Role Play

by Alison Hendricks

  A shiver raced through me, but I focused on my own task, my hands on the arm of the couch. This time when I dragged my tongue over him, I was able to wet a strip of flesh from his taint to his hole. And when I pressed inside, I felt far less resistance, the tip of my tongue sliding in.

  I rimmed him slowly, teasingly while he sucked me. At one point I thrust into his mouth, having to focus on that instead of what I was doing with my mouth. But afterward I'd gone back to it with enthusiasm, driving my tongue in and out of him, sliding two fingers in one he was ready to take them.

  Too much more of this and I was definitely going to come, though. I didn't want that yet; didn't want this to be over. Even if we could get right back to it after a rest, I still didn't want any part of it to end.

  So I drew back, panting, and helped him up off the couch. I pulled off his shirt then drew him into an embrace, our naked bodies flush with one another. We kissed like that for several minutes, just standing in my living room, our hands roaming all over each other. Then I led him to my bedroom, making a brief stop to grab lube and a condom.

  He lay down on his stomach, ass up and waiting.

  "Turn over," I said. "I want to see your face."

  When he did so, there was an endearing flush in his cheeks. I smiled at him even as I lubed up my now-covered dick. Kneeling down beside the bed, I wet his hole with my tongue a bit more before generously applying the lube.

  "Please," Elliot whimpered as I climbed over him. "I want you so bad."

  "I'm here, baby," I soothed, feeling him clutch at my arms. "You've got me."

  I don't know why I used the endearment, but it felt more natural than I wanted to examine. Almost as natural as it did to slide into him several moments later. His body was ready and willing, letting me fill him with ease. I sank in to the hilt, then drew back and did it all over again.

  Elliot pressed his head back against the mattress, his legs coming up to wrap around me. I accommodated him, leaning down, almost resting my weight atop him. I used my hips and my thighs to drive deep into him over and over again, muffling his cries with my mouth on his.

  It was different than what we'd done before. I wasn't gentle because I knew neither of us wanted that right now. But every slam of my hips against his was joined by almost soft, tender kisses. Our moans blended together, our bodies moving toward a mutual goal. He lifted up to meet every thrust, slamming against me as I thrust into him.

  I was so close, wanted so bad to come, but I held out until I felt him tense beneath me. He cried out, a low moan muffled against my mouth as I kissed him fiercely. His muscles squeezed around me, demanding that I come, too.

  And my body wasn't about to argue.

  I drove into him a few more times before letting myself fall over that edge, my body going stiff before a low groan of effort exploded from me, my dick pulsing inside of him, seeming almost endless as it filled the condom.

  My whole body was shaking with the intensity of it, and I slumped against him, resting my weight atop Elliot as I sank into bonelessness. When I was finally able to move to the side and make it the few steps to dispose of the condom, all I wanted to do was get back in bed with him.

  So I did, pulling him close, listening to his heartbeat as we both fell asleep.

  20

  Elliot

  It was hard for me not to gush about Reuben with Keith and Tina, which meant every time I did, they grew more and more impatient about meeting him. I told them it was casual, that it wasn't ever going to be anything else. Keith dismissed that and Tina gave me her concerned look each time, but it didn't stop them from asking.

  Finally, I worked up the courage to see if Reuben would be willing to make an appearance. Not the courage to do it in person, of course. Just the courage to text him.

  Elliot: Hey, so I'm going out with Keith and Tina tonight. La Tienda, I think. Hard to pull Keith away from the offer of bottomless tequila.

  Elliot: Anyway, they've been hounding me to meet you, and I was wondering if you'd like to come.

  Elliot: Completely casual. They know we're not boyfriends or whatever.

  Elliot: It's cool if you don't want to, though.

  I had to stop myself from continuing to ramble. The three dots showing Reuben was typing a response was enough to get me to stay my hand for a bit, but it lifted my heart into my throat and for a long moment I didn't breathe.

