Dance With Destiny Read online

  When I reach into my pocket for the lighter, I pull out the keycard Kennedy slyly passed to me while we were dancing. The front of it has a room number and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out whose name the room is registered under.

  “Hey, baby.” Turning my attention away from the room key I’ve been passing through my fingers for the past minute, I give Kennedy the slightest hint of a smile. She means well, but I’m fairly certain she didn’t ask Dominic for his room key, which means I’d technically be breaking and entering if I use it.

  Do I want him bad enough to commit a felony? Fuck yes, I do.

  “Hey, yourself. Thanks for this, I think.” I flash her the key before stuffing it into the inside pocket of my tux jacket. Kennedy leans into my side, resting her head on my shoulder.

  “You deserve to be happy, Tony. I refuse to believe that the fates brought Dominic into your life without a damn good reason. Now, you just have to figure out how bad you want to learn that reason.”

  Kennedy’s shivering, so I slide out of my coat and drape it over her shoulders. When she says shit like that, it almost makes me believe that fate, destiny, whatever the fuck you call it is more than some make believe shit.

  “I think I made my wishes pretty fucking clear, Kennedy. Now, it’s on him.” And rather than talk to me about what we’re both feeling, he took off. Again.

  “What would you say to him if he was standing here right now?” Kennedy asks, standing so she’s towering over where I’m crouched against the side of the building.

  “I’d tell him I’m done playing games. That I know he wants me almost as much as I want him and it’s bullshit for him to find stupid reasons to get pissed off at me and run away.” The longer I speak to my best friend, the more my resolve fortifies. “I’d fucking tell him that I don’t give a shit if it’s a day, a week, or a fucking lifetime. There’s something about him that I want to get to fucking know.”

  “Then I think you know what you need to do.” Kennedy stands, winking as she holds out her hand to me. “Come on, I’m suddenly not feeling very well.” She tosses her hand over her forehead like an old Hollywood actress about to faint, and we both laugh until the moment we walk through the front doors to the hotel. Then, it’s all seriousness and acting as we make our way around the room saying goodbye to everyone.

  Kennedy sneaks out the side door and into a waiting cab. I watch until her taxi rounds the corner and head back inside. To avoid the risk of seeing anyone from our group, I take the stairs to the fifth floor before braving the elevator to the twelfth floor.

  The party is still going strong after midnight. I’ve been trying to catch up to Tony, but he’s been conspicuously absent since shortly after our moment on the dance floor. Had it been up to me, I would have shown him how much I’ve been thinking about him since Thursday night, right in front of his parents, Andrew’s parents, and everyone else. Something about the younger man calls to me and makes me want to tell the world that he’s mine. But he’s not and never will be.

  A few years ago, I would have given up everything for the chance of more than a one-night stand or occasional hook-up. Back then, I was restless and would have done something foolish just to have a change in my life. Now, I have a thriving company on the other side of the country and there’s no way I can give that up, even for a man I’m certain could bring me to my knees with one simple look. I’m on track to meet all of my goals when it comes to this particular dream, which is why I haven’t bothered wasting any time trying to find someone to warm my bed at night.

  Keep telling yourself that, buddy. Maybe you’ll start to believe it at some point. You hate Phoenix.

  Knowing that he’s still hiding at the back of the closet when it comes to his family, I was taken aback by the way he pulled my body against his while we were dancing. Even when it became painfully apparent that he was trying to make our pairing as comical as possible to avoid raising suspicions, I thought about what I wanted to say to him after the dance was done. And then there was the moment with the almost-kiss. Thank God for Kennedy because had it not been for her paying attention to the fire crackling between us, I would have covered his mouth with mine and made apologies afterward. Bye, bye closet! That’s why I had to get some fresh air as soon as he released me. I didn’t think I was gone all that long, but apparently it was long enough that Tony left the room.

  “Hey, man. I’m going to call it a night,” I tell Andrew when I see him not talking to friends and family for once. “We’ll have to see about getting together this week after everything settles down. I’m here until Tuesday morning and then I’m heading upstate to see my Dad for Christmas.”

