2016 Top Ten Gay Romance

by Snyder, J. M. ; Black, Becky; Creech, T. A.

  Charlie undid Darrin’s belt and unbuttoned his jeans, then slid them off. Darrin’s cock strained against the fabric of his white bikini briefs.

  Charlie leaned over him again. Bracing himself on his hands, he lowered his mouth to Darrin’s. Once more the kiss was tender and full of affection. Without breaking the kiss, Charlie lowered himself until he was stretched out on top of the smaller man. Charlie didn’t allow his full weight to rest on Darrin, just enough so he could feel Charlie pressed against him, feel Charlie’s rug of dark hair caress his own smooth flesh. Darrin could also feel Charlie’s hard cock pressing against his. He let a groan of pleasure escape his lips.

  Charlie raised up, smiled down on Darrin, then began to kiss his way down Darrin’s chest and stomach. He pressed his lips against Darrin’s erection still encased in his briefs. Charlie mouthed Darrin’s balls. Darrin reached down and ran his hands through Charlie’s hair, arching his back, pressing his dick and nuts into the man’s mouth.

  Charlie pulled Darrin’s underwear off. With one hand he massaged Darrin’s balls, with the other he stroked Darrin’s cock, slapping it against his tongue, before guiding it into his mouth.

  Before Darrin could warn Charlie, he came, thrusting his hips upward, forcing his cock deeper into Charlie’s throat. His orgasm was strong and prolonged. The big man didn’t seem to mind, but willingly took Darrin’s load of cum. Then he eased himself up Darrin’s torso, tantalizing the smaller man again with his hair-shrouded chest as it brushed against Darrin’s skin. Charlie kissed him. Darrin could taste his cum on the man’s tongue.

  Charlie rolled on his side, pulling Darrin to face him. He continued to gently kiss and caress the smaller man. Darrin let the feelings of pleasure, both physical and emotional, flow through him. After a time he laid his head on Charlie’s shoulder and put one leg across Charlie’s groin, against the man’s still hard cock.

  Darrin wondered if it was over. Wasn’t Charlie going to get himself off? Darrin was about to say something when Charlie got up and rolled Darrin over on his stomach. He ran his hands down Darrin’s back and over the man’s ass. Darrin knew he had one hell of a nice ass. His hours of dance training had seen to that. Charlie’s sharp intake, then release of breath, told Darrin that Charlie appreciated what he saw and felt beneath his touch.

  Charlie got up, pulled Darrin to the edge of the bed, spread his legs, and then knelt between them. Charlie pushed Darrin’s cheeks apart as he massaged them. He caressed Darrin’s hole with his tongue, then kissed it, finally thrusting his tongue inside. Darrin pressed his ass against the tender assault, welcoming the invasion.

  He was about to begin begging Charlie to fuck him, when the man stood. Darrin heard the tearing of a foil wrapper, then felt a cool fluid being worked into him. Finally, he felt the tip of Charlie’s cock enter him, penetrating slowly, until he could feel Charlie’s thick pubic hair against his ass.

  Charlie set up a rhythm. Darrin felt waves of pleasure pulse through his body with each of Charlie’s thrusts. Charlie lay atop him, running his hands along Darrin’s outstretched arms, caressing Darrin’s neck and shoulders with his lips. Darrin couldn’t remember ever being fucked like this before. This wasn’t being fucked, this was making love, he thought, experiencing the blending of physical pleasure with a deep emotional response.

  But how could this be? Charlie, or whoever he was, was a stranger, just an online hook-up. Darrin, however, couldn’t shake the thought, I’ve had sex with lots of guys, but it’s never been like this.

  Charlie slid out. Darrin felt a sense of loss, emptiness. Darrin turned his head to look at Charlie, about to plead with the man not to stop. He gestured for Darrin to turn over. He did. Charlie raised Darrin’s legs to his shoulders. He guided himself back into Darrin, filling the void that the breaking of their union had created.

  Darrin wrapped his legs around Charlie as the big man lay down on him once again. Charlie’s lips pressed against Darrin’s. Darrin rubbed his erection against Charlie’s hairy abdomen in unison with Charlie’s motion. He felt his second climax building as Charlie let out a groan and thrust himself deep into Darrin. Darrin’s orgasm quickly followed.

