by G. R. Lyons
Zac grinned. “Yes, sir.”
Adrian watched as Zac reached for Adrian's cock with one hand and bent his head toward it. Adrian's head fell back, overwhelmed just by the pressure of Zac's fingers holding his cock steady, but then nothing happened.
Adrian frowned. The hells?
He lifted his head, and saw Zac kneeling between his legs, his brow furrowed and his mouth open, but he wasn't even looking at Adrian's cock.
He was looking at Adrian's scars.
“Shit.” Adrian jerked upright and tried to scramble back on the bed.
“No, baby, wait,” Zac said, grabbing Adrian's hips with both hands to stop him from moving. Adrian froze, and Zac slowly released his hips to run his hands lightly over Adrian's thighs instead, his fingertips tracing the lines of his scars. Zac's hands paused, and he looked up at Adrian with wide eyes. “What is this?”
Adrian swallowed hard. He couldn't answer, words clogging in his throat as the all-too-familiar panic welled up inside him and drove out every hint of lust he felt.
“Who did this to you?” Zac asked, looking both worried and enraged, like he might run out and go after some faceless attacker in Adrian's defense.
No one had ever shown Adrian that much care before, and it helped unlock Adrian's throat so he could speak.
“I did,” he whispered.
Zac slowly sat back on his heels, staring at Adrian. “You did this to yourself?”
Adrian nodded, and braced himself for accusations.
Instead, Zac crawled forward and pulled Adrian into a one-armed hug while he kept the other hand resting lightly on Adrian's thigh, his thumb brushing gently over the scars. “Oh, baby, why?”
Adrian let out a shuddering breath and felt tears stinging his eyes. He forced the tears back and managed to return Zac's embrace, too overwhelmed for a moment to speak. This punk kid with his bad-boy persona, his inappropriate flirting, and his cruel, public jeering—this guy had shown more care in a few minutes than Adrian's father, doctors, and therapists had ever shown in Adrian's entire lifetime.
“Because I can't–” Adrian tried to answer. “Because nothing I do is ever good enough, and–”
Zac reared back and looked down at Adrian, the pain on his face keeping Adrian from looking away. Zac slowly shook his head. “No, baby. No. You are so good. You're smart, and gorgeous. And yeah, you're shy, but so what?”
Adrian shook his head. “I have panic attacks. I'm medicated. I can't even function outside my apartment without taking a pill–”
“Ade.”
“I'm broken.”
Zac brushed a hand across Adrian's cheek, and shook his head. “No, you're not.”
Adrian nodded at his legs. “Obviously, I am.”
Zac looked down at Adrian's leg, and at his own hand still lightly brushing over the scars. He looked back up at Adrian and shook his head again. “Why do you do it?”
Adrian almost didn't answer—hated answering that question whenever he went to therapy—but Zac looked so earnest and concerned that he couldn't resist.
“It helps. Helps me focus. The physical pain distracts me from the pain in my head.” He paused, then added, “It's something I can control.”
Zac studied his eyes for a moment, then his brow slowly smoothed and a hint of a smile pulled at his lips. “I've got an idea.”
He scrambled off the bed, and Adrian watched as the man dashed around his ridiculously messy bedroom, hunting through the closet, drawers, and piles of clothing until he let out a triumphant sound, snatched something up, and hurried back to the bed. Zac crawled up beside Adrian on his knees and held out both hands, palms up.
Draped across his palms were two old, worn neckties.
Adrian cocked his head to one side.
“Tie me up,” Zac explained, shifting his hands closer, offering the ties.
“What?” Adrian gasped, heart hammering in his chest. The offer sounded so wrong, yet so deliciously tempting.
“Come on,” Zac teased. “You know you want to. Tie me up.” His voice dropped to a sexy murmur. “Use me. Control me.”
Adrian shuddered with need at the sound of that, and took a moment to rake his eyes over Zac's body while Zac knelt there, cock hard and standing up between spread knees, eyes hooded with lust. Without his clothes, Zac's accessories gave his body an entirely different look. The cuffs on his wrists, the collar around his throat…
Without thinking, Adrian shot out a hand, hooked a finger through Zac's collar, and tugged him closer. Zac let out a yelp of surprise, then a keening sound of such raw need that Adrian couldn't resist.
