Rhys moaned and opened up for him, his fingers curling in Wade’s hair, his body heating up in Wade’s arms.
Desire filled Wade, a yearning so strong it brought a groan of pure need up his throat. He leaned down, grabbed the back of Rhys’s thighs, and lifted him up against his body. Rhys whimpered against Wade’s lips, his long legs wrapping instinctively around Wade’s waist while his arms closed on Wade’s shoulders.
“The bedroom?” Wade grunted, nipping at Rhys’s lips.
“Down that corridor,” Rhys murmured shakily, indicating a passage leading off the far end of the lounge.
Wade turned and headed in that direction with Rhys in his arms, passion a growing blaze inside his chest. In that instant, Wade knew he needed more than just sex with Rhys tonight.
He wanted a declaration. An affirmation. A promise.
The beginning of them.
I can feel his lips. His kiss. His touch. The weight of his body on me. The lustful look in his eyes. His heat as he enters me. His strength as he takes me. His heavy breaths as he thrusts into my body.
Even in my filthiest fantasies, Wade was never like this. So rough. So demanding. So hungry. He drags me along by brute force, his giant body pinning me down to the bed while he impales me. My field of vision narrows. My reasoning is wrecked. I get muddled.
I want more.
The way Rhys takes me to the hilt, deep in his ass. His moans and his shivers as he rides me. His gasps and the way he trembles when I turn him on his front and do him doggy style. I feel like I'm going out of my mind. I have never been filled with such desire before. The desire to take. To brand. To tame. To see him submit to me. But also to cherish. To protect. To revere.
This is more than I thought I ever wanted. So much more. And I need it all so badly I can taste him on my tongue. Yearn for him so badly that I wish this moment would never end. One thing I’m certain of.
I will never let him go.
He is my world. And I am his gravity.
Epilogue
Rhys stirred and sighed, his muscles aching pleasantly as he stretched his legs. The man holding him against his chest brushed his lips across Rhys’s forehead.
“‘Morning,” Wade murmured.
“Hmm,” Rhys hummed. “‘Morning.” He blinked his eyes open and looked fuzzily at Wade. “What time is it?”
Wade smiled, his gaze full of warmth. “I love how untamed your hair is in the morning.” He nuzzled the unruly blond locks on Rhys’s head. “Makes me want to mess it up even more. And it’s—,” he picked his watch off the nightstand and glanced at the dial, “—three in the afternoon.”
Rhys rose up slightly and looked over his shoulder at the glass wall opposite the bed, heat from the flames burning in the fireplace licking faintly over his bare skin. Snow painted the forest and mountains outside in a breathtaking sea of white under cloudless blue skies.
“It’s Christmas,” Rhys mumbled.
“Uh-huh,” Wade said, his lips finding Rhys’s throat.
Rhys shivered and arched his neck, giving Wade better access. “I can’t believe we fucked for two days straight.”
“I love it when you talk dirty,” Wade drawled, his hands sliding sensuously down Rhys’s back to cup his ass. “And, I gotta admit, two days is my personal best to date.”
Rhys groaned and clutched Wade’s shoulders. He’d lost count of the number of times Wade had said “love” since the night he turned up at the cabin and stormed his way past all of Rhys’s defenses to capture his heart once more.
To say that Wade’s confession had shocked Rhys to the core and nearly robbed him of his senses would be a gross understatement. Never in a million years could he have imagined that Wade had felt something for him all along. Something he hadn’t been able to define for all those years, until the night he witnessed Rhys making love to himself while shouting out Wade’s name.
Wade’s incredible admission and what had happened between them afterward were forever etched in Rhys’s mind, memories he would cherish for the rest of their lives and take to his grave.
Rhys’s dick stirred as Wade slipped his fingers in the crack of Rhys’s butt and ran his thumb over the pucker of his hole, his teeth nipping at Rhys’s skin, adding to the marks he had already made.
