Read Burning Bright for Free Online Page A

answer from Sasha’s body language. Dr. Salisbury could probably hear Marty’s loud whoop in his office.
    “Shh.” Sasha laughed. “Lunch?”
    “Yeah. Vince is cooking. How’d it go?”
    “It went really well. We hit it off, and he has a Scarlet Macaw.”
    They talked the entire ride back, about the job and the bird, and Marty seemed excited about the possibilities for Sasha. Marty pulled around behind his building and parked the Mustang in a reserved spot.
    “Hey, guys,” Vince called from the kitchen.
    The whole apartment smelled like garlic and oil and Sasha’s stomach growled loud enough to hear across the room. “Hey. Smells fantastic.”
    Sasha set his things on the table and sat down while Marty gave Vince a hug and kiss hello.
    “It’s a veggie stir-fry,” Vince answered, turning to serve the mixture onto plates he had set up on the counter nearby. He wiped his hands on a towel slung over one shoulder and gazed with wide eyes at Sasha. He approached slowly and then cupped Sasha’s face with warm hands. “Wow. Are you sure you’re okay?”
    Sasha sighed and laid his hands over Vince’s. “Yes, I’m fine. I have a few cracked ribs and the bruises look bad, but they’ll fade fast. I’m not made of china, I promise.”
    Vince puffed out a small laugh that seemed involuntary and released Sasha. “Yeah, yeah. Tough guy.”
    Sasha grinned and winked. The stir-fry and rice smelled incredible, a myriad of vegetables and thick garlic sauce. His stomach gurgled again and Marty laughed.
    “Was that you?”
    Sasha grinned, cheeks warm. “It really smells amazing.”
    “Dig in. What can I get you to drink?” Vince asked, handing Sasha his plate.
    “Iced tea is fine,” Sasha answered. He put a bite in his mouth and closed his eyes, savoring it.
    “Well?” Vince asked, sitting down. He set the tea near Sasha’s plate. “How is it?”
    “Awesome, as always,” Sasha told him. “This is really good.”
    “No meat at all?” Marty asked, poking at his plate.
    “There’s some chicken in ours,” Vince told him, taking a bite. “But I want to hear about the interview.” He turned to Sasha. “Marty already told me what happened in the alley and I’m sure you’d rather focus on the interview than remember it.”
    Sasha smiled, grateful as ever for Vince’s insightfulness.
    “He met someone,” Marty interjected before Sasha could speak.
    “Oh?”
    “That club owner.” Marty swallowed his bite. “Sasha let him top him, right after the attack.”
    Vince’s eyes widened. “No kidding?”
    “It was actually the next day. Whose story is this?” Sasha demanded before Marty could say anything further.
    The massage therapist flushed. “Sorry.”
    Sasha told Vince about the interview and the parrot, and Vince seemed pleased for him. “When do you find out?”
    “A couple weeks, tops,” Sasha responded. “Doctor Salisbury said the Board has to meet.”
    “Bureaucracy,” Vince snorted. “Never fails.”
    “Can you stay?” Marty asked as Vince got up to clear the plates. Marty’s hand quested across the table to Sasha’s wrist. “Maybe fool around?”
    Gods knew, the offer tempted him. But the memory of Neal’s hands on him chased the anticipation back. No matter how fun playing with Marty and Vince might be, it wasn’t the same as his own lover. “Maybe another time.”
    Marty withdrew his hand. “Oh.”
    Vince got some sherbet and served it in large dessert glasses. “Marty got a movie for us…”
    “I’m sorry,” Sasha told him. “I am. It’s just…”
    “Neal,” Marty said in a bitter tone.
    “Are you jealous?”
    “Of what?”
    “I don’t know…”
    “Yeah, maybe.” Marty flared. “I mean, you only just met the guy.”
    “Marty, let him be,” Vince soothed.
    Vince served dessert and they talked little. Marty dropped him off at his apartment and zoomed away, the big motor growling. Torn between the two, he regretted not saying yes to Marty but at the same