by Hayes, Lane
“Let me play with yours instead. Not on the stairs. This way.”
I held his hand and climbed the stairs then led him down a wide hallway toward the master suite. I didn’t stop to wonder if I should choose a different room. This was mine, and there was no reason not to invite him in. I unbuttoned my shirt as I moved through the doorway then pulled it over my head. I could feel Levi behind me, eyeing the space as he kicked off his shoes and dealt with his own buttons. I wondered if he was listening for ghosts. I smiled at the fanciful thought and went perfectly still for a moment.
“Are you all right?” Levi asked. He ran his fingers down my spine as he nuzzled my neck and licked a trail along my jaw.
“Yes.” I pushed his shirt off his shoulders then reached for his belt.
“Good. Is it okay to be in here?”
I stilled my fingers and met his gaze. “Yes. I want to be here with you.”
Levi lifted my hands to his lips and kissed my knuckles. Then he nipped playfully at my bottom lip before crashing his mouth over mine in a possessive kiss that went from sweet to hungry in seconds flat. Our tongues twisted and danced in a frenzy, leaving us breathless and panting for more.
“Get naked,” he commanded.
I quickly obeyed then pulled back the white duvet and sat on the edge of the mattress to watch Levi undress. He was so beautiful…and fit. With his broad shoulders, trim waist, muscular thighs, and the perfect amount of fur on his toned chest, it was easy to tell he’d been an athlete. In other words, my complete opposite. I looked like a hairless Chihuahua next to him.
“Don’t let this go to your head, but you’re super sexy,” I commented idly.
Levi stepped out of his jeans and underwear then shot a devilish grin at me before sauntering to stand between my legs.
“Super sexy,” he repeated, cradling my face lovingly. “Are you nervous, baby?”
“I’m not. Well, maybe I am a little bit, but I think that’s normal.”
“We can go slow, and we can stop whenever you want. If you have second thoughts at all, I can—”
“I won’t. I want you.”
He brushed his thumb over my bottom lip and lifted my chin. “Say my name.”
I knew what he meant immediately. This wasn’t an idle request or a silly attempt at humor. Quoting a Destiny’s Child song wasn’t really Levi’s style anyway. No, this was something else.
“I want you, Levi. Only you.”
He bent to kiss me softly at first before deepening the connection. The switch from sweet to sensual was intoxicating. I moaned appreciatively at the subtle show of dominance before hooking my arms over his shoulders and pulling him on top of me. Levi yanked my hands above my head and captured my mouth again. He rocked his hips, sliding his rigid shaft against mine. There was nothing hurried or frantic in our quest for friction. We took our time and let the rhythm slowly build with twisting tongues and roving hands.
Levi shifted his weight and rolled me sideways. I lay back on my pillow and hiked my legs around his waist. I raked my nails down his back and lifted my hips. Our combined precum provided a natural lubricant for the steady, sweet glide of slick skin. We fit each other well. We were still learning, yet we seemed to know instinctively how to move and where to touch to make each other crazy. So when I slipped my hand between us and gripped our cocks, I wasn’t surprised Levi upped the tempo.
“Fuck, you feel good, baby,” he purred, licking the column of my neck and then biting my shoulder.
“Mmm. You’re gonna make me come if you—”
“No. Not yet.”
Levi slid down my chest, pausing to suck one nipple and then the other before making his way south. He nudged the tip of my cock with his nose and kissed it. I snickered at the silly gesture and pointed at the lube and condom I’d pulled from my bag and set on my nightstand earlier. He kissed his way back up my torso and blew a raspberry on my neck before leaning over to grab the supplies. I watched through hooded eyelids as he uncapped the bottle and poured lube on his fingers. He held up his hand and gave me a faux-serious look.
“What are you doing?” I propped myself on my elbows to see what the holdup was.
“I’m just going to explain how this works. You’re going to feel something cool at first. Then I’m going to stick my—”
“No,” I said, chuckling at his antics. “Don’t make me laugh.”
He swallowed hard then squinted. “I’m nervous. I’ve done this a million times but—”
“A million?”
“Okay. Slight exaggeration. A lot. But I don’t want to fuck this up. I want you to feel good. No. I want you to feel extraordinary.”