  Reuben: Yeah, I can hang out. Your friends sound like a trip.

  I stared at the response for a long time, wondering if I'd imagined it. When it didn't suddenly disappear, I was quick to reply.

  Elliot: They're definitely... something. Fair warning, Keith will probably hit on you. And not in any way that's subtle or remotely acceptable.

  Reuben: He can try, but he doesn't stand a chance. ;)

  That one line set the tone for the entire evening, as it turned out. Confusion blossomed in my chest, mixing with the back-and-forth I'd had for a month now. I still couldn't tell what Reuben actually wanted out of this... arrangement, and that only became more muddled as the night went on.

  We got there around nine, finding Keith first. He was already at the bar, enjoying a half-price margarita. Apparently not his first, as I saw him sway a little when he got off the stool.

  "Well hello there," he said, using what he'd personally described as his "sexy voice."

  Right now, it was a little slurred, but I could admit if I found Keith attractive in that way, it would have worked on me.

  Reuben just extended a hand for a shake. Keith took it delicately, turning it over in his own hand.

  "Big, strong hands, too. Bet you get a lot of work done with these," he said with a wink.

  "Keith," I hissed through my teeth, cutting a glare at him. "Could you tone down the rabid horniness just a bit?"

  "It's fine," said Reuben. "I do get a lot of work done with them. I'm a physical therapist, so it's kind of my job."

  "So if I break my leg, I could get you to put your hands on me?"

  I muttered under my breath, knowing there was no stopping Keith. Instead I just tried to get the attention of the hostess so we could be seated.

  "If you play for the Gators, sure. I wouldn't recommend it, though. Stress fractures are a bit to recover from, but impact fractures are even worse."

  "Ooh, science talk. My favorite," Keith said, his lips curving into a smirk.

  I was so, so glad to see Tina walk through the door. The hostess was all set to lead us to a booth, but I flagged down my more sensible friend. She smiled brightly when she saw Reuben.

  "I'm so glad you were able to make it. And so sorry you had to deal with Keith without me being here," she added, holding her arms out. "Can I hug you? Are you okay with hugs?"

  "Wow, my sister never even bothers asking," Reuben said, returning her smile. "I'm good with hugs."

  He stepped forward and Tina embraced him, giving him a quick squeeze before letting go. "Always better to ask, in my opinion."

  Keith leaned close to her, and I heard him whisper, "Cheater," into her ear. Presumably because she got to touch Reuben beyond more than a handshake.

  We were led to a booth where I quickly slid in beside Reuben to block Keith from doing so. He pouted visibly but joined Tina on the other side. After drinks and an appetizer were ordered, Tina took over the conversation. Probably so Keith didn't monopolize it with his wildly inappropriate questions.

  She asked Reuben about his job, how he'd gotten into the field, what he liked most about it. I'd heard these things before, but I still listened with rapt attention as he described it all. He always spoke with such passion that I couldn't help but be enraptured.

  "When I blew out my knee in high school, I was terrified. I thought it was the end of my life, you know? I didn't know how much pain I'd have to go through for recovery. But, the therapist I had worked with me every step of the way. He didn't just get me back to shape physically, he talked me through my fears and helped me get my head right, too." Reuben broke just l
ong enough to take a sip of his drink, the crystallized salt clinging to his lips in a way that begged me to lick it off. "I owe him a lot. Even if I didn't end up playing football after high school, he taught me so much about... I don't know. Getting back to your feet and taking it one day at a time, even when you feel like you're at rock bottom."

  He and Tina talked more, with Reuben asking her about her own job. Even Keith joined in with conversation that wasn't exclusively horny. Reuben was friendly, making an effort to include me in conversation even if the topic didn't really involve me.

  It felt, again, like something a boyfriend would do. Even more so when his arm slid around the back of my chair, his fingers idly stroking my arm as he talked.

