by Lane Hayes
“I told you. We play for fun so no one gets hurt. So what do you think of this—”
“Stop.”
He stilled his fingers and reached for the ice cream. “What?”
“Thank you. It doesn’t matter what you play. I won’t remember it.”
“That’s not true. There are studies about music and memory association.”
“You’re all I hear. I can’t… see or hear anything but you. When you aren’t with me, I don’t hear music but, I can still… feel you.”
I couldn’t say who was more surprised by my outburst. I gulped furiously, wishing I could eat ice cream to help cool the heat flooding my face.
“Gracias.” He smiled, holding my stare.
“De nada. I know this is weird timing but… come home with me next weekend. Can you?”
“To Oxnard?”
“Yeah, we can surf or just hang out in bed all day. It’s funny you haven’t seen where I live.”
“I’d love to.” Alex’s Cheshire Cat grin widened mischievously as he tweaked my right nipple with ice-cold fingers. I yelped and jumped from the bench, once again exposing myself to Santa Monica while he threw his head back and laughed like a loon. Maybe that’s when I knew I was in trouble. I wasn’t annoyed or exasperated. I was in love.
WINTER IN Southern California was unpredictable. A seventy-degree sunny day might be followed be a string of cloudy cool days, particularly at the beach. As we headed north on Pacific Coast Highway, I was grateful the next weekend was a pleasant one. An endless blue sky framed the rocky cliffs on our right and collided spectacularly with the glittering wide expanse of ocean on the left. I was excited to get home. It had been way too long, as Julie reminded me.
“I can’t wait to see you! I have a date Saturday. A real one! But I’ll bring breakfast Sunday morning. What do you say?”
I screwed my eyes shut before answering, “Uh….”
“Oh. Are you bringing a girl home? Sorry. I shouldn’t—”
“No. It’s a guy, but—”
“Okay, cool. I’ll see you Sunday! Ta-ta.”
I stared at my cell blankly. She sounded cheerful, happy, and hell, she mentioned having a date. I set the phone aside and chided myself for needlessly worrying. Everything was fine.
ALEX GAVE a whistle of appreciation as I pulled the Range Rover into the garage of my three-story contemporary beach house.
“The house is actually nicer than the garage.” I chuckled, reaching for the car door. “Come on.”
I set my keys on the large granite island in the kitchen and took a brief look around. Everything looked as I remembered. High ceilings, modern lighting, and contemporary furnishings offset with a wide bank of windows to showcase the uninterrupted view of the Pacific. I found the control for the roman shades and pressed a button to make them magically rise and disappear behind a wooden beam. I explained the next button opened the glass doors so the entire back wall of the house was open to the elements.
“Damn. This place is beautiful. I love the architecture.”
“Thank you. Me too. I’ve always loved modern design.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Come on. Let’s head down to the beach while it’s still light outside, then I’ll give you a tour of the house.”
“Sounds good.” Alex stared out at the incredible view of sand and sea through the wide bank of windows along the back wall of the house. He turned to me with a smile, his eyes twinkling with delight. “Lead the way.”
The late afternoon surf was weak, and the water was frigid. We opted to walk along the shore rather than risk hypothermia when donning wetsuits didn’t seem worth the effort. I didn’t have a plan per se. I figured we’d spend time in the ocean or in bed and wing the rest. Conversation was easy. Alex asked endless questions about growing up in the area. What did I like the best? What had changed? Did I keep in touch with high school friends? And my favorite: Why are you still here?
“I love it. I love this piece of the Pacific. This view from my bedroom window. I love the solitude. It suits me. It’s close enough to LA but far enough away too.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t try to commute.”
“We were at a crucial juncture and as much as I trust Caroline, I needed to be there consistently. And I needed a break from—”
“What? What were you running from?” His tone was joking, but I couldn’t muster a ghost of a smile as I gazed out at the sun setting on the horizon. It looked like a fireball in the pale indigo sky.
“Life. Running and standing still at the same time. Story of my life, Alex.”