I blinked at the moisture in my eyes and nodded. “I do. And I promise you I’m okay. Don’t be nervous, Levi. You’re safe with me too.”
He crashed his mouth over mine and kissed me breathless. Then he sat back and got to work. He massaged the sensitive skin around my entrance and stroked my cock with his free hand, twisting his wrist the way I liked it. I held his gaze when he set a single digit over my hole and pushed. He bent his head and licked me from base to tip and back again, pausing to alternately suck my balls and the head of my dick as he finger-fucked me. When I sighed his name, he smiled up at me and kissed the inside of my thigh.
“You want more?” He didn’t wait for my response. He added a second finger and swallowed me whole.
“Yes. So good,” I sighed, lifting my hips to meet his talented mouth and ride his fingers at the same time.
I threw my head back on the pillow and writhed under my lover. I leaned on my elbow and reached for the condom. I opened it quickly and then set my hand on his forehead in warning.
“Stop. I need you now. Please.”
Levi released my cock and eased his fingers away and sat back to give me room when I scrambled to my knees and rolled the latex onto his shaft. I added lube and then gestured for him to lie back. Then I straddled his thighs and lined his cock at my hole and inched my way down. He rubbed the sides of my legs and ran his hands over my ass soothingly as I slowly moved. He was thick, and it hurt more than I wanted to admit at first. And then it didn’t. I rolled my hips to test my readiness and shivered as pleasure chased away the pain.
“Geord…move, baby. Just a little.”
I gave him a lopsided smile and complied. Fuck, he felt amazing. I splayed my hands flat on his chest and rose on my heels then lowered myself again. I rocked back and forth and side to side. My skin tingled, and every nerve ending went on instant alert. I’m back in the driver’s seat, I thought with a satisfied smirk as I braced my hands on the intricate, dark wood headboard and let my hips fly.
Levi grunted his approval and let me set the pace. I was an expert at topping from the bottom. I’d always been aware of what I liked in bed, and I was sure to ask for it. Or take it. I wondered how far he’d let me push him and what he’d let me get away with. Levi didn’t seem like the type of lover to give up control for long. I sat up tall and then reached behind me and pulled my ass cheeks apart and rode him in earnest. My cock bounced on his stomach as I built up speed. Maybe it was slightly twisted, but I fucking loved it when he talked dirty to me, urging me to ride him faster and harder. And when he smacked my ass and then gripped my cock and jacked me as I moved, I went a little crazy.
“Fuck yes! More,” I groaned.
“Kiss me, baby. C’mere.” He cupped the back of my neck and pulled me over him then drove his tongue between my lips.
The maneuver messed with my rhythm, but before I could regain control, Levi rolled me onto my back and took over without breaking the connection. He kissed me hard as he thrust in and out, pistoning his hips and moving like thunder. The erotic sounds of sweaty bodies colliding, intermixed with creaking bedsprings and sensual grunts, permeated the room. I arched my back and wrapped my legs higher still just as that first hint of orgasm hit me.
I broke the kiss and shoved my hand between us. “I’m gonna—”
“Come for me, Geord. I’ve got yo
u. Come now.”
I cried out as wave after wave of pleasure slammed into me and then pulled me under. And Levi was right behind me. He gathered me close and fucked me relentlessly. I was ultra-aware of the contrast of feeling safe and thoroughly ravaged at the same time. The balance was absolute perfection. As I lay underneath my lover’s trembling body, I couldn’t help feeling as though my powers had been restored. I felt whole and right and completely at peace.
Levi cleaned up in the master bathroom and returned with a warm washcloth for me. He set it on my stomach and chuckled softly when I didn’t move.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
I shook my head and gingerly opened my eyes. “That’s a complicated question. I need water at the moment.”
“I’ll get some.”
“Thank you. Take a right at the bottom of the stairs and you’ll bump into the kitchen. And if you happen to find cereal or crackers in the pantry, would you mind bringing them too? I’m hungry.”
“You’re going to eat crackers in bed?”
I pursed my lips and nodded. “I’ll be careful.”
