by Myra Scott
This was a guy who stood out in a place like this, and he was trying not to do just that.
He was intriguing.
I made a detour to the bar and got the bartender’s attention. The guy I’d been talking to earlier had cleared out, probably to rejoin his friends on a different floor. When the bartender got to me, I pointed toward the corner booth.
“I haven’t noticed a second guy at that table, have you?” I asked. The bartender knew me. Scoping people out was part of his job, and he assumed correctly it was my mission tonight.
“Not that I’ve seen,” he said. “Never seen him before. He ordered that beer he’s been nursing, and that’s about it.”
“I think he needs another,” I said with a smile. “And one for me, while we’re at it.”
“Couple of Neon Cactuses?” the bartender grinned, pulling the beers out from the cooler under him.
I raised an eyebrow. “Craft beer, huh? He doesn’t look like a hipster.”
“Surprised me, too,” the bartender said as he handed me the beers. “Maybe he’s adventurous.”
“I’ll let you know,” I said with a wink, and the bartender chuckled.
I was halfway across the club floor when the mystery man noticed me approaching with two of the same beers he was drinking, and he tensed up so obviously that it was almost funny.
“Don’t worry, I come in peace,” I said when I was close enough for my voice to reach him.
His posture told me a lot about him. He was anxious, but his gaze was locked onto me, eyes darting up and down my figure. It took him a while to open his mouth, which told me he wasn’t used to this kind of thing. But something about the interest he showed in me, the way his whole body seemed alert, told me he wasn’t straight.
I figured it was a safe bet he was just a closeted guy out testing the waters. I could respect that.
“This seat taken?” I asked, approaching the booth. “I don’t mind drinking both of these myself, but it goes down smoother with company. Name’s Luke.”
The first thing I noticed about him was how he looked at me. The left side of his face was facing the wall, and he didn’t turn his head to look at me completely. He sort of side-eyed me as he faced forward. He hesitated for a moment, and not wanting to stand awkwardly, I turned to start to walk away.
“I can see you’re busy,” I said gracefully. “Maybe—”
“No, wait,” he said suddenly, then cleared his throat. “Yeah, sure. Seat’s open, I mean. Call me Casey.”
“Not much of a club guy, are you, Casey?” I said with a smile, taking a seat across from him and sliding one of the beers his way. His was already empty.
There was an uneasy smile on his face, but his features were gruff. He wasn’t like a lot of the slime balls who showed up at unfamiliar clubs. He seemed genuinely new to this. It was kind of cute. Still, I noticed that he was turning his head so that only the right side of it faced me. I wondered if he had some kind of neck issue, or if he was just nervous.
“Nah, got me there,” he chuckled. “But a guy’s gotta have a good time somewhere, I suppose.”
“I hear that,” I said casually, raising my beer toward him. He seemed to like that, and I watched his shoulders visibly relax a little. He raised his own bottle and clinked it against mine, and we both took a drink. “Neon Cactuses, huh? Or is it Neon Cacti?”
He raised his eyebrows at the question, genuinely taken aback. “Haven’t thought about it. It’s a craft beer, so I feel like they’d like ‘cacti’, personally.”
“Good point,” I said. “Not bad beer, either. I’m usually a whiskey guy.”
“I would have pegged you for a vodka guy,” he remarked.
“Been watching me, have you?” I asked, and he looked surprised and embarrassed.
“Oh. I mean, no, I…”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. This guy was adorable. “Relax,” I said. “Everyone’s here to have a good time. But since we’re talking about watching each other, I can’t say you struck me as a craft beer kind of guy.”
He looked down at himself, blushing, but his smile didn’t fade. “That’s what everyone says. Maybe I should grow a beard and get my hair into a bun to fit the part better.”
“I think you look just fine the way you are,” I said just before bringing the rim of the beer bottle to my lips and taking a long drink. When I lowered the bottle, I could see his eyes so wide I saw the whites of them. I smiled smugly. “You look surprised.”