I tried to make my words light and not kill the serene, relaxing vibe of enjoying a winter sunset with the guy I desperately wanted in my huge wrought iron bed later. I bent to kiss his cold lips and hopefully cut off any questions. When he leaned into me, I responded with a fervor that surprised us both. I wrapped my arms around his slim waist and pulled him against me hard as I deepened the connection, molding our bodies as our tongues danced and swirled. The nearest houses were too far from the shoreline to see anything clearly, but I didn’t care either way. My neighbors could have been standing outside with binoculars, but they didn’t matter. Only Alex did. The same overwhelming urge to be impossibly close to him hit me. It wasn’t about sex, though. It was connection.
“Let’s go back.” I kissed his swollen lips once more before threading my fingers through his and tugging him toward the house.
TWILIGHT FELL fast, leaving the house pitch-black by the time we stumbled inside. We couldn’t seem to separate. Lips moved frantically as fingernails raked across backs and pulled at fabric. Alex ground his pelvis against me as I felt for the light switch in the darkened entry. He bit at my chin, then rubbed his stubbled jaw over mine while his hands fumbled for my belt buckle. He was fevered and slightly out of control in a way I’d never seen before. As free and affectionate as Alex was, there was always a subtle element of restraint. Tonight it was gone.
I flipped the switch to the massive chandelier lighting the entry. It cast an eerie glow over the dark wood flooring and wrought iron banister of the curved staircase. The ceiling was at its highest point where we stood at the bottom of the steps, and the dim lighting gave the space an ethereal quality. Magical. I pulled at Alex’s hair and kissed his eyes, nose, and cheeks before placing a quick kiss on his lips.
“Upstairs.” My voice sounded much deeper than normal.
“Mmm. Yes, but let me undo this for you first.”
Alex’s sure fingers had my belt undone and my jeans unzipped in seconds flat. He licked my lips, smiling against my mouth while his hands reached inside my briefs to cup my bare ass. I groaned and closed my eyes for a moment. They snapped open when he slid the fabric over my hips and pushed them around my ankles. Alex palmed my heavy cock as his mouth moved sensually over mine. I was completely under his spell. Anything he wanted was his.
He stroked my flesh in a sure languid motion. It was a tease. Not nearly enough friction or pressure to satisfy. If the idea was to make me crazy, he was doing a great job.
“Alex.”
“What is it? Want me to suck you?” He licked a line from the tip of my chin down my throat, then sank to his knees before I could do more than nod.
I gripped the banister for support and looked down to see Alex unzip his own jeans to free himself before he stuck his tongue out to trace my slit. I reached for his hair and pulled him toward my crotch. It wasn’t like me to use force, but the guy was purposefully driving me wild. He chuckled and pulled out of my grasp before meeting my gaze as he wrapped his left hand in a tight hold around me and swallowed me whole. He sucked and licked at me while he jacked his cock. The vision of him on his knees working us both into a frenzy while I did my best to stand upright was beyond intoxicating. My head was spinning as I pushed into his warm mouth. He urged me on, moving a hand to clutch at my ass while he sucked and teased my dick with the flat of his tongue.
“Alex… stop.” My eyes fluttered at the telltale tinglin
g sensation in my spine. I didn’t want to come like this. I needed more.
He released me with a popping sound and stood gracefully with a hungry look on his handsome face. Again I recognized a raw quality in his gaze, no layer in between, and no place to hide. A challenge to meet him halfway and give more of myself than I ever had before. To him or anyone.
“Show me your room, Nate.” His low tone sounded like pure sex. My cock twitched in anticipation as I bent to gather my jeans and lead the way upstairs, tilting my head in invitation.
The crescent moon was visible in the giant picture window at the top of the landing. I felt his hand move under my sweater to splay on my lower back as we reached the top of the stairs. I grabbed his hand and pulled him a few steps into the wide hallway leading toward the master suite before stopping to kiss him.
“That’s it?” he teased, biting my bottom lip. “Just a little kiss? Oh fuck.”
