I remembered knowing one kid who said he was gay, and the guys at school bullied him mercilessly and one day beat the snot out of him, landing him in the hospital, and the boys that beat him didn’t even get their hands slapped. I remember my mom and dad saying something about the kid deserving it, ‘perverting God’s intentions,’ they’d said.
“Now the guys…” he continued. “Especially when I got to high school… That was a different thing altogether. I remember the summer before my freshman year started. I’d actually made the varsity soccer team, which was impressive, but I was the lone ninth grader on a team of junior and senior guys. The season started in early August, training for the school year season. After the first practice, a couple of the guys hit the showers to get ready for dates without going home first. I got a glimpse of them in the locker room. Hell. That sealed it for me. Their tight asses, trim waists and broad shoulders, muscular chests, backs and arms? Mm-mmm! I knew what I wanted.”
Suddenly I was aware that my evening long semi was now a raging hard-on.
CHAPTER 15
Tanner casually sipped his rum and Coke. He looked over the rim of his glass, eyeing me carefully. The gaze was both sexy and terrifying. “My turn,” he said.
I nodded. It was fair. I’d just asked him a deeply personal question. Although I had just spilled my guts about my failed marriage only an hour or so ago, that was something that I should have come clean about a week or two ago. Maybe we were just going to play “Truth” all night long. I remembered my sisters forcing me to play Truth or Dare when we were kids and they were having slumber parties. Oh the joys of growing up the only boy in a family with five sisters. I started to hope that this game of “Truth” was going to lead to a game of “Dare”. I’d usually opted for the “Dare” and always followed through. Thankfully, it was just to kiss one of my sisters’ friends… nothing too obscene.
“You said that you’d never kissed a guy before that night at your place,” he stated simply.
I swallowed hard and nodded, unable to look away from his eyes that had me pinned to the spot.
“Was it that kiss that has you interested now?”
Okay. Game of Truth. Game on. “Ultimately yes, but initially, it was the night you spilled the wine on your shirt.”
A wicked little smile graced his lips. “I remember that night.” A look of confusion flashed across his face. “You suddenly had to leave…I thought I had upset you. Because I laughed at your not knowing about your hometown’s soccer club.”
I blushed. I know I did. I was going to be honest. “No, I wasn’t upset. When you took off your shirt, and I got a look at your bare chest…and abs.” I conjured up those images in my mind while my eyes raked down his body. “Your arms… all those muscles and tats… Out of the blue, I had a raging boner, and didn’t know what to do with it. And I had no idea that you were…into men, let alone into me.”
Tanner swallowed, his Adam’s apple bouncing up and down his throat. Suddenly, I wanted to kiss that throat. I wanted to taste his skin. He cleared his throat. “Well, I’d say you have the advantage here.” My eyes flashed to his. They were darker now. They looked sultry. “I’ve not seen your chest,” he finished.
I let out a quick chuckle and shook my head. “My body is nothing compared to yours,” I said.
Tanner stood and walked over and stopped in front of me. Reaching down, he took a hold of my hands and pulled me to standing. His slight height advantage of only two inches felt imposing yet exciting. Looking into my eyes with care and lust, his hands came to my waist. Gently he gripped the material and started to pull it from the confines of my jeans. Without an inkling of protest from me he continued, dragging the shirt up my sides, urging my arms up. I lifted my arms willingly and had to admit that at that point, I started to hold my breath. Our eye contact was briefly interrupted when he pulled the shirt over my head, but once the shirt had passed, his eyes, hungry with desire, were still aimed at mine.
I was only vaguely aware that I was now shirtless, standing in Tanner’s living room. I wasn’t cold, rather quite the opposite. My body was overheating. I heard my shirt drop onto the leather couch, before Tanner stepped back slightly. His eyes slowly raked down, lingering a moment at my mouth before they continued to evaluate what had just been revealed. I wasn’t embarrassed because I did work out regularly, but I was no athlete like Tanner.
Tanner eyes made it all the way to the top of my jeans then came back up and zeroed in on my chest while his hands settled on my waist.
“You make me do things I don’t normally do.”
