Dreamspinner Press Year Three Greatest Hits

by Jenna Hilary Sinclair

  Trace sighed softly as he tasted scotch and David, a heady combination. His fingers lightly carded David’s hair as he leisurely continued the kiss. When David’s hands started moving on him, Trace groaned aloud and pulled away from the kiss.

  “Oh hell. Start that and I’ll do whatever you want.” He arched his back slightly into David’s hands. He adored a massage. Women who figured that out usually had him like putty in their hands.

  “You will, will you?” David chuckled, nipping playfully at Trace’s bottom lip and starting them down the hallway again. “Come on then, Jackson. I’ll trade you a back rub for a good-night kiss, but it better be a good one.”

  Trace laughed lightly as David walked him backward into the bedroom. “Mmmm. I’m getting off light,” he kidded before pulling away to stretch. He hadn’t realized he’d tensed up so much over the course of the evening. Must be the stress of the unknown. Now I don’t know why I was stressed.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’m expecting one hell of a good-night kiss.” David reached for the small lamp beside the bed, clicking it on so soft yellow light filled the room, just enough to see. “Take off your clothes and lie down.”

  Trace paused and his eyes widened a little.

  “I promise your virtue is safe in my hands. It just makes it easier to massage you,” David assured him, anticipating Trace’s reluctance. “I’m gonna go slip into my pajamas and grab some lotion. Care to finish undoing me?”

  Trace’s lips twitched as he paced over to David to unfasten his dress pants. He was starting to think it was an affectation—David had more than enough motion back in his arm to do up and undo his own clothes. But Trace didn’t think he minded. “David, you’ve seen me in wet Speedos. That doesn’t leave much to the imagination,” he said wryly as his fingers slid inside the waistband and his knuckles brushed bare skin.

  Unable to help it, David’s breath caught as the tips of Trace’s fingers grazed the head of his erection. Through clenched teeth, he rasped, “Yeah, and my imagination was certainly running in overdrive that day.” Stepping back the moment his pants were undone, he turned from temptation. He’d promised Trace slow and easy, and begging for more of Trace’s touch on his over-heated cock wasn’t keeping his word. He momentarily contemplated jacking off as he shed his clothes but decided he’d rather draw out this exquisite torture and take care of himself after his kiss. On the other side of the door, David grinned, thinking of the times during the past two days when he’d felt Trace hard against him. Pulling up his pajama bottoms, he reached into the medicine cabinet for the bottle of massage oil.

  Contemplating as David turned away, Trace rubbed his fingers together. He was fairly sure he knew what he’d touched, and he didn’t want to think about it too closely. The idea of kissing another man: okay. The idea of touching his aroused cock? Trace swallowed and flushed, curling his hand into a fist. Disconcerting. Embarrassing, even, which in turn really embarrassed him. Intellectually, he knew there was nothing wrong with touching another man. Just wasn’t something he’d thought about trying. Until now. It struck Trace then that David really wanted him. And Trace definitely didn’t like the idea of teasing him. When the other man reentered the bedroom with a bottle of massage oil in hand, Trace had to speak up and clear his conscience. “David, is this a good idea? I don’t want to get you all riled up.”

  David stopped next to Trace and reached up to smooth out the worry creasing his brow. “Does it bother you that I get turned on by your touch, your body, your kiss?” he asked softly.

  Trace closed his eyes as David touched him gently. “No. That’s a hell of a boost to my ego, actually,” he admitted before reopening his eyes. “I… I’m just a bit wigged out about doing something about it. I know I hate a tease,” he said frankly.

  “You’re thinking too much.” David started to pull Trace’s shirt out of the waistband of his pants. “I know who you are, and I know you’ve never done this before. I promised slow, and I intend to enjoy every moment of slow. If you get to a place you’re uncomfortable, no harm, no foul. We can slow down, stop, back up, and just be friends. If it gets to be too much for me, I’ll let you know. Okay?” Reaching up, he cupped Trace’s cheek.

