by Lane Hayes
Fortunately we made it upstairs and into my condo without a hitch. I studiously averted my gaze from the entry table and made my way to the master suite with Adam right behind me. I stripped my jacket off and left it on the bed, then headed toward the bathroom. Like my bedroom, this room was a study in white. I blinked at the gleaming marble tiles and countertop.
“Throw away the tissue and sit,” he said, gesturing toward the toilet seat.
I unbuttoned my shirt and kept my gaze averted before I obeyed. “How does it look?”
Adam dabbed a bit of antibacterial cream on his forefinger, then knelt between my thighs. “Not terrible.”
“That isn’t comforting. Is it a scratch or is a piece of my nose missing or—ow! That stings.”
“It’s a glorified scratch. You’re fine. You don’t really need a Band-Aid, but if you want one—”
“I don’t.” I stood gingerly and then avoided the mirror while we washed our hands in companionable silence.
With a stern look, he handed me a towel. “You’re in big trouble, mister.”
I widened my eyes in an over-the-top show of repentance, then slid my arms around him and breathed him in. Damn, he smelled good. Like home.
“Go easy on me. It was kinda your fault anyway.”
Adam barked a quick laugh that ricocheted around the room. “How do you figure?”
I waited a beat before answering. “You weren’t here and I just—”
“I know,” he finished in a husky tone as he dropped the towel on the floor. “But you scared the fuck out of me.”
“How?”
“All those people around you. It was weird… dangerous. I know you’re not helpless, but it made me want to protect you.”
“I don’t need you to protect me. I need you to do other things to me. Naughty things. Rough and hard and—”
“Fuck, that’s hot.” He cupped my chin, then bit it before licking a path down my neck. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“No, I’m not okay,” I replied in a serious tone. I grabbed his hand and placed it over my jeans-clad hard-on.
“Mmm. You really need help, don’t you?”
“I could use a hand, but I’d rather have your dick.”
Adam chuckled, then leaned in to kiss me. My eyes drifted shut for a moment. It felt amazing to lean into his touch and let him take over. He could do anything he wanted. I wouldn’t complain. His hands were on my chest, undoing my belt, then unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans. I groaned when he pushed the fabric over my hips, and then angled my head to lick at the seam of his mouth. I sucked in a breath a second later when he reached for my cock. He stroked me with a firm grip, paying extra attention to the sensitive head. He massaged his thumb over my slit and smeared precum at each pass. I moaned loudly and reached to undo his jeans and return the favor.
We stood like that for a few minutes, lost in deep kisses and mutual hand jobs. I wanted to savor every single detail of Adam. The feel of his breath on my lips and his heartbeat under my hand. I loved that I recognized the smell of his bodywash but couldn’t tell if it was from me or him. In a strange way, these shared scents and spaces were binding us, wrapping us in a seductive tangle. They made me think dangerous thoughts—“forever” kind of thoughts.
Adam deepened the kiss and tightened his hold. The added pressure was sublime. I did the same to him, upping the tempo and twisting my wrist the way I knew drove him crazy. He wrapped his arm around my waist and plunged his tongue a little deeper. I met his thrusts, then pulled back slightly to nibble his bottom lip and catch my breath.
He nuzzled his chin in the crook of my neck, then bit my earlobe and whispered in a ragged voice that sounded like pure sex, “Bed. I want to taste you.”
I nodded mutely and let him pull me through the doorway and walk me backward until my knees hit the edge of the mattress. He pushed my shirt open and bit my neck. When I arched against him, he pumped his hips so our erections glided together in a sweet friction. It felt amazing, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted him inside me as fast as possible.
I gulped for air and yanked his jeans and briefs out of the way before raking my fingers over his bare ass.
“Everything off.”