Rhys moaned when he felt Wade’s erection dig persistently into his belly. Though he was a little sore after the sex fest of the past two days, Rhys knew he would be unable to deny Wade. And he didn’t want to.
He rose up on his hands, kissed Wade passionately, and slid his way down Wade’s body until his mouth found Wade’s thick, hot cock.
Wade shuddered and groaned, his fingers curling in Rhys’s hair, messing it up further.
Ten Days Later
Gabe blinked slowly, his expression stunned as he stared from Rhys to Wade and back again.
“What?” he mumbled.
Wade smiled. “We want you to become a partner in Damon & Tucker.” He glanced at Rhys where the latter stood beside his chair. “It’s something we’ve had in mind for a while. And we think now is the right time to bring you on board.”
Gabe’s knuckles whitened where he’d unconsciously gripped the armrests of his seat. He swallowed.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Rhys said with a grin. “Of course, if you don’t want it—” he added in a teasing tone.
“I want it!” Gabe said in a rush. He colored slightly under Wade and Rhys’s amused gazes. “I mean, yes.”
It was the first week of January and the office was buzzing with activity once more. They were scheduled to complete the Osaka contract in five days, and Gabe’s long-term project in Hawaii was also coming to a close. In addition to their forthcoming proposal with the president of Keele Industries, they’d been approached by the CEO of Rutherford Industries and the young heir to the Colby Corporation for a rather special project in the Pacific Ocean.
Although Wade was excited at the way their business was thriving, he was a hundred times more thrilled about finally possessing the man standing next to him body, heart, and soul. They’d ended up spending a week at the cabin in the mountains and reluctantly returned to Tokyo on New Year’s Eve. Wade had contacted Joe and Ethan on Christmas Day and updated them on how things had gone in Nagano, while Rhys spoke to Michael and thanked him.
It had taken all of Wade’s patience since they’d returned to the city not to scream from the top of his lungs and announce to the whole wide world that Rhys Damon belonged to him.
Wade suspected Rhys wouldn’t mind if he made their relationship public, but he wanted the two of them to talk about it first and decide how they would announce it to their wider circle of friends and their employees. Wade suspected most would be shocked and hoped the majority would be happy for them.
Not that it mattered at the end of the day.
Wade knew what he wanted and what he wanted was Rhys. And as long as Rhys was his, he didn’t much care what the rest of the world thought of him.
They had their first opportunity to reveal the change in their relationship that very evening, when they went to Saron for a drink. To Wade’s surprise, there were two women seated at the bar. One of them was Lana Keele. Perched on a barstool next to her was Eveline Claude, the owner of Le Secret and one of their clients.
“Hey Rhys, long time no see,” Eveline said, flashing them a smile. She cocked an eyebrow at Wade. “I didn’t know this was one of your watering holes too.”
“Wade?” Lana said, surprise widening her green eyes as she leaned around the blonde and stared at Wade.
“Hi, Lana,” Wade said. He glanced at Rhys’s curious expression and made the introductions while they settled on a pair of barstools. “Lana, this is my partner, Rhys Damon. Rhys, Lana Keele.”
Rhys smiled and shook Lana’s hand, his gaze bereft of accusation as he studied the brunette who had almost ended their relationship. Wade could tell Rhys had noted that Wade hadn’t used the words “business partner”.
&nb
sp; “I know we have a meeting set up this Friday, but it’s nice to finally meet you,” Rhys told Lana.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Lana said amiably, her cheeks dimpling as she grinned. She glanced between Rhys and Wade. “I must say, working with you two is going to keep me, er, hot under the collar.”
Wade suppressed a chuckle at Rhys’s startled expression.
“I kinda see what you mean, now,” Rhys murmured drily.
“What?” Lana said, her cat-like eyes glinting with curiosity. “Did Wade say something about me?”
“One minute,” someone stated stonily behind them. “I was gone one goddamn minute and you’re already flirting with someone.”
