Bonds of Denial (Wicked Play #5)

by Lynda Aicher

  “Not if you don’t hurry up.” Carter grabbed the back of his sweater and whipped it over his head and off his arms. He tossed it aside without looking where it landed, his chest rising with each deep breath.

  Rock was torn between admiring the fine body of the man before him and hauling him in to taste that mouth he’d been remembering for a week. It was probably fortunate that Carter took the decision out of his hands.

  He gripped the back of Rock’s neck and pulled him in to claim a kiss. Their tongues met almost immediately, heads tilting to get closer. The taste that met him was all Carter—rich like chocolate with a touch of warm mint. Rock dug his fingers into Carter’s back, pressing their bodies together. The frantic urge to have everything rose until he could barely breathe.

  This, God, this was so fucking good.

  He wanted to experience everything with Carter. All of the things he’d denied himself out of fear were finally possible with him.

  Carter ripped his mouth away, gasping before he dove in to bite and suck at Rock’s neck. His groan was pulled from the deepest reaches of his groin, where his balls ached for release.

  He’d never been so aware of his dick. So hard. Every grind and rub against Carter shot sharp spirals of desire and need through him. Heavy pants filled the air, the thick musk of arousal mixed with coffee and cologne to create an erotic fragrance all its own. He wanted to touch everywhere, but he was powerless to move as Carter sucked at the tender spot at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. The same one he’d found before. How the hell had Rock lived so long without knowing that spot existed?

  Carter snaked his hands under Rock’s sweater to land on the skin just above the edge of his jeans. Rock’s reaction was almost identical to what Carter’s had been. A deep suck of breath pulled in his abdomen before the air rushed out in a gush of longing.

  “This needs to come off.” Carter leaned back enough to lift Rock’s sweater up.

  He couldn’t agree more. With a quick tug on the back of the collar, he had the material over his head and discarded without a care for the expensive silk. He stood there, panting, frozen as Carter slowly ran his hands up Rock’s chest, leaving a blazing trail of heat that had his blood boiling. He stopped at the light spread of hair that covered Rock’s chest to rub over the softness.

  “Do you have any idea how much I love chest hair?” Carter’s question came out close to a growl.

  “A lot?” Rock guessed and gave a low chuckle at the sheer reverence the man seemed to take in digging his fingers through it. The touch was harsh and scratching, but the sensation was heavenly. The few women he’d tried to be with had been gentle, but this harder edge was what he’d longed for.

  He ran his hands down the expanse of Carter’s back to cup the curve of his ass. The globes fit perfectly in his hands, rounded and firm when he squeezed. Carter’s soft moan blended with Rock’s equally soft curse when Carter ran his thumbs over Rock’s nipples. Yet another place he didn’t know could feel so good. What else didn’t he know about?

  “You like that?” Carter swirled the hard nubs in his fingers, pinching then pulling until Rock arched his back and released an anguished cry. The position ground his groin even harder into Carter’s. The combined sensations of pain and pleasure twisted together to create an intensity that scraped beneath his skin.

  Carter loosened his hold to dip down and take one of the aching buds into his mouth. The wet heat was a soothing contrast to the throb that pulsed within it. Carter lapped at his nipple, sucking it before he bit down to needle it with his teeth.

  “Fuck.” The barely spoken curse was all Rock could manage to get out. Every mental function he had was focused on not crushing Carter’s mouth to his chest with the tight grip he had in his hair.

  Carter switched to the Rock’s other nipple, pushing him back until his head knocked against the cabinets behind them. The position felt uninhibited and wicked, mostly because he was completely free to enjoy all of it.

  There were no gay bashers to worry about or the urgency to come so he could leave before he was recognized. His mind wasn’t fuzzed by alcohol or half-checked out to avoid thinking about what he was doing. No. He was here, fully and willingly engaged, with nothing to worry or think about…or fear.

  “That feels so good,” he said through a parched throat. He tried to swallow but it took too much work. The edge of the counter dug into his ass, and his back and neck started to complain at the strain, but he didn’t want Carter to stop.

