STEFANO Sample {Gay / MM Romance}

2

I bit my fucking smile down, keeping my face on the window as we drove home, willing the heat in my cheeks to subside while begging my fluttering heart to chill. I had been deprived of him, thought I didn't care, realized how much I did-how much I really needed to see him.

Sadie parked, and I was out, racing to the front door, passing Gav, nodding yes to whatever he was asking on my way up the stairs, attempting to hide my smile, my throbbing heartbeat breaking through my chest and these clammy palms. I couldn't help any of it-I was floating on fucking air, high as a kite from seeing him again.

I found sanctuary, slapping the door shut behind me before falling to the sheets, back flat, face dipped to the right, eyes locking on the frame perched atop the bedside table, a photo of Gav, Sadie, and us from their wedding. Four and a half months had somehow gone by, yet it felt like yesterday. Dammit, my smile went big, stare on the ceiling now, the white above turning to a screen, bringing the memories of that night to life.

"Dance with her until I'm done," Gav instructed, giving me that deathly glare and that silent demand behind it. "And Stefano, no one dances with my bride but me!"

I nodded, happy to keep the peace, and a second later, Sadie was in my arms, fighting me about Gav's demands, which I happily defended. This was his day, his wedding, and if he didn't want anyone dancing with his new wife, then so be it.

"Sadie!" Some guy's voice crept up. "I wanted to-"

Gav was right; the second he stepped away, guys came out of the woodwork for her. Not on my fucking watch. I swung around to block the troll. Fuck.

It was instant, some ghostly tingle engulfing me head to toe, shutting my lungs down, knocking the breath out of me, turning my body to stone, sending my heart racing a mile a minute.

My stare got trapped on him, on those brown eyes and the bushy lashes that protected them, on those lips, lined with dots of stubble that continued over his tan cheeks, Spanish maybe.

He smiled at me. I bit back the quivering sigh rumbling from my heart to my throat.

"Stefano," Sadie exclaimed, finally breaking the trance I was prisoner to. "This is just Mark. He works with me at the hospital. And, Mark, this is Stefano, Gavin's brother."

Mark. I stole another look, catching the short wave of dark hair gelled to the side before finding his stare that was also on me. And I was trapped again, staring with no power to look away.

"Relax, Stefano!" Sadie said with a laugh, her hand still around me, giving me a nudge. "You don't need to worry about Mark, trust me."

She was wrong. I definitely needed to worry.

His lips started moving, my eyes like a moth to a flame, staring like I'd never seen another man speak. "I was going to ask you to dance," he said to her with that same accent she had, that West Coast squeak. "But, uh, I'll just catch you later."

He smiled again-the power of it overwhelming. My hand fought to rise, to slap over my chest to both contain my heartbeat and pound my lungs, force them to exhale.

"You know what, Mark?" Sadie shouted to his back, making him turn around. "Could you and Stefano go talk to the announcer and the band and let them know we'll need to do the final dance soon? Gavin and I are running out of time."

You and Stefano? I whipped my face to hers, tightening my arm around her waist while I was at it. What was she doing? "Gav wants-"

"I know what Gavin wants," she cut me off as her hands slipped away, shoving me toward her friend. "But thanks, Stefano."