Wade twisted on his seat and nodded a greeting at Tom Sutherland where the latter stood staring grouchily at Lana.
“What I do in my free time is none of your business,” Lana bristled while Eveline giggled. “And why are you here again?”
“To keep an eye on you. I know what you’re like when you’ve had one too many,” Tom retorted. “Besides, nothing strikes more fear in an assistant’s heart than hearing the words “I’m going to go out and get royally fucked tonight” out of the mouth of his boss when he knows she’s got a business meeting at seven a.m. the following morning.” He looked around at the busy crowd filling the club. “If I knew you were coming here, I would have spent the night catching up on tomorrow’s proposal.”
Rhys leaned close to Wade. “Ah. I see what you meant by that, too,” he whispered, amused.
Wade had to quell the sudden urge to kiss Rhys as Rhys’s scent tickled his nostrils.
A private door opened next to the back of the bar. Joe and Ethan appeared, heads close as they spoke to each other in low voices, their arms grazing intimately.
Eveline took one look at their slightly disheveled clothes and the color on Ethan’s cheeks before heaving a sigh.
“Seriously, you two need to stop screwing like rabbits every damn chance you get and rubbing your hot sex life in your single friends’ faces,” she said, pursing her lips. “It’s darn irritating.”
“You’re just jealous ‘cause you’re not getting any,” Ethan said blithely while Joe grinned and dropped a kiss on his head.
“Well, I can’t deny that the thickest thing my vajayjay has seen of late is a dildo,” Eveline admitted with a grimace.
Rhys twitched on the stool next to Wade. Wade eyed Rhys’s reddening ears and bit back a smile as he recalled the sinful play they’d had with Rhys’s sex toy two nights ago.
“Wade?” someone said behind them.
Wade looked over his shoulder and saw Gabe and his fiancé Cam Sorvino appear through the crowd.
“Hey, Gabe,” Wade said. He turned and shook Cam’s hand. “Cam, it’s great to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you too, Wade,” Cam said with a nod and a smile.
Rhys glanced between Gabe and Cam before cocking an eyebrow at Gabe. “You told him yet?”
Cam grinned and took Gabe’s hand in his own. “Yes, he did. That’s why we’re here tonight. To celebrate.”
“Oh,” Ethan said curiously. “What are we celebrating?”
Cam gazed at the blushing man beside him. “Gabe just made partner,” he said, pride underscoring his voice.
“Oh wow!” Lana blinked as warm congratulations echoed along the counter, Ethan leaning over to hug Gabe and slap him on the back. “So, I get to work with three hotties?” She fanned herself, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Tom groaned beside her. “Well, considering they’re all batting for the other team, I think I can safely say you’re not going to get in their pants.”
Lana’s eyes widened as she gazed at her secretary. “Huh? What do you mean?”
Eveline stared from Rhys to Wade, awareness dawning in her gaze. “Oh.”
Tom grunted. “My spidey sense has yet to let me down when it comes to these things.”
Gabe opened and closed his mouth soundlessly as Tom’s meaning finally sank in. “Come again?” he finally stammered, blue eyes wide with shock.
Rhys sighed at the stunned expressions around them.
Though he didn’t mind their friends knowing about his and Wade’s relationship, he would have preferred if Wade and him had announced it on their own terms.
Looks like that’s not going to happen now.
Rhys startled when Wade suddenly took his hand.
Wade gazed at him hotly. “I’m not batting for a team. I only bat for one man,” he said to the others. He dropped a kiss on the back of Rhys’s knuckles and grinned when Rhys flushed. “And yes, Gabe. I have come. Many times.”
Rhys groaned and covered his face with his other hand. I can’t believe he just said that.
Ethan chuckled from the other side of the counter. “Way to broadcast your status as a couple, you guys. Now we won’t have to tiptoe around you two and watch every damn word that comes out of our mouths when our common acquaintances are within earshot.”
Eveline brightened. “Oh, so Wade knows about Joe and Rhys being fuck buddies in New York?”