  “Sounds good. Sorry I didn’t have more time to talk tonight,” he apologizes. It’s unnecessary since I’ve seen the way he’s been pulled this way and that, never having a minute to breathe, much less spend any quality time with people of his choosing. We shake hands and I give Cara a kiss goodnight before making my way to the lobby.

  I loosen my tie as the elevator climbs, thankful today is finally over. I love Andrew and wouldn’t have missed his wedding for anything, but it’s taken a toll on me in many ways. Every time I’m around the Rossi family, I’m reminded of what I lost with my father when I came out. He didn’t go so far as to disown me or anything like that, but he’s spent the past eleven years pushing for me to rethink my choices. As if I’d go out of my way to choose to be attracted to men, knowing that it’d lead to a lifetime of judgment or hiding what I feel for others. Luckily, Mama Rossi has been there for me since the first time I came home from a visit with my dad, promising me that she would love me like a mother until the day she dies.

  And then, there’s the whole Tony debacle. I feel like a schlump for the way I acted Thursday night. As Dahlia and Kennedy sat there telling me about Tony and how his sister is the only person in his family who knows the truth, I could feel my entire face growing redder, to the point my ears felt like they were burning.

  My reaction to hearing Tony make plans for Kennedy to pick him up and telling her that he loved her was a huge red flag in my mind, telling me that I wanted something I could never have. I’ve never reacted that way to a hook-up making plans with someone else. Rather than embrace the fact that Tony made me feel something for the first time in years, I grew jealous and bitter over his relationship with someone else. That wound festered to the point I thought I was going to be physically ill when I first saw him this morning. Getting the full story from Kennedy makes me feel better, but now I feel like a whiny kid stomping off because I didn’t get the toy I wanted to play with.

  My grandmother used to tell me that you can’t regret a single moment of your life because each minute that passes by leads to the next great thing. According to her, regretting or wishing away the not-so-great moments would alter the fabric of time and you may never find your true happiness. She may have been an old woman, but I’m certain she would have been an advocate for me. She would have been the first member of my family to truly accept every part of me, but she died before I found the courage to be honest with myself and my family.

  The elevator doors open and my shoe slips on something on the ground. I look down and see a condom packet lying on the carpet. Shaking my head, I pick up the still sealed package and go to toss it into the garbage can when I see a small handwritten note on the foil.

  Be safe. ~Ken

  At least someone’s going to have a good time tonight. Or so Ken seems to think. Rather than pitching the rubber, I toss it unceremoniously on the table across from the elevators and turn to my room in case Ken’s friend realizes that he dropped something. Hopefully sleep comes easier tonight than the past two nights. It’s unlikely, now that I have the renewed, vivid memory of Tony’s body pressed against mine.

  Something feels off as I walk to my room at the end of the hallway. I’m about to head back downstairs to try one last time to find Tony when I hear a television playing in my hotel room. I haven’t used the television since Thursday
night when I couldn’t sleep. As I slowly open the door to my room, I see strong legs in black tuxedo pants spread out on my bed.

  “How in the hell did you get in here?” I ask, crossing the room to where Tony has made himself at home. Any annoyance I felt seeing him in my space uninvited drains from my body the moment I see the coarse hair on his sculpted pecs sticking out from his unbuttoned tux shirt. I swear there’s drool at the corner of my mouth as I try to sneak another glance at his body because it is beyond anything I could have imagined. As much as I’d like to be pissed off at him for being here, I’m relieved to see him.

  Trying to come across unaffected, I turn my back to him as I hang my suit jacket, draping my tie over the hanger. I feel the heat of his body against my back as I stand there with my eyes and fists clenched tight, trying to keep from straddling him and grinding my dick against his the way I’ve thought about more times than I’d care to admit.

