Celestial Seductions: The Complete Series: An MM Gay Paranormal Mpreg Romance Collection

by Odin Nightshade

  This man would be… stern, yes. He'd be stern and rough, but playful in private. Cole would see a side of him that nobody else had access to – and not just because the rest of the town had never realized he was gay. Of course, they'd know now, and that spurred Cole on too. This man thought he was valuable enough to come out for, not just to spend all that money on.

  He imagined the feeling of the bidder's thick, hard cock against his thigh, and bit down on his lip to keep himself quiet. He didn't know what the future would truly hold, but in this fantasy the bidder was big – so much so that Cole's dream-self questioned whether he'd be able to take it. He could feel himself playing up on the shyness and the vulnerability, because that's what the bidder liked; he was stirred by the performance of that, and how appealing it made him feel.

  He'd be good, this bidder. Cowboy1. It wouldn't be over in a heartbeat. He'd take his time – get his money's worth. Maybe he'd have Cole suck his cock first. He had never done that before either, but he was already determined to be good at it. Behind his eyelids he saw himself drop to his knees beside the wall of the barn.

  (That barn looked familiar, too. He wondered, briefly, where he was pulling that image from.)

  When he looked up at the older man – maybe 30, 35? – he couldn't make out a lot of his features. Cole had never been very good at conjuring up complicated pictures in his imagination, and the finer details like faces and clothing were skewed at best, but there were a couple of recognizable things he could see. Thick, expressive eyebrows. Intense, light eyes. Those eyes were fixed on him now as Cole leaned in to put his mouth on his cock, and-That was about where the fantasy had to end. He was forced to acknowledge that this was part of his appeal to all these bidders – the fact that he had never done this before. He didn't know what to expect, or how to imagine what it would feel like, but the heat of the moment was enough to bring him off. Biting down hard on his lip again, Cole came into his hand, bucking his hips up to ride out the sensation.

  It was easier to sleep after that, as though the mystery of the evening no longer mattered. He was going to have to go through with it no matter who it was, after all. He couldn't turn down $25,000. That really would be a ticket out of this town, and away from all the terrible memories he had here.

  Maybe if he was lucky he'd enjoy it as much as he'd just enjoyed this fantasy. For now, though, he let himself be overcome by sleep.

  After all, he needed to save his energy. The bidding was probably over after that power move – but the auction still wouldn't end for several days, and that was a long time to wait for something this momentous.

  Chapter Six

  The rest of the week had dragged on so long it felt like it might never end. Even so, despite his lack of patience, he did finally get his wish. After Beckett's definitive $25,000 bid, nobody else had anything else to contribute; he had won outright, just as he had intended, and when bidding closed at midnight on Friday, Beckett knew that he had won. He would be the one to take Cole Berry's virginity.

  Why Beck was so nervous about that, he couldn't tell you. It wasn't as though he was a virgin. Granted, he had only ever slept with women before – but would it really be so different? He couldn't see why it would be.

  After all, Cole was lithe like a woman. He wouldn't have muscles akin to his own to contend with. Sure, there'd be no soft curves, and he knew that would feel different, but the mechanics were more or less the same. Besides, the only person putting pressure on Beck to be good at this was Beck himself. He was paying to sleep with Cole, after all, not vice versa.

  That pressure he was placing on himself did feel important, though. This would be Cole's first time, and if Beckett hurt him then he'd remember it for the rest of his life; it might even affect his sexual relationships going forward. He was a sweet kid, and that was the last thing Beckett wanted.

  Okay – joint last. He was also preoccupied with the unpleasant thought of Cole arriving, seeing that it was Beckett who had won the auction, and refusing to go through with it. Although it didn't seem likely, the idea that Cole might think he was a creep was really weighing on him, and the more time he spent thinking about it, the more frustrating it got. Though he had tried to deny himself since the announcement at the town fair, Beckett really badly wanted this. He'd spent full nights dreaming of fucking this beautiful young boy now, and it would be such a disappointment for it not to happen; it would be such a hurtful blow to know that Cole thought so little of him.

  Maybe Beck was more afraid of rejection than he had allowed himself to realize. Through all these lonely months, was it really this which had kept him from seeking a new partner – not the lack of time? If so, it was too late now. The meeting had already been set up, and Beck was already at the restaurant. Soon enough, Cole would enter and catch sight of him, and Beck would have to face up to his reaction either way.

  He sipped at his glass of water, lips cold against the ice, and took stock of the other people sitting around him in the restaurant. For now, they didn't know why he was here. As soon as Cole walked in and took a seat with him, however, they'd soon work it out. From that moment on, he was going to have to endure the whispers and the funny looks. He thought he had prepared himself for that, but now that he was surrounded by them, he didn't feel so ready.

  Sometimes he hated this town. He much preferred it to city life, without a doubt; country living was where he belonged, and he'd never try to leave. Without much going on, though, folk really liked to talk, and it was this part which Beckett couldn't stand. In his ideal world, everybody would be permitted to go about their business without interruption or judgment. So long as he didn't cause harm, he felt he deserved that. Everybody did.

