by Sean Michael
He moved faster, sucking harder on the thumb in his mouth, giving Luke more and more sensation. Luke’s expression grew lax, his eyes crossing.
Temple bit down on Luke’s thumb.
“Fuck…” Luke arched, balls drawing up.
“Uh-huh.” He moved faster and bit again, ready now for them to come.
Like he’d heard Temple, Luke shot, heat pushing between them. Temple watched every second of it on Luke’s face, entranced by the way pleasure made Luke glow. His own pleasure was secondary, almost nothing compared to Luke’s.
Reaching out, he touched Luke’s face, stroked it.
“You’re… You’re like an angel or something.” Luke’s words were breathless, thready.
That made Temple chuckle softly. “No one has ever called me an angel.”
“I’ve never met anyone like you. Not ever. And meeting people is my business.”
“Good. I want to be unique. Special.” At least he wanted to be special to Luke.
“I don’t think there’s anything about you not special, man.”
“Thank you, Luke. And back at you.”
Luke pinked, cheeks hot. “I… Do you want breakfast?”
“I’d love to share breakfast with you.”
“I have bagels downstairs, do you eat those?”
“I can eat those. I can eat what I want—I just find I feel healthier eating raw.”
“I…” Luke’s lips twisted. “There might be an apple…”
Temple chuckled. “I can eat your bagel, darling.”
“Sorry. I’m sort of a frozen food guy. Nuke it and eat it.”
Temple blinked at Luke and managed not to gag or make disgusted noises. “If I’m going to stay, maybe we can check out the local market,” he suggested. “I’d be happy to cook for you.”
“I’m off today. There’s a little farmer’s market on Ninth.”
“Oh, let’s do that. I bet they’ve got some farmers there who do breakfast. I approve of farm to table food.” He went for that whenever he needed a meat fix.
“Cool.” It was clear that Luke had no idea what he was talking about.
Chuckling, he grabbed his T-shirt off the floor and cleaned the cum from their bellies.
Luke got up, smiled. “I think I have a brand new toothbrush in the cupboard beneath the sink in the bathroom.”
“Thank God, I was worried I’d have to share with the man whose tongue I had in my mouth.” He couldn’t help but tease.
“No one needs to share that.” Luke pulled out a T-shirt for him, a toothbrush.
“I wouldn’t have been upset, darling.” Temple pulled the T-shirt on. It stretched over his body, hugging his muscles. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Luke gave him an admiring look, a smile.
He grinned, posed for a moment. He liked Luke a lot and it made him feel good to have the man admire him. And Temple was all about the feeling good. You had to revel in what goodness you could find. You never knew what was next. Never. Or how long you had left on this earth.
He was just grateful that he’d lived long enough to meet this wonderful, sexy, beautiful man.
* * * *
It was weird, how much fun they’d had. They’d gone to the farmer’s market and eaten arepas and smoothies, then they’d spent a few hours in a used bookstore. From there they’d gone to some weird-assed Bollywood film they couldn’t understand. Luke was having the time of his life.
Also, he was hungry again. Starving, in fact.
“Lunch?” he asked.
“Oh yeah, I could eat a horse. Only I never would.”
“No. That’s a lot of work. There’s a Greek restaurant right here. Are you a hummus fan?”
“Oh, Greek has a lot of vegetarian options. And yes, I like hummus. A lot.” Temple looked pleased.
“I do too. Hummus and falafel—uhn.” He wasn’t picky. He thought of food more as fuel, but he did like garlicky things.
“Let’s go, then. I usually graze throughout the day. Nuts, fruit, vegetables.”
“I eat lunch and supper. That’s it. Not because of, like, health. Just… We grab something before the shop opens and I nuke supper.”
“I don’t trust microwaves,” Temple told him.
“No? I’d starve without mine.”
“You don’t need any heat with raw food. You should keep nuts at work, so you have something healthy to nibble on.” Temple followed him into the restaurant.
“Yeah?” Nuts. Luke liked those okay.
