by Trina Solet
His Winter Heart: Gay Romance
By Trina Solet
Copyright © 2014 by Trina Solet
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or actual events is entirely coincidental.
All sexual activity takes place between persons eighteen years of age or older.
This novel contains material intended for mature readers.
Cover image is only for illustrative purposes. Any person depicted is a model.
His Winter Heart
Gay Romance
By Trina Solet
Chapter 1
On the tree lined sidewalks, the leftover leaves of autumn were crunching underfoot. Deeply brown, they were being swept and blown away. They were disappearing. The bare branches looked brittle as cold winds whistled through them. Those same cruel winds had stripped them of their last leaves. Looking up through the stark treetops to the darkening sky, Colin felt like nature was sending him a message. "Get your ass inside," it said to him and every other creature without a home.
Colin heard the message loud and clear. The days were only going to get colder and the nights were already freezing. It would be snowing soon. So far he hadn't been able to find a place to stay for more than a night or two.
It was that time of the evening when it started to get seriously cold the second the sun disappeared behind the tallest of the buildings. The wind was already cutting through his jacket. People were bustling, hurrying somewhere warm, maybe home. Colin envied them because they had a place to go. For now he had somewhere to head for too. He was going to his job, but after that... This might be another night he spent chilled to the bone and wide awake, scared to stop anywhere to rest because he might get arrested or attacked.
Since he still had some time to kill, he spent it staring into store windows and silently cursing Brad. He was a blackmailing son of a bitch. It was his fault Colin was walking the streets, lightheaded from hunger, watching the displays taunt him with scarves and boots and gloves sticking out of pockets of fur lined jackets. His own jacket was OK, and his shoes were holding together, but they weren't good enough to take the place of central heating and a roof over his head. He was saving the little money he earned so he could chip in for rent or at least bills or groceries if he found someone who would let him crash at their place.
The last place where he lived was Brad's apartment. Brad was his brother's best friend. Tim, Colin's older brother, was in Canada. That's where Tim found work with one of their father's cousins. Before Tim left, he and Colin both lived with Brad. With few marketable skills, Colin couldn't land any decent paying jobs, and Tim had the worst luck keeping a job, maybe because of his quick temper. They barely made ends meet. Most of the time, they were late with their share of the rent. That's why Tim went as far as Canada to find work.
When Tim left, Brad had promised him that he would look out for Colin and give him a place to stay. Tim and Brad had been tight through most of their childhoods and inseparable in high school. Tim didn't worry as much about Colin as long as Brad gave him a place to live. Tim trusted Brad, but he shouldn't have. Brad was a snake. If Tim knew what he tried to pull, he would kill him, tear him limb from limb then put him back together and kill him again.
For now, Colin wasn't going to tell Tim anything, not about Brad or about himself and where he was living, which was nowhere. He would just keep walking around until it was time for his shift at the diner. It was only part time. He washed dishes there and bussed tables in the evenings when the place got busy. As a bonus, he knew that he could get something to eat even if he had to sneak it off a customer's plate before he washed it. Damn, he was so hungry that the idea didn't even sound disgusting to him. As he passed a pizza place and smelled it, he got so preoccupied with food that he stopped worrying about where he would sleep tonight.
*
Wes wouldn't call Penny's Diner his favorite place to eat, but he often found himself there. It was only a block from his apartment building. Its windows allowed a clear view inside where it was warm, and the smell of hot food permeated the air. On such a dismal night, Wes didn't have the heart to pass up the place in search of something better or at least different. He looked in and became drawn into one of its red booths with white tables.
Wes usually took a booth in the middle, but those were occupied tonight. He took one closer to the kitchen. It was serendipity. He heard a very pleasant, male voice calling to the waitress who had just served Wes his stew. The voice was just deep enough to resonate inside Wes and stir his imagination. The voice said, "You don't have any room at your place, do you? I can sleep on the floor. I just want to be inside. I'm so tired. I've been walking around all day."
"That's right, you got kicked out. Sorry, honey. John would go apeshit. No way. I can't take the drama. See if Lee can put you up."
"No. I asked. He has a girlfriend and her kid living with him now."
"Oh. Sorry. Good luck finding some place to crash."
As the waitress walked away, Wes turned to see who was so desperate for a place to stay. His eyes fell on a beautiful young man. Broad shouldered, he was strong but with muscles that were streamlined rather than bulging. He had curly, brown hair and blue eyes that looked worriedly out the diner windows as he wiped a table. It was already dark out and not much could be seen outside. But he probably didn't need to see what was out there to know that it was cold and inhospitable. It wasn't where he wanted to be tonight.
Wes's curiosity was now overtaken by other emotions. There was probably some compassion mixed in there, but mainly he felt desire. His eyes lingered on the young man's partly open mouth. Of course he stared too long, and the young guy caught him at it. His eyes widened and he looked away even faster than Wes did. That told Wes all he needed to know.
