Past, Present

by A J Lange

  Gray leaned into Zane’s touch, exhaling in a rush. “That’s a relief, because I gave up my lease.”

  Zane grinned, tilting backward to better see his face. “You did?”

  Gray nodded, sheepish. “I probably should have asked first, huh?”

  Zane fit his hands low on Gray’s backside, kneading the firm flesh. “Mmm mmm,” he shook his head, brushing their lips together. “You did good, Professor.” Another kiss, coaxing lips open. “Now I don’t have to feel guilty about tricking you into doing my laundry on the weekends.”

  Gray gave him a push and Zane fell back onto the couch, blinking up in surprise. Gray was straddling his lap before he could react.

  “Mmmph,” Zane mumbled around Gray’s mouth. Then Gray’s hands were under his shirt, pulling the hem high, raking his fingernails down Zane’s chest, and grinding down in his lap until Zane was burning up, perspiration dotting his forehead. His hands roved aimlessly, trying to find purchase in Gray’s hair, against his back. Zane had never quite figured out how he was the one who usually ended up naked first, but he thought it had something to do with the fact that Gray’s clothes were infinitely more complicated. Gray was wearing fucking cufflinks, and they were hampering Zane’s efforts to unbutton his cuff to get at the delicate bone of his wrist. Zane wanted his mouth there, licking a stripe along the smooth skin of the underside of Gray’s forearm, watching goosebumps pepper the flesh. But Gray’s tongue was wickedly at play in his mouth, wrecking havoc with Zane’s concentration to the point he finally gave up and decided to just hold on and let Gray have his way.

  And Gray hadn’t disappointed, Zane mused now, as he watched him unpack the last suitcase. He shifted restlessly, recalling the way Gray had taken them both in his hands, his cock twitching in memory. He grabbed Gray’s hand when he was close enough, yanking him onto the bed beside him.

  “Zane,” Gray chided, his unrelentingly neat piles falling onto the floor in disarray.

  Zane tugged harder until he had Gray under him, manhandling him into a suitable position for sucking a lazy hickey into the soft tan skin above his t-shirt ribbing.

  “You,” Gray groaned, pretty eyelashes fluttering closed. “You’re a terrible influence.”

  Zane grinned, kissing the faint bite mark. “No shit.” He brushed his fingers through Gray’s hair, smiling at the way it stood up at crazy angles, admiring his thoroughly debauched appearance. “You look like you’ve been well-fucked.”

  Gray snorted. “Don’t look so pleased with yourself, Nolan.”

  Challenged, Zane slid their hips into alignment and watched Gray’s eyes darken. “No one else better be putting that expression on your face, Professor,” he growled.

  Gray moved beneath him, rhythmically rocking. “No?”

  Zane’s eyes flashed, a spark of jealousy and possession deepening the iris to emerald. “Not unless they want to have their ass handed to them.” He pinned Gray against the mattress, taking back control of the press and slide of friction until Gray’s eyes rolled back in his head, hands clutching at Zane’s shoulders.

  “Zane,” he exhaled on a moan and Zane swallowed the sound in a rough kiss.

  “You’re mine,” he breathed against that plush mouth. He gentled his hard grasp on Gray’s hips, trying to parse the overwhelming fury that had flared to life at the thought of someone else touching Gray.

  “And you’re mine.” Gray pulled Zane’s mouth back to his in a hot, messy slide of lips and tongue. They broke apart with a soft, wet sound that left a whole host of depraved thoughts in Zane’s mind.

  Zane ground his teeth when Gray rocked forward again. He was so close, and all they’d done was kiss and rut against each other. He held Gray’s hips motionless, dropping his lips to suck on the first scrap of bare skin he landed on. He hadn’t come in his pants since he was a teenager, but he could feel the cords in his neck popping now, trying to maintain control. “Why the fuck aren’t we naked,” he whined pitifully against Gray’s neck.

  Gray laughed, hands gentle now as they roamed over his back, rubbing in soothing circles. “Because you never learned that patience was a virtue.”

  “Fuck virtue,” Zane groused, lifting his head to grin cheekily down at him. “Now, get naked.”

