by T. M. Smith
***
They weren’t arguing. Well, Tony wasn’t, but the tone of Mannie’s voice seemed…frustrated. “Whoa, wait.”
Stepping around the corner, he leaned against the doorway in the kitchen and sighed when he finally laid eyes on his man. It pained him, the uncertainty and apprehension he heard in Mannie’s voice when he questioned whether Blair loved him. He couldn’t have that, not at all. Tony looked up, nodding his greeting, a smile donning his face from ear to ear when Blair answered Mannie’s question. “I didn’t, no, but I do.” Biting back a laugh, Blair moved quickly when Mannie tried to stand, obviously a little too blitzed to realize his foot was stuck behind the leg of the chair, his body falling forward, almost in slow motion.
***
Mumbling, Mannie rolled over, resting his arm on Blair’s neck, sighing contentedly. Lord, but he loved this man. He hadn’t planned on blurting it out like that, in front of Tony. But Mannie had needed to hear it, especially given how despondent he sounded, as if he didn’t think he was worthy of Blair’s love. They’d been together for a while, and Mannie had gotten so much better with affection, more accepting of Blair’s loving comments, no longer flinching when Blair reached for him, the fear carried in his eyes and etched into his features nearly nonexistent. They still had a long way to go, though. It would take a lot of time and care for Mannie to completely separate himself from the naïve teenager that let a man take complete advantage of him, and the person he had become. “I love you, Howard Manning Tullor Junior.” Brushing a stray hair behind Mannie’s ear, Blair trailed his fingers over soft, smooth skin, relishing the goose bumps that prickled along Mannie’s arm in the wake of his touch. “I’ll never hurt you, not intentionally, and I’ll never leave you, love. That is a promise.”
***
A warm body snuggled up behind him, fingers slowly traveling the length of his arm as lips danced across his shoulder blades, licking his neck. “Mmmmm, feels good,” Blair mumbled.
“Good morning, sexy.” Mannie slid his hand down Blair’s chest, beneath the waist of his boxers, fisting his semihard cock in a firm grip. As if to emphasize his point, Mannie pressed his erection into his back and Blair moaned.
Looking over his shoulder, Blair blinked away the last vestiges of sleep. “It’s a very good morning indeed.” He moved his ass up Mannie’s body until his dick slid between Blair’s cheeks, and grinned lasciviously when Mannie’s eyes widened, his pupils visibly dilating as they gazed at each other.
“I want you so much, Blair. Can I…can I make love to you?” Dismissing the uncertainty he heard in Mannie’s voice, he nodded enthusiastically and concentrated on their connection instead. He hadn’t bottomed for anyone, ever—had never had the desire. But feeling Mannie’s stiff member gliding along the length of his crease, he’d couldn’t remember ever wanting anything more.
Reaching around, he threaded his fingers through Mannie’s hair, pulling him close, whispering, “I love you,” before licking Mannie’s bottom lip, diving into his warm, welcome mouth, the kiss languid and promising. The familiar snick of the lube bottle opening caused his body to tremble with need. Mannie licked the roof of his mouth as he breached Blair’s passage with one finger, sliding the digit in and out a couple of times before adding another, scissoring and stretching his hole. Blair nearly pouted when Mannie pulled his fingers out, taking a moment to slide a condom on before breaching his hole with his hard, throbbing cock, pushing in slowly, deliberately. “Oh, goddamn.”
Mannie reached for his hand, fingers entwined, resting them on Blair’s thigh as he picked up the pace. “Blair, wow, this feels so good, so…right.” Bodies fused together they moved in a steady, synchronized rhythm of ecstasy.
“I know babe, I know. I feel it too.…We fit together perfectly.” Lord, he wanted to touch himself but he knew if he did, he’d come, and he wanted to wait for Mannie. Their lips met, the kiss sloppy and uncoordinated, all tongues and teeth, but he couldn’t care less.
“Fuuuuuuucking hell, I’m gonna come, Mannie.” Hissing when Mannie grabbed his rock-hard dick, Blair cried out as he came, his vision so intense, it blurred. Teeth bit down on his collarbone, and Mannie slammed into him, thrusts frantic until he too came, a flurry of curses and shouts echoing off the walls.
