He was on his second shampoo when he realized he wasn’t alone. Through the transparent curtain, he saw Nate closing the bathroom door behind him. Leaning against it, Nate watched him.
“Sorry. Did I wake you?” Lucas shifted uneasily. He felt like he was on display in the bright light of the bathroom and resisted the urge to cover himself.
Nate took off his glasses, then his boxers. He slid back the shower curtain. The shampoo trickled down Lucas’s forehead, and Nate washed it away with his palm. Stepping back, Lucas silently invited him into the shower.
Since it was far easier than talking, they silently moved into each other’s arms and kissed, tongues winding together as their hands explored. Lucas wasn’t sure when Nate had picked up the soap, but he leaned into his touch as Nate lathered him.
His cock was at full attention, and Lucas could feel Nate’s hardness against his ass as Nate turned him around to face away from the spray of water. His hands still roamed over Lucas, and then one of his fingers pushed just inside Lucas’s hole. Lucas tensed, his eyes popping open.
“Relax.” Nate whispered in his ear before sucking the lobe gently.
Lucas tried to do as he was told, and Nate’s finger probed a little deeper, stretching him. Filling him with a low burn, the pressure of his finger feeling… God, it felt good. Really good. He must have said it aloud, because Nate chuckled. “Just wait. It gets better.”
“What are you going to do?” Lucas’s heart hammered wildly. He knew he was entering uncharted territory.
“I’m going to eat your ass.”
The words sounded so wonderfully dirty on Nate’s tongue. Lucas had read about rimming, but reading and experiencing were two very different things. He took a deep shuddering breath, excitement thrumming through his veins. He could only say, “Uh…”
Nate smoothed his hands down Lucas’s flanks to his hips. “As long as you want me to?”
“Yes, yes. Uh-huh.”
Chuckling, Nate kneeled behind him, spreading open his cheeks. At the first touch of Nate’s tongue against his hole, Lucas thought he might come right then and there. He leaned forward, bracing his hands wide on the slick tiles as Nate licked and nibbled at his ass, thrusting his tongue inside. If Nate hadn’t held him up by his hips, Lucas was sure his legs would collapse as flashes of pleasure shot through his whole body, all the way to the tips of his fingers.
He moaned, breathing heavily as Nate worked magic with his mouth and tongue. When Nate’s hand snuck around to stroke Lucas’s cock, sparks ignited and his balls tightened. Nate was fucking him with his tongue now, stroking Lucas in time, and Lucas had to press his lips together to keep from shouting.
He shook with his orgasm, whimpering in little gasps as the pleasure overtook him, centered on his cock and his hole, where Nate had his head buried. Propped up by the wall, Lucas tried to catch his breath. Nate’s tongue traveled all the way up his spine until Nate nuzzled at the back of his neck.
“Like that?” Nate whispered, nipping at Lucas’s skin.
Lucas could only nod. Nate’s erection was hot against his ass, and he thought about what it would be like to bend over and let Nate fuck him, to have that hot cock pressing inside. Before he could do anything, Nate turned him around and put Lucas’s hand on his rigid cock, urging Lucas to stroke him. He did, and Nate leaned into his touch, his eyes drifting shut.
Nate didn’t take long to come, and when he was done, they cleaned up under the hot spray of water. Lucas was just finishing rinsing the leftover shampoo out of his hair when Nate said, “Sorry about today. I was a jerk. I can get like that sometimes.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t mean to push or whatever. I was a jerk too.”
Nate turned off the water and stepped out onto the bathmat, wrapping a towel around his lean hips before putting on his steamy glasses. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s just…” He stopped, his hand on the doorknob.
“What?”
“No one’s ever read me that easily before.” Then he was gone, leaving Lucas alone in the steam.
Chapter Six
When the phone rang in the kitchen, Nate snapped it up off the cradle. “Hello?” He was silent for a moment. “Mom, you know we’ve got tickets for Wicked. In fact, it was you who bought them and insisted I take Lucas to this stupid musical in the first place.”
Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his chair at the kitchen table. He hated witnessing fights, even if they were one-sided. They’d been waiting for over half an hour for Mrs. Kramer to return home, since she’d requested they light the menorah with her before going into the city.
