That Sweet Burn Read online

  “I might ask why, but I don’t give a rat’s a—”

  “I think you’re hiding something,” Franco said quickly, giving Dimitri a look of challenge.

  Dimitri felt a chill. “Hiding something? What?”

  “Are you and Rolly bed partners?”

  “Why, you bastard! What the hell…No. I mean, Rolly’s a great guy, but this was our first…and last time together, so don’t worry, you can have him.”

  “Oh, my God, you think I’m jealous? Nothing could be further from the truth.”

  “Then what are all the questions about?”

  “Mere curiosity, that’s all.”

  “I’ve always heard that old people like to meddle in other people’s business. Well, my advice, old man, is to back off. And the dinner invitation…just tell Rolly that I’m busy.”

  “What if I said I wanted you to come…for me? We can invite Rolly, if you want.”

  Dimitri looked closely at him. “For you? Why? I just said—”

  “I know what you said. I’m not stupid either, Dimitri. I know what you are, but Rolly’s not the one for you. I think you know that too.”

  Dimitri felt his blood running cold. “What…What do you mean?”

  “You’ve never been with a man, have you? You, my boy, need a real man. You go for the…let’s see…the dark, mysterious type, don’t you? Like me, maybe?”

  “My God, talk about conceit.”

  “What you call conceit, I call confidence. Take my advice, and don’t be afraid to come out of the closet. Hell, you know where your passions lie. Go after them. The world’s a different place today. Sure, there are stupid people out there that don’t understand men like you, but they never will, so why waste your time worrying about what they think? Live your life the way you want to live it. Leave them to drown in their own stupidity.”

  Dimitri’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. You’re gay, aren’t you?”

  “Since the day I was born.”

  “But Rolly told me you had a wife…”

  “My roots are in Argentina, and Latin men would rather eat rocks than admit they are gay. Like you, I wouldn’t admit it to myself for a long time, and by the time I finally did, I had a wife who I loved very much. Although I am what I am, I tried to do my best for her. I may be gay, but I did love her, and I stayed by her.”

  “Does Rolly…”

  “No, he doesn’t. He has this image of me that I would rather not disturb.”

  “Why? He’s gay. It seems to me he would understand.”

  “Rolly’s a great guy, but I’d rather not tell a lot of people. If you do, the first thing you know, the truth leaks out, and some people look at you differently. I choose not to take that chance. You, on the other hand, have nothing to worry about, so if I were you I’d live my life the way I want to.”

  “What the hell? How can you stand there and tell me to come out when you haven’t come out yourself? That makes you a damned hypocrite, you know that, don’t you?”

  “Being called a hypocrite is the least of my worries. My advice to you is, until you know the whole story, don’t be too quick to judge. Do you know anything about Latinos and their whopping big egos? I’m sure you’ve heard that they have reputations for being hot-blooded and great lovers. Believe me, it’s not all hype. You might want to think about that.”

  Franco’s words and steady gaze rendered Dimitri speechless. Was this man—Rolly’s landlord—flirting with him? Finally he said, “I don’t intend to give it another thought.”

  “I think you will.”

  “You know what you are? You’re a conceited a—”

  “That’s the second time you’ve used that word. Why would you say that?”

  “If you think because I’m gay I’ll just fall into your arms, think again. I’m very selective.”

  “I’m sure you are, and that’s good. It’s too bad you’re not interested, I think we could…”

  “I didn’t say that,” Dimitri said quickly. “By the way, I don’t like you putting words in my mouth.”

  “What about my tongue?”

  Dimitri’s eyes grew wide at his bold remark, causing a burst of heat to flood him and spread through him like the threads of a spider’s web, holding him captive.

  “Dimitri, let’s cut to the chase here. I think we both know there’s an attraction between us. Now if we can manage to put our differences aside, and have a relationship, we would have to be very careful to stay quiet about it. I definitely don’t want Rolly knowing about this.”

