by Jen Davis
“Fruit punch. My own recipe. Sugar free, but it tastes delicious.” Robby tipped his glass back and took a healthy sip.
Okay. Matt sipped from his own glass and let the flavors roll over his tongue. Fruity, he could parcel out some orange juice in there and, for sure, some cherries. “Not bad.”
Robby beamed. “I feel so good right now. Like I found what I’m supposed to be doing. I’ve got so many ideas. And Paul, the guy who runs the place, says my only limit is my imagination.” Taking another gulp, Robby drained his glass and set it down before scooting closer. “Tell me you’ll come with me tomorrow.”
No way did he want to take the hopeful look off Robby’s face. “I have to work at the bar tomorrow, and I have Jimmy this week, but if the offer still stands, I can come by next weekend.”
He wouldn’t have thought Robby’s smile could grow any wider, but somehow, it did.
“Thank you.”
“Sure.” He sipped the punch and let the liquid roll down his throat.
Robby’s hand wrapped around his and guided his drink to the table.
Matt balled his fists into his lap. “I—I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.” He whispered, “I don’t want to mess this up.”
Gently, Robby lifted his right hand and pried his fist open before kissing his palm. “You’re not going to mess it up.”
The kiss, chaste as it was, sent his internal temperature skyrocketing. “You don’t know that. I don’t either. Last night, I almost sent you running for the hills.”
“It wasn’t you.” Robby kissed the tip of his thumb, then did the same with every finger on his hand. “My past is complicated.”
Shut down again. He wanted to press for more, learn how to avoid a repeat of last night’s mistake. But he liked Robby’s mouth on him, and with conversation, especially serious conversation, the kissing might stop. The man’s lips had moved up over his hand to the inside of his wrist, obliterating coherent thought.
“Tell me you want this,” Robby murmured against his skin.
He could only nod. Plead with his eyes.
“You want me to take the lead?” Robby’s eyes darkened as Matt nodded again. “You want me to go slow?”
Definitely not. He punctuated his grunt with a short shake of his head, and Robby flashed a knowing smile.
“You got it. Just tell me when it’s too much.”
Too much? Right now, nothing would be enough.
His frustrated groan must’ve pushed Robby’s buttons, because in an instant, his slow kisses, his languid exploration, gave way to insistent demand. Robby surged closer, putting them chest to chest as he rained fiery kisses over his neck.
Unsure where to put his hands, Matt held them inches away from the other man. Until Robby’s attention moved to his mouth.
Then, he didn’t have to wonder what to do. Instinct guided one hand to Robby’s waist, while the other gripped his neck. Their tongues met in a tangle of wet heat. The taste of their sweet drinks gave way to something bolder, headier.
True to his promise, Robby took the lead, questing a hand down over Matt’s collarbone. Squeezing his left pec. Kneading him through the fabric of his shirt.
“Take it off.” Robby’s voice came out an octave lower as he untucked the T-shirt from Matt’s pants.
Holy shit. The gruff sound wrapped around his dick like a caress, coaxing it harder.
Robby tugged again. “Off.”
He scrambled to pull it over his head, and his nipples pebbled against the cool air.
“Lean back against the side of the sofa,” Robby purred, then knelt on the floor. “Stretch out. Let me see you.”
Yes. Yes. Yes.
He did it in a heartbeat. Who knew a demanding lover could be so damn sexy?
For a moment, Robby didn’t move. But his gaze traveled from the top of Matt’s head, down his bare torso, then rested on the erection bulging in his pants.
Matt knew it wasn’t possible, but he would’ve sworn the man’s stare held a weight so heavy, he could actually feel it. Just the idea of a touch on his rock-hard cock forced out a moan.
The sound snapped Robby’s attention back to his face. “Put your hands over your head. Hold onto the arm of the sofa.” He moved closer. “Don’t let go until I say so.”
Just as his hands gripped the furniture, Robby settled on top of him, their bodies flush against each other. And for a glorious moment, the length of his erection pressed against Matt’s own before he slid downward.
Despite the kisses Robby trailed down his neck, he couldn’t hold back a whimper when the pressure disappeared from his dick.
