by Witt, L. A.
I collapsed all the way onto my stomach, not even caring about the wet spot I landed in. Aaron came down with me and shakily pulled out before he dropped on to his side.
“Holy fuck,” he breathed.
“Uh-huh.” One last shudder jolted my entire body. “Jesus . . .”
He kissed the back of my shoulder. “Be right back. Don’t move.”
“’Kay.”
He got up, probably to get rid of the condom, and I grinned into the pillowcase.
This was a good idea. Face-to-face was much better than texting.
Chapter 10
Aaron
Sweaty, spent, and more than a little stunned, I lay beside Shane on the rumpled sheets.
I wished I could say I was relaxed, though. We’d fucked, but we hadn’t talked, and wasn’t it talking that had made things weird to begin with? Shit. We definitely still needed to talk. Just . . . in a minute. After my heart slowed down. And I’d caught my breath. And the room wasn’t spinning quite so fast.
Shane cleared his throat and turned on to his side. “So this wasn’t what I expected tonight.”
“Yeah.” I licked my lips. “Ditto.”
Uneasy silence landed between us, and even though I’d been thinking all day about the things I needed to say, I hadn’t planned on saying them in bed. Somehow, being naked and covered in each other’s sweat changed everything. Didn’t it?
He exhaled and wiped a hand over his face.
We’re going to do this right now, aren’t we? Awesome.
“Listen, I . . .” Shane paused. After a moment, he lifted himself up on his elbow and looked down at me, forehead creased. “I’m really sorry I made things weird. This is . . . It’s the first time I’ve been with anyone since my divorce. I guess I kind of . . .”
“Panicked?”
Blushing, Shane nodded. “Like I said, I don’t know what I’m doing. That’s pretty much what it comes down to. And I’m not gonna lie—that scares me. Especially since, I mean, it’s not just me. Every move I make, I have to be thinking of my kids. How will this affect them? Will they get hurt if something blows up in my face?” He closed his eyes and exhaled. “I absolutely know what I want to do. What I don’t know is what I should do.”
I studied him uncertainly. “What do you want to do?”
He swept his tongue across his lips, and when he met my eyes again, there was a gleam in his not unlike the one I’d seen in the kitchen. The one that had pulled me across the floor and landed us here in my bed. “Honestly?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“I want to do this. Exactly what we’re doing. But . . . more.”
I stiffened, but he put up his hand.
“Let me finish. When I say ‘more,’ I don’t mean like a relationship. I . . .” He closed his eyes, took another deep breath, and went on. “The other night, I panicked. This is so new to me, and I suddenly freaked out that I was a terrible father for even considering this kind of thing, and I . . . Yeah. I freaked out.” Shane met my gaze. “The truth is, I’ve been itching for a long time to sow my wild oats. Now that my kids are older, and now that I’ve found someone I’ve got this insane chemistry with, I want to.”
I blinked. “You . . . come again?”
Shane trailed his fingers up my arm. “I want to fuck. I want to go out and hit up clubs and bars like I’m still twenty-one. I want to try things. You know, in the bedroom. I . . . fuck, I want to try a damn threesome.”
My pulse surged at the thought of seeing him between me and another guy. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. You said yourself it isn’t too late, you know? And, like I said, I guess I panicked last night, but it was because . . .” Eyes losing focus, he chewed his lip. “Because I got a taste of what I’ve been missing, and I was afraid to let that slip away.”
I watched his fingers running up and down my arm. Well, hell. That changed everything, didn’t it? “So, basically you want to fuck and party like a twentysomething?”
Shane nodded. “Exactly. If this develops into something more later, then . . .” He waved a hand. “Fine. Whatever. But it’s not what I want right now. The more I think about it, the less I think I ever want that shit again. And, right now, all I want is to go out and be twenty-one like I didn’t get to back then.”
Meeting his gaze, I let a grin come to life. “I can probably help you with that.”