“What’s normal?” I asked, his last comment finally making sense in my sex soaked brain.
“I don’t normally bring dates home until after I’m certain.”
“And what are you certain about with me?” I panted.
“With you, I’m certain that I want you.”
Whoa. To the heart. Want. That word. The word Elizabeth had used. She was right. To hear you are wanted is so much better than to be needed.
He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on my left shoulder then lowered for another kiss, and another… then landed on my nipple. He closed his mouth on the whole area and dragged his tongue over the now turgid bud. My body quaked at the sensation and my breath escaped me.
Sensing that he’d accurately found something that pleased me, Tanner shifted to the other pec and gently dragged his teeth on that nipple. A moan of sheer pleasure echoed through the space. It took me a second to realize it, but the moan had come from me. Tanner was soon kissing his way back up to my neck and along my jaw until he crashed down onto my lips. Any blood that wasn’t already in my cock, went rushing there now with the force of the Colorado River.
My hands snaked around his waist and I pulled him into me. When our bodies were mashed together, I heard a growl come from Tanner’s chest. Our mouths mashed fervently and my hands explored his sinewy back. Suddenly needing to feel his skin, and get another look at the chest that had me so taken that night, I pulled his shirt from his jeans and then worked to unbutton his shirt.
Reaching the uppermost button that had been fastened, Tanner pulled back. Carefully, I peeled back the material and took in his chest. The flame tattoo with 1999 and, what I now totally recognized as the Chicago Smoke logo, the Olympic Rings that also had a 2008 under them… On his left oblique was a quote. ‘Let all that you do be done in Love.’ 1 Corinthians 16:14. Whoa. A bible quote. One that I’d heard just last week. This was a sign. I ran my fingers over that tattoo that hung low on his side.
Tanner cupped my jaw and brought his mouth back to mine. One hand came behind my head, and he tilted us in opposite directions, deepening the kiss as the hand that had been on my jaw slid down over my shoulder and down my back. His touch and kiss were a heady mix and my hands were all over his skin, but when we were flush, skin to skin, two erections pounding at each other behind the denim and zippers, I nearly lost my mind.
Again, Tanner’s kisses started to move down my neck to my chest, then over my abs until he was on his knees. He looked up at me with his fingers hanging on my waistband. Holy fuck! He wants to blow me! Quietly I nodded, and his smile expressed his appreciation for the permission.
He deftly unhooked the button on my jeans then pulled the zipper down. I couldn’t hear the metal teeth come undone as my heart was pounding in my ears so loudly I was certain that Tanner must have also been hearing the rapid thump-thump-thump-thump. My breathing was so erratic I was surprised that I was still standing. Tanner took a firm grip of the denim in his hands as he lowered them and worked them over my ass. Standing with my jeans around my mid-thighs with my boxer briefs still in place, I watched Tanner intently. He looked like a kid in a candy store. He ran his hands up my thighs, coming close to, but avoiding the very clear, very stiff erection behind the cotton. His hands moved around back, each settling on an ass cheek and gripping firmly.
He let out a pained sigh and looked up at me. “I have wanted my hands o
n this ass for weeks. It feels better than I could have imagined.” To hear that he wanted me was an intense turn on. Before I knew it, his fingers had worked their way into the elastic band of my shorts, and he was rolling them down over my ass, dragging his knuckles along the way. The front of the boxers were hung up on my dick, which was harder than it had ever been in my life. I almost feared with any touching to it, that I would shoot off like a young boy, but Tanner was unaware of my trembling. He was a man on a mission. Moving his hands toward the front, he released my cock from its confines. My penis, red and swollen, pulsing, jutted proudly toward Tanner, begging all on its own to be relieved. I clenched my fists in an effort to fight off blowing it right there.
With his hands back on my ass, holding me firmly, he leaned in and what happened next rocked my world to the core… Long and slow, from the base to the tip, Tanner licked my cock. When he reached the tip, he closed his mouth on it and swirled his tongue. I let out a loud, guttural groan, and Tanner took nearly my whole length, which I felt was an impressive seven inches, into his mouth. My hands flew to his head, and my fingers threaded themselves through his hair. Not wanting him to move, I held him there. If he moved, I was going to come. It was too soon. I wanted this to last. Tanner breathed slowly while squeezing my backside. Carefully, Tanner pulled his mouth off my dick and looked up at me. It was the most erotic thing I had ever seen.
