Shit! How much can he see without his glasses?
Lucas stumbled backward and dove onto his bed, pulling the covers up and flipping on his side toward the door.
With his eyes jammed shut, he tried to catch his breath and keep still. A minute later, he heard Nate pad into the room. Lucas feigned sleep as Nate dressed, ignoring the fact that now he really, really had to pee.
When Nate finally left the room, closing the door gently behind him, Lucas waited thirty seconds and then hurried into the bathroom to relieve himself. His pajamas were a sticky mess. He couldn’t exactly hang them to dry, so he spread them out under his duvet after a quick rinse, knowing he might have to sleep in a damp bed that night.
He needed to get a grip, and fast. As he pulled on jeans and buttoned up a plaid shirt, he muttered to himself, “Just not a grip on my dick this time.”
Downstairs, Nate and his father talked quietly at the kitchen table, sipping coffee. Wearing jeans and an unzipped purple hoodie, Nate got up and poured Lucas a steaming mug, their fingers brushing when he handed it over. Lucas stammered out his thanks. Nate seemed totally normal and went back to his conversation with his dad, taking off his glasses and polishing the lenses with his gray T-shirt.
Soon Lucas was embroiled in a discussion with Mr. Kramer about Sam’s many achievements in basketball. As Mr. Kramer waxed poetic on a game-winning layup Sam had made, Lucas pondered what Rachel had said about Nate’s lack of girlfriend.
It didn’t mean anything. Probably Nate dated around like Sam and didn’t tell his family about it. It didn’t mean he was gay or bi or anything. Lucas was gay, and he’d never even had the courage to kiss a guy. Nate not having a girlfriend proved nothing.
Every time Lucas glanced at Nate across the kitchen table, his temperature rose with a rush of desire. God, he wanted him, and now they’d be in close quarters for days on end. Looking, but not touching.
It was going to be a very, very long holiday.
Chapter Three
Lucas spent the afternoon with Sam and his father in the den, watching football on a big-screen TV that made Lucas practically drool. Nate had disappeared into his room after lunch, and Lucas tried not to obsess about what he was doing.
It was just after five when Mrs. Kramer told them it was time to light the menorah. Sam groaned, and Lucas could have sworn Mr. Kramer did too, but they obediently headed to the front room.
Nate was already there, the matches in hand. As Lucas watched Nate, he couldn’t help but remember how Nate had looked naked and wet and jerking himself, and he mentally slapped himself with the reminder that this was a religious ceremony.
Nate seemed to only recite two blessings before lighting the middle candle and two on the right, doing the outer candle last. Lucas thought there had been three blessings the night before, but couldn’t be sure. As if he could read Lucas’s mind, Nate said, “There are only three blessings on the first night, and we don’t bother with the prayer and song when it’s just us.”
“Can we get back to the game now?” Sam looked at his mother.
Her hands found her hips and she good-naturedly said, “You know this is supposed to be a time for family, not for TV.”
“Sweetheart, it’s the fourth quarter.” Mr. Kramer gave his wife a beseeching smile.
With a laugh, she shooed them out, her husband kissing her soundly on his way. “Go on, Lucas. I’ll be in with dinner in a little while.”
“Do you want any help? I don’t really care that much about football.” Nate was already at the foot of the stairs, and Lucas willed him to turn around and stay.
Nate smirked. “Don’t care about sports? That’s sacrilege in this house.” Then he was gone, his steps fading as he went back upstairs.
Sam’s voice bellowed from the den. “Dude, you’ve got to see this play! Come on, you’re missing it!”
With a smile for Mrs. Kramer, Lucas reluctantly returned.
After a dinner of leftovers on TV trays, Lucas and the Kramers watched an action movie about an alien invasion on Netflix. Nate had come down for dinner, but disappeared back up to his room halfway through the movie. Lucas fidgeted in the stuffed armchair in the corner of the plush, dark den. What was Nate doing up there? Not that it was any of Lucas’s business.
You already invaded the guy’s space without warning. Give him his alone time.
The nanosecond the movie credits appeared onscreen, Lucas yawned widely and said goodnight. Mrs. Kramer gave him a plate of sufganiyot to take up to Nate, saying, “He’s always hiding away up there. He doesn’t eat enough.”
