The Substitute

by Sean Ashcroft

  Zach rocked his hips experimentally, whimpering as Flynn really did hit him in every sensitive spot as he moved, and oh, oh, he needed more of this, more of everything, his patience running out all at once now that Flynn was inside him.

  He curled his hands around Flynn’s shoulders again, thumbs digging deep into the flesh as he braced himself. This was going to be so good, and he couldn’t wait any longer, and he really didn’t need to, either.

  There were a thousand things he wanted to say—that Flynn’s cock was perfect, that his touch felt incredible, that he was beautiful and that Zach was in danger of falling in love with him if they kept this up—but he wanted to kiss Flynn more, so he did, crashing into him hard enough to bruise his lips.

  Zach rocked his hips as he sucked Flynn’s lower lip into his mouth, worrying it with his teeth, drinking in the soft gasp and hiss from Flynn as he started riding him in earnest. Long, slow strokes to start, deep enough that Zach could appreciate every inch of Flynn’s gorgeous cock.

  He wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long, but he didn’t have to. Flynn was already thrusting up to meet him, his hands sliding up Zach’s thighs and coming to rest on his ass, just stopping short of squeezing. Zach could feel the tension in his fingers, though, the urge to grab and hold and fuck, hard and fast, into him.

  Obviously, Flynn’s first taste of being with another man was working for him.

  “You’re so hot,” Zach murmured against Flynn’s lips, laughter bubbling up in his throat. He couldn’t get over how good this felt, how nice it was to be with Flynn, and while he deliberately wasn’t making any comparisons…

  This was much better. Despite Flynn’s inexperience. Despite the fact that he was nervous, and still getting used to this, and not sure where his hands were supposed to go just yet.

  There wasn’t an ounce of selfishness in Flynn’s entire body, and that shone through in everything he did. Including this.

  Just as Zach was done thinking that, one of Flynn’s hands moved from his ass to his stomach, soft fingertips gliding on the oversensitive skin there until they brushed against his cock. He nodded eagerly, wanting Flynn to know that it was okay to touch, shifting to push himself into Flynn’s hand.

  He groaned as Flynn’s fingers closed around him, hissing as he adjusted to the sensation.

  “This okay?” Flynn asked, his voice rough with arousal. All Zach could manage in response was a grunt and another nod, his cock leaking freely now, the combination of Flynn’s cock inside him and his hand around him too overwhelming to do anything other than enjoy it.

  He cried out breathlessly as his thrusts sped up, need and desperation spurring him on, the first tingling tension of an orgasm starting at the base of his spine. Oh, he needed this. He needed to come, all over Flynn’s hand and belly, and he needed to feel Flynn coming inside him, too, hear him moan as he finished.

  Flynn’s fingers shifted, exploring the shape of Zach’s cock, looking for sensitive spots, playing like it was his new favorite toy, and Zach was definitely into that idea. Anywhere Flynn wanted to touch him was completely okay.

  The tightness of Flynn’s thighs under him told Zach that he was close, right on the edge of coming, and that was just as well, because Zach couldn’t hold out a whole lot longer. He sat up, crying out at the change in angle, taking advantage of the new position to move harder and faster, to outright bounce on Flynn’s cock.

  He needed this, and he was pretty sure Flynn wouldn’t mind being ridden like a prize stallion, either. If the sounds he was making were any indication, he was more than okay with Zach taking what he wanted hard and fast, barely giving either of them time to breathe as he sped up his thrusts, harder and harder, hurtling toward the edge of coming.

  His orgasm started in the pit of his stomach, pressure building and building until it was too much, until he couldn’t contain it anymore. Zach screwed his eyes shut as a bolt of pleasure crackled its way down his spine, his hips jerking as his balls tightened, thick spurts spilling out of him and all over Flynn’s hand.

  Thighs burning, he rode out wave after wave of pleasure, gasping as Flynn started to come too, grinding down against him to wring every last drop of pleasure out of this.

  It felt so damned good to make Flynn come that Zach could already tell he’d end up addicted to it. He could do this with Flynn all the time and still never quite get enough.

