With or Without Him by Barbara Elsborg Page A

speed,” Flowers said.
    “What? Now?” Tyler asked.
    “If you’re not busy.” Haris turned to Flowers and held out his hand. “Thank you for showing me round. I’m sure Tyler can point the way out.” He couldn’t be clearer than that.
    Flowers shook his hand. “Thank you so much for the…yes, well. Thank you. If you decide you don’t want Tyler, I can suggest some other…more suitable students.”
    Haris’s gut clenched. Flowers headed left and Tyler stalked off in the other direction, checking the rooms he passed. Haris followed, his breathing ragged. He wondered if he’d ever felt more nervous about making a move. But that was largely because he only ever made a move in a place where men were after the same thing as him. A fast fuck.
    When they were inside a practice room and the door was shut, Tyler turned to face him with his arms crossed, defiance written all over him. “What the fuck do you want?”
    Haris opened his mouth and nothing came out.
    “You really were at the concert, weren’t you? Flowers bloody knows you. Fucking hell. Did you follow me from here last night?” He started to pace. “Of course you did. Thinking of blackmailing me into being your sub? Going to threaten to tell Flowers what I do in my spare time? Well, it’s got nothing to do with anyone but me.”
    Oh shit.
    Tyler came right up into his space, so close his breath hit Haris’s lips. “Changed your mind about fucking me? Want to see my latest test for STDs? I’m clean as a whistle. That make it okay? Want to go to some cheap hotel for an hour? Collect the thanks you refused last night?”
    “No.” Although his cock thought that was a bloody fantastic idea.
    Tyler backed away. “What are you doing here?”
    “Play for me.”
    “I’m not some performing monkey.”
    “I want to hear you play.” I want to fuck you. “I want to see you play.” I want my cock in your mouth. “I want to get to know you.” I want to suck your cock.
    Shit. Haris hoped Tyler couldn’t read minds or have x-ray vision and see the state of his dick under his coat.
    Tyler stared at him for a long while before he sat at the piano. His fingers flew over the keys and Haris didn’t hear a thing. All he could think about was the curve of Tyler’s chin, his tight-lipped anger, the dark stubble on cheeks he longed to touch, physically ached to feel rubbing against him. Everything about the guy fascinated him. How he dipped his head toward the keys, the way he made love to the instrument, the changing expression on his face as he played.
    I am so fucking lost.
    He didn’t even register Tyler had finished, he just stared, submerged in thoughts of him. Only when Tyler stood and the stool scraped on the floor did Haris react. He started and let out a shaky laugh.
    “Thought you’d fallen asleep.” Tyler shoved his hands in his pockets.
    Haris didn’t know what to say. How could a guy have such an effect on him?
    “I don’t usually render anyone speechless,” Tyler muttered.
    Walk away now before you drown. You’re freaking him out, for Christ’s sake.
    “I kind of like it.” Tyler smiled and Haris couldn’t have moved to save his life.
    I need to kiss him.
    “Want to get a coffee?” Tyler asked.
    He managed a nod.
    Tyler ran his fingers through his hair. “Then you can tell me what you’re really doing here.”
    They walked out of the college and into Greenwich. Tyler led him to a café near the Cutty Sark, the newly opened reconstructed clipper that had been badly damaged in a fire a few years ago.
    “Don’t you think it looks like it’s parked on some massive greenhouse?” Tyler asked.
    The ship sat frozen in a glass sea, unable to sail away, just like him.
    Tyler chose a table at the back.
    “What can I get you?” asked a red-haired waiter.
    “Black coffee and a chocolate brownie,” Tyler said.
    Haris swallowed to bring moisture back into his mouth. “The same.” Christ, I don’t even like black coffee or chocolate