“But do you want to?”
“We’re talking about more of what we just did.” I chuckled, leaning in. “You better believe I want to.” I kissed him, and we slid closer. God, the relief. I was almost dizzy, and it had nothing to do with how hard we’d fucked. All day long, I’d been bracing for a tense, uncomfortable conversation, and now I had a horny Shane on my hands, desperate for the kinds of adventures he’d missed out on for too long.
When he broke the kiss, his eyes were still on fire, but the smile on his lips was cautious and faltering. “Finding time is going to be a challenge, though. Between work and the kids . . .”
I nodded. “I’ve basically got two jobs, so I know how it goes. We’ll find time when we can.”
The smile was a little more enthusiastic now. “That being said, I do have one weekend to myself every month when my ex-husband takes the kids.” He ran his hand up my chest to my shoulder. “Next time he has them, I’m all yours.”
“Good to know. If I’m not on duty, I’m pretty sure I can pawn the garage off on my assistant manager for a weekend.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too.” I paused. “So, your ex-husband has partial custody?”
“Well, no. It’s not like a legal agreement or anything, but the kids were afraid they’d lose contact with him after the divorce. And, I mean, it was his relationship with me that fell apart, not with them, so we agreed to set aside a weekend every month for them to spend time with him. Plus they’re at his house whenever I have to work nights. I think it made it a lot easier for them to adapt to the divorce.”
“Sounds like it’s good for them,” I said. “The kids and your ex. Probably you too, actually.”
Shane nodded. “Yeah, it’s made it a lot easier for all of us to move on.”
“I can see why.” And each time he tipped his hand about his past, I understood a little more why he’d said what he did in the restaurant parking lot. I believed him when he said he’d panicked. That he’d jumped the gun and put too much out there too fast.
But were we just setting ourselves up to have that conversation again? How long before the novelty of screwing around wore off, and he decided he liked the old way better?
No sense jumping that gun too. We’d see how things played out. If it was a couple of days of sex, hanging out, and more sex, great. If it felt too much like . . .
Well, we’d dynamite that bridge when we got to it. For all Shane had insisted on keeping the door open for a relationship, now he seemed even more allergic to the idea than I was.
“So you really want to do this, then?” I asked. “Fool around, and . . . whatever comes to mind?”
He nodded. “I mean, maybe it’s immature. Or stupid. Whatever. But I’ve always regretted missing out on the shit I never got to do back then. So now that my kids are older and I can be gone more, why not?”
“Anything in particular you have in mind? Things you want to do sooner than later?”
He grinned. “Besides fucking you as often as possible?”
Oh God, yes. I gulped as my pulse went crazy. “Yeah. Besides that. Because that is definitely on the agenda already.”
“Good. So for other stuff, I guess . . .” He fell quiet for a moment, gazing up at the ceiling. “Twentysomething shit? If that narrows it down?” He fidgeted, and I thought he might’ve blushed. “Getting shitfaced at a club and making an idiot of myself on the dance floor. Hooking up with someone whose name I don’t even know. Have a threesome or something.” He laughed quietly. “I mean, what guy doesn’t fantasize about having a threesome?”
> “You’d be surprised.” I chuckled. “I’ve known a few guys who couldn’t even fantasize about it without getting jealous. But I hear what you’re saying. What’s not to love about having two people in bed with you?”
Shane met my gaze. “So have you ever had a threesome?”
“A threesome?” I winked and patted his leg. “I’ve had more than one, let’s put it that way.”
“Really?” He straightened a little. “Are they as . . . I mean, do they live up to the hype?”
“Depends on who you’re with. I’ve had some that were awkward and boring. And I’ve had some . . .” I shook my head. “Man. I’ve had some that still blow my mind just thinking about them.”
“Really?”
“Yep. One time . . .” I squirmed beside him. “There was this couple back in Ellensburg. He was bi, she was straight, and they wanted to bring in a guy.”
