“Hey!” he called out as Chase trotted over to the entrance to greet Malcolm. Stuart heard laughter and Malcolm’s soft greeting, and a few minutes later, Malcolm and the dog appeared in the main living area.
“I have a surprise for you.” Malcolm sauntered toward Stuart with a smile, a bag dangling from his finger. Stuart recognized the black bag with the gold logo immediately and a jolt of excitement went through him.
“When did you stop there?” he asked, intrigued as he met Malcolm halfway.
“Carter sent us all home a little early, so I stopped on my way home from work.”
“What’s the occasion?” Stuart leaned in and brushed his lips across Malcolm’s.
Malcolm shrugged and gave him another quick kiss. “Do I need an occasion to buy my man sexy lingerie?”
“No, no, you don’t.” Stuart’s smile stretched so wide it almost hurt his face. Malcolm’s acceptance of his kink had meant the world to Stuart. But this, Malcolm’s eager participation in it, meant even more. It filled him up in ways he hadn’t even known he was lacking and soothed the hurts from every previous person who’d dismissed or belittled his kink. It made Stuart feel comfortable and proud of who he was, not ashamed. They’d come a long way in the past six months.
Stuart was still smiling as he took the bag from Malcolm’s hand and pulled out the black tissue paper.
They’d stumbled upon the boutique lingerie store one day while exploring the neighborhood. Stuart had lingered near the window and Malcolm had been the one to finally coax him inside.
They’d both been nervous. Stuart because, in the past, he’d mostly shopped online for anonymity’s sake and Malcolm because he was generally a very private person, especially when it came to anything to do with sex. But the salesclerk had been kind and understanding and hadn’t batted an eye when they’d finally, awkwardly, admitted they were shopping for Stuart. She’d merely measured his hips, gave him a once-over and asked which styles he preferred.
Now, Stuart slowly flipped over the pieces of tissue paper, savoring the moment as he stared down at a scrap of peacock-blue fabric. He set the paper aside and held the material up, inspecting the sheer mesh overlaid with matching lace. It would cup his ass and wrap around his hips and he could already picture how it would look stretched over his cock as Malcolm kissed him through the fabric…
“Wow.” It came out hoarser than he’d intended, and his body filled with heat at the idea.
“That’s what I thought when I saw it.” Malcolm wrapped his arms around Stuart’s hips. “I imagined them on you and…” Malcolm stole another kiss, then rested his forehead against Stuart’s.
Stuart rubbed his thumb across the lace, feeling how soft and finely woven it was. “It followed you home?”
“Something like that.” Malcolm sounded like he was smiling.
“You spoil me.” Stuart was smiling, too. And it wasn’t a complaint. He enjoyed when Malcolm surprised him like this.
“Would you wear them tonight?” Now Malcolm was the one whose voice sounded husky.
“To drinks at Under?” Stuart leaned back to look Malcolm in the eye. He’d never worn lingerie when they hung out with Malcolm’s friends.
“You don’t have to if you’re not comfortable with the idea. I just thought it might be something we’d both enjoy.” Malcolm gave him a small shrug. Stuart knew if he said no, Malcolm would respect it. He wouldn’t push and Stuart would never feel any pressure from him. The idea intrigued him though.
“I could give it a try. Any ideas about what I should wear over them?” He didn’t have a lot of options. Jeans, a few pairs of trousers…
“I was thinking leather pants.”
Stuart raised an eyebrow. “You’ve thought about this a lot, haven’t you?”
“Maybe?” Malcolm gave a sheepish shrug. Stuart set the underwear and bag on the nearby couch, then stepped forward, sliding his arms around Malcolm’s waist to pull their bodies tightly together. “Like…maybe the whole walk home. And I might have almost walked past our building because I was so distracted.”
Stuart chuckled. “I can’t imagine why.”
Malcolm let out a little grumbling noise of disagreement. “Liar. You’re hard right now just thinking about it.”
Stuart rubbed gently against Malcolm’s hip. “So I am.”
