by Jet Mykles
“Not…?”
“Gay.”
Luc chuckled, his breath a warm caress just behind Reese’s ear. “I’ve long since stopped labeling myself.”
Reese swallowed, having trouble following the conversation. “But… that night. You said —”
“I was young and stupid. You can’t imagine how sorry I am for that night.” Teeth closed gently on his earlobe and tugged. “Let me make it up to you.”
“Make it up?”
“Mmmm.”
“H-here?”
The hand on his cock squeezed hard, making him gasp. He was pretty sure his brain was leaking out of his ears because stringing thoughts together was nearly impossible.
“Here. Your place. My hotel. The men’s room. I don’t care.” Luc’s tongue traced the rim of Reese’s ear. “Although, I’d prefer if we went somewhere we could be all night.” He pulled back enough to look at Reese. “I want to take my time with you.”
Reese’s eyes widened. He sank back against the trunk of the tree. “Huh?”
Luc leaned in to press a brief kiss to his lips. “I’ve years to make up for.”
Reese pulled his head back, shaking it in a vain effort to clear it. “Wait. No. Stop. You don’t have to make up for anything.” He heard the breathless desperation in his voice but was unable to mask it.
“But I do.”
With effort, Reese dropped his hand to Luc’s wrist and pushed it back away from his groin. Although his body protested the loss, his brain was able to function somewhat properly again. “Luc. No.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not gay anymore.”
“You know how ridiculous that sounds?”
Reese managed to sidestep and put some distance between himself and the other man. When Luc moved to step toward him, he flung up a hand and backed away a few more steps. “Stop.”
“Reese, watch out!”
The pond! Shit!
The smooth soles of Reese’s dress shoes found no traction on the mossy, soft dirt banking the pond. For a split second, he hung in horror with no chance to save himself, and then he fell butt-first into the cold, leaf-strewn water. Fish scattered, water flew and his hands came down on pond slime. He was chest deep in murky water and thoroughly soaked. It did wonders to clear his fuzzy head and even helped to deflate the boner Luc had caused in his pants.
Luc stood there for a moment, jaw dropped, stunned, hand stretched out as though he could have caught Reese. Then, as Reese blinked up at him, the hand dropped and he threw back his head, laughing.
“Oh, fuck you, asshole.” Reese tried to get up, but the bottom of the pond was even more slippery than the slope. He fell back again, bouncing on his ass. The second splash made sure to douse everything that hadn’t been wet before. The curious fish again took flight.
Luc calmed to a chuckle. Thoroughly amused, he grabbed hold of a thick branch of the tree and leaned toward Reese, free hand extended.
Reese glared.
“Hey, don’t get mad at me. I had a much better alternative to swimming.”
Stubborn, Reese tried two more aborted attempts to get himself out of the pond before he realized he wasn’t getting anywhere without help. He accepted Luc’s hand and the haul up the bank, but immediately yanked his hand free and stepped away once his footing was solid. He stood in the middle of the gravel path, staring down at his dripping ivory trousers and his now see-through dress shirt. Big, fat drops of water fell from his hair. Great. Now it was going to do the mass curl around his head.
“You look good wet,” Luc purred.
Reese spun, spattering pond water on the other man. He raising a fist. “One more word and I knock you out. Capeesh?”
Luc held up his hands, palms toward Reese, and merely smiled.
Grumbling, Reese turned and led the way back toward the banquet hall, all too aware of the wet trail he left behind and the squishy gurgle of his shoes. He stopped when they came within sight of the main building. He couldn’t go inside like this! Reegan would kill him.
“If you want—”
He rounded angrily on Luc, who was behind him but wisely out of arm’s reach.
“—I’ll be happy to go get your stuff and talk to Reegan.” Luc’s lips twitched. “I’m sure she’ll understand.”