“On your back,” he ordered in a low growl.
Zac gasped, then did as he was told, flopping over onto his back in the middle of the bed, still holding out the ties like an offering. Adrian got up onto his knees and looked down at the man, drinking in the sight of all that exposed skin, the lean muscles, the straining cock, the begging eyes.
Adrian snatched the ties out of Zac's hands and made quick work of knotting them around each of Zac's wrists alongside his cuffs, then tying the other ends around the posts on the short headboard, spreading Zac's arms wide.
Zac tugged experimentally and let out a whimper of need. “Fuck, I didn't think this through.”
Adrian paused, wondering if they'd already gone too far. “Why?”
Zac tugged again. “Now I can't touch you.”
Adrian felt a surge of power rush through him at the needy look in Zac's eyes. Feeling bold, he asked, “And you want to, don't you?”
Zac moaned.
“You want to touch me?” Adrian teased him. Zac nodded rapidly and tugged at his restraints. “Hmmm, maybe I'll let you,” Adrian murmured, running a hand down Zac's side until he reached Zac's hip, then delivered a light slap on the side of his ass. Zac moaned again. “If you're a good boy.”
Zac whimpered and nodded rapidly.
Adrian hesitated a moment, trying to decide what to do—trying to decide if he was really brave enough to take what he wanted and what Zac was offering—and saw Zac biting his lip as he stared hungrily at Adrian's cock.
Adrian just managed to stifle a groan of pure need, and threw caution to the wind as he straddled Zac's hips and inched his way forward, watching Zac's eyes go wide with surprise, delight, and lust as Adrian's cock got closer and closer to Zac's mouth.
Zac whimpered.
“Suck it,” Adrian commanded.
Zac moaned and lifted his head from the pillow, capturing the tip of Adrian's cock with his lips, holding it there for a moment while he worked his tongue all around, then bobbed forward to swallow him whole.
Adrian gasped. “Holy shit.”
His hips surged forward until Zac gagged, and Adrian pulled back in a hurry.
“No, don't,” Zac begged. “I can take it.”
Adrian eyed him with concern, but Zac just licked his lips and begged again. “Please.”
Grabbing his cock, Adrian touched the tip to Zac's mouth and smeared precum all over Zac's lips. He let out a shuddering breath, staring at the beautiful sight, something he never thought he'd get to see.
Zac opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, teasing the slit before lifting his head enough to suck Adrian's cock back into his mouth.
“Oh, fuck.”
Zac bobbed his head a few times, hollowing his cheeks and sucking hard as he pulled back, then rested his head back on the pillow for a moment and used just his tongue to tease the underside. He lifted his head and sucked again, then backed off once more.
Adrian slipped a hand under Zac's head and pulled that incredible mouth back onto his cock. Zac hummed as he did so, then moaned around Adrian's cock when Adrian tightened his fingers in Zac's hair.
“Oh, fuck.” Keeping a firm hold on Zac's hair with one hand, Adrian made shallow thrusts into Zac's mouth while he reached blindly behind himself with his other hand until he found Zac's cock. Adrian wrapped his hand around Zac's length and gave it an experimental stroke.
�
��Mmmm,” Zac moaned, the sound muffled with his lips still firmly clamped around Adrian's cock. The vibrations of the moan sent a shiver through Adrian's body, so he stroked Zac again, tearing another moan from the man's throat.
Adrian kept up stroking Zac's cock and fucking Zac's mouth until the muffled moans became so rapid, Zac's nostrils flaring with panted breaths, that Adrian finally backed off and gave them both a moment to come down from the edge.
“Holy shit,” Zac gasped, trying to catch his breath. “You sure you've never done this before?”
Adrian felt his cheeks go hot.
Zac grinned at him. “I love making you blush.”
Adrian snorted. “You don't say.”