Chuckling, Temple pulled his chair out for him, then sat across from him. “You can have my nuts any time you like.”
Luke cracked up. God, Temple made him laugh like no one else, ever. Temple looked so pleased to have made him laugh, too.
The menus, like the restaurant, were simple and natural—hummus, falafel, tabbouleh, dolmas.
“Oh, this is grand.” Temple touched his leg under the table. “Thank you, darling.”
“You’re welcome. I come in here for lunch quite a bit. It’s fabulous, how they’re revitalizing downtown.”
“Everything old is new again, isn’t it?”
Their waitress came. “Hey, honey, who’s your friend?”
“This is Temple. Temple, Katy.”
“Hi, Katy.” Temple stood and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Then he sat again.
“Nice to meet you too, Temple.” She gave Luke an impressed smile.
“I know, right? Way nicer than Donny.”
Katy started laughing. “Yeah, he’s a little…brusque.”
Temple raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Charisma with all the lovers is brusque?”
“Believe it or not, yes. He gets into his work and… Whoa. But there’s no one more loyal. No one.”
“And you’re loyal in return.” Temple smiled at him.
“They’re a pair.” Katy chuckled. “Now, do you guys know what you want?”
Luke did, for sure. “Hummus. Hummus, first, please.”
Temple smiled. “Do you have carrot sticks to dip into it by any chance?”
“Carrot sticks, celery stalks, cucumber and pita. Is that okay?”
“Even better. Thank you, ma’am.”
“So… Is there anything you can eat?” Luke asked. “Because I’ll totally take you somewhere else if there isn’t.”
“Are you kidding? Hummus and all the veggies—I can totally eat that.”
He wanted a falafel wrap, but if Temple didn’t get anything else, he’d just wait.
“I like tabbouleh, too. Can we have some of that?” Temple asked.
“Anything you want. I’m a huge fan of the falafel wrap.”
“Then you should have it. I’m a huge fan of being happy.” Temple smiled at him, then turned to Katy. “Did you get all that?”
She chuckled. “The hummus platter, some tabbouleh, and a falafel wrap.”
“I’d like water to drink, please,” Temple added.
“Coconut water, please.” Luke loved the stuff.
“Oh, if you have that I’d like some, too, please.” Temple grinned at him. “Coconut water has a lot of healing properties. It’s not on too many menus, though.”
“I just like it because it comes in a coconut and it’s super cold.”
“Oh, I have to see this.” Temple rubbed his hands together.
“Yeah, the first time I ordered it, it showed up at the table and I didn’t know what to do with it. I mean, it’s a fucking coconut with a straw.”
Laughter brought out the crinkles by Temple’s eyes, and deepened the lines around his mouth.
Luke grinned, tongue playing with the piercings in his lip. Still smiling, Temple’s eyes settled on his mouth. Then Temple licked his own lips. Luke felt his cheeks heating. Silly, how quickly he was letting Temple in.
“You make me need, Luke,” Temple told him quietly. “You make me want to do wicked things with you.”
His cock filled so fast it made him lightheaded. Nostrils flaring, it was like
Temple could smell him getting hard.
“You shouldn’t say things like that. Makes me ache.”
“That’s not a bad thing, though, is it?” Temple’s foot touched his beneath the table.
“No. No, it’s not bad. New. Exciting.”
The waitress came back with two green coconuts and a huge plate of hummus, veggies and pita.
“Oh, that coconut ‘glass’ is awesome.” Temple laughed again, clapped.
“Isn’t it?” Luke leaned down and drank deep, the icy cold coconut water pure refreshment.
Temple had a sip of his own, nodding happily. Then the man dug into the hummus with a carrot stick, making a good sound once he’d eaten it. “That is excellent hummus.”
“I think so. It’s got a nice bite.”
“Garlic is a superfood.” Temple grabbed a piece of celery and dipped it.
“Garlic is a gift from God.” He tore off a piece of pita and scooped some hummus into it.
Temple made a face. “Yeah—celery, however, is watery sticks. I was hoping the hummus would get me past that, but no. Still hate it.”
