“No, thank you. And good night.” Ariel couldn’t help but smile.
“Good night,” Wade whispered next to him.
The space between them was the no-man’s land, and divided them as well as an impenetrable barrier would. Ariel knew he’d stay on his side, and he was also sure Wade would stay on the other. A flash of regret made Ariel reconsider, but he just took a deep breath and sent his wishful thinking away on an exhale.
It was better this way.
THE LIGHT OF AN OVERCAST morning slowly stirred Wade to wakefulness. He tended to rise early, but after last night’s disturbed sleep, there was no wonder he was enjoying the bed and its incredibly warm, down comforter as much as he did. The sound of raindrops announced the arrival of a storm front, and that coaxed him to close his eyes again.
It was Sunday, after all.
He had not quite drifted off before his eyes popped wide open. He wasn’t in bed alone, and now he realized where all that cozy heat was coming from.
Ariel, his unexpected guest, was a little inferno of energy. He exuded comfort, too. He was much like a cat, if his cuddling habit was any indication, because Ariel had draped himself over him with a whole arm and a leg, pinning Wade in place and heating up his whole side. His soft breath barely fanned Wade’s cheek, but his longer hair sneaked over and tickled him just enough to give notice that he had a very handsome man in his personal space.
That thought only reinforced his morning wood. Wade would’ve groaned, but waking Ariel would’ve been too awkward.
What to do?
He sucked in a gasp of air as Ariel rubbed his groin into Wade’s thigh. At least Wade wasn’t the only one in a state of intense arousal. The knowledge was nice, but he still didn’t know what to do about it and Ariel was obviously still asleep.
The American would leave. And even though Ariel didn’t seem to mind being visually admired yesterday, that was not a license for Wade to turn on top of him and kiss him silly – which is what he badly wanted to do. No, kissing led to connections, and neither one of them wanted to start anything on Valentine’s Day.
Wade kept up his deep breathing, and trained his thoughts to one of his more difficult projects. If he kept his mind on the problem of proper image organization, his morning issue would subside. Ariel would eventually turn away, at which point Wade would sneak out.
Ariel wiggled against him. One of his longer hairs found its way into Wade’s nose.
Wade tried to remain still. He really, really did.
AN EXPLOSION OF SOUND and a minor earthquake yanked Ariel out of a most pleasant dream, one where he was naked on the bank of a beautiful lake. A man was there with him, sexy and sweet, the kind who appreciated the value of stripping it all off and letting the warm sun kiss your skin.
And it was warm.
He could smell the musky scent of his lover. He could feel his firm chest and the strong leg under his own. He felt secure in his embrace –
Until he woke up.
“Sorry,” Wade said. “I truly had to sneeze.”
A moment’s disorientation was shooed out by stark clarity. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”
Ariel had, somehow and without consciously intending to, starfished on top of his host. Or he was more like an octopus, limbs entwined and unwilling to let go. He was stuck on top of Wade, and his hard length was stuck in his suddenly too-tight underwear. There was absolutely no way Wade could’ve missed it.
“I had the most fabulous dream,” Ariel said, sounding guilty even to himself. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to wander over to your side at all.”
“Well, the cat’s out of the bag, in a manner of speaking,” Wade said, and when Ariel craned his neck up to meet his gaze, he saw the twinkle of mischief under Wade’s generous eyelashes. “I had the most fabulous dream too.”
Ariel sighed. “I’ll go take a shower and go. I’m sure you had plans for the weekend, and they didn’t involve stray tourist rescue!”
To his delighted surprise, Wade snaked his arm under him, and pulled him even closer. “Plans often change.” Then, with a relieved sigh, he closed his eyes, and smiled. “Guess what date it is?”
February fifteenth, of course. “The day after the dreaded Valentine’s Day,” Ariel whispered. Then he perked up. “But does it still count? I mean, we did hold off, we made it past midnight even though you’re amazingly attractive and funny and kind, and even though we spent time in the same bed!” He wiggled to loosen Wade’s grip and propped himself on an elbow.
