Page 20 of Quit Playing Games with My Heart

I didn’t even pause to think whether he’d be disappointed to come so soon. Whether that’s what it was or not, as soon as he started to soften, he flipped me to my back and slammed his mouth over mine, rewarding me with a toe-curling kiss. He reached for my hard and dripping dick, stroking it as he kissed me until I couldn’t hold back for a second longer.

I came with a jolt, thrusting into his hand and spilling all over it and my belly. Sometimes I was self-conscious about mess, but I didn’t care one bit as he pulled the most amazing pleasure through my body. I would have given him anything and everything to feel that connection between us in its fullness forever.

Eventually, we both stilled and lay sprawled together, panting and grinning.

“That was fantastic,” I hummed, rolling into him and stretching a hand across his back.

“The first of more to come,” Sam said, kissing me tenderly.

I was too blissed out to do more than kiss him back and say, “I’m glad I decided to come to Glenside and work at Common Grounds.”

“So am I,” Sam sighed, rubbing his nose against mine. “More than you can ever know.”

I was glad I hadn’t told Sam the full story of why I’d left Pittsburgh, too, because now more than ever, I didn’t want to lose what we had once his opinion of me changed.

CHAPTER 7

Sam

No one ever would have mistaken me for a sweet or sentimental guy. I was a businessman. I had a job to do, employees to take care of, and a family to support. I’d definitely dated around and occasionally hooked up in the past, but I wasn’t the sort to go completely soft for a guy I was with.

Until Brian.

“You’re sure people aren’t going to comment about the two of us opening the café together?” Brian asked the Tuesday a few days after our first date as I unlocked the café’s front door in the early dawn light.

“I don’t think there’s anyone here to notice,” I said with a teasing smile over my shoulder for him as I pushed the door open.

Which would have been true, except Hannah came striding up the sidewalk, her backpack-style purse slung over one shoulder, and a grin that was far too wide for first thing in the morning on her face.

“Morning, guys,” she said, a twinkle in her eyes as she walked into the café behind us. “Did someone have a sleepover last night?”

Brian immediately went bright pink. “Um, I⁠—”

“None of your business,” I told Hannah, one eyebrow arched.

Hannah just laughed and headed back behind the counter to her kitchen to start her baking for the day.

I shook my head and veered off toward the office. Brian followed me.

“Are we that obvious?” he asked in a whisper, craning his neck to look into the kitchen to see whether Hannah was still watching us.

“Define obvious,” I said as a way to admit that, yes, we were totally obvious.

“I’m just a little worried about what people will say if they know we’re sleeping together,” Brian continued to whisper as we made our way into the office.

I lifted the satchel of work I’d taken over to Brian’s house the night before from my shoulder and sat it on the desk, then turned to Brian. “You want my honest opinion?” Brian nodded, so I went on, stepping toward him and resting one hand on the side of his face. “I think people around here are probably happy for us.”

I leaned in to kiss Brian softly. If there was one thing I’d learned in the last few, new days of whatever relationship we were building, it was that my adorable, earnest sweetheart needed a lot of reassuring. Whoever had done a number on him back in Pittsburgh would get a serious piece of my mind if I ever came face to face with them.

When I pulled away, Brian was smiling again. “Okay, if you say so,” he said, eyes bright as he looked up at me. “And for the record,” his grin turned downright impish, “I’m glad we’re sleeping together.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Brian was just so sweet. “Me, too, sweetheart,” I said, testing out the pet name aloud. “Me, too.” I kissed him again, then stepped over to the desk. “Have a good day out there,” I told him, not so much to dismiss him, but so that we could both get our days started. “And a good games night tonight,” I added. “I still think my format will kick your format’s ass in the end, but I can’t wait to see how things go tonight.”

“Open games night is going to stomp all over your tournaments,” Brian laughed, back to himself as he headed for the counter.

I loved the banter. And truth be told, we’d actually gotten our day started in a much hotter, more intimate way than trading barbs across the café. Since his roommate was working another night shift at the hospital, I’d stayed the night with Brian again. It was the third time, including Saturday night, that we’d spent the night together. Being able to tangle up with Brian before bed and then sleep with him in my arms all night was something I’d fantasized about for years. It was its own kind of perfect to be able to fulfill those fantasies at last. And I didn’t feel half as guilty about it as I’d always assumed I would, which was an excellent sign.

Of course, my and Brian’s budding relationship absolutely had not gone unnoticed.