Lucas knocked softly on Nate’s closed bedroom door, waiting a few moments before opening it. To his surprise, Nate wasn’t in the darkened room, and the bathroom appeared empty. The space around the closet door glowed with a strange reddish light, and Lucas blinked at it, thinking of the 10-foot, red-eyed aliens from the movie. After a moment of debate, he approached and knocked.
“Hold on,” Nate called.
“Um, okay.” Lucas stood there with the plate of doughnuts, wondering what on earth could be going on inside.
Two long minutes later, Nate opened the door and Lucas flooded with embarrassment for not figuring out that the red light was indicative of a darkroom. Duh. I’m such a loser.
The walk-in closet had been fashioned into a working space with a counter running around the perimeter holding trays of developing liquid. A clothesline ran across the back of the closet, large photographs pinned to it.
“You’re a photographer?”
Nate chuckled, but not in a dickish way. “You clearly have a future as a detective.”
Face hot, Lucas shuffled his feet, laughing awkwardly. “Clearly.” He suddenly remembered the plate in his hand. “Here. Your mom thinks you need to eat more. I can just leave them.”
“You wanna come in? I’ve just got to develop a couple more shots.”
Lucas nodded and pulled the door shut behind him. Enclosed in the small space with Nate, his pulse raced. In the soft red glow, Nate looked better than ever, and Lucas fought the urge to reach out and touch him.
He cleared his throat and attempted to clear his mind. “I guess this explains why you keep your clothes in that separate wardrobe thingy.”
“Yeah, Mom was overjoyed when I made this a darkroom, as I’m sure you can imagine.” He glanced over his shoulder as he splashed some fluid into one of the trays. “You ever develop a picture before?”
“Uh-uh.” Lucas had been examining what looked to be a couple of little moles on the back of Nate’s neck and didn’t feel capable of complete sentences. Lucas had removed the hoodie, and his back flexed through the white tee.
“I’ll show you.”
As Nate went through the steps, Lucas tried to pay attention. At one point, Nate handed him a pair of rubber-tipped tongs, and Lucas dutifully plucked out a developed photo and hung it on the line. They worked in companionable silence, and Lucas found he enjoyed watching the photographs come to life. They were all black-and-white cityscapes, and a frisson of excitement zipped through him. He’d finally get a chance to see New York for himself in the days to come.
Maybe Nate could show me around.
“You took all of these?” Lucas admired the clean lines and unique angles of the photos.
Nate waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, I’m just messing around.”
“I’d like to see what you can do when you’re taking it seriously because these are amazing.”
“It’s nice of you to say so.” Nate wiped his hands on a towel and plucked a doughnut from the plate Lucas had left on the counter. “We just need to wait now before we open the door.”
Nate didn’t seem comfortable with praise, so Lucas stopped talking and took his own doughnut, relishing the sweet, fruity flavor. He couldn’t understand why Nate trivialized his talent. Lucas was no expert, but he found the photographs beautiful, particularly one taken from a low angle of a cathedral, a balloon floating away in the corner. He wondered
what color the balloon had been but didn’t ask. It was probably a stupid question.
They ate in silence, and Lucas noticed a blob of jelly filling on the corner of Nate’s mouth. Before he could think, he reached out, swiping at it with his finger. Their eyes locked, and Lucas froze, his hand still at Nate’s mouth.
Oh God, what was he doing?
He stayed in place, not breathing as he and Nate stared at each other in the muted red light. Before Lucas could process what was happening, Nate’s tongue curled out and licked the jelly from his finger. A jolt of desire shot right to Lucas’s balls, and he swallowed thickly, his throat suddenly dry.
Then Nate turned his head just a bit and sucked Lucas’s finger into his mouth, his gaze behind his glasses locked on Lucas’s face.
As Lucas moaned low in his throat, heart pounding, Nate yanked him close, and they were kissing. Lucas’s head swam from the explosion of sensations.
They. Were. Kissing.
He was actually kissing another man. He’d dreamed of it, and somehow it was happening. He opened his mouth, and Nate’s tongue dived in, probing and stroking as his hands ran over Lucas’s back, down to his ass.
