“Shit,” he muttered as Eric pinched with just enough pressure to weaken his knees. The feeling of Eric touching him, so new and so familiar at the same time, nearly undid him. Then Eric raked over one tiny bud with the edge of his teeth, followed by a soothing lap of his tongue.
Ryuu shivered. It would be easy to just lie back and let Eric take control. He missed his bossy warrior. He missed the man who could so easily turn his entire body to mush. He missed having someone he trusted enough to give up control to. Under Eric’s touch, Ryuu could close his eyes and imagine that the world was safe. He could imagine Janice waited in the other room and the three of them could wrap themselves around one another and block out the world. As Eric’s mouth licked its way down his smooth chest and Eric’s earthy smell filled his nose, Ryuu could almost picture it.
But that wasn’t what was happening here. Eric wasn’t in the same mind space. Even so, Ryuu allowed himself another moment to wallow in the bone-deep satisfaction before turning the tables. As Eric bent to lap at his navel, Ryuu used the opportunity to push him off balance and onto his back. He straddled the other man, pulling his polo over his head.
Eric didn’t argue. He arched his hips to help as Ryuu peeled off his jeans and boxers. There was a bit of difficulty when they hit his shoes but Eric toed them off with an impatient growl.
Ryuu pulled back to sit on Eric’s thighs and gaze at the feast laid out before him. A gym-hardened body, tanned by outdoor sports, sprawled beneath him. A smattering of golden hair decorated his well-defined chest. All those rippling muscles begging to be traced by his tongue.
And a long, hard, weeping cock rising up to greet him.
Wrapping his hand around the hot, pulsing flesh, he leaned forward to lick the spongy head.
“Fuck,” Eric half gasped, half moaned. He grabbed Ryuu’s head, pulling his hair to tug him closer, desperate to push deeper into his mouth. Ryuu savored the quick zing of pain as proof of his lover’s desire. He teased the edges of the glans and traced the heaviest veins with the tip of his tongue.
Yanking Ryuu’s hair again, Eric gnashed his teeth and snarled, “Damn it, man, suck me!”
Grinning up, Ryuu gave him a coy glance, never taking his hand from Eric’s cock. “But will you make it worth my while? I’m a businessman at heart, remember.”
“Whatever you want. Don’t care,” Eric gasped. “Need. I need it, now. Please.”
“Since you asked so nicely… But I expect a return.”
Eric didn’t have time to do more than moan in reply as Ryuu took him deep in his mouth, stopping when Eric hit the back of his throat. Ryuu suckled gently at first, his hand massaging the base of Eric’s cock. Then he sucked harder as his head took up a rhythm, bobbing up and down. With his free hand Ryuu fondled Eric’s balls, rolling them in his palm.
Eric’s fingers sank deeply into Ryuu’s hair as incoherent phrases faded into guttural sounds. His muscles tightened and twitched. But Ryuu didn’t let up. He wanted everything. He wanted to taste Eric spilling over his tongue. So he ignored when Eric tugged on his hair, urging him away.
Hips pumping forward, Eric gave a sharp cry. His cock pulsed, moving against Ryuu’s tongue before flooding it with spurt after salty spurt. He let go of Ryuu’s head, hands falling limp at his side.
Ryuu kept him in his mouth until Eric softened. He then sat up and wiped a drop of cum from the corner of his mouth. He crawled from between Eric’s legs to lie beside Eric on the floor.
“You’re still dressed,” Eric commented, his voice hoarse. “Gotta be something wrong with that.”
Smirking, Ryuu enjoyed the warm glow just being with Eric gave him. “Don’t worry. We’re not done yet. You promised, remember? We’ll get me naked next.”
“I should be regretting this,” Eric grumbled, though his heart didn’t seem to be in it. “I know it’s wrong. I’m going to hurt Janice. But I can’t quite regret it.”
“Then don’t. Please don’t,” Ryuu begged. He couldn’t help but show the pain that Eric’s possible regret caused him. “It feels right because it is. Just accept that. If only for the moment, accept that.”