  Zach groaned as his legs finally gave out, forcing him to sit heavily on Flynn’s hips and brace himself against his stomach, panting to catch his breath. He let his eyes fall closed, savoring the aftershocks as they rippled through him, squirming as he felt Flynn’s spent cock shift inside him.

  In some ways, this was his favorite part. He liked sex, and he’d never pretended otherwise, but the few moments after, sated and exhausted, those were the best part.

  The hand that Flynn had been stroking Zach’s cock with moved to his thigh, thumb stroking circles into oversensitive skin and exhausted muscles, and that tiny gesture told Zach everything he needed to know about how Flynn was after sex.

  He was clearly not the kind of man who just rolled over and fell asleep.

  Zach finally looked up, a smile spreading over his lips as he saw Flynn still flushed, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, breathing still a little ragged and uneven.

  He’d done that. Flynn had come for him, and no one else, and that was hot.

  “Not bad,” Zach teased breathlessly, still working on getting his breath back.

  Flynn raised an eyebrow.

  “I’d have to do it a few more times to make a definitive assessment,” Zach added. “Doesn’t seem fair to judge you on one performance.”

  Flynn laughed, both of his hands stroking up and down Zach’s thighs now. Zach’s heart fluttered at the thought of how sweet that was, how Flynn was still trying to take care of him in his own way.

  He could have fallen head over heels for this man if he was allowed. It would have been so damned easy to love him, forever and ever, and while Zach was still hurting and unsure and definitely not convinced that he could keep Flynn… the thought was nice.

  “So, uh,” Flynn began, wetting his lips. “How do you like your eggs?”

  Zach chuckled. “Fried, sunny side down, yolks solid. I’m sorry, I’m boring.”

  Flynn shook his head. “You’re anything but boring,” he murmured, his hands coming to rest on Zach’s knees. “You’re incredible.”

  Groaning, Zach eased himself off Flynn and collapsed into the mattress beside him, sighing happily as he straightened his legs out and the overused muscles stopped screaming.

  “I’m gonna feel this in the morning,” he said, forcing himself to roll onto his side and face Flynn.

  “I didn’t… hurt you, or…?”

  Zach shook his head, his heart tightening at the worry in Flynn’s voice. “Not even a little. It’s just… well, it’s been a while. You know that.”

  “I guess? I was trying not to think about it,” Flynn admitted softly.

  Zach’s heart ached all over again, a soft, sad noise escaping him. “You’re not a replacement for Aiden,” he said. “I know he’s your brother and you love him, but you’re ten times the man he is. I’m not… using you to make myself feel better about losing him. I feel like I won the goddamn lottery meeting you.”

  Flynn looked at him, really looked, like he was trying to work out whether or not Zach was telling the truth. Heartbroken at the thought that Flynn would worry about that, Zach reached out to take his hand, linking their fingers together and letting their joined hands rest on the mattress between them.

  “You’re amazing,” he said. “Please don’t doubt that.”

  A tiny, shy smile turned up the corner of Flynn’s mouth. “Kinda sounds believable, coming from you.”

  “That’s because I have the wisdom of a sage,” Zach said.

  “In the body of a twenty-six-year-old?”

  Zach grinned. “Best of both worlds. I’m both hot and
wise.”

  He didn’t always think of himself as hot, but the way Flynn was looking at him, he felt that way now. Flynn had a way of making him feel attractive, and desirable, and he would have been willing to bet that people had slept with him for that power alone.

  Not that there weren’t multiple good reasons to sleep with him.

  “I can’t exactly disagree with that,” Flynn said. “Especially not while you’re within arm’s reach,” he added, eyes lighting up with mischief.

  “I wouldn’t hit you,” Zach said. “I might use all the hot water, though.”

  “Guess I’ll just have to shower with you.” Flynn rolled onto his side, squeezing Zach’s hand. “Thank you,” he added softly.

  “For what?” Zach asked, frowning.

  “For being kind to me,” Flynn murmured. “Means a lot.”

  “Anytime,” Zach promised.