  “How I got in here doesn’t matter. The fact is I’m here now. Do you want me to leave?” he hisses, biting my ear as his hand moves across my hip to the bulge in my pants. His tone is almost threatening, but more than that, it’s deep and rich and everything else that makes me afraid to want him. I shake my head in response because there’s no way my mind can string words into coherent sentences as he strokes me through the wool of my slacks. “I didn’t think so. Don’t be mad, I needed to see you again tonight, away from everyone else. I know you want this just as much as I do, but for some reason, you keep running away from it. That ends. Now.”

  I haven’t been running away. Okay, so I can see how he thought that tonight, but I just needed a few minutes without my attraction to him obliterating my ability to think.

  “So I’m just supposed to drop trou because you broke into my hotel room in some grand romantic gesture?” I ask sarcastically, glad there’s not a mirror in front of me because I don’t want him to see my eyes rolling back in my head from the way he’s stroking me.

  “Make no mistake about it, tonight’s going to be anything but romantic,” Tony informs me, his voice husky as his warm breath ghosts over my skin. “Tonight’s about you and me, finishing what we started the other night. Are you with me?”

  “Yeah, I can do that,” I moan in assent. As he continues working his hands over my body, my head falls back to his shoulder, taking in everything Tony’s willing to give me. I have to bite my tongue to keep from begging him to—

  Oh, God. Tony’s hand quickly releases the button on my pants and then his hand dips beneath the waistband on my boxer briefs, cupping my balls. “I’ve wanted to taste you again since the other night when you blew all over my hand. But tonight, I’m going to have so much more than my fingers in my mouth. I’m going to suck you until you think you can’t come anymore and then I’m going to keep sucking. You want that?”

  Fuck. Yes. Tony forces me to turn around, claiming my mouth in a heated kiss. His tongue plunges into my mouth and I can taste the whiskey he was sipping when I walked into the room. This man is ravenous for me and I pray he’ll never get his fill. “So…” Kiss. “Fucking…” Nip. “Good.” I barely register the fact that we’re moving until the backs of my knees hit the edge of the bed and Tony pushes me hard enough that my head bounces off the mattress when I land.

  “Tony,” I plead, although I have no clue what I’m asking him for. I need something, anything, and I want him to be the one to give it to me. Strong hands grip my thighs, dragging me until my lower body is perched at the edge of the bed. His fingers curl around my waistband and I lift my hips, allowing him to strip bare me from the waist down.

  “I’m going to have this sweet ass,” Tony declares. I lift my head, watching as he takes one long finger into his mouth. “Any objections?”

  “None,” I moan. I can feel Tony’s greedy gaze examining every inch of my tanned skin as I watch his right hand disappear between my legs. A wet finger presses against my puckered hole and I’m unable to keep from shifting, needing to feel him breach my opening.

  “Be still or I’ll stop,” he warns and my body seizes. No way am I going to give him a reason to stop tonight. If there’s one thing I’m certain, it’s that he’s a man of his word. Okay, so that and the fact that I want to please him even more than I want to receive pleasure. Tony bends down, dragging the firm tip of his tongue along my engorged shaft as he slowly pushes his finger deeper into my ass. “So fucking tight. If I don’t get you ready, I’ll fucking explode the second I bury my cock inside you.”

  His free hand slides along my shaft to pull back the foreskin as his mouth envelops the head of my cock, burying his tongue in my slit. The way he works his tongue around, gathering every bit of pre-cum causes me to grow harder in the left hand stroking me in time with his finger plunging deeper with each thrust. When he pulls his hand back, I whimper at the emptiness I feel. Yes, Tony has reduced me to a mess of incoherent moans and sighs and we’ve barely even started anything.

  “Do you have lube?” he asks. The words vibrate through my body as I point to the nightstand. I always have it in my travel bag, but this is one of the first times I’ve been thankful that I’m prepared. I toss an arm over my eyes, wondering what it is about this particular man that turns me into a wanton slut every time we’re in the same area. The cap snicks open and my ass cheeks clench as the cold liquid hits my skin. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” I groan, bucking off the bed as two fingers push past the tight ring of muscle, curling forward to reach my prostate.

