by BLMorticia
"Put some money in, pull the lever," he said, laughing. "After I order us some more wine, you can watch me."
Cayden did just that and ended up winning a few coins. He was like freaking King Midas or something.
"Hmm, seems easy enough, I guess." I pulled the lever and nothing came out. "I'm a loser." I chuckled.
"No, you're not." Cayden put his arms around me and kissed my cheek. "Keep playing and you'll eventually hit. You might even win the jackpot."
"I doubt that," I said, tugging the handle again.
Cayden kept flirting and hugging, apparently not concerned about people walking past and taking pictures. Security stayed around us, but some people were able to get a good shot.
Eventually I did hit, winning two dollars. "Yay, I won something."
"Play it and try something bigger."
"Now why would I do that?" I said, smiling. I should cut my losses and stop now.
"Oh my God, you are not a gambler." Cayden snorted, put in some of his own money, and helped me pull the handle this time.
When he did, a bunch of coins spilled out onto the floor.
"Wow, uh...."
"See what you did?"
"Nope. I'm thinking you're a good-luck charm." I leaned down and pick up some of the coins.
"Maybe. Let's finish our drinks, then head to the bar. I'm ready to dance." Cayden started swaying from side to side.
"I'm no dancer. Last I checked, I'm a metalhead."
"So what? You can move, can't you?"
"Yeah, I suppose I can." I sat up straight. "How long are we staying there?"
"As long as you want. We could crash at my room after that or leave early."
I chuckled. "No. I need to go back and recover to take you out early to see the cemetery."
"Not that early, right?"
I shook my head and toyed with my hair. Although part of me liked staying with Cayden, I knew better. "If we wanna beat the heat, we should try getting there as soon as it opens."
"Then it's settled. You stay with me so it will save time. Then we can stay out till, like, three."
"Three? That's too freaking late."
"No, it's not. We could get at least five hours in, then eat, then go to the place, right?"
I shrugged. "Um, maybe. I dunno. We'll see what happens."
Cayden took the drinks from the waiter and handed one to me. "Yes, we will, Trent. Yes, we will."
Chapter Twelve
Cayden
We partied at a couple of gay bars until the wee morning hours before Trent finally asked to call it a night. Despite drinking wine and beer most of the evening, we still got wasted, and I called an Uber to get us home at around four. Thankfully the security was nice enough to help us get to my suite. I'm not sure we would've made it on our own.
Once I closed the door, Trent and I laughed our way to my bedroom. When we got there, we didn't turn on the lights. Instead, we fell atop the mattress next to each other, still giggling like two teenagers.
"Tonight was fun. Thanks for all of this, Cayden."
I took his hand in mine and brought it to my lips. "You're welcome. There's plenty more nights like this to come, Trent. We're gonna have a great time."
"Yeah?" Trent looked at me through glassy eyes, and he leaned in, pressing his nose into the crook of my neck.
Feeling him so close, I shivered, and my already-hard dick jolted in my slacks. I sucked in a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling, telling myself it wasn't a good idea to take advantage of my drunk tour guide.
Fuck.
"Oh shit, Trent." I blew out an exasperated breath and closed my eyes tight.
"I asked you to slow things down and here I am speeding them up. You are freaking irresistible, Cayden Wythe."
Yep, clearly drunk.
With his tongue he traced the spot under my ear, going down to my collarbone. And because my shirt was loose, he nipped around that area, then licked back up to my lobe.
Trent chuckled. "You're horny, aren't you?" The liquor gave him a deeper tone in his voice. The drawl was my downfall.
"Fuck yes." I let go of his hand and dragged it over the collar of his shirt.
"So am I, but fucking is no fun when you're drunk."
"Yeah, it's not, but damn...." I turned to face him and pressed a light kiss to his lips. When our mouths touched, my cock leaked precum in my underwear. I wanted his skin on mine, even if it only meant us falling asleep holding one another.
What the fuck?
Yes, I was willing to forgo actual sex just to be close to Trent. Despite my desire to have him, I'd wait a little longer until he was ready.
"I know." Trent ran his hand through my hair and ruffled my curls. "Let's sleep now. Gotta get up early."
