and Sean was immune.
Suddenly alcohol seemed like a great idea. It might switch off his brain for a while so he could chill and try to enjoy the party. Justin knocked back the stuff in his glass.
“Easy, tiger. I don’t think it’s supposed to be a shot,” Sean said.
“Whatever. There’s plenty more where that came from.” Justin took a quick look around to check nobody was paying attention and surreptitiously switched his empty glass for a full one.
“Well, if that’s the way it is….” Sean downed
“I suppose… but I don’t want to put you in an awkward position. Just don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“It’s okay. We’ve got a safeword. If I yell ‘gibbon,’ you’ll know we’ve gone too far.”
Justin burst into a surprised snort of laughter. “Okay. Well, that will definitely get us noticed.”
Sean grinned, teeth gleaming in the flash of a car headlight from outside. “I think we’re there.”
The cab was pulling up outside the front of the hotel where the party was being held. Justin let go of Sean’s hand to pay the driver. Meanwhile, Sean got out and walked around to open Justin’s door.
“Thanks.” Justin took Sean’s proffered hand and climbed out of the taxi.
Sean laced their fingers together and squeezed. “We’ve got this.”
CHAPTER SIX
They’d aimed to arrive fashionably late, because Justin wanted to make an entrance. But when he saw how packed it was through the double doors that led into the function room, Justin wished they’d got there a little earlier.
Gripping Sean’s hand so tightly it was probably painful, Justin pasted a social smile on his face as they walked into the crowded room. His eyes scanned the people until they landed on the person he hoped was paying attention.
Andy was standing off to the side, deep in conversation. His dark head with its short, conservative cut turned towards the man beside him. Andy’s companion laughed at something he’d said. Justin gave him a quick once-over. A little taller than Justin, with brown hair and broad shoulders, he was cute, Justin supposed. The jealousy he’d been expecting was more of a flicker than a flare.
As though he could feel Justin looking at him, Andy’s new man looked up and met Justin’s gaze for a moment. Justin held his head high and drew Sean closer into his side. “There they are,” he muttered, still trying to smile and look relaxed. “Has Andy noticed us yet?”
Sean slipped an arm around his waist. “Yep. He just clocked you.”
Justin looked back at his ex. He caught the surprise on Andy’s face before his ex schooled his features into indifference. He gave Justin a curt nod, which Justin returned.
“He’s such a git,” Justin muttered. “Can’t even manage a smile for the bloke whose arse he used to plough. That’s just rude.”
Sean stiffened beside him and put a proprietary hand in the small of Justin’s back, steering him towards a table where there were trays of drinks laid out waiting. “Come on. I need some alcohol for this.”
“Beer goggles, huh? Charming. I’m not that ugly.”
“Not for that . For this whole situation. Being sociable with people I don’t know, dancing later…. You know I can’t dance unless I’ve had a few.”
Sean picked up two flute glasses of fizzy stuff and handed one to Justin. “Cheers, darling.” His eyes glinted as he grinned and clinked Justin’s glass with his own. “It’s a pleasure being your plus-one. But I’m not a cheap date, just so you know.”
“Do you put out?” Justin deadpanned.
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
That teasing glint in Sean’s eye was still there, and Justin had no clue what was going through his head. Was this all just a joke to him? Was Justin imagining the sexual tension that seemed to be hovering between them, getting thicker by the second? Maybe it was one-sided and Sean was immune.
Suddenly alcohol seemed like a great idea. It might switch off his brain for a while so he could chill and try to enjoy the party. Justin knocked back the stuff in his glass.
“Easy, tiger. I don’t think it’s supposed to be a shot,” Sean said.
“Whatever. There’s plenty more where that came from.” Justin took a quick look around to check nobody was paying attention and surreptitiously switched his empty glass for a full one.
“Well, if that’s the way it is….” Sean downed
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