by Jet Mykles
Reese stopped admiring his surroundings long enough to help pull his T-shirt over his head. “Didn’t this place come furnished?” Aside from the futon and the fireplace, bar, and bookcases built into the interior wall, the room was completely empty.
Luc wound his arms around Reese, lightly caressing back. “Had it put in storage.”
“All of it?”
He kissed Reese’s neck. “Nah. Just this room.”
“Why?”
Luc looked up at the skylights, grinning. “Sleeping under the stars.”
Reese laughed, twining his arms around Luc’s neck. “You really are a freak.”
Luc shrugged, dropping his head to lock shining eyes on Reese. “Got the idea from a place we stayed in Amsterdam. The house agents messed up the schedule, and the furniture wasn’t due to arrive until the next day. This big, huge place just for the four of us, and not a bit of furniture. They scrambled around and got us these.” He indicated the futon beneath them. “It was great. I bought a few of them for myself after that trip.”
Reese grinned, spearing his hand into Luc’s curls. “Is this how you sleep at home?”
“Tiger, I am at home.”
Reese mulled that over while Luc kissed him. He meant the house, right? What an odd thing to say.
The taste of Luc’s mouth distracted Reese from his straying thoughts. The feel of those hands smoothing over his back. The silk of auburn hair sifting through his own fingers.
Luc resisted when Reese tried to push him down to the mat. “Can’t go too far. Sushi’s on the way.”
Reese pouted. “Well, damn.”
Luc nipped at the lip he stuck out. “Glad to know you want me.”
“How could I not?” The sentence was out before he could think better of it.
“That was my question the other night.”
Reese grimaced and edged back. He ended up sitting on the mat within the circle of Luc’s legs, his own legs draped over Luc’s thighs and almost hooked at the ankles behind Luc’s back. He changed the subject a little. “I didn’t even think you’d want to talk to me, let alone fuck me stupid.”
Luc grinned, trailing his fingers up Reese’s bare sides. “Mmm. Do I need to convince you again?”
He crawled forward, and Reese gladly lowered back. The thick black mat was firm beneath him, but only a little more than a firm mattress. He toyed with Luc’s long red hair as the other man bent over his chest and feathered light kisses over it before tonguing a nipple. Reese let his eyes slide shut and enjoyed. Did it get any better than this?
He was trying to convince Luc to go a bit farther when the doorbell rang. He grumbled when Luc got up to go fetch the sushi.
Told that the bar and the kitchen were stocked, Reese made himself useful by getting plates and drinks for them both. The dining room and kitchen were just as impressive. The appliances in the kitchen were sleekly modern brushed chrome nearly as dark as the charcoal wallpaper. The refrigerator actually hissed when he opened it. The dining room table was black with a polished cherry wood top and sat under an understated, glittering chandelier amidst hunter green walls. It amazed him that such a place was just rented out. What happened to it when people like Luc weren’t in town?
Luc refused to eat anywhere except the futon, so they made camp there. Luc turned the satellite radio on low, and smooth background jazz floated through the air from hidden speakers. The sun set as they ate, replacing brilliant orange lighting with moody blue held at bay by subtle track lighting that Luc flipped on.
“So, what’s next for Heaven Sent?” Reese asked, nabbing another bite of sashimi.
“We’re going back into the studio. If we don’t produce another album soon, the record company’s going to kill us.”
“Good. It’s about time you came out with something new. It’s been, what, two years?”
“Almost. They let us take the break after the last tour for Johnnie and Tyler, but the general idea now is that enough’s enough.” Luc shrugged, licking soy sauce off his thumb. The man did seem to love his soy sauce. He dunked everything in it. “It’s good, though. We started throwing out some ideas recently. I think we’re all set. We rented this awesome studio in Italy. We’re leaving this weekend. Gretch’s out there already, getting everything ready.”
Reese shook his head, ignoring the catch in his belly at the thought of Luc leaving. “I can’t even imagine the life you’ve got now.”
“Sure you can. And it’s not all fun, y’know.”
“I know. But, man… it’s got to be a wild ride.”