Adam nodded and stepped back to pull his T-shirt over his head while I turned on a light. No way was I missing any of this show. I chuckled when his shirt landed on the lamp. My sarcastic quip about patience died on my tongue. Fuck, he was perfect. Big and muscular in all the right places. I stared shamelessly at his back when he sat to pull off his shoes and socks. I could have been watching a bodybuilder. Men as big as Adam shouldn’t seem so graceful, so beautiful.
“You’re making me blush. Quit staring and get naked,” he said in a husky voice. He lay back on the crisp white sheets, then propped one arm behind his head before reaching down to palm his heavy cock. “What are you waiting for?”
I hurried to obey, then flopped beside him. He let out a breathy groan of approval when I reached down to knead his balls and suck his tit. He rolled sideways to face me, bracing his weight on his elbow as his gaze traveled over my body.
“You’re the one staring now. I thought you said something about tasting me.”
“I did.” His voice was reverent but lusty, like he couldn’t believe his luck.
I grinned at the thought as I threaded my fingers through his hair and tugged him close.
“Do it, then. Lick me. Taste me. Whatever you want. Take it.”
Adam scrambled to his knees and pushed me flat on the mattress before crawling between my thighs. I licked my lips in anticipation. The heat had officially been turned up. He jacked his thick cock, then reached for mine and stroked us together. I shivered with pleasure and lifted my hips to meet the steady motion of his fist.
“On your knees, baby.”
I quickly rolled over and braced myself on my elbows. I heard him rustle for supplies from the nightstand. The mattress shifted under his weight when he moved behind me again, setting a condom and lube next to me.
“You’re so fucking hot. You make me want things I’ve never wanted before,” he said in a soft, low voice.
I couldn’t see his expression, but his tone combined with his soothing hands moving down my spine felt like a form of worship. He could do any damn thing he pleased. I trusted him. I swayed my hips in blatant invitation just before he parted my cheeks and licked my hole.
Holy shit.
My low cry broke the silence. It sounded like me but not really. I clutched at the sheets and looked over my shoulder. I wished I had a mirror next to the bed so I could watch us. The light stubble on his jaw tickled my ass when he licked me again. His movements were hesitant at first, as though he was worried about getting it wrong. My incessant moaning had to tell him otherwise. And when he pushed his tongue inside a moment later, I thought I might pass out.
“Fuck, Adam!”
He grunted, then slipped his hand between my legs and reached for my cock. I raised myself on my elbows to give him more room to work as he stroked, licked, and probed. He was everywhere at once. His tongue was in my ass; his hands were on my dick and his own. It was almost enough to push me over the edge. He bit my ass before leaning in to lick me again.
“I could come from doing this,” he purred.
“No. I need you inside me.”
He hummed in approval, then sat back on his heels to roll on the condom and add lube. I curled my toes against his hairy calves and waited for his touch. Cool, slick fingers breached my entrance with a clever twist. I winced and wiggled my ass but went still when he pushed his way inside.
Adam ran his hands soothingly along my spine. When I kicked his foot, he huffed in amusement and surged forward with slow, even strokes before picking up the tempo, holding my hips as he rocked into me. The tender, deliberate movement steadily built into something frenzied. I pushed backward to meet my lover thrust for thrust and loved that he didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands. He raked his fingers along my sid
es one second and smacked my ass the next. Then he sat back on his knees and pulled me with him and anchored me to a sitting position with his arm slung over my chest.
Adam was so deep inside me, I felt consumed and surrounded. I leaned back and sucked his tongue as he pumped his hips furiously. He slowed down and reached around to stroke me and alternately caressed my inner thigh and my balls with his free hand. The shift in tempo sent shivers up my spine.
He bit my earlobe, then licked it before whispering, “You feel so amazing. I’ve never—not like this. It’s never been like this before.”
The longing in his voice pulled at me. It went beyond “I missed you and couldn’t wait to do this again.” I had to see him to know if I was reading into his words or if he was as baffled by this as I was.
