Third Time's the Charm

by K. Evan Coles

  After their plates were emptied, Finn stood and started stacking them. He shared a grin with Luke and tipped his head toward the door. “Come and help me make coffee, handsome.”

  Finn wasted no time pulling Luke in for a kiss once they were inside and they ended up shoving everything they’d been carrying onto the counter. As Luke’s body heat soaked into Finn’s, he wanted nothing more than to lie down and kiss Luke until they both lost their minds. Several minutes passed before he remembered they’d come inside to make coffee, and his knees wobbled again as he flipped the switch on the carafe.

  “I wish we were alone right now,” he grumbled. He ran a hand over Luke’s hair and admired his flushed cheeks. Lust curled in his belly. “Would it be very rude if I asked my friends to leave?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Luke kissed the tip of Finn’s nose. “Though I suspect you’d risk the offense if it meant you could hoard all the dessert.” The laughter that bubbled up out of Finn made Luke smile until his eyes crinkled.

  “Oh, baby, you don’t know how right you are,” Finn said. “Don’t sell yourself short, though—you’re as tempting as any Key Lime goodness. I really love the idea of eating them off your naked body, by the way.”

  Luke grabbed Finn’s ass, his touch deliciously rough, and he pushed Finn against the counter with a pleased-sounding growl. “Damn. I’m all for making that happen—if not tonight, as soon as we can manage it.”

  A dizzy desire snaked its way through Finn and made his head swim and his cock harden. He didn’t know any more if he wanted to fuck or cuddle, but he wanted all of it and more with Luke.

  “I’m holding you to that,” he whispered.

  An hour later, most of the Key Lime bars were gone, Paul and Mick had headed home and Finn’s exhaustion had begun to take its toll. He weaved as Luke steered him toward the bedroom, and they shared a laugh after he almost stumbled.

  “Tired, huh?” Luke asked as they neared the bed.

  “Utterly wiped,” Finn said. He turned and looped his arms around Luke’s neck. “Glad we did this, though. Paul and Mick were looking forward to meeting you.”

  Luke took Finn’s waist in his hands. “I’m glad, too. I had a good time.”

  Finn closed his eyes and nodded. His breath caught when Luke pressed his lips against the hollow of Finn’s throat. Slowly, Luke peeled Finn’s clothes off, taking his time to touch and kiss as the garments fell away, and Finn’s skin prickled under Luke’s trailing fingers. Luke skimmed his palm over Finn’s belly and dipped his hand lower, and Finn bit back a gasp.

  “Okay, Doc?”

  “Yes. Very okay.” Finn moaned. Heat pulsed in his groin. “Need to touch you.”

  “You want me to grab the leftover dessert before we get started?”

  Finn laughed at the smile he heard in Luke’s voice but shook his head. “Want you too much.”

  He brought his hands to Luke’s waist and opened his eyes as Luke guided him down onto the bed. Finn watched Luke shuck his own clothes, his gut tightening as the muscled planes of Luke’s body were laid bare. Luke stretched out beside him, and they stayed largely silent as they kissed and caressed one another, communicating through sight and touch rather than speech. Finn lost himself in miles of fair skin and freckles, and his erection lay rigid against his abdomen when Luke finally pulled away.

  Luke covered Finn’s cock with one broad hand. He kissed along Finn’s belly and pelvis, teasing the skin with his lips and tongue, and nuzzled Finn’s shaft with his lips. Finn stared, arrested by the lust in Luke’s eyes, which never left his.

  “Jesus fuck, baby.”

  Luke smiled. “Lube,” he murmured, his breath warm against Finn’s cock.

  Finn made a grab for the nightstand and gasped as Luke licked along the base of his dick. He sighed with relief when his fingers closed over the bottle, and he passed it down to Luke, his hands shaking.

  Luke pushed himself up onto his knees, his face flushed and his mouth swollen from kissing. His cock stood stiff as he wet his fingers, but he ignored it and spread Finn’s knees wide instead. He wrapped a hot, wet hand around Finn before he bent deep and swiped his tongue over Finn’s balls.

  Finn bit back a shout. “Oh, God.”

