by Jo Tannah
Ian wasted no time in deepening the kiss or taking that extra half-step forward which brought their bodies into direct contact. As he leaned in, pressing Michael against the rock wall, he felt the evidence of his arousal push against his own and heard a moan as it vibrated against his lips. Ian rocked his hips against Michael’s, rubbing their erections against each other. Even though it was through layers of clothing, it still felt incredible. He shifted his hands, so that one was around the back of Michael’s neck, effectively keeping him from breaking away. He put his other one between them and began stroking Michael’s cock through his shorts, while still maintaining the rocking motion he’d begun. Michael’s hands roamed up and over Ian’s back, sending a jolt through his body.
Ian dragged his lips free and trailed a series of licks and kisses along Michael’s jaw to his ear, sucked on his earlobe briefly, then kissed him just below his ear. He heard Michael’s breathing become ragged, and felt his body quiver slightly, as the sensations he was awakening in him seemed to overwhelm him.
“Uh... mmm... oh, god...” Michael stammered. “Ian... we gotta stop, man. We can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” Ian questioned between kisses leading back up to Michael’s mouth. “No one can see us... we both want it... why not?”
Ian felt Michael’s hands come to rest on his cheeks, holding his head firmly, then moving his head back a little—breaking their kiss. They were both breathing heavily as their bodies stopped moving and their foreheads came to rest against one another’s.
“Why not?” Ian asked again. “Don’t tell me I read you wrong?”
“Oh, god, no.” Michael smiled as he answered. “I can’t believe how much I want to just let go. It’s just...”
Ian watched a smirk pull at one corner of his mouth.
“It’s just if we come in our shorts, we’ve got to walk back around past everyone at the club, then get in past our parents when we reach home.” A laugh broke free of them both at that.
“Shit! I hadn’t thought that far,” Ian admitted. Damn, that would be humiliating. “I’ve been dreaming about this for so many years that I sort of lost control.”
“Yeah, as much as that was the hottest action I’ve had in years, we gotta cool it. We gotta come up with a better plan.”
Chapter Four
Michael
They needed to come up with a better plan. Blue balls were not something Michael wanted to live with. At least, not anymore.
A week had passed since Redhead Beach, and he and Ian had been stealing kisses whenever they could. He’d even gotten to touch Ian’s cock once, but the twins had yelled for more ice and that had been the end of it. Other than that, they had not been able to do much of anything, thanks to the constant interruptions.
It was either Ian’s dad calling him to watch over the twins and their lemonade stand or help him, meaning Ian, by cutting the grass. Or it was his mum asking him to grab some milk and diapers, or god knows what else. From the way things were going in the Hamilton household, it looked like Ian was taking on more and more responsibilities, especially as Mr. Hamilton’s leave was almost up. Three more days and he’d be going back to work, and Michael couldn’t have that.
As for his side of the problem, he never knew his mum had the ability to appear at the most importunate times. It was like she had eyes in the back of her head, just like when he’d been growing up. She’d be calling his or Ian’s name for some reason or other, or Michael would spot her walking in their direction just when he was locked in a battle of tongues with Ian.
Michael focused on the task in front of him. With careful precision, he drew the needle and thread through the young boy’s skin and tied the first knot. The boy’s mother hushed a whimper.
“Just one more and you can have a lollipop,” Michael said. At the boy’s quivery smile, he secured the second knot and quickly cut the remaining filament. Setting aside the instruments, he started taking off his gloves and stood from the stool. As the nurse applied iodine solution over the injured area, Michael reached into his pocket and handed a lollipop over.
The boy, whose forehead now sported two stitches from a laceration caused by a mahogany tree’s seed pod falling on him, grinned widely and reached for the treat. Done with the case, Michael left the bay just as his phone vibrated in his pocket.
Taking a deep, tired breath, he was tempted not to answer. He pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over the reject icon until he saw Ian’s face winking up at him. Michael’s heart swelled and a wide grin broke on his face. Ian had taken the selfie with his phone at the beach. His lips had been swollen from their kissing, and his eyes still held the burn of lust in them. Michael hadn’t argued when Ian fiddled with his phone and set the image as his contact profile.
“Hey, what’s up?” Michael walked over to the nurse’s station and handed in the patient’s chart before turning towards the men’s room.
“Mick, you better have a plan, mate. I need to get out of the house.”
Michael chuckled. “I do, I do. I’ve been thinking about it.” He opened a stall door, closed the toilet lid, sat on it and locked the door.
“What have you come up with? Because I’m drawing a blank.”
“I have the coming weekend free, so I was thinking we could go away somewhere.”
“Yes, yes, please!” Michael grinned wider at the relieved excitement in Ian’s voice.
“Mum doesn’t know I don’t have to go to work this weekend, so she shouldn’t suspect anything.”
“Please, let’s not involve our parents.”
“Not yet.” Michael slapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes bulging out. He couldn’t believe he just said that. Why the hell did he just say that?
Ian’s hum on the end of the line made Michael squirm. Scrunching his face, he gritted his teeth.
“Ignore what I just said,” he said.
