Heartbeat. But he'd never liked it on any man before.
Perhaps it was because they'd bathed in it. Taking a breath, Ronin closed the door and followed. He leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms. He watched José pace the kitchen silently for a while before taking a breath. "José…"
"Gimme a second," José replied, still pacing furiously.
"Do you want a drink? Something to eat?"
"Damn it, Ronin! Gimme a second!"
Ronin watched him for as long as he could before walking over, stepping before him, and grabbing José's shoulder. "Stop. Just stop it. You're going to wear a damn groove in my brand new flooring. Now, what's the matter?"
When their gazes met, Ronin didn't need an
explanation. He saw the fire, the unsure desire that raged inside the man's eyes. But even so, he just didn't understand why that fire burned for him as fully as it was roaring
within José's eyes. Taking a breath, he led José to a seat and sat beside him.
"You know why I'm here." José's voice was filled with soft finality.
"Yes."
"And?"
Silence.
Silence?
What was he supposed to say to that? He'd only met the man a day ago and already he wanted him in ways that made no logical sense. Ronin didn't move—he didn't so much as turn his head to look at the lovely specimen of a man sitting beside him. There was a heat radiating from José's body that warmed Ronin—that made him want to run away and stay all at the same time. Holding his breath, he extended a hand to José's thigh and caressed it softly.
Slowly, he lifted the hand higher. José grabbed it and stopped it mere inches from his hips.
"Ronin…"
He pulled his hand back. "I'm sorry."
José rose from where he was seated and pressed his back to the wall. Ronin stretched his legs out before him and eased into the back of the sofa, allowing José the chance to stare at him. Ronin found he loved the way José's gaze roamed his body as though stripping him. He eyed
José's lips, noticing the way they parted ever so slightly. He smiled.
"Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?" Ronin was proud of how soft his voice was with his question.
"Yes I am. I think it's safer than what's going through my head."
"And what"—he leaned forward to rest his elbows against his knees—"pray-tell has been going on in your head?"
"I don't want to… I mean I don't know if I can…
Ronin, I'm nothing like the men you're used to."
"And how do you know what kind of men I'm used to?"
José chuckled and rubbed his palms against his thighs. "I mean look at you? You're all thick and beefy and all… bear. I'm as far from bear as you can get."
Ronin laughed. "When it comes to men I don't discriminate. I love them smart, funny… freaky."
José's eyes widened.
"Scared, José?"
"Of?"
"Being a freak."
José licked his lips. "Not scared."
The room slipped into a quiet that threatened to
drive Ronin insane. José walked back to him and this time, Ronin watched the lovely man kneel before him. José gripped his thighs and caressed upward.
"I want you, Ronin. Damn, you make me so nervous and I've never felt this scared of being with a man before. Anyone who knows me would never believe I'm actually shaking."
Ronin smiled and cradled José's face. "Do you want me to make love to you?"
Ronin kissed him, allowing his tongue to plunge into José's mouth to suck the answer from him. José moaned and Ronin felt heat surge down his spine.
Groaning, Ronin slipped from the sofa to his knees and continued feasting from his mouth while sliding his hand down José's back to grab his ass. The thought of spreading José wide on the floor and tasting from his every secret place made Ronin's cock stiffen. He lifted his head and smiled.
"Come on, José. Let me show you my bedroom."
José laughed. "That line is not supposed to work on me because I've used it before but hell yes."
Chapter Six
José allowed Ronin to lead him up the stairs and into a large bedroom. Normally he would take some time to look around, check out the furniture, but with Ronin all he could do was reach for the man's shirt. He took a breath then slammed his mouth over Ronin's, forcing his tongue into his lover's mouth and ripping his shirt open. Ronin did the same to him and soon they were closer than José had been to a man in a while. Ronin's nipple rings dug into José's chest but he didn't care. Instead he reached up and grazed his nails against the nipples. Ronin roared and pulled back, backing up toward the dresser and pressing his back to it. José smiled, watching the hungry, almost wild look that passed through Ronin's eyes. He knew why—he'd tweaked Ronin's nipples. Smiling, he walked closer, trapping Ronin against furniture, and feasting from Ronin's right nipple.