I flattened his back against the wall and caged his head between my arms as my hard-on collided with his. Our jeans were undone from earlier, but our briefs were still in the way. I shoved my tongue in his mouth in a maneuver that was all about need with zero finesse. Every movement was carnal and charged with a foreign intensity.
“This way.” I pulled away from the wall and left him to follow me.
The blinds were drawn, leaving the enormous room in complete darkness. I slipped my sweater and long-sleeved tee over my head before turning on the dim reading light above my king-size bed.
“Damn, Nate. This is very, very nice.” Alex’s grin lit his eyes as he took in the wrought iron bars at the head and foot of the bed. He flung his sweater aside and toed off his shoes and socks before shucking his jeans off. He stood before me with his arms outstretched, wearing nothing but a mischievous smile. “Are you gonna tie me to the post and have your way with me?”
“No.” I pulled the fluffy white duvet aside and quickly took off my own shoes and socks before pushing my jeans and briefs down and out of the way. “Alex, I—”
He closed the space between us but didn’t reach for me. “Tell me what you need.”
“I need to feel you. Inside me, Alex. I want—”
“Shh.” He set a finger over my mouth and then reached down to grab our erections, squeezing our flesh together in an almost punishing grip. My eyes drifted shut, and my nostrils flared in appreciation as I leaned into his touch. “Lie down.”
I nodded and obeyed wordlessly, though I felt a stab of apprehension. I hadn’t been on the receiving end in over fifteen years, and I honestly didn’t remember particularly enjoying it back then. Logically, I knew inexperience was to blame, but my dick wilted as nerves set in.
“Lube and condoms are in the nightstand.”
“I’ll get them, but we won’t need them right away.”
I sat up on my elbows with my brow knit. “Don’t you want to—I thought you liked to top, but I’m fine if you don’t—”
Alex knelt on the bed beside me, holding the bottle of lube in one hand and a condom in the other. His lopsided grin was teasing but kind. He was on to me. He knew I was nervous. I gulped and tried to return his smile, but it probably looked a little pathetic.
“Nate, I can’t wait to bury my cock in your ass, but nothing is happening here until you’re ready. Until you’re begging me to fuck you. Got it? You’re not doing me a favor. You’ve got to want it as much as I do. So lay down, and let me take care of you.” He kissed my mouth hard and nudged my shoulder.
I flopped backward and stared up at the ceiling, willing myself to relax as he climbed between my thighs. He pushed my legs open wide and bent to lick my semihard flesh from base to tip and back again. When he tongued my balls, sucking one into his mouth then the other, I arched my back and reached for my cock. I stroked myself while he worked the sensitive skin below, but the second I felt the tip of his tongue brush lower, I sat up on one elbow and pushed at his forehead.
“I don’t—”
“Yes, you do.” Alex leaned forward and licked my lips in a slow, sultry move that made my toes curl and my eyes roll back in my head. Tasting myself on my lover’s tongue was a strange but potent aphrodisiac. “It feels good, doesn’t it?”
I gulped and nodded. “Yes, but—”
“Do you trust me?” he whispered into my ear, then sucked my lobe between his teeth.
“Yes.”
He pulled back and stared at me sharply. We both had green eyes but his were intense. He reminded me of a wild animal observing his prey before attacking. It was a strange moment to find a piece of clarity, but suddenly I had a sense of understanding what I found so captivating about Alex Reyes. This man hovering above me with a tenuous hold on his passion was more gifted and intelligent than he let anyone know. He was extraordinarily kind, but he used his kindness as a shield of sorts, so when he unleashed this fierce desire, it caught me unaware. The combination of ferocity under his good-natured façade was compelling. It challenged me in a way I wouldn’t have thought I liked. But I did.
I lay back on the cool white sheets and spread my legs wide in invitation with a shy smile. Alex returned the gesture with a roguish look and reached for the lube. He poured a generous amount in his right hand and smoothed some on his left too before firmly grabbing my rigid cock.
“There are two simple key things to remember. Breathe and relax. Let me do everything else. Okay?”
