Hard Candy

by Angela Knight, Sheri Gilmore

  Muscled arms wrapped around him. The hands moved down his sides to grasp the snap to his jeans. The large body pressed into his and a hot breath fanned his neck and cheek.

  “Relax, lover boy. I’m not going to do anything you haven’t been dreaming about.”

  “What do you know about my dreams, asshole?”

  Luke’s laugh held humor and a dash of aggression. His thumbs hooked on either side of David’s briefs. With one vicious tug, the cotton lay at his feet. The cold air on his ass made his cock tighten.

  “Hmm, I know you want me to be Nico.”

  David stiffened, but Luke pressed into him harder. “And that’s okay with me, except the price for release might be a little steep.”

  A hand snaked around his waist and hip to grasp his dick. David turned his forehead to the wall and closed his eyes against the sensation. In his mind he pictured Nico behind him, massaging him, giving him what he needed.

  He swallowed. “W-What do you want?”

  The calloused hand tightened in reward. “Natalie, you, and Nico. Together.”

  “Why?”

  “Let’s just say Nico’s had a hard life, and I’d like to see him happy.”

  David snorted. “Not asking for much, are you?”

  The hand moved up, then back to feather a caress across his balls.

  “Goddammit, who the fuck are you?” He couldn’t take much more. His balls ached with the need to release their load. Sweat covered his arms, chest, and back. The back of his throat burned with the effort of breathing through clenched teeth to hold his orgasm in check.

  “I’m the one who can give you that ultimate Freudian high you’ve always wanted.” The other arm and hand worked around his middle. The fingers holding his cock disappeared, only to reappear, wet, against his rectum. “You just have to relax, enjoy the moment, and give me what I want.”

  His anal muscles tightened in defense, but the questing hand burrowed deeper with a thumb and middle finger, forcing his ass cheeks apart. Luke’s forefinger teased around the opening to David’s anus.

  Hands flattened against the wall curled and fisted in frustration. He groaned in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it. I’ll get the three of us together.”

  * * * * *

  His foot on the last step, Nico came to a halt at the rhythmic thud that sounded familiar, coming from David’s apartment. He frowned.

  “Oh, God ... don’t ... stop! Don’t ... stop.”

  The thud grew stronger, harder; the cries louder.

  Nico’s eyebrow rose. He’d known Dave liked his sex both ways, but he’d never had proof of others. David’s voice begged for more. The thumps increased in rhythm, indicating that whoever had him didn’t mind giving him what he asked for. Nico shrugged, trying not to imagine what that scenario would entail.

  He turned to leave, but hesitated when David’s pleas became moans of deep and utter pleasure. His own cock tingled, and his teeth clenched. He wouldn’t be turned on by the fact David and some other guy were “sucking and fucking.” He took another step.

  “Yesss!” David’s release tore through the night air.

  Nico closed his eyes at the same time his cock hardened. His hand gripped the rail and he pulled his body away from the unwanted desires that called to him. He’d given in once, long ago. Reaching the pavement in the parking lot, he glanced up to David’s darkened apartment. He couldn’t give in again. He didn’t understand that side of himself. How could he crave Natalie and at the same time want David?

  * * * * *

  He lay face-down against the mattress. Sweat covered his body from head to toe. He shivered when the air conditioning kicked on, but didn’t move. He couldn’t.

  Fuck! He’d never had it that good. Dragging what energy he could find, he turned his head and scanned the darkened room for him ... Luke.

  The tip of a cigarette glowed red. A second later, a trail of smoke curled up and around Luke’s head as he sat in the corner, cloaked by shadows.

  David could see his silhouette against the cream-colored drapes. He moaned and let his head fall back to the wet sheets and watched his newest lover. There had been nothing gentle in what the other man had done to him. His ass throbbed and burned, but it had been worth the pain ... so good.

  “You liked that?”

  “Um hmm.” He couldn’t speak; it took too much energy.

  “Enough to let me fuck you again --” Smoke circled down to the floor. “-- and again?”