  Gray offered a choppy salute and then wiggled out from under Zane enough to rip his t-shirt over his head and toss it to the floor. He repeated the motion with Zane’s shirt, and then Zane lowered again, sighing at the delicious bliss of skin on skin. He let Gray roll him to his back and relaxed in the bedding, watching Gray’s long fingers unbutton his fly, shuddering when Gray cupped him through his boxers, dragging his knuckles across the smooth cotton.

  Gray leaned over, licking a kiss into his mouth. “Some clothes? No clothes?” he asked in a whisper, gently easing down the elastic of Zane’s boxers.

  “Naked, naked, naked,” Zane chanted, gripping the coverlet when Gray paused in undressing him to slide a loose fist up and down Zane’s cock, pressing a finger to the pearly bead of wetness at the tip.

  “Naked it is,” Gray chuckled and Zane would hate the fucker for being so in control, except goddamn, he was good at this, at reducing Zane to a quivering, whimpering, incoherent mess. Someone had to keep his wits about him, and Zane was not ashamed in the least to pass the buck to an expert.

  And when Gray’s mouth closed over him seconds later, Zane was really, really happy that Gray was such an expert.

  ◆◆◆

  Collapsed together in a tangle of sweaty limbs, Zane breathed deep in contentment. “You’re fucking brilliant.” Gray’s chest was flushed a pretty pink and his heart still raced under Zane’s cheek.

  “I am,” Gray agreed, voice husky and low the way Zane loved. “Now shut the fuck up so I can regain my strength. I still have to reorganize your stupid closet.”

  Zane chuckled. “You’re sticky and messy. I call first shower.” He sat up and winced. They had most definitely made a mess of the coverlet. That would have to go in the first load of laundry. He leaned over the bed and grabbed the first cloth he could find, using it to gently wipe any stickiness from Gray’s stomach.

  Gray popped open one eye and frowned. “That was clean.”

  Zane smirked, using the garment on himself perfunctorily. “And now it’s not.” He leaned over him, loving the way the other man’s hands immediately circled his waist. He kissed him softly. “Come shower with me and then I’ll help you with the closet.”

  “Mmmm,” Gray murmured against his lips. “Home Depot.” He toyed with the seam of Zane’s mouth until he relented. Zane sank down against him again, sweat-cooled and seeking warmth.

  Zane blinked and raised his head, his response time not quite up to par. “What?”

  Gray nibbled at Zane’s jawline. “I want a tie rack, and one of those shoe cubbies.”

  Zane rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I think you’re the hottest thing on the planet.” He sat up and smacked Gray on the thigh. “Up and at ‘em then.”

  He stood and stretched, feeling suddenly refreshed and energized. Gray whistled a catcall from his perch on the bed and Zane flexed for him with a wink. “Now get up, you hussy.”

  ◆◆◆

  Zane locked the front door and jumped from the top step. “Hey Gray,” he called. Gray turned and Zane tossed him the car keys.

  Gray caught them one handed on reflex, eyes widening. He glanced at the Jeep and then back to Zane. “You’re fucking kidding me.”

  “Go easy on ‘er.” Zane walked past him and opened the passenger door, enjoying the hell out of Gray’s stunned expression.

  Gray slid into the driver’s seat and clicked his seatbelt into place. When he turned the key, the engine roared to life and Zane smiled involuntarily. Gray’s gaze slid over to him in suspicion. “Is this your idea of suitable payback for a really fantastic blow job?”

  Zane’s arm was stretched across the seat back and he quirked his left hand as if to say, if the shoe fits, with a broad grin. Gray was a wal
king fantasy all on his own, that much was true; now the picture he made behind the wheel was going to fuel plenty of sweet daydreams. “You should probably drive before I decide I don’t care so much about scandalizing the neighbors.”

  Gray’s smile was wide when he backed the car out of the drive.

  ◆◆◆

  Home Depot was crowded in the way it always seemed to be on the weekend, teeming with couples arguing over dishwashers and paint swatches, harried families with children hanging off the oversize carts, running in to pick up a package of nails or light bulbs or batteries. Zane, more familiar with the store layout than Gray (who looked full on intimidated by the oversize ceilings and extra wide aisles), steered them to the aisle of closet organizers near the back of the store. It was quieter here, not a newlywed or helpful orange vest in sight. He huffed a laugh at Gray’s rapturous expression as he slowly perused the rows of shelving systems.

