Smoky (3 page)

“I told him you were okay,” Janos said. “And I tried to keep him from coming up here.”

“No problem,” Smoky said. “Thanks.”

Tommy was staring at Jaramie in disbelief. “What’s going on here anyway?”

“I was horny,” Jaramie said nonchalantly just to see the expression on Tommy’s face.

Smoky chuckled as he reached out to take Jaramie’s hand and pull him closer. “If you’d come up five minutes ago, you could have caught the big finale.” He looked into Jaramie’s eyes for permission, and then put his arms around him.

“Yeah, right,” Tommy scoffed. “As if Jaramie would ever have sex with a stranger in a public place. Are you ready to go home now?”

“You go ahead. I think I’m going to hang around for a couple of hours.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m waiting for someone to get off,” Jaramie said with a wicked giggle.

Tommy stared at his friend for a long moment. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Jaramie said. “Thanks for dragging me out tonight. I owe you big.”

“I’m not going to forget you said that,” Tommy warned.

Jaramie grinned. “Why don’t you see if Janos has any pipes that need cleaning?”

Tommy punched his friend hard on the shoulder. “Jerk,” he said fondly.

“I’m sure Janos would enjoy that,” Smoky said.

Tommy looked from Jaramie’s face to Smoky’s. “What really happened up here?”

“I’ll tell you later, roomie,” Jaramie said. “Now scamper.”

“Should I worry if you don’t come home tonight?”

Jaramie shook his head. “Me and Smoky are going to get better acquainted, and we might stay up all night talking.”

“Okay.” Tommy paused at the door to the stairwell. “Call me if, you know, you need anything.”

“Thanks,” Jaramie said. “See you at work.”

“Yeah, see you at work, you lucky dog.” Tommy blew Jaramie a kiss and disappeared down the stairs with Janos on his heels.

“About my pipes,” Janos said as the door closed.

“Now, where were we,” Smoky said. “Oh, yeah, I remember; I was going to kiss you.”

“Would you, please?” Jaramie sighed.

Smoky swept Jaramie into his arms, bringing their lips together in a long, slow, sweet kiss that seemed to last for days. “That’s better,” he said, when they finally broke for air. “I knew something was missing.”

“You could do that again if you wanted.”

“I’d love to, but if I don’t get back downstairs soon, I’ll be out of a job.”

“Should I come with you, or wait here?”

“What do you want to do?”

Jaramie gave his new lover a mischievous smile. “I think you know the answer to that question already.”

“You’re killing me,” Smoky said. “Give me two minutes, and I’ll tell the boss I’m quitting.”

“You’re crazy.”

“So I’ve heard. Will you wait for me?”

“For two hours?”

“Are you going to be counting the minutes?”

“With every beat of my heart.”

Smoky groaned. “I can’t believe how fast this is happening. Come downstairs with me. I’ll fake an attack of… something and get my boss to let me off early. Okay?”

Jaramie giggled again. “Tell him you’re too horny too work.”

“I think
she
just might buy it, if she gets a look at you.” Smoky put a hand on the nape of Jaramie’s neck and pulled him into another lingering kiss. “Damned if you don’t taste just like crème brûlée,” he murmured.

“You haven’t even tasted my cream yet.”

Smoky grinned. “Just one more thing to look forward to.”

About the Author

C
ONNIE
B
AILEY
is a Luddite who can’t live without her computer. She’s an acrophobic who loves to fly, a fault-finding pessimist who, nonetheless, is always surprised when something bad happens, and an antisocialite who loves her friends like family. She’s held a number of jobs in many disparate arenas to put food on the table, but writing is the occupation that feeds her soul.

Connie lives with her ultralight designer husband at a small grass-strip airfield halfway between Disney World and Busch Gardens. Logic and reality have had little to do with her life, and she likes it that way.

Visit her Web site at
http://www.conniebailey.com/
and her blog at
http://baileymoyes.livejournal.com/
.

Copyright

Smoky ©Copyright Connie Bailey, 2011

Published by

Dreamspinner Press

4760 Preston Road

Suite 244-149

Frisco, TX 75034

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Art by Anne Cain   [email protected]

Cover Design by Mara McKennen

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

Released in the United States of America

May 2011

eBook Edition

eBook ISBN:
978-1-61581-868-6