Sunburnt

by Joey Jameson

  As Lenox’s hips began to slow, Lyric caught him off guard by taking charge and flipping them both over suddenly, with Lenox still hard and fully inserted inside Lyric. Once on top, Lyric lifted himself off Lenox and once again sunk his head to Lenox’s hips. Ripping off the condom, he bent and wrapped his full lips around Lenox’s girth once more.

  The sensation of having a hot mouth around his dick after coming only moments before was like nothing he had ever experienced. Lenox arched his back and cried out in surprise and pure ecstasy as Lyric sucked the engorged mushroom head of his member until there was nothing left.

  When he was finished, and their breath had finally returned, Lyric looked into Lenox’s eyes; a lazy and satiated expression played across his face. Lenox smiled down at him. A smile that spoke his happiness and fulfilment without uttering a word. Lyric returned his happy gaze and lowered himself onto the mattress beside him, so that their slick bodies touched but both were looking up at the ceiling.

  Exhaustion stilled them both as lazy smiles morphed into dozy grins. The gentle hum of people on the streets below was like a lullaby, drifting them off into unconsciousness. A cool breeze blew through an open window somewhere and licked at their sweaty bodies as they sunk deeper into sleep.

  Lenox was filled with a sense of utter content. He would sleep well tonight, next to this beautiful man, cocooned in this beautiful apartment, high above the streets and nestled in the rolling hills.

  He wasn’t sure what time it was as he lay there, moments from sleep, and he didn’t really care. But just before he closed his eyes completely and drifted into blissful unawareness, he thought he’d better check his phone in case anybody was looking for him. As the screen came to life with the touch of the home key, it was blank.

  He had half-expected to see another creepy text, and was relieved by the lack of one. He hadn’t told the girls. Their reaction would only have added to his growing paranoia and that was the last thing he needed. He hadn’t a clue who could have sent the earlier message to him, but he wasn’t going to let his mind run away with him and he resolved to try to forget about it. He replaced the phone on the bedside table, face down, and rolled over to sleep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  THEN

  When Lenox opened his eyes the next morning, he had one of those moments where he was unsure as to where he was. Sunlight drifted in through an open window to his left, with long, sheer floor-to-ceiling curtains billowing in the early morning breeze, and he was brought back to the night before when he’d first glanced out of that same window at the busy streets below.

  His mind swept back to the blocked call he’d received. Lenox had cleared it from his phone as if the motion of deleting the alert would wipe it from his subconscious. But as he lay there in bed the morning after, the memory was stronger than before. He had fired off a quick text to Bambi, to check that it wasn’t her or one of the other girls calling. But she had assured him that they were all fine and that he should enjoy his evening, leaving him to drift off into an interrupted sleep. He drew in a deep breath and tried to push the nagging worry down into the pit of his stomach.

  Turning over in the bed, he was surprised to see an empty spot next to him where he was hoping Lyric would be. The bed felt cold and unfamiliar and he was struck with a fleeting sensation that he had been ditched by his date.

  But the sounds coming from somewhere else in the apartment indicated otherwise, and Lenox tossed back the crisp white sheets and padded towards the noise. To his delight, he was greeted with the sight of Lyric, naked except for his Calvin Klein briefs, cooking something delicious-smelling in the kitchen.

  When Lyric spotted Lenox, he flashed him the most inviting, toothy smile and immediately stopped what he was doing to greet him.

  “Buenos días,” he chirped, planting a sweet kiss on Lenox’s lips.

  “Good morning,” Lenox answered bashfully as the butterflies in his stomach resumed their frantic fluttering. He noticed that the bright blueness to Lyric’s eyes had returned and the vanilla scent to his skin he’d noticed last night had dissipated.

  “I hope you’re hungry. French toast?” Lyric stirred a concoction in the frying pan.

  “Smells amazing.”

  “It’s my mother’s recipe. She was well-known for whipping it up in the café when she was still working there. I’ve been told mine’s not too bad, although nothing compared to hers.”

