by Lane, Shawn;
“Fine.” She scribbled it down and hurried off.
“Matches made in heaven,” Barnaby murmured.
Darrell kicked the man in the shin. Ignoring the glare from Barnaby, he then turned back to Travis, trying to think of a neutral subject for them all to discuss. He really couldn’t think of anything. He was so bad at small talk. He didn’t like sports, and politics and religion were usually too hot of topics to discuss with people he knew well let alone co-workers.
“What were you talking about when we got here?” Travis asked into the uncomfortable silence.
“Actually—”
“Tina Turner,” Darrell said quickly, his stomach sinking thinking of Barnaby spilling the beans.
Travis smiled. “I like her music for the most part.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
“What about you, Nathan?” Travis asked.
Nathan look startled. “What?”
“Do you know Tina Turner?”
The man cleared his throat. “She has very nice legs, doesn’t she?”
* * * *
Darrell blinked and tried unsuccessfully to read the blurry numbers on his computer screen. He removed his glasses to see if they were smudged even though he’d only just cleaned them. He put them back on and shook his head. There was no hope for it. His eyes were just too damned tired. And no wonder. It was just shy of seven o’clock. He’d wanted to get this invoice in before leaving, but he just couldn’t do it anymore. He powered off his computer, stretched and yawned loud in the empty, quiet office.
As he got up from his chair, he heard a loud banging coming from down the hall. Frowning, he turned that way, peering into empty offices as he went. To his knowledge everyone else had left. He supposed it was possible the firm had a rat, which he would be speaking to the office manager tomorrow about if that were the case, but if so, the rat must be one big and loud bastard.
Approaching the end of the hall, Darrell realized the light was on in Travis’s office. Blowing out a breath of relief, he poked his head around the door. Sure enough, there was the man himself seated behind his desk. He whacked a stapler on the side of the desk.
Darrell cleared this throat. “Hey, I didn’t know anyone else was still here.”
Travis put down the offending stapler, his cheeks slightly pink. “Hi, Darrell. Sorry, did I disturb you? Damn thing is jammed.”
“No. I was just getting up to leave when I heard you. I thought I was the only lunatic here so late on a Friday night.”
Travis sighed. “Yeah, I guess I should go home.”
The way he said it gave Darrell pause. “You don’t want to go home?”
“To my empty house? Not really.” Travis shook his head. “But I can’t stay here all weekend either.” He stood.
Darrell almost commented on how he could hardly believe someone as hot as Travis didn’t have a date, but figured he probably shouldn’t say something like that. Should he?
“What?” Travis asked, looking at him expectantly.
“I just…I would have expected you’d have dates lined up I guess.”
Travis laughed. “Hardly. But I suppose I understand what you mean.”
“You do?”
“I would have thought the same thing of you. Great looking, smart guy like you. I’ll bet you have men eating out of your hand.”
Now that gave Darrell some ideas. “Definitely not.” His earlier conversation with Barnaby playing through his head, Darrell decided to take a chance. It might be a huge mistake, but, life was full of risks. Or it should be anyway. “I was going to go home and grill some fish. If you really have nothing else to do, why don’t you come over?”
Travis stilled and didn’t respond for so long, Darrell wished he could take the words back or crawl into a crack in the floor. He’d just made a total fool out of himself. His stomach in knots, he opened his mouth to say something…anything. It was a joke, maybe.
“That sounds great,” Travis said. “Are you sure you have enough for me?”
Darrell felt lightheaded and giddy just that fast. He told himself to keep it cool. Just because Travis had agreed didn’t mean the man was interested in him, it could be that he was just nice. And lonely, of course.
“Yes, I have two swordfish steaks. It’ll be perfect.”
Chapter 5
“This is a great little condo,” Travis said, looking around Darrell’s townhome. It was a one-level two bedroom with a pretty decent sized kitchen with granite counters.