“Maybe I should do something about that before we leave for Under…”
“Mmm.” Stuart let out a rumbling noise of approval at the idea before he caught a glimpse of the clock. “I’m afraid it’ll have to wait until after. We need to get ready and grab a bite to eat before we head out or we’ll be cutting it close for time.”
“Damn it.”
“It’ll be worth it. I promise. Now, go get changed while I heat up leftovers from last night.” Stuart lightly smacked Malcolm’s ass. “I’ll get ready after we eat if you’ll clean.”
“Don’t I get to watch you get dressed?”
“No.” Stuart grinned. “One, if you do, we’ll never get out of here on time. And two, it’ll heighten the anticipation for both of us.”
“I hate it when you’re right.”
“No, you don’t.” Stuart gave Malcolm a deep, lingering kiss and smacked Malcolm’s ass again. “Now go.”
* * * *
As Stuart descended the stairs to Under, he wondered if he’d made a terrible mistake. He felt a little self-conscious as he trailed after Malcolm, highly aware of the soft rub of lace against his cockhead. Malcolm had assured him the texture of the lace couldn’t be seen underneath the supple leather, but he was starting to regret his choice to prolong the torment. Trying to keep his erection down was a challenge.
Malcolm greeted Jim at the door and Stuart nodded a distracted hello to him. The group of men who stood up to greet them diverted Stuart from his thoughts long enough for him to regain his composure. He got a warm greeting from Riley, Carter, Will and David, and a moment later, Jesse and Cam appeared.
“Hey, good to see you.” Jesse kissed Malcolm on the cheek. “I’ve missed you, Maleficent.”
“I’ve missed you too, Jes. We’ve been busy getting settled into the new place. Stuart’s been at the workshop, building us some amazing custom furniture. The dining table is almost done.”
“I can’t wait to check it all out. Thanks for inviting Cam and me over for dinner next weekend. I’m looking forward to sampling some of Stuart’s scrumptiousness.” He waggled his eyebrows in a way that should have been utterly ridiculous but somehow came off as charming.
Malcolm laughed as he hugged Cam. “Always innuendo with you, Jes, isn’t it?”
“Always.” Jesse gave Malcolm a dazzling grin, then leaned in to hug Stuart.
Cam asked about Chase Barksdale and he and Malcolm chatted about him as Stuart made a beeline for the bar.
“Goddamn, do I approve of your boyfriend wearing leather pants. You are a lucky, lucky bitch, Mal.” Jesse’s words floated above the murmur of voices and Stuart smiled to himself. He caught a glimpse of Kyle, laughing and shaking his head as he mixed another drink.
Stuart tried to imagine what Jesse and the rest of them would say if they knew what he had on underneath the leather pants. Actually, he was pretty sure he knew what the reaction would be. Some friendly teasing, a few wolf-whistles and a whole lot of acceptance. His kink wasn’t something he wanted to share with these guys. At least, there was zero chance they’d ever be judgmental if they did find out.
They’d been nothing but supportive of Malcolm as he’d figured out his sexuality and came to understand who he was. It would be the same for Stuart.
“Hey there.” Kyle came around the end of the bar to enfold Stuart in a warm hug. “I mixed up a batch of something called a Fennel Countdown. It’s rum, calvados, citrus-clove infused liqueur, fennel syrup and apricot puree. You interested in trying it?”
“Oh, wow. That sounds great. You’re definitely giving me recipe ideas.”
Kyle chuckled. “You say that like it’s a
bad thing.”
Stuart grinned. “Not at all. I’m thinking about roast pork with a fennel-citrus rub and an apricot-clove sauce.”
“Hell, Stuart. I will happily let you experiment on me any day if you’re making that.”
Stuart laughed heartily. Of all the guys, he and Kyle had meshed the most easily. They’d bonded over their love of booze and food and he felt their humor generally aligned well. He liked them all, but Kyle was the one he was most likely to socialize with one-on-one. Stuart and Kyle had gone hiking a handful of times throughout the fall and winter, and once the snow began to melt, Stuart hoped they’d get out again.