  “Yes.” The word hissed from David’s dry lips. His heart rate increased with the fear Luke wouldn’t return after tonight. He lifted his head, feeling weak and lethargic. “I-I’ve got to have it.”

  A quiet laugh emerged from the dark. “I know you do, Davey.” The silhouette stubbed the butt into the nearby planter, then leaned forward. “But here’s what you’ve got to do for me.”

  * * * * *

  Natalie sat straight up in bed with a gasp. She looked around at the familiar knickknacks of her bedroom, smelling Nona’s coffee brewing in the kitchen. She frowned. The last thing she remembered had been saying her incantation under the light of the moon, then ... everything afterward seemed fuzzy and distorted. She’d been naked.

  She looked down at her nightgown beneath the covers she clutched in her hand. Lifting the covers back, she pulled her gown up to reveal her panties. The frown on her forehead deepened. She eased her forefinger beneath the scrap of silk and touched her clit. Humph. The little nub quivered, but didn’t ache with the pain she remembered from the rose’s thorn.

  Murky images ebbed back and forth beyond her reach. A flash of David -- she angled her head and closed her eyes -- a flash of Nico. The picture blurred, then sharpened. She almost had it --

  “Natalie, breakfast!”

  “Damnation.” She punched the pillow as the vision disappeared. She looked around the room once more, not sure how she’d gotten back here, or if she’d ever really been outside at all. With another groan, she eased out of bed and grabbed her robe. One thing you didn’t do at Nona’s was walk around in your nightgown without a robe. Heaven forbid if the cat saw the outline of your nipples, or something. She bit back a laugh.

  Nona would pass out if she’d seen her all those times she’d strutted around in the backyard, performing her midnight rituals. She’d heard rumors of Nona’s gift, but had never seen her grandmother dance with the moon. She shook her head and shrugged. Maybe the rumors weren’t real. Maybe she was the only one here who believed in magick. Stretching her arms above her head, she walked into the kitchen and yawned.

  “Sleep well, my baby?”

  A loud whack accompanied the question and sent Natalie stumbling two or three steps to the kitchen table. Her eyes fully open, she watched her grandmother beat the can of frozen orange juice against the counter’s edge.

  Shaking her head, she stepped to the end of the counter and took the can from the old woman’s arthritic fingers. “Here, Nona, let me. If you keep on, you’re going to break your fin--”

  Her words trailed off as her gaze focused on the concrete bench under the old oak tree in the backyard. The sun shone bright in the morning air. Birds whistled from their perches in the tall tree. And, sitting where she’d left them, were the candle and box of matches from the night before.

  Dizziness hit; she gripped the edge of the counter. A hot, wicked voice whispered in her ear while long, lean fingers explored her pussy. Natalie heard a small moan escape her throat. Oh, God ... it couldn’t have really happened!

  Chapter Five

  “What do you mean, you put a bay leaf under my pillow?” Natalie looked up from the mug of steaming tea and gazed into her grandmother’s concerned face. The little woman held her hands together in front of her chest, wringing them over and over.

  “It’s an old gypsy fortune-telling trick.”

  Well, she had her answer. Nona really did practice the “old” ways of her ancestors, but ... a bay leaf? “What does a bay leaf do?”

  �
��If you’d just ask me to let you study the book, you’d know. It’s one of the first ‘tricks’ you learn when you become a seer.”

  “A seer?” Natalie put the cup down. “I’m not a seer, Nona. I’ve just borrowed a few of the spells I’ve found in there.”

  “I thought you liked David.”

  Natalie sighed in frustration. Her fingernail worried a chip in the cup.

  “I do.” She didn’t know how, but she had to ensure that both men ended up in her bed. “Is there a spell you know besides bay leaves that I can use?”

  Nona poured water into the pitcher of juice. “Well, there is one ...” She stirred the frozen pulp. “... where you take a piece of the person’s hair, tie a knot in it, and place it between the tarot cards for their birth sign and yours.” She stopped stirring and looked at Natalie.

