Dragged to the Wedding(13)
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“Thank you for an amazing afternoon,” Daniel said when he and James were once again behind the closed and locked door of their bedroom for the night. Finally, Daniel felt he could relax a little, releasing the tension from his shoulders and back.
“I sometimes forget how breathtaking it is up there,” James said as he sat down on the far side of the bed, tugging off his shirt. “Oh, I forgot,” he said, and handed Daniel a small bag.
“What’s this?” He opened the white paper bag, pulling out something wrapped in tissue paper.
“I wanted you to have a memento to remember our day together.” He leaned across the bed, showing off acres of muscle and honey-gold skin that Daniel ached to touch. “I stood in the gift shop, looked all over, and realized I know so little about you.” He drew nearer, and Daniel was reminded that everything was still tucked. He turned away and, as discreetly as he could, released the family jewels before things got painful, because certain parts of him were reacting to that smile with gusto. “Most everything I saw was for women, and they had these high heel and purse Christmas ornaments, but I didn’t want to get you something like that.” James swallowed, and Daniel found himself leaning closer, being pulled toward him simply by the intensity in his eyes.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re more than the shoes, purses, and dresses.” He motioned to the package, and Daniel slowly opened it to reveal a small, detailed, leaded glass light catcher with a mountain scene. “This is a rendition of a view from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the color they used for the sky reminded me of your eyes, with the highlights of purple that run through.” James looked deeply into Daniel’s eyes as though he were trying to verify that he was correct. Daniel held the piece up to the light, sending sparkles onto the wall.
“It’s beautiful,” he whispered.
James leaned a little closer. “I’m glad you like it,” he breathed. Warmth flooded through Daniel. Was James going to kiss him? Daniel licked his lips and felt his breath hitch in anticipation, the sounds from the rest of the house receding until only the rush of blood through his ears remained. James slowly stood, Daniel’s gaze following him around the bed as he drew closer, his shoulders hunching slightly, flat belly flexing as he moved. Excitement built as the air in the room filled with tension and anticipation. “Do you want to use the bathroom first or should I?”
Jesus, that was a buildup to nowhere, and not at all what Daniel had been expecting. “Umm, you go ahead.” Daniel waited until James left the room and fell back on the bed. What an idiot. James was being nice, and he let his attraction for the guy run away with him. Daniel needed to get his head on straight and stop this nonsense. He pushed himself upright and removed his wig, tying a scarf around his head to cover up his hair. Then he stripped off his clothes, sighing as the layers came away and he was unrestricted once more.
Barefoot and covered in a robe, he was ready when James returned, and Daniel checked outside the door before zipping across to take his turn in the bathroom.
The real danger was when he returned without his makeup, so Daniel made sure there was no one nearby when he returned to the bedroom and shut the door.
A single light burned next to his side of the bed. James was already under the light covers, his cannonball shoulders and muscled arm resting on top of the covers, with a hint of powerful back also showing. Daniel hung his robe on the doorknob just as James rolled over.
“Pink pajamas.” James chuckled softly. “In all my life I never expected to sleep with someone in pink pajamas.”
Daniel climbed onto the bed and smacked James on the shoulder. “What did you expect me to wear to bed with your mom and dad in the next room?” He met James’s gaze and lifted the covers, because what the hell? James had on a pair of baby blue boxer shorts, nothing else, and Daniel got a tantalizing look at the rest of him...and he liked...definitely.
“Hey...” James protested, but held the covers in invitation. Daniel shrugged and got into bed. What the hell else was he going to do, sleep on the damn floor? He didn’t think so, and making James sleep on the floor just seemed mean. He pulled the covers up to his chin, and James rolled over once again. Daniel turned out the light and stared up at the ceiling.
“You know this has to be the craziest thing I have ever done in my life,” Daniel whispered, unable to relax even though he was tired.
“Somehow I doubt that,” James retorted softly. Daniel glared at his back.
“Ass.”
“You’re going to have to do better than that,” James quipped, still facing the other way.
Daniel poked his shoulder. “Do you really want to go there? I am a drag queen, and I’ve spent more time in the reading room than you can imagine.” He scooted up, resting against the headboard, crossing his arms over his chest. James turned over, propping his head on his hand. “Think before you answer.”
James laughed again, his face free of the tension it seemed to carry so much of the time. “You need to do that more often.”
“What?” James whispered.
“Smile. You’re so serious. And you have a great laugh, deep and rich. It suits you. Too bad it seems to be missing a lot of the time.” Daniel slid back under the covers. “You knew how to laugh when we were back in Chicago.”