As Stuart sipped the delicious cocktail and planned recipes in his head, Luka arrived. Kyle greeted his boyfriend with a kiss and Stuart gave the handsome fireman a firm hug.
“So I hear congratulations are in order?” He looked between Kyle and Luka.
“They are.” Luka offered him a smile as he fingered the silver band on his left ring finger. “Kyle finally agreed to make an honest man of me. I think he’d be happier going to a courthouse and keeping it very quiet, but I have a huge family who would murder us both if we went that route. Not to mention Jesse.”
“You could always get married at the courthouse first,” Stuart suggested. “Tell no one else. Then there would be less pressure on the day of the big ceremony and reception.”
“Now that’s some sensible advice,” Kyle said in a thoughtful tone. “We’re thinking of doing the reception upstairs here, actually, which takes some of the pressure off.”
“At The Over Under? That’s a great idea.”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about catering, actually.”
“Oh, man, I’d love to.” Stuart grinned, delighted to be asked.
“I am glad to hear it. It’ll be a load off my mind, knowing it’s in your capable hands.”
Stuart glowed a little at the praise and the other guys crowded around as they chatted about the upcoming wedding. Riley and Carter chimed in with their advice on how to keep the planning from getting too out of hand while Stuart contemplated the idea that he and Malcolm might head down that road at some point in the future. After his marriage with Becky, Stuart never would have considered the idea. But now…
Malcolm caught his glance and smiled in a way that sent butterflies surging through Stuart’s chest. Goddamn, he loved Malcolm.
“Cam has some big news, too!” Jesse announced, breaking Stuart’s focus on Malcolm. He glanced over to see Cam’s face turn pink as he ducked his head.
“Yeah? What’s that?” Will asked, his tone curious.
“I kissed a girl.” Cam’s muttered words were almost quiet enough to be missed but Stuart caught them.
“Tell them the rest!” Jesse teased, wrapping his arm around Cam’s waist.
“I liked it,” Cam admitted with a huff.
Behind him, Kyle hummed the familiar Katy Perry tune under his breath and Stuart let out a deep belly laugh in response.
“Hey, this isn’t funny,” Cam protested but he was laughing too. All of them were. There was nothing malicious about it, however. Only good-hearted humor at the situation and Cam’s uncharacteristic shyness about it.
“It’s a little bit funny, babe,” Jes said, pressing a kiss to Cam’s temple. “And you totally gave me permission to tell them all, so I know you aren’t actually mad.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“So how did this happen, exactly?” Carter asked, still chuckling.
“The same way they usually do,” Jesse said. “We went out one night and met an interesting couple.”
“Okay, but it’s usually two guys, right?” Riley asked.
“Well, Cam’s watched me with a woman before. The man was bi and very into Cam. They had fun while I got to enjoy his girlfriend. It worked for us.”
“So what made this time different?” David asked.
“I don’t know. The vibe was just right, I guess. Something just…meshed. I’ve never felt that for a woman before but…” Cam shrugged. “I asked her if she was into me experimenting some and she was all for it, so I gave it a go. No one was more surprised than me when I enjoyed it but I’m not one to turn down an opportunity like that if it feels right.”
Jesse grinned. “It didn’t go any further with Cam and her that night—we needed to talk more about it first—but we got their number and we may see them again. So, that’s fun.” He shot Cam a sly grin and stole a kiss.
“Huh,” Malcolm said. He exchanged a glance with Stuart.
Polyamory would never work for them, but it clearly made Jesse and Cam happy, so who were they to judge? Malcolm and Stuart had their own kinks. Stuart thought briefly of the blue panties he had on and arousal tickled at the edge of his consciousness. He had a lot to look forward to when they went home tonight.
“Who knows, maybe there’s still hope for me hooking up with Riley and Carter eventually,” Jesse teased.
Will hooted. “In your dreams, Jes.”
“Mmmhmm.” Jesse looked off into the distance. “Filthy, filthy dreams.”
Riley leaned over and whispered something in Carter’s ear. Carter rolled his eyes at Riley, then leaned over and planted a kiss on Riley’s cheek.