  That confusion reached a fever pitch in me, and at one point I caught Tina's gaze and gave her the "signal." She understood immediately.

  "I'm dying to see what they've got for dessert today," she said casually. "You wanna look at the case with me?"

  "Yeah, they always have such beautiful desserts." Rising, I smiled at Reuben. "I'll be back in a sec. You want anything?"

  "Tres leches would be great if they have it."

  I nodded, then gave Keith a pointed look. "Don't try anything."

  He pouted again and whined about being unfairly prosecuted, but I was already moving away from the table at that point. I waited until Tina and I were close to the dessert showcase to say anything.

  "Is it just me, or is he sending seriously mixed signals?"

  "Oh, he definitely is," she said, her confirmation causing me to feel instant relief... then instant dread. "If you hadn't told me otherwise, I would have believed he was your boyfriend. You guys are so cute together."

  I dragged a palm over my face. "I don't know what to do. I'd love to be more, but Reuben said he doesn't want that."

  She looked back at the booth, then at me. "He isn't acting like it, and you deserve to know one way or the other. I say you ask him about it."

  That spiked my anxiety through the roof but, as we picked out dessert selections and returned to the table, I knew it was the only way. All through the rest of dinner, I planned what I was going to say. On the way back to my place -- I'd abstained from the wild tequila drinking to make sure we got back safely -- I rehearsed it in my mind.

  Once we got inside and he started touching me, though, I just... blurted it out.

  "What happened tonight?"

  Not the way I wanted to start at all. I almost cringed at myself.

  "What?" he asked, dropping his hands from where they'd been running over my chest.

  "Sorry, that's not what I wanted to say. I just... your behavior tonight and over the past little while, it's been confusing. You say you only want sex and just casual hanging out, but then you act like my boyfriend when we're alone and in public. It's messing with my brain and my heart, and I don't think you're doing it on purpose, but... I need to know."

  His gaze met mine and I searched his eyes for the answer. I could already tell he didn't exactly know it himself.

  "You're right," he said after a long delay. "I wasn't trying to mess up your head or your heart. I just..."

  He didn't seem able to finish that, so I exposed a truth that my heart desperately wanted to cling to. Something I had only just begun to parse myself.

  "Thing is... you're a great guy, Reuben. You're funny, smart, incredibly caring. I know I could fall for a guy like that, if I'm given any indication he might... want the same things."

  "What if he's not sure what he wants?" Reuben asked, taking a step closer. His voice was low and quiet. "What if he thought he knew, but now he's thinking he wants those things he gave up on."

  Another step. Our chests were practically touching and I wondered if he could hear the racing, stuttered thuds of my heart.

  "Truth is, I could fall for a guy like you, too," he practically whispered, his lips a breath away from mine.

  "So what are you saying?" I felt dizzy, so compelled to just sway into his arms and stop talking.

  But I needed the answer.

  "I'm saying I don't want this to be casual anymore."

  My heart swelled instantly at that, a sharp, delicious ache lancing through it as he kissed me, slow and deep. His touches were reverent as he undressed me and led me to the bedroom. His lips felt like heaven against my bare skin.

  And when he entered me later, rocking into me, filling me slowly, it felt different than before. Less a frenzy for the sake of getting off, and more an expression of something deeper.

  That was even more true when later that night, after we'd showered and slept for a few hours, he woke me with his lips around my cock, then slipped a condom on me once I was hard and proceeded to ride me slowly.

  We didn't really rest until the early hours of the morning, just before the sun came up. Reuben slept with an arm draped around me as I cuddled into his chest, inhaling the now familiar scent of his skin.

  Things had definitely changed, and I was all too ready to explore this new stage of my relationship with Reuben.

  21

  Reuben

  I wasn't prepared for just how much I'd like having a boyfriend again.

  Kayden was a bad example. Probably the worst I could think of. Dating Elliot, being officially with him was more like the relationships I'd had when I was younger. Not the naivety or the immaturity of it, but the sense of wonder and exploration. That flutter in my chest every time I thought of him, or how my face hurt from smiling so damn much when I spoke to him.

