DUMPED

by Lucy Hawkins

  Hank nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. “Yeah. I have an older brother. Daniel. He’d already aged out of the foster system by the time I moved in with Norma. He didn’t come with me.”

  Something in his voice told Alex that was a closed subject.

  “My dad died when I was three,” he blurted out. Hank had been so forthcoming with his own background that it was only fair Alex talk about his own. “Taylor had just been born and he was driving to my grandma’s house to check up on me because I had the flu. There was a deer and…”

  He hadn’t mentioned his father in years, but he’d certainly thought of him. For a while, he’d wondered if his dad would be proud of him. Now, he’d more or less resigned himself to the fact that he would never know.

  Hank’s hand slid across the table to take Alex’s. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I know what it’s like to grow up with a shitty one, but I can’t imagine not growing up with one at all.”

  “Most days I don’t think about him. Not now, anyway.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But sometimes… Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if I hadn’t been at my grandma’s, or if he hadn’t come to check up on me, or if he’d left just five minutes later, if he’d be alive.”

  “You can’t do that to yourself.” Hank squeezed his hand. “If you keep asking yourself ‘what if,’ you’ll go insane. I did that all the time. What if I hadn’t ended up with Norma? What if Daniel had come with me? What if I’d never gone to Florida?”

  What happened in Florida? The question was on the tip of Alex’s tongue. But they’d shared so much already, and something told Alex it had to do with his brother and with Norma. Since Hank had made it abundantly clear Daniel was a touchy subject, he let it drop. One day, they’d talk about it. But not today.

  The waiter emerged bringing their food, and for a few minutes, they didn’t speak. The risotto was delicious. Creamy and silky and perfectly cooked. In Manhattan, he would have only eaten a few bites under the pretense of saving the rest for lunch the next day. One of the first dates he’d had with Grant, he’d eaten the entire plate, and Grant had made a rather cutting remark that had stuck with Alex well after the fact. But as Hank dug into his meal, Alex did the same.

  It was freeing, in a way, not feeling as though he were living under a microscope. Hank wasn’t the kind of person to examine every little action under a microscope. He’d gone out of his way to make Alex happy on more than one occasion. There was no reason for Alex to worry he would turn into someone like Grant.

  “So,” Hank said, a few minutes later. “I think we need to talk about what happened the night of the wedding.”

  Alex rolled his eyes. “You keep saying that, but we both know what you mean—the night we had sex.”

  “Okay, the night we had sex, then. It… It meant something to me.” Hank’s voice wavered. “Just… hear me out. I know we were drunk, and I know things kind of happened fast, but I don’t regret what happened. And I want it to happen again. I mean… if you’re willing, I’d like to give this whole ‘dating’ thing a chance and see how it goes. If you want.”

  A slow smile played across Alex’s lips. He’d never imagined this was where they would end up—Hank, his high school not-actually-a-bully, and Alex, the only queer kid in Redwood—but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “I think…” He bit his lip and looked up at Hank. “I think I would like that. And I also think we should have dessert back at the inn.”

  Eighteen

  Hank

  They stumbled their way up the inn’s grand staircase, neither one bothering to turn on a light. Probably for the best. It would just disturb the guests, and they had a full house. Hank clung to the lapels of Alex’s blazer, rubbing against him as he licked inside Alex’s mouth. He couldn’t get close enough.

  The entire ride back from Albany had been torture, a true test of restraint. If he hadn’t been wearing the nicest clothing he owned, he would have gone to his knees in the parking lot and sucked Alex off right then and there.

  “Hank, please,” Alex keened, the sound going straight to Hank’s cock.

  Not yet. He wanted to tease, to see just how much the both of them could take until the desire was too much to bear. Crowding Alex against the wall, he pressed his lips to Alex’s in a bruising kiss. He bit down Alex’s bottom lip, and Hank immediately soothed the spot with his tongue, eliciting a groan.

  “Shh,” he whispered. “Don’t want to wake the guests.”

