by Sean Michael
“We should probably get up, but….”
“But you can stay right where you are, and I’ll feed you. I think that I’m going to enjoy that.”
He kicked off his shoes before curling up in the bed with Kenn, stroking his cheeks, kissing him gently. He fed Kenn one kiss after another, thinking maybe Kenn needed this more than the food.
“I missed you,” Kenn whispered.
“Yeah, I missed you too.” Crazy because it had only been a couple of days, but Kenn made him happy simply by being there.
Kenn closed his eyes, and they were bruised, unhappy. Dave kissed one eyelid and then the other.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
“I can’t… it’s just… nothing. It’s nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing.”
Kenn shook his head but wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“You can talk to me, Kenn.” In fact, it was rather important.
“Not about this. I’m sorry. It’s complicated.”
He felt a stab of hurt that Kenn wasn’t willing to trust him. “How about that food, then?” he suggested.
“Yes. Yeah, I…. Yes. Sounds good.”
He got up and grabbed the bags and some cutlery, then returned to Kenn’s side. “So, do you like the meatloaf from Annie’s?”
“I do. It won’t upset you?”
“I wouldn’t have picked it up for you if it did.” He didn’t believe in pushing his food choices on others.
“I worry about you.” Kenn took the container with the meatloaf, peppering it liberally.
“You do?” That had him feeling good again. “Why do you worry about me?”
“Because I don’t want to offend you and because… because I’m going to have to be careful about seeing you.”
He frowned. “Well, I’m not offended. But what do you mean you have to be careful about seeing me?”
“I have an ex. He’s not a nice man.”
Well now he was worried about Kenn. “Is he stalking you?”
“I can’t talk about it. It’s complicated, and… I like you. A lot.”
“You’re scaring me, Kenn.” He took Kenn’s hand in his. “If he’s hurting you or threatening to hurt you or anyone you’re seeing, then he has to be stopped. That’s not right.”
“It’s not right. None of it is.”
“I wish you’d tell me. I’m really worried about you now.”
“You’ll think I’m awful. I don’t want to be awful in your eyes.”
“I’m not going to think that.” How could anything Kenn had done be awful?
“You will.”
“Did you kill anyone?”
“No!”
“Well, then, I’m failing to think of anything that you’ve done that’s so bad I’m going to think you’re awful.” He pushed a strand of hair off Kenn’s face. “Tell me.”
“I… I’m bad about wanting things, and I was married. He didn’t approve, and he… I…. It was….” Kenn stopped, breathed.
Dave tried to parse what Kenn meant out of the words he’d actually said. “You had an affair?”
“No. I had been looking at things online, and he caught me. He was very angry. We had a fight and afterward, after I woke up, I ran away, got a divorce. He said I was a deviant. He leaves me alone, but he saw us together and….”
Whoa, that was a lot of information in one breath. But it also confirmed his feelings about Kenn, that his instincts that said he could turn Kenn over his knee and then turn him inside out were good. Then there was the second half, which confirmed that his ex was stalking Kenn.
“Okay. Looking at things online doesn’t make you a deviant. If things turn you on that don’t turn everybody on, that only means you like different things. I guess he couldn’t give you what you wanted, and that made him mad. That was on him, not you. And I want to talk to you about that because I look at things online too. I like to do things that aren’t usual for everybody. But first I want to know what you mean by saying he saw us together. Does he live here? Did he randomly see us together and say something to you? Or is he watching you?”
“He has a private investigator. I’m so sorry.”
“No, that’s not for you to apologize for. You aren’t doing this—he is.” Dave shook his head. It was all kinds of wrong. “Have you spoken to the police?”
“It’s not illegal to have a PI. It’s not illegal to take pictures in public.”
“But then he spoke to you after he saw us together. Said something to you.”
Kenn handed over an envelope. It was filled with pictures of them together. They’d seen each other for a weekend!
“This is creepy, Kenn. I think you should tell the police. Establish a pattern. Because I was wrong—this is more than creepy, it’s crazy.” And he was worried it was going to escalate. “Did he just send pictures, or did he include a note or call you or something?”