  “You paper-clip the cards and place them somewhere you will have frequent contact, like in your purse. This is supposed to help ‘bring your true lover to you.’”

  “Do I say any type of incantation?”

  “You need to study, granddaughter, if you’re going to use magick.” Nona shook the wooden spoon at her. “You need to know the ‘why’ and not just the ‘how to’ of the spells you’re trying to cast.”

  “Okay, okay.” Natalie stood. “First, let’s find a hair from each of them.” She grinned at Nona’s frown and headed for the dining room where they had all eaten the night before.

  The darkened room sat quiet in the morning hours. With the drapes pulled, the atmosphere clung in thick, depressing waves. Natalie loosened the tie of her robe. “Turn the light on. I can hardly see my hand, it’s so gloomy in here.”

  Nona snorted, but flipped the switch for the overhead light. Natalie blinked against the sudden glare. After a second, her vision adjusted and she bent to search the cloth-covered seats where David and Nico had sat.

  Nona lifted a blond hair. They grinned at each other, but when Nona turned, Natalie slipped a black strand into her pocket.

  * * * * *

  Her left hand clutched her purse while she smoothed her right hand over her jeans. The cards were tucked securely in the side pocket of the purse. Everything in place, Natalie walked through the door of Bui Motorcycles.

  The smell of oil and tires mingled to tickle her nose. Several customers were present but didn’t glance up when she walked across the concrete floor to the service counter. She thrummed her fingers against the countertop. She didn’t see any sales personnel, or Nico. She decided to wait.

  To the right side of the entrance, Nico had arranged a sitting area with an old black sofa and several metal-framed chairs covered in the same dark material. A low coffee table rested between the furniture and a small color television. Natalie sat on the sofa and looked around. Not the most beautiful design, but comfortable. She picked up a magazine and flipped through the pages, eyeing the hallway to the back of the shop.

  She heard him before she saw him. Angling in her seat, she watched him come out of the warehouse carrying a box. His biceps strained with the effort of supporting the parcel’s weight. Her mouth watered at the sight of the muscles as they rippled back and forth. The black T-shirt and faded jeans he wore fit him like a second skin.

  My, my, my. Her hand searched out the cards in her purse. She hoped they picked the right man, because both subjects were in prime physical condition. At that second, he looked up and spotted her. His gaze narrowed, but he didn’t acknowledge her any other way. He continued to speak to his customer, ringing up the sale, writing a receipt.

  Natalie hated the nervous flutter in her stomach. She wiped her palms down her jeans. One more customer, then they’d be alone. She wondered if he would continue where they’d left off yesterday, or if he’d be upset with her for flirting with David last night. She couldn’t help it. That contagious smile of his did it to her all the time.

  The drawer of the cash register pinged and slid closed. Natalie looked up in time to watch the last customer walk out the door with Nico close behind. Her mouth opened to protest, but closed when she saw him flip the “open” sign to “closed.” She stood, not sure if he wanted her here, or not. The frown on his face grew darker with each step he took her way.

  What in hell was she doing here? He’d barely gotten an hour’s worth of sleep last night between thinking of her pinioned between him and Nona’s sink, then listening to David getting fucked. He sighed, raked a hand through his hair, and turned to her.

  His frown deepened. She wore jeans. He’d never seen her in pants. He walked within a foot of her and looked her up and down. The movement of her throat as she swallowed caught his attention. He liked the idea she might be nervous.

  “You’re wearing pants.”

  She blinked, and her hands skimmed her thighs. “Uh, yeah.”

  “I like you in skirts.” He stepped closer. Her breath came in a little huff to brush across his chin. The minty smell of her toothpaste passed across the fringes of his awareness. It was the sight of her lips pressing into a tight line that caught his curiosity.

  “What, don’t care for me telling you what I like?” He reached up a finger and stroked across her bottom lip. The tremor he felt could have come from either of them. He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers.

  She jerked in reaction, but his hands caught her upper arms. A small protest escaped her mouth but was muffled when he brought her to him, hard. She struggled for a second, then relented. Nico smiled against her lips. His hands eased down her arms to settle on the curve of her ass.

