by A. E. Wasp
Their second-floor room overlooked the pool. Sliding glass doors led to a small balcony with two chairs on it. Bright yellow walls hung with colorful Mexican art made the small room feel open and airy. The white comforter on the king-sized bed looked soft as a cloud.
Benny couldn’t wait to drag Mikey into it. It had been days since they’d had any alone time. Jasmine had been too excited to sleep before the wedding, and too worried about her impending separation from her father to sleep alone after it. They’d had a four-year-old in their bed every night for a week. Sweet as hell, but hard on the sex life.
A gorgeous bouquet of exotic flowers and a huge fruit basket took up much of the top of the dresser. A bottle of sparkling fruit juice rested in a metal ice bucket. Benny plucked the card from the flowers and opened it. “They’re from Troy and Dmitri. And the fruit is from the girls.”
“I could have guessed that,” Mikey said, showing Benny a card that read ‘Fruits for the Fruits.’ They recognized Angel’s scrawled handwriting, and the caricature of Benny and Mikey kissing, Mikey’s dreadlocks wrapping around Benny’s head like an alien face-hugger, could only have been the work of her artist girlfriend, Jay.
“There’s a full breakfast every morning in the courtyard,” Jorge told them. “And happy hour every afternoon. If you want to do anything at all, just let me know. I will help you arrange it. Don’t trust the men in the streets. Thieves, all of them. I’ll send you to the best places. There is so much to do here in Puerto Vallarta; I know you will love it, and hopefully, you will come back every year.” Jorge spread his arm and hugged them both enthusiastically, given them a double cheek kiss before leaving.
The door shut with a soft click. “So what do you want to do now?” Mikey asked.
Benny rubbed his head and said down on the bed. He reached for Mikey, pulling him over to the bed. He leaned his head against Mikey’s stomach, and Mikey’s strong hands massaged his head and neck.
“Headache?”
Benny pushed his head against the hard muscles of Michael’s stomach. “Yeah, a little bit. My ears are ringing.” It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and they’d been traveling since seven that morning.
Benny had made great strides since admitting he had never fully recovered from the head injuries he’d gotten in Afghanistan when an IED blasted him out of the armored vehicle, but the effects of the injury still haunted him. He often got tired and found it hard to think in the late afternoons. He’d learned that pushing himself only made things worse for him and Mikey. He was used to hurting himself, but hurting Mikey was something he hoped he never got used to.
Mikey pushed him down onto the bed and knelt over him, one leg still on the floor. The bed was as soft as it looked, and Benny wanted to sink into it. “How about we start this honeymoon off in bed?”
“But I know you wanted to get to the beach.”
“It’s not going anywhere,” Mikey said, slipping a hand up under Benny’s shirt and caressing him gently. Benny made a pleased noise, and Mikey slid his other hand up, pushing Benny’s shirt up to his underarms. “Lift,” he ordered.
Benny complied happily, lifting his arms over his head and wiggling so Mikey could pull the shirt off. He kept the shirt on Benny’s arms though trapping them over his head against the bed. “Keep them there.”
“Sir, yes sir.”
Mikey pushed Benny further onto the bed then straddled his hips and ran both his hands up and down Benny’s torso. His thumbs slipped over Benny’s nipples, and Benny squirmed, so Mikey did it again. “How tired are you?”
“Feeling more awake at the moment.”
“I’m so surprised.” He stood up and quickly pulled off his clothes, then tugged Benny’s shorts to the ground. Climbing back on the bed, he bent down to kiss Benny, his hair tumbling down over Benny’s cheeks, curtaining them from the world. Benny’s mouth opened, letting him in. Kissing Benny was Mikey’s new favorite hobby, but he was a man on a mission, so with one last nip to Benny’s lip, he pulled away.
He slowly moved down Benny’s body, licking, kissing, and nipping every inch of skin he could reach. His tongue swirled around a nipple and then flicked against it.
“Yeah,” Benny exhaled.
He spent a little more time there, flicking back and forth.
“C’mon, Mikey,” Benny whined, arms pulling at the t-shirt binding them together.