I bit my cheek hard and nodded. Alex chuckled lightly and whispered sweet nothings in Spanish as he leaned over to kiss my mouth. I smiled at his silly words of encouragement, “eso es un buen chico.” “That’s a good boy.” As my muscles relaxed, he deepened the kiss and pumped my swollen flesh lazily as though he were in no hurry whatsoever. He moved his hand up and down, over the pooling precum at the tip with a subtle twist of his wrist, before repeating the action again and again. Nerves were forgotten as I writhed under him, lifting my hips into his talented fist. When I felt a lubed finger brush my entrance, I went still. Alex sucked one of my nipples into his mouth while one hand worked my cock and the other kept a gently caressing motion. The sensations were mind-blowing, a sensual assault I had no hope of resisting. I wanted more of everything. More tongue. More friction on my dick and yeah… I wanted his finger inside my hole.
“Alex, do it.”
He lifted his tousled head and gave me a faux innocent look. “Do what, Nate?”
“Put it inside me.”
“My cock?” he asked with a wicked half grin.
“No, your finger. Stop teasing, and just do it.”
“So bossy, mi amor.” He tsked mockingly but sat back and did as I asked.
My breath caught as his finger gently breached my entrance. I bit my bottom lip, aware of my erratic breathing and a sudden sheen of sweat on my brow.
“Relax. Put your leg on my shoulder. That’s it. How does that feel?”
Fuck. So amazing. He moved deeper inside and hooked his finger slightly. I saw stars when he brushed my prostate. And everything in me went into a sudden overdrive.
“It’s good. Give me more. Please.”
He pushed a second finger inside and set a steady tempo as he stroked my cock and ass in perfect rhythm. I was on fire. I arched my hips, looking for the right amount of pressure on my achingly hard member as I rode his fingers like a pro in no time. I thought he’d tease me, tell me I was a natural, but one glance at his pained expression told me he was as far gone as me.
“Alex, I’m ready. Fuck me.”
“Holy fuck. You’re sure?”
“You’re gonna ask now?”
He shook his head as he removed his fingers to reach for the condom. He sheathed himself quickly, then poured more lube and stroked himself before lying flat on the bed beside me.
“You know, to actually make this happen, you’re gonna need to be a little closer.”
“Really?” Alex turned his head and gave me a faux surprised look. Smartass. “It’s easier this way if you haven’t done it in a while. Come on, don�
��t get shy now.”
I rolled my eyes but again noted the challenge in his command. It worked like a charm. I sat up and straddled his legs, thinking the faster I got to it, the less of a chance I’d have to freak out. I took hold of him from behind just as he grabbed my ass and pulled me forward so I was halfway up his chest.
“My tongue isn’t that long. Come closer.”
I looked down, intending to ask why we weren’t moving this along, but there was something so earnest and lovely in his gaze. Something very at odds with his irreverent words. I had to listen, and if I was able, give up the reins for a while. Let him take over now.
I shifted my weight forward to obey. I clutched onto the wrought iron bar in front of me for support when he pulled me into his mouth. He looked like a dark angel with his mop of hair spread on the pristine white pillow, but only a devil could suck cock like that, I mused. He bobbed his head from below and held my hips still as he licked at my shaft. The moment I thrust my hips, I felt his fingers probe my ass. The stimulation and sensation were overpowering. My earlier reticence was long gone.
His full lips were wet with saliva and precum when I pulled away from his mouth. He smiled and pushed at my thighs. I moved down his body, coming to a stop when I felt his dick nudge at my entrance. I leaned over to lick his lips, closing my eyes at the insistent pressure.
“Nate, open your eyes, and sit back. Go slow. Stop if you need to, but you need to move.”
I didn’t bother trying to respond. I was too overwhelmed. Every sense was alight with an erotic energy compelling me to act. To move. Now. I sat back on my knees and reached behind me to guide him inside me. I winced at the sharp sting of pain as the first ring of muscle was breached. But I didn’t pull away. I listened to his soothing voice and paused, letting my body adjust to his girth while he spoke to me in Spanish.