  “I’m sure you’re being modest…”

  “Well, I’ll let you be the judge. Freshly squeezed orange juice?”

  “That would be amazing.”

  Lenox moved to a kitchen stool that was placed by the island on which Lyric was busy preparing breakfast. For a moment, he allowed his eyes to feast on the sight of Lyric’s muscular frame, mixing and pouring. Lyric’s blond dreads were scooped up off his face and twirled into a bun on top of his head, showing off his sculpted jaw and strong cheekbones. As he worked, his biceps flexed with each movement of his arms, sending little waves of subtle pleasure to Lenox’s groin.

  Lyric caught him staring, resting his chin in his hand as he drank in the sight of a beautiful man making him breakfast, and his face erupted into a wide-mouthed grin.

  “Sleep well?” he asked, transferring the mixture from the bowl to a frying pan.

  “Mmm,” Lenox mumbled, not wanting to bring up the text from the other night or the missed call. “It was surprisingly quiet, despite being so close to the town centre.”

  “Yeah, the acoustics up here are pretty amazing. It’s what drew my parents to the property in the first place. They wanted somewhere that was near to the hustle and flow but high up enough to be still at night. Here, try this…” Lyric dipped two fingers elegantly into the mixture and invited Lenox to taste.

  Lenox opened his mouth and sucked the sweet mixture off his hand, eyes locked on Lyric as the stirring inside his underwear grew stronger with the intensely erotic gesture. He let his tongue linger as it licked off the batter from around Lyric’s fingers, before slowly pulling back and licking the residue from his lips. He seemed to have achieved the desired effect as Lyric’s eyes grew darker and he tilted his chin down and took deep breaths, his frame rising and contracting as little chills made him quiver. Lenox’s gaze wavered for a moment as he judged the quickest way back to the bedroom from where he sat. Lyric followed his gaze, adrenaline building between them as a decision seemed to flash across his features.

  “Fuck it,” Lyric breathed as he pushed all the dishes and bowls to one side, clearing a space on the worktop and sending plastic and glass crashing to the floor.

  Lenox reacted in surprise for only a moment before returning to Lyric. As if reading each other’s thoughts, they both sprang into action, lips connecting in an implosion of passion. They groped and massaged one another’s bare skin as Lyric climbed up on top of the granite worktop that separated them, knees spreading so he could lean down and kiss Lenox. Their mouths moved as one, tongues licking and sucking as he knotted his hands in Lenox’s loose black hair, pulling his head in closer to experience as much of him as he could.

  Lenox placed his hands on Lyric’s thighs, drawing him in closer until Lyric sat fully on the counter, bare feet dangling over the side. He straddled Lenox, who had stood up from his chair. Lenox grabbed him by the arse and scooted him closer to the edge on which he sat so that they were pressed up against one another, pelvis to pelvis.

  Lyric’s head fell back to look at the ceiling as Lenox’s lips moved down his neck. Lenox grasped at his pecs and tweaked his round, dark nipples. His tongue followed and licked and sucked the smooth skin of his chest. Lyric leaned back so his elbows were resting on the cold, hard counter and spread his legs wider, obviously hoping that Lenox would continue his erotic descent on his body.

  Their breathing was short and quick as adrenaline and passion tainted their bodies red, their flesh hot and sensitive to touch and perspiration already beginning to bead on their bodies.

  Lyric was hard as
a rock already as Lenox brushed his hand over the material of his briefs teasingly and his tongue traced the defined grooves of his six-pack.

  “Oh, fuck, I want you so badly,” Lyric muttered, his head tossed back and almost flat against the counter. His back arched as Lenox peeled back the waistband of his briefs, letting his erect cock spring up.

  Lenox looked at him for only a moment and watched Lyric’s expression as he peered down, anticipating the delicious pleasure that was to come. Then he sunk his head down and took Lyric into his mouth.

  The feeling of having Lyric’s cock in his mouth was divine and as he worked it between his lips, he sensed Lyric sit, presumably to get a better look. Lenox worked away at his dick, his head rising and dipping in long, perfect strokes as he licked and sucked with increasing intensity.