  The look in David’s eyes was soft and affectionate, and Trace turned his chin to kiss David’s palm. “Okay,” Trace agreed. “I’ll try to stop thinking so much,” he said, smile reappearing. He reached down to undo his pants, since David had already pulled his shirt loose.

  Trace pulled off his shirt, draped it over the dresser, and got out of his pants. His hand trailed along the waistband of his underwear, but he decided against it. He totally believed David wouldn’t push, but he was more concerned that he’d be too self-conscious to enjoy the massage. So Trace left them on and crawled onto the bed. “Okay,” he said, wiggling to get comfortable.

  “Chicken,” David teased. Trace smiled ruefully. The boxer briefs clung to every dip and curve of his ass and upper thighs, effectively hiding nothing, and he knew it. But it was the principle of the idea. Trace snorted and shook his head, laying it down on the pillow he’d pulled under himself.

  Kneeling on the bed, David straddled Trace’s body, his weight coming to rest on the top of Trace’s thighs. Reaching for the bottle of oil, he let his chest brush Trace’s back. It was so much temptation. But he’d promised Trace slow and easy, and begging for more of Trace’s touch wasn’t keeping his word.

  Now all this skin, these long legs and firm back and muscled arms, they were all under him, bare. Someday. Someday I’ll strip every stitch of clothing from him and make love to him like no one has ever before.

  Trace sighed as David got situated. “Get to work,” he ordered.

  David laughed, choosing to pour the cool oil directly onto Trace’s back instead of warming it in his hands like he normally would.

  Trace inhaled sharply and somehow kept himself from rearing back—not that he could go far with David’s weight on his legs. “Thanks,” he said sarcastically, though it was softened with a snorting laugh. “I’m real relaxed now.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t piss off the masseur.” David started to work the oil into Trace’s back, moving it from where it had settled in the channel along his spine over the broad planes of muscle. He pushed deeply, feeling a slight twinge in his shoulder. He’d have to take it easy with his injured side and do the really hard kneading only with his left hand. Closing his eyes, he fell into a rhythm that was relaxing him as well as Trace.

  “Mmmm, don’t strain your shoulder,” Trace murmured as David started to feel the muscles releasing the knots.

  Not wanting a reminder of Trace’s role as his caregiver, David worked as hard as he could at turning the tables—giving to Trace as passionately as Trace had given to him over the past month. A happy purr rumbled in Trace’s chest as David worked.

  Using his body weight as leverage, David rocked forward to press deeply into the meaty muscle of the other man’s shoulders, his cock hardening as it pressed into the cleft of Trace’s ass. Even through two layers of cloth, the touch was electric. Not wanting to make Trace uncomfortable, he immediately shifted back, sliding his hands down Trace’s back to work at the muscles along the sides of his spine. But Trace drew in a long, slow breath, and his eyes fluttered open when he felt David lean into him, hard and long and unmistakable.

  David felt Trace tense. Damn. He couldn’t control his body’s reaction to the sexy brunet; he simply desired Trace too much. So he was going to have to get Trace okay with it somehow. He leaned forward again, his body conforming to Trace’s back, and whispered next to his ear. “Relax. I know you trust me. Just for a minute, don’t think. Just feel.” He pushed his aroused body unashamedly against Trace’s ass. “You do that to me. You’re sexy and beautiful, and it turns me on. I know you’ve danced with women, possibly even the wife or girlfriend of a good friend, and had your body react. Contact, touch, it tantalizes, teases, and my body responds. It feels good. Hell! It feels great. Even if it isn’t goi
ng anywhere. If my touch brings you pleasure, and your touch brings me pleasure, just leave it at that. Don’t make it any more complicated.” David pulled the curtain of dark hair to the side and let his lips ghost over the back of Trace’s neck.

  Trace shuddered under David and obeyed, his muscles visibly relaxing. With David rocking slowly against him, Trace groaned and unconsciously shifted his weight. The longer David rocked slowly against him, the more Trace steadily grew more and more fond of it. It was arousing. He groaned and unconsciously shifted his weight off his own cock, which had hardened in reaction to David’s compliments. Trace sucked in a surprised breath as his body reacted positively. David was right. It felt great.

