Shelton patted his coat pocket, reassured that the small jewelry box he'd picked up that morning hadn't been misplaced. After six months with Nevil he wanted to take their relationship one step further. Excitement ran through him as he imagined Nevil's amorous response to his gift. Feeling slightly aroused, Shelton eagerly pushed open the front door.
Synthpop dance music pounded from the bedroom stereo as Shelton closed the door on the storm. He removed his shoes in the foyer and set them neatly beside Nevil's before making his way down the hall. Pausing in the bedroom doorway, he leaned on the frame. By the loud music and clothes strewn on the bed, Nevil was clearly dressing to go out in his usual, untidy way. Shelton chewed his lip, remembering the snow.
Nevil glanced up from the buttons on his dress shirt and an attractive smile slid across his face. Shelton felt his bones melt under Nevil's admiring gaze. "Good. You're here. Hurry up. We're going to be late as it is."
Shelton's spirits fell. "What are we doing?"
"Stewart's birthday?"
"God, is that tonight? It's snowing outside."
Nevil walked over and helped him out of his coat. "Don't be silly, love. We get snow here every year." He pushed the tie to one side and then unbuttoned Shelton's shirt. "Oh my." He spread his hands over Shelton's chest. Licking Shelton's lips with his tongue, he lingered over a kiss, brushing his thumbs across Shelton's nipples, sending pricks of electricity along his nerves.
Nevil drew back with obvious reluctance and pushed Shelton toward the bathroom. "You have ten minutes."
"You could join me…" Shelton invited, but Nevil grinned and shook his head, waving him off. Shelton stripped out of his work clothes and then headed across the room to the bathroom. Once there, he turned on the faucets of the shower and stepped in, moaning as the hot spray hit the stiff muscles between his shoulder blades. Shelton soaped up and enjoyed a moment of guilty pleasure as he slid his hand over a growing erection, roused by Nevil's attention. He would have loved to continue and bring himself to orgasm, but Nevil slammed a drawer in the bedroom, reminding him of the time.
Rinsing off, still fondling his balls, Shelton wondered if Nevil would help him with his problem. He glanced down at his dick and sighed, wishing they were staying home.
When the last of the suds had slipped down the drain, Shelton turned off the water and opened the shower door, startled to find Nevil holding a towel. A smile spread over Nevil's face and Shelton shivered in anticipation at the gleam in the lovely blue-green eyes.
"I guess we'll be even later than expected," Nevil purred. He walked up to Shelton and leisurely began to dry his body with the towel. Nevil took Shelton's erect cock in the soft cloth and rubbed it between his hands, and Shelton whimpered with mindless pleasure.
Nevil knelt on the bath rug and Shelton could hardly catch his breath when Nevil sucked on the tip of his aching dick. He blinked at the tears stinging his eyes, his chest swelling with love as Nevil kissed every ugly patch of skin and scar tissue. How had he ever lived without this sweet lover? Sparks went off behind his eyes when Nevil engulfed him in as if wanting to swallow him whole. Nevil's tongue left him breathless.
As the familiar, glorious pressure built, Shelton touched the back of Nevil's head, urging him to slow down. Nevil snorted and palmed Shelton's shaft, stroking him as Shelton slid in and out of Nevil's hungry lips. Driven wild by the opposite sensations of Nevil's rough hand and the wet suction of his mouth, Shelton came with embarrassing quickness. Threading his hands in Nevil's hair, his mind reeled as Nevil swallowed his seed.
"Oh God," he said raggedly, watching as Nevil continued to suckle him even though he'd softened. Nevil slowly moved his head back and kissed the tip as Shelton slid out of his mouth. Shelton dropped to his knees, still panting, his body tingling with pleasure. Nevil's face was flushed with passion, and Shelton leaned forward to kiss the last traces of spunk from Nevil's lips, the flavor of it subtly different from Nevil's own delicious orgasm. He kissed his way up to Nevil's ear. "I want you inside me when you come," he said, knowing it was Nevil's favorite thing to do.
"Later," Nevil whispered back, touching Shelton's face and giving him a loving kiss. "I want to think about you during the party."
Heat flushed Shelton's face at how easily Nevil could arouse him. "What if I don't want to wait?" he countered, starting to unbutton Nevil's shirt.
