Gus (Bar 28 Book 1)

by JJ Harper

  I want to kiss him again but am not sure if he’s up for that after I’ve rimmed him. He must sense my hesitation because he grabs my neck and drags me down to him.

  “I’m ready.” Gus’s voice aches with need as he pulls his mouth back from mine.

  I tear open the condom I picked with the lube and roll it down my throbbing dick, then cover it in lube before using more of the gel on his hole.

  “You okay in this position?” I ask as I line my dick to his slick opening.

  “Very. Fuck me, Max.”

  As the blunt head of my cock pops through the first ring of muscles, I hold still, holding my breath, allowing him time to adjust. Gus gives me a nod to carry on, his eyes still dark and needy. They roll back as I fill him in one slow stroke, disappearing deep inside him. I tremble at the grip of his muscles tightening around me. This is so good, so really fucking good.

  “Jesus, Gus, you feel incredible, so damn tight.” I manage to find my voice after the rush of initial pleasure.

  “Yeah? You feel huge!” He laughs, and I waggle my eyebrows. “You can move, y’know, if you like,” he teases me. With a grin, I do exactly as he says, rocking my hips with slow, precise movements as we get used to each other’s bodies. Then I hit his prostate. He shudders, and it’s game on. I plunge in and out, long, deep strokes, battering his sweet spot. Gus claws at the bedding, and sweat breaks out on his smooth skin, lighting his chest with a glistening sheen.

  “Fuuuuck!” Gus screams out his orgasm. He comes before I had a chance to even touch his dick. I’ve never made that happen before. Then I concentrate on reaching my own orgasm.

  It only takes me a few more frantic thrusts before my climax storms through my body. I’m leaning over Gus, my hands by his head as I cry out his name. Shockwaves crash over me, making my arms shake as I hold my weight from his body. Gus wraps his arms around my neck, hooks his feet together over my waist, and drags me down on top of him. We stay locked together until my dick softens. Slowly I pull out and get rid of the condom.

  “We’re all sticky.” I grimace at the cooling cum, now smeared over our stomachs. “I think we need a shower. I’ll help you wash all the difficult-to-reach places.”

  But the look on Gus’s face dampens my spirits. He shakes his hand, refusing my offer.

  “Nah, I’m fine. If you’ve got some tissues or a flannel I can use.” He shifts and moves away from me.

  “Oh.” Disappointment courses through me.

  “It’s just all this.” He points to his face and makes a circling motion. “It’s not going to look pretty when it’s wet.”

  “I think you’re going to look good with or without the make-up,” I tell him truthfully, letting my eyes roam over him. He must like the look as his dick twitches. I smile lazily and run my finger up the length of his semi-hard shaft. “Maybe we shouldn’t rush to clean up.”

  I’m lying next to a magnificent sleeping man. He really is one of the hottest men I’ve met. And the sex was like, wow! Out of this world good. I think three times in one night is damn good going. I know I should go. I’ve got no reason to stay here. It was a hook-up, nothing more. So why am I hesitant? Maybe because he’s got his arm across my stomach possessively, wanting to keep me here. Or maybe because I’m kidding myself that this wasn’t something more. This could be good. No, this could be amazing. He’s perfect. Take away the handsome face and the great body, and there’s a keen mind, a great sense of humour, and a kindness that is hard to find nowadays.

  No, it’s time to leave, but my heart is screaming noooo! Stay. He’ll want you to be here when he wakes up. I shake my head and carefully extricate myself from the bed and tread silently on the plush carpet, gathering up my clothes. I dress quickly, leaving my boots until I’m out of the bedroom, knowing I’ll have to sit down to lace them. I hesitate as I reach the door. Should I leave my number? No, I decide against it. It was a hook-up. I know I’m lying to myself.

  The early morning is chilly. There’s a hint of the pale orange sunrise on the horizon as I walk leisurely through the almost silent city. I can think of nothing but the way our bodies moved together, the way he looked into my eyes as he buried himself inside me. The intimacy of his gaze was so much more than a hook-up, than a casual encounter. He wanted me in a way no one else has, and if I’m honest with myself, I was the same. There was nothing casual about us. Then why the hell did I leave? Because I’m too busy this year. I don’t have time to give to someone else.

