Cherry Pop (Mercury Rising Book 3)

by Samantha Kane

  “That’s not going to be us,” Tripp said quietly. He rolled away and set the Cheerwine on the floor, then rolled back to face Ben again, reaching out to capture his hand. “We have a lot in common. Okay, we have a lot of things not in common too. But that’s good, right? I told you, I don’t want to change you. I love you just the way you are. And I’m not going to change for you either. I like me just fine too.”

  “It’s kind of soon for the L word,” Ben said, his heart leaping. He was scared of going there, but good scared.

  “You play it your way, I’ll play it mine,” Tripp said, and Ben was again reminded of his conversation with his mom.

  “I talked to Roland yesterday too.” Tripp’s eyes got big. “He called. The guy from L.A. who came to see me? It was Roland’s very recent ex, the guy he kicked me out for.”

  “What the hell?” Tripp said with a laugh. “Your day may actually have been more interesting than mine.”

  “Yeah, no kidding,” Ben agreed. “Anyway, his name is K.C., as in the letters K and C.” Tripp rolled his eyes, which made Ben laugh. “It was eerie how much he looked like me, at least me a few years ago. He came to see me because apparently he was tired of being unfavorably compared to me over the last year. When Roland kicked him out he decided to come and see what was so great about me. His words, not mine.”

  “You are great,” Tripp told him. “Did it get ugly?”

  “Not really. He sort of lost steam a couple of minutes after he got to my office and then he was just a lost kid who didn’t know where to go or what to do. So I took him to Trey in Wilmington.”

  “Kid?” Tripp said.

  “I guess he’s about your age,” Ben said, wrinkling his nose. “But he seemed a lot younger. He made a casual comment about you being in the same place I was back when I met Roland, and that’s what made me realize I’d been projecting my own confusion and unhappiness over my choices onto you.”

  “Remind me to thank K.C.,” Tripp said with a quick smile. Then he frowned. “Are you sure Trey was the right person to leave him with? Wouldn’t Evan have been better?”

  “I think K.C. is a lot like Trey was when he got to Hollywood,” Ben mused. “Roland took advantage of K.C. He’s good at that. Anyway, my reasoning was that Trey would know what to say to someone in K.C.’s position, you know? Like a mentor. Also, I really wanted him out of Mercury. I couldn’t see any good coming from his staying here.”

  “I guess I can see that,” Tripp said, although he sounded doubtful. “Trey was talking about building a house here.”

  “What?” Ben was shocked. “I mean, I know he’s out here visiting Brian and Evan like every other week, but he wants to live here?”

  “Time will tell,” Tripp said in his practical way. “Talking isn’t doing, is it?” He gave Ben a lopsided grin. “Maybe you should think about building a house here.” He sounded hopeful, but at the same time nervous.

  “Maybe I should,” he said, acting casual. That got Tripp’s attention.

  “Really?” he asked, excitement spiking his voice. “Are you serious? What about going back to L.A.?”

  “My condo is only 850 square feet,” Ben told him, smiling. “And they don’t allow pets.”

  “Oh, you can get something a lot bigger down here,” Tripp said, playing along. “Three thousand square feet, maybe four depending on your budget. Even get a yard for your dog.”

  “I was thinking maybe a cat first,” Ben said. “You know I like to work up to serious commitment.” At least now he did. He’d jumped in without a lifejacket with Roland and he’d promised himself he’d never do that again. Tripp wasn’t Roland, Ben was older and wiser, but the reality was they’d only known one another for a little over a month. Despite their off the charts chemistry and the very real feelings he had for Tripp, he was going to err on the side of caution.

  “The fact is I’d miss those tall trees.” He traced the tattoo on Tripp’s arm. “And the night trains.” He ran his hand over the train on Tripp’s upper arm. “And you. If I left, I mean.”

  “About how long does it take to work up to serious commitment?” Tripp asked. He pulled Ben’s hand over and bit the tip of his finger.

  “You never can tell. But I can definitely see this thing going somewhere. Maybe. Someday.”

  “Like today, maybe?” Tripp said with a grin. He slid down and lay on his back, scooting over so his side was pressed against Ben, and smiled up at him. “We’re in a bed, you know.”

  “I know,” Ben said, grinning down at him. “I noticed that. My bed.”