“Yeah? I like celery just fine, especially in egg salad.”
“Oh, if you cut it very small and hide it, I could probably take it, but like this?” Temple stuck out his tongue.
Luke chuckled and snagged Temple’s tongue, playing. Temple tried to say something, but it didn’t work and he wound up just laughing.
“I’ll eat all the celery for you,” Luke promised. “You can have the carrots and the cucumber.”
“You don’t like the carrots and cucumber?” Temple grabbed another carrot and scooped up more hummus.
“I like them fine. I told you, I’ll eat anything.”
“I’m going to try to move you to raw foods.” Temple’s foot slid up along his leg.
“Do you call that raw…?” he teased.
“Not with the jeans on, no. But it could be.” Temple waggled his eyebrows.
Luke started laughing again, and by the time the rest of the food arrived, they’d demolished the hummus, celery and all.
Digging into the tabbouleh, Temple ate it straight as it was, ignoring the pita that had come with it.
Luke ate his wrap happily, finished his coconut juice. “Yum.”
“I do enjoy watching you eat—they say the way a man eats is akin to the way he makes love,” Temple told him.
“Yeah? What does that say about me?”
“It says you have the potential to enjoy everything.” Temple’s eyes shone for him.
“Easy, that’s me.” Except not really.
“Oh, I didn’t say easy.”
“No?” Luke gathered up some tzatziki on his finger, licked it clean.
“No. I said…” Temple’s eyes followed his finger. “I said you had the potential to enjoy everything. It would take the right man, of course.”
“The right man…” God, Temple was hypnotic.
“Yes. I’d like to throw my hat in the ring. See if I’m that man.”
“You… You’re making me ache, Temple.”
Temple tilted his head. “That doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”
“It isn’t. I don’t think it is.”
“I don’t think it is, either.” Temple’s foot was on his leg again, rubbing him.
“You… What do you want to do next?”
Temple’s slow smile was a seduction. “You.”
“Oh…” Luke took a couple of slow, deep breaths, just to calm down.
“How far is it back to your place?”
“Half a mile. Less.”
“We could run…” Temple’s eyes were alight.
“I have flip-flops on.” Man did not run in flip-flops. He paid the bill, waved. “Let’s go.”
“I guess we’ll have to settle for walking quickly.”
“Works for me.” He took Temple’s hand, held on.
Temple squeezed and shortened his gait to match Luke’s.
“So, how long are you in town?” How long can you stay?
“As long as I want.”
“Oh. Cool.” Now he had to make Temple want to stay.
“Yeah. I love not having to worry about being anywhere.”
Luke couldn’t imagine that, but it wasn’t his place to ask, so he didn’t.
They stopped for a light and Temple stole a quick kiss.
“Mmm.” Luke let himself enjoy it without worrying.
Temple pushed Luke’s hair behind his forehead and touched his bee stings, then they were walking hand in hand again. Crazy, how he felt every second of their connection. Temple looked to him and smiled, as if Temple had heard his thoughts.
His cheeks heated, burning. Lord. Thank God they were almost home.
The guys were all out working in the front yard when they walked up. Oh, man. No fair. He’d been hoping to go right in and…
“You’ve got gardeners,” Temple noted, still holding his hand.
“Uh-huh. Hey, guys.” Please, not now. Sex now.
Donny stood up from where he was pulling weeds and came over, eyes on their hands, one eyebrow rising up. “Les is working us hard today.”
“Yeah. Lucky.” Better them than him. He didn’t mind gardening, he was just terrible at it. “This is Temple. Temple, Donny.”
Temple shook Donny’s hand with the one not holding his. “Good to meet you.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Donny turned to him. “Where did the two of you meet?”
“Last night at the shop, remember?”
“Oh!” A slow smile spread across Donny’s face. “Good for you, Luke.”
Temple smiled, head moving back and forth. “Nope. Good for me.”
“Come for dinner tonight?” Donny asked. “We’re grilling peppers and squash and onions for the veggies and then sausage for those of us that eat meat.”