  Luke closed his eyes. He licked and kissed the sensitive skin of Finn’s balls with utmost care, each touch over Finn’s shaft and cockhead tender-rough and perfect. Wonder filled Finn as he watched the man between his legs. Luke rested his cheek on Finn’s groin and held his amazing ass high in the air. He rocked his hips gently as he sucked and each motion made the muscles of his back flex and jump. Several beats passed before it dawned on Finn that Luke was fucking his own hand, and he sucked in a sharp breath as the coil inside him drew taut.

  “Mmm. Luke.”

  Luke opened eyes filled with fire. He shifted upright and pinned Finn with that stare as he took him down in a long, slow slide. Finn wound his fingers in Luke’s dark hair and fought like hell not to buck, but he was gone the moment Luke swallowed around him. Finn swore and pumped into Luke’s face, and everything in him pulled tight when Luke’s lids slid closed and he moaned. The vibrations in his throat sent pleasure jolting through Finn’s body and a familiar ache pooled in his groin.

  “You—oh, fuck. Coming,” Finn ground out.

  Luke tightened his grip and swallowed again, and Finn came apart at the seams. His body went rigid as the orgasm stormed through him with crushing intensity. It left him wrung-out and boneless against the mattress, and he floated high while Luke licked him clean.

  “Look at you,” Luke murmured, his voice rough and reverent. He shifted back and Finn peeled his eyes open in time to see Luke lift his knee over Finn’s lax form. He straddled Finn’s waist, and Finn’s brain came back online as Luke’s erection jutted up hard and red against his groin.

  Finn ran his hands over Luke’s thighs and smiled at the goosebumps that pebbled Luke’s skin.

  “Show me, baby,” he coaxed. “Make yourself feel good.”

  Luke took himself in hand with a hiss. His shuddered as Finn intertwined their fingers around Luke’s shaft, and his head fell back as they pumped him in tandem. Finn licked his lips at Luke’s moan. Quickly, he slid his other hand around Luke and fingered his rim, and Luke’s body lit up like a firework.

  “Oh, God!”

  Finn groaned, his dick growing stiff. “Fuck, yeah, Luke. Show me how you come.”

  Luke curled forward with a choked cry, streaking Finn’s torso with his cum. He shook as Finn pulled him down and held him close, both of them silent but for the sound of their racing breaths. Finn lay still until Luke stirred, and though he tried to rouse himself, it was as if his bones were filled with lead. Even his eyelids refused to cooperate.

  “Where you goin’?” he asked and both of them chuckled at his sleepy slurring.

  “Just getting something to clean us up,” Luke whispered. He ran a hand over Finn’s head with a soft touch.

  Finn’s awareness waned further as Luke moved around the bedroom. He was grateful for the warm, wet cloth that cleaned him up and the cool sheets drawn up over his body, and for Luke’s solid weight spooned up behind him.

  I could get used to this.

  “You should stay,” he murmured without thinking, then felt a pang of regret at Luke’s sigh.

  “Mmm, I can’t.”

  Damn. Finn knew better than to guilt Luke over things he couldn’t control. But before he could apologize, Luke rested his cheek on Finn’s shoulder.

  “I’ll work on it, Doc.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Luke surveyed the Boston skyline laid out before him and sipped his margarita. He’d always loved the view from the roof deck of Simon’s South End condo, especially the way the Hancock tower’s sharp blue angles jutted into the sky. The picturesque view paled in comparison to the man at Luke’s side, though.

  “This is nice,” Finn said, his tone admiring. “Much nicer than the courtyard at my place.”

  Luke frow
ned. “Oh, I don’t know. The courtyard at your place is very you.”

  “What, slightly overgrown and off limits after ten p.m.?”

  “I like the courtyard,” Luke replied. “It’s green and shady and cool, and so peaceful, even with all the traffic and tourists beyond the gate. It’s like an oasis hidden away in the middle of the city.”

  Luke cursed inwardly at the surprise that crossed Finn’s face. He had an unfortunate tendency to wax poetic around men he liked, and he liked Finn a whole lot. Heat crawled up the back of his neck, but he relaxed when Finn took hold of his hand, the simple touch soothing Luke’s rough edges.

