Arm Candy

by Carol Lynne

  Mario shook his head. “Not the path I want to follow with you.”

  Asa’s head tilted to the side. “What do you mean?”

  Mario slid his hand from the back of Asa’s head to cup his cheek. “Friends with benefits is a nice way to say fucking with no strings attached. I can’t do that, at least not with you.”

  Asa rubbed his cheek against Mario’s palm. “Is that your way of saying you want strings?”

  “Yep, but you’re not ready for that, and I’m too afraid of getting hurt to make the leap.”

  Asa sat back and squared his shoulders in a defensive position. “Who says I’m not ready for that? Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for someone to care about me and not my money?”

  Mario dropped his hand and sighed. “It’s not about your desire for something real. It’s about us. Instead of just jumping into a sexual relationship, we need to build a strong foundation. If you’re not willing to take the time to do that, then it’ll never work.”

  Mario bowed his head. He caught sight of his erection pressing against the front of his pants. “I need to know it’s me you want, and not some warm body.”

  Asa’s laugh caught Mario by surprise. “Look at yourself. How could any man not want you?”

  Mario jumped up from the weight bench. He knew Asa probably didn’t mean it the way it sounded, but after years of being used for his looks, Mario felt as though he’d been slapped. He picked up the weights and returned them to their position on the stand.

  “What?” Asa asked.

  “Nothing. I think we’re done for the evening. Can you get back to the sunroom on your own?”

  “Bullshit. I said something to piss you off. At least have the courtesy to tell me what it was,” Asa demanded.

  Mario scooped up his bag and turned towards the door. He glanced back over his shoulder at a bewildered Asa. “When you’re ready to start something real, let me know. Otherwise, think of me as your trainer and friend, but nothing more.”

  Mario stormed out of the room with a heavy heart. He could hear Asa’s protests as he neared the front door. He stopped at the keypad and reset the alarm before walking out locking up.

  Once in his truck, he leaned his forehead against the wheel and took several calming breaths. Had he just thrown away any chance he had had with the stubborn man?

  The cell phone in the seat next to him started to ring. He glanced down at the display and read Asa’s name. “Shit.”

  * * * *

  For the third time in two hours, Asa tried Mario’s number. He’d left messages, but so far nothing. If Mario thought Asa would give up, he didn’t know him very well. He hadn’t gotten as far as he had in life by being easily put off.

  When the call went straight to voicemail, Asa laid back in bed. “It’s me. Listen, I didn’t want to do this over the phone, but it seems I have no choice. Never in a million years did I think I’d ever get a chance with someone like you. Forgive me for my somewhat paranoid suspicions, but I don’t see why you’d even entertain the idea of being with me. I know my money puts you off, and up until now, that’s been my only draw. I know you’re different. That’s why I never thought I had a chance with you.”

  He knew he’d already made a fool of himself, might as well go all the way. “I can’t stop thinking about that kiss. It felt different than any kiss I’ve ever received. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why, and the only thing I can come up with is because you were really kissing me, the small town boy from Kansas.”

  With a heavy sigh, Asa continued, “I want to explore that feeling. Please don’t give up on me because I stuck my foot in my mouth.”

  Asa pushed the end button and set the phone beside him. He was still trying to wrap his mind around Mario’s earlier statement. “When you’re ready to start something real, give me a call.” Hell, what did the man think he’d been doing for the last two hours?

  The sound of a car door shutting outside his window, drew his attention. He sat up just as his phone rang. “Hello?” he answered.

  “I’m coming in,” Mario told him.

  “I’m upstairs. First door on your left.”

  “I’ll find you,” Mario said before ending the call.

  Asa swallowed around the lump in his throat. Was Mario coming up to yell at him, or give him another of those kisses? He tossed the covers back in preparation. He couldn’t get out of bed in time to face the man, but he sure as hell didn’t want to look like an invalid.

  He glanced down at his naked body and thought better of meeting the man nude. He swung the sheet over his groin as he heard Mario bounding up the stairs.

