..Kissing had never been Seth’s favorite act. It was a prelude to the main event, an appetizer he often didn’t want, since it took precious time away from dessert. But this kiss—the one that had his toes practically curling in his socks—rocked his world.

Through a haze of lust and desperate need, he became vaguely aware of how absurd that sounded. Seth prided himself on maintaining full control over every aspect of his reactions at all times. Sex was just one more task to be organized and executed perfectly to the last minor detail.

But he hadn’t planned this. Nothing about this trip had gone according to his intentions. Not the messed up reservation, or finding himself staying on David’s ranch. And he certainly hadn’t expected to be propositioned over spaghetti and wine.

So then why should one seriously sexy kiss surprise him? David didn’t strike him as a man who did anything by half measures. When he went after something, he poured his heart and soul into it.

What had started as a flicker of heat sparking to life inside Seth’s lower belly ignited into a roaring flame that licked up his groin. His entire body shuddered at the thought of having David’s complete focus on him for the night. Hell, for the next two days.

He’d wanted a vacation. What he’d gotten instead was the promise of utter bliss. Maybe there was something to be said for going with the flow after all.

He broke the kiss first. David glanced up at him, blue eyes shadowed with lust. His full lips glistened wetly in the light spilling from the hanging lantern overhead.

“I don’t usually…” The words trailed off, and Seth’s pulse quickened. Embarrassment flooded his face. God. This was definitely a night for new experiences. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I don’t do one night stands. This is…new for me.”

David’s smile was slow and indulgent, bordering on a smirk. “And you think I do?”

Seth tried to school his features into an expressionless mask. It stood to reason that a man like David didn’t lack sexual partners. With his boyish good looks and Adonis-like body, he could have his pick of any man who caught his eye. “Am I wrong?”

A shrug. An amused quirk of the lip. The nonchalant, carefree mannerisms that seemed ingrained within David fascinated Seth. He had no idea what it felt like to be so relaxed, so unaffected by life’s annoyances and frustrations.

David’s fingers dipped into the waistband of Seth’s pants. “The last man I fucked was a guitarist. He was six foot five, had both nipples pierced, and had tattooed his cock with the name of his band.”

Seth gaped. Annoyance flared to life in his gut. He tried to squelch it down, but it only grew and grew, transforming into full-fledged jealousy in the blink of an eye. He scowled and tried to yank away from David’s grip. “I don’t see how that’s any of my business.”

“It was a year ago,” David said as if Seth hadn’t spoken. “I’d just returned from New York.” His dexterous fingers moved with ease to unbuckle Seth’s belt. When he finished, the sound of the zipper being lowered filled the quiet kitchen. “We fucked outdoors, in the bed of his truck.”

“Shut up.” He shoved at David’s chest, intending to push him away. “I don’t care.”

The immediate explosion of anger and jealousy shook Seth to the core. The emotions were too strong, too overwhelming, too vivid. This wasn’t the way a one-night stand felt, was it?

David’s features remained smooth, unperturbed. God, what did it take to rattle the man?

As though nothing had happened, David reached for Seth’s waistband again and pushed it down over Seth’s hips, leaving him standing in the middle of the kitchen sporting a raging hard-on that threatened to rip the fabric of his black briefs, and a raging temper ready to erupt again.

David cupped the length of Seth’s shaft in his palm. His fingers caressed Seth’s erection, and the added friction from the cotton briefs caused a frisson of sensation to chase away some of the fury roiling in his veins.

“I thought of no one but you that entire night…”