Nevil batted his hands away. "Too bad," he teased and rose effortlessly to his feet, leaving Shelton kneeling naked on the floor. Nevil smiled fondly down at him, running a hand through Shelton's chestnut curls. He tilted Shelton's chin up and kissed him one more time. "Get dressed, love. I'll warm the car."
"Are you sure that's what you want?" Shelton made a grab for him, but Nevil skipped out of reach. Shelton heard him laughing as he left the room. When the front door slammed, he dressed hurriedly but took a moment to transfer the jewelry box from his suit to his winter coat pocket and turn off the stereo. Shelton crammed a tan snowcap over his hair and pulled on his gloves as he left the house. The snow had begun to stick, and he walked gingerly over the ice slicking the pavement. He could see his breath in the cold air and wrapped his scarf tighter against the chilled wind but was shivering by the time he reached the car.
Climbing into the passenger seat, he noted that Nevil wore his black leather coat and cap. Nevil looked darkly handsome, his blue-green eyes startlingly beautiful as Nevil glanced at him. He smiled affectionately and Shelton's heart swelled.
"Can't we stay home?" he tried one last time, not eager to be out in the storm. And he wanted to give Nevil his gift in private that night. He'd been thinking about it all day.
"Don't be stupid," Nevil said cheerfully, steering the car into the street. The car slid a little on the dusting of snow, and Nevil slowed down to a safer speed, though he teased Shelton about his white knuckles on the dashboard. It took twenty minutes to cross town, and then they were climbing into the hills, Nevil slowing further as evening shadows settled in and the snow thickened.
Usually it was a beautiful drive into the woods but as the car began to slide more often on the curves, Shelton gritted his teeth, wishing they'd stayed home like he wanted. He didn't breathe freely until they parked in the line of cars already in Stewart's driveway. Nevil left the Prius with a look of anticipation on his face, but Shelton walked more slowly through the slush before climbing onto the porch a few steps behind Nevil.
Stewart answered the door and they shared a lively greeting, Nevil disappearing with Stewart into the crowd. Shelton took a minute to talk to Stewart's wife, though he shuddered as she drunkenly flung her arms around him. "Shelton, darling!"
"Andrea." He nodded, forcefully removing her hands from his butt and stepping around her into the house. He shrugged out of his coat before shoving it into her hands to stop her from unbuttoning his shirt as well. "Thanks for inviting us," he called over his shoulder, winding a path around couples on his way to the kitchen. He caught Nevil's laughing eyes on him from across the room and scowled, realizing Nevil had left him with the woman on purpose. Really, Andrea's aggressive advances were enough to make any man's pride perk up. Didn't mean he liked it, though.
He found safety in the kitchen where he grabbed a beer. He headed for the den, hoping someone was watching the game. Sure enough, the second period of the hockey match had already begun, ice flying on the TV screen. Ignoring the couple making out on the far end of a couch, Shelton nodded to the few people he knew in the room and settled into the cushions to watch.
He took a swallow of the cold beer. God, I'm tired. He never should have come out with Nevil. He didn't have the energy for one of Stewart's parties. His eyes grew heavy, and a dream began to form behind his lids of a warm bed and soft pillows and Nevil's arms before someone leaning over the couch startled him awake, their hands running over his chest.
Nevil chuckled in his ear. "Did I wake you? Come out with me. I'm lonesome." He tugged on Shelton's sleeve.
Shelton obediently followed Nev
il to the door, still trying to shake the sleep from his head when Nevil stopped him, guiding him to a dark corner of the room. Nevil backed him against the wall and pressed against him.
"I could eat you alive," Nevil murmured against his mouth, then started a long, drugging kiss. Nevil sucked on Shelton's tongue, drawing a response from his dick.
Shelton cupped the back of Nevil's head and held him in place as he returned the kiss, exploring Nevil's luscious mouth. He wondered vaguely what man at the party had ignited Nevil, but then didn't care when Nevil caressed his chest and slid his hands to the bulge growing in Shelton's pants.
"Do you want to go home?" Shelton asked hopefully when Nevil let him breathe, remembering the gift in his coat pocket. He wanted to give it to Nevil now and drown in Nevil's exuberant response.
"We just got here. Come on. I want to show you off." Nevil slipped an arm around Shelton's waist and urged him toward the kitchen. Conscious of the weight in his trousers, Shelton felt his face tingle with embarrassment when they joined the group at the bar. He gladly took the drink someone shoved into his hands. If Nevil was going to torture him all night, at least Shelton didn't have to take it sober.