  “Not that I’m even considering this, but why would you want to spare Rolly’s feelings? He’s a big boy. He can handle it.”

  “Of course he is, but he’s just come out of a failed relationship, and if he has feelings for you I think it would be best not to rub his face in it.”

  “Feelings for me? Hell, we only met last week. How could he have feelings for me?”

  “I hope you’re right, however, I still have a business, and clients, and about a million reasons why I have to keep this a secret. But you…the only thing you have holding you back is being afraid of what people will say. Hell, I wish that was all I had to worry about. Take my advice and before you get a day older and become this big hot shot lawyer you intend to be, come out. Tell the friggin’ world to go to hell, and make them understand that you don’t give a…for want of a better term…rat’s ass about what they think. You’ll win friends, and lose them. There’ll be those that will ridicule you and others that want to beat the hell out of you, but there will also be those that will stand beside you. And Dimitri…I’ll be among them.”

  “Yeah? Which side will yo—”

  “Which do you think?”

  “Sorry,” Dimitri said, embarrassed. “And thank you. As much as I hate to say it, you’ve given me something to think about Mr…uh, si…uh, Franco.”

  Franco smiled. “Now that impresses me.” He looked up at the rustling trees when the wind came up, and then back at Dimitri. “You sure you don’t want to come in for a drink?”

  “No,” Dimitri said as he turned up his collar. “It’s a little late. I guess I’d better be getting home.”

  “Well, it’s getting a little chilly out here, so I think I’ll go in now. By the way dinner is Saturday night at seven. Drive safely.”

  Dimitri stood there, watching in awe as Rolly’s landlord, this absolutely beautiful man walked toward the door, opened it, stepped in, and then turned, giving him a sexy wink just before he closed it. When Dimitri saw it, a sudden flare of heat sprang up from his core once again and surrounded him, reminding him of something. Moving quickly, he reached into his pocket and looked down at the little white strip.

  You are about to begin a secret love affair…

  Chapter 3

  THE next morning at breakfast, Franco answered the doorbell and saw Rolly standing there. “Hi, Rolly, I was just sitting down to breakfast. There’s plenty if you want to join me.”

  “No thanks. I just wanted to see how things went with Dimitri last night. I went inside, and the next thing I knew he was gone. I thought he might wait, but…”

  “He wasn’t feeling all that great, so he left. I was wondering…how do you feel about him?” Franco asked while idly moving his food around on his plate.

  “I think—” he began, while pouring himself some coffee.

  “I don’t think he’s the man for you, Rolly,” Franco said, interrupting.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Well, he’s…inexperienced, if you know what I mean.”

  Rolly stopped pouring and looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Inexperienced? What the hell did you two talk about when I went inside?”

  “Oh, come on, Rolly. You must have known that.”

  “All right, so he’s inexperienced. I don’t care about that. Actually, he’s perfect. He’s cute, smart—”

  “Cut it off now before you get hurt.”

&
nbsp; “Franco,” Rolly said, clearly surprised at his words, “where the hell is this coming from? Out of all the creeps I’ve brought back here Dimitri is the one you give me a thumbs-down on? He’s the only one I’ve met who’s got it all together. Why would you…?”

  Noisily slapping the fork down on his plate, Franco said, “Stop lying to yourself, Rolly, this is me you’re talking to. I know you. You’re looking for a man who’s…well…ready to jump into bed, which is what all the others had in common. Dimitri…well, he’s going to take some…I don’t know…courting. I doubt if you’ve got the patience.”

  Rolly snickered. “Courting? What century did you come out of, old man?”

  “That’s right, I am older than you, and I know a few things you don’t know. Leave the guy alone. He’s not ready.”

  “Why, you bastard! How would you know what Dimitri is ready for?”

  “I know because I talked to him. He’ll never come around. Believe me.”

  “I don’t need your advice, or anyone else’s to know how to handle Dimitri. If I didn’t know better I’d think you were trying to get him for yourself.”

