Temporary Bliss

by Gray, Kiska

  “Fuck, you’re so tight. So good,” Gideon grunted from above and I clamped my muscles down around him. He groaned low and picked up the pace until his balls were slapping loudly against my ass.

  I could feel myself spiraling out of control with each jerky thrust and when Gideon’s hand slipped into my panties to grab me, I lost it. My climax washed over me in almost dizzying waves until I was trembling on the table, my knees turning to rubber and folding out from under me. “Oh…”

  Gideon stilled, panting hard. Sweat dripped down between my shoulder blades and he licked it away. Burying his nose in the hair at the nape of my neck, he groaned softly. “You’re so good. And these…” He pulled the string of my thong and let it snap against my skin. “I don’t know why these drive me wild, but fuck, they do.”

  “Guess I should up the ante then, huh?” I giggled, out of breath and feeling good.

  “Try me, buttercup. Just try me.”

  “Oh, it’s a promise,” I told him. Giving a low laugh, Gideon tossed me over his shoulder and carried me squealing down the hall. I threw my arms around his neck and held on tight and when he dumped me onto the bed and climbed over the top of me, I knew the night was just beginning.

  14

  Gideon

  “It’s cold as tits out here,” I grumbled. Mika rolled his eyes and pretended to rub his nipples through the heavy winter coat he wore. I couldn’t help but smile; it just crept up on me. “You’re a brat.”

  “You love me,” he replied with an exaggerated wink. “Maybe if someone would wear something heavier than a leather jacket in the dead of winter, he wouldn’t be cold. Hmm?”

  “Fuck off, Mikey.” I tugged my hood up over my head to try and shield myself from the frequent gusts of twenty-degree wind that kept blowing up my ass. So maybe he was right—I probably should’ve bought a new coat to prepare for this winter bullshit. I’d only lived in New York all my life. You’d think I’d know better. Apparently not.

  Mika, on the other hand, looked snug as a bug in his soft teal winter jacket. The rabbit fur-lined hood bounced freely at his back and his fingers were covered by black knit gloves. Snowflakes gathered in his hair as we walked down the street. I stuffed my bare hands into my pockets and shivered again.

  “Remind me again why we’re walking instead of driving? Would’ve been much warmer…”

  “Because,” he said, jutting his chin out. “I love winter and I want to see if the pond at the park is frozen over yet. It’s been cold enough.”

  That was for damn sure. “Why? You gonna go ice fishing?”

  “No, you big jerk. Ice skating.” His shoulders bounced in a shrug and he did a little spin, kicking up white fluff in his wake. “I love ice skating. It was something Dad always did. Every winter we’d all bundle up in hats and gloves and go skating. It’s fun.”

  “If you call breaking an ankle fun,” I muttered. I wasn’t graceful enough to stay upright, not even on normal roller skates with those little brake things. I couldn’t skateboard either. Just wasn’t talented, I guess, but I could bang a drum good. That’d have to be good enough.

  Mika flashed a smile. “I learned when I was like, six. Kids are rubber. I bounced right off the ice and got back up again. I’m great at it now, since I do it every year, so no ankle breakage for me. You should come with me.”

  “Uh. Hell no. I’ll keep my feet firmly on the ground, thanks.”

  He pouted. “You’re a party pooper.”

  “Unless you wanna take me to the hospital for a broken leg or two, I think we’re both better off if I don’t try skating. Trust me on this one, Mika.”

  “Fair enough.”

  As it turned out, the pond at the park was frozen over, but the ice was still too thin to walk across without fear of it cracking underfoot. Mika didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by it, though. “It’ll probably be solid ice by New Year’s. But while we’re here…” His lips curved up at the corners into something rather devilish and before I could blink, he’d scooped up a big handful of snow and chucked it at me.

  “God, that’s fucking cold!” I hissed, shaking my jacket to try and get it off. Mika cracked up laughing. “You’re gonna get it, you little shit.” I bent down and with my bare hands, I packed snow into a ball. I wound back my arm and let it sail. It splattered the front of Mika’s coat. He cackled and danced off, snowballs at the ready, and it was on like Donkey Kong.