  His first glimpse of his visitor still didn’t give him the answers he needed. With a determined expression, Mario stalked towards the bed, letting the black leather jacket fall to the floor.

  “Are you still mad?” Asa couldn’t help but to ask.

  Mario’s dark eyes began to roam Asa’s body. Without saying a word, Mario pulled off his boots and stripped the tight black T-shirt from his body, giving Asa a glorious view of the bronzed, sculpted chest hidden underneath.

  Like a panther stalking his prey, Mario knelt on the bed and slowly made his way up Asa’s body until he towered over him, face to face.

  “Why is it that I can’t stay away from you?” Mario asked, seconds before he slammed his mouth against Asa’s.

  Asa accepted Mario’s offered tongue with enthusiasm. He spread his legs as much as he could in anticipation. He moaned into Mario’s mouth as he ran his hands from the man’s neck down to the dark brown pebbled nipples. Cupping Mario’s pecs in his hands, he squeezed.

  Fuck, I want all of this man.

  Mario broke the kiss and gazed into Asa’s eyes. “One step at a time, right?”

  Asa wasn’t sure how to answer. He knew Mario wanted to take things slow, but he was tired of denying himself. “Depends on how many steps we can climb in a day.”

  Before Mario could pull back further, Asa covered the thick ridge of Mario’s cock with his hand, kneading it through the hotter-than-fuck leather pants. “I won’t pretend that I don’t want you.”

  Mario moved his hips, grinding himself slowly against Asa’s hand. “Good, then I won’t have to pretend you don’t have a definite effect on me.”

  “So where does that leave us?” Asa asked as his free hand went to work on Mario’s zipper.

  Mario shut his eyes and closed the distance between their bodies, trapping Asa’s hands between them. With his face buried in the pillow beside Asa’s head, he groaned. “I don’t know. For the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do with my urges.”

  Asa nuzzled his face against the side of Mario’s head. “I won’t ask you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

  Mario turned his head and kissed him. “That’s part of the problem. Everything feels comfortable with you, too comfortable.”

  “So why is it a problem?” Asa asked. His lips brushed Mario’s as he spoke.

  Mario rolled off to the side and flung his arm over his face. “I want this to be different.”

  “And you don’t think it can be if we jump into sex,” Asa surmised.

  With his arm still shielding him, Mario shook his head. “I don’t know. Believe me, I wish I did.”

  Without being able to comfortably roll to his side, Asa brushed Mario’s chest with the back of his hand. “Where’d you grow up?”

  “Huh?” Mario asked as he uncovered his face.

  “Well, you want to get to know me, so let’s start. So, tell me where you grew up?”

  Mario rolled to his side and propped his head on his hand. “Actually, I grew up in basic training, but I lived in Atlantic City until I was of age.”

  “Atlantic City? You mean people are really raised there?” Asa realised how it sounded as soon as the words were out of his mouth. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Mario leaned towards Asa and kissed his temple. “I know you didn’t. My life wa
s anything but ordinary. Just one of the many reasons I enlisted in the Marines as soon as I graduated.”

  Asa continued to brush his hand across Mario’s chest as he tried to imagine the gorgeous man in uniform. “What about your family? They still live in New Jersey?”

  “There’s just my mom and me, and yeah, she still lives in the home where I grew up.” Mario’s free hand began to wander its way through the tufts of Asa’s chest hair. “How come I never realised you were so furry?”

  Asa had gone through periods in his life where he’d either trimmed or waxed the hair on his chest, but because he hadn’t had a lover in such a long time, he’d decided it was a waste. “Does it bother you?”

  Mario answered by leaning over to run his tongue through the thick black and grey hair surrounding Asa’s nipple. Asa couldn’t hold back the moan as Mario’s teeth gently clamped down on the pebbled nub.

  “I’ll take that as a no,” Asa answered for Mario. “At least I don’t have back hair,” he joked.

  Mario released Asa’s nipple and grinned. “On you, I would imagine even back hair being sexy.”

  Asa snorted. “I’ve never been called sexy in my life, even when I was in my prime.”