  It wasn't long before he was forced to abandon this train of thought, though. He heard the sound of the door opening… and sure enough, there was Cole in the doorway. Predictably, he looked incredible; his fair blond hair was coiffed up into a loose, stylish quiff, and he was wearing a thin pink linen shirt with a light paisley pattern. It suited him, not least because it wasn't at all like the old, slightly dour clothes he used to wear.

  Beck supposed dressing like this might have given Cole's sexuality away to his father. It was a shame it had to be that way, but at least everything was out in the open now – and the young man wore his freedom very well.

  Cole looked about as nervous as Beckett felt, though Beckett would wager that the young man wasn't doing as good a job of hiding it. His eyes darted around the restaurant, impatient as he tried to work out who had won his auction. It didn't take long for his eyes to land on Beckett. As nobody else in the room was sitting alone at their table, it couldn't be anybody else. A thick blush fell across Cole's pretty face, and he crossed over the room to take the seat opposite Beck.

  Maybe it was weird to feel this way, but Beck found him especially attractive when he was all shy like this.

  “Hello, Mr. Walsh.”

  “You know you can call me Beckett,” he assured Cole, sipping at his water to try and keep himself calm. He really needed to come across confident now, like he really knew what he was doing. Beck wanted the boy to know he was in safe and friendly hands. “Or Beck is fine, too.”

  “And you know I'm Cole,” he said, running a hand through his hair. His cheeks were still tinged pink with exhilaration, or shyness, or… whatever it was the blond was feeling. Beckett would certainly understand if it was humiliation. He, too, could feel the eyes of the rest of the restaurant on both of them, and he could have sworn the volume of conversation around them had dropped. “I'd say it's nice to meet you, but...”

  Beck smiled. “I suppose we've never met properly, outside of the groceries.”

  “Well, then, it is nice to meet you.”

  They exchanged a smile. As embarrassing as this was, Beckett knew he had done the right thing in making this bid. It may be early days, but every second he spent in Cole's company only made him want the boy more. If he was flushing this badly now, Beck could only imagine what he'
d look like when they slept together – the way the blush would spread across the back of his shoulders, and perhaps even in his thighs…

  It was probably best not to think about that right now.

  “It's nice to meet you too,” he managed. “And I guess dinner's on me.”

  “It seems that way,” said Cole, smile widening and turning a little sheepish. “That was, um… quite some amount. And out of nowhere…?”

  Beckett knew that, of course. Maybe it seemed stupid or over-eager to up the bidding to $25,000 so quickly. It probably wouldn't have reached that amount if he had just let the other bidders run their course and then beat them out at the end. Still, he would justify it to Cole the same way he had justified it to himself. “I think that's a fair balance between what I can afford, and what I think it's worth.”

  “That's… a very generous estimation.”

  “Really?” said Beckett, hiding behind his glass of water again. He hoped that Cole hadn't realized he was doing that. It was stupid for a 30-year-old man to feel this shy or self-conscious. He just wanted to win Cole's approval. “In that case, I'd say you're undervaluing yourself.”

  Cole flushed again, seeming to almost squirm in his seat. “There are lots of other young men out there.”

  “Sure,” said Beck. “All valuable. Some more so than others.”

  After all, he didn't mean to imply that he'd pay $25,000 for just anybody. He wouldn't. The young man serving them water was around Cole's age, and though he wasn't unappealing, Beckett certainly wouldn't have stumped up that amount of money to sleep with him. He wouldn't have paid to sleep with most people.

  Honestly, he might never have looked twice at Cole that way if it hadn't been for the taboo and the confidence of trying to sell his virginity in the first place, but now here they were, and already his attraction had wormed its way into him and spread. Now, it was so much more than that. Beckett liked the way the boy worried his lip with his teeth; he liked the way he talked with his hands, and how his eyes lit up when he agreed with a person, regardless of how trivial the subject of that agreement was.

  He was beautiful and whole – and Beckett couldn't wait to make him come.

  Their conversation over dinner steered in different directions. It was as though they hadn't met under auction circumstances at all; they covered topics as broad as the musical performances at the town fair and world politics. Beck didn't know much about anything going on outside of the US, and even on a national level his knowledge was limited, but Cole's world seemed to extend so far beyond his own fingertips that it was no wonder he felt compelled to get out of this small town. He already lived beyond it in his head, and Beck couldn't help but be impressed.

  By the time they reached dessert, the restaurant had almost entirely filtered out around them, apparently bored of hearing the pair discuss sports and the weather instead of their upcoming sexual congress. Beckett much preferred it this way. There was less pressure on both of them now, and he felt that both he and Cole could be less on edge without so many ears and eyes prying in.

  With that extra privacy, though, came a new kind of pressure. It had been so much easier to talk about anything but the auction for the past hour or so, but now they had to cycle round to the elephant in the room – and Beck could tell that Cole felt as awkward as he did about it.

  He cleared his throat. “So. Plans…?”

  “I kept my evening clear,” said Cole. That was thoughtful of him, but Beck could sense a tension in his voice that he felt uncomfortable with. Clearly, the thought of spending that cleared-out evening having sex with Beckett was making him nervous, and that absolutely wasn't Beck's intention in the least.