  “Try to focus on what we came for,” Zane joked.

  Gray waved him off, carefully reading the flipchart of installation suggestions attached to each shelf with a silver keyring. Of course he was reading the instructions, Zane thought fondly. Painstakingly meticulous ass, anyway. “You don’t really need to read those, baby.”

  Gray ignored him so Zane stepped closer, lowering his voice seductively. “Because I’m pretty handy,” he let his words flutter across the back of Gray’s neck, watching the corner of his mouth lift. “With my tools, I mean.”

  Gray arched one eyebrow. “There’s nothing wrong with being thorough, Zane. ” And damn him, the sex voice was just not playing fair. Zane’s fingers twitched. Gray’s eyes fell the length of Zane’s body, then tracked back to his eyes. “I thought you liked it when I was thorough.”

  Zane glanced up and down the aisle but found it blessedly clear of customers, so he leaned in for a fast, hard kiss. “You’re going to be the end of me, you know that?”

  Gray smiled calmly and pushed Zane toward the shoe organizers. “Pick one, handyman.”

  They made it out of the warehouse with a minimum of fuss, all things considered. Gray had his revolving tie rack, and a shoe thing that Zane was positive would be a bitch to put together, his previous bragging notwithstanding, and a small shelving system that Zane was more than a little jealous of for the tender looks Gray was giving it.

  Forty minutes later Zane was cursing the heinous shelving unit’s very existence, convinced it was a tool of Satan and had been brought into this world to torture Zane and prevent him from ever having sex again. Because what he really wanted was to have sex again, at some point this weekend, and if he had learned anything from all this time with Gray, it was that the man was patently incapable of leaving a job half-finished. Currently, the ‘system’ was a pile of screws, a stack of shelves, and a few poles haphazardly placed inside Zane’s newly emptied closet. That didn’t bode well for Zane’s immediate sex life.

  Gray, in his methodical way, was matching every piece in the box against the item list that came stapled to the first page of the instructions. Zane was tempted to rip the instruction sheet from his hands and tear it into confetti-sized pieces, but he wasn’t willing to incur Gray’s wrath over a pile of particle board. Not yet anyway.

  “I’m going to make a sandwich,” he said, wincing when his back popped noisily as he stretched, muscles stiff from sitting in one position too long. “You want ham or turkey?”

  “Whatever,” Gray replied distractedly. He was literally counting the screws now, and Zane was going to strangle him and then burn his body using the particle board shelves for firewood. It was clearly time for some distance. He went to the kitchen and made lunch, eating his sandwich standing at the counter.

  Gray wandered in twenty minutes later, stealing Zane’s beer for a long pull. Zane handed him a saucer with a ham sandwich on it (lettuce, pickles, no mayo), wondering what it would take to convince Gray to take the shelf thing back to the store. Before, you know, murder (or would it be manslaughter? Where was Tanner when you needed him?) Although Zane was positive this wouldn’t be the first time a crime had been committed in the name of closet organization. There had to be precedent, right?

  Gray smiled. “Thank you, Zane. ”

  Zane rolled his eyes, because sincere Gray, with his fucking blue eyes and rough, tired voice, and all the love and gratitude Zane had never known he needed like air... well just fuck him. That was all. “Eat your sandwich,” he said gruffly. “And sit down for a while.” Gray watched him curiously, chewing his first bite. Zane sighed, leaning over to kiss his temple. “I’ll be in the bedroom.”

  Zane stood over Gray’s neatly sectioned components, staring at them for a long moment before studying the finished photo on the box. Then he kicked the instruction sheet under the bed and went to work.

  ◆◆◆

  “Hey, Zane, I think the shelving kit is missing a piece—“ Gray stopped in the doorway.

  Zane lay on his back on the floor of the closet, tightening the final screw on the underside of the bottom shelf. He grinned up at Gray. “I made do.”

  “What? How?” Gray walked to the closet and ran his hand over the smooth faux wood finish. It was perfect. He looked at Zane, lying at his feet, handsome and smiling, altogether too pleased with himself. “I’m speechless.”

