“I have evidence says he doesn’t.” Sid held up the short note. “He’s left you his number and told you to call him if you need anything. Why would he do that if he hated you?”
Dante blinked and took the note back. A tremor shook his fingers as his gaze darted rapidly over the page. “I don’t know why he’d do that. I haven’t seen him in years.”
“He loves your brother, though, right?”
“Yeah,” Dante choked out. “Like, so fucking much. And Luis loves him the same. They’d die for each other.”
“That’s nice.”
“Is it?”
“I think so.” Sid laid a cautious hand on Dante’s forearm and rubbed the warm skin he found there. “If it makes them happy.”
“It makes Luis happy. I can’t tell with Paolo. Last time I saw him he wanted to set me on fire.”
A faint smile played on Dante’s lips.He likes Paolo. But there was sadness too. And so much self-loathing Sid could taste it in the weighted air between them.
He stopped rubbing Dante’s arm and squeezed instead until Dante looked at him with wet eyes. “Do you need a hug?”
Dante laughed his quiet laugh again. “I don’t know. Are you offering?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“Why not? And I’m only listening if you have a different reason than you being an evil bastard.”
“Damn. That’s all I’ve got.”
Sid grinned and wound his arms around Dante’s hunched shoulders, pulling him into the kind of embrace he often craved when he was alone with jittery limbs and burning nerves. The kind of hug that could shut the world out, just for a moment. A tight hug, with back rubs and ruffled hair, though he bottled the last part.God, he feels good.
More than good. Dante’s body was heated steel, warmth spreading from every pressure point where they touched, gifting Sid as much relief as he hoped he was giving. He felt Dante began to relax, for real this time, taut muscles softening until he dropped his head on Sid’s shoulder, andman, if it didn’t feel fuckingamazingto have someone as strong as Dante lean on him.
Sid smiled into Dante’s hair and slid his hand to the nape of his neck, unmoving, justright there.
Dante sighed, and his palm skimmed Sid’s hip, a ghost-like touch that changed everything.
A shiver ran through Sid. He tipped his head back in time to see Dante do the same. For a long, heart-stopping moment, they stared at each other, then Sid’s lips touched Dante’s in a feather-light kiss, and he had no fucking cluehow.
Or how to stop.
The gentle, brushing kiss deepened. Sid sucked in a breath that swamped him with everything Dante—his rough jaw and earthy scent. Hislips. Fuck, they were every bit as soft as Sid had imagined,softer—Jesus fuck—and a low moan escaped him. Or maybe it was Dante. With his head swimming, he couldn’t tell. All he knew was that he was kissing Dante—and Dante was kissing him right back—and that he needed to stop. Now. Before the heat shooting through him became too addictive to give up and he set them both up for the world’s biggest let-down.
Reality bit hard.
Sid tore his lips free and backed up, clattering sideways into the metal railing around the porch. “Shit. Fuck. I’m sorry.”
Dante stood still, save the hand that drifted up to rub his lips. Dazed. Gorgeous.Beautiful.
And plainly confused. He shook his head as if to clear it. “It’s okay. I—”
“No. You don’t understand.Fuck!” Sudden anger raged to life in Sid, roaring through his veins before he could catch it. He smacked his head with the heel of his hand, stepping back again, widening the distance between them in the futile hope that it would erase what he’d just done. “You don’t understand,” he said again. “I can’t do this. It’s not okay. Shit, I’m sorry.”
His back hit the front door. He fumbled for the handle before Dante could speak and staggered inside, slamming it shut and leaving Dante on the porch.
The doorframe rattled and another shiver battered Sid, but it came from a darker place this time. A place he’d sworn he’d never put himself again.
Or anyone else.