Heart hammering in his chest, Blair hissed as Mannie pulled out. “Come here.” Mannie rolled him onto his back, and Blair stared up into the cerulean-blue eyes that had captured his attention from the start. The pain, fear, and uncertainty that used to cloud his lover’s gaze was gone, replaced by love and admiration. “I love you too.”
Chapter 22
Mannie
Yawning, he laid his head on Blair’s shoulder. Getting up at six in the morning to get ready for their tour of the Grand Canyon and Route 66 had been a struggle for Mannie as he never started his days before nine. Likely because he rarely ended them before midnight, but he was self-employed and could do what he wanted. It was such a fun day though, so worth it. They walked the south rim of the Grand Canyon, shopped, took pictures, and got an up-close look at the region’s iconic sites. No one batted an eye or even looked at them sideways as they went through the day hand in hand, Blair occasionally stealing a quick kiss. It was all so blissfully normal, and Mannie treasured every second of it.
He’d nodded off and hadn’t noticed that Blair drove right past their exit until the paved road ended, and the truck began bouncing roughly on a dirt and gravel road. “Where we goin’?” Stretching and rolling his shoulders, he shook his head when Blair simply grinned at him.
Mannie soaked up the scenery: red clay, grass, and mountains as far as the eyes could see. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that really knew him, but he’d never been sightseeing. Until recently, his small apartment, nuclear family, and independent design business were all he needed in life, and he’d been content with it. Entering stage left, one tall, toned, brown-haired, blue-eyed FBI agent who changed everything. “What are you up to, Agent Cummings?”
Blair shrugged his shoulders and laughed when he squinted at him. The road they were on was narrow and steep and as soon as they hit the rise, Mannie gasped. A large yellow-and-blue balloon sat on the ground, a man squatted beside the basket literally filling the balloon with fire. “Oh, my God. Are we going for a ride in that?” He couldn’t keep the sheer, unadulterated joy from seeping out.
Blair nodded. “We sure are.”
“I’ve always wanted to take a ride in a hot air balloon!” Mannie bounced in his seat like an overexcited five-year-old.
Pulling over beside a van that was already parked, Blair killed the engine before climbing out of the truck. Mannie was out the door and around the truck in less than five seconds, jumping into Blair’s arms. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He peppered the man’s face with kisses.
“Mr. Cummings, I presume.” A portly man approached them, shaking Blair’s hand.
“Call me Blair, please, and this is my boyfriend, Mannie.” Snaking an arm around his waist, Blair pulled Mannie close and kissed him on the cheek.
“Lovely to meet you both. I’m Reginald and that is my brother, Rupert.” Portly beckoned them to follow him. That explained the “R&R” inside the large, heart-shaped air balloon on the side of the van. “The picnic basket with the refreshments you requested is already in the gondola, along with plates, napkins, utensils, and glasses. Rupert will be piloting you this evening, and I’ll see you guys back here on the ground once you land.”
Mannie bounced on the balls of his feet and squealed. “Oh my God, this is so cool!”
The basket wasn’t very large—six feet by six feet, maybe—and there were four square openings on the side facing them. Mannie wondered exactly how they were going to get into it; that question was answered when Rupert used the square holes to climb up into the basket. “Permission to come aboard,” Blair called out, tightening his hold on Mannie’s hand.
“Permission granted!” Rupert waved his arms in the air, grinn
ing.
Familiar hands rested on his hips. “Here, let me help you.”
Giving Blair a sideways glare and a tiny lip curl, he growled playfully. “I think I got it, Agent.”
“Well, at least you’re sober.” Blair stepped away when Mannie swung at him, cackling and moving swiftly to catch him when Mannie lost his footing. “You are sober, right?”
“Shush, you.” Mannie chuckled, taking the hand Rupert offered and climbing into the basket.
Within moments they were rising into the air, the ground slowly shrinking as they climbed higher. “Oh, wow.” He soaked it all in. God only knew how high up the balloon was, the earth below looking like a map from where they were. Roads were just lines zigzagging through trees with leaves that were colors of green he’d never seen, red-rocked mountains, jagged and sharp. Watching the sun set as the moon peeked out though, that was fucking amazing. “Oh my God, Blair, it’s…breathtaking.”
