by Sara York
“Yeah, I’m not really allergic to much, just strawberries.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Jens set the knife down and turned, leaning against the counter. He placed his hands beside his hips on the counter and crossed one leg over the other. The man looked so freaking sexy. Elliot thought he’d lose it.
“So why are you in Boston this weekend?” Jens asked.
“I’ve been traveling up the coast, doing appointments, and I realized the storm was going to sack me. I only have one more set of appointments, and they’re far enough north that there is no way I could make it. It’s already been snowing up there for half a day. Anyway, I canceled it, not wanting to risk getting stuck. When I realized I was going to be stuck here, I tried to get a flight out, but the flights were full. I called Adam, and he told me about this place. I guess I could have stayed in a hotel, but the ones closest to the airport were full, and ones in downtown were priced too high for my company. What Adam didn’t tell me was that someone else would be here.”
“I guess Adam and Ryland need to talk more.”
“Yeah, I think so. Why are you in town?”
“I was at a conference for a couple of days. I usually like to get the flavor of a town when I visit, and staying out here would be perfect for that. What I didn’t know was that the weather would suck so bad, forcing people inside. I like seeing how people act in their normal environment. You can tell a lot about a place when you stay in the neighborhoods with them.”
“Oh, I usually stay at hotels. I’m glad I had public transportation out to here.”
“Yeah, thank God for that. Otherwise I’m not sure how long it would have taken me to get here tonight.”
Elliot stepped closer to Jens to grab the food from the oven. He noticed the way the guy stilled before moving over. Yeah, he’s so not attracted to me. Elliot pulled the food from the oven and split the noodle dish into two bowls before grabbing a plate for the two eggrolls he’d picked up. Usually, he only ate one, but he’d picked up an extra, thinking he’d save it for lunch. The snow was falling much faster, and he didn’t know if they’d make it out again this weekend. He hoped Jens had bought more than salad fixings for tomorrow.
“Okay, so the salad is ready.” Jens turned just after Elliot had placed the noodles in the microwave to heat them up. He’d taken a step back, and Jens must have moved over. Their arms tangled together, and he had to reach out to steady Jens and keep him from falling.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you.”
“It’s okay.” Jens placed his hand on Elliot’s waist and squeezed.
Elliot didn’t move away like he knew he should. Jens had made it abundantly clear he didn’t want to hookup, but Elliot couldn’t move. He was planted in place, his body responding to Jens.
The microwave beeped, and Jens jumped back, turning away quickly. Fuck. He’d been so close to leaning in and kissing the man, but the fucking microwave had chosen that moment to interrupt his life. If only he could catch a break.
Elliot switched the plates, heating the eggrolls for fifteen seconds. He moved the food to the table and was careful not to bump into Jens again. Sleeping in the bed would be interesting. It was fairly large, so he doubted that they’d bump into each other. He’d just make sure to stay on his side of the bed, trying not to move over and get in Jens way.
“The food is done,” Elliot said as he pulled the plate out of the microwave and took the eggrolls to the table only a few steps away. He sat, ready to dig in and focus on something other than the totally hot guy he’d have to share a bed with. Jens smiled and placed a salad in front of him. The air felt stilted, and he wished he could run out of the room and hide. In a couple of days, this weekend would be ancient history, and he could spend hours laughing at himself for being such a fool.
Jens stepped behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up, swallowing hard as he stared, taking in Jens’ trim torso and beautiful blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“Would you like some tea? I bought some teabags and can heat some water.”
No, I want to freaking kiss you. Elliot smiled and nodded, “Sure, tea would be nice. Thank you.”
The smile Jens gave him melted his insides, leaving him feeling deeply insecure. This was why he sucked at picking up guys. He never let go and just allowed the situation to flow. He had to be in control, and if he wasn’t, he had no clue what to do.
Jens filled a teakettle and set it on the stove before taking a seat and picking up his fork. “It will only take a bit of time. Thanks for sharing your food. I do have some stuff for breakfast, but no coffee, sorry. I thought I’d just go out to get some, but now the weather looks really bad. I have some other food too, so we shouldn’t starve.”