“That it is.” Luc shoved the last bite of shrimp roll into his mouth. “But what about you? You enjoy teaching?”
Reese shrugged. “It’s okay. Most of the kids are fine. Some of them are assholes. But they actually have to take an entrance exam to get into Brighton, so we don’t have a lot of the kids who aren’t really interested in being there. Most of the stuff I teach has all been laid out along strict guidelines anyway. I just kind of toe the line.”
“That sounds boring.”
“Well, yeah, but the colleges these kids are headed for have set guidelines.”
“Isn’t it a middle school?”
“Well yeah, but these kids — or at least their parents — already have their eyes on college. They’ve been trained.”
“Trained?”
“Oh yeah. Most of the parents have already taught these kids the basics, more than what they get from elementary school. They’ve got them enrolled in online classes or taught them themselves. I teach math and most of them can teach themselves what they need to know. I’m mainly there to answer questions.” He laughed. “In fact, just today I got the most attention from any of them that I’ve gotten since I started at Brighton. And it’s your fault.”
Luc blinked up at him, chopsticks hovering over the lobster roll. “Mine?”
“Yours and that band of yours. Talk is all over my school that you guys were at Reegan’s wedding. Once they found out that I actually knew you —” He rolled his eyes. “— oh, my God! I couldn’t get rid of them. Tomorrow will probably be worse. I’ve never been so popular. Which reminds me, I promised autographs. That okay?”
Luc grinned. “Absolutely.” He dropped his chopsticks and pushed forward on hands and knees. It put him nearly nose-to-nose with Reese. “Anything for you, tiger.” He pressed a quick kiss to Reese’s lips.
Reese grimaced. “Smooth talker.”
Luc laughed, standing. “You know it.” He turned and headed toward the hall. “Be right back. Gotta take a leak.”
Reese morosely chewed the last bite of the lobster roll, disturbing thoughts rolled in his brain. Talking about his job with someone like Luc was depressing. What the hell did Luc want with him? He had this amazingly exciting life, so different than Reese’s safe, boring one. What the hell did Reese have to offer? But it didn’t matter, did it? They were just having fun. There was no future here. Luc was leaving in a few days and Reese’s life would settle back to normal.
Since they were obviously done eating, Reese gathered up the plates, Styrofoam boxes, and bags and took them into the kitchen. He gave in to the urge to step out into the paved side yard and got lost, transfixed by the twinkling panoramic view of the city, with the ocean depicted as a lack of lights beyond. That submerged urge to paint resurfaced with a vengeance as he drank in the scene, memorizing the colors and textures of the landscape before him.
He heard the door behind him open and close, but kept his eyes on the purple horizon. Fingertips traced the back of his shoulder blade. His tattoo.
Warm lips pressed softly on the design. “Always liked this.”
“Thanks.”
“You ever gonna to get the dragon done?”
Reese had to smile. “You remember that?”
“Sure.” Fingers traced the back of his other shoulder. “Yin and yang. Dragon and tiger. One on each shoulder.”
Reese sighed. “Never did get enough money together back then.” He
shrugged. “Then I lost interest.”
Lips ghosted over the back of his neck. “Completely?”
Reese’s eyelids drooped. Lovely as it was, the scenery couldn’t compete with Luc’s touch. “I had to grow up.”
Teeth bit the big muscle that connected neck to shoulder. “That the same time you decided you weren’t gay?”
“I’m not gay.” Yes, it sounded stupid to his own ears, but he hadn’t had these urges, the ones that couldn’t be denied, since he’d lost his chance with the man touching him now. At most, he was bisexual with a particular leaning toward this man.
Bare arms slid around his waist, pulling him flush up to Luc’s chest. “What’s this, then?” Luc’s breath caressed his right ear.
Reese sank into him. “A dream?” he said softly.
“Mmm, that make me your dream man?”
Yes. He didn’t answer. He didn’t want to answer. He didn’t want to acknowledge any of this. There was no point. Just enjoy it. It was going to be over soon enough.
Thankfully, Luc dropped the subject. He turned Reese to face him and took over Reese’s mouth. It was so easy to give in to Luc, to let him direct the pleasure. Reese just had to react and feel.
