Stage Two

by Ariel Tachna

  Their room was the last one at the end of the corridor on the second floor. Thane suspected they’d be able to see the mountains in the morning, but for now, his only interest in the window was closing the drapes so he didn’t have to worry about the sun waking them up.

  “I didn’t pack anything,” Blake said, wringing his hands nervously when Thane turned back around. “That’s the one problem with surprises.”

  “Don’t worry,” Thane said. “I packed toiletries for both of us, and you won’t be wearing your clothes long enough for them to get dirty.”

  BLAKE shivered at the husky timbre of Thane’s voice. He wanted that so desperately he could taste it. He took a step forward—apparently the agreement Thane had been watching for, because he swooped in and pulled Blake tight against him. Blake buried his fingers in Thane’s hair and tugged his head down for a kiss. Thane met him halfway and devoured Blake’s mouth. Blake tightened his grip and arched up against Thane’s larger body, his head swimming already. They’d been building toward this for weeks now, and he didn’t want to wait any longer.

  “You’re sure your nephews aren’t hiding under the bed?”

  Thane made an inarticulate sound, low and feral. Blake shivered and reached for his tie. Thane had stopped him last time, wanting to undress Blake himself. Blake almost hoped Thane would take charge again, because he wasn’t sure he could undress with Thane watching him so intently. He got his tie loosened and the top button of his shirt undone before Thane pounced.

  He spun Blake around and fitted him into the curve of his body. Blake leaned into the heat pressing against his back. Thane manhandling him probably shouldn’t have turned him on the way it did, but he couldn’t stop the thrill he felt at having Thane take control. He shimmied a bit in Thane’s embrace, hoping to hurry him along.

  Thane didn’t hurry, per se, but he did spread one large hand over Blake’s stomach, so close to his aching erection he could feel the heat without actually making contact, and held him still. “Don’t tempt me.”

  “Isn’t that why we’re here?” Blake asked.

  Thane pinched his side in reply. Blake just moaned and gave himself over to whatever Thane had planned. Thane nipped at his neck and then rubbed his jaw along Blake’s skin. The prickle of his beard drove Blake wild. “Are you going to see anyone who will care if you have a hickey this week?”

  Blake tipped his head to the side, baring his neck. “No one but Heidi, and she won’t care.”

  Thane nipped the same spot again, then opened his lips and sucked hard. Blake shuddered in his arms, sure if Thane did much of that he’d come in his pants. “I thought you told me I wasn’t going to be wearing my clothes long enough to get them dirty. If you don’t hurry up and undress me, I’m going to make a liar out of you.”

  “That sounds like a challenge.” Thane’s voice rumbled in his ear.

  “Thane!”

  “Relax, sweetheart. I’ll take good care of you, I promise.”

  Blake squirmed a little at the pet name. He could live with hearing Thane call him that for the next fifty years or so. “I know you will. Just… now?”

  Thane chuckled and sucked on that spot again. Blake thought for a moment that Thane really did intend to make him come in his pants, but he took mercy on Blake and unbuckled his belt and untucked his shirt. “Toe your shoes off,” Thane murmured.

  Blake did as Thane said and stepped out of his shoes. Thane pushed his trousers and underwear down to his knees, leaving Blake gasping at the sudden shock of cool air on his skin. He trembled against Thane as Thane worked open the buttons of his shirt. This was it. He was finally going to bed with Thane Dalton.

  He pushed the thought aside as unworthy of both of them. Thane wasn’t a goal to be achieved any more than Blake wanted to be another notch in Thane’s bedpost. This meant something.

  Thane finished undoing Blake’s shirt and peeled it off him. “Get comfortable. Let me get what we need and I’ll be right there.”

  Blake might have protested, but his legs were barely keeping him upright. He’d never manage to get Thane undressed. Next time he’d be more in control of himself and would insist on returning the favor.

  Yeah, right. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to being the center of Thane’s attention.

  He crossed to the bed, pulled back the covers, and climbed beneath them. If it were warmer in the room and he was a little bolder, he’d kick them to the foot of the bed in silent offering, but the room was cool and he was nervous. Thane would have to take his presence as an invitation instead.