“That’s okay about the coffee. Tea will be fine, and we can make do with what we have. Honestly, I didn’t really think this through. I have some cookies, a bit of alcohol, and some breakfast bars.”
“At least you have some alcohol. We both might need it.”
Their gazes connected, and his heart skipped a beat. The teakettle whistled, saving him from further embarrassment.
CHAPTER THREE
Jens wondered how the hell he was going to make it through the night. He wanted to talk to Bruce, but when he’d hidden in the bathroom to call, no one had answered. It was just like Bruce to ignore him. Jens suspected that Bruce was fucking other guys. He just hadn’t caught him. Of course, they have to see each other for him to catch Bruce in a lie or even in a half-truth. He shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to kiss Elliot, but he did.
Somehow they’d made it through dinner without it being too awkward. Now they were getting ready for bed. Jens took a shower, washing carefully between his butt cheeks. He rolled his eyes, feeling ridiculous for prepping for sex, since he knew nothing would happen. They were strangers and had nothing between them. The weather, and their friends’ mistake had thrown them together. They were adults and could make the most out of the situation without having sex because he was horny.
He had on clean underwear and his sweats but no T-shirt. He guessed he should pull one on, but he never slept with clothes on, so he was making a concession with the sweats and underwear. If he got too hot, he’d quietly slip out of the sweats in the middle of the night with no one the wiser. Jens put his shampoo and shower stuff in his suitcase, not wanting to take up too much space in the bathroom. He grabbed his iPad, hoping he could get some reading done.
Elliot was already in bed, the covers pulled up to his chest. Jens stumbled a bit when he realized the man had a T-shirt on. Maybe he should pull on a shirt, but he’d be so uncomfortable. Elliot didn’t even look up as Jens slid between the sheets. Again, the air thickened with an awkward feeling that made his breath short and his head spin. He should have left when he figured out another man was already in residence. Hell, he should have just stayed in a hotel even if it would have been boring as shit. Sterile hotel environments always depressed him.
Jens shifted and turned slightly to his right, getting a glimpse of Elliot’s gaze darting away from him. So the man had been looking at him. He smiled and reached for his iPad he’d placed on the side table and pulled up his reading app, opening to the book he’d been fighting to get through for the last two weeks. It was a how-to book, describing the best way to write a screenplay, but he wasn’t able to get into it.
The bed shifted. Jens glanced over, finding that Elliot had rolled to his side and was now facing him. Their gazes met, sending heat through Jens. They needed the tension to ease, or he’d combust in the bed just from being so close. Elliot flashed him a quick smile that went all the way to his dick. He bit his lip and sank down on the pillows, trying like hell to concentrate on the screenwriting book.
Elliot stood and stretched, Jens watching him out of the corner of his eyes. Thirty minutes had passed with him basically reading the same line over and over again. His dick was hard but held in place by his underw
ear. He glanced down, making sure the covers were pulled high enough to hide his erection.
“I’m exhausted. Are you okay going to sleep?” Elliot asked.
“Sure, I just need to brush my teeth again.” On the off chance Elliot wanted to kiss him, he needed his breath to be fresh. Thoughts of kissing Elliot caused his dick to twitch. Hell, he needed to calm down.
“Sounds good. Let me use the bathroom then it’s all yours.”
“Okay.” Jens stood up and adjusted his cock while Elliot was facing the other way. He went to his suitcase and pulled out his toiletries bag, adjusting his cock again because it was really uncomfortable. “You can turn off the light when you come out. I’ll be quiet when I head to bed.”
“Thanks.”
Elliot disappeared behind the bathroom door. Jens closed his eyes and cringed, wishing everything were different. Why couldn’t Bruce be here? Actually, he didn’t want Bruce here, but why didn’t he return his calls. He’d left a message last night, and he hadn’t heard anything, not even a text. Jens grabbed his phone and quickly typed in a note, hating himself for doing it this way, but Bruce wouldn’t talk to him. Six days had passed since the last time they communicated at all. Bruce’s last text was four days ago, and then he only sent some quick reply, nothing personal at all. He read the message again before hitting send. Breaking up over text sucked, but Bruce wouldn’t return his calls.