“Just the note, but he wants me to know he’s watching. I don’t look online anymore, I swear. You’ll get a note next, I’m sure, warning that I’m… nasty. It was just…. God, how embarrassing….”
He leaned in and kissed Kenn, hard and quick, hoping to ease him a little. “What did the note say?” He looked through the pictures, trying to find it.
“Little pervert, fucking with students.”
“Okay. First of all, I’m not your student. I’m not an undergrad. And we’re almost the same age. So that’s crap.” He took a deep breath. “Why don’t you tell me what it is that you’ve looked at online that’s so terrible? I promise I won’t react badly.” No matter what it was.
“Can’t we just eat? Please? My head is killing me.”
“Sure. I just wanted you to tell me so that you can stop worrying about him telling me. If I already know, then it takes away his power.” And he thought it might ease Kenn’s mind, to know that he wasn’t judging Kenn the same way the ex had.
“I watched BDSM videos, kink—all sorts of things that weren’t appropriate for Bram’s husband. It was curiosity. I didn’t do anything.”
Yes! He’d known Kenn was a kindred spirit. “I happen to watch BDSM videos myself. I’m a Dom. And I have done stuff. So I’m not going to freak out when your asshole ex decides to ‘warn’ me.” He hugged Kenn tight. “It’s okay. I’m not shocked or upset or angry.”
“I want to eat, okay? I’m stressed out.”
“I know. I’m trying to help you unstress, but food is definitely a good not-stressful thing.” He gave Kenn another hug, needing to offer comfort. Then he gave Kenn his fork and opened his own container. The burrito was pretty unimaginative—onions, peppers, salsa, guacamole, and cheese, but it was hearty enough, and he took a big bite.
Kenn ate about half his meatloaf and then pushed the food away and curled onto his side. Dave wrapped his arm around Kenn’s shoulders. When he finished his meal, he put his container on the floor.
“So you know I went to Annie’s for our dinner, right?” He waited for Kenn’s nod. “I brought dessert. Three guesses what I got you, and the first two don’t count.”
“You spoil me.” Kenn lifted his face for a kiss.
He gave it, lips lingering on Kenn’s. One kiss became two and that became three. God, kissing Kenn felt good. “Treating you right isn’t spoiling you—it’s just treating you right.”
“I’m sorry about all this. I was hoping….” Kenn shrugged. “I should have known better.”
“This isn’t on you—it’s his fault. You guys aren’t together anymore, and you shouldn’t have to worry about how what you do affects him.” He grabbed their desserts.
“He told me when I left that I’d never have another lover.”
“Seriously? What kind of asshole does that?” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but this guy doesn’t sound right. Do you mind if I ask how you wound up with him?” Although Dave assumed even the biggest asshole could play nice for a while—be charming, romantic, and say all the right things.
“Grad school. He
was powerful, strong, wealthy. He seemed to be perfect, but… he wanted someone to host his parties and show off to his friends. That was all.” Kenn sighed. “I was an idiot.”
“A trophy husband, huh?” He rubbed Kenn’s arm. “So if you weren’t the right guy and you obviously had irreconcilable differences, why is he so hot on making sure you don’t meet anyone else?”
“No one defies Bram. No one.”
“That’s insane, honey. What is he, the head of a mafia or something?” He opened the dessert containers and offered Kenn the apple cinnamon cheesecake, along with a clean fork.
“A big conglomerate in Toronto. He’s the CEO. He… he gets what he wants, and one of the things he wants is for me to be alone.”
“Well, that’s not going to cut it with me. We like each other, Kenn. And just because you were married to him once doesn’t mean he owns you. He didn’t then, and he doesn’t now.” He leaned in and gave Kenn a quick kiss. “Eat your dessert.”
“I appreciate you not being angry. It’s a shit situation.”
“Uh-huh. And one you’re not in control of. I’m pissed at him. I think he’s a shit human being, and I feel bad you had—have—to deal with him. But I’m not angry with you at all. You’re just trying to live your life, and you deserve to.”