  Mario’s hand made its way down Asa’s chest to slip beneath the sheet. He groaned as Mario tugged at the hair surrounding his cock.

  “I find you incredibly sexy,” Mario informed him as he wrapped his hand around Asa’s erection.

  Asa squeezed his eyes shut. “Uhhh, it’s been a while. You might not want to do that.”

  Mario chuckled. “You mean this?” he asked, pumping Asa’s shaft several times.

  Asa’s breath caught in his chest. “Yeah, that.”

  Mario released his hold. “Okay.”

  Asa was about to protest when Mario jumped out of bed and removed his clothes. “Wh­what are you doing?”

  Gloriously naked, Mario crawled back on the bed and straddled Asa’s hips. He leant down to press his freshly waxed chest against Asa’s. “I may not be able to fuck you, but I can sure join in the fun.”

  Asa was surprised at how comfortable the position was. Although Mario made sure not to put pressure on Asa’s legs, he could still feel the hard ridge of his new lover’s erection as it pressed against his own.

  Mario took Asa’s mouth in another heated kiss as he began to move. Shit. Asa knew he was going to blow at any moment. He thrust his tongue into Mario’s mouth and cupped the man’s gorgeous ass with his hands.

  He couldn’t believe things had heated between them to this degree. Only hours before, Asa thought he’d never have a chance with the man on top of him, but here he was, with Mario’s cock grinding against his own.

  Asa gasped as the first string of cum shot between them. “Oh, fuck,” he groaned. It felt like his balls were being turned inside out with the force of his climax.

  Above him, Mario went rigid and threw his head back as his seed began to mix with Asa’s.

  Asa moved his hands up to wrap around Mario’s waist as they both tried to regain their breath. “Needed that…” Asa panted.

  “Yeah,” Mario panted in return.

  It was several moments before Mario eventually lifted himself off of Asa. “I’ll get us a washcloth.”

  Asa watched Mario’s muscular ass as it disappeared into the bathroom. He couldn’t help but wonder if things would be awkward for them after their moment of passion. He didn’t have to worry for long.

  Mario reappeared brandishing a warm washcloth with an incredibly mischievous smile on his face.

  “What?” Asa asked.

  Mario shook his head and started cleaning the drying cum from Asa’s groin and chest. It wasn’t easy getting the globules out of the pubic hair, but Mario seemed to have infinite patience.

  Mario tossed the rag to the floor and pulled the sheet up over both of them. Asa still couldn’t get over the smirk on his lover’s face. “What?” he asked again.

  “I like the chair you’ve got in your shower.”

  Asa thought about the shower aid he’d been given by the visiting nurse. “It makes it possible for me to clean myself with the hand spray. Why’s it so funny?”

  Mario snuggled closer, kissing Asa’s temple. “Because I can think of a few other things I’d like to use it for.”

  Asa was confused until he pictured the chair in his mind once again. It was a simple white plastic commode-style chair. Oh. Asa’s eyes felt like they were about to pop out of his head. The seat had a hole in it so it could also be used as a toilet if a plastic bucket was attached.

  “I’m not sure exactly what you have in mind, but I’m not into the whole piss and poop thing,” Asa clarified.

  Mario started laughing so hard, he had to wipe the tears from his eyes. “Don’t worry, babe, neither am I.”

  Asa's confusion deepened. “So what else do you want to use it for?”

  Mario put a finger to Asa’s lips to silence him. “Go to sleep. There’ll be plenty of time for games when you’re better.”

  Games? He’d never had a lover who was into sexual games. Asa wondered if he’d enjoy playing. He drifted to sleep wrapped in Mario’s arms with a grin on his face.

  Chapter Three

  Mario woke to the sound of someone vacuuming. He sat up and eased out of bed.

  “You running off?” Asa asked.

  Mario shut the bedroom door and clicked the lock into place. “Just didn’t want to frighten poor Ms. Guttenberg with our nakedness.” He sauntered back to bed, pleased when Asa flipped back the covers, exposing his morning erection.

  “Is that for me?” Mario teased, stroking his own hard cock.

