Stupid, stupid, stupid, Sean thought as he approached Alex’s door for the second night in a row. He wasn’t even a little bit drunk this time, so he had no excuse for his stupidity. But he hadn’t come for the same reason as before. He swore that. He just needed to talk to the guy, off the record. Apologize for last night. Thank him for keeping quiet about it. He had no intention of making another pass -- Alex had been right when he’d said they shouldn’t mix the professional and the personal.

He thumbed the door chime and waited. It was late, but Alex had been up at this time the night before, still dressed even. He waited a couple of minutes and then shook his head. Should have come earlier. He turned away and had taken a few steps down the corridor when he heard the door swish open.

“Hello?” Alex stepped out of the door, looking around, and then stared when he saw Sean. “Morgan? You’re here again?” That last part sounded like pure exasperation. Understandable. Sean almost tossed a word of apology over his shoulder and kept on walking, but he couldn’t. He had to go back.

Alex clearly had been in bed, and he wore only cream-colored pajama pants and a white cotton robe. He didn’t step back into the apartment, didn’t invite Sean inside.

“You know you shouldn’t be here,” he said.

“I have some things to say. Nothing like last night.”

“Give me one reason to believe that.”

“Alex.” He made his voice as soft and conciliatory as he could manage. “You’re smart enough to see we have to get this shit figured out. Can I come in?”

Alex glanced up and down the corridor. Sean shrugged. Did it matter if they were seen? A hundred cameras had probably already tracked Sean on his way here.

“If we were seen together last night, then tonight doesn’t make much difference,” Sean said. “And the longer we stand out here, the more chance there is some will see us.”

“Not if you leave.”

“Okay.” Sean stepped back. “If you think you can concentrate on the talks with this unresolved, then fine.” He turned to go.

“Wait.”

Sean stopped. He didn’t look around. He waited. In a moment Alex’s voice came again, quieter.

“All right. Come in.”

Sean took a deep breath and tried to quiet the stirrings of desire at the thought of going in there with Alex wearing so little. He would not make a move. He’d been alone before with guys he wanted but weren’t available; he’d been able to refrain from jumping them. He wasn’t an animal. This man is off-limits. You have self-control, so use it.

“You want coffee?” Alex asked when Sean came in and closed the door.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Sean wandered around, looking at the soulless art on the walls and the state-of-the-art entertainment equipment. He tried to avoid looking at the door that led to the bedroom. With a sudden rush of embarrassment, it occurred to Sean that Alex might not be alone. What if he’d left someone back in his bed while he came to the door? But he surely wouldn’t invite Sean in if he had someone else here, would he?

“Here’s your coffee.”

Alex startled him, appearing at his side, his feet silent on the deep, soft carpet. Sean took the coffee. “Thanks.”

Alex waited until he’d taken a couple of sips, then spoke. “Okay, say what you came here to say.”

“I wanted to apologize about last night. I acted like a dick. I came on strong, and I guess I might have ...” He wouldn’t say scared; Alex would never admit to that. “Freaked you out. If I did, I’m sorry. I’d never touch you if you didn’t want me to.”

Alex snorted. “If you tried, you’d get my knee in your balls.”

Sean didn’t argue, but if it ever came to a fight between them, he knew who’d win. They were probably equally strong, but Alex wouldn’t know a thing about fighting. Sean could take him easily. He swallowed hard and went on.

“Right. And I wanted to say thanks. You could have told my people, the local press, anyone about what I did, but you didn’t. Thank you.”

Alex retreated back behind the kitchen counter. “I don’t expect thanks. As I said, I prefer not to mix the personal and professional. And I don’t believe in using a man’s personal weaknesses against him for professional advantage.”

“Man of principle, huh?”

“Yes.”

Okay, he seemed sincere. Sean chose to trust him on it. But they had more to discuss.

“What about the rest? We have to talk about it. All this sexual tension --”

Alex turned from the counter and dumped his coffee cup beside the sink. Sean headed around the counter. “Just because we did it a couple of times, doesn’t mean --” Sean’s booted feet touched the hard floor of the kitchen area, and Alex spun around, his posture defensive, his eyes wide. When Sean held out his empty coffee cup, Alex briefly flinched back from his hand.

“Cup,” Sean said.

His movement wary, Alex reached for it. Inevitably as he took it, their fingers brushed, and he gasped. Sean almost lost it there and then, but he kept his control. He should go, he knew. He should go now.

He couldn’t go. Not without ...

“Alex ... Oh, fucking hell.”

He stepped forward, pulled Alex into his arms, and kissed him. It would probably only last seconds, he knew, and then he’d get the promised knee in the balls to cool his ardor. But seconds could stretch to hours, with this man in his arms. With that mouth on his. Alex opened his mouth, welcoming the kiss, probably purely on instinct. Any second now, he’d regain his senses, and then it would be knee/scrotum interface time.

“Stop!” Alex pulled away from the kiss, still in Sean’s arms. His body pressed close, and he was moving, but not fighting. Sean grinned.

“If you want to stop, then why are you grinding your hard-on against me rather than punching me in the teeth?”

Alex looked down at himself with a chagrined expression, as if suddenly realizing his treacherous body was giving away what he really felt. He looked back up at Sean.

“A punch in the teeth can still be arranged.”