"Shit," Ronin growled. "Shit."
Ronin's fingers tightened in José's hair and pulled but José wasn't about to release his prey. Ronin swore over and over; his body twitched violently. Reaching down, José massaged Ronin's dick, squeezing.
"Hold on, let me take off my pants," Ronin whispered.
José unclasped the belt instead and hooked a finger beneath the button. When it was free, José released Ronin and walked back to the bed. He sat down, watched Ronin peel his jeans off, then his boxers. José's eyes widened.
Ronin was standing aroused and his dick twitched beneath José's stare. He smiled as Ronin walked toward him, kneeled astride him on the bed, and eased him to his back.
Their kiss was just as hypnotizing as the first. José lost his mind. Each time Ronin's chest brushed against him, José felt a charge of electricity shoot through him. He whispered Ronin's name, bit his lower lip, and arched to get his body pressed to Ronin's at any cost. Ronin put a palm to José's chest, shoving him into the bed.
"Shit, Ronin."
"Don't like a taste of your own medicine?" Ronin chuckled.
"You're trying to make me take what I want."
Ronin inhaled deeply then pulled José's lower lip between his teeth. He bit gently, causing José to purr. José wrapped his arms around Ronin's body, tracing his fingers against every piece of flesh he could find. He felt as though he was soaring and if he didn't hold on, he'd fly away.
Ronin pulled away momentarily to strip José and to grab a condom and a bottle of lube from a bedside table. With those lying beside José, José watched as Ronin slipped
down his body. José closed his eyes and pressed his eyes shut. He waited, holding his breath until Ronin's hot, wet mouth engulfed his cock.
"Oh… baby… baby!" José whispered. "Big Daddy, take it."
Grabbing the sheet by his left side, José gripped the back of Ronin's smoothly shaved head. He pushed his hips up, feeling his penis slide deeper into Ronin's mouth. His eyes rolled into his head when wave after wave of pleasure fired through him. The pressure on his cock left him weak and joyously delirious. Then one of Ronin's large fingers penetrated him.
"Damn, José, how long has it been?"
Weakly, he pushed to his elbows and smiled
through his daze at his lover. "You wouldn't… wouldn't believe me if I told you. Could you just…" José trailed off and gyrated his hips to show Ronin what he wanted.
Ronin pulled the finger back only to push it back in hard and fast. José shouted Ronin's name as his elbows gave out and he slammed back onto the bed.
"Fuck me… please…"
* * * *
Ronin wasn't about to complain. He barely kept
himself from coming while he gave José a blow job.
Quickly he dressed himself in the condom, tossed the bottle of lube over his shoulder after using it, and spread José's legs wider. Their eyes locked even as he guided his throbbing dick to José's hole and pushed forward gently. A loud hiss filled the air. He blinked, trying to prevent his eyes from crossing to
see what it was. It was coming from his lips because his body was trapped within a hot, tight chute that threatened to drive him mad. The hot tightness of José's hole left him clutching his lover's hips and holding very still. If he even breathed he knew it was all over.
Licking his lips, he leaned forward, crushing José's dick between their bodies, to catch José's lips and shoved his tongue roughly into his mouth. As the kiss continued, Ronin's hips slammed into José's body repeatedly so hard, the brand new bed creaked mercilessly.
He couldn't breathe but he didn't care. He wrenched his mouth away, panting, to lace his fingers with José's.
José looked so beautiful, arched upward and panting. His eyes were closed, his kiss-swollen lips parted ever so slightly. Ronin trailed a hand up José's body, over his abs, and stopped at José's nipples. He pinched them, twisting the tight buds while squeezing.
"Oh!" José gasped. "Give it to me!"