Wes called him over to his table. Seeing his expression, Wes was sure of it now. This guy gave Wes a look which he recognized as checking out another man out of sexual interest. It was perfunctory, without any real intent. Other things preoccupied the young man's mind.
"Could you wipe this up? I don't want to get my sleeve wet," Wes said pointing to a ring of condensation on the table. The guy had to reach over him to get to it as Wes hoped.
"Three hundred to come home with me and spend the night," Wes said quietly while the guy leaned over him.
Startled by his words, the young man flinched away. He looked bewildered, desperate and a little sad. But then he stared long and hard at Wes. His look changed. His breathing became deep and even. He looked Wes in the eye and said, "OK."
*
Colin had noticed him as soon as he walked in. Tall, blond and built – how could he miss him. Preoccupied with spending yet another night roaming the streets, he couldn't give the blond guy the attention he deserved. He must have sent him some kind of signal anyway otherwise the guy wouldn't have propositioned him.
Colin couldn't believe he was standing there, looking at this man and thinking about going home with him for money. And it wasn't just the money. Going home with this guy meant he wouldn't have to spend the night out there in the cold.
While Colin was thinking it over, the man waited patiently. If he was only less attractive, or more leering, less patient and quiet, it would give Colin a reason to refuse. But the guy was all that plus big, blond, broad shouldered, with gray eyes that pulled Colin in
. Just the thought of climbing into this guy's lap made him hard. How bad could it be to spend a night with him? Colin decided to find out.
Colin didn't want to leave before his shift was done. That wasn't a deal-breaker for this guy.
"I'll wait for you," he said in that deep, quiet voice.
Colin's heart was already beating fast. Hearing his words, Colin swallowed and his heart beat even faster. This was actually going to happen. As the guy got up to leave, he told Colin he would be back when his shift was over.
"I'll be outside. My place isn't far," he said as he put on his jacket.
Colin only managed to nod. For once in his life, his mouth wasn't running a mile a minute. Stunned, excited, and a little confused, he stared after the guy as he left. After what happened with Brad, Colin couldn't believe he just said yes to fucking for money.
Even before Tim left, Colin had noticed Brad eyeing him in a funny way. At first Colin thought that Brad might be gay. He had seen him with plenty of skanky girls, but what else would explain that look? He figured Brad wanted something from him, maybe a blow job or a fuck. As long as Tim was around, Brad wouldn't dare touch his younger brother. Once Tim was gone, the leash came off. Brad made demands that started out as just wheedling but turned into outright threats. But Colin had been wrong. Brad didn't want him. He wanted to make money off him. Colin had just lost his job at the fast food place. That's when Brad started coming up with moneymaking ideas.
"Don't you want to help with the rent?" Brad asked.
Colin had been paying a little bit, but not since he was out of work.
At first Brad only suggested that Colin should maybe do some stuff over webcam, just chat with guys. Some trashy girl he knew was doing that and making good money. She told him a lot of guys did it too. That's what gave Brad the idea to recruit Colin.
"You need to make money," Brad said. "You wouldn't have to do anything, and no one would know. It's easy money. I would just take a small cut. Just for using my computer and helping you set things up."
Colin refused and looked for any other kind of work, but Brad just kept pushing. He was telling him how much money he could make. Then he started handing him phone numbers.
"Text this guy. Just see if you hit it off." It was clear that Brad wanted to be his pimp.
When his suggestions had no results, he moved on to telling Colin he would throw him out. Then he threatened to call Tim and tell him Colin had been doing what Brad was trying to force him to do. Colin stood firm, not out of pride, but out of anger. Colin was nothing to him, but Tim was supposed to be Brad's best friend. Knowing how much this would hurt Tim, Colin wanted to punch Brad. It really pissed him off that Brad would betray him like that.
And Colin couldn't even tell Tim. He would just get mad and worried and leave his job to come take care of Colin again and probably beat up on Brad. He kept his mouth shut even when Brad kicked him out. He didn't tell Tim about Brad or about not having a place to live. Colin was eighteen now, and he was going to take care of himself, show Tim he didn't have to worry about him.
Going off with some guy for money probably wasn't the best way to prove that. He didn't even want to consider what Tim would think of him if he knew.
With that on his mind, Colin spent the rest of his shift in a daze. Several times he considered ducking out through the back. But at the end of the day, Colin walked out through the front door, knowing that the big, blond guy was waiting out there to pick him up and walk him to his place. Stepping out into the cold, night air, Colin saw that the guy was waiting on the sidewalk in front of the diner the same way he had waited for Colin's answer, no fidgeting, no impatience. The guy was impassive but not cold. A smile almost brightened his eyes when he saw Colin coming toward him.
As they walked to his apartment building, the guy said his name was Wes. Colin took too long trying to figure out if he should give his own name or a fake one. He ended up not giving either as he was distracted by a lady texting while trying to walk three unruly dogs. This happened right in front of what turned out to be Wes's apartment building. It was a nice, solid brick building with twelve floors. Wes was on the ninth.