  Charlie didn’t pull out immediately. Rather, he rolled Darrin over on his side without breaking their connection, and lay spooned behind him. Charlie wrapped an arm around Darrin’s chest and drew the man against his warm torso. Darrin covered Charlie’s hand with his own. Charlie kissed his ear, his shoulders, his neck.

  This was no wham-bam-thank ya-ma’am and we’re done. This was a moment that both men seemed to be savoring, wanting to make it last. Darrin felt as if he could lie like this forever, held in Charlie’s strong embrace, feeling the big man’s kisses and caresses.

  After a long time, Charlie got up and started to dress without saying a word. Darrin started to get up as well.

  “No,” Charlie said softly.

  Darrin lay back down and watched as the man finished putting on his clothes. Then Charlie leaned down, caressed Darrin’s naked body from head to toe, and whispered, “Thank you.” Charlie pulled back the bed clothes and covered Darrin, as if tucking him in.

  “Will I see you aga…” Darrin started to ask. But Charlie put a finger to Darrin’s lips and the question was never finished.

  Charlie put on his coat, dark glasses and hat. Darrin watched him walk to the door. The man gave one brief backward glance and was gone. Darrin snuggled under the covers. They still held the man’s scent. He breathed it in.

  Would Darrin ever be with him again? Or was this just what it was on the surface: a one night thing with a guy that Darrin knew nothing about, a stranger he’d met on line? The only thing Darrin knew about him was his name: Charlie. And, probably, that wasn’t even real. Darrin sighed.

  * * * *

  In his apartment, Darrin didn’t know how long he’d been asleep when he felt Dolly stir and jump off the bed. He smiled and stretched. Brad was home. Darrin could hear him baby talking to Dolly. Any minute now he’d come to bed. Darrin got hard just anticipating the moment the big man would slip under the covers and pull him close.

  In a few minutes Darrin heard Brad come into the room. He felt Brad put Dolly down at the end of the bed. The next thing he knew, Brad’s muscular body was against his back, Brad’s lips were on his neck, and Brad’s rigid cock was pressing into Darrin’s ass crack.

  Darrin wiggled his ass against Brad in greeting. “Something tells me you’re glad to see me,” Darrin purred.

  Brad laughed. It was that deep bearish laugh Darrin had come to love. He turned Darrin over to face him. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Darrin could smell the beer on Brad’s breath. “That’s okay. You’re here now. Tell me about the game.”

  “That can wait. I got something more important on my mind.”

  Brad pulled Darrin into a tight embrace and kissed him. At the same time he ground his hard cock against Darrin’s erection.

  Darrin smiled to himself. It was nice when Brad’s need for him outweighed the man’s enthusiasm for the game.

  They began kissing and caressing in earnest. Darrin felt he would never tire of experiencing the man’s beautiful body. He pushed back the covers, careful not to disturb Dolly, and rolled over on top of Brad. Lips locked, Darrin humped against Brad, rubbing his cock on Brad’s rock hard, furry abs. Then he began a slow descent, kissing, licking, and biting his way down Brad’s hair-covered Torso. Brad moaned his appreciation.

  Darrin buried his face in Brad’s lush growth of pubic hair. He grazed there awhile, breathing in his man’s musky scent. At the same time, Darrin reached beneath Brad to massage his firm ass.

  Then Darrin turned his attention to Brad’s erect manhood. He fondled Brad’s balls with one hand and stroked Brad’s cock with the other. He ran his tongue around the head and teased the pee slit.

  Brad squirmed under him and made noises that told Darrin he’d better get to the main event soon or he wouldn’t be able to keep from cumming.

 
; Darrin licked his way down Brad’s shaft and sucked on his nuts, then retreated back to the cock head. Once there, he lost no time in sliding the entire length of Brad’s dick into his mouth and down his throat.

  “Oh, God!” Brad moaned.

  Darrin knew Brad wouldn’t last long by the way he was responding to these ministrations. However, Darrin had other plans. After bringing the giant close to climax several times, Darrin released him and sat up. Brad pulled him down and into a deep kiss, pressing his cock against Darrin, seeking to bring himself to completion.