  The niggle in the back of my head tells me I’ve made a mistake. No, no, I haven’t. I’ve had a fantastic shag with the hottest man ever, and I’m walking away, smiling and in control of my life.

  Inside my little one-bed flat, which I’m lucky enough to have thanks to overprotective parents, I head straight to the bathroom and start the shower running. I groan at my reflection in the mirror. My hair is sticking out at all angles as if I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards. My make-up has worn off rather than smudged and runs down my face. I look debauched and totally well fucked. I grin. That’s exactly what happened. I grab my make-up remover and cotton wool and wipe away the remains, then take out my contact lenses and put them away.

  Under the hot water, I wash away the sweat and any residual cum from my body. My arse is tender but not too sore. Max really knew what he was doing with his monster dick. I laugh as I remember his face when I swallowed around him. This really has been an awesome night.

  I get into bed, ready to sleep at least the morning away, but before I do, I fire off a message to the guys.

  Back home and ready to sleep,

  Catch you later

  Then I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

  The sound of Hozier’s “Nina Cried Power” wakes me up, and I reach out, fumbling on my side table for my phone. “’Lo,” I croak, my voice still thick with sleep.

  “Ah! Captain Shag-nasty is alive!” Liam booms, far too loud for my liking.

  “What do you want, Liam? I’m trying to sleep.” I rub my hand down my face but stay burrowed in my duvet. “What time is it?”

  “Um, I don’t know. About half eleven, I think.”

  “Then please fuck off, and I’ll call you back later,” I growl and end the call, then turn off my phone and drop it on the floor and go back to sleep.

  This time when I wake up, I feel more human. I pick up my phone and turn it back on. It pings with notifications—three messages from Liam and two from Will. What is up with them? I shake my head, then click on the ones from Will first.

  Call me when you wake up.

  Then.

  Why haven’t you called yet?

  Then I look at Liam’s.

  Call me

  What is wrong with the two of them?

  Call me, you wanker

  Nice one.

  Fine, I’m coming over.

  Shit! What time did he send that one? Half an hour ago. Damn, he’ll be here soon. I get out of bed and stretch with my arms above my head, my arse pulling a little, and I grin again. Hmm, still feeling him. I grab some clean jeans and a T-shirt and get dressed.

  The kettle is boiling when the knock on the door comes. “Both of you? This really must be important news.” I laugh and step back to let them inside.

  “For you, it could be.” Liam pulls out a folded piece of paper and passes it to me. “Bar 28 are looking for staff in the cocktail bar. You need to call them.”

  “What? For real?” I snatch the paper from his hand and read the flyer. “Are you going to apply?” I ask, but they shake their heads.

  “I’ve got my job at the bookshop again,” Will says as he helps himself to the mug rack and makes tea for all of us.

  Liam shrugs, looking at me sheepishly. He doesn’t have to work. His parents are loaded, and he has an allowance. “I don’t need it, Gus. You’ll be perfect for it. You’ve got the look already.”

  “What look?” I’m not sure what he’s talking about.

  “The whole cool hipster look, that’s
you in your everyday clothes. Last night you were hot as fuck. All the men in that club wanted you.”

  “That’s not true. Anyway, I wasn’t interested in anyone.” I sigh as I think about Max sliding deep inside me.

  “You got the hottest guy there.” Will shoots a grin over his shoulder. “How was he?”

  I waggle my eyebrows. “So hot. He’s very talented.”

  “Did you swap numbers?”

  “No, it wasn’t like that. Just a hook-up, a one-night-only deal. He was asleep when I left.” I’m not ready to tell them how hard it was to leave him or why calling it a hook-up feels like a lie.

  They both wince. “Why did you do that?”