He didn’t want Luc’s help, but he didn’t have a choice. “I don’t have anything. Just my jacket, wallet—” he patted his pocket, refusing to think of the drenched contents, “—and my…” His mouth dropped in horror. His…
“I’ve still got your phone.” Luc held it up.
He stared at it, recalling that Luc had, indeed, taken his phone. He still didn’t know why. He held out his hand.
“You’re wet. I’ll hold onto it.” He watched Luc pocket his phone. Again. “Did you drive?”
He kept his hand out. “Piper was my ride. Give me my phone..”
“You’ll just get it wet.” Luc started for the steps to the balcony. “I’ll get our stuff and drive you home. Meet me in that side parking lot.”
“Wait, no.”
At the top of the two steps, Luc turned. “You don’t want to go in like that.”
Well, no, he didn’t.
Luc grinned. “I’ll tell Reegan and your mom what happened.” He pointed along one of the garden paths. “That way. Five minutes.” Then he was gone.
“What the fuck?” Reese stared after him, dripping wet and sticking of pond scum. Luc Sloane was going to drive him home? Like this? After kissing him? After… After so many weird things happened. “What. The. Fuck?”
◆◆◆
“Where are you going?”
Brent caught Luc at their table. He already had Reese’s jacket over his arm and was gathering his own. “I’m out of here.”
His friend eyed the tuxedo jacket. “Isn’t that Reese’s?”
“Yep.”
One black brow arched at him in question.
Luc could only grin and he knew it was shit-eating. “Something happened. I plan for more to happen, but I need to hurry before he runs.”
“Runs?”
“I’ll explain later.” He cast about the reception, looking for… Ah!
“You better call me tomorrow,” Brent called after his back as he made a beeline toward the bride and her mother, who were conveniently together.
He waved a hand to acknowledge that he heard. He couldn’t waste time. The taste of Reese’s kiss, the feel of his warm, solid body was still vivid and Luc didn’t want to lose any of it. If he delayed, Reese might disappear and convince himself that nothing was going to happen between them.
Reese was wrong. This was so happening.
◆◆◆
Luckily, it was a warm night. It was less warm wet, of course, but it was bearable. He managed to avoid seeing anyone, taking the garden path to the parking lot Luc had mentioned. It wasn’t the main lot, and only a few people were around. Reese stayed in the shadow of an overhang and tried to squeeze enough water out of his shirt’s tails so that it no longer dripped. He was only moderately successful.
A shining silver Lexus pulled up at the curb and the passenger window slid down to show Luc at the wheel.
Grumbling, Reese strode toward him. “Where’s my phone?”
Luc grinned, leaning on the center console. “I’ve got it. And Reegan and your mom both told me to get you home safely..”
He gripped the window’s edge. “You don’t have to do that. Just give me my phone and…”
“Reese,.” Luc sighed, “just get in.”
“Luc…”
“C’mon, it’s the least I can do. It’s my fault you fell.”
Reese tingled, recalling just what they’d been doing before he pulled away and fell in that damn pond. A part of his brain told him that if he’d just stayed in the kiss… No. “I’ll get your interior all wet.”
“It’s a rental.”
Reese glanced down. “It’s leather!”
Luc cocked his head, considering. �
��You could strip.”
“What?”
“I’ll help.”
“Luc!”
Luc laughed, resting an arm on the steering wheel. “Would you just get in?” When Reese still hesitated, he rolled his eyes. “Christ, man, I can’t molest you while I’m driving.”
Were they sure about that? “Luc, damn it!”
“Get. In.”
He was sick of arguing about it and that mild command thrilled parts of him that he mentally told to calm the hell down. Grumbling, he climbed in and tried to ignore the squishy feel of wet clothes against butter-soft leather.
Luc shifted and got the car headed toward the exit. He sniffed loudly and reached to lower the windows. “Oh, wow, you stink.”
True. Who knew what was in that pond water besides fish? “You’re the one who insisted on driving me home.”
“You’d subject a poor Lyft driver to that stink?”
“I’d tip well.”
