Against Fate: A Prince Castle Novel

by Damian Bloom

  Luis

  I love it when I wake up before Adam. It means I’m free to watch him sleep, and I can’t think of a better way to start my day.

  Or maybe, I think, hungrily licking my lips, I can.

  Adam’s naked mountain of a body lies tangled in the dark gray sheets. I draw a trail of kisses from his cheek down the side of his neck, the side of his torso, his outer thigh…Still halfway caught in his sleep, he moans.

  I love how warm his skin is, how hard the muscles underneath. I love the coarse, dark hair on his legs, the round brown birthmark on the side of his knee, small enough to be overlooked by anyone who hasn’t studied every bit of him with almost religious zeal.

  When I remember how I almost told him I loved him yesterday, I shiver. Tanner couldn’t have picked a better moment to call me. If he only knew what a monumental mistake he saved me from. Especially after the Ollie incident, if I had managed to finish my sentence, I’d have most likely discovered the quickest way to lose a guy.

  Besides, I like Adam. I really, really like him. Sometimes, it scares me just how much. But love? That seems like an exaggeration.

  No, this isn’t love. It’s friendship, it’s desire. It’s having a good time. It’s easy to see how last night, dazzled by a perfect date and a romantic dance worthy of a romantic movie, I could mistake my feelings for Adam for love.

  Sensing my impatient presence, Adam’s brawny legs open, revealing his morning wood. Not yet swollen up to its full size, his cock is nonetheless impressive. While he keeps his sack carefully shaved, at the base of his shaft, there’s a small patch of trimmed brown hair. Looking at his dick, I’m amazed it fits inside of me.

  “Someone woke up with a mission,” Adam mumbles sleepily, his mouth stretching into a sly grin. Grabbing his boner at the base, he slaps it against my cheek and rubs it on my lips. It’s already enough to make me purr. “You want your breakfast?”

  I nod.

  “And what are you in the mood for this morning?” He knocks at my mouth with the hot, tender head of his dick.

  I bury my face into his crotch, then nuzzle my nose against his full, round testicles. “Your cock,” I plead.

  He raises a cocky eyebrow. “Mmm, are you gonna take it all the way down this time?”

  I’ve been blessed with a very unresponsive gag reflex, and I’ve certainly improved since my first blowjob, but swallowing Adam’s dick down to the balls is still a challenge. I was very close the last time, which gives me enough confidence to now respond in the affirmative.

  Adam continues to tease me, rubbing his warm erection on my cheek. A drop of precum sticks to my skin, so I scoop it up with a finger and bring it to my mouth. I suck on my finger, fixing Adam with my eyes. His pupils widen, his eyes lighting up with lust and his primal desire to dominate.

  Clutching my chin, he presses his thumb against my upper lip and runs it over its length. “How rough do you want it?”

  “I want you to fuck my throat numb.” The more Adam and I share a bed, the better we get at learning the other’s buttons. I now know how to express my desires and fantasies to make his skin prickle and his cock twitch. The unfiltered honesty thrills me and always leaves me feeling closer to him.

  Adam’s hand travels to the back of my head, where it seizes a tuft of hair. “Then you’d better put that pretty mouth to good use,” he snarls before pushing my head between his thighs. I lap at his balls while he strokes and whacks his rigid dick against the side of my face. He still smells faintly of shower gel from last night, but it’s only a hint. The rest is all him, a slightly musky, decidedly manly scent.

  Adam hoists himself up to lean against the headboard, then shoves his penis into my mouth. With a hand on either side of my face, he starts thrusting deeper and deeper. I consciously relax my throat when he hits against the back of it, and the muscles give way so that more of Adam can penetrate me.

  Inch after inch, his meat disappears down my throat. Adam’s face—desperately lustful, but, more than anything, impressed—almost makes me bust. His grunts and moans are music to my ears. “You’re such a good cocksucker,” he says, teasingly slapping my cheek.

  To challenge me, he thrusts the last inch forcefully, and I drop a short gagging sound before relaxing my throat. I stick my tongue out, the tip tickling his scrotum.

  Adam laughs. “Now you’re just showing off.”