“No way, mate. I’m holding you on to that. Ha!”
Michael’s heart thundered in his chest. His parents knew he was gay and usually had no problem with him going out on dates. He’d even introduced someone to them when he’d been in pre-med, but that relationship didn’t last the semester. It was a different thing altogether with Ian. For one thing, they were friends with the Hamiltons. For another, they actually liked Ian.
“Uhm... so, about this weekend,” Michael said.
“Leave the place up to me. You make sure you’re free. When exactly are you free?”
“I’m off work Thursday night and not due back until Monday.”
“Good. We can leave Friday morning like your usual schedule and we can be back Sunday afternoon. How’s that sound?”
“Perfect,” Michael said. His heart had settled into a pleased thrum.
“It will be. Okay, I gotta go, Mum’s yelling at the twins.” The line clicked and Ian was gone.
Michael bit his lip, unable to contain his excitement. At last, he and Ian could get together without anyone to interrupt them. Walking out of the men’s room, he spotted a good friend.
“Cheska, hold up!” When he reached her side, he bent his head. “Hey, do you think you can cover for me this weekend?”
* * * *
Ian
After a bit of internet surfing, Ian found the perfect location for what he hoped would be a weekend to remember. Considering Michael’s need for privacy, he decided somewhere they wouldn’t be recognised was important. Port Macquarie was about two and a half hours’ drive north, and he’d found them a secluded bed and breakfast across the road from Sea Acres National Park. Perfect!
Apart from their few stolen kisses, they’d virtually had no contact and the couple of days waiting had been torture. Each morning, as he set up the twins’ lemonade stand, he would wave to Michael as he left for work at the hospital. In the late afternoon, while Ian packed the stand away, Michael would arrive home again. The simple exchanges as Michael parked his car were the extent of their public interac
tions. Disappointing? Yes, but they more than made up for it during their late-night texts and video chats. Thinking of their weekend together, Ian could feel his excitement building by the hour. He was a nervous wreck.
On Friday morning, as Ian bounded down the driveway, he braked hard in his tracks at the sight of Michael leaning against his car. Ian was struck dumb by the radiant smile on Michael’s face.
Man, Michael is gorgeous.
Mentally shaking his head, Ian quickly walked up to the car and stowed his overnight bag in the trunk beside Michael’s, before making his way into the passenger side. While he was fastening his seat belt, he hoped he would be able to stay in his seat during the drive, and not climb over the centre console and into Michael’s lap. This was the beginning of all his teenage dreams coming true and he hoped to make some magic happen for Michael as well.
“Ready?” Michael said, glancing at him.
Ian nodded and leaned his head out of the window to check if anyone was outside. His twitchy knee bounced up and down several times before he caught himself.
“Yes, let’s get out of here,” he said ducking his head back into the car and slapping his hand against the outside of the door for emphasis.
Flashing Ian a wide grin and a wink, Michael shifted gears and drove the car away from their street. One hour later, they stopped in a small town. While Ian went inside the station for some much-needed coffee, Michael stayed outside to top off the fuel tank.
Ian came out with two takeout coffees in his hands and saw Michael replacing the fuel nozzle.
“Here you go,” he said, handing over a Styrofoam cup to Michael. He took a sip of his own, grimacing as the overly bitter taste hit his tongue.
“Can you hold on to it while I finish up here?” Michael asked.
“Sure. Meet me over at the picnic tables.” He tipped his head in the direction. “Why don’t we sit over there for a few minutes? I need to stretch my legs and my back’s stiff from the drive.”
“Go ahead. I’ll just finish up here then I’ll join you,” Michael said, throwing him a quick smile before going inside to pay.
Ian strolled over to the picnic tables, choosing one with an umbrella set in the middle. The tension inside him had been building steadily inside the car, and he felt the need to sit in the morning sunshine. Looking up, he saw Michael walking over to him and grinned widely, offering up the cup of coffee again.
“Thanks, mate,” Michael said, reaching out for the cup. “What’s in it?”
Their fingers brushed against each other’s when Michael took the cup from Ian’s hand, and this time there was no denying it. As Ian felt his heart thump inside his chest, it took a lot of effort not to reveal his nervousness.
“Plain black, they had nothing else.” Ian looked around them. “What do you think of this area?” Maybe talking about anything other than what they were doing would help ease his anxiety over the night ahead. He didn’t know why he was feeling this way. He’d wanted this forever, but now that it was actually happening his mind was going blank.
“It’s okay, I guess,” Michael gestured to the minimal landscape around them. “But I bet it’s going to be even better once we get to the B&B.”
“Yeah, it’s directly across the road from the National Park. We can stroll down the boardwalk to the beach through the rainforest,” Ian said.
Michael nodded, sipped on his coffee and made a face.
“Ugh, that’s awful. Come on, let’s finish up and get on the road.”
They got rid of their coffee in no time. It wasn’t too bad, it just wasn’t that palatable. After going to the restroom for one last pit stop, they got back on the road.