“Okay, Mom. I know.” After a beat he added, “I love you too.” He hung up and turned to Lucas. “Come on, we’ve got to light this thing and hit the road.”
Lucas followed as Nate went to the living room, pausing to stick his head down the hall toward the den. “Dad! Mom says we should just light it without her tonight.”
“Oh.” There was a pause, and then Mr. Kramer called, “You boys go ahead without me. And take my car into the city if you want.”
Nate’s eyebrows raised. “Yeah? Okay, Dad.” At the front window, he whispered to Lucas. “He usually doesn’t let us within a hundred yards of his Audi.”
He struck a match, and Lucas blinked in surprise. “Don’t you have to say those things first? The blessings?”
Nate sighed, smiling. “You’re worse than my mom.” He closed his eyes and spoke the two blessings quickly, and Lucas told himself he shouldn’t find it hot. He failed miserably. Nate opened his eyes. “Okay, now you can light the candles.”
“Me? I’m really not qualified.”
Laughing, Nate struck another match, lighting the middle candle. “This is the shamash, which means guard or servant. So we take this”—Nate picked up Lucas’s hand and put it on the candle, his palm warm as he covered Lucas’s hand with his own—“and then light the other candles with it.”
Lucas let Nate’s hand guide his as they lit five other candles, three still unlit. Standing so close to Nate, Lucas felt the warmth of his body and yearned to touch him. They placed the shamash back in its place, but still held it as their eyes met. In the soft, flickering light, Nate had never looked so gorgeous, and Lucas leaned in to kiss him.
“You should get going. Traffic’s always bad getting to the theatre district.” Mr. Kramer’s voice boomed out from the hallway, and Lucas and Nate sprang apart.
Mr. Kramer rounded the corner. “Ah, candles lit. Very good.” He pulled out his wallet. “Here’s some money for gas, and to have a bite after the show if you want.” He handed Nate a wad of bills. “It’s very nice of you to entertain Sam’s friend.” He turned to Lucas before going back to the den. “Merry Christmas.”
Lucas blinked, realizing he’d forgotten it was Christmas Eve. “Oh, right. Um, thanks.” His first Christmas without his dad was upon him, and he hadn’t even noticed it. Guilt soured his stomach, and he had to swallow hard to get rid of the lump in his throat.
In the car, they were quiet as Nate headed to the Verrazano Bridge. “Are you okay? I know it must be hard, with your dad gone and everything. Mom said you don’t have any other family?”
“No, not really. And yeah. Thanks.” Lucas blew out a long breath. “It sucks. You’d think…” He shook his head.
“What?” Nate reached over and rubbed Lucas’s thigh with his palm.
“I knew for months that he was going to die. So did he. He fought hard, but he knew it. So you’d think I’d be more used to it by now or something. Sometimes I’ll see something and think, Oh, I need to tell Dad about that. Or, Dad will like that movie. Or whatever. Like I actually forget.”
“I think that’s normal.” Nate rubbed gently, his hand warm on Lucas’s thigh. “It’s hard too with the holidays. Those old traditions.”
The way Nate was touching him—not in a sexy way, just comfort—filled Lucas with longing. He knew he shouldn’t get too attached. Nate had made it clear this was only a holiday fling. But
maybe…
Forcing a laugh, Lucas said, “Football and junk food isn’t really a hallowed family tradition that should be passed on. I don’t even like football.”
“Well, my dad and Sam will be more than happy to keep the tradition alive tomorrow, I have no doubt.”
Lucas laughed. “No doubt.” Watching the passing lights of the city as they entered Manhattan, he was quiet for a minute, relishing Nate’s caress. Then he said, “Thank you for letting me light the candles. It was…nice.” He cringed inwardly at how lame he sounded.
“Yeah.” Nate put his hand back on the wheel. “No big deal.”
Exactly. No big deal. So don’t make one of it, moron, Lucas scolded himself.
When the play let out a few hours later, Lucas and Nate walked into the crisp, clear night, squeezing past the horde of teenage girls waiting at the stage door for the boy bander who was currently playing Boq. Cabs honked incessantly, and the city was alive with light and sound as Nate led him to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree.