The bathroom door opened, and guilt washed over Jens. The only reason he’d acted so rashly and sent a goodbye note to Bruce was because, if something happened with Elliot, he wanted to be able to tell the guy that he wasn’t attached.
“Thanks, I’ll turn off the light when you get to the bed.” Jens realized it would be stupid to make Elliot walk across the room in the dark when the bathroom was so close to the wall switch.
Elliot turned his dark eyes on Jens, and he melted. Hell, he’d do anything for this guy, all he had to do was ask.
“Thanks, I appreciate you being nice. I know neither one of us expected this when we showed up here today.”
“No, I wasn’t expecting to walk in on a naked guy,” Jens laughed.
Elliot’s face turned bright red, and his gaze dropped to the floor. “God, I’m mortified.”
“Don’t be. Really, it’s okay. I’ll be ready for bed very soon. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Elliot moved to the bed, and Jens flipped off the light before he crawled between the sheets. It would be too much to watch Elliot snuggle in for sleep. Bad enough they would be spending the night together.
Jens washed his face and brushed his teeth. After taking a quick piss he stared at himself in the mirror. “What the hell am I doing?” he whispered. Elliot was a nice guy, and here he was thinking about going out there and kissing him. He shook his head and frowned. “Do not kiss that man.”
He straightened his shoulders before turning to face the door. His hand shook as he reached to turn off the light. He questioned the wisdom of sleeping with Elliot, but he left the bathroom and moved to the bed, walking slowly as he thought about the path, not wanting to bang his foot on the bed. He reached out and felt the blankets. Elliot moved, the sound of his breathing a welcome comfort. Jens loved sleeping with another person, but in the last few months Bruce hadn’t spent the night. Any thoughts of snuggling were pushed aside as he remembered that he and Elliot didn’t know each other at all. He wouldn’t force himself on this man.
The shushing sound of the snow falling outside was audible now that neither of them were talking or making any other noise. Jens rolled to his side, turning away from Elliot. He wished he could roll to him or back up and feel the warm press of Elliot’s torso against his. Once he got home, he’d find a guy who actually wanted a real relationship. The last few years had been wasted with Bruce. They’d started off great but had nothing now. He sighed heavily and rolled to his back.
“I looked while you were in the bathroom. It’s beautiful out there,” Elliot said in a near whisper, his deep voice vibrating all the way through Jens.
He closed his eyes and rolled to face Elliot. He hadn’t just turned over but actually moved closer to the man, wishing he had the right to move even closer. “When I was a baby, my dad was a ski instructor in Kongsberg, Norway. I grew up in the snow, learning to ski long before I should have been on the slopes.”
“You don’t really have a pronounced accent.”
“My mom’s American and my dad a Norwegian, who grew up in England. They were into free love and being themselves, hippies after their time. Anyway, they spoke English at home, so I have an accent when I speak Norwegian.”
“Your voice really is beautiful. I think I could sit and listen to you talk for hours.”
He laughed and reached out with his hand, not trying to touch Elliot but needing to be closer to him. “Thanks. I sometimes say things wrong, but I try to get everything right. I’ve been living in America for the last few years. That helps.”
“So you have dual citizenship?”
“Actually I’m Norwegian, English, and American.”
Elliot groaned then snorted.
“What?” Jens asked.
“Nothing. It was a very dirty thought, and I’m glad the lights aren’t on. I’d be mortified if you knew what I was thinking. I’m sorry. You’re probably so pissed that you have to share this room with me. I can leave if you want me to.” Elliot rolled away.
“Wait.” Jens reached out and caught his arm, holding him in place.
The snow on every surface outside reflected light, allowing him to see Elliot turn to him, a pained expression evident on his face. Jens sat up and moved, his breath stalling as he drew closer. Jens didn’t want Elliot to leave. He wanted to kiss him, but would Elliot be okay with that?
“Would it be okay if we just laid back down and...I don’t know, maybe I could—God, I’m so bad at this.”
