Limelight (Vino and Veritas)

by E. Davies

  “Give me your poem again. One line at a time. The mountains one.”

  Caleb smiles so hard his little dimples appear. “From the first night?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  One line at a time, he murmurs the words and then waits. I close my eyes and let the chords flow through my fingers, picking out the notes of a soft and dreamy tune.

  And I repeat after him, but instead of speaking, I sing his words and let them drift through the air in the peaks and valleys they deserve. Not all the lines work perfectly, but when it sounds particularly strange, we both just laugh together.

  By the last line, I’m gazing into his eyes, strumming that very last chord.

  How far could I bear to fall?

  Caleb leans in over my guitar, and I let it sit in my lap as I reach out for his cheeks instead, cupping them between my warm palms.

  “I love you,” I whisper.

  He makes a choking little sound as he flings his arms around my shoulders. “I love you, too,” he murmurs against my lips, and then kisses me with a soft desperation I can’t help but meet.

  The kiss goes on and on, and it takes everything I have to even let us pause for breath. I just want to press myself against him until we’ve lost ourselves—every trace of our past gone, swallowed by each other’s love and the future we’re going to find together.

  Both of us are teary by the time we pull apart. I clear my throat and pinch the bridge of my nose.

  “You have to play at open mic night sometime,” Caleb whispers, his voice rough. He clears his throat and wipes his eyes. “Unless… you think people would recognize you?”

  I snort. “Screw it. I’m done hiding. All that matters is that you don’t mind.”

  Caleb shakes his head and smiles. “You’re just Tag,” he murmurs and kisses me again. “I want a happy Tag.”

  I laugh and brush two fingers fondly under his chin. Oh, he has no idea how easy that will be now that he’s with me again. “And I want you to embrace your own talent. Whatever makes it easiest for you.”

  Caleb beams at me. “I’m done letting anyone else’s fears rule me,” he promises. Then he winks. “Besides, many people would say I won the lottery for ending up with a famous rock star.”

  “Would you?” I ask, picking up my cocktail.

  Caleb shrugs. “Nah. I won the lottery by having a boyfriend who came back and faced his fears, and waited for me to be ready.”

  “You’re worth it,” I promise. Then I sigh happily as I stand up and return my favorite guitar to its place on the wall—but I don’t think it will stay up there for long from now on. “I do have to explain to you some stuff about paparazzi and Google. Maybe I’ll ask Roxy for help with that…”

  Caleb grins. “I’ll bring a notebook around with me so I don’t get bored while I’m waiting for you to autograph everyone’s butts.”

  I have to put my cocktail down as I laugh so hard that tears come to my eyes. Every time I’m close to stopping, I take one look at his great big grin and I start laughing again.

  How the hell did I luck into finding this guy?

  When I finally manage to keep a straight face, Caleb smiles at me. “And I’ve made a decision, too.” He draws a deep breath, finishes his cocktail, and takes my hands. “I’m going to become a pro, too. Maybe not a full-time poet, but I’ll treat it professionally. I didn’t become an accountant without training and practice, so I’m going to treat my poetry just as seriously.”

  Before he’s even done speaking, I’m standing up and hauling him to his feet. “Yes!” I whisper and grab him by the waist, spinning him around in a quick circle.

  Caleb giggles and presses his face into my shoulder. “But that’s for later. For now, there’s only one more thing I need.”

  “Mmhmm?” I sway our bodies together gently, pulling back to look into his eyes.

  “Bring me to bed, Tag,” Caleb murmurs, smiling shyly up at me. “Please.”

  And I can’t wait. Anything he wants, he gets—always.

  29

  Caleb

  Of course we can’t sneak in the door without Queenie coming to investigate. The click of nails across hardwood is the only brief warning, and then a furry body slams into my legs as the room fills with barking.

  “Queenie!” Tag groans. “Where are your manners?”

  But she’s wagging so hard that her whole body waves back and forth, grinning up at me as she pants excitedly.

  “Hello there,” I greet her, dropping to my knees and lunging for her. If I hug her first and get my face past hers, she can’t lick me. It works—she whines happily, but she can’t reach my face to slobber over me.