“Yes.” Kenn took a shaky bite of dessert, then the second one that was stronger, hungrier.
It was good to see, but Dave was still worried about Kenn, both for his mental state and for him physically. He’d make some inquiries about what recourses Kenn had with the cops.
“Do you want a bite?”
“Absolutely.” He gave Kenn an eager grin, then opened his mouth and leaned in.
The bite wasn’t as sweet as the man offering it.
He closed his mouth over the fork and slowly pulled way, watching Kenn the whole time. Kenn blushed, teeth sinking into his bottom lip.
“Mmm. Tastes good.” He held Kenn’s gaze a moment longer before grinning.
“Uh-huh. It does.”
“Not as good as you, of course.” He leaned in and licked along Kenn’s lower lip. “Oh yeah, so much better.”
“You don’t have to. You have to know that.”
“I don’t have to what? Kiss you? I know that. And you don’t have to either. For my part—I want to kiss you. I like touching you, Kenn. I like making love to you. I like just spending time with you. It’s one of my favorite things.”
“Thank you.” Kenn kissed him back, then pushed into his arms.
He hauled Kenn to the end of the bed, leaving the desserts up near the other end. Then he brought their mouths together and focused on making Kenn feel good. He wrapped one hand around Kenn’s hip, the other around the back of his neck.
Moaning, Kenn rubbed against him, body so wonderfully eager. Kenn wanted him, wanted this. He wanted it too, and they were both grown men. No one else had the right to make decisions for them.
And God, the possibilities that were before them…. His Kenn was kinky. He was kinky. It was a match made in heaven.
He lay on his back, pulling Kenn on top of him so they could feel each other’s bodies.
Kenn cuddled immediately, easily, like there was no one he’d rather be with. Dave hummed and slid his hand into Kenn’s hair to cup his scalp and tip his head so their kisses got deeper. He wanted to help Kenn relax, to melt, to forget.
To enjoy himself.
He slid his free hand along Kenn’s back, down to that sweet ass. There were too many clothes happening, but he’d get to that eventually. Right now he simply wanted to touch. “Pretty baby….”
“Shh.” Kenn sucked his bottom lip in.
It was going to take more than that to shut him up, but he went with it for now, enjoying Kenn’s kisses, his touches, and the heat of Kenn’s body against his.
Kenn was growing erect against him.
“I want you too, Kenn. I want to be naked with you. I want to feel your body next to mine.”
“Still? Even now that you know?”
“What part of what you told me do you think would send me running?”
Kenn’s cheeks went pink. “I—”
“The fact that you’re into kink?”
“I’m not! I looked at some videos!”
“Does that mean you’ll want to stop seeing me since I told you I’m into BDSM? That I’m a Dom?”
“N-no. No. Of course…. Look, I’m sorry. I can’t cope with all this.”
He stroked Kenn’s back, trying to soothe him. “Easy, honey, easy. You were afraid I’d be turned off by your desires, but I’m not. Just the opposite. This should be a good thing.”
“I’m so ashamed.”
“What are you ashamed of, Kenn?” He couldn’t see what Kenn had to be ashamed of.
“I’m just… it was just curiosity, okay? I wouldn’t try anything.”
“That’s a shame.” It really was. Especially as he believed Kenn would not only enjoy it but get a lot out of it.
“I know.” Kenn sighed softly. “Maybe I should go take a shower.”
“Or we could stop talking and make love.”
Kenn latched on to that. “We could.”
He wasn’t into making Kenn stressed or upset. They could revisit the non-vanilla sex issue some other time. He cupped Kenn’s head again and kissed Kenn thoroughly. Kenn moaned for him, opening right up.
He slid his hands down Kenn’s back, then tugged his T-shirt out of his jeans, fingers sliding along Kenn’s skin as he dragged the shirt up Kenn’s torso.
Kenn lifted his arms with a moan, letting Dave have his way. He got the T-shirt partway off, up to where their mouths stopped it, and he laughed as he tugged the material between their lips, forcing them to stop kissing for a moment. As soon as Kenn’s shirt was out of the way, he licked at Kenn’s lips. Kenn was relaxing, melting against him, moaning deep and low.