Ronin allowed the feelings ricocheting through him
to take over his body. Blindly, he fucked José, enjoying the symphony of the bed creaking and José's pleasure-filled cries.
"Touch my cock," José gasped. "Please…"
Ronin gripped José's dick and stroked it. It didn't take long for José's body to go stiff and explode.
"Damn!" José cried. He lifted a hand to bite his knuckles against a yell while his body jerked and flailed against the bed.
His hole tightened, choking Ronin's dick and leaving him powerless to what came next. A hot wave washed over Ronin, his eyes did roll into his head then and he jerked his ass back, pulling his penis from José's body just as he erupted inside the condom. He felt José moving but was too weak to do much of anything but to fall face-first on the bed, panting. He felt José's hands against his ass and smiled as he pushed his ass up slightly. José spread him wide and used his tongue to play over Ronin's hole.
He thought he was too tired, too spent for anything more but the instant José's tongue flowed over him, his arousal grew. He glanced over his shoulder to watch José's head bop up and down as much as he could before he had no control over anything. José licked, sucked, and fingered him to another powerful climax.
* * * *
From somewhere in the dark of José's sleep-filled mind he could hear Tequila playing. Groaning, he snuggled into the warmth of the bed until his back hit something hard. His eyes shot open as he jerked up in bed. The music got louder and he realized it was his phone ringing. Then what he'd done the night before came back to him and it took everything within him not to run away. He looked down into Ronin's sleeping face and a smile spread his lips.
His hammering heart did a skip and raced again, but this time it was for a completely different reason. This time it was for the excitement of having a man like Ronin beside him in the morning. There was a strange calmness, a beautiful feeling that came with it. José wondered if he could hold on to that, bottle it even, to keep with him always. The phone stopped ringing for only a mere moment before it began once more. He shifted.
"Come back to bed," Ronin whispered, reaching for him.
"Ronin."
"Ten more minutes." Ronin pulled him back down and wrapped an arm around him.
"I know, baby, but my phone won't stop until I answer it."
Ronin groaned but his arm loosened so José
shimmied out. He found his phone underneath Ronin's pants, picked it up, and saw it was Savaro. He arched a brow and answered.
"Hey. Is everything all right?"
"Kinda… listen I need a favor."
José sat on the side of the bed. Ronin began caressing his lower back. José moaned. "What do you need?"
"Is this a bad time? Did you find someone to cheer you up?"
"Savaro Kendricks-Anatolis! Get to the point." José laughed as heat rushed to his cheeks.
"I will drop it… for now… Okay, so what I wanted.
Jamal is out of town for a game and everyone else is busy doing something or other. I was wondering if Leroy could come see you after school and you keep him for us for a couple of days. I want to surprise Jamal for his birthday in LA."
"Of course!" José cheered, arching into Ronin's inquisitive fingers. "You know I love having my godson around."
"All right. I'll stop by your place later with some of his things."
"He's allergic to milk, right?"
"Yes. Lactose intolerant. The doctors gave him some pills to take before eating any dairy but I don't know if they work or not. So if he's going to have any ice cream, he's to take one pill half an hour before he does and he can only have one scoop."
"All right. What time were you thinking of stopping by?"
"Well, I figured you're not home since your breathing is getting kind of hard—so I'm going to say not until end of day today."
"You're a jerk, you know that?"
"Dude, look who my brothers are! Believe me, I've been told."
Savaro was laughing too hard and though José was smiling, he still hung up on the man. He dropped the phone on Ronin's nightstand and crawled back into his lover's bed.
Sliding in really close, José kissed Ronin hard while snaking a hand beneath the covers to caress the perfect roundness of Ronin's ass.
"There's a guitar in the corner," José whispered, caressing. "You play?"
"A little." They kissed, Ronin moaned and sighed before pulling back. "My father taught both me and my brother Mack."