  It was what my sister would've called puppy love, but I couldn't help thinking it was turning into something more than that.

  After just a few weeks of dating, we'd become so in sync with each other that we barely had to communicate with words. If we were out getting dinner, I knew exactly what he was going to order, and he knew the same for me. Sitting on the couch, I could tell the exact moment when he wanted me to rake my nails gently over his scalp, and he knew just when I wanted him to massage my neck and shoulders.

  When it came to the bedroom, everything was turned up to eleven. I'd never been so in tune with a partner, and I'd never wanted my role in sex to be as malleable as it was with Elliot. A lot of the time I topped, but more and more I craved the feeling of him inside of me. He was learning to explore his dominant side, and while he definitely wouldn't ever go full "daddy dom," he sure as hell made me weak in the knees when he told me once to get on my knees, then proceeded to feed me his cock until I was practically gagging on it.

  Of course he'd gotten a little self-conscious after and had asked me if that was too much. I just responded by kissing down his body, then turning him around and putting in thorough work on his ass before I fucked him.

  It wasn't always like that, though. Now that I wasn't trying to fight my feelings, I was okay with letting my guard down and being a little... softer. Sometimes we made love for hours, just lying in bed, exploring each other. My cock barely pulling free of him as I just rocked my hips against him. I enjoyed those moments just as much as the rough, frenzied sessions where we couldn't stand waiting -- where we needed each other so much that we'd had to start keeping lube and condoms in inconspicuous places just to accommodate.

  There was more to it than sex or even intimacy, too. We went to Gator games together, and Elliot helped me through the bad moods my job sometimes put me in. I started helping out Saturday evenings at Horizon, too, and we worked on my DMing debut. Somehow, Elliot convinced me to do it at Horizon, for David's group of kids. I couldn't help feeling nervous about that, but I was at least growing a little more confident.

  I understood the rules now. As much as I was going to without actually doing it, anyway. Elliot was going to have me run a mock session with just him soon, and my free time was spent preparing content for that. There was so much more to it than I ever realized, but Elliot gave me some good resources so I was able to find what I needed without too much trouble.

  I was working on that at my place when Ruth brought David home f
rom school. She liked to pick him up some afternoons, and it gave me a little bit of time to myself. As much as I loved having David around, sometimes the peace and quiet was nice.

  David had been surprisingly cool with Elliot being around sometimes, which I was grateful for. Probably because Elliot was someone familiar; someone he liked and trusted. He still wouldn't permit Elliot to touch him, but even Ruth and I had to ask permission for that.

  "Hey, bud," I greeted, "can I get your opinion on this map?"

  He came over to look, scrutinizing it with a critical eye. I knew whatever he said was going to be blunt, so I braced myself for it.

  "The grid isn't right. It's off by half a centimeter. And this layout isn't efficient. There are too many dead ends."

  I looked at it, baffled by the grid size not being right. I was using graph paper like Elliot recommended. But, I could tell something was off with the spaces, and he was definitely right about the dead ends.

  "Thanks, man. I'll keep working on it." As he started to head up to the fridge, I called over my shoulder, "there's a burrito in the microwave for you."

  I heard him stop off in the kitchen and hit the button to get it going, then the sound of him climbing the stairs shook through the small apartment.

  "Any issues?" I asked Ruth as she set her purse down on the table and sat across from me.

  "Issues? Oh... no."

  Her tone was so weird that I immediately looked up from what I was doing. She wouldn't meet my gaze.

  "What's going on, Ruth? Did something happen?"

  "Yes, but not what you're thinking. I need you to just... take a few deep breaths and stay calm, okay? I don't want you flipping out about this," she said.

  I did draw in a breath through my nose, but just squared my jaw and gave her a hard stare. "That depends on what it is."