“Oh, I just…”
“Not used to compliments?” I suggested. “We should fix that. Starting with those dimples when you smile—you could put a room to silence if you came out in the light a little better.”
I could tell he was enjoying the attention, even though he was shy, but at the mention of coming into the light, he seemed to clam up again a little. He had an expressive body, and the slightest shifts in the way he held himself spoke a hundred words.
“It’s a little more comfortable where I am,” he said reluctantly.
“That’s fine,” I assured him, and I reached out to put my big hand over his on the table, stroking his hand with my thumb. He didn’t draw it away. “Nothing wrong with playing in the dark.”
He wore a stupid grin on his face for a moment, and even in the shadows, I could tell how beet-red his face must have been. It was refreshing, being with someone new to the club scene.
“So… at the risk of sounding cheesy as hell, do you come here often? To clubs, I mean?”
“That is pretty on the nose,” I admitted playfully, “but you could say that, yeah. Do I look the type?”
“No, actually,” he said. “You look like you own the place.”
“Now you’re just flattering me.”
“I mean it,” he said firmly, nodding to my outfit. “I may not be able to remember the last time I wore something besides denim and flannel, but I know a nice suit when I see one.”
“I work at a casino on the Strip,” I said simply. “But I wouldn’t say I come here often, no. Every other week, maybe.”
“That’s often to me,” he chuckled.
“Country boy, huh?” I ventured. I slipped my hand under his and checked his nails, which were clean, but his hands were rough and felt like they’d been through more than an office job. “Or close to it, at least.”
“You really know what you like, don’t you?” he said, his voice a mix of hesitation, excitement, and desire.
“Enough to know a guy who needs to let off steam as much as me when I see one,” I said in a voice thick with desire. “Want to take this somewhere quieter?”
He seemed to hesitate a moment, and I noticed him turning his face to the shadows again, ever so slightly. I narrowed my eyes. Had I read him wrong or was I moving too fast?
“How about my car?” I suggested in a low tone. He was still for a moment, then turned and cracked a smile at me.
I grinned back.
I was going to have fun with this one.
CHAPTER SEVEN - CASEY
My heart was pounding a million miles a minute. I could not believe that this insanely handsome, charming man was holding my hand, all but dragging me out of the club with that exhilarated grin on his face. I was half-afraid that when we stepped under a streetlight, he would catch sight of the scar on my face and push me away, realize I wasn’t good enough for a hot, put-together business type like himself. The heavy bass from the speakers bumped and vibrated underneath our feet as he led me out of the dark booth and across the club, skirting the dance floor to avoid the crowds of sweaty people.
“Are you sure about this?” I hissed, glancing around nervously.
Luke looked back at me over his shoulder and winked. “Absolutely,” he replied.
“You must do this a lot, huh?” I commented, then immediately winced as I realized that my remark
accidentally sounded really judgmental. I quickly jumped to try and fix it. “I-I don’t mean it in a bad way. I’m sorry. That came out wrong—”
“Relax. I’m not that easily offended,” he chuckled, pulling me close as we stepped out of the club and into the hallway leading to the elevator. “But to answer your question, yes. I’ve done this just enough times to be pretty good at it. Lucky you.”
I grinned in spite of myself, hardly remembering to turn away from him and hide my scarred left cheek. We had stepped out of the dim club lighting and into the slightly brighter hallway. But Luke either had not noticed the scar or simply did not care, because he was tugging me toward the elevator with gusto. He hit the red downward-pointing arrow with the heel of his hand and then swiveled back around to cup my face in his hands, kissing me deeply.
I could feel every nerve in my body tingling with intense desire. His lips were soft, a sharp contrast to the rest of his body, which was angular and hard. He reminded me of the photos of expertly carved marble statues in my high school art history textbook. He was a Michelangelo. A Bernini. A total work of art, come to life, right here in front of me.