Quiet, allegedly mild-mannered Nathaniel Kramer was grabbing his ass.
Head swimming, Lucas kissed Nate back, his body alive in a way it had never been while kissing a girl. The scratch of Nate’s stubble, his musky scent, his strong body hauling Lucas close—everything about him was so male.
I really am gay! I’m kissing a guy!
Giddy and burning with lust at the same time, Lucas explored Nate’s mouth, their kisses sweet from the doughnuts.
They both gasped for air, and Lucas realized his jeans were now undone as Nate sank to his knees. “What are you…?”
As Nate grinned wickedly and took Lucas in his mouth, all intelligent thought fled. Lucas leaned back against the counter, his hands searching for purchase as he moaned at the wet heat of Nate’s mouth. His right hand slid into one of the developing trays, liquid splashing as Nate sucked him into his throat.
Lucas’s whole body vibrated. Nate’s tongue was doing things he’d never imagined possible, and it certainly hadn’t felt like this when Paige Gallner had awkwardly sucked him off on prom night.
It felt like his cock was pulsing in time with his heart, all his nerve endings on fire. Nate pushed up Lucas’s plaid shirt with one hand, fingers skimming over Lucas’s belly and up to his nipples.
“Oh!” Lucas cried out, then slapped his own hand over his mouth.
Nate pulled off and said, “Yeah, keep it down, okay?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Nate caressed Lucas’s belly, making him squirm, watching him. “Have you done this before?”
“I… No. Not really. A girl did this to me once, but it wasn’t anything like this.”
Lazily stroking Lucas’s shaft, Nate waggled his eyebrows above his glasses. “Well, you’re in good hands now.”
“Literally. I never thought—Sam said you’re a geek, but you’re not at all.”
Nate dipped his fingers behind Lucas’s balls, pressing the sensitive skin there. He grinned as Lucas trembled and bucked his hips. “Geeks can be good at fucking. I promise.”
Lucas could only moan, his breath hitching.
After licking along the bottom of Lucas’s cock, Nate asked, “You like guys? You like this?”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded jerkily. “Doesn’t it seem like I do?”
Nate grinned. “Yes, but I just wanted to make sure.” His smile faded, and he teased the tip of Lucas’s cut dick before asking, “Want to come in my mouth?”
He could only whimper and nod, and Nate sucked him almost to the root, his cheeks hollowing. Lucas quivered, his knees shaking as Nate cradled his balls with his other hand. He tipped over the edge, red-tinged stars exploding in his vision as he came and Nate swallowed.
Nate held Lucas up with strong hands on his hips, standing a few moments later. He swiped his mouth with the back of his hand and straightened his glasses. Then casually unzipped his jeans and shoved them down his hips before pulling out his cock. It was cut and thick, the tip gleaming in the red light.
“Uh…” Lucas still couldn’t seem to form a sentence, which made Nate smile as he began jerking himself off. Lucas watched, wide-eyed. “Can I?”
Nate dropped his hand. “Be my guest.”
So many times Lucas had imagined what it would be like to touch another guy’s dick. He’d done it as a kid once with a schoolmate, but that had only been mutual curiosity. They’d been too young to really know what they were doing, and had only poked and goofed around.
This was a man’s cock Lucas was wrapping his hand around. It throbbed hot against his palm, and he twisted his hand to get a good angle as he stroked. His fingers brushed wiry hair at the base, and Nate’s puffs of breath tickled Lucas’s face as he leaned closer, his hand slipping around Lucas’s shoulder, holding on.
“That’s it. Just do it like you’d do to yourself.”
Lucas lifted his hand to spit into his palm a couple of times, and Nate took his wrist, bending his head to lick Lucas’s hand, spitting into it himself. Lucas’s balls tingled, his dick twitching already at the rough sensation of Nate’s tongue.
When Lucas stroked Nate again, Nate groaned, his hand sliding farther around Lucas’s shoulder, fingers reaching up to tug at the short hair at the back of Lucas’s neck.
I’m really doing this. I’m touching his dick. I’m jerking him off!
Of course his stupid brain felt the need to blurt, “So, you’re gay too?”
