Meet and Greet
Chapter 7

Back at the hotel, Kimmy followed Darryl and Scott into the elevator and up to their room on the fifth floor.Darryl cradled the plain brown bag from the ABC store in both arms so the bottom wouldn't tear out, and he kept flashing her a silly little grin.When they reached the room,Scott swiped his keycard through the lock and pushed inside the room,holding the door open so the others could follow behind him. “It isn't much,I'm afraid,” he said.“At least the bed's made,which is more than I can say about our room back home."

"That's your job, Mr.Neat Freak,”Darryl teased.He leaned against the door and let Kimmy pass by him.“After you,m’lady.”

She gave him a nervous smile. “You know I've never done this sort of thing before,right?”

"What's that?"Scott asked. "Come back to someone's hotel room at a convention to hang out and have a little fun? Don't tell me you're one of those people who actually spend the whole weekend attending panels and shit." Darryl laughed. “Yeah,why'd we even come to Q Con if not to get drunk and have a good time?"Reaching into the bag,he pulled out the bourbon and held it out to his partner.“Babe,Ibelieve this is yours?Oh wait-crap.Do we have anything to drink out of?"

"I mean...never mind."Kimmy sighed and stepped farther into the room. Then she did a double take."Hold up. You guys got a suite? What the hell?"

When she'd first walked through the door,the room had looked similar to hers-closet on the left, bathroom door on the right, and a scant,two-step hall that opened onto everything else. There was a cabinet containing a micro- fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker,as well as a full-length mirror on one wall,and a desk with a phone and chair and a binder she already knew contained the room service menu-she'd looked through it shortly after checking in. But where her room had a queen size bed and dresser,this room had a...well,it looked like a den. There was no other way to describe it.

There was a full-size couch and matching loveseat, both facing a low coffee table and a large,flatscreen TV mounted on the wall.An abstract painting hung above the couch, the muted colors tying together the room.In one corner stood a torchierefloor lamp;in another was a ficus plant,obviously fake, but it added ambiance her room lacked.Even the tacky hotel carpet disappeared beneath an area shag rug.

A decorative cut-out wood partition separated the den from the bedroom,where a huge king size bed faced a large dresser,above which spanned a mirror the length of the wall. There was atable and lamp on either side of the bed-something her room didn't have—and a cozy-looking,wingback chair in one corner just waiting for a pair of pants or a bathrobe to be tossed onto it.

"How'd you guys get a suite?"Kimmy asked,trailing a hand along the back of the loveseat.To say she was jealous was an understatement.She wanted to bring her suitcase up here and stay in this room for the rest of the weekend.Would that be asking too much?

Darryl shrugged. "We booked it online.King size suite.What'd you get?"

"A crappy comp room half this size,"she muttered.

From where he rummaged through the cabinet, Scott asked, "Compmeans free,right? So that's something, at least."

"How'd you get a free room?"Darryl wanted to know.

Kimmy gave him a look over her shoulder."Visiting author,remember? The only thing I had to pay for was my table in the dealer's room.My registration and room were comped as long asI did at least four panels and the Meet and Greet signing on Sunday."

"I got something I want you to sign,"Darryl purred.

Kimmy laughed. "That's the dirtiest thing you've said so fartonight."

His face turned red."No!I mean a book!"

By the cabinet, Scott muttered, "And by book, he means his dick.Found something to drink out of."There was a chink as heset three old fashioned rocks glasses on top of the micro-fridge. Then he noticed the ice bucket. "Let me get someice.I think the machine's down by the elevators.I'll be right back."

The moment he left, Kimmy leaned against the back of the loveseat and smirked at Darryl.“Did you really mean your dick?"

"No," he said,pouting. He set the bag with its cargo of boozeon the desk and unloaded the bottles."I really did mean a book,and Scott knows it.He bitched at me to hurry up because I took forever picking out which one it was I wanted to bring you to sign."

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"You're not going to buy my newest one while you're here?”Kimmy asked.“You can get it from the author herself.”

He gave her a wink."I'd love to,honey, but I already have it. You know I pre-ordered it on Amazon the moment I could."

She let her gaze trail down his broad shoulders, over the contours of his muscled back, down to his narrow waist, his tight ass.Damn. Half to herself, she asked, "So are we really going to do this?"

He was opening the alcohol,but he paused and turned to look at her.Saw her staring at him,saw something in her eyes-fear?hesitation?desire?she didn't know that caused him to close the distance between them and lean his hands on the loveseat,one on either side of her,so he was leaning above her,his face inches from hers.Though they weren't touching, she still imagined she could feel him near her,his aura brushing hers, the very essence of his being exciting every fiber in her "I'd really like to,”he murmured, his mouth right there,sothat when he spoke,she breathed in his words with the air."But if you don't,I understand.I mean,we've known each other a while now online,and I'm half in love with you,I can't deny it." "Deny Nothing, "Kimmy whispered.It was the name of her very first M/M story,her longest to date, the fan fiction tale that first attracted Darryl's attention.

His lips curved into a bow-shaped smile.Kimmy's breath caughtin her throat."Exactly."

God, he was gorgeous. Up close, he looked flawless, almost god-like,an Adonis in flesh.Tentatively she reached out a hand and touched the front of his shirt,as if afraid the slightest pressure of her fingertips on his chest would be enough to make him disappear.

Instead he leaned in closer, bending down to cover her mouth with his in a sweet,heady kiss.The night had begun.