  This milestone now reached, Adam remembers he’s got a request to fulfill. He glides my head up and down his cock, pushing himself to the base each time. It must feel nice because I’ve never seen him roll his eyes like this. He bites down on his lip as if to stifle his moans.

  I train myself to breathe in sync with his movements.

  Eventually, he holds my head in place and folds forward over my body to slap and squeeze my ass.

  Instinctively, I try something out. With his dick buried in my throat, I attempt to swallow. I know it feels amazing as soon as I do it. Adam’s full-body shiver betrays him.

  “Do that again,” he half-orders, half-begs. My throat muscles stroke his boner again.

  “Man, you really are a natural, aren’t you?” He slaps my ass. “But make sure you don’t make me cum just yet. I’ve got some plans with that bubble butt of yours.”

  As if to make good on his promise, Adam pulls me off his cock and steps out of bed. With a movement so quick I have no time to figure out what’s happening, he’s got me upside-down, clinging to him for dear life. My face is in line with his crotch while my legs flail wide open. He grabs onto my ass, holds my legs in place, wrapped around his neck, and nuzzles his face between my asscheeks. Clinging to his body, I continue working on his dick while he rims me until he tosses me onto the bed.

  After he slathers my ass with lube and covers his cock with a condom, he plunges into me and gives me the fuck of a lifetime.

  My legs shake as hard as the bed, which squeaks so loudly that only my moans can muffle some of the noise.

  Although I’ve got no one to compare him to, I’m convinced sex can’t get any better than it is with Adam. And I wouldn’t mind if I never got to try it with anyone else.

  When he cums, he topples over me—a sweaty, panting mess. Falling to the side, he turns me over for better access to my dick. While one of his hands jerks me off, the other roams over my chest, over my legs. And he kisses every inch of my upper back. With such kingly treatment, it only takes me a few minutes to hit my orgasm.

  “One round done,” Adam says, still breathing heavily. “A dozen to go.”

  I laugh. “So we’re not leaving the bed today?”

  “Hm, bathroom and food breaks are allowed. Actually, no—just the bathroom. We can eat in bed.”

  I turn to give him a kiss. “You’re so greedy.”

  He proves my point by following my kiss with a dozen more. “It’s your free day,” he finally says. “What better way to spend it other than having crazy, mind-obliterating sex?”

  Tapping my chin with two fingers, I pretend to think about it. “What about writing?”

  “Okay, that’s allowed. We’ll take our laptops to bed, and we can both work on sex scenes today. I don’t want to waste the inspiration, you understand.”

  My chest squeezes under the impact of his adorable smile. Caressing his cheek, I thank my lucky star for putting Adam in my way. My heart could break for everyone who hasn’t met him. “I was thinking I’d go visit my Grandma. I never like to go longer than a week without seeing her. Would you like to come with me?”

  I’m surprised by how nervous I feel as I ask this question.

  Adam only needs a second to consider it. “I’d love to,” he declares with a smile and another kiss.

  While we shower, I make a confession. “You know what I’d like to try if you’re down with it?”

  Adam’s busy squeezing, rubbing, and slapping my ass like he’s seeing it for the first time. “Tell me.”

  “Doing it bare.”

  Lighting up with delight, his eyes shoot
up to check if I’m serious, and his cock hardens instantly. “Are you kidding?”

  I snicker at how much hope I read in his excited eyes. “I’m serious, man. I think it would be fun.”

  “I can show you my test results.” Words now gush out of his mouth like water through a cracked dam. “I got tested after Ollie, and I haven’t had any sexual contact with anyone else until you, but I can get tested again if you want. I’ll go today.”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” I say, shaking with laughter. “It’s fine if you got tested after the last guy.” Sheltering my eyes from the shower, I search for his. “But you’d tell me if you started sleeping with other people, right?”

  Adam and I have never talked about being exclusive. After all, according to Adam, he and I are only friends, so I really have no right to expect him to only see me.

  He shoots me a look that is equal parts annoyed and amused. “Of course. I told you already I wouldn’t harm you in any way.” Pulling me closer, he gently bites the side of my neck. “But I have no intention of sleeping with anyone other than you. I’ve got all I need right here,” he says, slightly bending down to my height and wrapping his arms around my waist. He pulls me into a tight, wet, naked hug.