“Yeah,” Darrell said, taking a bottle of chardonnay out of the fridge and pouring two glasses. “The little part is the problem. Someday I intend to get a house with a nice yard. One big enough for a garden maybe.”
“That sounds cool. How many rooms?” Travis took a sip of the dry wine. He sat at the bar counter looking into the kitchen.
Darrell reached into a cabinet and took out a portable grill. “I’d want at least three. This place has two bedrooms and even though I live by myself I always find I could use another. Family visiting, that sort of thing. I’d like to be able to turn one into an exercise room.”
“You work out?” Travis wasn’t surprised. Beneath the pressed dress shirt Darrell always wore to work lurked muscular arms he itched to caress.
Darrell nodded. “When I have the time. I have a gym membership. I also play a bit of basketball and golf. But if I had my own equipment I could save the membership fees and have access to it more often. I’d like to keep a room open for the occasional overnight guest which is why I’d prefer to have three bedrooms. Plus, someday I’d like to find someone to share the house with me.”
“I’ve got a four bedroom house myself and let me tell you with just me the place gets damn lonely.” Travis sighed. He had a feeling he sounded as pathetic as he felt.
“Mind doing the salad?” Darrell asked, taking out a bag of mixed greens from the fridge as well as tomatoes and dressing.
“Nope, give it here.”
“So why the big house? I’m really kind of surprised to hear you don’t have a significant other, actually.”
Travis smiled. “Really? Why?”
The other man shrugged. “A great looking guy like you with a successful career and a nice house? Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to be with you?”
Travis felt the heat in his cheeks and knew he was both blushing and warmed by Darrell’s words. It was clear enough now Darrell did have an interest in him.
“Well, it’s been a while but I did have a live-in boyfriend a few years ago.” He tossed the cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and salad dressing in the big wooden bowl Darrell had handed to him.
“What happened?”
“Alan died in a car accident.”
Darrell gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. It’s been close to five years now. It’s still hard not to think about him, though, you know? How about you? I’d say the same about you, Darrell. How come you aren’t seeing anyone?”
“I’ve had a few casual relationships,” Darrell admitted, flipping the fish on the grill. “Nothing really serious, though. As tough as it is to be a gay man, being a gay black man is sometimes harder. All my relationships, whatever they’ve been, have always been with other African Americans. A lot of them were still in the closet.”
“You’ve never dated anyone of another race?”
Darrell shook his head and plated the grilled fish. He smiled a little. “Not so far. I’m a little shy, to be honest. It’s kind of hard for me to go outside my comfort zone.”
Not knowing what to say to that, or if he even needed to say anything, Travis kept quiet. He wasn’t really sure if inviting him over was totally a casual, let’s-be- friends-kind-of-thing, or if Darrell wanted something more interesting. He used to be more aggressive before he’d mellowed in his relationship with Alan, but now he was completely out of practice.
“Let’s go eat in the dining room.” Darrell led the way to the table where they ate their fish in companionable sil
ence for a while. After taking a couple of sips of wine, Darrell finally spoke. “What about you? Do you work out?”
Travis chuckled. “Nah. I was gifted with a naturally fast metabolism. Which is pretty fortunate because I never seem to have the time for going to a gym. I’ve had memberships but I never used them so I stopped wasting my money.”
“You are lucky,” Darrell agreed. “And I can see that you’re in pretty fine shape.” He looked away quickly as though embarrassed he’d said too much.
“Thanks,” Travis said softly. “I guess I’m okay for a guy who just turned thirty-five.”
Darrell’s gaze flew back to his. “You did? When?”
Now he felt foolish for mentioning it. He was not a child pouting because no one cared about his birthday. “Oh, pretty recently,” he said evasively.
The other man would have none of it. “When?”
“Yesterday.” He knew by the heat radiating from his damn fair cheeks he was blushing furiously.
Darrell dropped his fork. “Why didn’t you say so?”
He shrugged. “I’m a little old to make a big deal out of my birthday, don’t you think?”
“No. What about your family and friends? They didn’t celebrate with you?”