  Eventually, the teasing torture on his nipples ended as Carter kissed his way up, pulling Rock upright as he did. The moment he was able, Rock swooped in to capture Carter’s mouth in another hard, demanding kiss. The frenzied thrust of tongues and digging of hands overtook him as he tried to get closer, touch everywhere.

  The warmth and closeness of skin on skin, hard chests rubbing, was an intimacy he’d never allowed with another man. It was better than anything he’d imagined those few times he’d let his mind drift there. This whole experience was a landslide of sensory overload for him. Slow touches, hot flesh under his hands—it was more than he could process, so he stopped trying.

  He held Carter’s head to keep it exactly where he wanted it as he plunged his tongue deeper, searching every corner of Carter’s mouth. He was completely unprepared for the rush of power that came when Carter yielded to his control. Carter was a strong and confident man who could match him in strength and smoke him in experience, and the realization left him scrambling for direction.

  He jerked his mouth free and kissed down the smooth line of Carter’s jaw, not a hint of stubble present beneath his lips. His heart pounded and it matched the counter-beat of Carter’s heart, pumping just as hard against the other side of his chest.

  Carter stepped back, and Rock fell forward before he caught himself. The panic hit fast, followed almost immediately by frustration. Why was he backing away?

  His grip tightened in the silky strands of Carter’s hair before he registered the lust that had deepened the bright blue of Carter’s eyes and the dilated pupils. He loosened his hold, the fear-fueled annoyance draining away with his sagging shoulders and wince of shame. Carter had never been the one who’d run. That was his gig.

  “Bed?” The deep rasp had Carter’s question sounding sultry and sexy.

  Rock’s aching cock thought it was an excellent suggestion. So did his other head, if he could get it into gear. He finally nodded. “Bed.”

  Carter kissed him, a quick yet thorough one that shut down Rock’s brain once again. The low chuckle brought him out of his haze. He flashed a smile at the smirk on Carter’s face.

  “You sure?” Carter ran his hands up Rock’s arms until he grasped Rock’s hands that were still tangled in his hair and lowered them between them. “It’s up to you.”

  The dizzying rush that had been pushing Rock forward stalled with the pause. Yeah, he wanted this—whatever it turned out to be. No question. He was ready. But it still warmed him that Carter had stopped to check.

  He clasped one of Carter’s hands, stepped to the side and tugged the man with him. Forgotten coffee beans crunched under his feet when he stepped on them, some of the little beans digging into his soles like annoying rocks. “Shit.”

  Carter laughed with him as they tried to step around the beans while also knocking off the ones stuck to the bottom of their socks. Of all the fucking things…A few hops later, Rock landed in an uncoordinated slump against the wall away from the mess. He gave up trying to get the beans off and quickly stripped his socks from his feet. Problem solved.

  Carter did the same thing from where he leaned against the bar, chuckling. “Well, that’s a bit of a mood-killer.”

  “What? That’s not foreplay?”

  “Not in my book.” Carter dropped his socks and moved in on Rock, the heat returning to his eyes. “But if you like torture, we can definitely talk about it.” He pressed his body to Rock’s, leaning in to nibble up the length of Rock’s neck. Rock autom
atically wrapped his arms around Carter and tilted his head, inviting the man to continue.

  Carter’s hand slid up his thigh before it moved between them to run over the hard length of Rock’s cock. Oh hell, that was good. Carter used the heel of his hand to press a slow line from tip to base before he continued down to hold the tender sac beneath.

  Rock widened his stance, giving Carter room to explore. Any arousal lost during the bean hop returned double fold. That was until the pressure on his balls increased as Carter squeezed his hand closed.

  “What the hell?” Rock shoved Carter’s hand away before he could inflict any real pain. The muffled laugh at his neck had him digging between them, intent on finding Carter’s nuts. “I’ll show you pain,” he taunted, but Carter spun away, laughing before he could find what he sought.

  “Not a masochist then?” Carter backed away, his grin wide.

  Rock stalked after him as Carter continued to retreat into the living room. “Not even close. You?” He’d been around that lifestyle long enough to know that receiving and inflicting pain for pleasure was not his kink.