  “So, does this mean I can fuck you bare?” he asks, slithering a hand down to my ass, rubbing a finger on the hole. A toothy grin takes up half his face. “Right now?”

  I tap a hand to his chest. “No, not now. At this pace, we’re never leaving the house.”

  Unprotected sex is something I’ve been fantasizing about for a while, hoping Adam would be the one to bring it up. Judging by his reaction, he’s been thinking of it just as much, but he might have been afraid he’d scare me off if he proposed it.

  Pressing his forehead to mine, Adam sighs. “You drive me crazy,” he grunts.

  “Ditto, big guy.”

  Warm water pours onto our heads, down our shoulders and backs, like a protective shield that separates us from the rest of the world. “I can’t wait to feel you,” Adam says. “With nothing to separate us.”

  I quiver like a harp under skillful fingers. “And I’m dying for you to fill me up. But first…” I turn the water off and pull away from his embrace. “Grandma.”

  On the way to Grandma Hattie, Adam stops and buys her a bouquet of flowers, which earns him as many points with me as I know it will earn him with her. I told her I was coming and bringing a friend with me but gave her no details. I’m sadly no closer to figuring out what I should technically introduce Adam as. Although my friends and brother know him as my boyfriend, that’s a conclusion they’ve reached on their own, and I wouldn’t tell Grandma that.

  In a way, I feel guilty for not living up to the expectations she had of me. I broke the promise I made her all those years back: to not settle for anything less than not only a proper relationship, but true love.

  Like a well-tuned radar, Adam picks up on my mood instantly. “What are you stressing about now?”

  “I’m not,” I protest, nibbling on my fingers and fidgeting in my seat. “You’re imagining it.” My hands shake noticeably when I reach for the volume button on the radio.

  Adam’s inquiring gaze is heavy. “You sure about that?”

  I nod.

  “You scared I’m gonna make a bad impression and embarrass you in front of Grandma?”

  I deny it, laugh, and try to crack a joke, but underneath it all, I guess that’s a good summary of my current worries. Grandma isn’t in control or even aware of her visions. But they’re still her gift. So I wonder if bells will ring as soon as Adam walks through her door, if she might get a weird feeling in his presence. Every atom of my being wishes for Adam not to be the heartbreaker she warned me about, but I’m not a totally delusional fool. It’s almost a guarantee that Adam is the man she saw.

  But in spite of everything, my concerns don’t take away from the excitement of two of my favorite people finally meeting.

  Grandma picks at her shirt collar when she opens the door, which in her case, hints at uneasiness. Having witnessed the sugary goodness that hides underneath Adam’s intimidating exterior, I keep forgetting how scary he must look to others. His height, built, and the underlying darkness of a man who writes scary stories for a living. He told me once that horror runs through his veins, and although I don’t see it, maybe strangers usually pick up on it.

  Adam gives my grandmother his largest, nicest good-boy smile as he hands her the flowers.

  Damn, he’s smart, I think, watching Grandma’s wrinkled face light up. My Grandma is the sharpest lady I know, but also an incurable romantic; therefore, a sucker for beautiful flowers from a handsome man.

  “It’s an honor to meet you, Mrs. Fowler,” he says, planting a ginger kiss on her hand. My heart flutters like a startled little bird, and I realize I’m being charmed all over again, along with my Grandma.

  “Oh, please, call me Hattie.”

  She looks at me as if to ask who he is, when it hits me that I haven’t said a single word.

  “Hey, Grandma. This is Adam. He’s…” I trail off, clinging to Adam with an idiotic look on my face.

  He steps in. “I’m a good friend of your grandson’s.”

  The look Grandma then gives me is loaded with the questions I know she’ll drop on me the next time we’re alone. She loves talking about gorgeous men as much as she likes reading about them in fiction.

  She proceeds to welcome us inside and serve us with tea and blackberry pie. Seeing my Grandma and Adam sitting at the weathered kitchen table she and I have been reading at for as long as I can remember feels painfully right.

  This is him, Grandma, I almost want to shout. The guy we’ve been waiting for. The one I’ve been dreaming of. He makes me so happy, I think of him all the time, and I can’t picture my life without him anymore.