I moved off his lap and flopped onto my back with my legs open in invitation. Adam closed his eyes as though trying to keep it together, then leaned forward and sealed his mouth over mine as he buried himself inside me again. I dug my heels into his ass, urging him to move. He smiled against my lips and slid his hands under my knees to move my legs over his shoulders. I chuckled at his self-satisfied grin and reached up to push his hair from his eyes. And that’s when I knew I wasn’t alone.
This wasn’t just sex anymore. This connection transcended physical need. It was elusive yet tangible. I could see it in his eyes and I could feel it in every fiber of my body. It left me with the oddest sensation of being pulled apart and remade—stronger, better, in spite of the butterflies fluttering inside me. I pulled him to me and kissed him. No words were necessary. He understood.
He released my legs and held me close against his chest. And then he moved… slowly at first, as if in deference to this new something between us. Our eyes were locked, our noses touched, and the rhythm began to build again in a frenzy. His hips pistoned, slamming into me and creating a sublime friction for my leaking cock. The bed creaked under the strain of the constant thumping. I squeezed his ass and lifted myself to meet his thrusts, but I knew I wouldn’t last. I was too close now.
“I’m gonna—” I grunted, biting his lower lip.
Adam’s orgasm claimed him first, but I was right behind him. Cum shot between us. I shook with the force of my release. My toes curled as I clung to my lover and fell apart. My heart skipped and somersaulted as I tumbled head over heels in a long fall. Or a new beginning.
Chapter 9
THE FOLLOWING morning sunlight splashed across my white duvet. At least I assumed it was the next day. My brain was foggy, and some of the visions that my mind insisted were memories weren’t conducive to encouraging a wakeful state. Nope. Quite the opposite. If I thought for one second I had sustained an injury from a cell phone falling off a selfie stick after I unwittingly attracted a small gathering of fans on a crowded city street, or that I kissed my mostly closeted rescuer while fans took pictures paparazzi style…. I just couldn’t process that impressive string of crazy. It was too much. However, the memory of everything that had gone down after Adam brought me home rendered the rest insignificant.
“Mornin’, sunshine. Coffee?”
I gave him a sleepy smile. Adam returned it, then scooted behind me, so close I could feel his half-hard prick poking at my bare ass. I turned onto my back and threw an arm over my eyes to shield them from bright sunlight and my perky bedmate.
“So early,” I grumbled.
“Hmm. How’s your nose?”
I gingerly tested the small bandage Adam insisted I put on after we’d made love last night. “I’ll survive.”
“Glad to hear it.” Adam leaned in to kiss my forehead before rolling over and jumping out of bed. “I’ll be back with caffeine.”
I nodded, then reached for my phone on the bedside table to check the time: 9:00 a.m. The screen lit up immediately with a new message from Ed. And there were a good two-dozen others, mostly from my bandmates and Cammy, which meant there had to be some juicy new photos online. Fuck. I scrolled further and stopped when I saw Brian’s name.
That’s when the haze of sleep dissipated and the reason my evening spiraled into a PR nightmare came back to me. The letter.
Of course I hadn’t forgotten it. I’d just pushed it out of reach. It was a trick I’d mastered as a teenager. When things go sideways, shift into neutral. My philosophy had served me well over the years.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
I took the coffee mug and did my best not to ogle Adam’s naked body. I failed miserably, if his smirk was any indication. He sat on the edge of the mattress and cradled his cup as he studied me carefully. After last night I wondered what he saw. A dumber version of the geek I’d been in high school, or a rock star on the edge of a nervous breakdown? Or was I something more to him? I wanted to be, but I wasn’t feeling very deserving at the moment. Keep it neutral, I reminded myself.
“I’m sorry about last night,” I ventured weakly.
“I’m not.”
“You might be once you see what’s online. I haven’t looked yet, but—”
“I did. It’s not too bad. There’s a picture of me kissing your hand in front of the cab, but hey… they got my good side,” he joked.
I let out a half laugh and cocked my head. “Why aren’t you freaked out?”