“Live in the moment, huh?” Eric asked, rolling over on his side to face Ryuu, his hair streaming down like a flow of honey.
A flash of the most likely future sent adrenaline pumping through Ryuu. He forced down the panic. That didn’t belong in the now. “You never know. The moment might be all we have.”
Unaware of Ryuu’s flash of fear but perhaps sensing he was disturbed by something, Eric leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss. “I don’t know what put that look on your face but it isn’t very complimentary. I mean, I’m out of practice with guys and I did leave you hanging, so far. But it wasn’t that bad, was it?”
He can’t think that. Not if this is our one and only time together. Eric has to know that it means something to me. “Oh no. I’m enjoying myself. And don’t think I missed that ‘so far’ comment. You’ll be paying up soon enough. We’re nowhere near done yet.”
Running a finger down Ryuu’s cheek, Eric whispered, “I don’t know. I thought I might start now.”
Ryuu’s pulse leaped as he leaned into the touch. “Really.”
With a lascivious grin and a wag of his eyebrows, Eric replied, “Why don’t you get rid of those pants and find out?”
Ever efficient, Ryuu had those pants flying across the room in a matter of seconds.
“Nice. Commando, huh?” Eric asked, eyes raking his body with undisguised hunger.
His cock bobbed agonizingly under the scrutiny, begging for attention. “I don’t like the binding feeling,” he croaked.
Eric reached out to slide his hand down Ryuu’s chest, petting his smooth skin and lingering on his lower abdomen. “Guess this is where I should ask if you prefer the top or bottom.”
“I’m good either way,” Ryuu gasped, arching into Eric’s caress. When would he touch his cock? He needed Eric’s hand on him.
“Been a while for me,” Eric admitted. “Do you mind if I do the catching tonight?”
Ryuu didn’t think Eric noticed the promise inherent in his use of the word “tonight”. But he had no intention of pushing his luck by mentioning it even though it warmed his heart. Instead he gave his painfully erect cock a pointed look. “Oh, I think I’ll manage.”
Eric snorted but kept his hand still, ignoring the hint. “Smart ass.”
“Yes, but it looks like you’ll have to wait to find that out for yourself.”
Grabbing his head, Eric kissed him again, taking his time with it. “You talk too damn much,” he whispered against his lips.
“One more question,” Ryuu gasped, “and I promise I’ll stop.”
After rolling his eyes, Eric nodded.
“On your knees or on your back?”
“Knees.”
Ryuu felt a quick stab of disappointment. He wanted to be able to look into Eric’s eyes as they made love this first time. He wanted some idea of what the man was thinking. And he wanted Eric to know it was Ryuu making love to him. Still, he’d take Eric any way he could get him.
As the other man rolled to his knees, Ryuu looked his fill. His hair fell around his face like molten honey, blocking out all expression. He wondered if Eric consciously used his hair as a shield. That wouldn’t do at all. But he’d deal with that later. He had more important things to attend to.
Ryuu stood and padded toward the bedroom. Eric tossed his head back and sat up so he could follow his movement. “What?” he asked in a voice filled with anxiety.
“I thought you’d appreciate some lube.”
Eric actually blushed. Ryuu’s heart melted just a little at the bashful look. “Yeah, right,” Eric agreed. “Condom too.”
Ryuu waved in his direction. “Goes without saying.”
When he returned Eric was sitting on his heels. Not bothering to move, he watched as Ryuu came closer.
“Like what you see?” Ryuu asked, letting one side of his lips curl up sli
ghtly as he strutted forward.
“I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this now,” Eric said as he watched Ryuu’s every move, “because I’m going to so regret it in the morning.”
“None of that,” Ryuu replied. He palmed his cock with one hand as he walked around Eric. “No thinking. Just feeling.”
Eric licked his lips, eyes locked on Ryuu’s hand. “Gotcha.”
Ryuu put the condom and lube on the carpet behind Eric then grabbed him by the hair, pulling back his head. He leaned down to whisper in his ear, “Wrong. I got you.”
He raked his teeth down the side of Eric’s neck, chuckling as the other man shivered.
He patted Eric’s hip. “Up.”
