by Tinnean
The door closed quietly behind him.
I went over and locked the door.
The cold look was fading from Wills’s face. He slid his arm around my shoulders and urged me toward the stairs. “Are you going to call Connor and tell him you won’t be able to meet him at the ball?”
“Yeah, I think I’d better. It’s the right thing to do.” I had my arm around his waist.
“You think so?”
“Yeah. The guy I live with is big on that.” I lowered my hand and ran my palm over his ass. “He’s a good influence on me that way.”
“I’m glad to hear it, babe.” His smile was happy. “Why don’t you make that call, and I’ll see what we’ve got in the cupboard.”
Connor was disappointed, but I promised to meet him before he had to leave.
“Make sure you do, Sweetcheeks. It’s really important.”
“Why don’t you just tell me over the phone, then?”
“I… I can’t.” His voice lowered. “I’m not alone.”
“Okay, how about….”
“I have to go now. Call me when you have a minute. I’ll be here until the end of the month.”
“Okay. Bye—” I was talking to a dial tone. I shrugged and walked into the kitchen, where Wills was scrubbing a couple of potatoes. “Did you find anything you liked?”
He grinned at me over his shoulder. “You.”
I kissed his cheek. It was a little rough with his evening beard. “I mean for dinner.”
“I thought something simple: steak, baked potatoes, salad.”
“Sounds good.”
“Were you able to get that squared away with Connor?”
“Not really. He wants to talk to me, but he won’t over the phone.” I took a bottle of wine from the cooler and poured us both a glass. “I don’t know, babe. He was so antsy. I hope the guy he’s with isn’t a nut job.”
There was a thoughtful look on Wills’s face. “Anything I can do to help?” He sliced the potatoes in two, sprinkled them with sea salt, and put them in the oven.
“Thanks, babe, but I don’t think so. I’ll give him a call on Monday and set something up.”
“Okay. But if you need me to do anything….”
“I know.” I kissed the corner of his mouth. “Why don’t I go set the table?”
He stopped me from moving. “There’s plenty of time. Wanna fool around a little?” And there was that half grin again.
We wound up fooling around a lot.
Chapter 12
THE FEEL of a hot, wet mouth on my cock roused me up through layers of consciousness. I hovered there, unsure if this was a dream or reality but wallowing in each sensation. The mouth withdrew, and I moaned and arched up, trying to follow it. “No!”
“I’m not going anywhere, babe.” My lover’s voice was still husky from sleep. Skilled fingers rolled a condom onto my cock, and I came fully awake at the feel of it being engulfed by his body.
I opened my eyes. Wills was crouched above me, his ass nestled against my groin. His inner muscles clenched and relaxed, caressing the length of my cock within him.
“Jesus!”
“No. William.” He grinned, his teeth a flash of white in the dim bedroom, and he began to move. He rose up until just the crown of my cock remained inside him, and then he slowly sank down. The rhythm was slow and easy.
“Oh, God, Wills! Are you trying to kill me?”
He gave a huff of laughter. “That would be a waste of a very fine body.”
I petted his thighs. The muscles bunched as he raised and lowered himself, impaling himself on my cock again and again. “Such fine muscles.” I reached between us and ran a fingertip over the spot where we were joined. It was slick from the lube he’d used to prepare himself.
I pressed harder, sliding my finger a little way in, and he gasped and bowed his head. His cock was like a brand of fire across my abdomen. He leaned forward and licked and nipped my neck.
I arched up, driving both my cock and my finger deeper into him, and he shivered.
“I love how it feels with you inside me, babe.”
“Tell me.”
He raised his head and met my eyes. “You’re so hot and hard. You fill me up. And when you nail my hot spot….” He shuddered and whimpered as I arched up again and did just that.
I brought my other hand up and caressed his face. “I love how it feels with you surrounding me, Wills. You’re so hot and tight. I wish I could feel you without this barrier between us. I’d fuck you so deep and so hard you’d be able to taste my come on your tongue.”