“I want to kiss you,” Elliot said.
His gaze shot to Elliot’s, locking on as they both gulped in air. He leaned forward, and Elliot closed the rest of the distance, their lips brushing over each other’s so sweetly, his throat closed up. Elliot moved slowly, his fingers trailing over Jens shoulder and behind his neck. Jens allowed Elliot to lead their movements. He didn’t even realize what Elliot was doing until he was flat on his back, Elliot hanging above him. The light pressure on his mouth increased, and he moaned. Elliot’s tongue licked at his lips, and he opened, allowing Elliot to dip in, brushing his tongue over his. He moaned again and arched his hips up, searching for relief.
His blood boiled, and heat spiked as Elliot took the kiss deeper. Their tongues swiped against each other, Elliot taking a long lick over his lips before diving back in again. Elliot’s hands skated over his chest, barely touching as he ran his palm over Jens’ pec, brushing against his nipple.
Jens reached for Elliot and pulled him closer. The sweet speed of their kiss from before was abandoned for wrestling under the covers. He tugged at Elliot’s shirt, shivering as his fingers brushed over the exposed flesh.
Elliot pulled back, and Jens complained and tried to follow, but he placed a hand on Jens’ chest, stopping him. “Let me undress.”
“Oh God.” Goose bumps broke out over his arms.
“Is that okay?”
“Please.” Jens reached down and pushed his sweats off, leaving his underwear in place.
Elliot reached down and ran his fingers over the waistband of Jens; boxer briefs. “Maybe I can take those off in just a few minutes, but only if you want me to.”
Jens nodded, his dick so hard, he wondered if he’d blow early. Elliot stood and stripped, revealing his totally gorgeous body. Jens reached for his dick, stroking his length under the cloth. The light level outside allowed him to see all of Elliot. Jens gulped. The cute little dick had come to life, leaving him worried about the size and what Elliot would want to do with it.
The bed dipped as Elliot crawled back onto the mattress. He hung over Jens, his gaze intense.
�
��I swear I won’t do anything you don’t want to. God, you are beautiful.” He lowered and kissed the side of Jens’ neck before sliding lower, his fingers massaging Jens’ chest. “Your muscles feel good in my hands.”
“Your hands feel good on me.”
“What about my lips? Do you like those?”
“God, yes. Keep doing that. I love it.”
He felt Elliot smile against his skin before continuing to kiss him. He moved lower, his hands and lips coming closer and closer to the band of his underwear. Elliot paused and breathed in deeply before blowing it all out. He lifted up on his arms and hung above Jens’ face. Disappointment swirled through Jens.
“I’m really not this guy.”
“What?” Jens asked.
“I’m not the guy who does random fucks with strangers, and, no matter how hot I am for you or how hard my dick is, I can’t let go of the thought in my head that this is wrong. I’m the shy one, the one who rarely dates. I don’t go to bars and hookup. I can’t—I can’t go down on you. I want to, at least my dick wants to, but God, I—I’m…”
Elliot dropped to the bed beside him, putting his arm over his eyes. Jens reached out and pulled him close, pushing his shoulder, so he’d flip to his side. Elliot’s whole body went stiff.
“It’s okay. Let me just hold you,” Jens said.
Elliot nodded and moved so his ass pressed up against Jens’ erection. Jens bit his lip and held his breath for a few seconds, wishing Elliot hadn’t stopped. He’d rushed Elliot, but that kiss had been so freaking hot, he’d thought he would combust.
“You’re too nice,” Elliot said.
Jens laughed and hugged him closer. “With my boner poking you in the rear, I don’t feel so nice.”
“That’s why you’re nice. I don’t think I’d be as nice as you’re being with my dick resting against the crease of a guy’s ass.”
Jens groaned and backed away an inch, wishing he were grinding against Elliot instead. Elliot turned in his arms, and their cocks brushed against each other. Both of them hissed and stilled. Jens held his breath. It felt like his heart would beat right out of his chest. Then Elliot was kissing him again, his tongue begging Jens to open for him.