  “Rolly, most of the men you date are way more experienced than you. They know the ropes. Dimitri is new at this. He won’t please you, believe me.”

  “I like innocence. I can show him what he doesn’t know.”

  “Can’t you listen to me for once? You’re going to get hurt.”

  “But I like Dimitri.”

  “All right, I’ll prove it to you. Don’t make any plans for Saturday night, he’s coming to dinner.”

  “Saturday night? But I made plans when Dimitri said he couldn’t come. Did he change his mind?”

  “Something like that. Look, it’s no problem. You go on and have a good time, I’ll entertain Dimitri myself.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Actually it’ll be better this way. We’ll talk, and who knows, maybe I can find out how he feels about you. You know, discuss your relationship. I’ll pass along anything important I find out.”

  “Oh, God, don’t go throwing questions at him. You were terrible last night, and you embarrassed the hell out of me.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll handle him with kid gloves.”

  Looking at him as if he doubted his sincerity, Rolly put his cup down, and said, “I’ve got some things to do. I’ll see you later.”

  When Rolly left, Franco sat there drinking his coffee and wondering what he would think if he had any idea that he was wild to fuck the hell out of his boyfriend. Thinking back, he remembered that Dimitri’s eyes were brown—no, not just brown. They smoldered. Although he was only in his middle twenties, he had a suck-in-the-gut sensuality that sent Franco a message he couldn’t ignore. His very presence exhibited a dangerous, edgy, exciting vibe that when joined with his young man’s naiveté not only made him appealing, it made him likeable. Dangerously likeable. He would make the perfect con man—looking like a saint while lying like the devil.

  But he was inexperienced.

  That’s why he needed an older guy. A man with a little living under his belt. A man who wouldn’t fall hook, line and sinker for every line he gave him. Franco knew that if he was smart he would stay away, but how could he? He was amazed, bamboozled, and if he didn’t watch himself he would fall like an avalanche. He wasn’t alone in his feelings, he knew that Rolly probably felt the same way. More than likely they both saw the same thing in him—a hot, sexy, swaggering sex machine. A dude with blond hair that he wore in a messy style like the guys usually flaunt these days. He spent most of last night being careful what he said to Franco, but the minute Rolly went inside the conversation became a man-to-man exchange. He confronted Franco, holding his own, and Franco loved it. It was almost sexual, with the eye contact, the innuendoes. Hell, it took every bit of resistance Franco had not to grab him and eat him alive. He didn’t want some milk-fed momma’s boy, he wanted a man who would speak his mind, and Dimitri fit the bill nicely. He was also pleased to know that he didn’t want to offend Rolly, but he didn’t give a rat’s ass if he offended Franco.

  Rat’s ass—Dimitri’s words.

  Well, he was still young enough to use words like that.

  * * * *

  That same morning…

  While sitting at his desk at work, Dimitri kept staring down at the little white strip of paper he’d pulled from the fortune cookie, reading it over and over, and thinking of Franco and the dinner invitation. A chill crept down his spine when he thought of being with a man. Oh, he’d wished, he’d fantasized, and he’d dreamed of the day he would find someone, but this…this…Franco Moretti. Hell, he was a god in Dimitri’s eyes. If he was smart he would start out with someone not quite so good-looking. Like Rolly, maybe. The only problem was, Rolly didn’t do it for him, but this Franco guy turned his insides to jelly. Too bad he wasn’t in his league. He was way too—suddenly he heard a voice behind him.

  “You are about to begin a…”

  Suddenly Dimitri crumpled it up in his hand, and turned around.

  “Hey! I didn’t finish reading it yet.”

  “What do you want, Joey? By the way it’s not nice to read other people’s…stuff.”

  “You’re such a…oh, before I forget, the boss wants to see you in his office.”

  “He does? What does he want?” Dimitri asked. “Is it about the Morley case?”

  “He didn’t tell me.”

  Dropping the white strip down on his desk, he turned then, grabbed a bunch of files and rifled through them to find the one he might need.