  Soon we were red-faced and out of breath. My fingers were so cold they were stiff and sore. I lifted them to my face and blew warm air over them. “F-Fuck. Would’ve worn gloves if I’d known you were gonna wage war.” Mika grinned, wide and toothy. I raised my hands in surrender. “Y-You win. Let’s go get coffee before I get frostbite.”

  He padded over to me and took my hands in his. He kissed each and every finger, his blue eyes alight with amusement. “Poor baby. Lucky for you, my kisses have the power to heal. See?” He rubbed my hands in his, and a spark and a shiver trilled through me. “All better.”

  I grabbed him around the waist and snuck my hands beneath his shirt and his warm skin. He squealed out in laughter and smacked at me, but I hugged him tight. “Mmm. So much better. You’re warm.”

  “Let’s get coffee. Then we can go home and cuddle up in blankets and watch a movie. Have a lazy day. What do you say, Gideon?” I gazed down at him, to the soft pink of his lips. They needed kissed, so I kissed them. Mika’s lashes fluttered and he softened against my chest. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  We stopped in at Starbucks just long enough to order our coffees and get out. Mika chose to get hot cocoa and when he sipped it, the corners of his eyes crinkled in mirth. “Yummy. They have good cocoa, but nothing beat’s Ma’s homemade recipe. I’ll have to make it for you sometime. How’s your coffee?”

  “Hot,” I replied with a smile. Too hot to drink. Steam rose up from the hole in the lid, telling me that if I dared to take a sip, I’d scald my tastebuds off. No thanks. “C’mon, buttercup. Let’s go home. Spending the evening watching movies sounds like a good day to me.”

  He took my hand. We walked the rest of the way home like that, side by side and hand in hand. It was strange, but not unwanted. Definitely not unwanted, judging by the way my chest seemed to swell to the point of nearly aching.

  It was so totally normal to have Mika sharing my space, and that was something I’d never thought would be possible. I’d always been the lone wolf. I preferred to live my life solo and when I did hook up, I usually threw cab fare at them and told them to get out so I could sleep. Not Mika. Mika had been the first person to share my bed in years. I was in no hurry to chase him out. Not when he fit me so well.

  By the time we made it home, I was chilled to the bone. I set my coffee cup on the kitchen counter and retreated to the bathroom for a hot shower. My toes and fingers tingled and burned when they hit the steamy water. I was in the middle of shampooing my hair when the bathroom door creaked open. Mika peeked his head inside the shower curtain with a goofy grin on his face.

  “Room for one more?”

  I snickered. “Get in here and warm up.”

  We warmed up, alright.

  Both of us sated, we curled up together on the couch with one of my heavy comforters thrown over our laps. Mika nestled in beside me, his body form-fitting to mine. He rested his cheek on my chest. The movie he picked was some dumb comedy, but I didn’t mind. I wasn’t really paying attention to the TV anyway.

  My attention was on Mika, the way his chest rose and fell, the way he rubbed his face against my flannel shirt while his fingers played absentmindedly with a button. Sex had always come easy to me, but this? I’d never really done this fluffy shit before. Never really saw the point of it, but Mika seemed to crave it and beyond that? He just felt right.

  My phone buzzed halfway through the second movie. I picked it up long enough to see it was a text from Izzy, tapped out a one-handed reply and set it back down on the end table. Mika’s head popped up. “Who’s that?”
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  “Izzy,” I said.

  “The bassist, right?”

  “Wow, I see how it is. You didn’t know who I was, but you know Izzy? Bullshit.”

  He smacked me on the chest. “I’ve been getting into your music lately, I’ll have you know.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You should feel honored. I don’t listen to mainstream music often. I’m more of a zen chimes sort of guy. You know, meditation music.”

  “You meditate?” For some reason, that surprised me, but Mika giggled.

  “I do yoga, too.”

  “No wonder you’re so flexible.” He smacked me again and I burst out laughing.

  “Gideon. God.”

  When I sobered, I said, “No, really though. I’m glad you like our stuff. Gravitation’s a big part of my life and I’m happy you can enjoy it even though it’s not your cup of tea. If you want, we could give you a personal concert sometime? I know Laz would have no problem with it.”