  “No one else.”

  Mario licked his lips at the sight of the thick, ruddy-hued cock. “Do you always sleep nude?”

  “Always,” Asa replied, crooking his finger at Mario.

  Before Mario could settle beside Asa, the man dug in the bedside drawer and held out an envelope.

  “What’s this?” Mario was ashamed to admit his immediate thought was that Asa was handing him a bunch of cash for services rendered.

  “Open it.”

  With trepidation, Mario opened the envelope and reached inside. It was a report on the blood work Asa had while he was in the hospital. Tossing the paper to the floor, Mario kissed the man beside him.

  “I guess all that’s left is for me to prove I’m clean.”

  “You don’t have to do anything right away. I mean, it’ll be a few weeks before we can do much, but I thought you deserved to know,” Asa explained.

  “Are you kidding?” Mario chuckled as he made his way down Asa’s body until he was level with the gorgeous cock he’d been eyeing earlier. “I like my dick sucked way too much to wait any longer than I have to.” He stuck out his tongue and licked up the length of Asa’s shaft to scoop up a drop of pre-cum as it dripped down the crown. “I’m hoping you feel the same.”

  Asa reached down and ran his fingers through Mario’s hair. “I do.”

  Mario could tell Asa wanted to say more but had stopped himself. “What?”

  “I need you to know something about me,” Asa began.

  Mario could tell showing weakness wasn’t something Asa was comfortable with. He assumed it was the cut-throat business world that had shaped that part of him. Deciding the blow job could wait, Mario scooted back up the bed to rest his head on the pillow beside Asa’s.

  “Talk to me.”

  Asa turned his head just enough so that Mario couldn’t see his eyes. “I may be a hell of a lot older than you are, but I’m sure you have me beat in the experience department. I guess I’m just afraid of disappointing you.”

  “You kiddin’ me? With all those sexy guys you always seem to have around. I mean, didn’t…you know…?”

  Asa cleared his throat. “Rarely were any of them in my bed, unless of course they wanted something. Then it didn’t really matter how I performed as long as I gave them a cheque.”

  Mario’s heart broke at the st
atement. Who the hell were these jackasses who could use Asa’s loneliness against him in such a callous manner?

  He straddled Asa’s torso and leaned down so the man couldn’t help but look at him. “The only thing I want from you is you. Got that?”

  Asa nodded.

  “As far as pleasing me, I can tell you that you’ve already done that, so don’t worry about it.”

  Mario could tell Asa wasn’t convinced. He didn’t usually open himself up to his lovers after such a short period of time, but Asa was the exception to all his previous rules. “I’ve fucked a lot of guys, and I’ve done a lot of things, but I’ve never made love, so we’re even on that front. Believe me. I want to please you as much as you want to please me.”

  “One step at a time, right?” Asa grinned.

  “Exactly.”

  * * * *

  To make up for being late to work, Mario stopped at the bakery. Yeah, he knew it was counterproductive to eat sweets and then spend the rest of the day working out, but at least he burned off the calories.

  “Hey, Kyle,” he said as he walked up to the counter. “You got anything good today?”

  It was an ongoing joke between the two of them and Kyle chuckled. “Hey, yourself. I’ve got an old leather shoe in the back I could slap some icing on?”

  Mario rubbed his chin. “No. I’m not really in the mood for shoe. How about half a dozen of those Bavarian cream, chocolate long johns.”

  Kyle whistled. “Someone’s kissing ass this morning.”

  “Yep, and why do it half-way.” He leaned one elbow on the counter and rested his chin on his hand as Kyle folded a box and carefully placed his pastries inside. The man was a wonder. Had it only been a year since he’d gotten out of the wheelchair? Although Kyle still moved slow and had been known to use the wheelchair from time to time, he got around with a cane for the most part. Mario imagined Gill had a lot to do with that. Keeping up with the ex-sports star couldn’t be easy.

  As Kyle worked, Mario glanced around the bakery. “How’s your tenant working out?”

  “Ethan? He’s okay. Quiet.”