  “Now that I’m here, you’re going to have a hard time getting me out,” Tripp told him.

  “I’ll remember that,” Ben said, leaning over and kissing Tripp’s forehead. “If I ever want to get you out.” He rubbed his nose in the soft hair falling over Tripp’s forehead. He smelled like Axe, and sweat and beer. For some crazy reason it was a huge turn on. He rolled over on top of Tripp and let out a rumble of pleasure at how good he felt.

  “If I work this right,” Tripp whispered, kissing Ben’s neck, “you won’t ever want me to leave.”

  “I’m pretty sure even if you work this wrong I won’t,” Ben told him honestly. “You feel so damn good beneath me.”

  “Do I?” Tripp asked. He ran his hands up and down Ben’s bare back and then squeezed his ass, making Ben grind into him. “Well, you feel amazing.”

  “Do you remember what you asked me last night?” Ben murmured, kissing the corner of Tripp’s mouth.

  “To marry me?” Tripp asked, and Ben’s heart stopped for a second.

  “No,” he choked out. “You didn’t ask me that.”

  “Hmm,” Tripp said, biting Ben’s jaw. “I’ll put it on the list.”

  “What else is on the list?” Ben asked. He lightly kissed Tripp on the mouth, teasing him.

  Tripp hesitated, meeting his eyes. “To make love?” he finally asked, blushing.

  “I believe you phrased it differently,” Ben said, smiling. “Your exact words were more like do you want to fuck.”

  Tripp closed his eyes and swallowed. “Sorry,” he whispered.

  “Do you remember my answer?” Ben asked, knowing Tripp had no memory of it. Tripp shook his head, still not looking at Ben. “I said last night wasn’t the right time.”

  Tripp opened one eye and then the other. “It wasn’t?” he asked.

  “Nope,” Ben said.

  He kissed Tripp again, this time letting his desire for Tripp loose, tugging Tripp’s lip between his teeth until Tripp opened his mouth and let Ben in. He tasted like Cheerwine, and warm, sexy Tripp. Maybe that was why he loved that damn sweet cherry pop so much—because it reminded him of Tripp. It would always remind him of Tripp.

  Tripp’s arms and legs wrapped around him, holding him tight as Tripp moaned into the kiss, letting Ben do what he wanted. Ben loved the slick heat of Tripp’s mouth, his slightly crooked right front tooth, the way he liked to slide the flat of his tongue against Ben’s.

  Finally he pulled away from the addictive kiss. “Ask me again,” he told Tripp.

  “Want to fuck?” Tripp asked breathlessly.

  “Yep,” Ben said, and Tripp laughed with obvious delight.

  Twenty-Four

  Tripp was excited and nervous and turned on and about a thousand other things as Ben leaned down and kissed him again. As always, Ben’s kisses amazed him. A kiss had never melted him from the inside out before Ben, had never brought his body alive they way Ben’s did, never made him want someone so much it hurt. He wanted to keep kissing Ben, but he wanted so much more too.

  He ran his hands slowly up and down Ben’s bare back, appreciating the muscles flexing as Ben reacted to Tripp’s touch, the smooth, hot skin and the sweet dip in his lower back. He slid both hands up and over Ben’s shoulders, holding him tightly. He loved the feel of their bodies pressed together. Both of them were firmly muscled and hard and he liked it, liked that they could be chest-to-chest and stomach-to-stomach and dick
-to-dick. He placed his bare feet on Ben’s calves and ran them up and down, enjoying his hairy legs. He smiled against Ben’s mouth while they kissed.

  “What are you grinning at?” Ben whispered, nuzzling behind his ear.

  “That fact that I even love your hairy legs.”

  Ben huffed with laughter, and the puff of hot air against his neck made Tripp shiver. “That’s good,” Ben said. “Because I’m not shaving them for you.”

  “Don’t shave anything,” Tripp said vehemently. “I love your hairy chest too.”

  “What about my balls?” Ben said, laughing softly. “You like those hairy too?”

  “Probably,” Tripp said, still grinning. “I’ve only felt them, though.” Without warning, he rolled over, pushing Ben onto his back so that Tripp loomed over him. “I guess I ought to investigate them further.” He leaned over and licked a path along Ben’s collarbone, and then down his chest, until he lightly bit Ben’s nipple.