Without removing his mouth, Mikey twisted Benny’s other nipple at the same time. Benny arched up, twisting underneath Mikey like he couldn’t decide if he wanted more or less. “Mikey. Please.”
Mikey pulled off with a long lick. “Please, what?” Benny’s body felt incredible under his, soft skin over hard muscle. “Tease. Touch me. Blow me. Something.” Benny ran his thumb over Mikey’s lower lip. “Oh, yeah. Your mouth.” Benny’s fingers tasted of fruit juice and salt. “You really need to blow me.”
Mikey bit down, and Benny yelped. “Hey!”
Mikey sat up and grabbed Benny’s hands. “And you need to keep. Your. Hands. Down.” Mikey pressed them up back over Benny’s head and straddled Benny’s stomach. He felt Benny underneath and behind him hard and wanting. Mikey whispered into Benny’s ear. “If you keep your hands here. I promise I’ll suck you until your brains leak out your ears.”
Benny whimpered, hips working, thrusting against the air. “God, please, Mikey. Do it. You have the most beautiful mouth.” Below them at the pool, the men called to each other in Spanish and English. The sound of birdsong and the thick scent of tropical flowers drifted in through the window.
Mikey kissed the air out of Benny, thrusting into his mouth until Benny was a whimpering mess. Benny gasped for air as Mikey walked to the end of the bed, hand trailing down Benny’s body. Leaning forward, he grabbed Benny behind the knees. “Ready?” With one strong tug, he pulled Benny down until his ass almost hung off the bed.
“Mikey! What the fuck?” Benny squawked.
Shoving Benny’s thighs up and planting his feet flat on the bed, Mikey dropped to his knees. Panting heavily, Benny struggled to push himself up, arms still tangled in the T-shirt.
Keeping his eyes locked with Benny’s, Mikey opened his mouth and slowly leaned forward, flattening his tongue against the base of Benny’s dick. The breath shuddered out of Benny’s lungs, and Mikey didn’t feel him inhale. “Breathe,” he ordered, blowing against the dripping wet skin at the tip.
Benny sucked in a huge breath and broke. “Fuck you. Oh, God damn it, Mikey. Blow me already. Please. Your mouth, please.” He dropped back down to the bed, hands grasping, reaching out for Mikey’s head, shoulders, anything.
Teasing Benny until he broke got Mikey going as hard as it did Benny. Sometimes Benny would break and beg. Sometimes he would break and take control, grabbing Mikey and flipping them until he was on top. Mikey loved either result.
“You just had to ask.” Mikey leaned in, one hand braced against Benny’s strong thigh, and took Benny in as deep as he could. Benny was hot and heavy and silken against his tongue.
Benny writhed against the bed, hands clenched in the sheets. His feet slipped off the bed, and he wrapped them around Mikey’s waist. Mikey rested his hands on the protrusions of Benny’s hips, thumbs caressing the grooves, just riding the wave of Benny. Benny cursed, low and constant. “Shit. You. God. Ah, ah. Just fuck me. God fuck me. Mikey.”
Mikey kept his mouth loose, lips sliding over Benny, tongue caressing. He could have done this for hours but felt his orgasm building low in his body. He was going to come just from Benny’s cock in his mouth and his voice in his ear.
He barely registered Benny muscles bunching as he pulled himself up. Benny sat up, legs slipping down to the ground. Mikey kept his mouth sealed around Benny, sitting back on his heels, arms tight around his waist. Benny’s hands tightened on the back of Mikey’s head, and he thrust hard into Mikey.
Mikey felt the orgasm throbbing in Benny’s cock and sliding across his tongue. Benny yanked Mikey’s mouth off of him, and
looked down, panting, eyes wide. “Mikey. Can’t.”
Mikey licked the taste of Benny off his lips as he looked up through his lashes at Benny. He knew his expression matched Benny’s. He wanted to come, and he wanted to last forever at the same time, but mostly he wanted to make Benny feel good. It was his turn to beg. “Do it. God, Benny. Come for me, baby.”
Benny’s eyes rolled up, and his muscles tightened under Mikey’s hands. He shivered as he came, moans and panting breaths washing over Mikey. With one last huge shudder, Benny collapsed back down to the bed. “Oh, my God. Holy crap.”