Wade chuckled. “Of course it counts. We most certainly did not end up entwined in bed on Valentine’s Day, and that’s all I care about!” He thought hard. “I even think I came down to use the bathroom after midnight. We’re definitely safe.”
“Safe,” Ariel whispered as a slow grin spread across his face. “You realize this is like a curse being broken, don’t you?”
“Hush,” Wade said in that soft, quiet voice that was not quite a whisper. “Don’t speak of curses. It only means we have a fighting chance. We are still geographically incompatible.”
“Maybe,” Ariel said. He was reasonably certain that he could get transferred to the corporate office outside of London. “I could work something out, or at least try.”
“You could?” Wade smiled so hard, his eyes crinkled, and turned to face Ariel.
They were aligned just-so, and Ariel wasn’t going to let a good opportunity go to waste. He dipped his head and let his lips brush Wade’s. His morning stubble scratched his chin, waking his body up in the most amazing way. “I want you to kiss me,” he mumbled before they made full contact.
“As you wish,” Wade growled. He flipped them over, pinned Ariel with his taller frame, and captured his lips in a kiss that made Ariel’s body sing, and his heart beat a rhythm to match. Wade was sweet and delicious, hot and hard, and absolutely willing to grasp Ariel’s wrists and leave a love-bite on his neck.
As Ariel gasped and writhed, he felt Wade’s morning arousal dig into his belly. “Less... less clothes!”
CHAPTER 9
Wade heard Ariel finally choke the words out. “I want to feel your skin all over.”
“We can take it slow,” he offered. “We have only just met.”
Ariel’s look implored. “It’s been forever,” he said. “And we’re already here. I mean, we could both take a shower and take care of the issue, but don’t you think that would be a shameful waste?”
Wade sighed. It’d been forever for him too. His heart had been broken in the past, he had a terrible relationship history, and yet he wanted not only this, he wanted more. “I don’t want this to be just a one-off where we share some pleasure and then you disappear forever,” he said. “On the other hand, I have to warn you. My prior partners, men and women both, have never considered me to be prime relationship material.”
“I think they were blinded by their own check-lists of requirements,” Ariel whispered, and somehow, Wade discerned that Ariel had been a victim of such a check-list before.
“My check-list is simple,” he said. “Someone compatible, hopefully with at least modest employment because that’s all I have. Someone funny and kind and adventurous.” He crinkled his eyes and let a long smile bloom. “Doing naked yoga in February in the middle of a stone circle is most definitely adventurous.”
“Someone who won’t complain when I go on frequent business trips, or when I work long hours,” Ariel said seriously as he laid out his own cards. “My field is competitive and if I want to keep my job, I have to adapt and grow. Big Pharma is now getting squeezed from every direction. I have savings, but there will probably come a time when my job will get cut and I’ll have to look elsewhere.”
“What do you do, sales?” Wade hazarded a guess.
“I do drugs.”
They both laughed.
“No, seriously. I’m a chemist and I’ve transitioned from the lab R&D into team management a few years ago. My boss here in London would like me to apply for a trans
fer to the London office.”
Wade’s eyes widened. “Really. I’ve never dated a chemist. They were all creative types like I am.” Then he realized he said dated, and backtracked a bit. “I don’t mean this to sound like I’m trying to negotiate terms, or anything like that.”
Ariel arched under him. “We could talk about the future later. And talking is essential – that’s where my last relationship failed. We talked, but only about superficial things. And he tried to keep me from going places, so...”
“So you kicked him out?”
“So we split. Mutual decision. Not very amicable. He was the social one, which meant our friends were mostly his friends.”
“Ouch,” Wade said, echoing the old distress in Ariel’s voice. “But maybe I can make it all better for a while?”
HAVING A TALK LIKE the one they just had usually happened after weeks of dates and sleep-overs, and by then Ariel was already invested emotionally and was willing to compromise more than he’d normally allow, he realized. Doing things in reverse felt freeing. He wasn’t getting stuck on Wade – well he was, or at least there was a strong potential for them, but if this went nowhere in the long run, at least they would know.