"Can we sleep naked, then?" I pleaded because I desperately wanted to feel him.
"Hmm. How about underwear only?" Trent's blue gaze met mine. He smirked at me and raked my hair again with his ringed fingers.
"All right. Better than fully clothed." I pecked him on the lips and got up from the bed. I toed off my shoes, then slid out of my pants. When I got them off, I unbuttoned my shirt and tossed it aside. "Your turn."
Trent grinned and thrust his legs out in my direction. "Help me?"
Listening to that request, my eyes bulged. "Did you just ask for my help?"
"I did. I'm too drunk to do it myself." Trent slurred his words. He did pull the band out of his hair and shake it free.
"Damn, baby. You know this will be torture for me, right? I can't fuck you, but you want me to undress you?"
"In due time, Cayden Wythe. C'mon and strip off my threads, babe." Trent laughed and kicked his legs out.
"You fucker. I'm just as drunk as you are." I tried keeping myself upright while I yanked off his loafers. After pulling his socks from his feet, I tugged at his slacks, removing them completely from his legs. As I tossed them aside, I got a good look at his crotch, bulging nicely through his boxer briefs. I wanted to lick it, but I refrained.
"Come on, Cayden. I'm trying hard not to pass out."
"You got the nerve to hurry me? I'm trying to savor this body."
I crawled up the length of his lanky frame and took time unbuttoning his shirt. With each spot I uncovered, I noticed ink on his tanned skin. Some tribal ink as well as a picture of a wolf covered his left pec.
"Damn. You're beautiful."
Trent rose up and shook off his shirt. His blue eyes met my gaze again, and I inched in close. I watched the moonlight bounce off his irises. Took note of every detail of his handsome face. I was mesmerized. Totally taken. I hadn't been this into anyone in my life.
"Go on and kiss me good night, Cayden."
"So I can be hard for the rest of the night? I don't think so." I moved back, and just when I was about to get off of him, Trent grabbed my wrist.
"Then I'll do it." Trent pulled me in, crushing his mouth on top of mine. The lip-lock was rough and passionate, a kiss I'd be thinking of for the rest of this morning. He thrust his tongue between my lips, searching my mouth.
"Mmph." I accepted it and reciprocated with all I had. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested them on his shoulders. I used all my weight to knock him backward until he hit the mattress.
While we continued to kiss, my dick wept under my boxers. My nipples firmed up and the adrenaline ran through me, making my body tense. I tangled tongues with him while combing his hair with my nails. I pulled on his brownish-blond locks, keeping his head right there so he wouldn't escape.
Damn.
Again, my conscience was playing with me. Take advantage, or leave it be so we could get ready for the cemetery in a few hours. We were both drunk and horny, which meant we might not remember what occurred.
And dammit, I wanted to remember this for all eternity. This wouldn't be another of my down-low fucks; this would be something real, and I wanted to relish it.
Besides, I was already falling hard for Trent. Not love, but for damn sure I w
anted a chance to make something with him. He had cast his spell on me, and I'd gladly allow it to take over.
So, much to my chagrin, I pulled back and licked his lips quickly. We lazily swapped kisses while he roamed his hands over the length of my body. I was sweaty, but there was no way I was moving from this spot. Well, not from the bed, anyway, because sleeping this close would do nothing for our libidos.
"That was nice," Trent said, then nipped at my mouth again. "Time to sleep, right?"
"Yeah." I nodded and kissed his lips. "We should before I end up changing my mind about fucking."
"Me too." Trent smacked my buttocks.
Although I flinched, I enjoyed it. That stinging on my backside, his hand on me, made me want to jump his bones. I wasn't into spanking or any kind of dominant acts, but hell if it didn't make me feel good.
Still in a daze, I crawled off of Trent.
Trent cuddled to my side and kissed my cheek. "Mind if I snuggle with you?"
"Don't mind at all."
Despite the wetness in my boxers and the hard-on that would break glass, I rested with a nearly naked Trent.
I knew I'd be kicking myself in the morning, but for just this once, I was confident I'd made the right decision.