I wrapped my fingers around his cock and just held it. Wills squeezed his eyes shut. “Oh, Jesus!”
“No. Theo.” I tried to laugh as I gave his own words back to him, but I was too close to coming, and I had to ease my finger out of him. And then, after a single stroke to his cock, thick, hot streamers of come splashed onto my chest. That was all it took, and I exploded into the condom that sheathed my cock. Jolts of electricity sparked through me, and I gasped and shivered and shivered some more.
“It’s always so good, Theo.” Wills sank down on me and hummed in satisfaction.
“It is.” It had never been so good with anyone. “Happy Valentine’s Day, babe,” I murmured as I nuzzled his ear.
“It is Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?” He kissed the side of my neck.
“Yeah. We’re gonna get stuck together.”
“I don’t mind if you don’t.” I could feel him going boneless.
“No, Wills. I don’t mind.”
“Don’t let me oversleep, okay?”
“Okay, babe.” I could laugh at that. Even without the alarm set, he never overslept. My cock softened, and I slid my hand between us and gripped the base as it slid free so the contents of the condom wouldn’t spill out. Wills was out cold, and he stayed that way even as I shifted him a bit. I tied off the condom and tossed it aside.
I MUMBLED a protest when something started tugging the hairs on my torso.
“Sorry, babe. We did get kind of stuck together.” A kiss was pressed between my pecs. “Try to go back to sleep, okay?”
“’Kay.” My subconscious registered the toilet flushing, the shower running, and then silence, broken by my lover humming.
“I’m gonna make some breakfast, and then I’ll have to go, Theo. Thanks for a great start to Valentine’s Day.”
“Hmm? Oh, welcome.”
“I’ve left your present on the dresser.”
“’Kay.”
He laughed softly. “I’ll see you later, gorgeous.” He fondled my ass, kissed the corner of my mouth, and then I heard the bedroom door close behind him.
Just as I was sinking more deeply into slumber, his words broke through my sleepy fog. Valentine’s Day!
Our first Valentine’s Day together, and I’d let him go off without giving him his present!
“Shit!” I sat up in bed, wondering if he was still in the apartment. “Wills!”
The door opened and he poked his head in. “What’s up, babe? I thought you were going back to sleep.”
“It’s Valentine’s Day!”
“Well, yeah.”
“You can’t go without your gift!”
“You already gave it to me. Earlier this morning.” He looked relaxed and happy.
“No.” It was the first time I was spending Valentine’s Day with someone who actually cared more about me than a hot fuck. “I have something for you.” I was relaxed and happy too, but I was also nervous and excited. I’d never given Wills a piece of jewelry. How would it go over with him? He’d liked the books and clothes and DVDs I’d given him for his birthday. He’d loved the fireplace I’d had reopened and finished with a granite surround and an oak mantel for Christmas, and we’d both enjoyed making love in front of it.
He came back into the room. As usual, he was wearing one of those nothing-special suits.
I glanced at the clock: 6:55 a.m. He’d have plenty of time to get to work, e
ven with rush-hour traffic. I got out of bed, took the present from where I had hidden it in my underwear drawer, and gave it to him, suddenly wondering if the wrapping paper with its hearts and cupids, plump little cherubs with pristine white wings, was too over the top for guys.
Wills and his delayed gratification. He took his time, carefully removing the ribbon and then the wrapping paper. Finally he pressed the catch of the maroon velvet jeweler’s box. His eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath. “Babe, this is beautiful!” He stroked the fourteen-karat chain and pendant before taking it out.
“Um….” I worried my lip. “There’s something on the back.”
He turned it over, and his breath hitched. “Theo!” He rubbed his thumb over the engraved words.
“Do you like it?”
“Are you nuts? I love it! Thank you!” He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tight. “But… all I got you is a box of Godiva chocolates.”