  Lenox sensed Lyric’s frame begin to stiffen further as he moved closer and closer to the breaking point. Lyric’s hands were in his hair once more, cupping his head and rising and falling with the movement of his mouth. Lenox paused for a moment, before gripping Lyric’s length and jerking it up and down as Lyric strained his neck, reaching up to kiss him. Lyric moaned his appreciation and approval as he tasted his own juices which coated Lenox’s lips. They kissed hungrily for a second as Lenox pulled his briefs down over the curve of his perky arse. He kicked them to the side and stroked his cock which was now erect and shuddering as it pierced the air with its stiffness.

  “You’re so good at that,” Lyric said between their feverish kisses.

  Lyric scooted off the countertop so that they were eye to eye and each stroking their own throbbing cock as they climbed closer and closer to ecstasy.

  “You taste so good,” Lenox murmured back. He reached his free hand around and grabbed Lyric’s arse now that it was level with his own. Lyric groaned at the sensation as Lenox moved his searching fingers and found his hole, circling and prodding it gently.

  “Oh, Jesus,” Lyric gasped as Lenox’s finger entered him.

  “Come for me, baby,” Lenox whispered, his lips next to Lyric’s ear as his finger moved in and out of his arse.

  “I’m coming, I’m fucking coming.”

  “Oh, God, yes, I’m coming too.”

  They came together—an exquisite release that rocked their cores and caused them to call out as their bodies bucked and shook. Lenox orgasmed so intensely he could almost see stars behind his closed eyelids. Lyric’s fingertips dug into Lenox’s skin as the last waves of his ejaculation ravaged through him. It was a moment of beautiful unity.

  When they finally opened their eyes, a smile spread across Lenox’s face as Lyric took in the mess around them.

  “Let’s go out for breakfast.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  THEN

  Lyric took them to his café, which was a twenty-minute ride out of the old town. They passed through a quaint village called San Joan on a very winding road before arriving at Cala San Vicente, a somewhat touristy but tucked-away little spot where the café, On the Beach, was perched behind a row of incredibly tall bamboo trees.

  Inside, it was decorated like a kitschy old-fashioned Tiki bar, with surfboards and other beach paraphernalia adorning the walls and ceiling. Enormous Buddhas sat in corners surrounded by uplifting quotes carved into driftwood that hung from all areas. It was colourful and fun and made Lenox pause as he entered, his eyes dancing over the decor and taking it all in. It seemed as if every inch of the place had something hanging from it, with no beam left unadorned.

  It was early and the café was not open for business yet. Lyric locked the door behind him and walked over to the bar area and began making coffee as Lenox continued his exploration.

  “What do you think?” Lyric asked, busying himself with opening a new bag of Ibiza blend ground coffee he found on a shelf.

  “It’s amazing,” he said, skirting the outer walls. “Is this all you? I mean, did you decorate it like this?”

  Lyric nodded as he turned around for a moment, basking in Lenox’s appreciation. “I didn’t want it to look like it was taking itself too seriously. Hence the combination of beach junk and Asian-inspired art.”

  Lenox returned his gaze to where Lyric stood behind the bar. “I love it.”

  And the truth was, he did. He loved how much Lyric was not like the guys he hooked up with in London. Lyric wasn’t afraid to be himself and, like his café, knew not to take himself or life too seriously. He had a joie de vivre that was reflected in his appearance, as well as the way he lived his life. There was nothing about him that seemed fake or forced, and it made Lenox feel like he could really be himself around him. He didn’t have to put on an act, or pretend to like something he didn’t or even put up with any annoying habits or traits.

  It had only been a couple of days since they had first laid eyes on each other, but Lenox could already feel himself begin to sway a bit with Lyric—a word he and Bambi used to describe when they really clicked with someone.

  He perched on a barstool and watched Lyric move gracefully behind the counter, emanating ease and self-assuredness. His stomach fluttered and flipped as his true feelings started coming to the surface.