Trent
Cayden woke me up at nine, kissing my face and asking if we could conserve water again. I refused, but my morning wood said something else. Sleeping next to Cayden was glorious but maddening all the same. Still, I was glad we hadn't done anything, because we were too drunk to enjoy it.
Despite fighting Cayden off, I wanted him more than I cared to admit. The kisses we shared, sleeping practically naked next to him, made it hard to focus. Who knew how long his admiration for me would last?
After Cayden got into the shower, I put on the jogging pants and T-shirt he gave me to wear. We were about the same size, so I could comfortably wear his stuff without it falling off me.
Just as I was about to sit on the sofa, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Jonah. Trent, is that you, man?"
I got up from the couch and went to the door. I twisted the lock and opened it. "Hiya."
"Hey." Jonah cocked an eyebrow and eyed me curiously.
"Before you go making assumptions, we went out last night and got too drunk to move. So I'm here."
Jonah put up a hand. "None of my business. Can I come in?"
"Not my place. I'm sure Cayden wouldn't mind."
Jonah smiled at me and waltzed into the suite.
"Had breakfast yet?"
"Oh yeah." Jonah patted his belly. "I ordered room service again. I'm gonna gain twenty pounds by the time I leave here in a couple of days."
"You're leaving?"
"Yeah. Gotta get back to my students." Jonah sat in the recliner. "As much as I wanna stay and hang out with you guys, responsibility calls. Besides, Cayden doesn't care about having me around anymore. He's got you."
I chuckled and sat on the couch across from him. "I'm his tour guide."
"For now." Jonah laughed.
"You sound almost as bad as him." I tried to play it off, even though I wanted there to be more. I liked Cayden a hell of a lot.
"Ah, stop. You know you want him. He's a good guy. Always has been. A little prickly at times, but a great friend."
"I can tell. He treats you like gold."
Jonah nodded. "Yeah, but I want him to start treating someone else like gold. Not saying I don't like being helped, but I hate that he pays for everything. He should do that to someone he cares about deeply... someone he loves." He eyed me curiously.
Listening to Jonah, I twisted my lips. "Oh, I don't know...."
"Maybe not now, but I hope it works out. I'm pulling for you."
"Thanks."
"And if you hurt him, I'll break your legs. Got it?"
I pointed at him and flashed a nervous grin. "Got it."
"Good. Anyways, where to this morning?"
"Louis One Cemetery. It's not gonna be as hot today, so as long as we get outta here within the hour, we should be golden."
"Great. I'm looking forward to it. Less likely to see spooks in the daytime, right?"
"Yeah." I smirked. "The cemeteries are all about the history, not the spookiness. There's a lot of history tied to all of them, especially with the dead being buried aboveground."
"Oh yeah, because of New Orleans sinking."
"Yep."
Jonah appeared surprised by what I said. "And that doesn't scare you?"
I shrugged. "I was born here. I don't know any other place to be. Sure, I'm a little afraid. I was ten when Katrina happened. I wasn't in a foster home, so the shelter I stayed at had to evacuate to the Superdome."
"Really?"
"Yep. The attitude I take is this: If it's meant to be, it just is. I got a lot of faith in God, and I'm thinking if it's my time, it's my time. That's why I've tried to get myself right and live life to the fullest. Who knows when it will be taken away?"
"You're right about that, but I'm not sure I'd want to live here in a town that's sinking."
"It is what it is, man. New Orleans is still beautiful. For all her faults and what they say might happen, after three hundred years, she's still here."
"Hope it stays too. I'd like to visit again someday."
"She'll be around, man. I got no doubt about that."
After our trip to Louis One Cemetery, we went out for an early lunch to one of my favorite small restaurants in Treme. Since it was a weekday, it wasn't as crowded, and few people noticed who Cayden was. Some came by and wanted pictures or autographs, but for the most part, they allowed us to eat in peace.
"That place was fire," Jonah said as we walked out.
"Sure was. Are there any bad restaurants down here in NOLA?" Jaze asked.
"Nope," I said with a smile. "I mean, I haven't been to one, and I live here."