“Wait. Are you bi too?”
“No, I’m gay.”
“But you had a threesome with a man and a woman?”
I shrugged. “Honestly, it was supposed to be about him. He was bi, and it was his fantasy. He wanted a man and a woman at the same time, so she and I figured we’d focus on him.” Laughing softly as goose bumps prickled my neck, I looked at Shane again. “But we kind of got carried away in the heat of the moment, and . . .” I shrugged again. “I could never see myself seeking out a woman, and I still don’t consider myself bi in the slightest. But when things got really hot and I’d had a couple of glasses of wine, I went with it.” Hell, even now the memory of my friend’s wife riding my dick while I sucked his was enough to send blood rushing south. “They weren’t the first couple I had a threesome with, but damn, they raised the bar for everybody after them.”
“I believe it. And I am bi, so hooking up with a man and a woman at the same time . . .” He whistled.
I studied him for a moment. “It really isn’t too late, you know.”
“What?”
“There’s no expiration on young and stupid, especially since you’re obviously responsible in all the other aspects of your life. If partying and getting laid in new and innovative ways is what you want, we can definitely do this.”
Shane grinned. “Twist my arm, why don’t you?”
We both laughed. He shifted around, probably trying to get comfortable, and settled on his stomach, propped up on his forearms.
I trailed my fingertips over the back of his shoulder and brushed the slightly raised lines of his clapboard tattoos. Three of them. With dates on them. So much for my assumption that they represented movies he’d made. “Your tattoos—those are for your kids, aren’t they?”
Shane glanced back as if he could see what I was touching. “Yeah. My ex-wife worked in film too, and we kind of joked about the kids being our ‘productions,’ so when I decided to get tattoos for each of them, this one came to mind.”
“I like it. Seems . . . kind of appropriate.”
Laughing softly, he nodded. “Which is good, since I’m stuck with it.” He paused. “I’m surprised you don’t have any tattoos.”
“No, and for that exact reason—didn’t want to be stuck with anything.”
“No commitments?”
“Well, nothing I wanted seared into my skin. I thought about getting something for the firehouse where I used to work, or a smoke jumper tattoo, but that would probably just make me think about all the shit I can’t do anymore.”
“Fair point.”
Silence set in again and threatened to get awkward, but Shane chose that moment to grin and slide a little closer to me. He curved a hand over my ass and let his hips just graze mine. “So, I know you obviously enjoy topping. But are you opposed to—”
“Not even a little.” I kissed him, every nerve ending in my body lighting up at the thought of taking his cock. “Are you suggesting you want—”
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” he growled, sliding his hand up into my hair as he leaned in for another kiss.
“Hmm, in that case,” I murmured against his lips, “we should really get another condom.”
Chapter 11
Shane
Between our three jobs and my kids, it took an insane amount of planning and creativity to see each other more than once a week.
Fortunately, we were nothing if not resourceful and creative. Normally, if I wasn’t scheduled to be on set at some ridiculously early hour, I’d be lazy and maybe even sleep after seeing the kids off to school. These days, I’d wait until they were on the bus, and then I’d burn rubber over to Aaron’s garage. Sleeping in was great, but it had nothing on letting myself into Aaron’s office and finding him in his chair, dressed in his weathered blue coveralls, grinning up at me with his dick in his hand.
We tried to meet for lunch or dinner when we could, but more often than not, we wound up bringing each other food that would be eaten after we’d screwed around. He’d show up at the set with a couple of sandwiches. We’d disappear long enough for a quickie blowjob or handjob in his car. Then I’d hurry back to work and eat the sandwich when I had a few spare minutes. Or I’d come to the garage with Chinese food, which he’d start opening while I fixed my clothes and got ready to take off.
Tonight, for once, I was off at a decent hour, Aaron didn’t have anything going on, and we had a nice block of time to ourselves before I had to go pick up two kids from skateboarding lessons and one from a friend’s house.