Even now they both knew of their mutual hopes and limitations.
For the first time in his life, his relationship prospect was willing to offer the same level of clarity as a potential business partner. That was... not unwelcome. Ariel was the first person to admit that he was far from socially astute. It was nice, having a map. Knowing where they were, and where they might want to be in the future.
Wade launched himself out of bed. As Ariel watched him strip off his long, flannel pajamas, he wondered whether this would make all the difference in the long run.
This laying out of cards.
“You’re so nicely built,” he blurted out in an effort to focus on the here and now. “Turn around for me?”
Wade’s focused expression took on a self-conscious cast, but once he was entirely nude, he spun slowly for Ariel’s inspection.
“I mean, it’s only fair,” Ariel went on. “You got to see me naked before you even knew my name.”
“And it was just as cold. Colder, probably,” Wade said as he slipped under the down comforter again. “Although you have an amazing body and I suspect you take better care of yours than I do of mine.”
“I couldn’t tell,” Ariel murmured, running his hands up and down Wade’s slightly furry chest. He followed the hair pattern’s swirls as he relished his sensuous proximity. He stroked Wade’s hip – and his wrist grazed a very full, very eager erection.
“Ariel,” Wade gritted out. “You’re killing me here.”
“But touching you is so much fun,” Ariel said, teasing Wade with light fingertips. “Do you have condoms? Because I don’t.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything either,” Wade said. “But we have all kinds of fun options that don’t require them.”
“Yes, we do.” Ariel covered Wade’s long body with his own, straddled his hips with his knees, and framed Wade’s face with his forearms.
They were a kissing-distance apart.
They kissed.
Ariel ground his length into Wade’s belly just as Wade’s cock sprung free and found a groove between Ariel’s cheeks.
“So good,” Ariel said with the tiniest moan.
The old bed began to creak. Wade broke for air as he thrust up Ariel’s crack, grazing his pucker and teasing him mercilessly. “Please,” Ariel whimpered.
“Flip over,” Wade said.
With their positions now reversed, Wade slid down Ariel’s body and engulfed his cock in his mouth, all hot and slick. Ariel’s eyes rolled up in his head, and when Wade’s spit-slicked finger entered him, he knew this wouldn’t take long. “Careful,” he gasped. “I’m close!”
Wade hummed, finger-fucking him and sucking him in a rhythm that had Ariel unraveling from his core to well past his body. “Wade!” he shouted.
Wade pulled off. His delicious mouth was now replaced by a generous hand. Few strategic squeezes – as though Wade knew exactly what Ariel liked best – and Ariel fell apart. His vision blacked out for a bit, his ass clenched on Wade’s finger, and the hot streaks on his chest stood in sharp contrast with the cool air of the room.
It took a minute to catch his breath. “Wow,” he said with a groan. “Oh, wow. You’re incredible. What would you like most right now?”
“Aside from taking a photo of you? I’m easy. You probably found that out already.”
“Not easy. Kind and accessible,” Ariel said, reacting to the self-conscious tone in Wade’s voice. “Do you want me to do what you did to me?”
Wade slipped off and settled on his back. “Whatever you’d like, considering our lack of proper equipment.”
“I’m not leaving the house without condoms and lube again,” Ariel said. He slithered up his chest and took Wade’s mouth in a sweet, almost chaste kiss. “Thank you. Now let’s take care of you, shall we?”
Wade’s cock was uncut, thick, and long enough that Ariel felt strangely out of practice. He let Wade graze his soft palate, but he didn’t try to swallow around him. Not yet.
But when his finger found Wade’s pucker, a satisfied groan was his reward. “Yeah, oh please.”
It wasn’t long before Wade arched up and thrust into Ariel’s mouth.
He grabbed his hair, hard and strong in his generous hand, shouted his name, then pulled Ariel off his cock just in time.
A hot load hit Ariel’s cheek. He’d never had anyone come on his face before, but it felt strangely good. Edgy somehow.