Nevil kept Shelton close as they pushed through the crowd in the living room to reach the couches. Shelton's heart dropped to his feet as they joined the group and he spied Percy sitting in an armchair, looking splendid in jeans and a close-fitting blue sweater.
Percy raised his brows on seeing them. "Look, our lovely Shelton is here. How are you, dear?" he asked, his tone dripping sarcasm. Shelton wanted to smash the smirk off Percy's face as gray eyes looked him over and dismissed him. A smile of satisfaction touched Percy's full lips. "Is he protection, Nevil?"
"I don't know what you mean, darling," Nevil said coolly and pulled Shelton to a spot on the couch as another couple left. Shelton made small talk with the people around them, all the while catching glimpses of Percy's gaze locked on him. Nevil leaned back on the couch, driving Shelton to distraction by playing with his curls. He pulled one of them, and Shelton met his gaze, his breath catching at the fire smoldering in the blue-green depths.
Nevil suddenly reached for the empty glass Shelton had been rolling in his hands. "Here, let me get you another drink."
Shelton murmured a protest, but Nevil had already disappeared into the crowd. Turning back to the girl he'd been talking with, Shelton encountered Percy's intent stare and gasped, stunned. No one had hated him so openly before. Jealousy and pain glinted in his wide, gray eyes, and Shelton shivered slightly.
Percy sat on the edge of his chair. "You need to get out from behind that desk and into the sun, darling." He tilted his blond head. "Or are you coming down with something? You're quite dull this evening."
Shelton studied his nails. Percy was currently drowning his sorrows in a college freshman, and Shelton couldn't help getting in a dig at his ego. "How's the child? Brandon, isn't it?"
Percy narrowed his eyes, and Shelton braced for his next attack, but at that moment, Stewart's wife discovered Shelton on the couch. She immediately took Nevil's spot beside him. "Darling!"
"Hi, Andrea." Shelton patiently moved her hand from his knee, only to lift it from his thigh the next instant.
"You naughty boy. So this is where you've been hiding." Andrea leaned against him, and Shelton could smell the gin on her breath. He scrambled to his feet when the woman brushed his lap with her hands. He wished Andrea would try to seduce another one of her husband's gay friends at the party. Between her and Nevil, his head was reeling.
As if conjured, Nevil appeared at his side, handing Shelton a full glass of something golden. Percy laughed spitefully, and they both glanced at him. "I didn't know Shelton liked girls," Percy drawled, waving a hand at Andrea. Shelton grimaced, knowing Percy was trying to stir up drama. At the attention, Andrea curled her lips into a sly smile and lounged back on the couch and sipped her martini, her hot gaze traveling from Shelton's shoulders to his dark slacks.
Nevil looked back at Shelton. "Neither did I," he said, interested.
Before Shelton could disillusion him, someone pushed between them. The interloper threw an arm around Nevil's neck and then kissed his cheek.
"Michael!" Nevil grinned at the attractive blond. "What brings you here?"
"I'm with Sara Gibbs. And who's this gorgeous man?"
Shelton blinked when he realized the guy meant him.
"This is Shelton," Nevil replied, slipping an arm around Shelton's waist. "You met him before."
"He likes girls," Percy put in nastily and raised his glass as Shelton glowered at him. The joke was quickly getting old.
"Is that so?" Michael remarked, his tone cheery in contrast. "How nice. Oh, Nevil, that reminds me…" Michael pulled Nevil aside. Shelton watched their animated conversation a moment, remembering he'd met Michael Barns at the pub with Nevil. He moved across the room to the wall, needing something to lean against as the last drink began to take effect.
Shelton floated, pleasantly dizzy, but he hadn't had enough to drink to numb the stab of jealousy when Nevil leaned over Percy's chair and whispered something in his ear. Percy looked into Nevil's face and laughed, a tinge of color in his cheeks.
Seeing them together, Shelton thought of the jewelry box in his coat pocket and wished he'd had the balls earlier to give it to Nevil. He wasn't sure if he'd ever have the nerve. What if Nevil didn't want it? Irritated with himself, he made his way through the crowd to the kitchen, intent on finding the bottle of bourbon he'd seen on the counter earlier.
