Free To Live Again by L. A. Witt Page B

what the hell I was doing here. What the hell was I doing here? Was this desperation? Would I look like an idiot, showing up two days before we’d agreed to meet?
    Kieran handed me a water, and after I’d paid him, I took a couple of deep swallows. He and I made some small talk since the club wasn’t yet loud enough to keep conversations from happening.
    Maybe I should’ve gone for some booze. I was way too wound up to be here without some liquid courage. I hadn’t even seen Sailo yet, and nerves were already fucking with my head.
    Then movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned my head.
    Yeah, that cold bottle of water wasn’t going to do much. Not with that gorgeous dark-eyed deejay making his way across the dance floor.
    I glanced across the bar. Kieran was gone, leaving me here. Alone. With nowhere to go and no one to—
    “Hey! You’re here!” Sailo put a hand on my waist and kissed me.
    It took a second to register that we were kissing in public. Out in the open.
    But hell…it was Wilde’s. There was almost no one here, and those who were probably didn’t notice us, especially since they were doing a lot more than kissing.
    “I didn’t think you were coming,” he said. “What changed your mind?”
    I think you know.
    I gulped. “Well, I…” I shrugged, probably not coming across as even remotely nonchalant. “You said you had a show tonight, so…”
    He held my gaze, and the corner of his mouth lifted. He saw right through me, didn’t he?
    Then he looked at his watch and back at me. “We’ve got some time if you want to finish that”—he nodded toward my water bottle—“someplace quieter.”
    I glanced down at the water, which was mostly empty. “Actually, I think I’m done with it.” I screwed on the top and set it on the bar.
    Sailo’s grin came completely to life. He took my hand and tugged it gently, and as I followed him, he added, “Come on.”
    We hurried out of the lounge, past the glowing exit sign and into the back. I knew exactly where we were going, and my heart was already at full speed before we’d reached stairs, before I even saw the VIP LOUNGE—PASS REQUIRED sign.
    At the top of the steps, his keys jingled. “I’m glad you came,” he said as he unlocked the door and waved me in. “Sorry I couldn’t get the night off.”
    “I’m surprised they have you here.” I stepped into the lounge. “It’s a Monday night.”
    “Ugh. I know.” He rolled his eyes, toeing the door shut behind us. “But there’s a private party coming in soon. Normally, if I’m working on a Monday, it’s a freelance gig.” Then he reached for me, curved his hand around my neck, and kissed me again. “Enough about work,” he murmured. “God, I want you…”
    I pressed my hand against his lower back so he could feel my hard-on through our pants. “Likewise.”
    He grinned against my lips. “You’re not as nervous as you were last time.”
    “I don’t know about that.” I kissed him, then added, “Still nervous. Especially since…” The words died on my tongue. How nervous was I? Nervous as fuck, definitely.
    He met my gaze, concern creasing his forehead. “Since, what?”
    I swallowed. Those nerves got the best of me, and I shook my head, drawing him back in. “This is just new. All of it.”
    “New is fun,” he breathed, and pressed his lips to mine.
    Couldn’t argue with that.
    I pressed harder against him. He groaned, deepening the kiss. My head was spinning, and damn it, I wasn’t close enough to him, so I shoved him back against the door, and we kept right on making out, and I suddenly didn’t care that we were here instead of on our way to his apartment. After fantasizing about him for days, imagining all the things we could do once we were together again, I didn’t want to wait another minute either. Fuck. I wanted him naked. I wanted skin against tattooed skin. I wanted his dick rubbing against mine or sliding between my lips or