  “Only seems fair before you make a decision,” Ben said breathlessly. “If you’re sure you want to.”

  “I’m sure,” Tripp said firmly, looking up and meeting Ben’s stare. “You’ve been sucking on my dick for a month and not letting me near yours. It’s my turn.”

  “That’s kind of hard core for newbies,” Ben said, running his fingers through Tripp’s hair. “I don’t want to rush you.”

  “Rush?” Tripp laughed. “Boy, you been dragging me through molasses, we’ve been going so slow.”

  “You’re yo—”

  Tripp cut him off with a growl.

  “You’ve got plenty of time,” Ben amended. “Don’t feel the need to do it all in one day.”

  “I want to do it all in one day,” Tripp said, straddling Ben’s thighs and running his palms down Ben’s chest to the waistband of his boxers. “And then I want to do it all again the next day, and every day after that. I’m a guy. I want sex. All the time.”

  “Consider me warned,” Ben teased, lifting his hips. “I’m at your mercy.”

  It felt like Tripp had been waiting forever to hear that. With another growl he pulled Ben’s boxers down off his hips and then moved so he could sweep them down Ben’s legs and off. He threw them over his shoulder while he stared at Ben’s dick.

  “Is it weird that I want to tell you how pretty that is?” he asked, feeling a little out of his element still. “I’m not really sure yet what words to use for us.”

  “You’re doing great,” Ben said breathlessly. “Making it up as you go along is half the fun.”

  Tripp laughed in anticipation. “All right then,” he said. “You got it. Your dick is damn pretty.”

  “I haven’t gotten it yet,” Ben complained. “I’m still waiting.”

  Tripp practically ripped off his own clothes, and then he straddled Ben’s legs again and leaned over, resting his hands by Ben’s hips. He just hovered over Ben’s dick for a while, looking at it, wondering how he was going to do this. Ben had the darkest head he’d ever seen on a guy, almost purple when he was hard like he was now. Real hard. Tripp smiled as he watched a bit of precome leak out of Ben’s slit. Ben smelled so fucking good down there, like his body wash and his laundry detergent and sweat and guy. He smelled like a guy, and that really turned Tripp on.

  Ben didn’t say anything as Tripp lingered there, but his breathing became harsh and out of the corner of his eye Tripp saw Ben clutch the sheet in his fist. “Am I making you crazy?” he whispered, making sure his breath would blow over that damp, dark head that was so fucking tempting.

  “You know you are,” Ben said in a strangled voice. “You’ve been making me crazy for a month.”

  Tripp didn’t answer. He just leaned down and gently placed the tip of his tongue in Ben’s slit. Ben’s back arched and he gave a choked moan. Tripp softly swirled his tongue around just a little bit and then pulled it back into his mouth so he could taste Ben. It was slick, with an odd tang to it, almost sweet. Tripp had tasted his own before, but Ben’s was sweeter.

  He leaned back down and puckered his lips around Ben’s head, like he was sucking on a lollipop. He ran his tongue around the edge. It was so soft and hot, and vulnerable. God, he’d never really thought about that before, what a risk it was to let someone do this to you. Suddenly he wanted to take it all in his mouth, he wanted to love and protect this part of Ben, to taste him and take him and memorize him.

  So he slid his mouth down farther, onto the shaft, and marveled at how soft and smooth the skin was over a hard center. He felt a vein on the side of Ben’s dick pulse in his mouth, and he ran his tongue over it.

  “God,” Ben moaned, his back arching again. He grabbed Tripp’s shoulder tightly, his blunt fingertips digging in. It only made Tripp want to keep doing what he was doing. He’d never had this much fun making somebody crazy with his mouth before. He moved up and down, sucking one minute, licking the next. He made sure not to take too much. He didn’t want to gag his way through his first blowjob.

  He pulled back until he held just the head in this mouth and reached down, spreading Ben’s legs open while he maneuvered his knees between them. Then he wrapped his hand around the base of Ben’s dick and squeezed.

  “Oh shit,” Ben said, letting go of the sheet so he could use both hands to hold on to Tripp. He lifted his head off the bed, and Tripp could tell he was trying to focus on him and what he was doing, but his eyes kept closing each time Tripp sucked or squeezed. Finally Ben’s head collapsed back on the bed and Tripp let go of his dick to run his fingers through the soft, curly hair around the base. Then he slid his fingertips down until he was able to cup Ben’s balls. He rolled them gently in the palm of his hand, and Ben made a sound half way between a whimper and a groan. Tripp liked the sound of it. Fact was, he liked everything about doing this. No wonder Ben had been so quick to go down on his knees to suck Tripp off.