Eric rose up on his knees, palms to the floor.
Ryuu poured lube over his hand, coating each finger. Using first one then two fingers, he pushed into Eric. He hooked his fingers, looking for that one special spot. Eric gasped and fell to his elbows. Afraid to give him enough time to change his mind, Ryuu rolled on the condom and eased his way into Eric’s body. Ryuu gritted his teeth at the tight clench of Eric’s ass.
“Yesss,” Eric hissed, clawing at the carpet and pushing back into Ryuu’s easy thrust. “Please, more.”
Ryuu changed tempo, moving with more force, searching for the right angle to nail his prostate. No way was he going to go off alone.
Just as he found that perfect spot and Eric started to thrash beneath him, Ryuu felt the hunger in the room shoot suddenly higher. The sudden surge of lust brought him and Eric to immediate climax. Eric came with an almost animal howl while Ryuu shuddered uncontrollably.
Ryuu managed not to collapse on top of Eric, falling instead to the floor beside him. His knees ached and every muscle in his body trembled. He expected Eric to lie next to him, get a little cuddle time in before they started discussing what happened and where they would go next. Instead he seemed frozen in place. His face lacked any color and his eyes were glued to the door. It actually looked like he would vomit any second.
Ryuu followed the path of his gaze to where Janice stood in the doorway.
“Shit.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Eric trembled beneath Janice’s gaze. His stomach twisted and lurched. How could he have been so stupid, so cruel? And with a man. She had to catch him having sex with another man. What must she be thinking? She had to hate him. He hated himself for hurting her. She had to be hurting. What kind of scum hurt the woman he loved?
He reached for his pants, desperate to grab something to cover himself with.
“Don’t bother,” Janice said. “It’s not like I haven’t seen it before—and quite recently.”
Eric froze, fingers curling into the denim. She didn’t sound angry, sarcastic but not angry. He peered up, meeting a serious gaze but not a fury-filled one.
Her eyes softened as she looked down at him. “We need to talk, all three of us.”
It was over. He’d ruined everything. But he was man enough to face her, let her tell him off. She deserved the closure.
“Give me a second,” he murmured. Not waiting for a reply, he scooped up his clothes and scurried into the first room he found, which ironically was the bedroom the two of them hadn’t made it to. His knees felt raw from carpet burn and the fucker had black satin sheets on a king-sized bed. If they’d been in here, she wouldn’t have seen everything.
No, don’t think about it. Get your clothes on and get out there. Let her rip you up and hopefully she’ll let you talk after. She hadn’t sounded angry or even disappointed. Maybe there was room to hope he hadn’t destroyed everything between them.
Yeah, and maybe a school of leprechauns will come dancing through the room tossing gold coins to distract everyone, he thought as he jerked on his jeans. Hope was one thing, looking for the impossible was another.
He dragged shaky fingers through his hair. Great, he’d lost his tie. He gave a mental shrug and pulled his polo on. Well, she always said she liked to see it loose. With luck she wouldn’t think too much about why it was loose right now.
When he walked back into the living room Ryuu had already dressed and sat on the couch. Janice still stood, back to the room as she looked out the window. Eric held his head up and took a chair facing the couch, waiting for Janice to acknowledge him.
Boy, when you fuck up, you really fuck up, he thought as he stared at her delicate back. Did her shoulder seem stooped, as though under a great pressure? Did she seem more rigid than before?
What was she thinking, feeling? His heart bled under the silence.
“You don’t have to worry so much, Eric. I’m not angry. And I’m not exactly hurt,” Janice said, still not turning to face him. “I am confused. Which I think Ryuu understands better than you.”
When she finally moved from the window, she didn’t face him. No, she looked straight at Ryuu. “I talked with a good friend. She told me about the Three and passed me to one of her guys who’s like me. I think you can figure out where the conversation went from there.”
Eric looked between Janice and Ryuu, trying to figure out what the hell the two were talking about.
“I should’ve been the one to tell you,” Ryuu answered, a sick expression on his face. Damn if he didn’t look disappointed in himself or something.