  Adam winks at me, then raises his eyebrows like, “How am I doing?” When Grandma Hattie checks the time in the massive clock on the wall behind her, I lift an encouraging thumb.

  Suddenly, I jostle when something touches my ankle under the table.

  “Luis, honey, are you okay?” Grandma asks, fixing me over her glasses. I smile and assure her everything’s fine while Adam stifles a laugh.

  But he doesn’t withdraw his foot. In fact, it climbs up my leg, all the way to my inner thigh. I don’t need a mirror to guess how red my face is. Once he decides he’s got me flustered enough, his foot returns to the ground, where it stays, well-behaved, like nothing ever happened. I narrow my eyes at him and resist the urge to stick my tongue out. He responds with the sweetest, most innocent smile he’s capable of.

  “So, Adam,” Grandma says, “what do you do?”

  Adam straightens up, threading his fingers in his lap. “I’m a writer, Ma’am.”

  “A writer?” Her voice goes up an octave. “I imagined you’d be a model.” Then, turning to me, she asks, “Don’t you think he could be a model?”

  Stifling the laughter bubbling in my chest, I nod, lips tightly pressed together. “Yes,” I manage to say, but it’s impossible to repress the grin that spreads over my face. “I definitely think Adam’s got the looks to be a model.”

  Leaning closer to me, Grandma whispers: “Have I read anything he wrote?”

  “No, Grandma. Adam doesn’t write romance.” I scrunch my nose up like it’s a character flaw. Grandma, too, shakes her head like it’s a mighty pity.

  “I write thriller novels,” Adam explains, almost apologetically. “Scary stories to tell in the dark.” Grandma is still looking at me, so he takes advantage of the situation to shoot me a meaningful wink. Immediately, all the things we do in the dark flash before my eyes and leave me feeling hot under the collar. And just as my cheeks were cooling down…

  Grandma’s eyebrows twitch high on her forehead like she’s having a hard time understanding why anyone would do that. “I’m afraid I’m rather limited in my taste of books,” she says. “It wouldn’t hurt to try something new, I suppose, but at my age, a
nd living alone, I’m not sure thrillers are indicated.”

  Adam sips and compliments the tea. “I’m usually just as skeptical about reading what I’m not used to, but Luis helped me step far out of my reading comfort zone with his passion for romance. I hear he gets it from you.”

  “Oh, yes, one of the rare true romantics, this one,” Grandma says, patting my forearm. “But please don’t blame me for it. I already feel bad enough.”

  Adam seems amused to hear that. “Bad? Why would you feel bad about it?”

  Grandma Hattie shakes her head bitterly. “Sometimes, it feels like those who believe in love the most are the ones who have the hardest time finding it.”

  Adam’s eyes twinkle with something undefined. “Oh, I’m sure Luis will find someone soon. A good-looking guy like him…”

  “And smart,” Grandma offers hurriedly.

  “And kind,” Adam adds.

  I cover my face with my hands, starting to wish the Earth would open up and swallow me.

  “And hard-working,” Grandma continues, laying a hand on my arm. “He’s such a good boy.”

  A smile quivers behind Adam’s lips. “Yes, Ma’am. A real catch.”

  “A boy like him, single.” She shakes her head again. “Isn’t that a pity?”

  Shifting in his chair, Adam licks his lips with mischief. He’s enjoying the embarrassing direction the conversation took, most likely already contemplating how he’ll tease me about it for the rest of the day. “I don’t know if he told you, but we’ve been working on finding him someone.”

  I dagger Adam with my eyes, and he grins at me.

  “Really?” Grandma’s eyebrows shoot up. “And how’s that going?”

  “We haven’t been very successful yet…”

  “We haven’t been trying too hard either,” I jump in.

  Adam puffs out his chest. “But I’m not losing hope. I promise you, Ma’am, that I’ll find Luis someone to date even if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Grandma and I cock a skeptical eyebrow over his theatrical statement. Then, Grandma looks from me to Adam, from Adam to me, and, palms opened in honest confusion, she says to Adam: “Well, why not you? Are you seeing anyone?”