  He pulls his fingers out of me, moving so his still covered erection grinds against mine. “I told you not to move,” he scolds. His mouth covers mine again and I can taste myself as his tongue forces its way between my lips. I moan into his mouth as his hand slides beneath the cotton of my shirt and he twists my nipple between his fingers. “You’re not very good at taking direction.”

  “I’m sorry. Please… I won’t move again.” I’m so desperate for him I’m begging him, willing to bargain with him if I can just feel his mouth wrapped around my dick again as he screws my ass with his fingers.

  He thrusts his hips harder against my aching cock, the friction nearly painful. “I think you like defying me. I think you’re a lot kinkier than you let the world see,” he chortles. As he lowers himself back onto the floor between my legs, he takes the time to unbutton my shirt. I’m so keyed up, I wish he’d rip the damn thing open, just so I could feel his chest pressed to mine. “Do you want me to punish you for your lack of discipline?”

  My cock twitches at the very idea. Do I want to be punished? I never really thought that was the type of thing that got me off, but the steel rod between my legs says it’s a very intriguing idea. “Yeah, you’re going to be fun.” Tony laughs as he takes my entire length deep into his mouth.

  As the muscles in his throat relax, he forces the two fingers deep inside of me. His movements are hard and unforgiving. “Tony, please,” I gasp. The urge to meet his motions with my hips has every muscle in my body tensing as I try to obey his demands.

  Since when do I obey anyone?

  I prop myself on my elbows, watching as Tony laves my hardened shaft before working lower to suck on my clean-shaven balls. “Mmm, love this,” he praises, cupping my sac in his hands. The tip of his tongue skims across my taint and I’m forced to clench my eyes shut as he circles my opening with his mouth, fingers still buried deep inside me.

  “Tony…can’t hold out much longer!” In nearly half a lifetime experimenting and enjoying the carnal company of men, I can’t remember a time when a partner has lavished so much attention on my needs without allowing me to touch him. I feel the telltale tingling through my body as an orgasm threatens to overtake me.

  “Not yet. I’m going to fuck you so hard you’re going to want to pass out from the strength of your orgasm.” Tony pulls away from me, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. This is it. The moment I do something I desperately want and yet know I’ll regret later. This isn’t someone I want for one night
or a weekend of ecstasy. Tony makes me want more and I want it with him. “Fuck!”

  Credit cards and cash spill across the mattress next to me as Tony tosses his wallet. “Check mine,” I tell him, hoping there’s still a condom in there. Then again, if there is, I can’t guarantee it’s any good at this point. It’s been an embarrassingly long time since I’ve allowed myself the time off to find someone to get off with.

  Tony hands me my wallet and I open it, coming up empty. This cannot be happening. It’s risky, but at this point I see no other option. “Go down by the elevators. There might be one sitting on the table in the hall,” I instruct him, laughing when he quirks an eyebrow at the unusual suggestion. “Someone dropped one. I picked it up and put it there.”

  It’s not that I’m worried about whether or not Tony is clean. Despite the fact that our first encounter was a bit random, I’m confident that he’s a smart man. If he wasn’t, he could have tried getting me to let him take me bareback without even checking to see if he had protection with him.

  “When I open that door, you’d better be on your hands and knees with that gorgeous ass in the air for me,” Tony advises as he snags a room key off the desk. He stops with one foot already in the hall, returning long enough to kiss me hard enough that there’s no way I won’t comply with his demands. The moment I hear the door click shut, I make quick work of taking off my shirt and socks before flipping over to get in the position he wants me in.

  “Fuck that’s a beautiful sight,” Tony praises me when he returns less than a minute later. His hands grip my hips tight enough to bruise as he begins worshipping my ass. A bite here, a kiss there, and then he spreads the globes of my ass with those strong hands, burying his face in my cleft. His tongue ravages my hole, loosening me for him.