  “I never thought about it that way.” The fondness in Finn’s gray eyes nearly mashed Luke’s heart flat. “The courtyard was a big draw to rent the place. I wanted someplace I could unwind after work and sit and do nothing.”

  “Seems as good a reason as any to settle on a space to live,” Luke replied. “Though you’ll have to find someplace else after the cold weather arrives. I didn’t have anything specific in mind when I bought my place, other than to call a space home for the first time since I’d moved out of my parents’ house.” He smiled. “And by home I mean someplace decent where I didn’t have to worry about someone spilling pizza sauce on the furniture, wrecking my laundry or stealing my beer.”

  Finn laughed. “Those were your criteria, huh?”

  “Yep. It took a while to find a place that spoke to me. I must have seen every condo in Back Bay, and I swear my realtor wanted to strangle me with her bare hands. We finally found a place I liked and could mostly afford with the right loan, and I couldn’t wait to move in and make it mine. Of course, my place became our place about a year later because Pete and Ella showed up to crash and Ella never left.” He squeezed Finn’s hand. “Too bad I didn’t know ahead of time because I’d have looked for something bigger than a two-bedroom.”

  “Where does Pete sleep when he’s in town anyway?” Finn asked. “Because I already know Ella got the second bedroom.”

  “She totally did. She’s got it covered so thick in kid things I don’t even recognize it anymore.” Luke sipped his drink. “Pete sleeps in a converted closet. It has a window and enough room for a bed and a chest of drawers, by the way, before you start thinking I treat my brother like Harry Potter.”

  Finn barked out a laugh. “You’ve painted a very amusing picture in my head.”

  “It is pretty funny, now that I’m thinking about it.” Luke chuckled. “My place isn’t huge but it has a glut of closet space, including what used to be a walk-in closet off the main living area. It always seemed like wasted space to me, though, and I used it as an office for a while. We changed it into a bedroom after Pete moved Ella back.”

  He cleared his throat. “I’ll show you some time so you can see for yourself,” he said, and his heart gave a funny jump at the way Finn’s eyes lit up.

  “I’d like that.”

  “Good.” Luke raised their joined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss against Finn’s knuckles. He wanted to say more—to tell Finn how happy he made him every time they got together—but a deep, familiar voice stopped him.

  “Please stop with the romantic bullshit before I go into a diabetic coma and die.”

  Luke stifled a laugh. “Something I can do for you, Simon, or are you just here to rain on my margarita?”

  “Hah, clever.” Simon stepped beside Luke. He looked very tan and blond in his white button-down shirt and old jeans, and his blue eyes shone with mischief. “I’m happy to rain on anything you want, but I just wanted to let you two know that lunch is ready.” He gestured over his shoulder to the far side of the deck where Gillian and the others were gathering to feast on a cold fried chicken picnic.

  “Well, thanks.” Luke glanced at Finn. “You’re ready to eat, right?”

  Finn smiled. “Um, yes. How’d you guess?”

  “I heard your stomach growl a minute ago.”

  “Ugh. That’s not embarrassing at all.”

  Luke grinned.

  This man.

  Luke had yet to find anything about Finn he didn’t like just fine. He’d been checking, too, because he wanted to get a handle on the way Finn made him feel. Luke had been infatuated before, but this…this was different. He hadn’t experienced a connection like this in years, and everything about it seemed bigger and more intense. Luke’s feelings for Finn scared him a little. And he wasn’t doing a single thing to put the brakes on.

  The sound of Simon clearing his throat sent heat flashing across Luke’s face. Had he really gone all moony over Finn right in front of his best friend? Yes. Yes, I have. There was no chance Simon would let that slide, either.

  Luke braced himself as he and Finn followed Simon across the deck, but Simon surprised him by holding his tongue. He watched Luke and Finn over the course of the afternoon instead, his gaze sharp. Luke read questions in his friend’s eyes, but it was the concern Luke glimpsed there that finally pushed him to his feet.

  He smiled down at Finn, who was comparing notes about noodle restaurants with Gillian and Charlie. “I’m going to get a refill. Can I bring you one, too?”

  “Thanks, yeah.” Finn handed up his glass. “Better make mine water this time, though. I’m on duty in a couple of hours.”