  The thrill of it only made him harder. They were on the middle of the staircase, where anyone could see them, making out like horny teenagers. His high school fantasy come to life. Alex tried to buck up against him, but Hank pinned him back down, his hands resting firmly on Alex’s hips. He couldn’t, however, stop Alex from arching up and stealing another kiss. Alex kissed like he was trying to drown himself, stealing Hank’s breath, his lips and tongue invading Hank’s mouth.

  When he finally broke away, Hank was dizzy. He ducked his head to nip at Alex’s neck, wanting to mark him. His tongue dipped into the hollow between Alex’s collarbones, teeth scraping across skin. The last time he’d done this, Alex had worn the bruise for days, the purple mark fading slowly into a sickly shade of yellow. He wanted to do it again. Wanted everyone who looked at Alex to know he was taken. Underneath him, Alex whined, sending a thrill coursing down Hank’s spine. He was the one giving Alex this pleasure.

  He pushed his hips against Alex’s in little increments, drawing out their mutual torture. Alex writhed against the wall, letting out tiny, breathy moans. His eyes were glazed, hair mussed and sticking up in places where Hank had buried his hands. Hank couldn’t take his eyes off Alex’s lips—swollen and red from their kisses.

  Need sparked along his nerves, every muscle tense. He needed more. Needed Alex. It took every ounce of self-control to pull away, made worse by the strangled whine that came from Alex’s throat, but if he didn’t stop now, he couldn’t promise they wouldn’t end up fucking on the stairs.

  “Come to bed with me,” he said lowly.

  Alex just nodded.

  He turned to walk the rest of the way up the steps on shaking legs. Hank had dealt with lust before, many times. But this was so much more than lust. He didn’t have a name for it, but it penetrated down into the very depths of his soul, consuming him from the inside. He thought he had wanted Alex when they were teenagers, but this desire was so much stronger, more fully formed than the half-love he’d felt all those years ago.

  By some miracle, they made it to Hank’s room without waking anyone, and he closed the door behind them. A moment later, Alex was on him again, his hands tugging Hank’s shirt free from his pants and skimming up underneath. He latched onto Hank’s neck, sucking hard to make a mark of his own, and Hank groaned.

  His cock pressed against his zipper, desperate to be freed, but he ignored it, instead making quick work of the buttons on Alex’s shirt. Though he’d seen Alex naked before, this time was different. The overhead light was on, rather than just the lamp, and he was completely sober. He wanted to take in every detail. Alex’s skin was pale and smooth underneath his shirt, his body lean but not overly-muscular like Hank. A light dusting of dark hair trailed down his chest, disappearing below his belt. Hank’s mouth watered. He wanted to taste it.

  “Look, I’m totally fine with you staring at me and everything, but can you maybe do it when your cock’s in my ass, ‘cause I think I might go crazy if you don’t fuck me soon.” Alex’s voice shook with anticipation, but his expression held a challenge. One that Hank was going to take.

  He scooped Alex up in his arms and carried him to the bed, ignoring the surprised yelp that came from Alex. Gently, Hank eased him down and unzipped his pants.

  Alex grabbed his wrist. “You undressed me first last time. I want to watch you.”

  Hank grinned. Alex was made of contradictions—eager and needy one moment and building up the tension the next. He slowly slid his arms out of his jacke
t and draped it across his chair. He held Alex’s gaze as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing more of his chest each time he slid a button through its hole. Alex’s eyes were hooded and dark with desire, and they followed Hank’s shirt as he let it drop to the floor.

  He itched to speed things back up, to shuck his pants and underwear off, climb on the bed, and fuck Alex until they both forgot their names. But Alex had wanted to watch him, and he was halfway done already, so he made a show of unzipping his pants and pushing them down past his hips, letting gravity do the rest. They pooled at his feet and he stepped out. Only his briefs left.

  His cock strained as Hank dragged the fabric across it, and it sprang free when he pulled his underwear to the tops of his thighs, the band resting behind his balls.

  “Oh my God,” Alex breathed. “Get your ass over here. Now.”

  Thank God. If he’d had to continue much longer, he would have screamed. He smirked, discarding his underwear on the way to the bed. “Bossy.”