Strong arms wrapped around him and he took full advantage of their closeness, resting his head on Blair’s shoulder. “I agree, breathtaking.” He turned, seeing Blair’s eyes on him and not the scenery. He could feel the flush in his cheeks; unable to stop from smiling and leaning into Blair, he accepted the soft kiss that morphed into something more…sensual. Blair pulled him in more, fingers digging into his long hair, deepening their connection as well as the kiss. He felt lightheaded and dizzy. Realizing the air at their altitude was already thinner, and needing oxygen to breathe, he pulled back, loving the way Blair chased his lips.
“So, why don’t we see what’s in our picnic basket over there? I’m kinda starving.”
Sucking in a deep breath, Blair nodded, glassy-eyed. “Yeah, okay, food.”
Holy shit. There was a smorgasbord of snacks and finger foods—grapes, strawberries, cantaloupes, and mangos, along with delicious little sandwiches that had turkey, cucumbers, cream cheese, and cilantro in them. Small plastic cups with chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and a bottle of Moët & Chandon Nectar chilling beside two champagne glasses. They filled up their plates and leaned against the side of the basket, feeding each other and pointing out different things that caught their eye as they passed them. “I wish I could see this through your eyes,” Blair whispered, brushing a lock of Mannie’s golden-blond hair behind his ear.
“Why do you say that?” He slid their empty plates into the basket and refilled their glasses with the delicious champagne. It wasn’t sweet, but it wasn’t bitter either. It was perfectly in between.
Grinning, Blair took the glass and thanked him. “Everything is new and vivid to you, Mannie, so you see it all with fresh eyes. I, on the other hand, have seen some of the worst parts of humanity in my line of work.” Sipping from his glass, Blair turned and looked out over the horizon. “It’s nice to see that there is still beauty and innocence in the world.”
“Okay, come here.” Pulling Blair over, he pointed to a large mountain of rocks, trees, and cacti on their left. “Look at the way the foliage and cacti stand out against the dull, gray contrast of the rocks. The rust and terracotta hues are so vibrant and when the wind blows, it looks like the plants are dancing. From where we are everything looks so small and insignificant, so you have to focus on the one thing you really want to see. There, see the raven? It’s like he’s bathing in a tranquil blue sea as waves of gold and orange splash his feet.” Wrapped in each other’s arms, they spent their last few minutes in the sky in comfortable silence, content to just be with each other.
Oddly, Mannie’s legs shook when he climbed out of the balloon, almost falling on his face. “It’s not the champagne, promise.” He joked, smiling at Blair.
“It’s the altitude, babe. You’ll be fine in a few minutes.” Shaking hands and thanking the brothers again, Blair kept Mannie beside him, an arm around his waist. They walked back to the truck and Blair opened his door, kissing him on the cheek before closing it and making his way over to the driver’s side. Mannie scooted right over to the middle, leaning against Blair. He loved the way the man smelled, a mixture of musk, salty but sweet, and Drakkar Noir—very sexy.
“Damn, I love your scent.” Gripping Blair’s denim-covered cock, Mannie nipped his earlobe, making little circles on the man’s neck with his tongue. “I can feel you getting harder. You want me, don’t you?”
White-knuckling the steering wheel, Blair glanced sideways. “I always want you, Mannie. That’s a given.” Chuckling, he lowered the zipper of Blair’s jeans and popped the button, watching Blair’s Adam’s apple tremble as he sucked in a deep breath.
“I want to taste you.” He growled as he lowered his head to Blair’s lap and sucked his thick cock into his mouth.
“Jesus, fuck! Mannie…” The truck lurched forward, and Mannie smiled around the dick in his mouth, grazing the underside with his teeth, humming softly when Blair hissed. “Christ almighty…you are…so good at that.”
Gravel pinged off the underside of the truck as the vehicle jerked to the side before coming to a screeching halt. “Come here.” The deep baritone in Blair’s voice tickled his nuts. Fingers slid into his hair, tight, jerking Mannie’s head up. Before he could protest, a tongue was in his mouth, licking and sucking his lips.