  Carter shook his head as he bumped into the back of the couch. He continued his retreat though, sliding along the edge, staying a step ahead of Rock. “I find pleasure much more enjoyable.”

  “What kind of pleasure?”

  He ran his hand along the couch, his smile never faltering. “You’ll have to catch me to find out.”

  The pillow flew at Rock, smacking him in the face before he could duck. He doubted Carter even waited to see if he’d hit his mark before he raced across the room toward the hallway beyond the kitchen. Rock instantly pursued, his feet gripping on the cold hardwood, his heart light at the unexpected play.

  The chase was short, but that didn’t slow Rock down. There were four rooms and a bath down the hall and with three of the doors closed, it left the master bedroom as the obvious place to run. He was intent on capturing his prey as he bounded through the doorway of his bedroom to tackle Carter from behind. His momentum propelled them forward to crash on the large bed.

  Carter grunted beneath him at the impact. The bed bounced, and Rock rolled to the side, bringing the other man with him. He was on his back, arms locked around Carter who was splayed on his back across Rock’s chest.

  “What are you doing?” The admonishment in Carter’s tone was countered by the chuckle that went with it. He struggled to break Rock’s lock on his arms, but Rock held him tight.

  “What you said.” He jerked his leg out of the way of Carter’s flailing kick then succeeded in wrapping his legs around Carter’s until he had them confined between his as well.

  Carter struggled for a few more seconds before he let out a sigh and sagged on top of Rock, his defeat implied. “What did I say?” The question came out between heavy pants.

  The man was heavy on Rock’s chest. His weight pressed on his lungs but not enough to constrict his breathing. Even if it did, he wouldn’t let go. Not when it felt so good.

  The soft tips of Carter’s hair brushed over Rock’s bare chest and under his chin, but what he really noticed was the firm arch of Carter’s ass, where it was wedged against his groin. He rolled his hips, the action instinctual. “I’m finding out what kind of pleasure you like.” The hard length of his erection pressed at the top of Carter’s ass, hitting the firm base of his tailbone in a long stroke that sucked his blood straight to his dick.

  “That’s…” Carter pressed back and moved what little he could to increase the pressure, “…close, but its better without clothes.”

  Rock’s low curse was filled with desire from the wicked image Carter had conjured. He rocked his hips again and loosened his hold to run his hands down the smooth expanse of Carter’s chest before he found the outline of Carter’s cock. Yeah, it was still hard—long and firm beneath the annoying layers of material.

  “Yeah?” He nuzzled his nose into Carter’s hair, inhaling the coconut scent of his shampoo. Everything about this man was intoxicating. “Then we should definitely try that.” And more.

  Christ, he could hardly believe they were on his bed, half-naked and rubbing against each other. He fumbled with Carter’s belt, working blind to get to what he wanted. Carter gripped Rock’s hips, his continued slow bump and grind over Rock’s cock driving him beyond crazy.

  Undoing the rest of Carter’s jeans was completed with the haste of a man who’d waited too many years for this moment. He plunged his hand under Carter’s underwear and found his prize. The hard length of Carter’s cock was hot and silky beneath his touch. Carter released a long, throaty groan, his hips jerking as Rock tightened his grip and started a slow rhythm of up-and-down strokes, his other hand roaming freely over the expanse of Carter’s abs and chest.

  “Yeah, that’s good,” Carter said, his words breathy. “But there are still clothes in the way.” He arched his back and drove his tailbone down the line of Rock’s cock to emphasize his point. Rock tipped his pelvis up in time with Carter’s downward motion, and the thought of watching his cock slide deep into Carter had him grunting his adamant agreement.

  Carter worked the last of his clothing down his legs and Rock used his feet to kick the jeans free. Oh, holy fuck. He had a gorgeous, naked Carter in his bed, grinding away on his dick. All the times he’d fantasized about being with Carter, he’d never dared to imagine this.

  There was a blazing fire burning beneath his skin that grew stronger with each slide and pump of their lower bodies. He ran his thumb over the tip of Carter’s dick, using the wetness he found to ease the glide of his strokes.