  Thane rummaged in a small bag for a moment before straightening and coming to stand right next to the bed. He set a package of condoms and a bottle of lube on the bedside table, then stepped back and started to undress. Blake watched avidly as Thane stripped off his jacket and shirt. Blake had felt his chest and shoulders through his clothes and had admired his arms in his T-shirts, but this was the first time he’d seen Thane’s bare chest. His mouth watered at the sight. Thane was even more built than Blake had imagined, all rock-hard muscle covered in black hair scattered with silver, just like his head. Blake shifted on the bed, gaze fixed on Thane as he moved to his pants. He dropped his trousers first, leaving him in nothing more than a pair of black boxer briefs. It figured Thane would wear black. Then he pushed those down as well and straightened, letting Blake look his fill.

  It was too much and not enough, all at once. Thane didn’t preen beneath Blake’s gaze. He didn’t need to. He knew his own appeal. He’d proven that with every seductive touch and heated glance. Blake couldn’t stand the waiting any longer. He lifted the covers, inviting Thane to join him.

  Thane slipped in beside him, stretching out the length of Blake’s body, and suddenly the covers were too much. Blake kicked them off as Thane rolled on top of him. Blake spread his legs to let Thane settle between them. He hissed as the movement brought their cocks into contact. As good as it felt, though, that wasn’t what he wanted. He shifted so that Thane’s erection slipped lower, bumping against his entrance. He’d waited twenty years for this moment, and now that it was here, he couldn’t wait any longer.

  “Next time I’m not going to let you rush me,” Thane said as he took Blake’s cues and reached for the lube.

  “Next time I won’t need to rush you,” Blake replied. To his relief Thane didn’t linger over the preparations, but he didn’t rush either, taking the time to stretch Blake thoroughly. If Blake hadn’t been begging for more with every caress, he was sure Thane would have lingered, drawing it out and teasing him until he couldn’t think straight.

  He’d passed that point somewhere around the time Thane unbuckled his belt.

  When he withdrew his fingers and slid home, Blake thought he’d died and gone to heaven. Then Thane leaned over him and took his mouth with the same gentle care, and Blake knew he’d never known tenderness until now. He shook apart beneath Thane’s ministrations. Thane followed seconds behind him. He rolled to the side so he wouldn’t crush Blake but kept him tucked tightly against his side.

  Blake fell asleep to the sound of Thane’s beating heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  SINCE he didn’t have to work that week, Blake met Heidi for lunch on Monday at Stella’s. He was tempted to wear a turtleneck just so she wouldn’t see the collection of bruises and beard burn all over his neck, but it had warmed up on Sunday, not unreasonable for the first week of April, so she’d be even more likely to comment if he did. He wasn’t ashamed of the marks. They were just private. Then again, if anyone would understand what it meant to him to be Thane’s lover, it was her.

  She was already there when he arrived, and by the time he sat down, she had a smirk on her face. “I’d ask you if you had a good weekend, but your neck already answered my question.”

  Blake couldn’t stop the probably silly grin that crossed his face every time he thought about Saturday night and Sunday. “Yeah, I had a good weekend.”

  She swatted at him across th
e table. “You have to tell me more than that.”

  “We went to Boone Tavern for dinner on Saturday night,” Blake said, “and didn’t come home until Sunday afternoon.”

  “Was it as good as you dreamed it would be?”

  There wasn’t the slightest comparison. The Thane of his dreams wasn’t real. He didn’t radiate heat like a furnace. He didn’t use his beard to devastating effect. He didn’t have tender hands hiding beneath his calluses. He didn’t fold himself around Blake as they slept, like he could keep all the bad things in the world away. Blake’s only regret was waking up alone this morning.

  “Better.”

  MEET me for lunch?

  Blake smiled at the text from Thane on Tuesday morning. He didn’t have plans for the day other than doing laundry, and that could wait until later. When and where?

  I’m working not far from your apartment. What’s good and close?

  Why don’t you come here for lunch? I’ll pick something up.