“Blair, fuck, what the…”
“Pants. Off. Now.” The three words were spoken as a command; that was evident, and yet, Mannie knew deep down that if he refused Blair, there would be no repercussions, no violence. There was no fear, no hesitation, just doing as he was asked. More so, Mannie truly wanted to please his lover, and that feeling was so invigorating.
“With pleasure.” Jerking the faded denim down his legs, Mannie watched with rapt fascination as Blair lifted his ass off the seat, pulling his own pants down to his knees.
“Come here.” Blair grabbed his arm and jerked him over into his lap.
“Only if you come first.” He straddled Blair before reaching back, holding the man’s dick as he slid it along the crease of his ass. “Lube?”
“Fuck!” Blair cursed. “Hang on.” Leaning across the passenger seat, he ripped the glove box open. “Yes!” He sat up, a tiny bottle of lotion in his hand. “No condoms though, you okay with that?”
“Ummm…hell, yes.” Snatching the bottle of lotion, Mannie squeezed damn near the entire contents of the teensy bottle into his hand, reaching around to coat Blair’s dick liberally. With the tip of his lover’s cock knocking at his entrance, Mannie froze, reaching for Blair, cupping his cheeks. “Listen to me. I need to say this before you fuck me into oblivion.” Blair snorted and waggled his eyebrows, clutching a fistful of Mannie’s ass in each hand and squeezing. “I love you, Blair, every part of you. I love how patient and kind you are and how your touch or just a look from you grounds me. You’re smart and loyal to everyone you know. But mostly, I love the way you love me, with no expectations, no strings or demands. I love you, Blair Cummings.”
Lips pressed to his, hard, no tongue. “Holy Christ, Mannie, the things you say.”
“Yeah? Well, I’ve said them, now shut up and fuck me.” Sliding all the way down Blair’s cock, his spine bowed and he cried out. The pain was intense but exquisite, and it was on his terms, not someone else’s. “Don’t stop Blair, please, just…don’t stop.”
“Baby, are you sure?” Fingers gently brushing Mannie’s hips, Blair sat perfectly still, hazy blue eyes imploring. Nodding, Mannie grabbed hold of Blair’s shoulders as the man let loose, slamming into his ass over and over, hitting his sweet spot every time. Their lips met, the kiss sloppy and uncoordinated, all tongues and teeth. “You feel so good, baby.”
Mannie moved with him, meeting every thrust of Blair’s hips with his own. He groaned, head back and eyes closed, poised on the cliff, his release just out of reach. “Oh God, Blair, so close.” Gasping, he felt as if he were flying when Blair lifted him up, laying him along the leather seat, spreading his legs and easily sliding into his body with one push. “Fuck, yeah.” He wrapped his arms around Blair’s neck, legs around
his waist as they moved together like a wave crashing against a rock, with love, passion, and determination.
Blair slammed into him, his fingers tightening around his cock, begging him to come. “Mannie, baby, come for me.”
Back bowing, Mannie cried out as his cock erupted, spilling thick ropes of come onto their bellies. “Oh, fuck.” Blair thrust into him one last time and froze, his cock pulsing in Mannie’s ass as he came deep inside him. Blair panted, collapsing on top of him, their hearts beating rapidly, almost in unison. “I think,” Mannie struggled to catch his breath, “you fucked me numb.”
“Yeah?” Chuckling, Blair pushed himself up, sitting on his knees. Blair’s eyes, sharp like a frozen pond, roaming Mannie’s naked body, felt like fingers brushing his damp skin. “Damn, baby. You are so fucking sexy.” Goose bumps broke out all over his flesh and for the first time, possibly ever, Mannie truly felt comfortable in his own skin.
Dressing quickly, he used one of his socks to wipe the come off his stomach. “We should head home. I still have some packing to do.”
Reaching for his hand, Blair pulled him over beside him before cranking the truck and pulling onto the highway. His boyfriend was flying to Dallas the following day, and Mannie was going with him. It wasn’t a permanent move, no, but now that he’d gotten a taste of what it was like to have the man he loved with him every day, he didn’t want to go back to the way his life was before he met Blair. Being self-employed afforded him the ability to make his own schedule and since all his work was done online, he could do his job from anywhere. Tony and Sharon took it in stride when he told them. Zoe however, did not, until Blair promised to fly her out to Dallas for the week of spring break.