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| Photo credit: Peter Lee |
In the first snippet I shared, we meet Crawford, a successful executive with an international hotel chain who married (and later divorced) a colleague who he now has to work closely with on a trip overseas. Today you get to meet Mateus, a Portuguese national in the States on a temporary visa.
This is their first meeting as they board a plane for Vancouver.
The man gave Mateus an expectant look, and it took a beat for Mateus
to realize he was waiting for Mateus to slide out so he could take
the window seat. Right.
Mateus obliged, trying hard not to notice how nice the man smelled as
he slipped past him. It wasn't cologne, but something spicy and
alluring all the same. Probably just the combination of the man's
bodywash and own scent. It was intoxicating.
“So that's what your beef with the counter agent was, eh?” Mateus
said casually as they got themselves buckled in.
The man looked up, his brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”
Mateus had the good grace to flush, but it didn't stop his mouth from
running. “I saw you arguing at the counter in the terminal. You
really wanted that window seat, I guess.”
The man bristled, his jawline going even sharper as he gritted his
teeth. “Yes.”
Mateus let the silence hang between them for a few uncomfortable
seconds, and the man caved just as Mateus had hoped he would.
“I don't normally make a habit of yelling at customer service
agents,” he said, his tone a bit sheepish. Some of the rigor went
out of his posture as he relaxed against the seat. “I've had a very
bad few days, and I let my temper get the best of me. I apologized to
her.”
Mateus was beyond amused. The man had been gorgeous and intimidating
earlier, but now he was just adorable. “Well, it all worked out in
the end.” He gave the man his most inviting smirk, pleased when he
saw the faint beginnings of a blush stain his cheeks. Score yet
another point for Mateus's gaydar. “I'm Mateus.”
“Crawford,” his seat mate replied.
“Well, Crawford-who-really-likes-windows, I'll let you get to it,”
he said, nodding toward the attache at Crawford's feet.
Crawford seemed taken aback by Mateus's abrupt dismissal, which had
Mateus grinning to himself as he took out something to read. He'd
planned to spend the flight reading a bunch of trashy fiction, since
he'd been immersed in nothing but research and journal articles for
the last few months, but he didn't think he'd be able to concentrate
enough to keep up with the plot, no matter how predictable it was.
Just like he'd expected, Crawford had dug into his attache and pulled
out a slim laptop. He was typing away, intent on the screen. The
laser focus only made him more attractive. What would all that
intensity feel like if it was centered on him, Mateus wondered. He'd
assessed Crawford as uptight and repressed earlier, but after talking
to him and seeing the adorable way he could make him blush, Mateus
had changed his mind. Crawford was probably attentive and passionate
in bed. Mateus's pulse jumped as he let his mind wander, picturing
Crawford out of the delectable suit.
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