Chapter 7
Keith looked up and grinned when Riley walked into work the next morning. “Good morning, Riley,” he said, chuckling.
“Morning,” he replied, thinking of the ‘goodnight kiss’ that Keith had bestowed on him when he’d dropped the other man off in front of his apartment. Keith’s lips had been so soft and warm, all he wanted to do was kiss them again…
Keith obviously divined the direction that his thoughts were going(since Riley was staring intently at his mouth) and his smile widened. He winked. “I had a great time last night, Mr. O’Shea,” he purred.
“Me, too,” Riley said fervently. He hesitated. “Tonight? Do you want to go out again?”
Keith looked pleased. “That would be great. If you don’t mind, could we go and get a drink after dinner? At my bar?”
He shrugged. “If you want,” he said. He didn’t dislike that gay bar, and besides since he was now dating a gay guy he supposed that he sort of belonged there…
Keith nodded. “All right. Come and pick me up about seven. I know this great Thai place we could go to. Do you like Thai food?”
Riley scratched at his head. “Ummm…I’ve never had it,” he admitted.
“Hmm. I don’t want to throw you in the deep end. We could order it in sometime so you could try it. How about Mexican, then? I know of a little cantina that makes the best Mexican food in town.”
“Mexican would be good.”
“Great. You don’t need to dress up tonight. I won’t either. We’ll just have a casual date.”
That sounded wonderful. Riley nodded. Keith smiled at him again, then picked up some papers on the desktop. “You have to sign these, Mr. O’Shea,” he said briskly, indicating that he’d gone into ‘working mode’ and that Riley should as well.
“Okay,” he took the papers, glanced at them, and then signed them. As usual, everything was in order. Keith was really good at his job. Best secretary they’d ever had. Maybe he should talk to his boss about giving him a raise…
The little cantina was a dark but homey place that served some of the best Mexican food that Riley had ever tasted. He had enchiladas, while Keith ate a chicken burrito with lots of sour cream and guacamole. He was eating with obvious pleasure and fervor, when he became aware of Riley’s thoughtful stare. “What?” he asked, pausing in taking a bite.
“How do you stay so slim when you eat like that?” Riley asked, then turned a dull red when he realized how rude that sounded.
Keith grinned and licked at a glob of sour cream on his lower lip, which effectively drew Riley’s attention completely away from the question as he stared hard at Keith’s pink lips. “I have a fast metabolism,” Keith told him. “Which I am utterly grateful for, let me tell you. I can eat anything I want and I just burn it up.”
“That’s SO not fair,” Riley said, mock-glaring at him.
Keith giggled, a charming sight. “I know,” he replied merrily.
Riley shook his head. “I bet a lot of gay guys would like to kill you,” he commented.
Keith nodded. “And women, too. But I can’t help being this way, and I’m not going to lament it, either. Not when it means I can eat all kinds of good stuff without worrying about losing my girlish figure.”
Riley found his eyes roaming down that ‘girlish figure,’ the slim body encased in a pretty blue casual jacket over a soft-looking sweater. Memories of that drunken night of passion crowded in his head, and he swallowed heavily. He waned to pick Keith up, slam him down on the table, rip his clothes off, and fuck him right here and now in front of all of the other diners.
Something of what he was thinking must have shown in his face and eyes, because Keith’s eyes darkened in turn and he visibly swallowed. A tint of heavy rose color filled his cheeks, and his lashes fluttered down to hide his eyes. His slender fingers toyed with his fork, caressing it in a decidedly obscene way. Riley wanted to growl and drag him out of the cantina and into the night, finding ANY convenient corner where they could have hot, animal-like sex together.
Keith was breathing heavily. “Riley…” he began, his voice hoarse.
Riley closed his eyes and shuddered. “I’m sorry,” he choked out painfully. “I can’t help but think of that night. I know you don’t want to have sex with me until we figure out if we’re gonna work out, but…it’s just…hard.”
“I’ll bet it is,” he heard Keith murmur, and his eyes flew open. Keith looked rueful, shrugging. “It’s difficult for me as well, Riley. I’ll admit…the sex with you was totally amazing. I can’t wait to do it again. But I don’t want to jump into bed, not until I see if this relationship is going to go anywhere. I think if I did sleep with you now, and then we didn’t end up going anywhere, that it might break my heart.”