Temple squeezed his hand. “Up to you, darling.”
“What time?” Late. Choose a late time.
Donny shrugged. “When you smell the grill go on, we’ll be ready.”
“‘Kay. See you guys. Time for a shower.” Going. Going now.
“Is that what you’re calling it?” Les asked, eyes twinkling.
“Shut up. Going in.” His cheeks felt like they were about to catch on fire.
Temple went with him, chuckling. “We are doing more than just showering, right?”
“Yeah. They’re just nosy.” And he wasn’t good at this.
“They’re your friends, right? They care for you.”
“They are. My best friends.” And he had a lot of friends, honestly. A lot of good friends.
“Then they’re going to tease you when you bring a hot stud home to your bed.” Temple suggested, eyes dancing.
“Yeah. They haven’t had the opportunity.” Temple was the only one Luke had brought home since moving here.
“That’s too bad, but they will have now, I want to give them lots of opportunity for teasing.”
“Do… Do you need to park your bike somewhere safe? I have room in the garage.” They’d checked on the bike earlier, but he hadn’t thought to have Temple bring it back with him.
“Oh, that would be great.” Temple gave him a wicked smile. “Later, huh?”
“Later. Yeah. After our shower.”
“After the more than part,” Temple amended.
Luke got them both a glass of water, then they headed upstairs. Temple had drunk his water by the time they got upstairs, but he refilled it from the bathroom sink.
Meanwhile, Luke turned the water in the shower on, making it lukewarm, then he started to strip. It took a moment before he realized that Temple wasn’t following suit—no the man was watching him, eyes intent.
“Temple?” Was this not okay? They were going to shower and probably do more than that, which meant naked, right?
“Yeah, I’m just enjoying the very fine view.”
“Oh.” Oh, right.
“Come here.” Temple opened his arms and when Luke went, Temple
wrapped around him and took a kiss.
“Hey.” He spoke the single word against Temple’s lips, then dove in for more.
Temple opened wide, letting him in and in. They kissed for what seemed like hours, almost starving for each other. Temple tasted like garlic and fresh herbs and beneath that was this earthy, salty man taste.
He started pulling at Temple’s clothes, the tight T-shirt fighting him. Temple helped him, pulling the thing up over his head and exposing the long, thin body.
“So fine,” Luke whispered. Temple was stunning in his eyes.
“So glad you think so.” Temple’s hands landed on his head, pushing through his hair.
So many things Luke wanted to ask Temple. Was he worried? Had the treatment been painful? Would his hair come back? What other changes had treatment brought on? But first he wanted this, their bodies and nakedness and making each other feel good. Hell, he might want this for a few days.
Opening his own jeans, Temple exposed himself for Luke.
Maybe more than a few days.
Luke reached down, weighed Temple in his palm. Along with heavy, Temple was hot.
“Mmm. Do love the touch of your hand.” Temple’s voice was thick, pleasure clear.
Luke rubbed the tip, encouraging more pleasure.
“Oh, darling.” Temple pushed into his touch, a little growl in his voice now.
That was surprisingly hot. Genuine.
“Don’t stop, Luke.”
“Working the tip?” Luke could do that.
“Yeah. Touching.” Temple began to pant for him.
“Touching.” He kept doing it, tracing the slit, pushing in the barest bit.
“Fuck.” Temple jerked into his hand.
“Good? Bad?”
“Good. Very good.”
Oh, hell yes. Luke didn’t want to fuck this up yet, that was for sure.
Temple took his face in both hands and took a kiss, tongue sliding along his lips, his teeth. His fingers stuttered on Temple’s cock.
“Oh, now, don’t be stopping just because I’m kissing you, darling.”
“Sorry. Sorry, you distracted me.”
“I like being a distraction to you. But I kind of liked what you were doing too.”
Luke focused on touching Temple, stroking the long, needy cock, from base to tip.
“Fuck yes. You’ve got a great touch.” That growly note was back in Temple’s voice. Told him he was doing it right.