“Sit down,” he whispered hoarsely.
Gratefully, with my hands still clutching his hair, I lowered myself into the seat. In no time at all, Tanner was leaning over and took my cock back into his mouth. I gripped his hair as he lowered himself, and on instinct, my hips raised up. Tanner placed one hand at the base of my aching cock and clenched tightly with his thumb on the bottom, effectively staving off my orgasm. He started a slow and purposeful rhythm. His lips and tongue were like magic. Even when he gently scraped his teeth on my crown, the effect was sublime. I’d never enjoyed receiving head until this very moment in my life. Now, it was something I was sure to crave.
My hips continued to thrust and Tanner continued to work up and down, one hand still on the base of my cock, the other gently thumbing my balls with his fingers pressing on the skin behind them.
Tanner picked up the pace and intensity, and my grip on his soft locks tightened. I tried to pull him off of me, but he wouldn’t budge. “Tanner….” I panted. “Tanner…” I said more loudly. “I’m gonna come,” I said through clenched teeth. Tanner knew exactly what was happening. He released his hold on the base of my cock and I exploded forcefully into his mouth. He continued to work me slowly, sucking every last drop my pulsing cock spurted.
I was dizzy. Disoriented. And completely spent. My hands fell out of Tanner’s hair and to my sides. I was vaguely aware of Tanner sliding up beside me on the sofa and tucking me under his arm, pulling my head to rest on his shoulder. I inhaled deeply, his scent filling my nose. My head swirled.
Looking up at him, I found him gazing down at me. He lowered his head, kissed me gently, then let his head drop to the seat back.
“I don’t know what to say,” I whispered, resting a hand on Tanner’s thigh. “Thank you? But it doesn’t seem right, or enough, or…” Tanner laughed. The sound reverberated through his chest and stoked the flame that was burning in my chest and head. I ran my hand up and down his thigh…so muscular, so strong…and he was sitting. I couldn’t imagine how powerful they’d feel if he were standing.
“Yes. That. Was. Incredible,” he breathed through labored breaths.
Feeling brave, I let my hand that was simply rubbing his thigh reach his crotch. Fuck! He was hard as granite under there. And big. Really big. His hips swirled under my hand and thrust gently upward.
My hand moved toward the button on his jeans. I fumbled a little to get the mooring loose, but I succeeded.
Tanner placed a hand over mine and said, “You don’t have to.”
I looked up at him with all seriousness and replied, “But what if I want to?”
Tanner leaned forward and crushed my lips with his. He kissed me deeply, our tongues dueling. I noticed the taste that hadn’t been there any other time we’d kissed. The taste had to be me. Instead of being repulsed, I was turned on beyond thought. Tanner eased me back onto the seat and lowered his body over mine. He held my face in his hands and kissed me tenderly, hungrily, and passionately. He pulled back and rested his head on my forehead. “Let’s go to my—” His sentence was cut off with a ring tone that I’d not heard.
“Let’s go to my bedroom,” he started again.
“Do you need to answer that?” I asked, not sure what answer I was hoping for.
“No, they’ll call back. Or leave a voice mail.” Tanner stood, and extended me a hand. I looked up at his incredible body, muscles taut, he had a light sheen on him from our earlier activities.
My eyes happily traveled across his chest and down his rippled abs. At thirty-eight, he had insane abs. When my eyes reached the top of his jeans…the undone zipper…his dark curls spilling out…. The realization that he didn’t have any underwear on…I was a goner. I took his hand and let him pull me up into his arms. I pulled my jeans back up over my hips, managing my semi-erect penis back into the boxers.
Tanner started to kiss me and walk us…somewhere…I didn’t care. The ringtone sounded again. I felt Tanner hesitate.
“Answer it. It must be important,” I insisted.