  He’d touched another man’s dick before, jacked a few off along with his own, but he’d never taken the time to enjoy the heat and feel of one as it ran along his palm. With Carter, he noticed everything, from the ridge of a vein as it curved along the underside, to the rounded edge of the sensitive gland as it rolled under his fingers on his way to the softer tip. There was no missing the way Carter’s breath hitched each time he paused to rub his thumb over the slit at the end.

  Yeah, he mapped every one of those details into his memory.

  He stretched his other hand down Carter’s leg, savoring the way the soft hairs on Carter’s thigh tickled his palm. Using his nails, he scratched along the inside of Carter’s thigh, teasing the area as he worked his way up until the hair gave way to the smooth skin around Carter’s groin.

  Hairless. All of his hours spent watching the man on the video screen had pounded that information into his brain, but feeling, God, feeling the soft sac of Carter’s scrotum free of hair was incredibly erotic.

  “Damn,” he groaned. “I have to see that.” He let his hands glide down and over Carter’s groin area as an explanation for what he was talking about.

  Carter knocked Rock’s hands away and flipped over. He held himself above Rock, staring down at him with parted lips and heavy-lidded eyes that held Rock’s as he lowered his head down to take Rock’s mouth in a hot, heated kiss.

  Their tongues met in a now-familiar swirl and brush that had him wanting more. His cock ached in his jeans, and every rub and thrust of Carter’s body against his was a reminder that he needed to get them off. Soon.

  Carter pulled back to grin down at him. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

  “What are you, two?” Rock frowned, but the harshness was eased by his chuckle and the hard grip he had on Carter’s bare ass. Jokes and laughing during sex? That was new too.

  “No,” Carter said as he kissed his way down Rock’s chest. “I’m thirty-one, which means I’m definitely old enough to see this.” He’d reached the top of Rock’s jeans and had them undone a moment later.

  The easing of the constraint on his erection had him arching in relief. There was enough light trickling in from the living room to let him watch as Carter found his cock and maneuvered it out of his underwear. Carter glanced up, a devilish grin on his face before he smoothed his tongue around the tip, humming as he closed his mouth over the top.

>   “That…” Rock dropped his head back, his hands fisting in the duvet. “That feels…” There wasn’t a word that worked. Carter’s hot, wet touch was matched with suction as he sank deep and pulled up. His tongue pressed on the underside before easing up to swirl around the head and tease the opening in a motion that had Rock tensing. He was on the edge so fast he almost lost it.

  Carter pulled off and pressed a kiss to Rock’s hip bone. “Not yet. I want more from you.” Rock lay there, panting and useless as Carter worked his jeans and shorts down his legs and tossed them to the floor. He could only imagine what the more was.

  He opened his eyes when Carter crawled back up, leaving a trail of kisses on his knee, inner thigh, cock, abdomen, nipple and finally his neck. He held Rock’s gaze as he lowered his body onto Rock’s, hot flesh on flesh from chest to toes.

  It was the first time Rock had ever lain completely naked with a man. “You feel so good,” he said, the honesty too pure to withhold. He wrapped his arms around Carter and took a second, marveling in the exotic feel of it. Their cocks pressed side by side between them, their chests rising and falling in deep breaths that came out in an accelerated pace. Like his heart.

  The musky scent of arousal overrode the fading cologne to create a fragrance that was pure sex. It was one more thing he locked into his memory.

  Carter studied him, serious now. “You up for fucking me?”

  The question was so straightforward, Rock almost barked out a laugh. Fucking Carter had been one of the things he’d never believed would happen. Even when he’d paid for the chance, he’d doubted he could go through with it, and he’d been right. But there was no doubt now.

  “God, yes,” Rock said, tugging Carter closer. “It’ll be an honor.”

  He took Carter’s mouth in a kiss that showed exactly how much he wanted to be with him, hold him, keep him close all night long…and tomorrow too.

  Chapter Fourteen

  An honor. Those words shook Carter’s foundation. It was a good thing Rock had pulled him into the kiss because he doubted he could’ve kept the shock from his face. An honor. He tried to keep the words from meaning anything. They were just words, after all. But there was no way he could ignore the tender passion that was in every touch and action Rock made.