Their eyes locked for a brief moment. That same spark he’d felt earlier that morning ignited, sizzling in the air between them. Gannon was the one to turn away first, breaking the connection, the heat spiraling through his veins leaving him edgy.

The door opened and then closed, signaling Cam had gone outside. Without looking back to confirm, he made his way to the refrigerator and took a deep breath, holding it in, then letting it out slowly.

“Get a grip,” he told himself.

“How ’bout I do that for you?”

Gannon’s heart slammed against his ribs as he spun around to find Cam standing directly behind him, less than two feet away. Shit.

“I thought…”

Cam’s slow smile was so seductive Gannon’s pulse kicked into overdrive. “I know. You thought I went out, but I needed to do something first.”

Gannon’s brain scrambled, and he couldn’t come up with words as Cam closed the remaining distance between them in less than two steps. When they were practically chest to chest, he mentally reached deep down and lassoed every ounce of his self-control, not wanting to touch Cam for fear if he did, he wouldn’t be able to let go.

Ever.

God, the man looked so damn good. Smelled even better.

Gannon swallowed hard.

“Thought maybe we’d get this part outta the way,” Cam mumbled softly.

This part? Which part was…?

Cam’s mouth brushed his, the warmth of his breath fanning his face, and Gannon no longer had questions. He knew exactly which part Cam was referring to, and though he admired Cam’s aggressive nature, it went against everything he was to let him take the lead. So, before their lips firmly touched, Gannon reached for Cam, spinning him around so that Cam’s back was against the refrigerator, trapped between Gannon’s body and the stainless steel. Cupping Cam’s face in his hands, he allowed his lips to brush against Cam’s, slowly, gently, while Gannon maintained control.

“Definitely a nice change of pace,” Cam muttered.

Gannon didn’t ask what that meant. That control he’d lassoed threatened to snap when a deep rumble rose up from Cam’s chest, followed quickly by a desperate growl. Always looking for an opportunity, Gannon took advantage, urging his way into Cam’s mouth, their tongues sliding together.

A second later, Gannon pulled back, separating their mouths. “Your tongue is pierced.” It wasn’t a question; he’d felt it for himself.

Cam grinned but didn’t say anything.

Wanting to feel the foreign glide of that barbell against his tongue again, Gannon put his lips back on Cam’s, leisurely sliding his tongue in Cam’s mouth. Curious, he licked the barbell, then Cam’s tongue, mapping it out with his mouth.

Then, tilting his head so he could explore further, Gannon gave in to the intense desire that had left his breath lodged in his chest. Crushing their lips together, he slid his hand behind Cam’s neck, holding him as he persistently drove his tongue against Cam’s, licking, tasting. He fucking tasted good, like mint and the promise of sex. A heady concoction that had Gannon craving more.

When Cam gripped his waist, hands twisting into his shirt, Gannon slid his fingers into Cam’s short hair, tugging his head back and plundering his mouth, taking all that was being offered.

The rough groan that escaped Cam, combined with the way Cam jerked him forward, their bodies aligning perfectly, had Gannon reassessing the situation. Given the opportunity, Gannon could easily let this get out of control. And as good as Cam’s lips felt against his own, as much as he wanted to devour every delectable inch of him, Gannon wasn’t going to let this move too quickly.

There’d be plenty of time for that later.

With his fingers twined in Cam’s hair, Gannon separated their mouths, brushing a kiss over his lips, inhaling the intoxicating scent of the man as he stared into those mesmerizing blue eyes. “As far as first kisses go…”

Cam’s mouth quirked as he filled in where Gannon left off. “Not bad.”

Yeah. Not bad. Understatement of the fucking century.

Pulling back enough to study Cam’s face, Gannon took a moment to catch his breath. He knew Cam was goading him, and he liked that about him. The constant push and pull was riveting, leaving Gannon desperate to see where this went. But that was part of the appeal. He enjoyed the chase as much as Cam clearly did, and he got the sense that Cam was still testing him.

“If you’re nice,” Gannon told him, drawing his hands back down to cup Cam’s jaw once again, “we’ll pick that up later.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Taking a step back before he gave in to the nearly irresistible urge to see just how far he could push Cam, Gannon reached around him and pulled on the refrigerator door. When Cam stepped out of the way, he retrieved two beers, handing one to Cam.

Cam eyed the label and another smirk formed.

Yes, Gannon had purposely picked up a six-pack of the same beer Cam had offered him on the pier, hoping it might earn him a few points. From the lopsided grin on Cam’s face, he’d accomplished his goal.

“Come on,” Gannon said. “Twenty minutes till the food’s ready. I’ll give you a tour of the outside so you won’t be eager to jump me again.”

The bark of laughter that escaped Cam did strange things to Gannon’s insides.

Yeah, he definitely liked this man. A lot.

Ten

Pretending not to want to pick up where they’d just left off, Cam shook off the haze of lust that had consumed him the instant Gannon had taken control and nearly leveled Cam with a single kiss. He could still feel the intensity of that heated caress, the strength in Gannon’s hands as he’d maintained control, the urgent, almost desperate need that had pulsed between them.

It’d been a long damn time since Cam had felt anything even remotely as powerful as that. And never during a first kiss.

Cam wasn’t sure what had compelled him to approach Gannon that way, but the need to feel the man’s mouth, to find out whether his lips were as soft as they looked had spurred him on. His feet had taken on a mind of their own, and the next thing he’d known, he’d been succumbing to the most deliciously enthusiastic kiss of his life.

As far as first kisses went … that one was by far the best he’d ever had. Not that he would let Gannon know that, because he’d seen the glimmer of arrogance in Gannon’s dark gaze. He knew very little about the man, but he knew that Gannon was used to getting what he wanted. At the same time, Cam also got the impression Gannon was familiar with having to work for it, as well.

And Cam intended to make the man work for it.

Following Gannon outside, Cam managed to pull his eyes away from the long, lean lines of his impressive body long enough to take in the view. “Very nice,” he said, taking a sip of his beer.

“Me? Or the view?” Gannon teased.

Cam rolled his eyes, smiling. “The view, of course.”

“Of course.”

And what a view it was. The scene before him wasn’t exactly what he’d imagined, but fairly close. High up on a cliff, Gannon’s house was surrounded by massive trees that opened up enough to give an impressive view of Lake Travis far below. There were no neighbors on either side, nor anywhere below that he could tell. It was secluded and private, and based on the comfortable furniture, this was clearly a place Gannon spent some time.

Cam could imagine sitting out on the rustic deck, drinking coffee, and watching the morning sun peek over the horizon.

And he could imagine doing it with Gannon.

“Tell me somethin’,” Cam said, sliding a sideways glance at Gannon. “If you’re this close to Lake Travis, what took you all the way out to Buchanan?”

“Travis is down a little, so it gets crowded. Or so I was told.”

“Not much of a water guy, huh?”

“No,” Gannon said simply.