“Hmph. Be right back.” Levi winked then moved to the doorway buck-ass naked.
I used the bathroom and washed my hands, studiously avoiding my reflection until I reached for a towel. I buried my face in it for a moment before cautiously looking into the mirror. I didn’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t the big-ass smile on my face. I replaced the towel and took a cursory glance around the elegant marble and crystal space. Mike wasn’t lurking in the shadows nursing a broken heart over my deception. He wasn’t here at all. And that was okay.
I moved into the adjoining dressing room and studied my colorful wardrobe. The only color I didn’t see was black. I probably had a stash of wrinkle-free shirts and trousers in my favorite somber hue somewhere in the house, but this collection was…lovely. I pulled a pink floral silk from a hanger and impulsively shrugged it on before moving back into the bedroom.
“Hey. Looking good.” Levi whistled.
“So are you. What did you find?”
“Cinnamon Toast Crunch and water. There was a box of crackers too, but they were stale so here you go. Why don’t you sit at that table by the window, so you don’t get crumbs on the bed?” he suggested, grabbing a pillow and setting it on one of the chairs.
“What’s the pillow for?”
“Your ass.” He flopped on the opposite chair and grinned. He looked positively decadent with his legs open and his spent penis on full display. “So you live here, eh?”
I picked up the remote from the table and pushed a button. The heavy brocade silk curtains opened automatically, revealing another showstopping Bay view. The skies had turned a dark shade of gray, but the ample natural light from the wall of windows and the simple yet sophisticated white decor gave the master suite a light and airy feel no matter what the weather was in San Francisco.
I sat on the pillowed throne he’d prepared and reached for a water bottle and the cereal. “Sometimes. I haven’t been here in a month or so. Thankfully I never opened this box.”
“You shouldn’t eat that. Let’s get dressed and grab some real food before we head back.”
“We don’t have to go anywhere. We can stay here for the night if you want.” I popped the bag open and shook a few cinnamon sugar cereal squares onto the table. “Help yourself.”
“That’s junk.” He examined the side of the box and shook his head.
“I thought you liked junk food.”
“Not sugary cereal, though. And this is all sugar.”
“Let me see. Never mind. I don’t have my glasses. Read the ingredients, darling.”
“Whole grain wheat—”
“I told you it was good for you,” I teased.
Levi rolled his eyes. “There’s more.”
“I’m sure there is, but if you must go on, make it sexy. You have a deep, masculine, yummy voice. I want to hear you make cereal a sensual experience.”
This time he threw his head back and laughed.
“Okay.” Levi cleared his throat and cast a lecherous sideways look my way before continuing in an exaggerated low timbre. “Sugar, rice flour, canola oil, fructose, which is another way to say more sugar…maltodextrin—”
“Ohh. What’s that?”
“Nobody knows, Geord. Let’s see, where was I? Dextrose, salt—”
“Oh, stop. Too sexy, Levi, my love.” I fanned myself with my hand in true camp fashion and fluttered my eyelashes. “You’re giving me the vapors.”
“Levi, my love?”
“It slipped.”
“I like it.”
We stared at each other for a moment. This felt dreamy to me. I liked him too much. I couldn’t tell him that but—
“Thank you. That was sublime.”
Levi’s smile morphed into megawatt grin. “It was super fantastic. Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m super fantastic,” I quipped then added in a serious tone, “Thank you for being patient and…kind.”
“Dude, you’re killin’ me,” he snorted. “What we just did was a-fucking-mazing. Words like patient and kind don’t fit. Cool it, or you’re gonna hurt my feelings…and make my balls shrink.”
I snickered then stood and held out my hand. “We can’t have that. Come back to bed with me.”
Levi folded his arms over his chest and huffed. “Finish your snack first. I have a serious ‘crumbs in bed’ phobia.”
“That sounds serious,” I commented before obeying. “Not so long ago, you were willing to roll around in croissant flakes.”
“Maybe on the floor, but not in bed.” He paused before switching topics. “So…how long have you lived here?”
I propped my elbow on the table and rested my chin on my hand, regarding him thoughtfully. I had a feeling I knew where he was going with this. We were something new, but we were standing on old ground.
