Free A Bar Tender Tale by Melanie Tushmore

him. Their bodies started to mirror each other silently. “Yes,” Auryn told him. “But… I like you, Nathan. I don’t want a one-off thing….” He likes me?
    Nathan straightened up in response, sulk forgotten. His heart had gone from a mild flutter to a frantic pounding.
    “Um… that’s not…. I mean, I’m not really into one-off things either; it’s not what I’m looking for. I mean….” He bit his lip. It seemed the only way to stop his nervous rush of words. He took a breath in, hating that it sounded so shaky.

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    “That’s fine, Nathan,” Auryn said carefully. “That’s the idea of taking it slow. But I have to ask, are you sure? I am a lot older than you.”
    “Not so much.”
    “It’s almost ten years.”
    Nathan took in another breath. He supposed a fact like that should really make him think twice about all this, should make him be more cautious. But try as he might, he couldn’t see a bad side to it. So what if there was a few years difference? They already got on well anyway. Maybe dating someone older would be better for him?
    What suddenly popped into the devious part of Nathan’s mind was thinking about all those years of experience in the bedroom being lavished upon him. A smile tried to tug at his lips. Did it say something about him that the devious part always won out? Trying to keep his words calm to show he was serious, Nathan said, “I know, but it… really doesn’t bother me.”
    “Are you sure?”
    That’s it , Nathan thought. That’s what Auryn wanted to hear. He could literally see the cool mask melting away from the other man’s face, his eyes started to flare up as they looked at each other.
    “Yes, I’m sure.”
    They were still holding hands after all. They both wanted this, Nathan was certain now. Trying to move things along a tiny bit, Nathan found Auryn’s free hand and gently guided it to rest at his waist. Actions spoke louder than words, after all. This was the simplest gesture he could think A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 74
    of to get his point across without possibly scaring the man away.
    Though judging by the sudden look of apprehension that crept into his eyes, Nathan worried he might have already done that.
    “Nathan, I don’t know,” Auryn said, sounding unsure.
    “Didn’t you just break up with your boyfriend?”
    “That meant nothing,” Nathan said quickly, then instantly regretted it. He could feel Auryn begin to move away, his hands trying to escape from Nathan’s eager fingers.
    “What I meant was,” Nathan backpedaled. “It was going nowhere for a long time. We’re too different. I want… um, different stuff.”
    Nathan was relieved to feel Auryn’s fingers grasp at his again, his body returning to press into him, just a touch closer than before.
    “Like what, Nathan? What are you looking for?”
    “Um… I can tell you, but you aren’t allowed to… I dunno, laugh or anything.”
    “I won’t.”
    “I mean it,” Nathan warned.
    “I’d never laugh at you.”
    “All right.” Nathan felt his cheeks flush hot. “I do want a boyfriend.”
    “What sort of boyfriend?” Auryn asked.
    “A… um, just… someone that wants to… you know, spend time with me.”

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    “That sounds good.”
    “Yeah….”
    Auryn was staring at him, his dark eyes burning. When he didn’t answer Nathan’s gaze flitted between the man’s eyes and his lips, as if trying to convey what he wanted. He so wanted to taste those lips again.
    “So, um… yeah.” Why isn’t he moving?
    Nathan decided to go for broke. He was getting impatient. “Look, Auryn, are you going to kiss me, or are we just going to stare at each other?”
    “Do you want me to kiss you?”
    He felt sure he was being teased now. Teasing was better than going nowhere, but that wasn’t quite enough.
    Nathan couldn’t resist a wicked smile as he grabbed the front of Auryn’s shirt and