Mikey crawled up onto the bed, falling down heavily next to Benny. “How’s the headache now?”
Benny smiled with closed eyes and gave Mikey two thumbs up. “Better than Tylenol.”
Mikey kissed him gently then maneuvered them in the blankets until they were tucked up together on the bed.
“But what about you?” Benny asked, halfway to sleep already.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m good.” Mikey tucked himself closer into Benny’s warm body.
“I feel bad leaving you hanging.”
“There’s no hanging involved, trust me.”
Benny opened one eye. “Did you…?”
Mikey nodded sheepishly.
“You’re so easy.” Benny laughed and kissed his shoulder.
Mikey couldn’t disagree. He was easy where Benny was concerned. He couldn’t get enough of touching him. Of touching his husband. He lifted Benny’s hand and kissed the back of it feeling the cold metal of his ring against the warm skin. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Benny murmured.
Mikey shivered softly as the gentle breeze blew across the sweat drying on his back. Wait. With a feeling of dread, he rolled over to see the curtains wafting in the breeze coming through the open balcony doors. There was no way everybody at the pool hadn’t heard them. Oops. The walk across the courtyard could be interesting next time. Damage done, he left the window open, and let the breeze and the sleepy sounds of the city lull him to sleep.
The wind had picked up as the sun sunk in the sky. Surprising both of them, Benny had been the first to wake up. Seeing the deepening blue of the sky, he shook Mikey. “Hey, wake up. We’re going to miss the sunset.”
Hand in hand, they ran down the street towards the crowded pier. Benny took note of the shops lining the street selling everything from inflatable rafts to crude souvenirs. Mikey only had eyes for the ocean. He stopped at the edge of the sand and kicked off his sandals. Bypassing the pier, he dragged Benny through the crowd, not stopping until their feet were sinking in the cold, wet sand, and the ocean waves rolled in up to their shins. Benny wrapped his arms around Mikey from the back and looked over his shoulder.
The sun, red and enormous, sunk slowly into the shimmering water. Off to their left, the lights of the pier changed colors as they danced slowly up the giant metal sail sculpture dominating the view. Water taxis and pleasure boats rocked slowly on the waves, pulling up to the pier to let people off. The beach curved away on either side, the dark bulk of the Sierra Madre mountains were silhouetted against the deep blue night sky. Lights from the boats and the final red and purple rays of the sun sparkled like jewels on the ocean and twinkled beneath the jungle canopy of the hills. Music and the smell of the ocean drifted on the wind.
Mikey pulled Benny’s hand up and kissed his palm. Benny felt a small drop of wetness on his finger, and he gently rubbed the tear away. “Happy?”
Mike nodded against Benny’s hand. Benny kissed his shoulder. “So is it everything you thought it would be.”
Mikey pulled Benny around to face him. The cool water swelled and broke against his legs. “More,” Mikey said, staring right in Benny’s eyes. “So much more.”
The small part of Benny that was still an insecure, broken kid, and Mikey’s childhood best friend wanted to hide from the emotion in Mikey’s eyes, to make a joke to relieve the terrifying press of emotion in his chest. But he wasn’t that kid anymore.
Taking a deep breath, he held Mikey’s gaze and tightened his fingers around Mikey’s. The metal bite of their rings reminded him that he wasn’t alone in this, that he could trust Mikey with anything. He still couldn’t find the words to say, but someday he would paint this moment, and let his art say everything he couldn’t. For now, though, he tilted his head up and kissed the salt spray off Mikey’s lips. “I’m glad.”
They bought tacos and horchata from a food truck and ate as they ambled along the beach, talking about everything and nothing.
Back in the room, Mikey made sure the balcony doors were closed back before crawling into bed next to Benny. Benny pulled the snow white comforter up around them, then turned to pull Mikey into a deep kiss. Their lovemaking started slow and sensual, but it wasn’t long until Benny’s curses and groans filled the air. The headboard smacked against the wall, and Mikey silently asked for their neighbor’s forgiveness even as he lost himself in the feel of Benny’s body.
chapter thirteen - a present from the sea gods
The next morning Jorge looked as put together as he had the previous afternoon. Today’s outfit was a dark blue silk shirt with charcoal gray trousers. His eyes twinkled at the sounds of cheers and laughter following Benny and Mikey across the courtyard and into the lobby. “I think it is safe to say everybody knows you are honeymooners.”