“I lost my family some years ago when I was a teen.” There was just no way he was going to say he had no friends. He took a large swallow of wine.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that as well. Tomorrow is Saturday. What do you want to do?”
“You don’t have to.”
Darrell smiled. “I know. What do you like to do? Do you golf?”
“Um, not really.”
“Hmm. How about the ocean? You like the beach?”
Travis nodded. “Yes.”
“Okay, great. How about a harbor cruise then? I’ve got an old friend from high school. Runs one of those three hour cruises out of Ventura. We’ll go there.”
“A three hour tour? Am I Gilligan or the Skipper?” Travis chuckled.
Darrell grinned. “I’d be the professor. Maybe you should be Mr. Howell.”
“Figures you’d choose the old guy as me.” He shook his head, feeling immensely better and suddenly looking forward to tomorrow. “Okay, what time should I come get you?”
“Why don’t you stay here? I’ve got the spare room. You can stay there. We can watch a movie tonight. I’ve got some action flicks or some other movies. You can pick.”
Travis couldn’t help but note Darrell suggested he stay in the spare room. A subtle signal nothing would happen that night between them. But that was all right with Travis. He didn’t want to push anything. There was a slight problem though.
“I don’t have a change of clothes.”
Darrell stood and cleared their now empty plates. “I’ve got several pairs of shorts and some shirts that would fit you. Or we can just stop by your place on the way to the harbor and you can change then.”
Seemed like Darrell had an answer for any argument he had to give. “Great, sounds like a plan.”
* * * *
Darrell couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed an evening like this. They’d watched all the various Die Hard movies, laughing and commenting throughout them. They’d switched to beers and he’d made popcorn. Really he hadn’t wanted the night to end. At least Travis wasn’t going home.
But Darrell had always been a cautious man. Starting anything, even casual sex with Travis, could get complicated. Since the firm was Travis’s, if something bad happened between them it would be Darrell who’d be forced to find new employment.
That didn’t stop him from wanting to bend Travis over the sofa and fucking him deep and slow.
Forcing the tempting thoughts from his mind before it gave him an obvious boner, Darrell stood and glanced at the clock. Nearly one in the morning. “The spare room is all set up. The sheets are clean and I left a pair of pajamas in there for you if you’d like to change. They should fit well enough for you to sleep in them anyway.”
Travis stood and stretched, his rumpled white dress shirt straining across his biceps and abs. His mouth dry, Darrell stared openly. He’d found white guys attractive before, though he hadn’t pursued it, but never like this. Every move Travis made riveted him. Every curve of his sensual, slightly plump lips fascinated him.
“Great,” Travis said. “I’m bushed.”
He let Travis go in front of him down the hall toward the bedrooms, unabashedly gawking at the man’s perfect round ass. Really, his resolve to take things slow with Travis began to waiver. Maybe just a goodnight kiss would satisfy him. After all it had been sort of a date.
Travis turned to him as they reached the spare room, a small smile on his lips, and before he could lose his nerve, Darrell pushed him against the wall and ground his mouth over Travis’s, squelching the man’s gasp of surprise.
As soon as their chests melded together, as soon as his hands slid up Travis’s arms, as soon as his pelvis fitted against Travis’s, Darrell knew the goodnight kiss had been a mistake. Or the idea that it would satiate him had been anyway. His dick was so hard he thought it might tear through both his briefs and his slacks.
Travis moaned low and opened his mouth to allow the intrusion of Darrell’s tongue. For just a minute, second really, Darrell intended to pull away and return to his original plan, but then Travis’s hand crept between their bodies and cupped his erection.
Fuck.
And that’s just what he intended to do. He tore his mouth away with effort and asked the burning question in his feverish mind. “Do you top, bottom, or both?”
It sometimes broke the flow of things, Darrell knew, but it was a question that would ultimately need to be asked.
Travis blinked, his sky blue eyes glazed with passion mixed with confusion. “Both,” he finally said.
Thank God.