"Could you play me something?" José eased from
the bed and walked over to where the guitar stood on the stand and picked it up carefully. He held it like he would a newborn baby, afraid he would pull a José-moment and trip over his own feet. The last thing he wanted to do was break the beautiful instrument. When he made it to the bed, he beamed and handed it to Ronin who was now sitting up, so buff and beautifully naked.
Licking his lips, he sat across from Ronin and watched as he cradled the guitar. Ronin looked at ease holding the instrument as his fingers danced over the strings and a beautiful, familiar tune floated through the air.
Then to his shock, Ronin broke into a beautiful rendition of Always on My Mind by a singer Jamal had introduced José to called Da'Ville. José shivered. There was something about a man of Ronin's size and physique singing a love song in a voice that only could have come from heaven. When the song ended, José had no words. All he did was reach across and kiss Ronin, wrapping an arm around the back of his head and being careful not to press too close with the guitar.
"That was beautiful," José whispered.
"You're very welcome—it's been a while since I've played it. It used to be my father's."
"That's one of the best gifts a parent can ever give a child."
Ronin smiled softly and placed the guitar by the bed, leaning on the wall. "Music."
Chapter Seven
Two days had passed since Jose was last with Ronin. Though they spoke on the phone, José decided in order to get any work done he was going to have to go on a Ronin drought. Every night before bed the two talked, watched movies, and shared dreams, all over the phone or instant messenger. By the time the third day rolled around, José finally pulled himself from rushing back and forth between Eros and Century and stopped by Rajan's house for a friendly chat.
When he got there however, Rajan wasn't alone and Xavier invited José to stay for lunch.
"So how are things going with you?" Xavier asked, placing three plates on the center table beside a large bowl of curried chicken and a plate piled high with steaming pita bread. José eased down on the other side of the table and together, the three men ate. It was strange. The way José loved these men like they were his brothers and knew he could always depend on them. But aside from that, he felt so at ease around them, it was like breathing.
"Well, I'm happy for you, José," Rajan said. "Ronin seems like a good guy."
"He is. I haven't seen him in three days and I want to rip my hair out."
"Why not?" Xavier wanted to know.
&n
bsp; "Well, we want to get Laird's job done and a couple of other jobs I have going on the side," José replied, stuffing a curry-covered piece of pita into his mouth. "We talk on the phone all the time and stuff but it's not the same."
"You want to feel his touch," Xavier whispered. "I understand how you feel. When Raj goes away for his shoots sometimes I feel like climbing the walls."
"I'm sorry," Rajan said.
Xavier laughed and kissed Rajan's head. "It's not a bad thing. I knew coming in that would happen. What I'm trying to say is, the way you feel about him even though you two just started together, don't ever let that change."
José nodded silently, and ate for a while. Once the meal was finished, he helped the guys clean up then retired to the living room with a beer. He told them what happened with Ronin and the guitar.
"He did what?" Rajan asked, sitting on the arm of the sofa and chewing on an apple. "Dang! X, why don't you ever sing to me?"
Xavier tapped his forehead against the desk and moaned. "Now look what you did! And besides, aren't you the singer in this marriage?"
"Oh!" Rajan exclaimed. "Touché!"
José laughed. "Seriously. He has this voice that's just—just so good."
Sighing, José took a sip from his beer and stretched his legs out before him. He went silent for a while before he finally took a breath and looked at Rajan. "I don't know, guys. I woke up beside him and I couldn't tell the last time I spent the night at the man's house and didn't sneak out in the morning."
"The classic walk of shame?" Rajan chuckled.
"We've all done it."
"Oh… do tell." Xavier eyed Rajan in that heated way José knew he looked at Ronin.
But before Rajan could say anything else, Xavier's phone went off. Rajan sighed and rose. José knew what that meant as well. Xavier, SWAT captain, had to leave for a job. He watched as Xavier kissed Rajan and listened as the two murmured their love for each other.
Jose's Surrender Page 4