In the elevator, Colin took another look at Wes so he could figure out why he had said yes to him. Wes looked good in a pale, washed out kind of way. He had a big, hard body under his clothes, but they were too bulky to see much. Colin would have to peel off at least two or three layers to get a good feel. He had the impression that it was the kind of body he would like to get his hands on and explore for hours. Depending on what Wes had in mind, he might even get to do just that.
Colin kind of looked forward to it. He was nervous too, but with each passing second spent thinking about Wes naked, he got less nervous and more eager to fully earn those three hundred bucks. For three hundred, he figured this guy was sure to want a thorough workout. Colin was rock hard in anticipation, but his hands were shaking and not from the cold. If anything he felt a little warm. Almost dizzy with the mixture of conflicting feelings, he gulped and tried to breathe evenly. After all, he was about to become a professional. He should act like it and definitely not hyperventilate or pass out.
Colin stepped out of the elevator on wobbly legs and followed Wes to his door. Going in, he saw that his place seemed really impersonal. If it wasn't for a pair of boots by the door, he wouldn't even think anyone lived there. The furniture was mostly black and clutter free. There was a black leather sofa and a recliner facing a big TV with all the good stuff plugged into it but not any game consoles. Though the leather furniture looked comfortable, the place was stark and too neat to have been lived in. The kitchen was pristine as was the dark wood floor.
"Did you just move in?" Colin asked since that would explain it.
"I've lived her for a couple of years," Wes told him as he took off his jacket.
"I guess you don't have a lot of stuff," Colin said.
He took off his jacket too. Wes took it from him and hung it on a hook next to his own.
"What would you expect to see?" Wes asked. He looked around his apartment like he didn't know what was missing.
"I don't know. Dishes, cups, newspapers, unpaid bills," Colin listed. That was just the tip of the iceberg. In his experience, the list went on and on.
"I like to put things away."
"You might want to leave a few things out so people know you're not a vampire. You are kind of pale, you know."
"And the compliments just keep coming," Wes said with a sigh, but he didn't seem too put out.
*
As he hung up their jackets by the door, Wes realized that his guest had not introduced himself yet. He waited until he was done questioning him about his apartment before he asked, "What's your name?"
"It's Colin. Unless you want a fake one. Then it's Max." He looked proud of that choice.
"Colin will be fine."
"I'm not sure what you had in mind, but we will be using condoms for the heavy stuff, right? Wait. Not in the form of a question. We will be using condoms. No question mark."
Before he answered, Wes waited to make sure he was done rambling.
"Of course," Wes said, but he now took a long, hard look at Colin. The facial hair had made him look older. Examining him more closely, Wes could see that he was very young. He was almost angelic in a scruffy kind of way. Wes wasn't sure he could go through with this.
"I imagine you've been offered money before," Wes said to try to persuade himself that what he was doing was OK.
"Umm. Kind of," Colin said uncertainly.
Wes was not persuaded by that answer. "But you said no?" That was a given. Everything about Colin was all wrong for someone who had been paid for sex before.
"Oh, big time. And it cost me. But I'm OK with it now, I guess. That's why we're here. Do we jump right to it, or is there chitchat first? Is this the chitchat? Is that what we're doing now?"
As he rambled, Colin looked so confused and ignorant of what was going to happen that Wes couldn't help as
king him, "Have you even had sex before?"
"Depends on what you mean."
"Oh, God. How old are you?" Wes asked even though he really didn't want to know.
"I'm almost nineteen. And I'm not a virgin," he said looking offended at the accusation. "I just didn't know what kind of sex you meant. I never took it up the ass. I've done other stuff, but I only fucked two guys. One of them was OK. The other one was really hot. They both seemed to like it."
Wes felt disappointment wash over him. However much he wanted him, he couldn't have him. The years between them were almost Colin's whole life. Colin was just too young and inexperienced, not to mention desperate. And apparently the experience of thirty-four years hadn't taught Wes anything. How could he have been so blind? Colin's character was written on his face. He was completely transparent. Wes had deliberately blinded himself to all that because he wanted him more than anyone in a long time. And for three hundred bucks he thought he could have him.
Seeing how Wes reacted to his meager sexual history, Colin became a little defensive.
"Were you looking for a guy with lots of experience and you picked me? What do I look like?" Colin asked. "Do I look like a guy who fucks for money? Is that it? Because this other guy, Brad, he wanted me to do that. He said I was perfect for it. Is there something about me...?"
"No, no. Definitely not. You are just someone men want, and some aren't picky about how they get you. That's all. There's nothing about you that says you do it for money. Some men are just willing to take advantage of your desperation to get what they want. Men like me. Losers."
"Hey! You're not so bad."
"Let's call this off. I'll give you fifty bucks for your trouble. You can sleep here tonight. I'll buy you breakfast in the morning, and we'll go our separate ways. I hope you're not disappointed."
"I don't know. I'm not dying to be a prostitute."
"So the man you mentioned who wanted you to..."