  “No, no, no, no,” Darrin said, smiling and wagging a finger in Brad’s face. He reached out and took the condom from the bed table where he’d put it earlier. He ripped off the foil and rolled it on Brad’s cock, careful not to trip his lover into premature orgasm. Then Darrin applied the lube to himself, working it into his ass. Finally, he positioned himself, kneeling over Brad, and guided him in.

  When Brad was fully inside, Darrin began a swiveling motion with his hips. Brad responded by arching his back, driving himself deeper into Darrin as the man rode Brad’s cock. He took hold of Darrin’s cock and began pumping.

  It didn’t take long for both men to reach their peaks. Darrin’s cum shot all over Brad’s chest as Brad erupted into the latex barrier that enclosed his cock.

  Climax passed, they got up from the bed and went to the shower. They washed each other as they kissed and touched. Then back in bed, with Dolly lying between them snoring softly, Brad and Darrin discussed the game.

  Darrin listened to the play-by-play account. He understood little of the technicalities Brad was enthusiastically offering. Darrin tried to comment intelligently when he could, hoping his ignorance didn’t show.

  Darrin was happy. He could go on listening to Brad all night. But after about an hour, Brad said, “I better go.”

  “Do you have to?” Darrin checked the digital clock. “It’s nearly two. Why not spend the night?”

  Brad took a deep breath. “Mmm, no. I better not take the chance. You know I would if I could.” He kissed Darrin’s forehead.

  “I know,” Darrin said. He knew Brad’s fear of discovery was strong. “If I wasn’t a football player…” he’d often say.

  Darrin got up and pulled Brad to his feet. They hugged. Brad got dressed and they walked to the front door. Here they kissed goodbye.

  “You know I wish it could be different, but if I stay too often, someone might get suspicious,” Brad said.

  Darrin nodded and avoided saying anything that would put pressure on Brad. He smiled. “Go on, get out of here.”

  They kissed once more and Brad left.

  Darrin walked back to the bedroom and got into bed. He pulled Dolly up and held her against him. He kissed the top of her head. Maybe someday he’ll stay every night, he thought.

  * * * *

  It’d been two weeks since Darrin had met Charlie at the motel. Darrin had written him occasionally on the Bear Cave site but had received no reply. He was about to give up on Charlie. He did his best to repress the emotional response he’d had to the man, reminding himself Charlie was nothing but an online hook-up. Then one evening, Darrin received a notification of a message on Bear Cave. Quickly logging in to the site he saw that it was from Charlie. Same time, same place, tomorrow night. Charlie.

  “What the fuck?” Darrin said. “I’m not some kind of call boy, buster! Screw you, Charlie.”

  He logged out but three minutes later signed back in and wrote, Hey, good to hear from you. Sorry, I’m busy tomorrow. I’ll be in rehearsal. I have a role in a new show.

  Darrin stopped. Had he mentioned to Charlie he was a dancer? He couldn’t remember. Probably not. They hadn’t talked much that first time they were together.

  He continued writing. Busy most evenings. But I’d love to see you again. Here’s my schedule for the next few weeks. Hugs, Darrin.

  He looked at what he wrote, took out the hugs, and clicked ‘send’.

  After another two weeks had passed, Darrin got tired of checking for a message from Charlie. He was miffed. He didn’t need this shit. He could get laid anytime he needed. Fuck you, Charlie or whoever you are! he thought. He wasn’t some lovesick kid with a crush on his gym teacher. Or was he? He just couldn’t get the big guy out of his head. So, when the message came, Darrin found his hands trembling as he opened it.

  Looks like you’re free Tuesday afternoon. How about two at the motel, same arrangement, you check in and text me the number? Charlie.

  Yes! Darrin wrote back, his heart pounding.

  Darrin checked in at the Red Roof a little after one. He turned down the covers on the bed, stripped to his briefs, and turned on the television. He laid down on his back and channel surfed for a few minutes. He flicked by ESPN. Then stopped. What had he just seen? He sat up and went back. There was a commercial on now. But the reporter had been talking about a football player whose picture had been briefly on the screen. Darrin had only gotten a brief glimpse of him. He looked like Charlie. But it couldn’t be Charlie, could it? No, it was just someone who resembled him. All those football guys were hunks. The reporter hadn’t said the man’s name. But the player had been wearing a jersey with the number 88 on it.

