Right.
Devlin prayed for bravery and extra balls as he reached into the outer flap of his carry-on bag and unclipped the pen he had attached to his travel portfolio. His throat felt a little tight, his heart sped like crazy, but Devlin picked up Gradyn’s hand, his own shaking, and put ink to skin. “This is my phone number and e-mail address.” He wrote both ways to contact him on Gradyn’s palm. “Before you say anything, I know that wasn’t how this weekend started when you picked me up in that club, but it’s the way I have to end it.” He clicked his pen closed and looked up into Gradyn’s eyes as he curled the man’s hand into a fist. “Think about using them. I can only speak for myself, but I don’t want this to be the last time I see you or speak to you.” His chest heaved, and he worked like the devil not to lose what was left of his cool. “You’ve already become too important to me to say goodbye.”
Piercing brightness shone in Gradyn’s pure green gaze, and his mouth gaped for a moment, without sound. “Devlin...”
“It’s not goodbye. I hope not anyway.” Devlin rushed to speak over Gradyn, frantically drowning out what might be a rejection. “How about, see you lat--”
Gradyn made an inhuman noise and crushed his mouth down on Devlin’s, stealing his breath and voice. He dug his fingers into Devlin’s head and held Devlin in place for a scorching, devouring kiss. Right in the airport--Devlin was acutely aware of other patrons not far away--Gradyn pushed down on Devlin’s jaw, forced his mouth open, and kissed Devlin with an intensity and desperation it hurt to feel. Devlin clung to Gradyn with hands twisted in his shirt and gave himself up to the mating with equal fervor, fearing that he needed this show of affection from Gradyn as much as he needed air to breathe.
Devlin slashed his mouth across Gradyn’s and strained up into him with all of his weight. Gradyn abruptly tore his mouth away, making Devlin keen a needy, “No.”
Gradyn wrapped his hands around Devlin’s wrists and pushed him a measure away. With his fingers crushing bone under their hold, Gradyn breathed heavily, his chest rising and dipping in waves, and he looked at Devlin in a way that Devlin felt brush against his soul.
“Please know these were the best two and a half days of my life.” Gradyn’s voice sounded like he’d abraded his vocal cords. “But it can’t go on.” He released Devlin’s arms, and whispered, “Goodbye.” He turned and walked away, taking long, fast strides, out of Devlin’s reach.
Out of his life.
Standing there watching Gradyn get smaller and smaller, Devlin rubbed his fingers across his swollen mouth, still able to feel Gradyn’s kiss, and mentally willed the man to turn around and look at him one more time.
Devlin stood rooted to the floor for long minutes, his heart cracking inside. People moved around him; he didn’t know what they thought about what they had witnessed, and he didn’t care.
As the time ticked away, and Devlin knew he needed to move or miss his flight, he kept praying Gradyn would come running back to him and admit he felt something that meant more than a weekend of fucking too.
He never did.
Devlin finally turned, his soul crying inside, and got in the proper line to fly home to Maine. All the while wishing he had a tattooed man by his side, and wondering how a person could disconnect from their feelings the way Gradyn Connell just had...
*
...Devlin came awake with a start, his heart beating a furious rhythm as he lived inside the remnants of his memory. He reached out for Garrick, only to find him not there.
“I’m over here.” Garrick’s familiar voice reached him in a hushed tone.
Devlin whipped around and found Garrick sitting on a stool situated just to the right of the window, and he used the side of the microwave as a brace for his back. He wore only a white pair of cotton briefs, and the streak of moonlight streaming in through the sliver of open curtain highlighted the paler tone of his skin. It also put the definition of his sleeker muscles on one hell of a display.
Thank God. Devlin started breathing again. He’s still here.
“That must have been some dream,” Garrick said as he glanced over at Devlin. “You were twitching your way through it.”
“I was remembering when you said goodbye.” The second Devlin answered, his stare narrowed, and he perked up. “Hey, when did you wake up? You were asleep,” Devlin searched for the time and found it on the microwave, “less than an hour ago.”
“I woke up when I heard the siren,” Garrick replied, “just like you did. You got comfortable right away again, though, and I didn’t want to disturb you. Once something wakes me, I don’t fall back to sleep.” His Adam’s apple suddenly bobbed visibly. “I’m sorry that e-mail is still hurting you. God knows I hate myself for it.”
“What?” Devlin scrubbed his face, trying to wake up, as confusion overtook him. “Oh.” Garrick’s comment suddenly hit him. “I didn’t mean that goodbye. Not the e-mail. I was dreaming about when we were at the airport together. I was thinking about the way you kissed me.” He felt himself smile but then it fell away. “And then how you walked away without looking back.”
Garrick chuckled, the sound without humor. “That’s about the only successful thing I did do that night. I managed to walk away, when all I wanted to do was stay with you. I successfully pulled away and started walking, and I told myself the whole time not to glance back.” Garrick held Devlin to him right now with the rough texture of his voice and the intensity of his stare. “I knew I’d run right back to you if I did. I could feel your phone number and e-mail address