"It was good. You know all the awesome spots, babe. I'm getting tired. All that food and our late night's got me sluggish. Wanna go back to the room?"
"Sure thing, but I wanna stop by the Harbor House if you don't mind. Wanna see how things are going in the first week."
"Okay. Then back to my room." Cayden held my hand and squeezed.
To make things easier, Cayden decided to rent a car to go around town instead of hiring Ubers. When we pulled up, the place appeared to be bustling as suspected.
"Y'all comin'?" I said to Jonah and Jaze.
They nodded and got out one side while Cayden and I got out the other. Plenty of drifters hung out in front, lying in the grass or sitting on the steps. Though the place was for LGBT kids, Cap promised to feed the adults during the daytime. Thankfully a lot of staff was on hand, so none of the children would be around unsupervised.
"Trent, my man." Cap walked up, holding his hand out. "Good to see you."
I smiled. "Same here. Um, Cap, this is Cayden Wythe, his bodyguard, Jaze, and friend, Jonah."
"Mr. Wythe. It's a pleasure. Thanks for the donations too. We really appreciate your generosity." Cap shook hands with Cayden.
"You're welcome, man. I'll be making more for sure." Hearing Cayden say that made me smile.
Cap shook hands and greeted Jaze and Jonah.
"Good. Well, give 'em the tour, Trent. I gotta get these waywards fed. Miss Lorna is here, but you know I gotta keep things in line."
"For sure, Cap. I'll check in with you before we leave."
Cap saluted us and turned in the other direction.
"Hey, Trent." Prez's voice came out of nowhere, and I turned to face him. He was carrying a box and had a kid with him, also carrying something.
"Hey, Prez, wassup, man." I went in for a bro hug. "Y'all need help?"
"Naw, man. Me and Lisa got it. Hey, Cayden."
"Hi, Prez."
I looked over at Cayden, who showed no emotion toward Prez.
"Prez, that's Jonah Mitts and Jaze."
"Nice to meet y'all." Prez nodded. "This is my frien
d Lisa. She's new here, and I'm helping her with some of her things."
"Well, hello, Lisa," I said with a smile.
"Hi," she beamed. "Are you part of Harbor too?"
"I'm one of the volunteers here, yes. I'll be seeing you around."
"Okay, great, because you're cute," she said with a grin.
We all laughed.
"She ain't shy, that's for sure. Well, let me get going so I can get her settled. Nice meeting you all." Prez started walking, and I stopped him a moment.
"Hey, man, I'm sorry for what happened the other day," I whispered low enough for him to hear. I had to let him know I wasn't happy about what Cayden had done.
"No prob, dude. We'll talk later." Prez grinned and walked with Lisa to the staircase.
"Hey, Trent, over here," Cayden said. "Everything all right?"
"Yeah. Let's look around the place. The kids live on the third floor, but we can look at all the common areas and the backyard where they're feeding everyone. The drifters ain't allowed in because we want to keep the children safe."
"Gotcha," Cayden said, taking my arm as we walked to the mess hall where about five kids were finishing the cleanup. I waved to them, and they waved back, smiling at Cayden.
"This place is huge. How many kids are here?" Cayden asked.
"Right now there's about thirty kids... so it's halfway full. Cap takes 'em as young as nine and old as sixteen. There are other kids that just come here for guidance too."
"That's cool," Jonah said, looking around the kitchen.
"They did a good job. So they're looking to build more, right?" Cayden asked.
"Yeah. The others will be for the young waywards, though. Damion's been a godsend for New Orleans."
"Damion who?" Cayden asked as we walked through the hallway to the library.
"Damion Evers. He spearheaded this project to open up Harbor House. He's planning a couple more here in NOLA before expanding the program to other states."
"Really? I don't know Damion personally, but I'll make sure to look into contributing to the cause," Cayden responded.
"Well, that's mighty kind of you, Cayden."
Cayden eyed me and squeezed my hand again, sending a jolt to my crotch. "Hey, I'm not the asshole some people think I am. I've done other things, but I don't like a lot of attention when I do it, you know? Damion must feel the same because I haven't seen anything about this."