“Starving.”

He’d come straight from work after showering and changing clothes. He hadn’t wanted to be late, eager to see Gannon again. Now that he was there, he hoped the night went on forever, because he already didn’t want to leave.

Cam followed Gannon through the house and into the kitchen, feeling more at ease this time around than the first time he’d been there three weeks ago. Hard to believe it had only been three weeks. It felt like an eternity had passed since that first kiss they’d shared that day in Gannon’s kitchen.

Cam set the bottle of scotch on the counter. “Brought you something.”

Gannon scanned the bottle, then looked up quickly.

Cam offered a smile. “You said you liked it.”

“It’s…” Gannon leaned in, clasped the back of Cam’s neck, and pulled him forward, their mouths touching. “Thank you.”

Whether it was the light brush of Gannon’s mouth, the eagerness of his tone, or simply being there with him, Cam wasn’t sure. But he knew tonight was going to be the turning point for them. He wasn’t able to predict what was going to happen, but if things did escalate, he damn sure wasn’t going to be the one to put the brakes on.

“Sit,” Gannon said, nodding toward the table.

Cam sat.

“What is this?” he asked when Gannon brought a glass dish over and set it on the table.

Taking off the oven mitt and dropping it on the table, Gannon smiled. “Enchilada casserole. And no, it didn’t come from the freezer section.”

“I’m impressed.”

“You should be. I usually stick to Italian food, but I know you like Mexican.”

Cam watched while Gannon dished food onto his plate, then grabbed Cam’s and filled it. He disappeared into the kitchen once again, returning with two margarita glasses and a pitcher.

“Are you plannin’ to get me drunk?” Cam teased.

“Yes,” Gannon said, his frank tone making Cam laugh.

“What if I told you that wouldn’t be necessary?”

The heat that flamed in Gannon’s dark gaze made Cam squirm briefly. They’d be lucky to make it through dinner at this rate.

“Eat,” Gannon instructed, sitting down across from him.

Cam grabbed his fork, smiled at Gannon, then took a bite.

“How is it?”

Cam nodded. It was good. Really good. Rather than answer, he took another bite, which made Gannon laugh.

They managed to make their way through dinner with small talk. Gannon explained how they’d figured out the glitch in their recent game and they were pushing it back out to the beta testers. He seemed relaxed, which helped Cam to, as well.

It wasn’t that he was nervous…

Okay, maybe he was a little nervous.

Sure, he felt entirely at ease with Gannon at this point, but the sexual tension hung in the air around them, thick enough to suffocate. And they both seemed to be waiting for the moment that it did.

“Want more of this?” Gannon asked, holding up the pitcher of margaritas after they’d finished dinner and cleaned up.

“No. I’m good.” Truth was, he wanted to be stone-cold sober tonight. He knew what was coming as well as Gannon did, and he intended to remember every single second, every touch.

“Let’s go outside.” Gannon nodded toward the back door after he poured himself two fingers of scotch.

Cam led the way, shocked when he saw that there were kerosene lamps burning on the deck, giving it a soft, romantic glow.

“Why didn’t we eat out here?” he asked, turning to look at Gannon.

“Didn’t want to waste time bringing it out.” The sexy smirk on Gannon’s face told Cam they were on the same wavelength.

Gannon took Cam’s hand, pulling him down to another level of the deck, where an outdoor cushion the size of a queen bed lay. Two pillows had been tossed down there as well.

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna jump you,” Gannon told him when Cam hesitated.

Smiling, Cam shook off the nerves and took a seat, lying back and resting his hands behind his head, staring up at the stars. “What if I’m worried that you’re not?”

Sitting down beside him, Gannon seemed to study his face briefly before looking away.

Cam knew exactly where this was headed, but he didn’t want to stop it, not even a little. It had been a little more than twenty-one painfully long days since they’d first met. And three weeks exactly since their first … date, since Cam had gone to bed with a hard-on to rival all, desperate and aching as he pushed back his desire for this man. And now, as they sat outside, beneath the stars, he was eager to take this to the next level, only he wasn’t sure Gannon was on the same page.

Sure, he knew Gannon wanted him. It was damn hard to ignore the steady hum of electricity that arced between them, the sparks that ignited whenever their eyes met. And though Cam had said he wanted to take things slow, he hadn’t exactly meant turtle speed.

“What’re you thinking about?” Gannon asked, his voice a throaty rumble.

“You,” Cam admitted.

“What about me?” The roughness of Gannon’s voice drew his attention up.

Cam tilted his head and met Gannon’s eyes.

Gannon was sitting up, reclining against the rough stone of the house, his arm resting on one upraised knee, his full attention focused on him. He’d seen that look before, seen the way Gannon studied him when he didn’t think Cam was watching. The intensity of it nearly stole his breath.

Going with the truth, Cam said, “About how fucking bad I want you.”

“Cam.”

Before he could say another word, Gannon set the tumbler of scotch on the ground beside them. Never breaking eye contact, Cam inhaled deeply when Gannon turned onto his side, lowering himself down to where Cam was. He could practically feel the heated caress of Gannon’s gaze as it roamed over his face, smelled the rich scent of the alcohol on Gannon’s breath. He knew what Gannon was looking for, some sort of encouragement, something to tell him that the time for waiting was now over.

He wanted to tell him, but he couldn’t find his voice.

Cam swallowed hard when Gannon cupped his face with one warm hand, turning his head slightly so their eyes met, held. The smooth pad of Gannon’s thumb brushed over his lower lip, and Cam instinctively opened his mouth, sliding his tongue over it before sucking it into his mouth. The rough rumble that resonated in Gannon’s chest spurred him on.

Reaching for him, Cam ran his hands over Gannon’s face, feeling the bristle of his jaw against his palms before moving higher to remove Gannon’s glasses, gently setting them on the deck behind him.

“God, Cam,” Gannon whispered harshly. “Do you know how much I want you?”

He could guess and the feeling was definitely mutual. But he didn’t say anything, didn’t urge Gannon to kiss him, because he was content simply to touch him.

His heart was pounding against his ribs, his body hardening from the lengthy stare and the smoothness of Gannon’s thumb against his tongue. When Gannon pulled his thumb from between Cam’s lips, Cam turned and ran his lips across Gannon’s hand, closing his eyes as he kissed the center of his palm.

A rush of heat whirled inside him combined with brilliant starbursts igniting behind his closed eyelids as Gannon’s mouth brushed his. The heat intensified when Gannon flattened himself down, resting atop Cam. Their bodies touched from knee to chest as Cam forced his eyes open to stare up at Gannon, willing him to see how eager he was, how much he wanted this.

When Gannon’s gaze dropped to Cam’s mouth, he couldn’t wait any longer. Sliding his hand behind Gannon’s neck, he slowly pulled him down, never looking away until Gannon’s mouth hovered just above his. Gannon was breathing hard, and the knowledge that Cam could get him this worked up with nothing more than a look had something in his chest erupting, a feeling so strong he was desperate to see what it would feel like once he got his hands on him.