“I’m a sucker for Godiva chocolates, babe.” I glanced at the box on the dresser. I had an idea what a box that size cost, but even if it had been a five-dollar box of Russell Stover bought at the drugstore, it would have meant the world to me because he was the one giving it to me. “You’re gonna get lucky tonight.”
“I’ve been lucky every night since I met you.” He flushed. “Would you… would you put this on me?”
I felt my face flush. I took it from him and unfastened the clasp, then put it around his neck and refastened it. As I’d hoped, the length of chain was perfect; the pendant hung directly over his heart.
He turned and cradled my face in his hands, his gaze on my lips, and even before he kissed me I felt kissed. And then his lips were on mine, soft and warm as he brushed them back and forth, teasing and tempting me to open my mouth. I shivered and gasped, desperate to deepen the sensation. Finally... finally... he kissed me, and I leaned into him. He had the most amazing mouth. Not only did he give great blow jobs, but his kisses…. Well, as the song went, they were sweeter than wine.
Neither of us wanted it to end, but Wills had to go troubleshoot his computers, and I had a stack of returns that wouldn’t do themselves.
“What do you say tonight we go out and celebrate Valentine’s Day in style?” I rubbed my cheek against his. “I made a reservation for us at Raphael’s at around seven.”
“And you got it?” He seemed surprised. Raphael’s was so popular that on the major holidays, it paid to call way in advance.
I pinched his chin. “I made it just before Christmas. Is it okay? I’ll cancel if you have to work late.”
“That’ll be fine. I’ll be home early if I have to walk over Mr. Vincent.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “You only say that because he’s out of town.” Wills had mentioned the day before that Vince had told him he’d be running things for the next few days.
“This is true.” He loosened his tie, unbuttoned his top button, and dropped the pendant inside his shirt, then touched the spot above his heart. “I’ll….” His smile became rueful, and I wondered what he’d been about to say. “I love it,” he repeated and buttoned his shirt and fixed his tie. “And I’d better get going before I’m late.”
“Wouldn’t Vince cut you a little slack?”
“I’ve never pushed it, and I’m not gonna start now. I’ll see you later, babe.” Another quick kiss and he was out the door.
Miss Su came in and sat down, her bobtail tucked neatly against her hind leg. “Mrrow?”
“Didn’t Daddy feed you?”
“Mrrow.”
“Okay, give me a minute.”
“Mrrow.” She didn’t have a large vocabulary, but she got a lot of mileage out of what she did have.
I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and went into the kitchen. An empty Fancy Feast can was in the sink, soaking so it could be recycled. “Tiramisu!”
She became busy grooming her whiskers, and I laughed and went back to bed.
AT ABOUT a quarter after six, the door opened and Wills barreled in. “Hi, babe. Sorry I’m late. Traffic.”
“You’re not that late.”
He leaned forward to snatch a kiss, then drew back and whistled. “You look gorgeous!”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” I wanted to kiss him, but we were going to be pressed for time as it was. Then I thought, Fuck it! And I kissed him anyway. “Now, give me your coat and go shower and change. I have your Hugo Boss on the suit valet.” I’d finally talked him into getting a new suit. He’d winced at the price, then sucked it up to please me. He still refused to wear it to work, though.
“You don’t care for my Bill Blass?” His tone was injured, but his eyes were laughing.
“You bought it right after college, right? It’s more than five years old, babe. And even if I’m the only one who can tell it’s out of style….”
“You’re the only one who matters, Theo.”
“God, I….” I touched his chest. Beneath my fingers, I could feel the pendant that hung over his heart. I hoped he knew what I meant. Saying those three words was still one of the most difficult things for me to do.
He covered my hand with his. “I know, babe.”
For a second I lost myself in the dark chocolate of his eyes. He squeezed my hand and released it, and I reached down and patted his hip. “Get going, Wills. Giovanni will only hold our reservation for so long.”
“In that case, I won’t ask you to join me.”