“Great.” His lips returned to Travis’s now plumped lips from his kisses and he reached to the man’s pants to undo the zipper. His heart nearly stopped when he remembered he didn’t have the goods. “Damn it,” he growled.
“What?”
“You don’t happen to have a condom and lube, do you? Or even just the rubber will do.”
Travis’s cheeks reddened. “Um, no.”
“Well, damn. I don’t have condoms or lube.” Until that moment he hadn’t needed the supplies well…for a very long time. It was way too late to visit a store. He knew of a drug store nearby that was open all night but—
“Darrell.” Travis’s hand stroked his jaw, turning his attention back to the object of his lust. He raised a blond brow. “We still have our hands.”
Darrell grinned. “We sure do.” His fingers, which had stilled on the zipper of Travis’s pants, now got moving again. He quickly took care of the zipper, and pushed the offending garments, both pants and boxers, down far enough and closed his hand around the man’s large erect cock.
“Ah, God.” Travis closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, breathing heavy. His long golden lashes resting on his pink-tinged cheeks was one of the sexiest things Darrell had ever seen. His cock pulsed in his own pants, reminding him it wanted some necessary attention, too.
Releasing Travis’s cock for just a moment, he quickly undid his own pants, and grasped hold of both their cocks, stroking the lengths, rubbing the heated flesh against each other. Jolts of electric pleasure shot through his dick, tightening his balls. It had been too long, he was so turned on, it wouldn’t take long.
Darrell separated their bodies just enough so he could look down at his fist, working furiously on their erections. A pale drop of pre-cum dotted Travis’s cock. The contrast of his dark brown cock rubbing against the other man’s pale, slightly pink one sent a thrill up his spine. He wrenched his gaze from their cocks just long enough to thoroughly kiss Travis, thrusting his tongue into the moist heat of the man’s mouth, thinking of how soon, maybe as soon as tomorrow, he’d be thrusting his dick in Travis’s ass.
Travis tensed and
gasped, drawing his attention once more to their erections. Darrell pumped them harder, faster, watching them jump, and feeling them pulse in his grasp. His own release tore through him, wringing him dry even as Travis’s cock shot out creamy white jism to join his more clear fluid.
Releasing his grip on their cocks, Darrell dropped to his knees on the floor. Travis leaned against the wall panting heavily.
“Damn,” Travis said in between pants. “That was…wow, you’re not shy there, are you?”
“Hmm?”
Travis laughed. “I always thought you were pretty shy, you know, and if anything was going to happen between us, I’d have to make the move.”
Darrell grinned. “Yeah, I am shy. At the office.”
“Apparently.”
He chuckled. “And I was going to take things slow.”
Chapter 6
“I didn’t mean for you to drive to the harbor,” Darrell protested the next morning. He sat in the passenger seat of Travis’s sedan watching the man take a bite of his Egg McMuffin. They’d just stopped at McDonald’s after first stopping at Travis’s house in Glendale for an overnight bag.
Without even having to broach the subject, he’d quickly noted Travis had packed the bag with condoms and lube, too. Which, Darrell admitted, put him in a very good mood.
“I don’t mind,” Travis assured him. He smiled briefly and returned his gaze to the freeway.
After their little hallway romp, he’d let Travis go to sleep in the spare room, unsure if he should simply ask the man to share his bed for the night. To sleep only, of course. With his past casual relationships the subject of staying over never came up. Judging by the overnight bag and necessary supplies, Travis intended to stay over again that night, and Darrell had fully intended to ask him to, if he hadn’t decided that on his own.
Darrell finished his own breakfast sandwich and stuffed the wrapper in the paper sack. The sky was slightly overcast, but his friend who owned the boat advised him that wouldn’t be an issue for their harbor cruise when Darrell called him that morning.
“Ever been on one of these?”
“Alan and I went whale watching once a few years ago. I did pretty well, but Alan ended up puking all over one of the crewmen of the boat. They weren’t amused.” Travis chuckled.