Zac barked a laugh, snapping Adrian out of the moment. He looked down at Zac, then all around. Gods, what the hells was he doing?
“Ade?”
Adrian gasped for breath. He couldn't do this. This wasn't him. How could he have possibly thought that this was a good idea?
“Ade,” Zac repeated, struggling against his bonds. “Adrian, baby, look at me,” he said firmly.
Adrian scratched at his scars, then looked down at Zac, drawn in by his voice.
Zac softened his gaze. “I need you to untie me. Can you do that for me? Please?”
Adrian hesitated, then managed a nod, lifting his shaking hands to the ties and slowly working them loose, freeing Zac's arms.
Zac immediately pushed Adrian back and sat up so Adrian was straddling his lap, Zac's arms wound tight around him.
“It's alright,” Zac murmured. “We don't have to do anything.”
Adrian shook his head, but couldn't speak.
“It's alright,” Zac said again. He ran his hands slowly over Adrian's back. Despite the rising panic, Adrian moaned at the sensation. No one had ever touched him like that before. So simple. So exquisite. He slumped in Zac's arms, resting his head on Zac's shoulder while Zac kept touching him. “We don't have to do anything you're not ready for.”
“But I want–” Adrian began, shifting slightly to ease his right leg, which was starting to go numb. In doing so, their cocks brushed together. Adrian hissed. Good gods, that felt incredible.
“Look at me,” Zac whispered.
Adrian did, though it took everything he had to maintain eye contact.
“Just feel,” Zac told him. “That's all you have to do right now.”
Adrian frowned, about to ask what Zac meant, then Zac slipped one hand between them and grabbed both their cocks, stroking them simultaneously.
“Oh gods,” Adrian gasped. He looked down, staring at the sight as his hips starting making little thrusts into Zac's fist, almost as though they had a mind of their own.
“That's it, baby,” Zac whispered. “Just feel. Nothing else matters right now.”
Adrian moaned, clinging to Zac, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and holding on as Zac's hand moved faster and faster.
“Zac…”
“Right there, baby.”
“Zac, I'm gonna–”
“Come, Ade,” Zac murmured, leaning close so their lips were touching as they panted together. “It's alright, baby. Just come.”
Adrian barked out a cry as the release hit him, hot cum landing on his chest and slowly dripping down. Zac followed a moment later, the two of them making a wet, sticky mess between their bodies while they still clung to one another.
Zac rested their foreheads together as they caught their breaths. “Holy shit. That was amazing.”
Adrian felt a lazy smile take over his face.
'Amazing' didn't even do it justice.
Chapter 12
ZAC HUMMED to himself as he drove to his parents' house on Solday morning for brunch. Two days ago—and not even a full two days, when he thought about it; maybe thirty-six hours ago, at most—he'd had Adrian in his bed. All they'd gotten around to doing was that one shared jack-off session, but even that was a dream come true. Adrian had even fallen asleep for a few minutes afterwards. The fact that the nervous, uptight, super-controlled man could let go and trust long enough to fall asleep in a near-stranger's bed was almost the best part of the whole experience. Zac had certainly never had an encounter like that, never been so blissed out and comfortable that he could let his guard down to that extent.
Granted, he'd only ever had sex with women, and in the midst of noisy, drunken parties, but still, all he'd ever wanted after any of those times was to get away as quickly as possible.
But Adrian hadn't bolted. He'd fallen asleep, right there in Zac's arms.
Zac grinned at the memory. Of course, a short while later, Adrian had woken up and blushed furiously as the awkwardness of the whole situation set in, and he'd left soon after, both of them forgetting that they had a project to work on, but Zac didn't care. The project could wait.
And when he'd seen Adrian in class the next day, he'd actually gotten some eye contact and a smile out of the man.
Gods, he couldn't wait to get him alone again.
Zac pulled up to the family home and found a place to park, thankfully not the last to arrive this time. He went inside and greeted everyone, teasing his siblings and helping to set the table while he still floated on the high that hadn't yet begun to fade.
Until it was his turn to share news for the week, and reality caught up with him.