“It’s not like I’m going to deny it was me, so what’s the point of getting upset about something I would do again in a heartbeat?”
“Distance,” I replied.
“I don’t want to distance myself from you. Can’t you tell? We’re living together, sleeping together, and—”
“Until you go home.”
Silence.
Adam took a deep breath and set his mug on the nightstand before gesturing for me to talk. “What’s going on?”
“What makes you think—”
“Cool it. Something happened last night. What was it?”
“You don’t remember?” I fluttered my eyelashes but wasn’t entirely surprised when he didn’t crack a smile.
“I remember everything. Tell me about the part before I pulled you out of the sidewalk mosh pit. The real reason you came to Jock’s.”
His no-nonsense tone was kind of sexy, but the overwhelming sense of dread I’d pushed aside last night wasn’t going away. I bit my lip and stared unseeing at the painting across the room. “The letter I couldn’t find popped up in the mail suddenly. I found it when I closed the door behind Brian last night.”
“Whoa. Where is it?”
“I left it on the table by the vase.”
Adam jumped out of bed and returned with the notecards. I shifted uncomfortably under his sharp gaze.
“Who did you call?”
“No one. I panicked. I took a quick shower, got dressed, and snuck out the back way to catch a taxi to Jock’s. You know the rest. You used all of my favorite mouthwash, by the way. You need to replace it pronto.”
Adam furrowed his brow in disbelief, then opened and closed his mouth before finally asking me what the fuck I was thinking.
I huffed at his sharp tone and sipped my coffee for distraction. “I was thinking I had to get away from the psycho.”
“Who exactly is the psycho in this scenario?”
“Brian! He’s my admirer. Don’t you get it? He was here alone the day after I received that fucking thing. He took it, and he must have mailed it to me with a new letter. I swear the envelope wasn’t there when I first looked at the mail. He must have snuck it in before he left last night when I wasn’t looking.”
Adam studied the postmark and cocked his head. “He’s been with you for days, though.”
“I know,” I sighed in defeat. “The date and place don’t match, but… I have this weird feeling. It may seem farfetched, but he’s had opportunity.”
“What about me? I’ve had more opportunity than anyone,” he challenged.
“You wouldn’t.”
“No, I wouldn’t, but my point stands. You can’t assume you’ve solved a mystery based o
n circumstantial evidence. Especially when you’ve made it clear you don’t care for Brian in the first place. If he makes you uncomfortable, get a new bodyguard pronto. But in the meantime, you need to give this letter to the police and talk to them and your bandmates.”
“Too much adulting. I can’t do it.”
Adam mumbled something unflattering and set my phone in my lap. “Go on. I’ll be here if you need me.”
“I’ll send a text, and call later. I’m not in the mood to get yelled at.”
“Hey, I don’t blame you. Your life is bonkers.”
“It’s not that bad,” I said, picking at an imaginary piece of lint on the spotless linen.
“It might not be bad, but it certainly isn’t normal. Last night is heavily documented online and probably on a few television entertainment shows too. It’s everywhere. Listen to this.” Adam picked up his iPad from the nightstand and cast a pointed look my way before he began reading.
“Fans were treated to an unexpected surprise when Isaac D, star guitarist of the megasensation Spiral, was spotted solo last night in Chelsea. Isaac graciously stopped in front of Jock’s, a popular gay bar, to sign autographs and take photos with fans before announcing he was meeting his boyfriend inside.”
“I didn’t say that.” I frowned.
Adam raised his brow as if to say what difference does it make? before continuing. “In a twist, Isaac is dating Adam McBride, a high school friend and recent divorcé. The two have been spotted—”
“Stop. No more.”
I set my mug on the nightstand, then slumped under the covers again and this time buried my head facedown in my pillow. I wanted a redo. A day that didn’t begin with an average cup of coffee, a Band-Aid on my nose, and an online so-called news site reporting me doing something stupid. Before I could add to my list of woes, Adam flung the covers back and smacked my ass. Hard.