Which made Luc laugh. “Do I get a tip?”
“Shut up. Turn left and get on the freeway. North.” Reese ran a hand through his hair. Already he felt the curls tightening.
“You can take the shirt off, at least,” Luc suggested, punching the heat on low.
“No.”
“Shy?”
Reese snapped. “Luc, what the fuck? Why’d you come on to me?”
Luc didn’t flinch. He was so calm, using one hand to drive and leaning the other elbow on the console. Shots of him like this could sell hundreds of cars, Reese had no doubt. “Didn’t I make that obvious?”
“You couldn’t get away from me fast enough that night. Now you tell me you’re gay?”
He cocked his head in mild thought. “Can you be gay and still like women?”
“Damn it, Luc.”
Luc chuckled, leaning back in the seat, now driving with two long fingers on the steering wheel. “Amazing the types of people I’ve met in the last few years. Women and men offering themselves to me.” He shrugged. “I figured I’d try it once with a guy a few years ago. After all, I could hardly forget what happened with us, right? And with the right combination of pot and alcohol in your system…” He laughed. “Much to my surprise, it wasn’t half bad.”
“‘Half bad’?” He ignored the green sheen of jealousy that hazed over his brain.
“Actually, the first guy was pretty good. And y’know what? He had this slim body and amazing curly black hair. But he had brown eyes.” Luc smiled. “Still, how could I resist?”
Reese scowled. No way he was hearing this right. “Don’t play games with me.”
“I’m not.”
“Don’t try and say you were attracted to me. Not with the way you acted.”
Luc spoke in a very low, very serious tone. “I’ve decided it was the fact that I was attracted to you that made me react like I did.”
Reese gaped. “You’ve decided?”
“I’ve given it a lot of thought.” Luc glanced at him, then chuckled. “What? I found your sister gorgeous as hell. You’re twins. Why wouldn’t I find you attractive?”
“You’re not gay.” Reese tried to cling to what he thought he knew despite Luc’s words to the contrary.
“I believe the term is ‘bisexual.’ What can I say? Johnnie rubbed off on me.” He raised a finger. “Figuratively, not literally.”
Reese faced front and watched the road go by as he tried to sit as lightly on the expensive leather seat as he could. “Get off on Alexander.” Another silence. Then, because a certain bit of information was too juicy to let go. “You never slept with Johnnie?”
“No.”
“Why not?” Even though he’d been infatuated with Luc, he wasn’t sure that he’d have turned down Heaven Sent’s lead singer.
“Are you kidding? Can you imagine the fight to be on top?”
Reese couldn’t help it. He had to laugh. The image was simply too funny. He had known both men well enough that it was impossible to avoid the mental image of naked, sweaty bodies as they wrestled for dominance. Not that the image wasn’t attractive; it was just not a likely scenario.
He tried very hard to ignore the spark of lust deep in his belly at the confirmation that Luc was, in no uncertain terms, a top. Didn’t surprise him in the least. It fit so perfectly since he very much enjoyed being a bottom.
Stop that!
Luc drove the Lexus off the freeway, and Reese spent the next few minutes directing him through the turns to and through his townhouse complex.
“Thanks for the ride. Where are my phone and jacket?”
Luc reached into the back seat, which brought him achingly close to Reese. Reese leaned back as much as he could to put distance between them, then relaxed when Luc straightened with his jacket in hand.
“Not going to invite me in?” Luc asked as Reese searched the pockets, coming up empty.
Reese retrieved the jacket without looking at him. “No. Phone?”
“Why not?”
“I’m not gay anymore.”
Luc just stared at him with an arched brow over a skeptical frown.
“I can’t be gay anymore.” He heard the desperation in his own voice and didn’t bother to try to disguise it. “My life. My job—”
“Are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
Luc’s chin came up. “No one has to know.”
Blink blink. “What?”