His words made Riley’s stomach twist. He felt the same way. It wasn’t just about having sex with Keith - there was something between them. Something special. Why else would he, a totally straight guy, want to date another man? “I think mine would, too,” he replied softly.
Keith laughed gently, shakily. “So I guess we’re in the same boat. We both want it, but we want to see where this relationship is going to go more. So we’ll just have to suffer for awhile longer.”
Riley found himself smiling. “Yeah, but if I have to suffer I’m glad I’m doing it with you,” he told Keith.
Keith threw his head back and laughed merrily. “Me, too, Riley, me, too,” he said when he could speak again.
After dinner, they hit an action flick together. Keith didn’t much care for it, Riley could tell. But he was a good sport about it, keeping his snickering to a minimum and occasionally making a remark about how hot the main character was. These comments sort of made Riley uncomfortable, and he could tell by the smirk on Keith’s pink lips that he knew that and was gently torturing Riley for his own amusement. He might have been extremely annoyed about that, if Keith hadn’t reached out just then and set his hand on Riley’s thigh. He squeezed lightly, and Riley lost all breath and thought at this touch as the blood rushed out of his head and into his dick in an instant.
Fortunately for him, Keith removed his hand and didn’t touch Riley again while the movie was playing. He didn’t think that he could stand it, and the thought of coming in his jeans and having to walk out of the movie theater with a stain on the front of his pants mortified him.
After the movie, they strolled together around the block before they got into his truck together. “I had such a good time tonight, Riley,” Keith remarked to him.
“Me, too,” he replied. He couldn’t ever remember a date that he’d been on before this that he’d enjoyed more, even though he’d been dating women. Keith could make him laugh and knew just how to tease him. And turn him on, of course, with naughty looks from under his long, long lashes.
He sighed thoughtfully. Keith cast him a sideways glance. “What is it?” he asked softly.
“I’m thinking…that I might not have been as straight as I thought I was, all this time. I’ll admit…I’ve never been this turned on before, not when I was dating women. All you have to do is look at me, and…” he shrugged uncomfortably.
Keith grinned. “If it makes you feel any better, the same thing happens to me when you look at me,” he told Riley.
“Really?”
A nod. “Really. And maybe you’re just discovering that you’re bisexual, not gay. I’ve heard that many bisexual people are more attracted to one sex than the other, but are still attracted to both. If you’re attracted to women, AND me, then maybe you’re bisexual.”
“Bisexual,” Riley said slowly.
“Yes. If this helps, I sort of find that fact a bit hot.”
Riley’s brows shot up. “You do?!” he said incredulously.
Keith’s lips twitched. “Yep. The thought of you doing women, but then seeing me and losing your head…that’s both hot AND romantic. I love it. It really turns me on. Because you may be bisexual, but I’M the one that tempted you over the fence. That is great for my ego, let me tell you.”
Riley didn’t know what to say to this statement. Keith giggled and patted his arm. “You’re a great guy, Riley. I’m happy that I was the one that tempted you over to our side. You’ll have to join us now, whether you like it or not.”
Riley glanced sideways at his pretty face. “I think I will,” he agreed, and was rewarded by a lovely, dazzling smile.
When he pulled up in front of Keith’s apartment building, the other man took off his seatbelt and turned to him. He leaned over the seat, and Riley found himself being thoroughly kissed. He didn’t mind this, not at all; he cupped the back of Keith’s head and plundered his sweet mouth with impunity. He heard a low moan, and was instantly rock-hard in his jeans. He wanted nothing more than to rip Keith’s clothes off and take him right here and now in his truck.
But Keith finally pulled away, a reluctant expression on his face. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered. “Not when we’re not going to follow through on it right now. But it was just so tempting…I love to kiss you, Riley.”
“Same here, “Riley said hoarsely.
Keith nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work,” he said, opening the door.
“I’ll see you. Did you want to go somewhere again tomorrow night?” Riley asked him.
Keith paused on the sidewalk and looked over his shoulder at Riley. “What do you think?” he asked, giving Riley another of those sensual stares that had such a bad effect on his groin and libido. “I’ll think about something different we can do. I like going out to eat with you, but there are other things we can do, too.”
“Okay,” Riley said. “Wherever you wanna go is good with me.”
“Sweet man,” Keith cooed, blowing him a kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow, handsome.”
He walked away toward his apartment, and Riley drove home thinking that despite the lack of sex this was still the best time he’d ever had on a date, bar none.