  “You know you love it.”

  Hank didn’t bother to correct him. Alex wiggled out of his jacket and button-down, then kicked off his pants. He was just as hard as Hank was, the front of his underwear already wet, and he groaned as he pulled off the last barrier between them. His cock rested against his abdomen, flushed and leaking, and Hank’s mouth watered. Unable to help himself, he trailed his finger across the head and brought it to his lips.

  Alex groaned. “Jesus Christ.”

  “Nope, just me.” The reply got him a smack on the arm, but it was worth it.

  “You’re going to be the death of me.”

  Chuckling, he climbed on the bed, slotting himself between Alex’s splayed thighs. It certainly wouldn’t take much for either of them to come, but he wanted to make this last. At least, he wanted to hold off until he was actually inside Alex.

  Rifling in the top drawer of his nightstand, he grabbed a bottle of lube and the condom he’d stashed there before his date. It had been a bit presumptuous, and if nothing had happened he would have been a bit embarrassed, but now he was glad he’d done it. He uncapped the lube, slathering his fingers with a generous amount. Alex drew his knees up to his chest, and Hank pressed the pads of his index and middle fingers to his hole.

  “Please fuck me, Hank,” Alex gasped. “I’ll do whatever you want. I have literally zero pride right now.”

  “Far be it from me to keep you waiting,” he said with a small smile.

  Slowly, he pushed his fingers inside, pumping steadily as Alex moved underneath him, rolling his hips to try and find some kind of release.

  “Easy,” Hank murmured. He gripped Alex’s hip with his free hand, his fingers still working.

  Alex’s eyes were half-closed, his lips parted. He was the most beautiful thing Hank had ever seen. Deliberately he curled his fingers, stroking Alex’s prostate, and Alex yelped, arching up off the mattress.

  “Fuck, you’re gonna make me come.”

  His hand stilled. “Not before I’m inside you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Logically, Hank knew Alex was attempting sarcasm, but there was something in the breathy words that made his cock take notice. Huh. Now that was something he hadn’t known about himself.

  He withdrew his fingers a moment later and grabbed the condom, ripping the packet open with unsteady fingers and rolling the latex onto his cock. Even that small bit of friction set his nerves alight. He’d be lucky if he lasted thirty seconds inside Alex. This was ridiculous. He was twenty-eight for god’s sake, not a fumbling teenager who’d never had sex before. But it seemed this was just the effect Alex had on him.

  He stroked the underside of Alex’s thigh, his palm skimming along the smooth skin, encouraging him to relax. Alex spread his legs wider, and Hank eased closer and lined himself up, burying himself in one slow slide.

  Alex was tight and hot around him, and it took a few seconds for Hank to catch his breath. It felt right. Like they were two pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly. Hank didn’t necessarily believe in fate or soulmates or any of that crap, but this was certainly making him re-evaluate that.

  And then he moved.

  Alex’s back arched off the bed, his fingers scrabbling against Hank’s back looking for something to hold onto. The nails stung as they scraped the skin, but it only encouraged Hank, who rolled his hips, pulling out almost all the way. He sank back in almost immediately, unable to hold back a groan as Alex’s body enveloped him. Welcomed him.

  He rocked his hips, his cock nudging against Alex’s prostate with each movement. They were both sweating now, and Alex’s hair stuck to his forehead in places. His chest heaved as he gulped in air, and his cock looked painfully hard. But Hank didn’t touch it. Not yet.

  Little by little, their rhythm increased, his thrusts turning faster, more urgent. His muscles tensed, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold back much longer. So he didn’t even try. He snapped his hips, feeling his orgasm start to build, his balls drawing tighter.

  “Touch yourself,” he ordered. “I want to see you come.”

  Alex wasted no time in obeying, wrapping his hand around his cock and tugging quickly and deliberately. There was an almost-wild look in his eyes. His pupils were blown, and his entire body flushed with pleasure. Hank had done that. A moment later, his entire body went tense as he came with Hank’s name on his lips, thick spurts landing on his abdomen and chest.