  Finally I manage to pull myself to my feet with a little laugh.

  “There you go. He’s home now,” Tag promises Queenie softly. “Go to bed.” He coaxes her to her dog bed with some treats and scratches while I watch on, smiling like crazy.

  He’s right: I’m home now. And I’m never going to leave again.

  “Come on. Let’s head up to bed while we’re alone,” Tag tells me.

  I bite my lip playfully and lead the way upstairs. “Hopefully we have long enough.”

  Tag grins. “We’ve got a good hour until the stove starts to cool off. Then the heat-seeking canine will arrive.”

  “I’d like to say that won’t be enough time, but…” I mutter with a rueful grin.

  Tag chuckles and pinches my butt, making me scramble up the last few steps with a yelp. “Don’t worry. We’re going to get a lot of practice this winter.”

  “Hey,” I scold him with a little slap at his hands, but they’re rising to push the door open and steer me through it. He grips my shoulders, hauling me close to him.

  “Can’t keep my hands off you. Come here,” Tag whispers, his palms igniting rough lines of fire as they glide from my shoulders to the sides of my neck. It sends shivers of delight through me.

  There’s so much left to explore, and I barely even know what I like yet. A whole lifetime worth of lessons to learn about myself.

  Tag gently holds my cheeks between his hands, gazing at me through the dark bedroom as his thumbs stroke my cheekbones.

  “Kiss me,” I whisper when I can’t stand the tension any longer. “Please.”

  He instantly leans in, crossing the scarce few inches separating us. His lips are warm, but his kiss isn’t gentle or slow. It’s bruising and desperate.

  I moan and tilt my head back, clutching Tag’s shoulders as his hands slide to the back of my head. His fingers tangle in my curls and pull them tight into fists. At the same moment, his teeth close over my lower lip, scraping them in a hot, possessive display.

  “Yes,” I moan, my knees going weak.

  Tag’s hands push at my clothes, trembling as he impatiently strips me bare. I love the cool air touching my skin, feeling vulnerable and open to all of his advances.

  Then it’s his turn. I can barely keep up with his impatient movements as I try to help him strip. He ends up grabbing my shoulder and hopping on one leg as he peels his last sock off.

  “Don’t fall over,” I giggle, but the same eagerness makes my chest swell.

  It feels like I can breathe Tag in and hold him in my lungs, and everything will be all right.

  He finally manages to throw the sock across the room and turns back to me, grabbing my waist and hauling me into him for a fierce kiss.

  I whimper as I stumble off-balance, but he takes my weight without flinching—and then I’m pressed against Tag from head to toe with nothing in the way.

  The kiss is quick to deepen with need. Tag pushes his tongue against mine, and suddenly we’re kissing open-mouthed in filthy and delicious motions as I rock against him.

  God, it’s incredible. Every inch of skin where he’s touching me tingles. My hands ache with the need to explore his bare skin, so when I catch my balance, I let them run down to his chest and pinch his nipples.

  “Fuck,” Tag sharply pulls his head away from the kiss, his voice a
sharp rough thing.

  I catch my breath and freeze. “Are you okay?”

  “Good,” Tag grunts. “Do that again.”

  Relief floods me and eases my chest, so I grin and do it again, this time scraping my fingernails along the tiny, hard nubs as Tag grunts and pushes into me.

  Our hard-ons grind together, trapped between our hard stomachs. Every time he twitches or drags against my length, sparks fly through my field of vision.

  “Come here,” Tag mumbles against my mouth, nipping my lips again. He pulls me over to the bed and then turns around so the backs of my knees press against it.

  I giggle and take hold of his hands, then flop onto my back on the bed. I awkwardly squirm backward onto the bed with my elbows, hauling him down with me.

  “Whoa!” Tag crashes on top of me but I laugh, wrapping my legs around his waist.

  “Gotcha,” I whisper and press my lips into his neck.

  Tag finally frees his hands from mine, bracing his arms on either side of my head. The beam of moonlight pouring through the window catches him in the light, his eyes deep wells of love.

  Then he leans over to flick on the lamp, and I half-close my eyes. It’s not too bright, mercifully.