  “I’m going to come like this,” Ben said roughly, panting. “I don’t know what you want tonight. If I come now…” He paused and took a couple of deep breaths. “I’m useless for a while after. God,” he moaned as Tripp sucked hard and slid down on Ben’s shaft again.

  As much as Tripp wanted to know what it was like to have Ben come in his mouth, he really, really wanted to be fucked. Maybe part of it was what Luke said, that he wasn’t really gay until he’d done it. Luke probably hadn’t meant taking a dick in his ass, but there was a part of Tripp that sort of believed that. And he wanted it. Never thought he’d want it this bad, either. But just the thought of Ben fucking into him had his eyes crossing. His dick was as hard as Ben’s and nobody had even touched it yet.

  He pulled mouth off of Ben with a pop. “I want to fuck.” The hard sound of his voice surprised him. “I want you to fuck me.”

  “You want me inside you?” Ben asked, watching him through narrowed eyes. His cheeks were flushed and he was sweating. Tripp leaned over and licked the sweat off his chest.

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  “Lay down,” Ben ordered him. “On your back.” Tripp did as directed, handing over the reins to Ben. “I’m pretty damn close,” Ben said. “We’re going to have to slow it down a bit to get you ready, but that should give me time to get it under control.”

  “I like the idea of you fucking me out of control,” Tripp said fervently. “Shit, that sounds hot.”

  “You could drive a saint crazy,” Ben said with a shaky laugh. “I think this first time I’m going to try to keep it together. There will be lots of other times I can fuck you into the floor.”

  “Yes, yes, and yes,” Tripp said breathlessly while Ben leaned across him and rummaged around in the drawer of the bedside table.

  “You’re going to be a bit of a slut, aren’t you?” Ben said appreciatively. “How did I get so lucky?”

  “If you stop talking you’ll get lucky, that’s for damn sure,” Tripp said, panting. He was having a hard time thinking, much less using his words.

  He lay there and let Ben arrange him the way he wanted him: knees bent
up, legs spread. He felt exposed and naked, defenseless. He loved it. Loved feeling like Ben’s sex toy. Shit, he wasn’t right in the head, but he couldn’t give a care right then, because Ben slipped a slicked up finger into his ass and Tripp swore he heard angels singing.

  “You okay?” Ben asked after Tripp swallowed a shaky breath and then let it out in a moan.

  “Oh, hell yeah,” Tripp mumbled, arching his back and trying to get Ben to move his finger some more.

  “Damn,” Ben said, wonder in his voice. “You are going to take to this like a duck to water, aren’t you?”

  “You been here too long,” Tripp said with a breathless laugh. “That sounds like something old Mr. Hisdale would say.”

  “Not in this situation,” Ben murmured, twisting his finger a little deeper until Tripp moaned and squirmed again. “Has sex always been like this for you?”

  “No, never,” Tripp gasped as Ben moved that finger in and out.

  “Guess what?” Ben whispered in his ear.

  “What?”

  “You’re definitely gay.”

  Tripp laughed, feeling a little shaky and wild. “No kidding,” he said. “Finally he believes me. Does this mean you’re gonna actually put your dick in me? ’Cause I think I’ve been patient long enough.”

  Ben kissed Tripp’s neck, and that little spot right between his collarbones that was just this side of ticklish and felt so good. He kept his finger moving all over the place in Tripp: in and out, side to side, in little swirls, and Tripp was losing his mind.

  “It’s awful tight in here,” Ben said, worry in his voice. “You sure you can take it?”

  “Boy, ain’t nobody gonna know until you try it,” Tripp growled. “Nobody’s been in there before.”

  “You know, sex brings out your redneck.” Ben laughed softly as he nuzzled Tripp’s cheek. Tripp turned his head.

  “You want my redneck side,” he teased against Ben’s lips, “you better fuck me quick.” He kissed Ben, a wet, open-mouthed kiss that said “I’m horny as hell and hungry for it” better than any words Tripp could think of right then.