Ryan Halloran is attracted to Boon Andrews the moment he sees him on the window cleaners’ gondola outside his high rise office. But horror sweeps through Ryan when a gondola cable snaps, and his call to 911 saves the lives of Boon and his co-worker.
Although the near-fatal accident brings these two men together, never could two men be further apart in lifestyle and social status. Boon, a tattooed high school drop-out, wears earrings and dresses in frayed cutoffs and Doc Martens boots, and he cleans pools and windows for a living. Ryan, however, holds a master’s degree from the most famous film school in southern California and, as the elegant, cultured, and self-controlled vice president of a motion picture studio, he dresses in Versace suits and Bruno Magli shoes.
Despite their differences, Ryan not only responds to Boon’s carefree spirit and relaxed manner, he lusts for him. And Boon discovers his craving for nude sex play with this man turns out not to be based on gratitude that Ryan saved his life, but out of love.
As Ryan wrestles with work problems that could mean the loss of the film studio, he also falls deeply in love with the one-of-a-kind Boon. But when they start appearing in public together, and a former lover makes an appearance, the differences in their social status may well destroy their future.
They watched the sun as it set in a riot of color, and people drifted off for home. The ones who remained had settled into chairs indoors and out.
Ryan and Boon took their glasses of wine inside, heading for the living room. Dane and Bear sat together on a couch in the family room and their two female friends sat on another couch not far away. Shock riveted through Ryan when he saw them.
He stopped so fast Boon bumped into him. Ryan pulled him into the deserted kitchen and dropped his voice. “I thought Bear and Celeste were married.”
Boon smiled. “And that Marguerite and Dane were.”
“Yes, but the firefighters are holding hands.”
“The women are just their friends. They’re from out of state and took some time off to celebrate my survival with us. It’s Dane and Bear who’re the old married couple.” Boon’s eyes deepened in color, and he didn’t speak for a long moment. When he did, he looked Ryan in the eyes. His voice was low and quiet when he said, “They’re gay. Everyone here now is gay. Celeste and Marguerite are lovers and engaged.”
Happiness flooded Ryan, but “Oh” was all he could get out.
“Does that bother you?”
Expectation crackled through the air as Ryan knew Boon waited for his answer. Ryan set his glass on the counter and framed Boon’s face with his hands before pressing his mouth to Boon’s. His tongue teased the corners until Boon opened to him, and then he took his pleasure in the heated moisture of his mouth. When he pulled away, he said, “No, it doesn’t bother me. Did that bother you?”
Boon’s glass joined Ryan’s on the table, and he sighed as he pulled him into his arms and returned the kiss hungrily. With his lips against Ryan’s hair, he whispered, “No, it didn’t bother me. It makes me damned happy. I’ve wanted to do that ever since I was on that ambulance bed and you stepped over to me in your office. I thought maybe it was a flush of gratitude because you’d rescued us from certain death, but when I was in your bedroom checking out your windows, I still wanted you. Just thinking of us naked on your bed gave me a boner.”
“My groin was aching so much when we stepped in the doorway that I wanted to turn and pull you against me. Hard.”
“You can pull me against you now.”
“I’m not sure I could stop with only that.”
Boon took his hand. “Then let’s find a place where we don’t have to worry about stopping.”