  “Let me see what I’ve got,” he murmurs.

  I blush and take the chance to wriggle the rest of the way up the bed, until my head rests on the pillows. I’m alight under his gaze, curling my toes into the bed.

  Tag comes to me hands-first, his palms running up my naked body from hips all the way to my shoulders. Then he straddles me, his cock heavy and swollen with need. It bumps mine again and I whimper.

  Tag notices. “You like that?” He grins, wrapping his big hand around both of our cocks.

  “Tag!” I cry out, flailing at his shoulders and grabbing them, digging my nails in.

  I wasn’t expecting the sheer intensity of the wildfire that shoots straight to my core as the hard heat of him drags along my sensitive skin. Finally, I gasp for breath and manage a nod. “Just a little.”

  “Wow,” Tag whispers. He bites his lower lip, watching me like a predator preparing for his feast. And I won’t lie, it turns me on.

  “Fuckfuckfuck,” I whimper helplessly as he squeezes his fingers around my cock, crushing it against his shaft and stroking us both at once.

  My legs slip from his waist and tangle with his, and he leans down to press his mouth on mine in a hot crush. Heat coils in my belly, far too immediate for my liking.

  “Not yet,” I beg. “Please.”

  Tag chuckles and lets go of us both. I ride the wave of disappointment, reminding myself that I’ll get to feel even better soon.

  “What did you want to do instead?”

  My breath catches. I shiver with the tingles that spread through my body. “I’m ready,” I whisper. I need him deep inside me, completing every last missing piece of me.

  Tag’s eyes flick wide open for a moment, like he’s not quite sure what I’m asking. Or he doesn’t dare to hope.

  “Make love to me,” I tell him. Then I grin. “And/or fuck me. I’m not choosy. Both?”

  A grin creases Tag’s gorgeous face. “Are you sure?”

  “Duh,” I whisper and grin up at him.

  Tag laughs softly and brushes the backs of his knuckles against my cheek. “My beautiful boyfriend,” he murmurs, his voice tinged with awe. “I’d be honored.”

  He leans over toward the bedside table, but I grab his arm to stop him. “No condom,” I tell him. Then I hesitate. “I assume… it’s still just been us?”

  Tag chuckles in a soft, affectionate breath. He leans down to press his lips against my forehead. “Oh, Caleb. From the moment I saw you, it was just you.”

  “Good,” I whisper and beam up at him. I want to feel him inside me without anything in the way. Not because it proves our love or anything. It’s just really fucking hot.

  Tag raises an amused brow. “I still need lube, though. Or I’d recommend it. Some guys can get away without it, after practice—”

  “Oh. Right,” I squeak. As I let go of his arm, Tag laughs richly and I join in the giggle. “Good thing I have you to show me the ropes.”

  “The ropes?” Tag pretends to stare at me.

  “I can’t say anything, can I? Naughty man.” I groan and roll my head back against the pillow.

  He only leans down to take advantage and nip my throat, flushing me with a pleasurable heat. “I am. But I’m your naughty man.”

  “I know,” I whisper, smiling to myself while Tag finally grabs a bottle of lube from the bedside drawer.

  He turns it upside-down and squirts the clear jelly over his fingers as I swallow hard. This is going to be an entirely new experience. I’m a little nervous, but at the same time I can’t wait.

  Every other new experience so far has been even better than I’d hoped.

  “You know, you didn’t send me that video,” I tease. It might be kind of hot if we watched that while he gets me ready.

  Instead, Tag looks crestfallen. “Oh, no,” he murmurs, setting aside the lube. “I deleted it. It didn’t feel right to keep it when I thought we were… you know.”

  “Kaput,” I murmur with a wry smile as he nods. God, he’s such a good guy. How could I ever have thought that he was trying to take advantage of me?

  I push myself up on my elbows, grabbing the back of his head and hauling him in for a kiss. “Thank you,” I murmur.

  Tag makes a surprised little noise and then chuckles. “You’re welcome?” He looks puzzled as I flop back against the bed. “But it was your first time and everything… I should have sent it over…”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I tell him simply and stroke my finger up his thigh toward his cock. Then I gently flick the head of his dick, watching it bob and stand up straight again as he grunts. “The fun was in knowing the camera was on anyway. We’ll just have to recreate it.”