Rhys stiffened on the barstool beside Wade.
“Ah-ha!” Ethan stared smugly at Joe. “So I was right.”
Lana propped her elbows on the counter and cupped her chin in her hands, her avid green gaze shifting from Wade, to Rhys and Joe, and back again.
Eveline flashed Joe and Rhys a nervous smile. “Er, was that still meant to be a secret?”
“Kinda,” Joe muttered. “It wasn’t really up to me to disclose it.” He sighed at Ethan’s self-satisfied expression. “I thought you’d be more pissed off.”
Ethan shrugged. “I can’t deny that it irks me a bit, but that has more to do with you not telling me the truth than it does with the fact itself.”
Rhys turned to face Wade, his eyes full of wary determination. “I—”
Wade leaned in and kissed him while their friends started teasing Eveline for not being able to keep a secret. “As long as I’m the only one you fuck from now on, I don’t really care,” he murmured against Rhys’s lips.
Rhys blinked, surprised. “Hmm, okay.”
“I am the only one you’re going to fuck from now on, right, Rhys?” Wade teased, running his hands up from Rhys’s knees to Rhys’s thighs.
“Uh-huh,” Rhys mumbled, his eyes glazing over at Wade’s touch.
Wade leaned toward him and pressed his forehead against Rhys’s. “I’m so head over heels in love with you,” he murmured.
Rhys swallowed, overcome with emotion. I’m going to die from happiness.
Wade’s expression slowly sobered as his slate-blue eyes drilled steadily into Rhys’s. “I’ve been thinking about something.” He hesitated before glancing down and gently stroking Rhys’s ring finger. “How would you feel if one day I want to show the world that you belong to me in the most irrevocable way one person can belong to another?”
Rhys inhaled sharply. He stared at Wade, stunned at how easily words of love and adoration fell from his lips and the meaning behind his question.
“I would be honored,” Rhys replied, blinking back sudden tears. He bit his lip. “Are you—are you sure?”
“Absolutely, positively, one hundred percent sure,” Wade said, pressing his lips softly to Rhys’s.
“Only one hundred?” Rhys teased, his heart full to bursting.
Wade smiled. “A thousand percent.”
Rhys arched an eyebrow.
“A million percent.” Wade grinned and took Rhys’s mouth in a searing kiss full of promise.
THE END
Thank You
Thank you for reading THE PROPOSITION!
I hope you enjoyed Rhys and Wade’s story. I have to say they are my favorite couple in NIGHTS so far!
Rhys and Wade will be back in ONE DAY (Nights Series Book 9) coming late 2018.
I would be super grateful if you could consider leaving a review of THE PROPOSITION on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Reviews are vital for authors a
nd all reviews, even a couple of short sentences, can help readers decide whether to pick up one of my books. Here are the links:
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About the Author
Ava Marie Salinger is the pen name of an Amazon bestselling author who has always wanted to write scorching hot contemporary and erotic romance. In 2018, she finally decided to venture to the steamy side. NIGHTS is the first of several sizzling series featuring sweet, sexy men and women with dark pasts and a whole lot of love to give to the ones brave enough to fight for their hearts. When she’s not dreaming up hotties to write about, you’ll find Ava creating kickass music playlists to write to, spying on the wildlife in her garden, drooling over gadgets, and eating Chinese.
Here are some other places where you can connect with her:
www.amsalinger.com
Ava’s Nights Club
Also by A.M. Salinger
One Night (Nights Series Book 1)
The Escort (Nights Series Book 2)
Tokyo Heat (Nights Series Book 3)
Sweet Obsession (Nights Series Book 4)
Sweet Possession (Nights Series Book 5)
COMING SOON...
Undisclosed (Nights Series Book 7)
Hush (Nights Series Book 8)
One Day (Nights Series Book 9)
Undisclosed (Nights Series Book 7) Special Preview
The Proposition (Nights Series Book 6) Page 12