Nate raised his eyebrows, smiling as he breathed hard, arching his hips into Lucas’s hand. “Detective material for sure.”
“Did you know I was gay as well?”
“I hoped you were when you walked into my room. You’re so fucking hot. But I knew when you watched me jerk off in the shower.”
Blood rushing to his cheeks, glad the red light of the darkroom would conceal it, Lucas squeaked. His rhythm on Nate’s cock stuttered. “You saw me? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—I didn’t—”
“Shh.” Nate caught Lucas’s mouth in a kiss, and Lucas moaned as he realized the musky salt he was tasting amid the lingering hint of sugar was his own cum. Nate leaned back, eyes twinkling. “I left the door open on purpose. I figured if you fell into my trap, this Hanukkah could be a lot more fun than the usual games of dreidel.”
“I…” Lucas’s mind spun. Nate’s other words registered belatedly. “You think I’m hot?”
Nate’s brow furrowed. “Uh, yeah. Have you looked in a mirror?” He thrust his hips against Lucas’s hand. “You get me really hard.”
“Uh, thank you?” Blood rushed in Lucas’s ears. This had to be a dream.
Laughing softly, Nate kissed him again, just a gentle press of lips. “You’re welcome. What do you say we have some fun this holiday?”
“Okay.” Breathless, Lucas nodded. “Yes.”
Nate arched an eyebrow over the black rim of his glasses. “Now how about you make me come?”
Lucas had never been happier to oblige a request in his life.
Chapter Four
“Look at this fog—sticking around all day! There’s a gorgeous view from this bridge, but I’m afraid the weather’s not cooperating.”
Lucas spoke up from the backseat. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Kramer. I’m sure I’ll see the view another day.”
“You simply must. Perhaps you can come back into the city on the ferry. You’ll get a good look at the Statue of Liberty too. I’m afraid I don’t like heights, or I’d take you up the Empire State Building myself when there’s better visibility.” She glanced in the rearview mirror. “Sam, you’ll take Lucas back tomorrow?”
“I’ve got stuff to do with my friends. I already spent a whole day at a stupid museum with you guys. Why did I have to come?”
“Samuel.”
The truth was, Lucas couldn’t have cared less about seeing the city any
more. What he cared about was that Nate had been an arm’s length away from him all day and he couldn’t touch him. Nate had taken the front seat after a heated debate with Sam, and he was tantalizingly close, yet out of reach. Lucas’s leg jiggled, and he noted the traffic with impatience. He just wanted to be back in Nate’s room.
Back in his bed.
Well, he hadn’t slept there or anything. After they’d made out again and Nate had given Lucas another mind-bending blow job, they’d slept in their separate beds. Lucas knew it was stupid to sleep together in a tiny twin bed when Nate’s parents could walk in at any time, but he still wanted to. When he’d woken that morning, Nate was already downstairs, and they’d been on the go all day.
“Mom, I’ve got plans!” Sam whined.
Lucas cleared this throat. “You know, I can just come back by myself.”
“I can take him.” Nate’s voice was so quiet, Lucas barely heard him.
“Will you, darling? I thought you’d be busy with your little hobby. So many hours you spend locked up in that closet.”
It occurred to Lucas that he didn’t know if the Kramers knew Nate was gay. Was he in the closet in that regard as well? Lucas could hardly blame him. He’d only come out to his dad near the end. He hadn’t wanted to upset him, but the thought of never telling him the truth was unbearable.
Thinking of how his father had kissed his forehead and told him he loved him just as he was, Lucas’s eyes burned. He pushed away the memories before he burst into tears and freaked everyone out.
“It’s not a problem.” Lucas thought he could detect an edge to Nate’s voice now.
“Yeah, because King Geek doesn’t have any friends.” Sam cackled.
“Samuel. Your brother has lots of friends at NYU. He’s in the law society, after all.”
“Just no friends I’d introduce to you, asswipe,” Nate added.
Lucas turned his head to the window as Nate and Sam continued bickering. There was something oddly reassuring about it, and the way Mrs. Kramer interjected every so often. The sense of familiarity with each other left him yearning.
Gay Romance Holiday Collection Page 3