There was some picturesque scenery along the way, Ian was sure of it, but he didn’t see anything, too conscious of the man beside him to really take notice. He fisted his left hand at his side when Michael grabbed the other and rested it on his thigh.
“Hey, are you sure you’re okay with this?”
Ian glanced at Michael and stared at his profile. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
“Look, Ian, if you’re having second thoughts—”
“No! No, I’m not.” Ian took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He gripped onto the hand holding his and leaned back against the headrest. “I’m not having second thoughts. Just get us there, okay, mate?”
Michael threw a quick glance his way, and seeing Ian’s soft smile, he raised Ian’s hand and kissed his knuckles. Ian’s focus contracted to the interior of the car, the back of his hand tingling from the kiss.
“Right, we’re looking for Pacific Drive. Do you know where we’re going?”
Thankful he’d programmed the address into his phone, Ian opened the app and navigated for Michael until they reached their destination. It was still too early to check-in, so they parked the car and wandered down the track that led into the National Park.
When Michael’s stomach growled, Ian suggested they go to the Rainforest Café. “You want to go get something to eat?”
Michael didn’t argue, and they went in and ordered Caesar salads and some white wine. Sated from their lunch, they strolled back to their accommodation. Ian brushed his hand against Michael’s, who looked at him with a sweet smile on his lips, before taking hold of his hand.
They checked in and collected their bags from the car, before heading to the most secluded room on the property, just as Ian had requested. As they approached, he handed Michael the keys. He saw his hand trembling, suddenly feeling a little awestruck that he was really here with the man who had been the centre of his dreams and fantasies for so long. Ian had never been nervous about sleeping with any of his previous partners, but this was different. He needed Michael to take the lead this weekend, and he was sure Michael needed that too.
Chapter Five
Michael
Michael dropped his bag on the floor, looking at the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. The area was well appointed, with a table and two chairs set beside the sliding doors leading to their private patio. Over to the other side was a wardrobe space, and beside that was the bathroom. He stepped inside and checked around. Noting that it smelled and looked clean, he walked over to a galley kitchenette.
“This place is pretty fantastic,” Michael said, walking back out into the empty bedroom. “Ian? Where are you?” he called, then saw the open patio door.
“Out here.”
Michael followed Ian’s voice outside and found him sitting in one of the chairs at the table.
“Hey,” Ian said, flashing him a smile.
“Oh wow, this is nice,” Michael said before taking a seat beside Ian. “Why are you out here?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, your back is all stiff, your smile is pasted on your face, and you’re bouncing your knee up and down. You did that earlier when we first set out. Why are you so nervous? I thought you wanted this?”
Ian let out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “I dunno, I’m just... I’m nervous.”
Michael stared at Ian for a long while, watching his face redden under his scrutiny. When Ian began to fidget, he reached a decision. Pushing back his chair, he stood and held out his hand.
“Come inside with me,” he said. He hoped he was right in his assessment—that Ian needed his guidance. As Ian stared up at him, Michael could almost hear the thoughts whirling in his mind.
Michael didn’t know how he knew, but he’d known Ian since he was just a kid and recognised the look in those eyes. It told him Ian was tense and there was only one way to fix that. He almost sighed in relief when Ian placed his hand in his. Slowly walking backwards, Michael led Ian back inside the room.
“Do you want me?” Oh boy, his voice sounded aroused even to his own ears.
Ian looked at him. When their gazes met, he took a swallow. “Yes,” he whispered, his voice sounding raw.
Michael stared at him, his heart beating a s
taccato rhythm. He could hear his blood rushing past his ears.
“Michael?”
Ian’s hand trembled in his, the heat from his body pouring off him. Michael felt his cock jerk in his shorts. When he looked down, there was no denying the tent forming in Ian’s shorts.
Whatever doubts Michael had about Ian’s commitment to their weekend together, to being with him, fled his mind.
“Michael?” Ian said again, only this time, Michael clearly heard the tremor in it.
Slowly, deliberately, Michael stepped closer to Ian until their chests brushed against each other. He raised his hands and cupped Ian’s face. Pulling him in oh so gently, Michael brought his lips to Ian’s and kissed him.
At first, Michael kept his mouth closed. Somehow, he knew that their earlier kissing in the shadows was nothing in comparison. Ian was acting like this was his first time with anyone, and Michael knew if he wasn’t careful he would lose Ian. And Michael didn’t want to lose him.
When Ian’s tongue touched his lips, Michael parted them slightly, reaching out with the tip of his own. As soon as their tongues met, Ian’s earlier hesitance fled. Ian wound his arms around him and Michael shivered as hands stroked his back. Lost in each other’s arms, their kiss intensified with each passing second until Michael felt as if his balls would explode. Michael couldn’t help rubbing himself against Ian’s iron hard length as he rocked against his.
They parted, gazes locking onto each other.
“I want more,” Ian whispered again.
* * * *
Ian
Ian couldn’t believe he’d been so nervous on the way here. He’d hoped Michael would take the lead, and he had like the man had known how he’d been feeling all along. Looking at him now, seeing his eyes widen and his breath hitching, he knew he’d not been wrong about Michael.