  Picking up the rhythm with his hands, David went back to the massage, letting his fingers mold Trace’s muscles. His eyes shut and he bit his lip as Trace’s hips continued to undulate in counterpoint to his movements. The fact that the erotic enticement was unintended made it even more provocative. The tension continued to build to the brink of climax, David’s muscles trembling before he forced himself to slow the pace. Coming against Trace’s ass wasn’t a part of the slow seduction forming in his mind.

  Practically melted against the pillows, Trace moaned in protest, and his hands flexed to grip the sheets. “David,” he said hoarsely. Fuck, he was so turned on.

  “Shhhh,” David soothed, changing the massage to long, light brushes of his fingertips from shoulder to hip in alternating crisscross patterns. He could hear the need in Trace’s voice and wanted so badly to offer to ease his ache, but he knew that Trace wasn’t ready for that yet. He bit his cheek. It might hurt now, but losing Trace’s friendship would kill him.

  The light massage encouraged Trace to relax again, and slowly the arousal he’d felt at David’s hands drained away as he got sleepier. All he knew was it felt incredible—and that David had aroused him so much he’d about come against the sheets. Trace pushed the thought away to mull over later. For now, he was just feeling.

  David felt Trace’s body release the last of the tension, sinking deep into the mattress. He continued to gently stroke Trace’s back, shoulders, arms, and hair until the slow, even breathing told him Trace was asleep.

  Carefully lifting himself off the bed, he snagged Trace’s shirt off the dresser as he passed and walked barefoot into the living room.

  Slipping the shirt over his arms but leaving it unbuttoned, he lifted the collar to his face, breathing in Trace’s scent. His cock throbbed between his legs, leaving a spreading wet patch on the thin cotton of his pajamas. Stretching out on the couch, he slipped his hand under the elastic, pushing the pants down onto his thighs. Wrapped in Trace’s scent, David quickly stroked himself to completion, Trace’s name escaping on a breathy gasp as he came.

  Chapter 10

  WAKING UP slowly, Trace first became aware of being very warm, cozy, and happily curled up against someone. It didn’t throw him at all. For several minutes, he dozed until his brain finally pointed out that he really should have been alone this morning. Frowning a little, very sleepy yet, and recognizing a bit of a hangover, Trace tried to remember.

  David woke to a dull ache in his shoulder. He had moved to his back, he realized groggily, and his shoulder lay awkwardly on the pillow while the weight of a body was tucked up under that arm lying against his side. Remembering why he’d turned over, he opened his eyes, finding Trace so close that he could feel his breath on his face.

  When his pillow jostled, Trace blinked open blurry, sleep-heavy eyes to see David very close, and he was so surprised he couldn’t even move. David had shifted to his back, and his injured shoulder lay awkwardly on a pillow while the weight of Trace’s body was tucked up under the arm lying against his other side. As Trace watched, David slowly opened his eyes, so close that Trace could feel his breath on his cheek.

  It wasn’t the first time they’d woken up lying against each other in the time that Trace had been staying with him. Apparently they were both cuddlers by nature, but this time, the incredible tension from the night before immediately crackled between them. Trace’s breathing picked up as he felt himself tingle. Neither moved for a long moment, and then David began to close the distance slowly, clearly giving Trace plenty of time to roll away. He had absolutely no desire in him to do so as David brushed warm lips against his. Pulling away was the last thing on his mind. This was nice. It became more than nice as David licked at Trace’s full bottom lip, sucking it softly. Much, much better than nice, morning breath be damned.

  Trace’s heart skipped, and his eyes closed unconsciously as he felt David’s lips moving more against his with growing confidence. It didn’t feel scary or wrong. It felt great, actually, with a little bit of surprising spark. Trace didn’t want to move. He knew his lips were trembling as they parted slightly on a silent moan. This is David. Whatever happened, it would be okay. He unfurled his fingers to spread them across David’s chest.