  “I’d like that a lot.” Mika’s smile was sweeter than honey and it made my entire day.

  15

  Mika

  “I’m nervous,” I hissed under my breath when Saint and I pulled up to the curb in front of Little Infinities. Today was the day and my stomach was doing jumping jacks. I felt a little queasy, probably because these were such large tattoos. The one behind my ear had hurt and I’d welcomed it, but pain and I had such a weird relationship anymore.

  “You’ll be fine,” Saint promised me. “You’ve sat through my ink. You’ve got your dad’s tattoo. It’ll hurt for a little bit, then you’ll zone out. Trust me.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave a squeeze. The bells on the door chimed when we went inside, greeted by a curly-haired little girl of maybe two.

  She was dragging around a plastic caterpillar on wheels, which jingled and chimed every time the wheels turned. The minute she saw us, her eyes grew round as saucers and she toddled off behind the counter, babbling all the while.

  “Hey there, guys. You have an appointment with Joriah?” The woman—presumably the little girl’s mother—stood up from behind the receptionist’s desk. Her hair was frizzy and untamed, but her rich cocoa skin was inked from fingertip to shoulder. It didn’t take me long to put two and two together; this was the other tattoo artist, who also happened to be Joriah’s older sister.

  “Yeah. We’re here a little early, sorry. Nerves,” I admitted.

  “Nothing to be nervous about, sweets. I’ll tell Jo you’re here.” She paused long enough to pick up the toddler, settling her on her hip, then disappeared down the curtained hallway. My stomach flip-flopped. Saint nudged my arm with a knowing smile and I let out the breath I was holding.

  He was right, as always. The first few minutes sucked, but my body adjusted to the pain quickly and soon, it was more of a burning sensation than anything. It helped that I was enamored with watching the tattoo gun create pure art on my skin. I sat back in the chair and let Joriah work his magic.

  “This art is totally gorg, boy. Who did it?” Joriah tittered as he worked on the outline for my wolf.

  I nodded to Saint. “It’s his art. Isn’t he amazing?”

  “Def.” Joriah paused, the gun still buzzing. His dark eyes danced from me to Saint and back again. “So how long have you two been together? You’re cute as hell.”

  Saint turned red and began to sputter, panic clear as day on his face.

  “No, no, we aren’t together. We’re just good friends. Technically, he’s my brother’s best friend. I’ve known him since I was a kid. Used to follow them around everywhere,” I said smoothly. Usually admitting that Saint wasn’t mine hurt. I’d only been crushing on him for what seemed like forever, but oddly enough, it didn’t sting this time. Maybe I was finally getting over him.

  “Actually, I’m seeing the drummer of Gravitation,” I added, to change the subject. “Gideon Grey?”

  Joriah brightened. “Oh! I’ve inked him! He’s great.”

  I had to laugh. “I know. He’s the one who sent me your way.”

  He switched off the gun and stared at me, slack-jawed. “For real? Gideon Grey recommended me?”

  “For real,” I said.

  “Holy shiitake mushrooms.” The big man bounced his shoulders and did a little dance in his chair, squealing like a teenage girl. “This is going in my scrapbook! Seriously. This is the first time anyone famous has ever chosen me over my sister. Wow. He showed you the koi fish, right? That one took awhile, but it was so totally worth it. Turned out gorg, probably my best piece. Super proud of it.”

  “I loved it the minute I saw it. I knew you’d be perfect.”

  His grin filled up his entire face, his pink hair bouncing when he nodded. “Thanks, hun. I needed that. Alright, let’s get back to business. Tell me when you need another break.”

  He was only quiet for a few minutes though, the electric buzz of the gun filing the room. “Is Gideon seriously sleeping with you? No offense, but you’re aware of his rep, right? Player extraordinaire? Doesn’t date?”

  My insides dipped. Yeah. I was well aware of that. “He’s trying to turn over a new leaf. I guess I’m the training wheels,” I said jokingly, even though deep inside, it didn’t feel like a joke. I wanted this thing with Gideon to be real. It felt real.

  “I hope it works out. He’s a hottie, for sure. Just be careful.”