Mikey blushed so hard; Benny could feel the heat coming off his skin. He laughed. “Sorry about that. We’ll try to remember to keep the windows closed.”
Jorge shrugged slightly. “I think the walls in this old hotel are not so thick either.” He clapped his hands together once. “So what would you like to do today?”
“We definitely want to go to the beach. And we were hoping you could suggest some things for us.”
Jorge leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk as he flipped through the various brochures. “For later in the day, there is always a bar tour. It’s very fun. You go from bar to bar in a small group, exploring the different areas of Puerto Vallarta.”
“That’s not quite what we had in mind,” Benny said. “We were hoping for something outdoors, something more active.”
Jorge thought for a second and pulled out a bunch of different brochures with Jet Ski rentals, scooter rentals, and canopy tours of the jungle. “I think any of these would be wonderful fun. And you can trust these people,” he tapped on the brochures. “For lunch, you can pick any place on the beach or in the Zona Romantica. It is all the same. And for dinner, I think Señor Kevin said he had made reservations for you at his favorite restaurant, no?”
“Yes,” Mikey answered.
“Excellent. So I will have your room made up for you and ready when you get back to change for dinner. Have a fabulous day, gentlemen. And please call me if you need anything. You have my private number.”
The sun beat down on them as they joined the crowd on the beach. Benny had insisted they stop and pick up boogie boards and inflatable rafts on their way. He also shooed Mikey out of the store for one secret purchase. They struggled under the load of toys, towels, water bottles, and sunscreen as they picked their way across the hot sand looking for an open spot.
Benny spread the towels out while Mikey stepped out of his shorts and pulled off his top. As the tiny red Speedo came into view, Benny saw more than one guy slow down and take their sweet time passing by.
One guy tugged his partner by the hand, tilting his head appreciatively in Mikey’s direction. Mikey’s skin set off the bright red of the bathing suit perfectly. He couldn’t believe Mikey had agreed to wear it. Benny was going to get his fill of looking because he knew he’d never see it under the sunlight back home in Colorado. In the bedroom, maybe, if he asked nicely. But at the reservoir or at the river? Not any place Mikey would run into someone he knew.
The sand was golden, the sky blue, the waves rolled gently onto the shore, and Benny was bored. Gently rolling waves were alright for the kiddos and ambiance, he conceded, b
ut they sucked for boogie boarding. They’d splashed around in the water, and a wet Mikey was nothing to sneeze at, but they had to be careful, they couldn’t get too excited. Bathing suits don’t hide anything, especially Mikey’s tiny speedo.
While they were munching on some grilled shrimp skewers and walking down where the waves could lap at their feet when the ocean deposited a little plastic bucket at Benny’s feet. He bent down to pick it up. A shovel was attached to the handle.
“Look, a present from the sea gods.” He held it up for Mikey’s approval.
“They are generous today. Maybe you can give it to some kid.”
Benny clutched the bucket to his chest. “You can’t give presents from the gods away! It’s mine. We must use it to build a monument to the generosity of the sea.” He dropped down to his knees and tried to unhook the handle and free the plastic shovel. “Aha!” He held the shovel up triumphantly, then started digging.
“What are you doing, you lunatic?” Mike smiled down at him.
“Building a sandcastle.” Water rushed into to every hole Benny dug.
“I’m no expert, what with this being my first time at the ocean and all, but I believe you might want to move your construction a little further up the beach.” Feeling the sand with his toes, Mikey moved slowly up towards the edge of the high tide line. “Here looks good.”
“Okay, boss. Let’s get started.”
Mikey dropped their bag in the sand and knelt down next to Benny.
An hour later they had a sand enclosure two feet high with a moat that breached the wall front and back, mild sunburns, and a gaggle of children supplied with various digging and building utensils. Benny knelt in the sand, sculpting a very detailed merman to guard the castle. A small blonde girl ran up to him clutching two handfuls of tiny shells.
“Here you go, Benny. This is all I could carry.”