The kitchen proved to be as crowded as the rest of the house, and Shelton brushed impatiently at his alcohol-blurred eyes. Where was that damn bottle? When he found it, he almost knocked it into the sink before pouring a good amount of the golden liquid into his glass.
He sipped the warming drink and let its slight burn trickle down his throat. He supposed Nevil couldn't help himself with those beautiful men. Until a short time ago, Nevil could have slept with any number of them. They'd only been a couple for half a year, after all.
Chapter Two
Shelton took another swallow of the numbing liquid then looked at his glass, nearly empty again, and used both hands to set it on the countertop. It hadn't helped at all. He leaned over the sink but refused to throw up. Shelton jumped when an arm suddenly went around his shoulders and was too surprised to struggle as he was dragged across the crowded kitchen and pushed through a doorway.
He squinted in the dim streetlight coming through a curtained window. Nevil slammed the door of the utility room and twisted the lock in the doorknob.
"What's the matter?" he asked, wincing at the slur in his voice. Nevil crossed to him in two strides. He shoved Shelton against the dryer and then gave him a hard, urgent kiss. Shelton turned his head away, and Nevil bit him on the lip.
"Ouch! What are you angry about?" Shelton asked, not liking the glare in Nevil's eyes.
"You deserted me," Nevil growled against his mouth. "Percy practically raped me on the couch, unable to keep his hands to himself, apparently, and you weren't even there to help. Some hero you are."
"You can handle Percy without me," Shelton asserted then yelped as Nevil grabbed his arms. Shelton was confused when Nevil brutally kissed him, his tongue darting into Shelton's mouth. He bent Shelton back uncomfortably over the dryer and continued to plunder his mouth.
Shelton struggled slightly when Nevil dropped his hand to his groin. He squeezed Shelton through his slacks and gave a guttural laugh, stroking Shelton, his hold too tight to be comfortable. Damn. Nevil had never made him feel cheap like this before.
It slowly rose through his muddled brain that Nevil must be hurting and acting on it, probably from Shelton's seeming indifference to Percy's flirtations. It always surprised him to find a chink in Nevil's confidence.
Shelton pushed against Nevil, and Nevil stepped back, eyes dark with pain. Shelton placed a hand on Nevil's heaving chest. He could feel the rapid heartbeat against his palm. A tear clung
to Nevil's thick lashes, and Shelton swallowed his pride. "I love you, Nevil. You're my boyfriend! I love having you all to myself and certainly don't want anyone else. Please tell me you still feel the same way."
Nevil narrowed his eyes then hid his face against Shelton's neck. "I'm a fool. I'm sorry. Of course I only want you. It's just that I've never belonged to anyone before." He shrugged. "It makes me crazy when I think you don't care."
Shelton felt an unaccustomed thrill of power that this gorgeous, virile man picked him out of all the others. Shelton put a finger under Nevil's chin and raised his face for a tender kiss. Nevil sighed into Shelton's mouth, warm hands sliding up his back to urge him closer. Shelton gave in to Nevil willingly, molding his body against Nevil's enticing heat. Desire flared through him when Nevil ground his hardness against his hipbone.
He imagined them naked, Nevil's glorious cock twined with his in an erotic, sensual dance, the friction of their balls making Shelton weak with pleasure.
"Let me love you," Shelton whispered, wild with the thought, but Nevil grabbed his wrists, not letting Shelton touch him.
"Not yet," Nevil murmured in Shelton's ear, trailing hot kisses along his chin and licking the pulse in Shelton's neck.
"But Nevil…" Shelton pleaded, wanting that hot, silky shaft that was rubbing against his hip inside his mouth.
"No," Nevil said then laughed and deftly undid the button and zipper of Shelton's pants.
"Nevil!" Shelton looked at the door. "If I can't—"
"Shut up." Nevil kissed him and then with a strength that always surprised Shelton, lifted him onto the dryer. He whisked Shelton's pants and boxers below his knees.
"I don't think—" Shelton lost coherent thought as Nevil's mouth engulfed him. He had no chance. Usually they drew out their lovemaking as long as possible, taking and giving pleasure with abandon and inventiveness. But this was too sudden. Shelton's head swam with alcohol and pleasure as Nevil sucked on him. Their intimacy wasn't even interrupted when someone banged on the door.
Shelton in Love Page 4