“Mike bought this house a good ten years before he met me. I moved in with him a few months after we met, and I fell in love with the place. I wasn’t a gold digger by any means, but I admit there were some lovely perks to falling for a wealthy older man.”
“I don’t want your money, Geordie,” he said softly. “I’m not like that.”
“I know. Like I said, I wasn’t either. A couple of his friends warned him away from me, but Mike knew I wasn’t after his money. I remember the day he brought me here. I stood on the balcony and looked out the window at the view and thought, ‘Wow, I feel like a real queen.’ I didn’t realize I’d spoken aloud until Mike laughed and said, ‘Welcome home, Your Highness.’ That’s why I like this house. The views are fabulous, and that kitchen is to die for, but it’s more than that. It’s a castle on a hill, and I am the queen. And I don’t mean royalty, although that’s a lovely dream. It’s the first place where I’d been reminded that not only was it okay to be myself, but I had a responsibility to be me. I’d been slowly growing into my own throughout my twenties, but the chapter that began here freed me. I didn’t have to hold back, I didn’t have to prove anything, I could just be myself—if that makes sense.”
Levi nodded but he didn’t speak right away. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts before assembling them into carefully chosen words. “It feels weird to be here. I want to be with you, but sleeping in another man’s bed is…strange.”
“If it makes you feel less ‘strange,’ I redid this room and the one in Napa. I had to. I was literally making myself crazy. I was a wreck after he died. I moved in with Wes because I couldn’t stay in my house or that bed. When Nick came along, I returned home…but not until the master suite was redecorated. New bed, new linens. New everything. I had a harder time going through his clothes. I only did that last year. I kept a few things of course, but I’m learning to let go.”
“I can’t imagine how hard that is. I wish I could help, but I’m conflicted ’cause…I want you so bad it hurts, but I don’t know how to move around a ghost.”
“He’s
not here. I am. This isn’t his home anymore. It’s mine.” I set my hand over his. “I’m not the same person I was three and a half years ago. In a way, I’m not the same person I was when I met you. We’re always changing and if we’re lucky, we learn along the way. I hate that he was taken from me, but I’ve learned to accept what I cannot change. I thought I was a badass, but now I know I am. I’m stronger than ever, Levi, my love. And I want to learn how to let you in. I just need to go slow.”
Levi lifted our joined hands and kissed mine. “Luckily, I’m very patient.”
I grinned. “And kind.”
“Yeah, well…don’t start spreading rumors.” He stood abruptly and tugged my wrist. “Come on, baby. I thought you wanted to go back to bed.”
“Yes, but only if I can have my cereal,” I teased.
“Nope.” He yanked me into his arms and flipped me over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold; then he dropped me onto the bed and climbed on top of me. “No cereal. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient or don’t know what it is, you shouldn’t put it in your body.”
I busted up laughing and reached for his dick. “And what should I put in my body?”
Levi nipped my chin and lower lip. “That’s painfully corny, but I’ll play along. Me. I want to be inside you. Over and over and over again,” he purred.
I licked the corner of his mouth as I hooked my arms over his shoulders. “Well, we’ve got all weekend. Show me what you got.”
We spent the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday in bed. We ordered Chinese food, opened a bottle of wine, and ate dinner in the kitchen with our feet tangled under the enormous island and talked about current events and the cooking channel. The air between us was clear. There were no ghosts in the way. No unspoken words, nothing to hide. It felt perfectly natural to climb the stairs and fall back into bed together, though I admit I was wary of how I’d feel waking up to next to him in the morning. Yes, I wanted it and the multiple orgasms were well worth it, but this was new. And it scared me.
I peeked over my pillow to find Levi watching me. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were heavy with sleep. He looked sexy as hell, but concerned too, like he was bracing himself for me to freak out. I smiled softly and scooted into his space and rested my head on his shoulder. He caressed my ass and pressed kisses on my forehead, cheek, and lips. When he pushed me on my back and entered me, every push and pull felt like reassurance. Don’t worry. You’re okay. But I was more than okay. I felt free and open in a way I hadn’t in a long time. I wondered if Levi felt it too. It was a clean slate with blue skies and a world of possibility.