  You just want a quickie.

  And you don’t?

  ;)

  I’ll have lunch ready at noon.

  Thane didn’t answer, but Blake figured he’d have texted back if there was a problem. That gave him forty minutes to figure out lunch. He could get chicken salad and some fresh bread from the Mousetrap, and they could make sandwiches. He didn’t know how long Thane could afford to be gone, all joking about quickies aside, but they could eat and talk. Anything else would be a bonus.

  Not that he’d complain if Thane had enough time for them to linger.

  A quick trip to the store and some tidying up later, Blake was finally ready for Thane to arrive. He set out dishes—nothing fancy, but the faster they could eat, the more time they’d have for other things—and debated turning on the TV. The doorbell rang before he could decide what to do.

  It figured Thane was early.

  He opened the door and tilted his head up for a kiss as soon as Thane stepped inside. Thane bent to meet him and swept his tongue between Blake’s parted lips with no preamble. Blake moaned and pressed up into the contact as Thane grabbed his ass with both hands and squeezed.

  “You’re going to kill me,” Thane mumbled against Blake’s lips.

  “Me? You’re the one who brought sex into the conversation.”

  “I take one look at you, and all I can think about is kissing you again,” Thane said.

  “How long can you stay?” Blake asked breathlessly.

  “I’m the boss. What are they going to do? Fire me?”

  Blake grinned even as he crowded Thane back against the door. The rumble of Thane’s stomach interrupted them. Laughing, Blake took a step back. “I guess I’d better feed you first. Is chicken salad okay?”

  “I usually grab whatever fast-food hamburger is closest,” Thane admitted. “Chicken salad sounds great.”

  “It’s all set out in the kitchen.”

  Thane took up way too much space for Blake’s tiny kitchen, but Blake didn’t complain when he squeezed past Thane to get them both a glass of water and Thane ground against him. “Food first,” he scolded.

  “How much is left to do on the sets?” Thane asked.

  Blake grabbed at the change of subject. They needed to talk about something else or they’d never manage to eat lunch.

  “Not much. We’ll probably be done by midweek. After that, it’s all performance stuff. Lights, sound, prop checks, scene changes. Still a lot to do, but a different kind of work.”

  “Probably not something I’d be useful with,” Thane said.

  “Probably not, although I’ll miss seeing you,” Blake said. He handed the chicken salad and bread to Thane.

  “That just means we’ll have to plan a little more carefully,” Thane replied. “Having dinner on Saturdays was fine when I got to see you every afternoon, but you see how long I lasted this week.”

  “Two days isn’t that long,” Blake teased.

  “And here I thought I’d done good not trying to get you to come out with me last night,” Thane replied.

  “You could have called. I wasn’t busy.”

  “What about once school starts back up?” Thane asked. “I mean, I know you’ll be at the theater for rehearsals, but what about dinner afterward some nights?”

  “I’m usually free in the evenings, except on Fridays,” Blake said.

  “Your standing happy-hour date,” Thane said with a nod. “I wouldn’t dream of suggesting you miss that. So we could go out other nights besides Saturday.”

  “Yes. Sometimes I have event supervision duties, but because I work with the theater as much as I do, I don’t have as many extra events as some of the other principals. I get all my extra hours in with the plays,” Blake explained. “I’m not exactly the most interesting person in the city.”

  “I think you are,” Thane countered.

  Blake wolfed down the remains of his sandwich. “Eat fast.”

  Thane laughed. “Why? Do you have other plans?”

  “What do you think?” Blake asked even as he blushed at how forward he was being. Thane didn’t care. If anything, he liked it. Thane pushed his chair back and patted his thigh. Blake was around the table in a flash to straddle Thane’s legs. He enjoyed the novelty of looking down into Thane’s face for once. Thane nuzzled his jaw.

  “I suppose I’d better be careful about leaving marks.”

  “No more bruises where they’ll show,” Blake agreed. “I have to look respectable on Monday.”

  “What about where they won’t show?”