“Later, okay?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Y’know, you really don’t need to shave.” I couldn’t resist caressing his cheek with its five o’clock shadow.
“I thought the Miami Vice look was out.”
“Everything old is new again. You could start your own trend… how the computer troubleshooter of the twenty-first century is appearing.”
“My dad would have a fit. He was always big on being clean-shaven.”
“Trust me, babe. If he were gay, he’d go wild over it.”
“Now that’s something I don’t want to picture.”
“Your dad being gay?” I raised an eyebrow, and he chuckled.
“Ass.” He blinked. “Actually, the thought of my dad doing what we do? Uh… no.”
“You think he never had sex?”
“Well, of course he had sex. At least three times.” He was trying to look innocent but wasn’t very successful. We both started laughing. “I’ll shave in the shower and be done in ten minutes. Do you want me to drive?” If he did, he wouldn’t drink. He’d told me when we first started seeing each other that he never drank and drove, not even a single beer or glass of wine.
“Nah. I managed to get one of my clients a hefty tax return from Uncle Sugar, and she was so pleased she gave me a nice bonus. I think we can afford a cab for tonight.”
“I’m proud of you, babe.” He brushed his lips over mine. “And a cab sounds good.”
“Get a move on, hotshot.”
“Yes, master.”
I swatted his butt, and he laughed and disappeared into the bedroom, stripping as he went. I called a cab to pick us up in twenty minutes, then followed his trail of clothes, picking them up along the way.
GIOVANNI, THE maître d’ at Raphael’s, smiled as we entered. “Signor Bascopolis. Signor Matheson. It is good to see you again.”
“Thanks, Giovanni. How are you?”
“Eh. Così, così.”
Wills murmured something in Italian, and Giovanni’s face lit up
“Grazie! Grazie!”
I cleared my throat, and Wills smiled and slid his arm into mine. “It looks like you’ve got quite a crowd.” There was a line of people waiting to be seated.
“This is true. I cannot leave my post tonight, not even to….” He rolled his eyes toward the archway that led to the restrooms. “Nino will take you to your table.” He checked off our names and snapped his fingers.
“You would want to come here,” an overweight man growled at the plainly dressed woman beside him. He glared
at me, sneered at Wills. “It’s a crying shame when God-fearing, churchgoing men… and women”—an obvious afterthought—“are passed over in favor of these goddamned fags!”
“Dear. Please.” The woman flushed and looked uncomfortable. The man was an asshole. He’d probably forgotten to get her anything, and this was his way of making up for it.
“Ignore him, please.” Giovanni’s lip was curled in disdain. “He is upset because he thought he could call this morning and make a reservation. He felt his name alone should get him a table.”
“Who is he?”
“No one. His party will have to wait.”
I shrugged. I’d learned a long time ago to ignore slurs.
Wills, on the other hand, had never had to deal with homophobia. He stared at the man with that flat expression in his eyes. The man turned pale, and his wife clutched his arm.
“Babe….” I wasn’t sure what Wills might do.
The flat expression was replaced by a smile that might have been sweet if it hadn’t been for the hint of steel in it. “That may be so, but the ‘goddamned fags’ made reservations a couple of months ago.”
I blinked.
Giovanni bit his lip, smothering a laugh, and turned away. “Nino! If you will seat i signori?”
WE WERE able to get that table in the alcove, and dinner was fabulous, as was usual at Raphael’s. My filet mignon had a wine and mushroom sauce I found intriguing. I fed Wills a bite, and when he agreed, I wondered if I could duplicate it.
He ordered the snow crab legs and industriously cracked the shells and removed the white flesh. “Open wide, babe.”
I closed my lips over his fork and slowly drew back. He touched my lip, caught a drop of butter, and licked it off his finger.
“Wills!”
He grinned and reached for his wineglass.
For dessert we had orange angel food cake with fresh raspberries and blueberries and whipped cream, and Amaretto.
“It’s a good thing we’re cabbing it tonight.”