  “You know I don’t like to stay. I didn’t want the whole light-of-day embarrassment when he doesn’t know if he should offer me breakfast or fake a meeting and run me out of his flat.” I shrug. I’m not telling them that besides having sex three times, we talked a lot as well. That we really clicked, that he told me he’d like to see me again. I don’t have time to make it into something more, and suddenly that saddens me.

  “I bet you see each other around and do it again.” Liam chuckles. “Anyway, call the number. This post won’t be there for long. I’m sure they’ll have a ton of people apply.”

  “It’s probably not even worth me applying,” I grumble and scrunch the paper up. Will snags it out of my hand and straightens it out.

  “Call them now. We’re not leaving until you’ve done it.”

  “Fine!” I pull out my phone from my back pocket and call the number, then ask for Jonas. I walk out of the kitchen and into my small living room, away from my nosy friends while I talk.

  “Well?” Will asks.

  “I’ve got an interview at four thirty.” I grin.

  I sit in a quiet corner with the manager, Jonas. He’s really cool, all trendy clothes and stylishly messy hair. Luckily, he’s friendly too. It’s not too busy at this hour; only a few tables are occupied. A couple of smartly dressed women are laughing so hard I can’t help but smile.

  Jonas looks up from the application I filled out and stares at me. I cough, and it seems to snap him out of it. “Sorry, Gus, that was rude of me.”

  “It’s okay. It happens a lot.”

  “I haven’t seen people with two different coloured eyes before. They’re beautiful too, so vivid.” He shakes his head and focuses on the reason why I’m here. “Everything here looks good. I think you’d fit in well. I’d like you to come in and have some training with one of our experienced bartenders, and my brother will be able to meet you. He’s the other half of the business. How does that sound?”

  “Really? Yes, please. I’d love to. When would you like me to come in? I start back at uni tomorrow, but lectures won’t start straight away.”

  “How about Tuesday? Can you be here for four o’clock, or is later better?”

  “Four is okay. What should I wear?”

  “Black jeans are fine. We’ll provide a T-shirt and an apron. I’m going to give you a book of all our cocktails, with the measurements and the mixing techniques. Don’t be put off by it. I don’t expect you to have learnt it all by Tuesday.”

  It seems like we’re done when Jonas stands up. I follow him to the bar, where the same guy who worked in the club last night is stocking the bottles. He nods but doesn’t seem to recognize me. I don’t want to embarrass him, so I don’t say anything about it.

  “Beck, this is Gus. He’s going to join us,” Jonas introduces me. “He’s coming in on Tuesday to learn the ropes. You’ll be here then, won’t you?” He turns to me. “Beck is one of our best bartenders. He’ll certainly be able to teach you everything you need to know.”

  I hold out my hand. “Hi, Beck, nice to meet you.”

  He shakes my hand. Now he has a look on his face as if he’s trying to work something out. Does he recognise my voice? I doubt it. The music was loud last night. I had to all but shout. “You too, Gus.”

  After a couple of minutes more chatter, I say goodbye and walk home with a bounce in my step. My phone chimes in my back pocket, and I pull it out. “You are talking to the newest Bar 28 bartender.”

  “You got it? That’s awesome. Well done, Gus,” Will says happily. “Free cocktails from now on!”

  “I think that’s a sure-fire way of me losing the job on the first night.” We carry on talking about uni and meeting up tomorrow until I’m back indoors.

  I spend the evening watching Netflix in bed and thinking about Max. Or Netflix is on, but I don’t see what’s playing because all I can think of is him, the way we moved together, the sounds he made, hell, the sounds I made. No wonder my dick goes hard. I quickly grab the lube and stroke my climax out with my head full of Max.

  I manage to persuade Liam that I don’t need him to walk me to the bar and wave him off at the corner. Jonas is behind the bar with Beck, another man standing on this side with his back to me. That must be Jonas’s brother.

  “Gus!” Jonas calls out when he sees me. The other guy stiffens, then whirls around. I stare at the man, the man who is now my boss. The man I wanked off to, thinking about last night. Max! I manage to catch the end of what Jonas is saying. “…my brother, Max.”