Light snow started to fall almost on cue as they approached and shimmied their way into the crowd jostling for a look. Lucas took in the massive tree, which dwarfed the skating rink below, where at least a hundred people circled. A vendor sold hot chestnuts nearby, the smell wafting on the December air. It was like being in a movie.
After a minute, he realized Nate was chuckling. Lucas asked, “What’s so funny?”
“You look like Dorothy arriving in Oz.”
“Don’t make me start singing.” Lucas put on a mock serious expression.
“Start? You’ve been humming and skipping since we left the theater!”
Lucas shoved Nate’s arm playfully. “So I like musicals, okay? Besides, don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it. You know you got verklempt at the end.”
“Ohhhh, busting out the Yiddish! Impressive. Very impressive.”
“Your bubbe taught me a thing or two the other night.”
Nate’s cell rang, and while he pushed his way out of the crowd, Lucas followed, gazing around in wonder. Manhattan at night was as vibrant and intoxicating as he always imagined. He thought fleetingly of the sleepy little college town to which he’d soon be returning, where he had felt so alone, and lost a bit of the spring in his step. New York City just seemed so full of possibility.
Pocketing his phone, Nate turned to Lucas and eyed him critically, unzipping Lucas’s navy jacket. “You’ve gotta lose the plaid.”
“What?” Lucas glanced down at his outfit of jeans, black tee, and plaid shirt over top. “You said this was fine.”
“I believe my exact words were that you’d fit in with the other tourists,” Nate teased.
“Okay, so where are we going now?”
“To a flannel-free zone.” Nate grinned slyly. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it.”
Lucas shivered, rubbing his arms as he tried to restore circulation. The line for the club was long, but Nate had insisted Lucas take off his shirt and jacket and hold them, even though the night was only growing colder. Nate had peeled off his sweater and jacket and was clearly trying not to shiver in his white tank-top style undershirt.
The neon sign on the building screamed Gomorrah in scarlet. Lucas was amazed how many people were clubbing on Christmas Eve. He’d really rather just go home and curl up with Nate in one of the twin beds, but he didn’t want to be a killjoy.
Sure, the club would be crowded, and the music was so loud the sidewalk practically vibrated with the bass, but when in Rome and all that. Besides, he was with Nate, and it was about time Lucas went to a gay club. He’d seen them in movies and on TV, and his heart skipped excitedly at the thought of actually going into one. It was all very Officially Gay.
Leaning in close, Lucas whispered to Nate, “Have I mentioned I’m not twenty-one?”
“Shhh. Just look cute, which will be easy. I’ll handle the rest.”
Their turn came at the front of the line, and Nate handed two pieces of ID to the bouncer, who looked them over carefully before giving them back and miraculously waving them inside. In line for coat check, Lucas tried to play it cool, but couldn’t.
“What did you give him?”
The thumping bass was muted in the vestibule, but still loud. Glasses fogged, Nate put his lips right up to Lucas’s ear, sending a shiver down Lucas’s spine. “My driver’s license and my library card, plus fifty bucks from my dad.”
Lucas didn’t stop laughing until they pushed open the doors to the interior of the club. He gazed around, speechless. The cavernous, multilevel circular space was full of men. Young, hot men. Strobe lights pulsed in time to the deafening beat, and Lucas could barely hear himself think.
A few women were here and there, but by and large it was the most male place Lucas had ever been. The most gay. It was like heaven. Granted, a very loud, crowded, and sexed-up heaven. But thrilling nonetheless.
Nate must have spotted his friends, because the next thing Lucas knew, Nate took his hand and was pulling him along as they weaved through the crowd surrounding the dance floor. Lucas didn’t mind; as long as Nate was holding his hand, he’d go anywhere.
“Hey!” A very good-looking guy with light brown skin and the clearest eyes Lucas had ever seen waved to them. Those eyes raked over Lucas, taking him in from head to toe. He winked at Nate before dropping a quick kiss on his lips. He then turned to Lucas, extending his hand and speaking loudly over the din. “I’m Yaman.”