  His muscles clenched around Hank, who didn’t even try to hold on. Burying himself deep inside Alex, he found his own release, his face pressed in the juncture between Alex’s neck and shoulder. He bit down to keep from screaming, hard enough to bruise but not hard enough to break the skin.

  The entire world faded away until all that was left was the two of them, their breathing harsh and unsteady in the stillness of the room. Slowly, Hank pulled out and rolled onto his side. He pulled the condom off and tied it before dropping it in the trash can beside the bed.

  “Oh my God,” Hank said, once he’d found his voice.

  Alex just nodded and snuggled closer.

  After a moment, he pulled the sheet over them, shivering as the air wafted across his sweat-soaked skin. Sleep threatened to take him, but he fought it, wanting to remember every single detail.

  “Hey, Hank?”

  He jerked out of his half-slumber. “Hmm?”

  “I know we agreed not to discuss business on our date, but since it’s kind of over… I want to do it.”

  That got his attention. He forced his eyes open and propped himself up on his elbow. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I just want you to know, I’m all in. With everything. The business, the relationship… I want to see where it goes.”

  Hank dropped back down to the mattress and wrapped both arms around Alex, cradling him against his chest. “I know it’s got to be scary for you, or at the very least uncertain, but I promise, I won’t let you fall. If you’re all in, I am too.”

  Alex had been through so much he didn’t deserve in the past few months, and while Hank knew he never would have reconnected with him if he hadn’t, it made him super aware of just how much Alex was risking. He’d put his trust in Hank, and there was no way in hell Hank was going to let him down.

  Nineteen

  Hank

  “Hey Hank, Mr. Pratt in room nine says there’s a wa—”

  “Rhiannon, no!”

  “Oh God! Oh fuck, what the—God!”

  “Get the hell out of here!”

  The door slammed, and Hank fell back against the pillow, sheet pulled up to his neck, while Alex tried to bury himself in Hank’s armpit.

  “Fuck,” Alex groaned, drawing out the word. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! How much do you think she saw?”

  Hank looked down at the two of them. “Considering the sheet was at the foot of the bed when she came in, I’m gonna go with everything.”

  “I can never leave this room. Ever. I’m going to die here.”

  “No, you’re not,” h
e said, rolling his eyes. “She walked in on us naked. It’s not like we were actually ha—”

  Alex clapped a hand over his mouth. “What she saw was bad enough. Let’s not make it worse by imagining anything else.”

  Unable to speak, Hank just nodded. Alex was right. The last thing he needed to imagine was Rhiannon seeing him in the middle of sex. And now he was thinking about it.

  “No offense, but I don’t think I’m going to stay for breakfast,” Alex said.

  He was already up, moving about the still-dark room, and Hank realized his alarm hadn’t even gone off yet. It must have been serious for Rhiannon to interrupt him. Alex tugged on his pants and shirt, then leaned down to press a kiss to Hank’s lips.

  “It’s not that I’m embarrassed to be seen with you or anything. I just don’t think I can face Rhiannon for a while.”

  Hank couldn’t even hold it against him. He managed a ‘see you later’ before Alex slipped out the door. Sighing, he pulled himself out of bed and fumbled for his boxers, dressing himself without turning on the light. It was going to be one of those days.

  “First of all, I am so sorry for barging in on you like that,” Rhiannon started as Hank walked into the kitchen. “I totally didn’t know you had someone in your room. Second, did you manage to figure out what was wrong with Mr. Pratt’s room?”

  Shuffling over to the coffee pot, Hank nodded. “Leak in the bathroom. Need coffee.”

  He’d never understood Alex’s insane addiction to the stuff. Sure, coffee helped him wake up, but it wasn’t like he ever needed it. Until today. He poured a large cup and sipped slowly, easing down onto a barstool.

  “I don’t think I have to say it, but I’m going to anyway. Never come into my room again unless you knock first,” he said with a withering glare.

  Rhiannon held her hands up. “In my defense, which I know is pretty shaky right now, I didn’t know you were seeing anyone. Much less—” She cut herself off, staring at a spot on the wall.