Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Did classy guys like this hook up? He figured they must—everyone did—but maybe they didn’t do it so fast. Maybe they had wine or something first. He didn’t know and didn’t have anyone he could text to ask. Well, he’d have to wing it.
Thankfully, unlike his usual hookups, this one was taking place during the light of day and without the brain-fuzzing addition of alcohol, so Emilio had been able to really see Spencer and notice his mood. And now that he was aware of the other man’s anxiety, he could change his approach. He still wanted to get off, but he didn’t want to scare Spencer away in the process. If that meant going slow, he was game. They could talk first; maybe get into bed instead of screwing up against the door. That’d be okay.
“Great neighborhood,” he said, looking around as he spoke. Green yards were scattered with flowering bushes, and the tall trees reached for each other, forming a canopy over the road. “I love all the mature trees. In the newer neighborhoods, every house looks the same and the landscaping is barely grown in.” Spencer still looked scared, so Emilio let his instinct guide him. He walked over, gently pried the briefcase from Spencer’s clenched fist, and then threaded his fingers with Spencer’s, running his thumb over the back of Spencer’s smaller hand. “Your house is great. I love Tudors. When was it built? Sometime in the thirties, if I’m guessing right.”
After swallowing hard a couple of times, Spencer took in a shaky breath and said, “Yes. It was built in 1934. I bought it a few years ago and planned to fix it up, but I haven’t been able to save up enough yet, so right now it’s sort of a mix of original and dated remodels.”
“That sounds interesting,” Emilio said with what he hoped was a soothing smile. “You wanna take me inside and give me the grand tour?”
With another deep inhale and a nod, Spencer started walking toward the steps. “It’s not much,” he said. “I think of it as the before picture. Hopefully someday I’ll be able to turn it into the after.”
“That’s okay,” Emilio said. He gave Spencer’s hand a squeeze and winked when the man looked up at him. “I’m in construction; I’m pretty good at seeing the diamond underneath the rough.”
“That’s a really beautiful way of looking at things,” Spencer replied. He graced Emilio with that soft smile again, the one that made Emilio feel warm inside, and then he unlocked the door and stepped into the house.
Emilio stayed by his side, holding his hand and carrying his briefcase. That small bit of contact was surprisingly nice. It was more tender than the usual groping he engaged in before getting to the main act, keeping his fire stoked without making the flames burn out fast.
“They kept the wood floors,” Emilio said, feeling immensely proud of his ability to focus on something other than the man next to him. “They get ripped out and replaced with carpet in so many of these houses, which is a shame. You’re lucky to have found one with the floors intact.”
“I thought so too,” Spencer answered excitedly. “It was one of the features that made me buy it, actually. But now that I’ve lived here for a while, I’ve noticed they’re in pretty bad shape. There are water rings in some places and gouges in others. I had a flooring company come in to give me a bid on refinishing them last year, but they said it couldn’t be done and gave me a quote on new floor instead.”
This was the most animated and least nervous Spencer had been since their first interaction. Apparently, talking about the house made him feel at ease. So Emilio dropped to his knees for a completely different reason than he had anticipated when he had chased the man down.
“Nah, that’s bullshit,” he said to Spencer after running his hands over the wood. “It’d take a bit of work, but these planks are thick. They were made to be sanded down and refinished, not like today’s factory manufactured stuff.”
“You think so?” Spencer asked, sounding hopeful. “Even with the water stains and the deep scratches?”
Emilio stayed on his knees and looked up, meeting Spencer’s gaze. It was strange being in that position next to a guy he was attracted to, a guy he had come there with the intention of seducing, and not going for his zipper. But Spencer wasn’t like other guys; he was someone worth holding onto. And if Emilio wanted a chance at that, he had to treat him better than a quick fuck.
“Yeah,” he answered quietly. “If some of the gouges and stains can’t be sanded out, they’ll add character.” Damn, but those eyes were beautiful, the gold strands shining next to the brown. It was hard to keep his hands to himself, so he clenched his fists and forced himself to focus on the conversation. “You’ll see. If someone puts hard work into this floor, it’ll shine.”