  “I can see that,” Zane chuckled and tugged on his jeans leg. “C’mere.”

  Gray sank to the floor, lying down next to him. “This isn’t how the clothes are going to get put away, you know.”

  Zane scooted him closer until Gray’s head was beside his under the shelf. He nudged him in the side with an elbow. “I thought it should be christened.”

  Gray’s brow furrowed and he looked at Zane in confusion, but Zane was staring at something above his head. Gray leaned closer and then he saw it, etched into the underside of the lowest slat of wood: Z + G. His face softened in amused affection. “That may be the sweetest, cheesiest thing you’ve ever done.”

  “Or will do again,” Zane agreed, feeling silly and foolish but happier than he had felt in years.

  “That’s it, now we’re having sex in the closet,” Gray said before pouncing on him.

  Zane’s laughter rang throughout the little house. “And thank God for that,” he said fervently as Gray’s body settled on top of him.

  The sounds echoing from the bottom of the closet after that were definitely of the porn-ier variety.

  Chapter 14

  Zane pulled his phone out of his pocket when it rang, smiling at the caller ID. “Hey Tanner.”

  “Hey. You playing ball today?”

  Zane glanced at Gray on the opposite end of the couch. His dark head was buried in a book about ancient Troy. Zane figured that was probably the sign of a true calling, when you enjoyed ‘work’ even when you weren’t at work. “Sure, you gonna join?”

  “Yeah, Lily is kicking me out so she can steam the carpets or something.”

  “You mean you’re afraid Lily wants you to help steam carpets and you’re making sure you’ve already got plans.”

  Tanner’s laugh carried over the line and Zane smiled. He loved his little brother. It would be good to spend some time with him. “Let me call Dirk and double check times and I’ll call you right back, slacker.”

  “Basketball?” Gray’s eyes never left the page.

  Zane sank one knee into the cushion, a hand on either side of Gray’s shoulders caging him between his arms. He grinned at the droll look Gray gave him over the top of his book. “You want to put that stinky old book down for five minutes and come get sweaty with me?”

  “I’ve already been sweaty with you once today,” Gray deadpanned.

  “Ouch,” Zane whispered, dropping his head closer until Gray conceded and met his mouth.

  “Mmmm,” Zane smacked his lips. “You stay here, then, and see if you can learn anything interesting from those porny old Greeks. I’ll be back in time for supper.”

  He started to stand and Gray caught him with one hand at his na
pe, pulling him back for another kiss. “I might be persuaded to get sweaty for dessert.”

  Zane grinned. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  ◆◆◆

  Tanner was waiting on the front steps when Zane turned into the drive, and his stupidly long frame when he stood made Zane smile in malicious glee. They were so going to kick Dirk’s ass. He jumped when his phone rang.

  “Dirk?”

  “Hey, Zane,” his friend said. “Uh, sorry man, but looks like we’re going to have to cancel.”

  Zane frowned. “Everything okay?” Damn. He had been looking forward to this.

  “No, yeah, I mean,” Dirk fumbled and Zane frowned again. He sounded strained. “Tommy and ah, Rick both had some family stuff this afternoon, so we decided to reschedule. Maybe next Sunday. I’ll call you, all right?”

  “Sure,” Zane started to say but there was a faint click in his ear. He pulled it away to view the screen and found the call had ended. “Okay, then.”

  Tanner dropped into the seat next to him. “What’s up?”

  “Guys cancelled,” Zane felt like he had missed an entire chapter of the story there, but he shrugged. Weird. “I’m still game if you are.”

  “God, yes,” Tanner breathed in relief. “Please don’t make me go back in there.”

  Zane chuckled and patted his knee in sympathy. “Dude. I had to build a prefab shelf for the closet yesterday to hold all of Gray’s ties. Trust me, I feel your pain.”

  “Yeah, but we all know how much you love Gray’s ties.” Tanner gave him an exaggerated leer.

  “Oh shut up, Tanner,” Zane complained, but it lacked heat and Tanner laughed.

  “So whipped.”

  “Says the guy who spent his entire summer vacation repainting the living room. Twice!”