I half-expected to wake up and realize this was all an elaborate, vivid dream. But the elevator dinged and the doors slid open with a whoosh, and Luke pulled me into the little metallic room, his fingers interlacing with mine. I could feel my heart thumping in my ears, and it sounded so loud to me that I worried Luke might be able to hear it. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me against the wall, pressing his hard, gorgeous body against me. His hands slid up to wrap around my wrists, lifting my arms to pin them up over my head while he wedged his thigh between my legs. I groaned, closing my eyes and giving in to the sensation of his big, strong hands holding me in place, his lips kissing mine. Luke rutted against me, and I felt a shiver of anticipation when I felt his hard cock pressed into my pelvis. I rolled my hips subtly, pushing back and showing him that I was receptive to his touch.
“Fuck, you’re hot,” Luke whispered, lightly grazing the ticklish flesh of my neck with his teeth. “You are exactly the kind of guy I’ve been hoping to take home tonight.”
“Really?” I managed to choke out even as my whole body tensed up.
Luke pulled back a little and gazed into my face, an almost quizzical look in his gorgeous eyes, as though he was trying to determine whether or not I was kidding around. “Yes. Of course, really. Do you seriously not know how sexy you are?” he said softly.
I could scarcely breathe with him so close, giving me his full, undivided attention. He was overwhelming to be around: his looks, his touch, his scent. That intoxicating smile. The way he moved me around like he was totally in control. I very rarely relinquished control of any kind in any measure. I was totally in charge of my own life, or so I thought. In fact, the idea of letting anyone else hold the reins was totally repugnant to me… except for right now. With Luke.
Something about him just inspired trust in me, like everything would be okay, which was unusual. I normally had a difficult time trusting anyone, even my closest coworkers and family.
The elevator dinged and the doors whooshed open before I could drum up a response to Luke’s question. Thankfully, he let it go, just grabbing my hand and pulling me along through the glitzy lobby of the building. “Where are you taking me, exactly?” I asked suddenly.
“My car. Unless you’re opposed to that,” he replied.
“Oh. Well, that’s not the most private place, but…” I trailed off.
“Come on. Live a little,” Luke said, grinning as he pushed open the doors. I took a deep breath of the brisk autumn air and willed my heart to stop racing so quickly. I needed to pull myself together, but god it was hard to stay relaxed right now. It had been ages since I was last intimate with a man. I almost worried I wouldn’t remember how to do it. Luke led me around the corner to where his black SUV was parked. He pulled out his keys and unlocked it, opening a door to the back seat. There was a surprising amount of space inside, which was lucky, considering that he and I were both over six feet tall.
Luke chuckled. “Trust me, there’s enough room for both of us in there, as long as we keep close together.”
“I believe you,” I said.
“Come on,” he urged, tugging on my hand.
I could feel my stomach twisting into nervous knots as he and I crawled into the back seat. Luke slid the door shut behind him and then instantly pounced on me, kissing me and groping my body with his roaming hands. I sighed into his kiss, melting under his touch like I was a pat of butter. He probed his tongue into my mouth while his hands slid around to cup my ass. I rutted up against him, feeling my body respond aggressively. Before long, he was cupping my crotch, his hand stroking through the rough fabric of my jeans.
“I want to feel you,” I murmured in his ear.
Luke rolled off of me and sat down, starting to unzip his slacks and tug down his boxers. I sat next to him, watching with my heart hammering away and my lips slightly parted, anticipating what was to come next. Luke pulled his cock free of the fabric, and I let out a gasp. He was massive, his cock glorious and stiff. It made my mouth water just to look at it. Luke gave me an expectant smile.
“Want a taste?” he suggested gruffly.
I looked at him and nodded, licking my lips. Part of me wanted to warn him that it had been a very, very long time since I last sucked cock, but I couldn’t summon the words. With my pulse quickening, I bent down to wrap my fingers around his shaft and softly lick the engorged head with my tongue. Luke leaned back and rested his hand on the back of my head, wordlessly guiding and encouraging me to go further.
