With Abandon: With or Without, Book 4

golden and
    glistening, inviting in the low light even if his abominable tattoos reminded Dylan of things he’d rather forget. Yves had a mural of colorful tattoos, quasi religious in nature, each facet symbolizing some part of his life in prison, his status among his men, his years in the mob, reworked and added onto with each new turn in the road his life had taken.
    William’s tats, with the exception of the enticing round one next to his cock, had been etched there as a beginning, the once upon a time of his story. Dylan didn’t doubt he was meant to have become part of the inked résumé—as a victim, had their attempt to ransom him been successful. Yet he could no more stop
    staring than he could have stopped breathing.
    If only he could remember how to breathe at all.
    Everything had changed with that earlier embrace. Dylan saw William with new eyes, and he hadn’t
    imagined William’s appraisal of him at dinner or the subtle sensual challenge he saw there.
    After a silent moment, William spoke. “I could use boots.”

    Dylan lifted his focus from William’s chest to find him watching, his gaze cautious but maybe a little
    smug.
    William waited. “Maybe a hat and some shades like yours? That would be cool.”
    Dylan’s soggy jeans were half undone. They draped precariously low on his hips. William’s gaze
    dropped to the line of pubic hair that showed above wet blue fabric. Dylan’s cheeks flushed. Any slight shift and William would see the effect his presence was having on Dylan’s body. Again.
    Dylan grabbed up his towel and muttered, “Excuse me,” before heading to the bathroom.

    Well, shit. What was that all about? Dylan wanted him. Why did he keep running away?
    William was too fucking sore, cold and tired to worry about it. Walking had sucked the energy right
    out of him. He felt a little sick, like the mountain air really didn’t have enough oxygen in it for him to do more than lie on his bed and rest.
    Going to dinner had tired him, even though it was fun and tasted as fine as anything he imagined he’d
    get in a fancy restaurant. He’d felt Dylan’s eyes on him the entire time.
    I want you .
    Green light.
    Maybe—finally—Dylan would stop treating him like he was some kid he had to watch out for until
    social services stepped in.
    William grabbed a blanket and sat on one of the rockers in front of the fireplace. Curiosity kept him
    still, waiting. When Dylan returned from the bathroom, he wore the usual cool, distant expression on his face, even though he wasn’t quite meeting William’s eyes. He busied himself with building a fire while
    William watched and soon had a bright blaze glowing behind the fire screen.
    “This ought to warm things up.” Dylan pulled a blanket off his bed and sat in the rocker next to
    William.
    “Thanks.”
    “I’m glad Ernesto put firewood in here. The wood out back is probably pretty damp. We have enough
    for tonight, anyway.”
    “I checked, there are more blankets in the cupboard next to the kitchenette.”
    “We won’t freeze; there’s a space heater.”
    “I guess I’m just not used to it.”
    “It can get pretty cold in Vegas at night. One time it even snowed. Nothing like here though.”
    “I saw that on the news. Snow in Vegas.”
    “That was pretty amazing. Yves and I were having breakfast and he just…”
    William’s curiosity got the better of him. “What did he do?”

    Dylan smiled. “It’s nothing. He and I were together and he left so he could go home and play in the
    snow with his grandkids. It was beautiful. So serene. I felt a little like playing in it myself.”
    “I can see that.” William closed his eyes. It wasn’t hard to picture Dylan looking through the window
    of his opulent house, a man who had everything except someone to play with him in the snow. William was so tired the heat from the fire pulled every last bit of strength from his body. No matter how much he
    wanted Dylan, he could hardly keep his eyes open. “I bet you do all that snow stuff.”
    “I ski and snowboard. Des is a maniac. She’s completely fearless. She used to play ice hockey.”
    “I’m glad you can see her again. Sometimes I think…” He drifted into sleep, his rocker slowing to a
    bare back and forth, inches only.
    Dylan’s voice startled him. “William?”
    “Hm?” He started rocking again.
    “You were in the middle of a sentence.”
    When William opened his eyes, Dylan faced him, half illuminated by the fire,