  Joey picked up the strip and read it, and then looked at Dimitri who had just found the file and pulled it out. “A secret love affair, huh?” He looked around the office. “Got anyone in mind? How about Barbara, better known as Backseat Babs? Or, there’s Rachel. You know, with the big…”

  “Gotta go,” Dimitri said while checking to make sure he had everything. “The boss is waiting.”

  “You go right ahead. I’ll have a few more suggestions by the time you get back.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Dimitri mumbled as he started for his boss’s office. When he walked in, he saw his boss’s head buried in a stack of books. “Anything I can help you with, Mr. Sims?”

  “You can get me the Morley file.”

  “Here it is,” Dimitri said, laying it in front of him. “I thought you might need it.”

  “I’ll never be able to understand how you can read my mind, Dimitri.” Looking around on his desk for something, he finally found it, and said, “I think I’ve got this handled, but I’m going to need you late Saturday if you can get away.”

  “Saturday? Late? How…how late are we talking?”

  “About seven if you can swing it.”

  After his initial hesitation, he said, “My time is your time, Mr. Sims.”

  “I have to interview a new client that morning, and since I’ll be in court the rest of this week, and the lady has a reunion out of town on Sunday, it simply can’t be helped. You must know that I hate to impose on you like this, Dimitri, but this is the way it is in our business, and you need to learn to take the bad with the good. I’m sure you understand.”

  “No problem, sir.”

  “Thanks, Dimitri. I’ll make it up to you.”

  When Dimitri turned and left his boss’s office he went straight to the men’s room and splashed some cold water on his face, yanked out a couple of paper towels, and wiped it off. He was nervous about keeping the dinner date, but now that he had a legitimate excuse to cancel it, he was almost sorry. The attraction he felt for Franco Moretti was totally wrong, and he fought it, but he couldn’t seem to shake it. Maybe it was a good thing that he had to cancel. It scared him. Franco scared him. Sex with a man scared him. The future scared him. Damn, everything scared him. Finally, throwing the paper towels away, he walked out of the bathroom and made his way back to his desk, thankful that Joey wasn’t there when he ret
urned.

  He went straight to the phone, and picked it up slowly. While looking around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him, he punched in the number.

  “Hello.”

  “Uh…hi, Fra…uh, Mr. Moretti?”

  There was a hesitation, and then the voice became softer. “Yeah? Who is this?”

  “It’s Dimitri.”

  “Dimitri, what the hell? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s about the dinner date on Saturday. I can’t make it. My boss wants me to work late with him and a client. I’m sorry.”

  “Damn,” Franco said. “How long will you be?”

  “I don’t know. It’ll probably run late. Just tell Rolly—”

  “Rolly? What has he got to do with this?”

  “He’s going to be there, isn’t he?”

  “No, he’s going to be busy that night.”

  “Oh, well, that’s okay. We’ll make it another time, maybe some time when Rolly can make it.”

  “Hey, forget Rolly, okay? This is between you and me.”

  “You and me? I don’t understand.”

  “Dimitri, I really want to see you, so how about we meet at a little bar I know of out on the highway? It’s called Sonny’s Tavern.”

  “Yeah, I know the place, but I don’t know how long I’ll be. It could be two hours, or four. Hell, I might not get there at all.”

  “Look, do you intend to be there, or is this just some lame excuse you’re making up?”

  “What the hell’s happening here? I thought this was a dinner engagement that Rolly wanted to set up, but now…”

  “Dimitri, the vibes I got from you were on fire. Now, answer me. Do you want to do this, or don’t you?”

  Dimitri wasn’t stupid. He suddenly got the full impact of just what Franco meant, and when he pictured the fantastic face and body of the hot Latino in his mind, he felt a desire so strong he thought he might come in his pants. “Hell yeah, I do,” he finally mumbled.

  “Then I’ll wait. I’ll get there about ten, and you just come whenever you get free. I’ll have my cell phone with me, so call me if it’s going to be longer than you think. Okay?”