Janice laughed without much humor. “Yeah, like that would’ve worked. But I have to tell you, your heavy-handed seduction routine sucks.”
Eric kept his eyes locked on Janice as she came forward to sit on the couch next to him. She sat close, as though nothing strange had happened. As if she hadn’t just seen him screwing another man. As if she hadn’t been ignoring him.
What the hell? “Just get it over with,” he muttered, staring down at his locked fingers, not able to meet her gaze. “The suspense is killing me.”
Instead of screaming at him, she took one of his hands in both of hers, rubbing gently. “Ryuu, this can’t go on. You’ve hurt Eric more than you know.”
“Hurt me?” Eric asked, almost insulted. But he didn’t pull his hand away. The fact that she could still touch him gave him comfort. “He hurt you. We hurt you. How can you sit here acting so calm when we…I betrayed you.”
“Because I have a feeling that you didn’t, not really. I haven’t trusted them for a while but I’m good at feelings. Ask Ryuu.” She turned back to the other man. “I think you need to tell us everything, no matter how insane it sounds. I’m assuming with both of us here, you could even show us. At least, that’s what Tim and Lisa said. That might be best. For once, I need to know exactly what I’m getting into before I jump in. And Eric will need proof.”
“And you don’t?” Ryuu asked, remaining surprisingly aloof for a man who’d had his dick up his ass not long ago.
“I trust my friends. I’m willing to take a little on faith. But unlike Eric, I do know exactly how both of you feel right now. While that might change eventually, it’s a comfort right now.”
Confused, Eric tried to pull away and stand. He had to get some distance because this was starting to sound like a severe case of the weird. Janice kept his hand but didn’t try to keep him sitting. She looked up at him, eyes pleading, as she spoke to Ryuu. “Set up what you need and give us a minute.”
Ryuu nodded and left. No question, no argument. It seemed totally out of character for the man. What did Janice know that he didn’t? What was really going on?
“Eric, please sit down and listen.”
“You hate me.” How could you not hate me?
Janice said nothing. She let go of his hand and patted the seat beside her.
Eric wanted to leave. He wanted nothing more than to walk out the door, pack his bags and get as far away from his mistake as possible. But he wasn’t a coward. He wouldn’t allow himself the luxury. He’d never backed down from a fight in his life, even one he couldn’t or shouldn’t win. He ran his fingers through his hair, sighed and sat down.
“I won’t say that I’m not shocked,” Janice began, staring ove
r his shoulder as she spoke. “But I don’t hate you. Far from it. And that’s what we have to talk about.”
It had to be said, no matter how much it tore at him to admit it. “You just caught me cheating on you,” he growled. God, it sounded horrible. He wasn’t that guy. He’d never been that guy before. But now he was. A cheater.
“Did I?” she asked, her voice managing to sound reasonable.
What did she want, a pound of flesh? “Of course you did. Yell at me. Rip me a new one, but don’t fucking lie about it or ignore it.”
“I’m not ignoring anything. I walked in on you having sex with Ryuu. Does my saying it make you feel better? I’m only questioning whether that was cheating or not.”
“I was having sex with someone else,” Eric replied, arms crossed and ready to take whatever punishment she had in mind. “Man or woman, I’d say that was cheating.”
Janice finally stood to face him. “And I’m not talking about the fact that he’s a man. I’m talking about the fact that he is Ryuu.”
Mental gears came to a screeching halt. “Okay, I’m officially lost here.”
“All right, let’s take this apart. Do you love me?” she asked.
Eric snorted. At least she started with something easy. “Of course. I wouldn’t be standing here ready to let you tear into me if I wasn’t.”
Janice accepted his reply at face value. “Okay. Next question. If it had been anyone but Ryuu, would you have slept with them? Man or woman, doesn’t matter.”
“No,” he replied without pause. Still, it wasn’t that simple and he found it difficult to meet her gaze as he spoke. “But I shouldn’t have with him.”
“Without talking to me first? You’re probably right. But that wasn’t what I asked.” She flicked his chin, forcing his eyes up. “You have to stick to my questions. Do you love him?”
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