  His hand felt cold instantly when Flynn let go of it, rolling out of bed and stretching his arms high above his head. Everything about him was hot, and Zach took the opportunity to get a good look, his mouth going dry and the faintest stirrings of arousal heating up the pit of his stomach.

  “I’m gonna grab a washcloth. I’ll be back in a second, and we can think about round two.”

  Round two.

  Zach couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the thought of that. He could definitely have gone again, and he was thrilled that Flynn was up to it as well.

  “I’ll be right here,” he promised, rolling onto his back and folding his arms under his head.

  This was going to be one hell of a night.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Flynn gasped as Zach’s cock brushed against the sensitive spot behind his balls, rocking back against him as his own cock twitched in response.

  When Zach had asked him to trust him right after waking up, Flynn hadn’t been sure he’d like whatever he had planned, but he was sold now.

  Behind him, Zach chuckled. He reached out, curling his hand over the front of Flynn’s thighs and tucking it firmly between them, holding him in place, hips rocking slowly against him.

  Another gasp escaped him as the head of Zach’s cock scraped against the back of his balls, just the tiniest nudge. No one ever touched him there, which he was just now realizing had been a mistake.

  Hot pleasure pooled in the pit of his stomach with every new touch, excitement making his heartbeat pound in his ears.

  “Told you to trust me,” Zach murmured, running his hand up and down between Flynn’s thighs as well, each stroke getting closer to where Flynn wanted it, but not quite touching.

  Shy as he had been up until now, it turned out that Zach was anything but in bed, and Flynn loved that. He loved someone else feeling like they could take charge.

  Obviously, he should have tried boys earlier. But then, he was glad his first time had been with someone like Zach. Someone he liked, someone who was kind, and confident, and experienced, but not pushy or demanding.

  “I’ll never doubt you again,” Flynn promised, already out of breath as another spark of pleasure bounced around his gut. A soft oh escaped him as a long, slow thrust grazed his hole, his hips rocking back by themselves, his curiosity about what it would be liked to have Zach inside him flaring up again.

  He couldn’t stop thinking about how excited Zach was to be fucked. There had to be something to it, based on his reaction. He definitely wasn’t just getting it over with or doing it for Flynn’s benefit.

  “Good morning, by the way,” Zach murmured in his ear, finally reaching up to grip his cock, and all Flynn could manage in response was a garbled moan, his hips jerking forward for more friction, the urge to come already getting unbearable.

  Zach’s fingers were sure and rough, the calluses providing delicious friction against Flynn’s sensitive cock, already leaking in response to Zach’s cock between his thighs, and oh man he’d had no idea how sensitive he was there, but he was learning a whole lot of new things lately.

  One of them being that sex with Zach was really, really good, and he wanted to keep doing it. He was into this, and into Zach, and he really didn’t know what that meant for the future, but…

  For now, it felt better than anything had in a long time, and Flynn wanted to hang onto it.

  “Harder,” Flynn managed to beg, the tightness in his gut too much, the need to get off too strong. Zach’s cock felt incredible between his legs, teasing even more sensitive spots Flynn didn’t even know he had, and the thought of maybe having him inside sometime was enough to make his cheeks flush, but also…

  It was more than enough to make his cock leak freely, his hips rock eagerly back to see if he could get Zach to brush against him again, a preview of what it might be like, and dammit this was good.

  Flynn moaned as Zach’s cock finally did slide back far enough, closing his eyes and biting his lip as he rode out the little ripple of pleasure, whimpering with need as Zach kept stroking him, confident and firm and not in any particular hurry.

  They could have this, Flynn realized. They could have lazy mornings like this, all the time, if he wanted. If he was patient, and good to Zach, and they could both get around everything that’d happened to them and maybe find a little happiness with each other.

  It wasn’t as though he was considering wedding bells—although that ship had kind of sailed—but Suki had called him Zach’s boyfriend, and that was a title he would have liked for himself.

  He’d barely stopped thinking about that, either.

  “You feel so good,” Zach murmured, adjusting his grip on Flynn’s cock like he was mapping the shape of it, committing it to memory for the future.