Up and down Kenn’s back he ran his fingers. His own cock was hard now, pressing against Kenn’s belly as he caressed the silky skin.
“Mmm….” Kenn grabbed his cock, stroked up and down.
“Open our jeans and do them together,” he ordered softly.
“Yes. Oh yes.” Kenn fumbled with Dave’s zipper, then his own until he managed to get them pressed together.
“Oh God. Just like that.” He bucked, sliding both their cocks in Kenn’s grip, and it felt so good that he did it again and again. He shoved one hand into Kenn’s jeans, grabbed Kenn’s ass, and pressed it down to bring them tighter together, trapping Kenn’s hand between them.
Kenn’s forehead rested against his, both of them breathing hard.
He slid his fingers over so they rested in Kenn’s crack, his little finger resting on Kenn’s hole.
He loved how Kenn’s pupils flared for him.
Would Kenn agree to penetrative sex? He teased Kenn’s hole with his finger, pushing against it but not going in.
Kenn moaned softly, body rocking against his touch. Maybe not today, but he would have Kenn back to his place, with his bigger bed, and he would make love to his sweet boy.
Bringing their mouths together, he rocked up into Kenn’s body, finding a happy rhythm.
“Soon.” Kenn offered him a hard, hungry kiss.
“Yeah, come on, let’s do this.” He bit at Kenn’s lower lip, offering hard for hard.
Kenn gasped, arching into him, fingers squeezing tight. Dave nodded. More. He wanted more.
He finally said it out loud. “More.” Then he pushed a hand between them and knocked the tips of their cocks with his fingers.
Seed sprayed over his hand, Kenn offering himself right over. Dave breathed in deeply, trying to pull back off the edge.
Kenn moaned for him, hand still working. Dave groaned, tumbling right over, giving it up for Kenn.
“So pretty,” Kenn whispered.
He smiled. “Thank you, Kenn.” He kissed Kenn’s nose.
“Thank you for coming over. Seriously. Can you… can you stay?”
&nb
sp; “Yep.” He could totally duck out early the next morning to take a shower before he started the day. “I will stay. Let’s rescue your cheesecake.”
“We can watch a movie, relax, hold each other.” Sweet, needy baby.
“Works for me. As long as you share a few bites of your cheesecake with me.”
“As much as you’d like. I just want to be with you a little bit longer.”
“You’ve got me all evening and all night long, because there is nowhere I would rather be.” It was cliché, maybe, but it was simply the truth.
Kenn held on to him, and he thought maybe there were tears as they cuddled. He didn’t make a thing of it, though. Kenn needed a safe place to be right now, and he was very much down with being that safe place.
He kissed the top of Kenn’s head and held on to him. Time would help Kenn to trust him enough to share his deeper desires. Until then, he was perfectly happy being with this lovely, fascinating man.
Chapter Seven
KENN WENT to class, taught, did his office hours, stole whatever nights he could with Dave, and hid otherwise.
Guilt and shame haunted him, and whenever he wasn’t sleeping with David, he had terrible nightmares of the night Bram beat him, thrashed him until he couldn’t stand up.
He curled up on his bed with a book, fighting sleep, fighting the urge to call David.
His phone beeped with a text despite the fact that it was almost three in the morning. It couldn’t be Bram, could it? No. No, he didn’t have this number. Right? He wasn’t supposed to anyway.
He almost didn’t look, but in the end took a very quick glance at the sender. Better to know if he was going to have to get another new number.
Dave. It was from David.
Woke up thinking about you. You up?
Yes. And he was going to lose his mind.
Would you be pissed at me if I asked to come over for a booty call?
R u lonely 2? I’ll unlock the door.
Yes! B there in 10.
Dave was thinking about him too. That thought warmed him.
He straightened up, unlocked the door, stripped down, and slipped back into bed, waiting like a virgin on his wedding night.
The knock came at the nine-minute mark. Dave must have really hustled to get here.