I opened my mouth and pulled his full length between my lips, relishing the taste of his salty pre-cum, the velvety smoothness of his skin, the throbbing thickness of his cock stretching my mouth as I lowered myself down. I worked his shaft with my hand, gently fondling his balls while I sucked him faster and harder. My confidence was starting to come back to me as I heard him groan and sigh with pleasure.
Luke ever so gently rolled his hips, pushing up into my mouth, and that encouraged me to be more aggressive. I pumped his length while I swirled my tongue around the smooth head, then bobbed up and down on his cock, taking him all the way down to the hilt. I could feel the tip brushing slightly at the back of my throat, and to my relief, I didn’t cough or gag at all. It just turned me on more, letting this amazingly hot stranger fuck my mouth in the back seat of his SUV.
“Damn, that’s good,” Luke growled. “Just like that.”
Encouraged by his commentary, I began sucking his cock harder and faster, still pumping his shaft with my hand while I bobbed up and down. On every upward movement I would swirl my tongue around the sensitive head, making him tremble and gasp every time. It was fantastic, being able to make him feel this good. I wanted to hear him whimper and sigh. I wanted to make him lose control, explode in my mouth, pump his hot, sticky seed down my throat. I moaned as I sucked him harder, feeling my own cock stiffening between my legs, turned on by how aroused Luke was. Every little grunt and twitch he gave me only made my desire intensify.
“Oh fuck, if you keep going like that you’re going to make me cum,” he murmured, all but fucking my mouth now as he rolled his hips and pressed on the back of my head.
“Mm,” I mumbled back, my mouth stuffed full of cock. I moved faster and faster, desperate to taste his seed. I wanted to swallow it all down, fill myself up with every last drop he had. But then Luke gently nudged me back, to my surprise. His cock sprung free from my lips with a wet pop. I looked up at him, confused and concerned.
“Not yet,” he whispered. He shook his head and then gave me a smile. “I want to fuck you, Casey. I want to make you feel as good as you’re making me feel.”
“Oh,” I said quietly, totally taken aback. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. But only if you want it, too, of course,” he said.<
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Luke looked at me, calmly and patiently waiting for me to respond. I could feel my heart racing faster and faster as I tried to figure out whether I could handle this or not. There was no denying what my heart wanted, what my body wanted. But I was in my head again, as usual, overthinking everything and worrying I would make a mistake. But Luke was so patient, so understanding. And when I thought about having him inside me… well, I couldn’t say no to that even if I had wanted to.
“I do,” I said softly.
Luke lunged at me, kissing me and pulling at my jeans, fumbling to unzip them and pull them down with my boxers. His hand reached down to wrap around my dick, stroking me hard and fast until I was gasping with pleasure. I groaned and arched up into his touch, begging him to keep going. To keep touching me, holding me close. I wanted to stay with him for as long as possible, keep this moment crystallized in my mind for future moments of loneliness, for the next time I was alone and frustrated. Luke was so sexy, so unbelievably perfect in every way, and it was hard to believe he was really here with me right now. With me, of all people. Me, broken and scarred. I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t want to question it.
Luke wrapped his strong arms around me and lifted me slightly, cradling me back onto the seat as he clambered on top to straddle me. He hooked an arm under my knees and lifted my legs up over his shoulders in one swift, easy movement. I was no waif. I wasn’t some lightweight. I was a powerful, muscular man in my own right, and it turned me on beyond belief that he could still manhandle me like I weighed nothing at all. He was forceful and aggressive, and all I could do was just hold on for the ride.
He reached over to pop open the center console in the front seat and pull out a little square wrapper. Luke took out the condom and deftly rolled it onto his cock, then spat into his hand and began to gently, slowly massage my tight hole. I gasped at the grittiness of that action, how raunchy it was in contrast to how soft and cautious he was with me.