“No one has to know.” He adjusted so he could reach into a hip pocket. “I’ll be gone in a few days, and no one has to be the wiser.” God, his voice was like rich, dark chocolate! Reese could almost taste it. He held up Reese’s phone. “C’mon, Reese. You’re still attracted to me. We already proved that.”
Swallowing, Reese hesitated to grab for the phone. At the moment, it seemed like the bait in a trap. “I’m drunk.”
“You’re not that drunk.”
“I’m a mess.”
One corner of that gorgeous mouth tipped up as Luc waggled his phone. “I’d be happy to help you clean up.”
Fantasies of him and Luc doing wonderfully nasty things in his bathroom assailed Reese’s inner eye. He groaned and grabbed the phone, shaking his head. “No.”
Luc didn’t let go and it was like they were holding hands around the piece of metal and plastic. They stared at each other and Reese started shaking, but it wasn’t because of his wet clothes.
“Please.” He managed to say.
“Fine.” Luc released the phone and Reese’s hand. “Think about it, though. I’m in town the whole week.”
“The performance at Purgatory.” Reese knew about it now. He hadn’t decided if he would go.
Luc’s devil eyes held him immobile. “I’d like nothing more than to fuck you every night until then.”
Reese’s world tilted at the thought. He firmly pulled himself together and practically fell out of the car. “Not a good idea.”
“It’s better not to know?”
Reese paused, feet on the curb now. He chanced a glance at Luc. “What do you mean?”
Luc’s smile was the stuff of wet dreams. “Don’t you want to know what it’s like between us? I do.”
Unfortunately, so did Reese. His body wanted it really badly. But reason prevailed. He shook his head and turned toward his front door. “Thanks for the ride.”
“You bet, Reese. Pleasant dreams.”
Chapter Four
Reese toed off his shoes in the tiled entryway of his townhouse, tossing his jacket -- his only dry piece of clothing -- onto a nearby chair. The shoes were ruined. His socks were soaked and stunk something awful. No, it wasn't just the socks. With a new spate of curses, he started ripping at the shirt and pants to get them off. How much was he going to have to pay for doing this to a rental? Thoroughly disgusted, he dropped his underwear last, letting the cotton splat onto the tiles.
Amazingly enough, in spite of the cold and wet of his clothes, he was half hard. I’d like nothing more than to fuck you every night until then. Damn Luc!
Luc Sloane had come on to him. Luc Sloane had asked to fuck him. Luc had kissed him, and God, he was even better than Reese could ever have hoped! Better than the one other kiss they had shared. The thought of those fingertips on his cheek, those lips on his, that hand squeezing his cock… Most of the blood in his body drained south to make his dick throb.
Finally, he couldn’t stand it. He poured body wash into his palm and reached down. Leaning against the tiles with his free hand, he shut his eyes and pulled on his cock, wondering why he’d insisted that Luc couldn’t come and do this for him. It didn’t take long. He was primed and prepped and couldn’t for the life of him get the image of Luc’s face out of his mind. Panting, Reese stared down at his dick. Jerking off had taken the edge off the lust, but hadn’t erased the need Luc had awakened in him. A need he’d thought he’d conquered long ago. His blood was still simmering, and it wasn’t the hot water that did it.
“Fuck!” He turned into the spray to rinse off, quite studiously ignoring the throb in his cock and the curl of need in his belly.
Why, exactly, hadn’t he invited Luc in? Why was he all alone in the shower jerking off when he could have the bass player’s hands and mouth on him? Oh, yeah. His job. His life. He couldn’t be gay. Being gay ruined things, no matter how good it felt. No matter how right it felt. No matter that the man dominated his dreams. His lust for Luc was something to be denied. He couldn’t go ruining his life just for a passing fantasy.
Even if it was a really good fantasy!
◆◆◆
Luc watched the lights. In the front room, he saw Reese moving around but details were obscured by the cloudy glass of the windows around the front door. He watched Reese get naked, or so he assumed — hoped — then watched him stomp away.