  “Hey, I'm in no rush,” he said, eager to quell those nerves. “It doesn't have to be tonight.”

  “No?” said Cole. He sounded hopeful, and that only cemented Beckett's thinking.

  “Of course not,” Beck confirmed. “We've had a nice night tonight.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “So – maybe you'd rather get to know me a little better first,” Beckett suggested, and then stumbled over himself to clarify. “I mean… it's your decision. I'm not trying to… you know. Drag it out, or get more time with you than I've paid for. That's not what I'm thinking here.”

  Cole smiled, shuffling his chair in closer to the table. “I know that, Beckett. I'd never accuse you of that.”

  That smile was so bright and sincere that Beck couldn't help but get lost in it for a moment, pleased that Cole didn't think he was some sleaze or creep. “It's really just about what makes you most comfortable. That's my main concern.”

  “Well, I appreciate that,” said Cole. “I really do. And honestly, I… I think you're right. I think I'd feel a little better if we took our time.”

  “Then it's settled.”

  They smiled at each other, and it seemed that a mutual weight had been lifted from them. Beckett hadn't realized how nervous he'd gotten, but as soon as the pressure of fucking Cole tonight was lifted, he certainly felt a lot better. Judging by the look on Cole's face, he felt an awful lot better too.

  “Maybe we can meet again in a few days' time. See how we feel.”

  Cole nodded, blond hair bouncing in its quiff. “Okay. That sounds good. Same time, same place…?”

  “Actually,” said Beck, “I was hoping we could try something else. This turned out to be a little, ah...” he trailed off, and cleared his throat. “I don't know. Didn't you feel kind of like you were in a zoo of some kind?”

  Cole laughed, big blue eyes twinkling. God, he was pretty. “Yeah, actually. You could say that.”

  “Maybe instead I could drive us down the river? We could bring something to eat. Spend a little time like that.”

  It was strange for Beck to feel this talkative. Usually, he was quite abrupt and quiet in conversation, preferring to answer questions with quick, short sentences. With Cole, however, he felt himself compelled to talk more and more – to suggest things. To express himself. To impress the other man. He'd never felt this way with his ex-wife, Charlotte. How hadn't he discovered his sexuality all those years ago when they'd first gotten married?

  He guessed he just hadn't known any better.

  “That sounds great,” Cole assured him, cutting through the thought process. “Maybe you could pick me up around 8pm? I'm living with Claire Piscatella at the moment, if you… uh. If you know where her place is. It's not far from the salon.”

  “Sure, I know the place. My sister works at that salon.”

  Cole blinked, surprised. “I thought I knew everything about everyone in this town, but… I didn't know you had a sister.”

  “I guess we've still got plenty to talk about, huh?”

  They shared a smile, and Beck made a mental note of their plans as he signaled politely for the check. This was just another thing to look forward to, it seemed. After all, what he'd told Cole was true. His main concern really was the boy's comfort. He was in no rush whatsoever, especially now that he could see Cole had no desire to run in the opposite direction away from him.

  Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Cole actually seemed to like him.

  Chapter Seven

  He had been meaning to torture Claire for a few minutes when he got back to her house, withholding the answer to the mystery from her for just a little longer – but as it turned out, he foiled his own plan. The second the door shut behind them and he was in the privacy of their space, his face broke out into a grin he couldn't contain. Immediately, Claire started shoving him in the direction of the couch.

  “That's a happy face,” she said, sounding excitable and sharp. “That's a happy face. Start talking. Tell me everything. Tell me who.”

  “It's Beckett Walsh,” he said – and even he could hear the slight gushing tone in his voice. If he could hear it, goodness only knew Claire could. Had he really melted this quickly, over the course of dinner? Granted, Beckett was far younger than Cole had been gearing himself up for, and he was very handsome
. Maybe he was just riding on that relief? He didn't know.

  Either way, there were more details to share.

  “He was so polite – and I think kind of nervous? Honestly, we just kind of… talked. About lots of different things. Almost the entire time we didn't even mention it, and then at the end we agreed, um… you know. We'll take our time. Don't have to rush right into it.”

  Claire narrowed her eyes at him in that penetrating way of hers. “Cole.”

  “Claire?”

  “Please look me in the eye and tell me you're not going to start developing feelings for this man and end up turning down his check. Because you are not turning down $25,000 dollars. You just aren't.”

  “I didn't say that!”

  “You didn't have to,” she insisted, pointing at him with an accusatory raised eyebrow. “I know you, Cole Berry. I know that look in your eyes, and I can tell you're all gooey over this cowboy. And admittedly, yeah – he's a lot hotter than the kind of guy I was expecting you'd have to fuck, but that doesn't change anything. This is still business. You know that, right?”

  “I do know that,” he promised.

  “If you get your heart broken, I will kill you.”

  Cole grinned at her, endlessly fond of her protective nature. Claire really was one in a million, and as much as this whole tirade was probably a little premature, he couldn't help but love her more for having his back. She just really didn't want him to get hurt, and what more could you want in a friend? “I'm not going to get my heart broken, Claire. I'm out of here once I have the money anyway.”