“Greg, I really have my mind on…more pressing things,” he said, thrusting his crotch into mine. Hell yes! Gripping the back of my head, and my arms clutching around his waist, he brought his mouth to mine. All the skin-to-skin contact, kissing, and Tanner’s touches were bringing my erection back to life. It was like I was a teenager again.
Before we took another two steps, the ringtone came in again.
“Third time’s a charm. You’d better answer that,” I muttered against his lips.
“One minute. I promise. I’ll get rid of her.”
Her?? While my mind tried to process who this her was, I couldn’t help but to eavesdrop. And Shit! I was still in the man’s arms.
“Hi Sarah, what’s up?” he paused, but his face suddenly grew serious and his arm dropped from my waist. He turned from me and shoved his hand through his hair. “But it’s too early! Are you sure? I just talked to her this morning. She was fine…No, I’m sorry, of course you are. How long ago? Okay, good…Yes, fine. Of course. Tell her I’ll be there as soon as I can. And Sarah? Thank you.”
He ended the call, tucked it back into his back pocket, and started pacing the floor. “Um…um…okay. Shit!”
“Is everything okay?” I asked, knowing full well that things were not okay.
“Um no. I hope so. Shit,…it’s too early…like seven weeks too early…Um. I’m sorry to do this to you, but…”
Suddenly, Tanner didn’t look so good. In fact, it looked like he might pass out. I rushed in, landed my shoulder under his arm and guided him to the sofa. I looked him squarely in the face and said, “What’s happened? What can I help you with?”
He looked at me blankly for a moment or two, took and released a few puffs of air, then looked at me scared liked a deer in headlights. “I’m about to be a father,” he breathed.
CHAPTER 16
“I’m sorry…what?” I asked.
“Long story. Can I tell you on the ride there? Ashley’s in labor but she’s not due for another six and half weeks. I’m kinda freaked out.”
He was freaked out? How about me? But this wasn’t about me. Clearly, whatever was said on that call was much more than any insecurity I had. Alarm and anxiety were written all over Tanner’s face.
Focus, Greg. Tanner needs you to be strong. “And she’s at the hospital now?” I asked.
He nodded. “Sarah’s bringing her.”
“Okay. So, let’s get dressed and drive to the hospital.” I reached over and picked up Tanner’s shirt from the floor. He shoved his arms into the sleeves blindly while I turned my pol
o shirt right side out and pulled it over my head.
“Damn buttons!” Tanner murmured. I looked over at him and realized that his shirt was inside out. I calmly pulled it off his shoulders, righted it, and helped him put it on. I even went so far as to button the shirt for him.
“Are you okay to drive?” I asked.
“Um…I think?”
“Do you know the name of the hospital?”
“Yeah, yeah! Umm….um….It’s at…shit! It’s at the University of Chicago…but she’s too early. Six weeks. Seven weeks. Due date is—er—was October eleventh. We just started the class. I mean, Sarah knows what she’s doing, but she’s a doctor. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing!”
“How about I drive? I can use my phone to navigate. I don’t think you should be driving anywhere.”
Tanner nodded. I helped him shove his shoes on, I grabbed his keys, and we headed to the elevators. Tanner just kept muttering to himself. He was really thrown. I guess because I’d already been through three deliveries, Phoebe’s being five weeks early; I was a little more calm. In addition, it wasn’t my baby.
We stepped into the elevator and I pressed the button for the garage.
“Okay, so, why don’t you fill me in on how an openly gay man is about to become a father,” I said, trying to bring him away from the panic that clearly had a grip on him.
“Oh. Wow. Right. Odd. Um…where to start. I guess with the mother of the baby. Ashley. We’ve been best friends since college. We met in the LGBT club. We were all encouraged to ‘buddy up’ with someone we wouldn’t be attracted to…someone to call for support. Ash was sitting right next to me and we hit it off right away. She’s been a rock. Some of the breakups I’ve been through, whew…but she always helped me put it in perspective, you know? Anyway. She’s been with Sarah for, hell, twelve years? Sarah’s great. She’s an oncologist specializing in pediatric oncology.”
Unexpected Dreams: Dream Series, Book 4 Page 11