Different Tracks, Part 17 & the Final Week of The Wrong Man Blog Tour…

There are 4 stops today on this final week of The Wrong Man blog tour!   There are a some new interviews and behind the scenes info on my WeHo boys. Come on by and say hello!

2-Mar 3 Chicks After Dark
2-Mar Rainbow Gold Reviews
2-Mar Multitasking Mommas
2-Mar Love Bytes

I’ve joined some fab authors in writing a round robin story called Different Tracks. The authors are Sophie Bonaste, Brynn Stein, Grace Duncan, Suki Fleet, Elizabeth Noble, Kim Fielding, and Charlie Cochet. A new chapter will be posted every Monday and Thursday. I’m stepping in a little late in the game with part 17.  Parts 1-16 are listed below.  Catch up if you need to, then proceed… 🙂

Different Tracks Schedule
Part 1: Jan 5th – Sophie Bonaste
Part 2: Jan 8th – Brynn Stein
Part 3: Jan 12th – Grace R. Duncan
Part 4: Jan 15th – Suki Fleet
Part 5: Jan 19th – Elizabeth Noble
Part 6: Jan 22nd – Kim Fielding
Part 7: Jan 26th – Sophie Bonaste
Part 8: Jan 29th – Charlie Cochet
Part 9: Feb 2nd – Sophie Bonaste
Part 10: Feb 5th – Brynn Stein
Part 11: Feb 9th – Grace R. Duncan
Part 12: Feb 12th – Suki Fleet
Part 13: Feb 16th – Elizabeth Noble
Part 14: Feb 19th – Kim Fielding
Part 15: Feb 23rd – Grace R. Duncan
Part 16: Feb 26th – Charlie Cochet
Part 17: March 2nd – Lane Hayes
Part 18: March 5th – Brynn Stein
Part 19: March 9th – Grace R. Duncam
Part 20: March 12th – Suki Fleet
Part 21: March 16th – Elizabeth Noble
Part 22: March 19th – Kim Fielding

Part 17 by Lane Hayes

Peter’s knee slid suggestively between his under the table. Xander’s cock twitched at the contact. Fuck, Peter was hot. And there was something about him dressed in a collared shirt with a hint of cologne that made him want to reach across the table, run his fingers through those long blond bangs and trace his clean shaven jaw with his tongue. He wanted to taste him, touch him, muss him up. Not sit across from him wondering what the hell kind of polite dinner conversation was required of him. They had nothing in common other than the urge to get horizontal. Peter was too smart, too successful and too nice for someone like him. Xander didn’t want to be the guy to state the obvious, but this experiment was never going to work. Peter was out of his league.

“What kind of steak do you recommend?”

Xander snorted. “I don’t work here but—”

“Obviously. But you must know a lot about meat…” Peter’s tone dropped suggestively.

“Uh…”

Peter chuckled, obviously pleased at throwing Xander off guard. He glanced curiously at Peter. What was he up to? This was a nice enough restaurant but the vibe didn’t scream romance or seduction. Xander was grateful when their waitress came by to take their drink order and leave them with menus. It gave him a second to regroup.

“I thought you said you mentioned a Porterhouse earlier,” Xander commented as he pretended to study the menu as though he were going to be tested the second Sheryl returned with their drinks.

“Hmm. It’s sounds good. What about the T-Bone?”

Xander set his menu aside and cocked his head curiously. Yep, Peter was definitely up to something. Xander smirked, deciding to play along. “What about it? Are you looking for a thick piece of meant with a firm—”

Peter raised his right hand in surrender and flopped back in his seat. “Stop. Touché.”

Xander laughed and felt something inside him relax. They held eye contact, smiling in a simple way that wordlessly acknowledged a budding friendship under their obvious attraction. It was a poignant moment that encouraged trust and solidarity. It was a foreign feeling but a good one. When Sheryl set their drinks down and cheerily claimed she was ready to take their orders, the spell was broken.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Since you ordered the T-Bone, I think we’ve moved beyond a meat discussion. Am I right?”

Peter guffawed, his eyes crinkling sweetly at the corners. “You’re correct. Look… we’ve admitted neither of us date much but I think the way this goes is we ask questions about each other.”

“So you’re asking me if you can ask me stuff?” Xander teased, amused in spite of himself as Peter nodded with a grin. “Go for it.”

“How seriously do you take a game of Monopoly?”

“Huh?”

“You don’t like that one? Okay. How do you feel about cheesy bread?”

Xander scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Are you punkin’ me?”

“Not at all.” Peter actually fluttered his lashes.

Yeah, he was being punked. “I hate Monopoly. It’s boring. But cheesy bread is cool.”

“I’m with you on the cheesy bread but I love Monopoly. Maybe your memory is faulty. When was the last time you played?”

“Probably at a friend’s house when I was a kid. We didn’t have games at my house. We didn’t have much of anything really.”

Xander picked up his glass. Why did he say that? He hadn’t intended to share any family bullshit. But then again, as stupid as it seemed it brought to mind one of the biggest reasons Peter and he would never work. They came from different sides of the tracks. Literally.

Peter’s knee nudged his again. Xander could feel the weight of his stare. He flinched slightly as he glanced up with a tepid smile.

“I get the feeling we aren’t talking about Monopoly.” Peter leaned forward with an intense expression on his handsome face. “You know I don’t care what you have or where you’re from, right? I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable but I feel like I need to speak plainly or we’re never going to get beyond a first date. I like you Xander. And I think you like me too.”

“I do. I just—”

“Then let’s concentrate on that. The rest is background noise.” Peter stretched his hand across the table with his palm open in invitation. Xander swallowed hard as he linked his fingers with Peter’s.

He wasn’t sure it was all that easy but fuck… he really wanted it to be.