Four cute young men sidled up, all also kissing Nate on the mouth in greeting, which had Lucas staring and trying to hide his surprise. Also the bolt of raging jealousy. Nate had dropped his hand when they’d found their little space in the crowd, and Lucas fought the urge to sling his arm over Nate’s shoulders possessively.
After Lucas was introduced to Jamie, Ryan, Gord, and Dave, he tried to pay attention as they all chattered about people he didn’t know. It was strange to see Nate with his friends, talking and laughing and being so much more outgoing and confident than he was with his family. Lucas had glimpsed this side of him when they were alone, but it was startling to see him so relaxed.
He tried valiantly not to obsess about whether Nate had slept with any of his friends. He knew it was none of his business, but his mind kept returning to thoughts of Nate with other men. He wanted him all to himself.
When Gord—Lucas was pretty sure it was Gord and not Dave—slung an arm around Lucas’s shoulders and asked, “And what’s this cutie’s story?” Lucas eloquently replied, “Uh…”
Nate swooped in and removed Gord’s arm. “Hands off.”
Nate’s friends all shared a glance with eyebrows raised and chorused, “Ohhh!”
Yaman grinned at Lucas. “You must be something special all right.”
Jamie added, “Don’t tell me Mr. No Boyfriend—No Way, No How is smitten?”
“Shut up!” Nate jammed his hands in his pockets. “He’s just new. I don’t want you to scare him off. I don’t care what Lucas does.”
The hurt struck more deeply than it had any right to. Lucas knew he should laugh it off, but he could only stare at his feet, wishing he was anywhere else. A hand patted his shoulder, and he raised his head to find Ryan smiling kindly. “Don’t listen to him. Come on, let’s dance.”
Lucas shook his head. “I’m a terrible dancer.”
“So am I! Come on, baby. We’ll be terrible together.” Ryan extended his hand, and well, why not? It was better than hanging with Nate, who apparently couldn’t care less.
After a couple songs of a jerky approximation of dancing, Lucas relaxed into the music, for once not minding how deafening it was. It make it almost impossible to think, and that was just what he needed.
Yaman and Dave joined them too, and Lucas forced himself not to look for Nate. If Nate didn’t care, why should Lucas?
Maybe I shouldn’t, but I do anyway.
He told the voice to shut the hell up and jumped around getting sweaty when the new Lady Gaga came on. After a few more s
ongs, he waved to the guys and squeezed off the dance floor, in desperate need of—
There was Nate, holding out a bottle of water. Lucas took it gratefully and chugged half before wiping his mouth. “Um, thanks!” he shouted.
“Do you want a real drink?” Nate yelled back. “I’m driving, but I can buy you one.”
“Nah. But thanks.” Lucas tried to think of something else to say and failed miserably.
Then Nate blurted, “I’m sorry. I was an asshole. It’s not up to me to say who can touch you, and…” He shrugged up his shoulders with a deep breath and let them drop, his words rushing out, barely audible above the blaring techno. “I do care. I care about you. And it’s freaking me out.”
“I care about you too.”
“I just don’t know if…” Nate shook his head. “But I was a total asshole, and you don’t deserve that.”
“I forgive you.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Just like that?”
Lucas shrugged. “Yeah. I don’t want to be mad at you.” He reached out his hand, and Nate took it, drawing him near for a long, slow kiss.
When they parted, Nate asked, “Do you want to dance again?”
“Nah. I just want to watch.”
With a nod, Nate led Lucas upstairs to the second floor. A glass-fronted balcony with a railing ran all the way around, and they looked out over the dance floor. Nate stood behind Lucas, his arms snug around Lucas’s stomach. It was incredible to be in a place where they were allowed to touch. Where no one would judge or hate them or want to beat them up. The thrill was a heady rush that went right to Lucas’s head like champagne.
A mass of male bodies writhed as one below them, bare skin glistening with sweat and glitter that rained down at regular intervals. Some men simply danced, but others rubbed against each other, limbs tangled, kissing desperately. Lucas realized he was half hard, and he wiped sweat from his brow. “It’s hot in here,” he shouted.
Gay Romance Holiday Collection Page 5