  Hmm, might be benefits to jeans, after all. His fingers trailed up over her hips and caught her belt loops. With a quick, hard tug, he pulled her against him; his pelvis snuggled into her stomach. Air whooshed from her mouth along with a low moan. Their lips searched for each other; tongues mated and swirled; sucking sounds echoed through the showroom.

  Nico pulled back, realizing where they were. He nipped her lips, glistening with their combined saliva, with his. “Upstairs.”

  Fused together, again, he tugged and pushed her up the side stairs to his apartment. Head buzzing, he got them through the door, barely. When he had her within a foot of the entrance’s path, he pushed her back against the door. It closed with a loud bang. Neither of them noticed.

  Hands bumped hands, trying to push clothes out of the way. Her fingernails grazed his skin and he shuddered. The snap of her jeans loosened and he eased both hands into the warmth. The musky smell of her body rose to push his need over the edge.

  Releasing her lips again, he tugged the denim to her ankles; on the way back up her body, he caught her behind her knees and lifted. She kicked one leg free from her pants and wrapped both around his waist. Nico anchored her against the door with his weight.

  “Put your arms around my neck.” When she did, he undid his jeans and pushed the denim down far enough to free his cock. That done, he angled his hips in preparation of entry.

  “Wait.” She reached between their bodies and wrapped a hand around his dick. “Wait.” Her breath came in short pants.

  “What?” Nick clenched his teeth against the interruption and the feel of her hand around him.

  “C-Condom.” She bumped her head back against the door in apparent frustration.

  He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. Thank God one of them still had enough wits to remember precaution. Nico breathed in deep, then swallowed. “Right.”

  Not releasing his hold on her, he shifted her legs higher on his waist, then reached down into the back pocket of his jeans. After several fumbles, he tore the wrapper from the condom and freed the rubber, then eased the lubricated latex over the head of his cock.

  “Shit!” His hands shook so hard he couldn’t get the prophylactic in place.

  “Here, dammit.” Natalie leaned closer. “I thought you did this sort of thing all the time.”

  He had to laugh. “I don’t know about ‘all the time,’ but I do have some experience.” Nico let her take the condom and p
ulled her up with his hands around her thighs.

  “I’ve never forgotten to use a rubber before, though.” Their eyes met, and he saw the surprise in her gaze at his admission. The touch of her cool fingers easing the condom over his skin forced his hips to twitch toward her cunt.

  “Hurry up, Nat. I’m dying here.” The husky note in his voice didn’t come from lust alone. He needed her to understand how much this moment meant to him. If he could just tell her --

  “Okay, okay, it’s on.” She shimmied back, then pushed her hips down.

  Nico’s body had a mind of its own as he rammed forward. All the loving, sweet words he’d thought of saying disappeared with the sound of her scream. The feel of her body around his consumed him like a forest fire. He’d waited so long to do this. He pushed harder, harder, working his hips deeper into her heat. His lungs burned with the need for oxygen, but that didn’t stop him from digging, grinding ... fucking ... his way into her cunt.

  “God ... so tight. So fucking ... tight.”

  Natalie strained to take him deeper within. She’d wanted him for so long. She hadn’t realized how badly. Sweat pooled beneath her breasts. She arched her back, hoping to get closer to him. She didn’t want to just fuck. She wanted their bodies to meld into one -- one body, one mind, one being.

  Her hands locked behind his neck, and she brought his head down. Their gazes locked mere centimeters apart. His hair clung to his face in sweat-soaked clumps. With his pupils dilated, he looked like some wild beast. Her pussy clenched, and he groaned.

  “Fuck me.”

  His eyes narrowed, his lips pulled away from his teeth, and he ground his cock into her, pumping. Faster ... faster. Harder.

  Natalie threw her head back to release another scream that ripped through the room, followed by his. Tremors wracked them both as they came down from their lust-filled high. One leg, then the other, she dropped her feet to the floor, but when her muscles spasmed, she clutched his shoulders for support.