Passion's Victory

Micah Souther is young, talented, and gay. As the junior owner of the family business, he knows better than to look for love "on the clock."

Jonas Chadwick is the new guy at the firm. Older, wiser, and a survivor of the school of hard knocks, he's not in the market for an office romance, even if he learns for certain his young boss is gay.

One kiss is all it takes to send Micah and Jonas on a collision course, and when bodies collide, the friction gets hot...

*     *     *

"Jonas," I murmured against his smiling lips. "Talk to…" His tongue flicked to mine, cutting off my request for a moment of conversation.

Any of my neighbors watching were getting quite a sideshow. I shoved my hand in my pocket, fumbling for my keys. They fell from my shaking fingers to the porch decking. Jonas pushed me back, breaking physical contact. I longed to see his eyes, to get some idea of what he thought, what he felt.

"Bend over and pick them up," he said cheerfully as he rubbed my nipple.

I stared at him and tried to catch my breath. "Not in front of you, Chadwick. I know all about men like you."

"Do you?" Something rough and dark in his voice gave me pause. What demon did he battle?

"I know enough." I pushed him back against the side of the house, not with some little force. "Why did you come back?"

"I don't know. Maybe to satisfy my curiosity."

"Bull." I fisted my hands in his shirt and gave him a shake. "We take this inside, make it private, or we're done here."

Jonas stared at me for the longest twenty seconds of my life, then he nodded. I released him and he bent over, snagged my keys, and dropped them into my outstretched palm. I unlocked the door and invited the devil into my home for the second time in one day.

"I need a drink. Do you want one, Jonas?" I needed to haul him into my bedroom and have my way with him, that's what I needed. My insides quivered. I shivered despite the warm evening.

But I knew, to my sorrow, that quickie sex now would be a mistake, and I bet he knew it, too.

"I'll take a brandy if you have it."

"I hope you'll settle for bourbon."

I poured us each a generous shot and handed him one. He nodded and tossed it back like a pro. I followed suit, and we set out empties down on the counter in unison. Jonas reached for me again. I lifted my chin and stared him down. His hand dropped to his side.

I wanted him. God, how I wanted him. I ached with it. His gaze met mine before flicking down to the bulge in my pants and back up.

"Looks nice."

"It's a sock," I told him cheerily, in the same tone that he'd used to tell me to bend over.

"Hmm. Well, that's the risk we run, isn't it?"