  Blake ground down against Thane in lieu of a reply. Thane groaned beneath him, sending a thrill through Blake at the thought of everything he wanted to do to and with Thane. Thane cupped Blake’s ass—no surprise now after he’d made his appreciation crystal clear over the weekend—and kneaded gently. Blake pulled the tie from Thane’s hair and ran his fingers through it before bending to kiss Thane hungrily.

  “There are better places to do this,” Thane pointed out when Blake lifted his head. “I know you have a couch, and I’m sure you have a bed. We’d be much more comfortable there.”

  Blake grabbed Thane’s hand and pulled him toward the bedroom.

  “Do you have supplies?” Thane asked. “I didn’t leave home this morning with this in mind.”

  “You mean you don’t carry lube in your pocket at work?” Blake teased. “Yes, I have supplies. With your nephews at your place, I figured we’d end up here sooner or later.”

  Thane followed Blake into the bedroom and pulled him back into an embrace, running his hands over Blake’s chest as Blake leaned back against him. “You didn’t answer my question earlier. Can I leave marks where they won’t show?” He tweaked Blake’s nipple with one hand and squeezed his hip with the other. “I can think of all kinds of places I’d like to put my mouth.”

  BLAKE returned to school the following Monday with no hickeys visible—it wasn’t anyone’s business if he had one on his hip and another on the inside of his thigh—and spent the morning wishing it was already afternoon. They’d have to keep things under wraps at stage crew, but Thane had suggested they grab dinner with Kit and Phillip after they finished working on the sets. Kit and Phillip would have homework to do after that, leaving Blake and Thane to spend the evening together. Blake still wasn’t sure how he felt about having sex with Thane while the boys were in the house, but they could do other things instead. Watch TV or put on a movie or just sit and talk.

  The crackling of his radio dragged him out of the fantasy.

  … Parkins… with Hune on the….

  “Mr. Barnes, you’ve got to come help!” Darcy ran into Blake’s office before he could ask for clarification over the radio.

  “What’s going on?” Blake asked as he followed Darcy out of the office at a dead run.

  “Kit,” Darcy gasped. “One of the bullies was shouting that it was Kit’s fault he didn’t get a scholarship. Phillip and Zach tried to stop him, but I think he got at least one punch in. I did
what you always told us to do. I came to get you.”

  They rounded a corner to find security on the scene, Kit on the ground with his nose bleeding and what would be one hell of a shiner before long, and Mason Hune, the ringleader of the bullies Blake had thought they’d dealt with, being held by one of the security guards. Zach and Phillip stood guard on either side of Kit. Blake knelt down next to him. “What happened?”

  “He came at me,” Kit said. “He said….” Kit stopped and glanced to where the other boy was still struggling.

  “Look at me, Kit,” Blake urged. “Talk to me. Let security deal with him.”

  “He said it was my fault he didn’t get a scholarship because he wasn’t playing when the scouts came to watch the baseball team. He called me a fucking faggot and said he’d see how much I liked getting fucked over. It was only fair since that’s what I’d done to him.”

  Blake turned to security. “Take him to my office. I’ll be there in a moment to deal with him.” He reached for Kit and helped him to his feet. “Let’s get you to the nurse and get you cleaned up. It’s going to be okay. I won’t let him hurt you again.”

  “Promise?” Blake would have sold his soul to erase the fear in Kit’s eyes.

  “Promise.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  THANE stormed into the nurse’s office, searching frantically for Kit. He found him sitting by the door, nose swollen and eye purpling. His T-shirt had blood splatters on it.

  “What happened?” he demanded even as he pulled Kit into a tight hug. Someone had hurt Kit, and they were going to pay.

  “Mason, the worst of the bullies, jumped me in the hall. He was yelling all kinds of crap, and he got a punch in. Phillip and Zach grabbed him and held him off while Darcy ran to get Mr. Barnes.”

  “Mr. Barnes promised us this wouldn’t happen again. He said you’d be safe,” Thane spat.

  “He can’t be everywhere at once,” Kit replied, “and he came as soon as he knew. It’s just a black eye. Mason didn’t hurt me bad.”