  “Hi,” I croak, not knowing what to do now. Do I act like he’s a stranger, or do I greet him as I would if I’d seen him again in a pub? I get my answer when he doesn’t say anything to me. Tentatively I step closer. His eyes narrow, and an emotion that looks like disappointment fills his face. He doesn’t recognise me either. Crap, this is a disaster. I want this job. I need this job, but I’m not going to lie about who I am. He will have to decide how to deal with the information. I’m not going to out us to Jonas or Beck. That would be bad form.

  “It’s good to meet you, Max.” I hold out my hand. He widens his eyes. Ah, he’s recognised me now, but he continues to stare at me.

  It’s twelve thirty by the time I walk into the bar, where already a decent amount of customers, even for a Monday lunchtime, is enjoying the sun. The Indian summer weather has allowed us to keep the garden open. The chance to sit in our courtyard while servers bring out drinks is always a winner. The place has been a complete hit from the moment we opened it. Buying a failing pub and turning it around into the place to hang out has been hard work, but it has beaten all our expectations. We’ve been lucky that most of the younger staff wanted to stay and have been so enthusiastic about learning mixing drinks properly. Without making too much of a song and dance about it, we’ve established an LGBTQ bar everyone wants to go to.

  I wave to the guys behind the bar and wander through to the office. My brother is typing away at his computer but stops when I enter. He leans back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. “I hear you had a good time on Saturday.”

  I scowl at him. “Is there nothing private anymore. Who told you?” I’m pissed off. Not about someone tattling but because Gus didn’t hang around or leave his number. If he had, I’d be happy as a pig in shit. Instead, I feel a bit bruised, more in my heart than my ego. I thought the connection we had was real.

  “That would be Leo, Beck, oh, and Steve. You weren’t exactly discreet. So”—he pauses—“how was he? Apparently, he was beautiful.”

  “I’m not talking about him. You know what? I don’t need to be here today. I’ll catch up with you later.” I turn on my heels.

  “Max, I’m sorry. Don’t go. D’you want to talk about it?”

  “Jeez, shall we brush each other’s hair too.” I snap, then stop. I’m being a dick. “Sorry. I’m just fucked off that he was gone when I woke up. I really fucking like him. I haven’t found anyone I’m attracted to like that for bloody ages. Yes, he’s gorgeous, but he’s smart and funny and sexy as hell in bed. I would’ve liked to spend more time with him, get to know him even more.” I scrub my fingers through my hair and let out a long sigh.

  “You sound like your pretty taken with him. I’m sure you’ll catch up with him. He’ll be back.” Jonas holds up a sheet of
paper. “I interviewed a guy yesterday for the bartender position. He’s perfect. I think he’ll fit right in. He’s coming in for a trial tomorrow afternoon around four. Can you make sure you’re here?” Jonas takes care of the admin side of the business. He will work the bar, but he tends to do all the behind-the-scenes jobs. Not like me. I love working out front. I’ve been doing some kind of bar work since I was seventeen. I’m now thirty and haven’t got bored of it yet.

  “Sounds good to me.” I change the subject. “Do you need me here this afternoon?”

  “Nope, we’re good. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says cheerfully.

  I leave them to it and go home and get all the boring chores done, including changing the bedclothes. No point getting into sheets that smell of a man I doubt I’ll get a repeat with.

  The next afternoon has me standing at the bar, talking to Jonas, who looks past me and calls out, “Gus.” I spin around. A nervous-looking young man walks up to us. I’d recognise him anywhere, the sway of his hips, the way he holds his head. Even if we had only one night together, I’m sure it’s him. What are the chances of that? Then as he reaches us, I deflate. It’s not him. The resemblance is uncanny, but his face is devoid of any make-up, and I don’t see the gorgeous man I was with on Saturday. Besides, this guy has different coloured eyes. Not only different from my Gus but different from each other. One bright blue, the other a vivid green. Wait a minute. Where did my Gus come from?

  “It’s good to meet you, Max.” After a slight hesitation, he holds out his hand, and that’s when I lose my mind and my manners.