  “You got it. How about you two?” Luke glanced at Gillian and Charlie, who waved him off, then headed for the staircase that led down into Simon’s loft.

  Inside, Luke went to the kitchen sink with the glasses and washed them, and it wasn’t long before he heard movement behind him.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Simon said. “There’s clean glassware in the cabinet.”

  “I know. It’s easy enough to reuse these, though.” Luke set the glasses on the counter and turned toward Simon, who’d gone to the refrigerator. “Besides, this way we can talk about whatever’s been putting that look on your face.”

  Simon pulled a cake box from the refrigerator’s depths and let the door swing shut. He cut his eyes at Luke as he carried the box to the counter. “You should be more concerned with the look on your face than mine. I know I am.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Instead of answering, Simon pulled a wide blue platter from one of the cabinets and started arranging slices of cheesecake from the box.

  “Does Finn know?” he asked.

  Dread trickled along Luke’s spine. “Does Finn know what?” The way Simon’s expression softened made his guts churn.

  “That you’re falling for him.”

  “I’m—I’m not,” Luke croaked out. Simon stepped up beside him, and all of the feelings Luke had been trying to manage reared up inside him at once. He swallowed hard.

  “That’s a lie,” Simon said, his voice quiet. He took Luke’s hand in his. “I know you better than most people, Luke. If anyone in this world knows what you look like when you’re falling for someone, it’s me.”

  “I didn’t mean to,” Luke rushed out with a jagged little laugh. “I don’t even know how this happened and I have no idea what the fuck to do.”

  “Damn, I didn’t know we’d be playing rounds of Luke Loses His Shit today.” Simon looped his free arm around Luke’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m scared shitless.” Luke dropped his head and let his shoulders slump.

  “What about?”

  “So many things. Mostly that I’ll fuck up a good thing because that’s how I roll. And…that Finn won’t feel the same about me.”

  Simon gave him a squeeze. “Has he done or said anything to make you think he wouldn’t?”

  “No, but we haven’t been dating very long.” Luke inhaled. “He’s the one who wanted to take things slow so we could get to know each other, too. I don’t even know if he’s dating anyone else.”

  “Okay, I get that.” Simon tipped his head back and forth, his gaze thoughtful. “You could ask him, you know. And for what it’s worth, the guy clearly likes you. I’ve only been around him for a couple of hour
s and it’s obvious. I think he’s good for you, too.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re lighter these days. Happier about life in general, and more optimistic, which is nice.” Simon gave him a crooked grin. “So, what’s got you spooked?”

  “Nothing. Everything.” Luke shrugged. “I’m not sure I’m even ready to feel this serious about someone, but I don’t want to let Finn go. Shit, sometimes I feel like I could make a future with him, you know?”

  “What kind of a future?” Simon appeared very grave. “Married with a house in the burbs and six kids kind of a future?”

  “Ugh, no. I like my apartment too much.” Luke smiled as Simon’s stone face broke and he chuckled. “Honestly, I don’t know what I mean. As long as Finn is a part of whatever comes next, that’d be enough for me.”

  Simon blew out a low whistle. “You’ve got it bad, baby.”

  “I know. I feel ridiculous.”

  “Don’t. This is a good look for you.”

  Luke cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  Simon scoffed. “You’ve been walking around all summer making stupid hearty eyes at everyone. It’s like someone stuck a lightbulb up your ass.”

  “Jesus Christ.” Luke groaned. “What is wrong with you?”

  “So many things,” Simon replied. He squeezed Luke’s shoulders again. “Will you be introducing Finn to the rest of the Ryan clan?”

  “I’d like to.” Luke worried his bottom lip with his teeth. “Finn told his parents about me, but I don’t know if he’s ready for a face-to-face with my family.”

  “He’s suggested you meet each other’s friends, right? Given how he’s already talked to his family about you, I’d say he wants more.”

  “More what?”

  “Of you, Luke. Of your relationship. So, show him your life while he shows you his.”

  “What if he runs screaming for the hills?”

  “Hey, you’re the marathon man, Pickle,” Simon teased. “Chase him down and throw him over your shoulder. Release your inner caveman!”

  Luke scowled. “We agreed you wouldn’t call me that in front of other people.”