Luc lured him back inside with kisses and caresses. Reese followed willingly. He was laid out on the futon and soon naked. Luc then dropped his own pants, revealing those long legs and the long red cock between them.
With a wicked grin and an eyebrow waggle, Luc stretched out at Reese’s side, head toward his legs. He propped an elbow between Reese’s thighs, positioning his head and shoulders perfectly to fondle and caress Reese’s cock and balls. The position had the added benefit that Reese, by just shimmying over a bit, could easily reciprocate. He circled Luc’s cock with his fingers, entranced by the silky feel of the skin in contrast to the steely hardness beneath. So much the same, but so different than his own. Suddenly quite hungry, he opened his mouth and took the head of Luc’s cock in.
Luc growled approval, his hips twitching forward slightly. His hand pulled on Reese’s cock while his head dipped lower to tongue his balls.
Decadent sensuality settled over the lovers as they suckled each other, content to stroke and tease, to prolong the moment as long as they could. But nature would have her way, and soon the languid strokes turned into serious suction. Luc’s wet fingers sank into Reese’s ass, massaging him within. Reese whimpered, moaned, taking Luc’s length as far into his mouth as he could, frantic to give pleasure back as Luc brought him over the edge. He kept his wits just enough to keep sucking, keep squeezing, to milk an orgasm from Luc. Gladly, he swallowed down the salty spice of Luc.
He collapsed onto his back, struggling to breathe. Luc settled beside him, head pillowed on his thigh.
“I’m clean, by the way,” Luc said after a few moments.
Wits rattled and hazy with pleasure, Reese didn’t understand. “Huh?”
Luc pushed up to sit. “I’m sorry about that. It felt so good, I forgot to pull back. That first time yesterday, too.” Luc actually looked sheepish, an unusual expression for him. “But I’m clean. I swear. Management makes us get tested regularly and I haven’t gone without a condom since the last one.”
“Oh.” Reese blinked up at the skylight. How stupid of him. He hadn’t even thought about it. He was so intent on treating what was happening as a fantasy that he hadn’t let that very real, potentially dangerous possibility burst his bubble.
Stupid!
Luc hovered over him. Smiling, he reached down to thumb a dribble of cum from Reese’s chin. “Just wanted you to know.”
Reese managed a smile. “Thanks.”
Luc kissed him again, smoothing away his fears. If Luc said he was clean, then he was clean. He’d never given Reese a reason not to trust him.
◆◆◆
A few hours and a lot of sex later, Luc lay belly-down on the futon, hugging a pillow underneath his chin and scowling at Reese as he put on his clothes. The subdued track lighting cast the only illumination in the room except for the wan moonlight from the skylights and windows.
“Stay.”
Reese a T-shirt from the duffle he’d brought with him. He already had on his jeans, damn it. “I can’t.”
“Call in sick.”
Reese shook his head, raking a hand through all-too-short glossy black curls. Luc wanted them long again, and vivid blue or purple. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not sick.”
“Sure. Call it sexual exhaustion.” He was trying to joke, trying to be casual, but with each body part Reese hid, he felt a little desperate.
Reese laughed and then the T-shirt hid the tiger on his back. “Afraid not.”
He gripped the pillow. “Oh, come on. That’s what substitute teachers are for.”
Reese dropped his loafers — seriously? — and socks on the floor and sat beside them, wincing slightly. Was it wrong of Luc to be proud that he’d made him tender? Probably. “And it’s one week until finals. I can’t do that to my kids.”
“Finals? Does that mean it’s almost summer break?”
“Yep.”
Abandoning the pillow, he pushed up to his heels. “Any plans for the summer?”
“Yep.” Reese tossed him a grin before concentrating back on his feet. “Summer school.”
“You’re joking.”
“Nope.”
“Why?”
“Money.” Done with his shoes, he leaned back on his arms to turn the grin back Luc’s way. “Some of us aren’t ridiculously wealthy.”
Luc grimaced, tossing hair out of his face. “If it’s the money, then take the summer off and I’ll pay you to come to Italy with me.” He knew the offer was a mistake the minute the words were out of his mouth.