  Then I lick my lips pointedly, shifting my gaze back up to his eyes.

  “You tease,” Tag growls softly. He shakes his head as he pushes my thighs up and apart.

  I grin and spread my legs eagerly, pressing my heels almost against my butt.

  The cool sensation of liquid against my entrance makes me flinch and giggle with surprise. Then he leans down to suck the head of my cock into his mouth.

  “Ohhh,” I groan, reaching down to grab his shoulders. It’s the strangest feeling, the heat of his mouth around me at the same time as… the heat of his finger stretching me open.

  He takes it slowly, but it burns in the weirdest way. Sweat beads my forehead, and it’s all I can do to gulp and focus on the pleasurable flicks of his tongue around my head and along my slit.

  It’s almost too much sensation at once, and my brain is starting to overload.

  But then, as he pushes a second finger inside, arousal rushes back all of a sudden to dominate my thoughts. I can’t wait for it to be his cock instead.

  My breath is heavy as prickles of pleasure build up deep inside with every stroke of his fingers. He’s definitely found my prostate now. Like he has all night, Tag takes his time to tease me with fingers and tongue alike.

  It’s just a hint of what’s to come, yet I’m already desperate for more. I swipe my hand over my forehead and clutch the pillows under me, arching off the bed to thrust into his mouth.

  When I lower myself back down, it pushes Tag’s fingers deeper into me. For a moment it’s pleasurable, but I’m too overwhelmed to keep up any kind of rhythm.

  I’m happy to let him take control—as long as he hurries up.

  “Now,” I moan, tapping his shoulder frantically. “If you keep that up…”

  The wet pop of his mouth freeing itself from my hard cock is delicious to my ears. “Mmhmm?”

  Looking down at my boyfriend is the hottest sight of my life. My needy cock jumps against my stomach.

  Tag’s smile is half-hidden in his short beard. Then I notice a string of precum joining his lip and my dick, just before he l
icks the droplet from the tip of my shaft. Then he winks at me.

  My whole body surges and throbs, and it takes all I have to clench down on the wave of pleasure. I am not going to come before he’s even inside me!

  “Fuck,” I groan raggedly as I collapse against the bed again. “Please.”

  “Yes, my love,” Tag murmurs, and his fingers slide out of me.

  My thighs quiver as I catch my breath and grunt with the unpleasant emptiness. How did that sensation change so quickly from discomfort to desperation?

  “Almost there,” Tag soothes me gently. He kisses one upraised knee, then pushes my legs apart again so he can lie flat between them.

  I fucking love watching him add lube to his palm and run his fist down his shaft to slick it. But he doesn’t waste time pleasuring himself. There’s so much more waiting for him.

  Tag shifts himself until he’s braced over me, his arm pressing into the bed by my ear as his lips find mine. I whimper with surprise at the sharp taste of myself.

  Tag grins at me and pulls away a little bit. “That okay?”

  It sure as hell is. I hungrily arch up again, answering by seeking his lips for another kiss, so he grins and then indulges me.

  “Okay,” Tag whispers against my lips when I’ve settled into that ecstasy of making out. One hand is between us, guiding the firm heat of himself to my tip.

  I quiver as I eagerly push down against him.

  “If it hurts, tell me. I’ll go slow.”

  “More,” I grunt instead, locking my arms around his back.

  Tag grins and nips my jaw. “I’ll give you more,” he promises.

  Then he’s inside, the heat of him filling me to bursting and beyond.

  I cry out, pressing my feet into the bed and turning my face to the side. “Oh, fuck,” I gasp. It’s so much more visceral than I’d even expected. So blissful and intimate and…

  Real. Raw. Right.

  Tag holds still until I’m squirming for more again, and then slides inside gently, inch by inch. He keeps pausing to stroke my cheek and kiss my lips and whisper about how well I’m doing.

  I drink it all up—the praise and the heat of him and the knowledge that I’m yielding as the man I love enters me.