Wade’s strangled groan told Ariel a lot about Wade. About his caution, about keeping his noise level down. Also, about the intensity of pleasure Ariel had been able to elicit, and it was the last thought that made him smile.
“Was that okay?” Ariel asked, knowing full well it was.
“More than. But look at you, you’re covered!” Wade drew a finger through the load he had left on Ariel’s skin, then tasted it. “We better shower together so the water doesn’t turn cold.”
“And then?” Ariel wanted to know. The stores were closed. They wouldn’t be able to get condoms on Sunday, not in a village with just a few family-owned stores.
“Then we eat breakfast and I get to show you those amazing images in the fog,” Wade said with a languid smile. “Then we save the ones we like and put them on a separate flash drive. I’m not submitting them anywhere. I want you all to myself.”
CHAPTER 10
THE CALL TO Dr. Willoughby at headquarters went well. Ariel wanted to make sure the suggestion of transferring to Great Britain wasn’t merely speculative.
“What made you decide so fast?” His soon-to-be boss’ question was tinged with wry amusement in his voice. “Did the spectacle of polluted water in Bath truly entice you to move across the pond?”
“I never even made it to Bath,” Ariel admitted, and gave Dr. Willoughby an abbreviated version of his navigational adventure. He left out the naked yoga part. “But the countryside is lovely, the people are kind, and I love working here.”
Dr. Willoughby cleared his throat in a knowing way. “I see. Well. I’m glad you’re enjoying your holiday. Please do let me know if I can do anything to expedite your relocation.”
They said their goodbyes and hung up.
“That’s quite a smile on your face,” Wade said as he walked in from the kitchen with a pot of tea and a small French press of coffee. The question in his voice was unspoken. He wasn’t going to poke his nose into Ariel’s business, and that precisely made it a lot easier to simply confide.
“I’ll have to fill out an official application to transfer here, and I still have to talk to my division leader in Atlanta. But yeah, Dr. Willoughby thinks I should get it. He wants me on the team in any case.”
“You called your boss on a Sunday morning? And he took your call?” Wade’s surprise made Ariel pause.
“Well... I suppos
e it could’ve waited. I’ll leave him alone next time, but when he found I’d be going on a driving adventure, he encouraged me to call if anything came up.”
Wade sat on the ancient sofa next to him and set down their respective drinks. “Of course you didn’t bother to call him from Avebury,” he said, teasing.
“I knew where I was by then. I felt like an idiot, getting lost like that or getting all claustrophobic from the hedges. No sense advertising that kind of incompetence.”
As Wade opened his laptop and clicked on a few icons to get the files he needed, he hummed as though to himself. “So stripping naked in the middle of a henge was just a cherry on top, I suppose.”
“It was a spiritual experience. Until you showed up.”
Wade’s face fell. “Well then. I’ll have to make sure we have a proper re-do someday, and we can both have a spiritual experience in the stone circle!” Yet the twinkle of mischief gave him away.
“You would never,” Ariel said as he leaned into him, feeling a flush of fondness. “You’re entirely too proper.”
“We could do it inside the barrow, if you want some privacy,” Wade said in an entirely reasonable tone, as though he was arranging for a hotel room. “It’s not as though the ghosts had never seen anything like that before. It would make their whole year!”
“There’s space inside the barrow? You can get up there? What about the cattle?”
A discussion ensued.
“But there is no bull,” Wade said sensibly. “The kissing gates are everywhere. That’s just in case. The hill has winter wheat on it right now and cattle would destroy it. Although... as the weather improves, you can be sure we won’t be the only couple with that idea in mind.”
They both froze.
A couple.
“If... if you stay, that is,” Wade corrected himself. “And if we work out.”
“If I won’t stay, I’ll be visiting a lot, because we will work out,” Ariel said as he leaned over and brushed his lips over the smooth part of Wade’s neck. He didn’t know where this confidence came from. It was sudden and welcome and wonderful, as though his life had a purpose aside from just getting work done and ducking Noreen’s well-intentioned efforts to set him up with a date.
Escaping Cupid (International Affairs) Page 5