“You must have some good news,” Hadley said after she finished her turn, nudging Zac with her shoulder.
“Why do you say that?”
Fane snorted. “Because you've been grinning like an idiot all morning.”
Zac's smile vanished, and he was sure the blood drained out of his face. He forced the smile back on and shrugged. “Nah, you know, nothing special, really.”
“Come on, spill,” Kaelie teased him.
“No, really,” Zac insisted, trying to keep his tone light. “Just had a good week, that's all.” He scrambled for more to say. “Work was good, busy. Oh! We had a last-minute gig in the middle of the week. That kinda sucked, really. Long night. But we each got five hundred for it, so that was cool.”
“Damn, dude, nice job,” Tarynn said, giving him a high-five.
“How's school so far?” Dad asked.
Zac could have jumped up and kissed the man for turning the conversation that way. “Good. Challenging, but good. Homework's a bit of a bear, what with classes and work and gigs, but I'm getting through it. Right on track to graduate.”
Dad smiled at him. “Proud of you, kid.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
With that, his turn was done, and Tarynn took over. Zac almost heaved a sigh of relief. He probably wasn't in the clear, but at least he had a reprieve.
He'd have to watch himself, or come up with some other excuse, because there was no way he was ready to admit to his family that he'd met someone.
Especially someone male.
On the chance they didn't accept him once the truth was out, he knew he had to keep wearing the mask and playing the role. He just couldn't bear the thought of losing his family. He'd probably have to come out to them someday, but he was determined to put it off as long as possible.
But, in the meantime, he had Adrian. It hurt to fight the grin that came from that thought, but at least he had that reason to smile.
And he got to see Adrian again the very next day. Zac sat at their shared table, scribbling in his notebook, and smirked to himself when he saw Adrian walk into the room. He'd had that man. Stripped down more bare than Adrian had ever been in his life. Zac was sure there were plenty more layers to get through, but he knew they'd come with time.
He would get to experience that. The very thought made him giddy, but he reined it in, giving Adrian no more than a friendly greeting and then turning his attention to the professor, needing to focus on his studies and not wanting to let on that anything was going on between them. His own little special secret.
They got through class, then made plans to meet up for another project planning session. Zac threw in just enough flirtat
ious tone to imply that he hoped they'd be doing a lot more than just schoolwork.
“And what do you say we go to your place this time?” he suggested, grabbing his bag.
Adrian went still. “My place?”
“Yeah, why not?”
Adrian took a deep breath, then said, “Yeah. Alright. Sure.”
Zac grinned. “Great. What's your address?”
Adrian gave it to him, and Zac typed it into his phone. He could map it out later. For now, he gave Adrian a wink and followed the man out of the room, checking out his ass the whole way.
Yeah, he had it bad.
The next day, after his shift at the restaurant, Zac got in his car and pulled out his phone, clicking on Adrian's address and selecting the map function.
His eyebrows went up as the map zoomed in, showing him the directions and the destination.
“Holy shit.” The address finally registered in his head. It was the same building where Underground was, which meant Adrian lived in Frost Estates. He actually lived in the building with the fancy apartments that went all down the cliff face. The guy must be loaded.
How the hells could he compete with that? And no wonder Adrian had looked so uncomfortable in Zac's apartment. If he was used to that kind of ritzy lifestyle, seeing how Zac lived must have been a shock.
Zac slumped back in his seat with a sigh. Did he really want to go over there and face that kind of reality?
He sighed again. Yeah. Of course he did. Taking a deep breath, Zac started his car and drove through town to Frost Estates, parking where he normally did when he had an Underground show, then grabbed his bag and walked into the building.
Zac crossed to the elevator, feeling eyes on him the whole way through the lobby, his goth look making him sorely stand out.
“Can I help you?”
Zac paused, straightened, and turned to find a uniformed man approaching him. Fighting for confidence without coming off as a trouble-maker, Zac put on a smile and said, “I'm here to see a friend from school. We're working on a project together. He lives here.”
The man frowned. “And who is your friend?”
“I don't see how that's any of your business,” Zac said.