  David’s breath hitched as Trace’s hand slid across his skin. It would be so easy to wrap his arms around Trace and start exploring, to figure out exactly what this was between them. When he finally pulled back, he gathered Trace closer against his side, resting their cheeks together.

  It was comfortable, Trace realized. It made him wonder—was this what he had been thinking of in the car? Something warmer, something softer than just sex. He shifted his hand slightly, feeling David’s warm and surprisingly soft flesh sprinkled with crinkly hair under it. His fingers were itching. Itching to stroke and feel and discover. He curled them into a fist. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into him last night—or this morning. He could blame it on spending much more time with David than usual or it being too long since he’d spent time with an accommodating woman. But he wanted to touch. Touch David like he had in the car. And the look in David’s eyes when he had opened them last night…. Trace had never seen a look like that from anyone directed at him. It had been scarily intimate at the time, enough to unnerve him and send him into the dubious safety of hard liquor.

  But now, after a long moment of not moving, Trace shifted some more. His hand slid until his arm lay across David’s ribs, and his head turned to use David’s good shoulder as a pillow. He was huddled up close, and if he actually thought about it right now, he’d probably embarrass himself. Trace decided it was best to push thinking away for now. He just wanted this closeness. Nothing wrong with that, is there?

  David shifted his arm to come up and rest along his back, probably to take the pressure off his injured shoulder. Trace actually went back to sleep for about half an hour before waking again with a sleepy sigh and burying his face against David’s chest. This time he knew exactly where he was; he just didn’t feel any urgency to move. David hadn’t pushed him away, after all. Trace coasted his hand up David’s ribs to tuck his fingers under his own cheek, letting the comfortable lethargy hold him in place.

  David’s heart raced as Trace cuddled closer, his mind too full to allow him any more rest. Of course, Trace would sleep ’til noon given the chance. David smiled and dropped a light kiss on the top of the dark head. They had learned a lot about each other, and apparently there was even more to discover. If someone had told him a month ago that he’d be sharing morning kisses with Trace, he would have told them they were insane, but somehow it just felt right, like a natural extension of the closeness—the intimacy—that had been growing between them.

  Trace shifted again, and David frowned. An early riser by nature, he felt the need to be out of bed. His shoulder hurt, and he was craving coffee. He ran his hand up Trace’s bare arm, hoping to coax him awake. He didn’t want him to wake up alone and think David regretted their actions.

  “Mmmmmm.” Trace burrowed closer and hid his eyes against David’s neck, shaking his hair forward to block the dim light coming through the blinds. “Still sleepy,” was the muffled murmur.

  David couldn’t help but chuckle. “You are such a slugabed,” he teased, attacking Trace’s side with his fingers. “Half the day is gon
e.”

  Trace squawked and flailed, trying to catch David’s hand. “No no no no no!” he practically squealed, handicapped because David was so close.

  Oh, now isn’t that interesting. Trace is ticklish. David grinned, sat up, and crawled half on top of the squirming man to renew his attack.

  “Ack! David! Damn!” Trace yelled as he tried to wriggle away, but he was caught under the other man and held his hands back, conscious of David’s shoulder. “I give! I give! Ack!”

  “To the victor go the spoils,” David announced, looking down at Trace beneath him and into sleepy eyes melted into liquid pools of chocolate brown with golden sparks. “Do you concede that I should be able to claim a favor of my choice?”

  “Okay, anything,” Trace said miserably, still shivering. “Just no more tickling, please,” he begged. He gave David a pitiful look from where he was sprawled under him, hair a mess, face still soft from sleep.

  Planting a hand on either side of Trace’s head, David leaned down, careful to support his weight on his good arm. “I don’t know,” he mused, seeming to think it over. “You look good like this.” He let his eyes take a long, lingering sweep over Trace’s flushed face and chest. Mouth hovering dangerously close, David pondered claiming a “real” kiss—a kiss Trace would feel clear down to his toes and hopefully other parts of his anatomy. No, he decided. Trace wasn’t ready for where David wanted this to go. When they went farther, it would be because Trace was so ready he was begging. Just the thought sent a slash of heat through him to connect to his groin, and he almost groaned aloud.