The conversation segued into other topics as they settled into the seating area with their drinks. As everyone laughed and caught up on all the new things happening—Riley and Carter reveling in happily married life, Will and David running their foundation and living in Manhattan part-time now that David had left office and become an Independent—a sense of completion settled over Stuart.
When he’d left Utah on a bike, with tears in his eyes and nothing but a wild hope of building a new life in Manhattan, he’d never dreamed it would look like this. He’d never imagined it would include a partner he loved, a thriving career and a hell of a lot of people who accepted and welcomed him into their lives.
Seeing how unfailingly supportive these men were made Stuart realize how lucky he was, not only to have met Malcolm but to be a part of this strange and wonderful group. They could still be overwhelming at times, but Stuart had come to realize that he’d mostly been scared to trust them. Scared to get close to anyone who could reject him. He’d lost his family and everyone else in his life when he’d come out. Now, he’d finally begun to believe that these guys weren’t going anywhere.
Stuart reached out and snagged Malcolm’s elbow, pulling him closer. Malcolm looked over at him with love and laughter in his eyes.
“I love you so much,” Stuart said, his voice husky with emotion. “And I am so damn glad that other caterer canceled on you last year.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” Malcolm closed the distance between them and brushed their lips together.
As he drew back, Stuart knew with bone-deep certainty that whatever happened in the future, he had everything he needed right here.
Life was good.
A Note from the Authors
Dear Reader
If you’ve followed us on this Speakeasy journey, you already know how much our characters mean to us. Malcolm Elliott introduced himself even before the speakeasy Under even existed, and though he was always rather quiet and unassuming compared to some of the men who became his family, we grew to care about him. After he made it clear he identified as gray ace/demisexual, we realized Malcolm also had a story.
Not every gray ace/demisexual reader who picks up this book will recognize themselves in Malcolm. No two people experience the world or romance in the same way, and that is very much the case with people on the asexual spectrum. If you do recognize yourself in Malcolm, we hope that seeing some of you on these pages is a happy experience. Your feelings are real, and you are loved and valid.
K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn
Want to see more from these authors? Here’s a taster for you to enjoy!
Wake
K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn
Excerpt
August, 1996
Cambr
idge, Massachusetts
“These rooms always look so much bigger online.”
Carter Hamilton flinched in surprise at the smooth voice behind him. Blinking slowly, he drew a breath to quiet his heart, then turned to meet a pair of lively blue eyes.
“Sorry.” A guy Carter’s age stepped inside the door, his expression sheepish. A smile lit his handsome face and an intriguing flush colored his cheeks. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Carter shrugged before standing up from the couch where he’d been reading. “I’ll live.”
“I knocked, but no one answered. The door wasn’t bolted, so I assumed no one was here.”
“Ah, that’s my bad.” Heat crept up Carter’s neck. “I got caught up in my book and didn’t hear you. I’m Carter and I’m guessing you’re one of my suitemates—are you Riley or Daniel?”
“Riley Porter-Wright.”
Riley walked forward with a grin. Riley was lean and tall, though still an inch or two shorter than Carter, who stood six foot three. His stylish black shirt and trousers were immaculate compared to Carter’s T-shirt and jeans and his dark hair fell forward onto his forehead as he shook Carter’s hand.
A small smile crossed Carter’s face. He’d been exchanging messages with his suitemates for weeks. Daniel, who had yet to show himself, hailed from Philadelphia, while Riley, like Carter, lived in Manhattan, though the two had never met. They’d coordinated basic furnishings for their Harvard University rooms and agreed to fill in gaps later.
“I’m Carter Hamilton,” Carter told him with a laugh, “which you know. And since I was the first here, I guess it’s okay for me to say it—welcome to Wigg.”
Riley rolled his eyes, making Carter smile wider. He’d been amused by the freshman dorm’s nickname, too, but Wigglesworth was highly desired, with large suites and convenient placement for the university libraries. Carter watched Riley approach the window and frowned upon noticing he carried only an overnight bag and nothing more.
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