Wicked Hearts Read Online Free PDF Page B

unfocused longing.
    It was like he"d been shut off until that moment, the key to ignite him long since lost
    or stolen. Jeff"s kiss—that tender press of closed lips against his own, had lit something
    within Reese that both thrilled and terrified him.
    Irony of ironies, Jeff had been the one to pull back. Reese could see he wanted it—
    even without the blatant evidence in his shorts, a fire had kindled in Jeff"s eyes,
    something deep and powerful that beckoned to something inside Reese, making him
    forget for just a moment who was in control.

    “You"re doing it again. Jesus. What is with you tonight?” Hank"s tone was
    exasperated.
    Reese dropped his hand from his lips and shrugged. “Sorry. Maybe I"m coming
    down with something.”
    “Oh, no you don"t. You"re planning a way out with the computer geek, aren"t you?
    Don"t think I don"t know it.” Hank rubbed his hands together gleefully. “Well, it won"t
    work. I don"t care if you have the plague. Tomorrow night you either fuck the guy and
    bring me the proof, or report to my doorstep, naked and ready to serve.”
    “You"ll have your proof,” Reese muttered, though he had no idea if he would be
    able to deliver.
    “Let"s go to my place.”
    Reese appraised Hank, thinking how to get out of it. It was an underlying rule of
    the relationship—when Hank sprang for a really good meal or took Reese out to an
    exclusive dance club, afterward Reese paid him back with a night of hot sex at Hank"s
    place.
    The arrangement had suited Reese well enough in the past. Hank was handsome in
    his own, dark, brooding way. He wasn"t as tall as Reese"s six feet, but he was sturdy
    and strong, with a thick cock that was always hard for Reese. They would have sex on
    fine sheets, champagne chilling beside the bed. And in the morning, they would be
    served breakfast on the deck by Julio, Hank"s handsome houseboy.
    But Reese just wasn"t in the mood. Maybe he really was coming down with
    something. Whatever it was, he needed to shake it, and fast. He was letting Jeff get
    under his skin. That just wouldn"t fly. No way was a single kiss going to throw him off
    his game.
    With a jauntiness he didn"t feel, Reese quipped, “Not tonight, dear. I have a
    headache.”
    ~*~
    “Hello?”
    “Jeff? It"s Reese. I hope I didn"t call too early?”
    “No, no,” Jeff lied. He"d been up late, unable to sleep, as usual.
    The day before he"d been so happy when he woke up, excited at the thought of
    seeing Reese. They could go to lunch. They could sort out whatever bright beginnings
    awaited them. But Reese hadn"t been at the office when he arrived, and as the minutes
    turned to hours, Jeff could no longer concentrate, glancing constantly around to see if
    Reese was in his space.
    Reese never showed, and a casual inquiry to his secretary late in the day revealed
    Reese was with clients all day and wouldn"t be in.

    Whatever happiness had risen in him as a result of their confusing, intriguing time
    together the night before evaporated under Jeff"s obsessive speculation about just what
    had happened, and what was happening now. Was Reese purposely avoiding him?
    Had the heat Jeff had thought he"d felt from Reese just been his own desire reflected
    back at him?
    “I did call too early, I can tell. You were sleeping, weren"t you?”
    “What time is it?” Jeff stifled a yawn.
    “Eight-thirty. It"s a beautiful day. I was wondering, I mean, if you weren"t busy. We
    could go for a hike or something. I"ve packed a picnic breakfast.”
    “Wait. What? Where are you?”
    There was a pause and then, “Actually I"m in the parking lot of your apartment
    building. I"m on my motorcycle.”
    Jeff couldn"t help the broad grin that burst over his face, and was glad Reese
    couldn"t see him. Maybe Reese misinterpreted his silence as disapproval, because he
    added in a somewhat defensive tone, “Hey, I was out anyway. You know. I like to get
    outside on the weekends. If you"re busy, that"s totally cool.”
    “No,