  “Don’t worry.” I flashed a quick smile and bless his heart, Saint changed the subject. I could breathe again. Be careful. I was trying. The last thing I wanted was to have my heart stomped on, but I’d been watching Gideon these past couple weeks and the man seemed genuinely interested. He was far more doting—not to mention physically intimate—than any of my exes. It was kind of a head rush.

  We vibed. It didn’t matter if we were out on the town or binge-watching The Walking Dead in our underwear, Gideon gravitated back to me. No. We gravitated towards each other. Being with him felt right. I didn’t believe in coincidence. There was a reason I met him that night at the club, dancing beneath the strobe lights.

  I just wasn’t sure what that reason was yet.

  Joriah finished up the session, wiping away the blood and ink that had gathered on my skin. I lifted my arm up to inspect the bold outline of the wolf and the colors that he’d added today. “It’s amazing,” I murmured, although it was far from finished. “I can’t wait to show Gideon.”

  The words had no sooner left my mouth when I felt a pang, a tugging sensation in my chest, and it hurt. How deeply had Gideon already burrowed into my heart? What we had was still only temporary, right? Could I still walk away from this thing unscathed, or was I playing with fire?

  The thought scared me more than I cared to admit.

  16

  Gideon

  It wasn’t every day I had a brilliant idea, but today? Today was lucky, I had a good feeling about it. In truth, I didn’t really know what I was doing, but after Ivy mentioned that she and her new beau were going skating at the indoor ice rink downtown, it hit me like a brick. Wasn’t it just the other day that Mika dragged me to the park to see if the pond had frozen over?

  Ding-ding-ding, we have a winner.

  Do me a favor would ya, snookums? I smirked at the over-the-top pet name.

  Anything for you, honeybunches, came his swift reply.

  Wear something cute. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.

  Whyyyyyy? I could practically hear his smile.

  Cuz I’ve decided I’m taking you out.

  Like on a date, out?

  Yep. On a date.

  Thought the great Gideon Grey didn’t do dates ;)

  Shut up and get pretty. I’ll see you soon. I sent the text and tucked my phone back into my pocket. It was weird, but when it came to Mika, I found myself wanting to break all my rules. There was something about the man that wound me up inside—and not just in a sexual way. We’d only spent a couple hours apart and I couldn’t wait to see him again.

  I was whipped, plain and simple.
That didn’t stop me from leaving a few minutes early in hopes that he’d be ready to rock and roll. I’d no sooner pulled up to the curb in front of his complex when my phone dinged again.

  Running behind. Technical difficulties. Knowing Mika, his “technical difficulties” probably included being unable to choose between the angora knit sweater and something flashy with sequins on it. I chuckled and killed the engine, but after ten minutes with no Mika, I decided the hell with it. If he wasn’t coming out, I was going in.

  The stairs squeaked beneath me, the dingy reddish-orange carpeting having definitely seen better days. Hell, this whole damn building was like a patchwork quilt, sewn together in messy stitches in hopes it would remain in one piece. When I got to Mika’s apartment, I knocked on the door and held my breath.

  Mika answered it wearing only a towel wrapped around his slender hips. He took one look at me and froze. For a moment, a deer-in-the-headlights expression crossed his face, like he wasn’t expecting me to show up on his doorstep.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Hi. Um. I figured you’d wait for me downstairs.”

  “I got bored,” I said with a shrug and a hopefully-apologetic smile. It was obvious that he didn’t want me to come inside, but after a moment of hesitation, he swung the door open. It was an invitation, but a dubious one. “Is this okay?”

  “What?” He blinked. “Oh. Yeah, it’s fine. I just…wasn’t expecting company, is all. No one really visits me here, so, uh, sorry about the mess. Make yourself at home. There’s soda in the fridge. I’m gonna go get dressed real quick and then we can hop on out of here, okay?” Mika’s smile was uncertain all of a sudden, but before I could reassure him, he darted off down the hall. The bedroom door clapped shut behind him.

  One glance around the place and I was kind of…appalled? Was that the word I wanted? The place was a cracker-box compared to my place. It was no wonder Mika enjoyed staying over so often. I’d go nuts if I had to come home every day to this. It was downright dreary.