  Flynn wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to, that he could have it whenever he wanted, but aside from that sounding weird even to him, it was too soon. Too soon for promises.

  Zach had already had his heart broken once, and recently, too. He wouldn’t want to risk it again.

  “Feeling’s mutual,” Flynn panted, his hips speeding up, pushing forward into Zach’s hand and back to feel his cock, little surges of pleasure making him feel hot and tight and needy, desperate to come.

  Zach’s grip tightened around him, his thrusts getting faster to match Flynn’s. His hot breath brushed over Flynn’s ear with every gasp, every moan. Arousal built and built in the pit of Flynn’s stomach, searing hot and urgent, and he was so close, and he wanted…

  Wanted to come, want to make Zach come, wanted to roll over and kiss him and bask in his presence, because he was the best thing that’d happened to Flynn in a long time, and he was so hot, and Flynn was definitely into dick, and he wanted to explore all of this with someone as kind and sweet and patient as Zach.

  The urge to kiss Zach finally overwhelmed him, and he pushed away and rolled over, tangling their legs together as he pulled Zach back in, shoving his fingers deep into Zach’s untidy mop of hair to hold him in place while Flynn kissed him.

  A few thrusts against Zach’s belly, a few brushes of his oversensitive, needy cock against Zach’s, and Flynn was coming, his orgasm hitting unexpectedly, like a freight train to the base of his spine, hips jerking forward, cock spilling all over both of their stomachs as he grunted and panted his way through a gut-wrenching finish.

  Zach joined him a moment later, a cut-off cry the only warning before his whole body jerked, hard cock pressed against the soft, sensitive skin of Flynn’s belly as he finished, the hot rush of fluid sending another ripple of pleasure down Flynn’s spine, joy at having made Zach come filling his chest.

  Flynn clung to Zach as he rode out the aftershocks, hips rocking just a little, their foreheads pressed together as he fought to catch his breath, tiny moans of pleasure still escaping him.

  It’d been a long time since he’d come like that. Last night was incredible, but there was something shockingly intimate about morning-after sex, something Flynn had always loved but didn’t always get to do. Especially not with someone else initiating it.

  Zach was tu
rning out to be perfect in every possible way.

  “Morning to you, too,” Flynn murmured, sighing a deep, satisfied sigh as the last sparks of pleasure fizzled out.

  Zach laughed delightedly, the sound filling Flynn’s ears and making his brain tingle, a different kind of pleasure that felt just as good as having his cock stroked.

  It was about to become his life mission to make Zach laugh more often. He could feel his bruised, battered heart opening up, just the slightest crack, eager to let Zach inside despite everything.

  All Flynn ever really wanted was to love and be loved in return. It didn’t take much for him to offer his heart to other people.

  Which was why he kept getting hurt, obviously, but if he hadn’t learned yet, he wasn’t going to learn anytime soon.

  Besides, Zach had been hurt, too. He knew what it was like. Flynn trusted that he wouldn’t do it on purpose.

  “I hope we’re doing that again,” Zach said, rolling onto his back and stretching luxuriantly, arching off the mattress as he did so. Flynn watched him, mouth suddenly dry, and yeah. Yeah, he was definitely into guys, and this guy in particular.

  “Me too,” Flynn responded, still following the lines of Zach’s body with his gaze, fascinated with the way the light spilling through the gap in the curtains highlighted all the curves and angles.

  “You’re staring,” Zach said after a moment, though his eyes were closed. “I can feel it.”

  “Want me to stop?” Flynn asked, not intending to unless Zach insisted. His heart felt overfull every time he looked at Zach, excitement making him feel like he could burst.

  He really didn’t want to stop looking at him.

  “It’s kinda hot, actually,” Zach murmured. “Stare all you want. People usually don’t.”

  “You’re beautiful,” Flynn said. Partly out of habit, but mostly because Zach was. He couldn’t help noticing things about him that he liked, from the curve of his neck to the dip of his belly button, the trail of thicker, darker hairs that lead to his cock, the way he was lying with one knee raised, as though he was posing for a painting.