  Lenox and Lyric finally sat down at a table for two that overlooked the beautiful sandy beach with the most incredible turquoise waters that Lenox had ever seen. The food was well worth the wait. Lyric’s French toast was sumptuous and filled the gap in Lenox’s stomach that had begun to groan and moan since they’d had sex earlier.

  “So, tell me about your life back in the UK.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  Lyric finished his bite of French toast and took a long haul on his tall glass of orange juice before answering. “Well, you said you’re in school taking…photography?”

  “Yup, just finished my final semester in my Honours BA programme. Can’t believe it’s coming to an end. I feel like I’ve been working at it forever.”

  “Wow, that’s exciting. What’s the school like?”

  “Good. You know. I’m happy I chose it. Bambi goes there, too, which is cool.”

  “You guys are really close, aren’t you?”

  Lenox nodded, wiping his lips with his napkin. “You could say that. She’s amazing. My rock. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her.”

  “How did you guys meet?”

  “Actually, our parents knew each other when they were our age. My dad was a musician and Bambi’s dad was his road manager.”

  “No way!”

  “Yup. We literally grew up together. Our parents were always on the road together.”

  “What? You mean like touring and shit?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Is your dad like a big deal? Would I have heard of him?”

  Lenox peered at him and nodded from over his orange juice as he lifted the glass back. He shot Lyric a look that indicated he wasn’t about to give that piece of information up.

  “And have you thought about what happens after you graduate?” Lyric went on, despite Lenox’s hesitation at giving too much away about his family.

  “Oh, God, no. I’ve never been one to plan that far in advance!”

  Lyric chewed the rest of his food, a twinkle glimmering in his eye.

  “Why do you ask?” Lenox asked inquisitively, sensing there was more weight behind his question.

  “Do you ever see yourself leaving the UK?”

  Lenox stopped chewing for a moment as his throat tightened. He looked down at the crumbs on his plate in that nervous way he sometimes did when he wasn’t sure how to answer. With no appropriate words coming to mind, despite the yearning in his gut to speak his true feelings, he decided on a simple shrug instead. Truth was that since Lenox first noticed Lyric that morning on the beach, strumming his ukulele and singing a song, he had been picturing a future with him.

  Lenox was a true romantic at heart. Always had been. Growing up and watching his parents fall more in love with each other every day they were together only fuelled his desire for a hap
pily ever after. Living in London, a city where romance and chivalry were practically non-existent, he’d begun to give up on his dreams of ever achieving what his parents had always had.

  But there was something about this mysterious man whose eyes he couldn’t stop staring into. Something about the way he made him feel when they were close. And certainly, something about the way Lenox’s stomach flipped whenever they touched. It was certainly nothing he had ever experienced in his short dating life.

  The thought of it all ending when he flew back home to reality was depressing him already. He decided to deflect this conversation that wasn’t going to go anywhere good.

  “What about you? Ibiza…is this where you see yourself?” His gaze flitted around the room.

  Lyric paused before answering, as if truly contemplating his response. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, the twinkle in his eye darkening a little.

  “Well, nothing’s written in stone, I suppose. If I’m perfectly honest—and this is something I don’t think I’ve ever said to someone else—I think the real reason I stay is this is where my memories of my parents and Cedar are. If I were to leave, it’s almost as if I’d lose a piece of them…You know?”

  His response was incredibly heartfelt and made Lenox ache with sympathy.

  Lenox furrowed his brow as he studied Lyric’s face, which he self-consciously turned towards the ground.

  “I see what you mean. But no matter where you go, you’ll never lose them, Lyric, because they will always be alive in your heart…”

  His words must have caught Lyric somewhere inside and he gave a tight-lipped smile.

  “Cedar would have loved you,” he said, changing the subject and shifting in his seat.

  “Oh, really?”

  “He was totally protective of me, always vetoing any potential dates before things got too serious. But I think he would have approved of you.”

  “Sounds like the right guy to have on your side.”