  “Come on, come on!” Darrin urged the television to get back to the program. “Fucking commercials go on forever!”

  When the program returned, the reporter was saying, “Our next pro-bowl selection: Raschid Harrison, wide receiver for the San Diego Renegades.”

  Darrin watched the rest of the show, hoping he would get another glimpse of the player he thought might be Charlie. He didn’t.

  He checked the time. It was nearly two o’clock. He hurriedly picked up his smart-phone and sat down on the bed. He opened the Google app. “Okay Google.” When the phone beeped he said, “Find images of football players that wear number eighty-eight.”

  Within a short time, dozens of pictures filled the small screen. Darrin scrolled through them, surprised and irritated at the number of players who wore that particular number. Near the end of the images he found him, Charlie’s rugged handsome face was smiling out at him. Darrin clicked on it to enlarge it. Yes, it was definitely Charlie. Next to the image was a name: Brad Grabosky, tight end, currently playing for the New York Hounds. It listed his school, playing history, stats, and family. Three brothers were also football players. Darrin quickly skimmed through the information. When he got to the end he shook his head and said, “Well, at least he’s single.”

  He’d no more said this when the door opened. Charlie, now exposed as Brad, walked in.

  Darrin looked up at him, held up his smartphone so that Brad could see what he’d been looking at, and said, “Hi, Brad.”

  The man responded as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He let out a groan and closed his eyes. His head slumped.

  Darrin was surprised at the man’s reaction. It seemed a bit extreme. He got off the bed and walked over to the giant. “It’s okay. I won’t kick you out just because you play football,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

  The man raised his eyes to look at Darrin. “You won’t tell anyone, will you? Please.” His voice almost shook.

  Darrin was touched. Here was this giant of a man, so big, so strong, and yet so vulnerable. “Of course not.” Darrin put a hand on the big guy’s shoulder.

  Although things were changing somewhat, Darrin understood that homophobia was still rampant in sports. He’d read an article somewhere about how a few athletes in big time sports had come out, one a football player, but that hadn’t turned out well.

  This was Darrin’s first exposure to what fear of being outed could do. His coming out had been so easy, so natural. He was a dancer, after all. It was almost a given you were gay or at least bisexual. In theater circles no one seemed to give a shit either way, not so in sports. In sports coming out could mean the end of a career.

  Darrin led Charlie, now Brad—he’d have to adjust to that—to the bed. They sat down. Brad put his
head in his hands.

  “This is what I get for breaking my own rules. I shoulda never met anyone here in town, where I play, where I live. ‘Once, Brad only once,’ I told myself. ‘Don’t go back for seconds, no matter how good it is. It’s too dangerous. Someone’s gonna recognize you and that’ll be it.’ I shoulda listened to my own advice.”

  Darrin was reminded that he had broken all of his rules about meeting someone, as well. He had done it because there was something about this gentle giant, something he couldn’t explain, that kept him wanting to see more of the guy. “Hey,” Darrin said, now rubbing Brad’s broad left shoulder, “I would never out you.”

  Brad looked at Darrin as if he wanted to believe him. Then looked away.

  “Why did you decide to meet me again?” Darrin asked.

  Brad waited a few seconds to respond, then said, “That first time we was together, well, it weren’t no ordinary fuck. For me anyway.” Brad turned his face to Darrin’s. “For me it was special, something I never felt before, or wanted to let myself feel. But I just couldn’t get it, or you, outta my mind.”

  Darrin’s mind went back to their first meeting. He hadn’t imagined it. Brad had felt it, too: that indefinable sense that something deeper was going on between them, something more meaningful than just sex.

  Darrin didn’t know what to say, how to let Brad know he had felt the same way. Brad was still looking at him, searching Darrin’s face as if needing reassurance that his secret was really safe. So rather than try to put it into words Darrin leaned in and kissed him.

  Brad pulled away. “Don’t play with me,” he said gruffly, evidently misunderstanding what Darrin’s kiss implied.

  “I’m not,” Darrin said. “I’m trying to let you know I feel the same way…that there’s more here for us than an afternoon romp in the hay.”