Which meant I wasted no time getting my ass over to Aaron’s place and into his bed. Not a moment too soon, he had me naked, pinned down, and buried inside him. He rode my cock fast, the bed frame creaking and headboard slamming against the wall hard enough to drown out both of our voices.
We hadn’t even been at it for very long—a couple of minutes at most—when I pulled his hips down to mine, thrust as deep as he could take me, and came. In seconds, Aaron came too, swearing through clenched teeth as his cum dotted my stomach and chest.
And then we both relaxed.
For a moment, neither of us moved. He held himself up on wobbly arms, and we both tried to catch our breath.
Finally, he lifted himself off me and dropped onto his back. “Oh my God. I needed that.”
“Uh-huh.” I wiped a shaky hand over my sweaty face. My whole body was tingling and trembling all over—I could still feel every hour of work from today, but all those aches and twinges faded into the background of the orgasm I’d just had. Somehow I was supposed to get up and do something about this condom, but . . . in a second. Or something.
“Don’t know why I bothered with a shower when I got home,” he said. “’Cause I think we’re about due for another one.”
I laughed, sounding about as drunk as I felt. “You have a lot of faith in my ability to hold myself upright.”
“Hey.” He turned on his side and grinned as he ran a hand over my thigh. “I did all the work. What’s wrong with you?”
“Uh, I came after you did all that work.”
Aaron laughed. “In that case—you’re welcome.” He kissed my cheek, then sat up. “Let’s grab a shower before one of us falls asleep.”
Sleep. Oh, that sounded good.
He tugged at my arm. “Come on.”
“You’re a bastard.”
“Uh-huh. A bastard who makes you come so hard you can’t move.”
“Semantics.” With a groan, I got up and, despite my shaky legs, followed him into the bathroom. I took care of the condom while he started the shower, and a moment later, I stepped into the bathtub after him. There was some actual effort to get clean, but I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find myself wrapped up in his arms and lazily making out while the hot water ran over us.
“For the record,” he murmured between kisses, “I’m enjoying the hell out of this little arrangement.”
“Mmm, me too.” I slid my hands down over his perfect, firm ass and bent to kiss his neck. “Who needs to be able to walk?”
Aaron laughed, his voice thrumming against my lips
. “Walking is entirely overrated.”
“Totally.”
God, I loved this. I really did. And I was so . . . relaxed with him. That was one perk of casual relationships no one had bothered to tell me about—there was no pressure. Okay, so there was some performance anxiety since it didn’t do a booty call any good to be a complete idiot between the sheets, but I wasn’t second-guessing every word I said. We could banter. We could talk about real things. Or we could not talk if we wanted to bask in the afterglow or something. The sexual performance anxiety was a piece of cake compared to the pressure to actually perform in a relationship—saying the right things, being on my best behavior, worrying at every turn that something would send everything up in flames.
I felt like even more of a tool for freaking out in the beginning, because this was easy.
The hot water wasn’t doing much to keep either of us awake, so we turned off the shower, dried, and returned to the rumpled bed. Aaron let the animals in, so of course the dog took the foot of the bed and the cats started their encroachment of the pillows. Good thing we didn’t need a lot of room since we were cuddled up in the middle of the mattress.
Smoothing my wet hair, he asked, “How much time do you have?”
I glanced at the clock by the bed. “Their lesson is over at eight, so I should probably take off in the next forty-five minutes or so.”
He nodded. “I think I can work with that.”
“Oh yeah?” I grinned. “You planning on getting in another round before I go?”
“Or two.”
I blinked.
Aaron chuckled. “I’m joking. Maybe when I was twenty, but . . .” He shook his head. “One more is probably all you’re getting out of me tonight.”
“Fine by me. I don’t know if I could handle going two more times. Especially after the last few days at work.”
Grimacing, he nodded again. “Yeah, I believe it. But we’ll have to do some conditioning if we really want to try a threesome.”