Crystal blue eyes went icy. “You’re joking.”
“Nope.” In for a penny… “I’m dead serious.” And he was. He’d pay that and more to keep Reese with him. In that moment, he was dead certain of that fact. “Think about it. A few months in Italy.” He bent forward, leaning on his fists to get closer to Reese. He put every ounce of sex appeal he’d ever had into his voice. “Sleeping with me.”
He had Reese for a second. He saw it. The ice melted and blue fire crackled. But it was a flash in the pan. Dark brows furled then Reese was shooting to his feet. “I can’t do that.”
Sheets balled in Luc’s hands. “Why not?”
“It’s just …” He shook his head, pacing to the far end of the mostly empty room. “It’s wrong.”
“Wrong?”
“I can’t take advantage of you like that.”
“Sure you can.”
“No.”
“Look, I offered. It’s my idea.” And a damn good one, if he’d say so himself.
Reese whirled on him, fists at his hips. Okay, he was pissed but damn he was fucking magnificent. “You trying to make me a whore?”
Luc’s heart sank. Why would Reese go there? He snorted. “Please. You know it’s not like that.”
“Do I?”
“Yes. You do.” Luc heaved a sigh and flopped over onto his back. He took some solace to see that fully exposing his naked body distracted Reese more than a little. Hungry eyes drank in the line of his body, as well as his semi-hard cock. He stretched, posing, bending a little so that his face tilted toward Reese. He held out a hand. “I just want to spend time with you and there’s not a lot left before I leave. This way, you’d be with me for months. And you’d get to see Italy.” His brain scrambled for more reasons. “Or more. I’ll get breaks. We’ll go to Paris. You want to see Paris, right? It’s amazing.” He’d been. He’d been less than impressed. But he was pretty sure it’d be different with Reese.
“You’re a piece of work, you know that?”
He chuckled. “That’s news?”
The pissed drained out of him to be replaced by a confusion. “Why?”
“Why?”
“Yeah, why? Why would you make that offer?”
Jesus. Anger surged but he tamped it down. He couldn’t stand that Reese kept denying what they had. “Don’t tell me I’ve been alone for the past two days? I’ve certainly enjoyed the sex. Have you?” Keep it about the sex. For now. The sex had to be something he understood, something he knew they had. Luc was still grappling with what was beyond the sex, to be honest, but here he was, going with his gut again. He hadn’t planned on making the offer for the summer, but it felt right. It was far too easy to picture Reese with him and his band for months on end. Sounded like a pretty good life, to him.
Reese turned to gaze out the windows. Not much to see at night beside the twinkling lights. “Of course I have.”
Luc sat partially up, propped on his elbows. “Then this is perfect. Come with me and we can have a lot more of it.”
He was thinking. Luc had to figure out how to get him to stop that. Well, there was one way but try as he might he couldn’t sex him up every minute of the day. “I can’t do that.”
“Look, I told you I’d pay for—”
“And I can’t let you do that. I’m not going to be your kept woman.” He turned to the duffle bag stuffed on one of the built-in shelves.
Luc rolled his eyes. “Gee. Say it like that and it sounds bad.”
“It is bad.” There could be more heat in his tone. He was leaning back toward pissed but he wasn’t mad. Luc still had to tread carefully. “Besides… I’m not… That’s not my life.”
Grinding his teeth, Luc thanked whatever braincell that kept Reese from spouting more “I’m not gay” nonsense. If that had come out, Luc would have had to prove the error in that thought. Again. But until he figured it out, he had to work with what Reese gave him. Clearly, an all-expense-paid trip to a foreign country wasn’t enough. “Fine.” Luc sighed and rolled to his feet.
As Luc approached, Reese turned, arms crossed. His defiance was ruined when his eyes couldn’t help raking the length of Luc’s naked body, but Luc wouldn’t call him on it. It was so very obvious that he wanted this, wanted Luc, but he kept holding back. He was scared and though Luc didn’t get it, he’d be an idiot to dismiss it.
Luc dropped a kiss onto his temple, inhaling the spring breeze scent of him. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”