“Trust me,” Robby crooned. “I’ll make it good for you.” He followed his words with a slow lick over one nipple, then the other. His tongue swirled around the peak. Once. Twice.
What he wouldn’t give to tangle his hands in those thick brown curls. But he dug his fingers deeper into the sofa instead, holding himself rigid and tight.
His reward came in the hot slide of Robby’s tongue down his abs, teasing him just above the button of his fly.
“Do you know how many times I’ve thought about your body?” Robby’s finger roved over the skin just above his waistband. “Fantasized about what you have hiding behind all your buttoned-up clothes?”
He lifted his hips. An invitation. Soon he might beg.
“I want to unwrap you.”
Goddamn. The husky note in Robby’s voice was going to make him come in his pants. “Do it,” he ground out.
And the plea was all Robby needed. Unbuttoning the khakis, tugging them down and completely off—he did it in seconds. Robby licked his lips, his gaze devouring the straining erection in front of him. Then he wrapped his hand around the base and squeezed.
“Your cock is so fucking perfect.”
“Oh, God.” He’d never heard Robby swear. Ever.
“You like that.” Robby ran his hand up to the head and back down again. “Dirty talk.”
He nodded hard and fast. He’d never been so turned on in his life.
“I’m going to take you in my mouth. Lick you. Suck you.” Another pump up, then down his length. “You want me to suck you, Matt?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he held firm at the base, then licked up the side of his dick.
Matt’s hands and feet planted firmly, the rest of his body arched up. Breaths escaped his parted lips in quick, panting gasps for air.
“You taste so good, baby.” Robby’s tongue circled the tip. “Yes, give me a little bit of your come. Let’s see if you can give me more.” It was the only warning before he took Matt’s dick to the back of his throat.
Nothing he’d ever experienced in his entire life had felt so good. The welcoming heat of Robby’s mouth enveloped him with pleasure. The suction started slow and gentle but ramped up quickly, growing urgent and demanding.
No longer able to talk dirty, Robby’s mouth now made wet, sucking sounds as he bobbed his head. His hand followed in a slippery slide, working in tandem with his lips and tongue. Then, he took him all the way down…and swallowed.
The working muscles of Robby’s throat massaged the head with exquisite pressure. And Matt’s hips surged up, seeking more. Robby hummed against his dick as he pumped into his mouth. His balls pulled up tight as he thrust and thrust toward the most perfect fucking feeling.
And when his orgasm finally ripped through him, he shouted Robby’s name loud enough to leave the neighbors no doubt what was happening here tonight.
Robby waited, letting him savor the moment, before releasing his softening length and crawling on top of him. “That was even better than I imagined it would be.”
He finally released the side of the sofa and wrapped his arms around the man who’d just utterly blown his mind. “Better for who? I think I got the sweet end of the deal.” For crying out loud, Robby was still completely dressed.
Here he was, naked as the day he was born, spent and satisfied. All Robby had gotten out of it was a mouthful of ji
zz. “Tell me what I can do for you.”
Robby looked up, a satisfied smile on his lips. “You let me do what I wanted to do. You trusted me. And everything about it was real. It’s hard to explain. But I promise, it was good for me. We’ve got all the time in the world to trade places. To go further.”
Matt tensed. Amazing as what they’d just shared had been, the idea of going further kind of freaked him out.
“Or not,” Robby soothed. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. I’m just happy to be with you.”
“This. Tonight. You—were amazing. I have never felt anything like it before. I’ve never wanted anyone or anything so much before. There’s still some stuff I need to figure out. But how you made me feel tonight? I don’t have any questions about that.”
Anxious or not, he’d do whatever it took to hold on to this feeling. And this man. Robby was damn near perfect. Sweet. Giving. Responsible. He could trust him while he worked it through in his head.
“I’m glad.” Robby kissed his chest and lay his head back down. “We’ll figure the rest out together.”
Chapter
NINETEEN
Robby
Robby ran his hand over the top of his head, still in shock at how short the barber had cut his hair. True, the man only did what he asked, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d worn it so short.
One thing’s for sure. I don’t look like a kid.
He’d hidden behind those long, wavy locks in more ways than one. They’d covered his eyes when he didn’t want to see or be seen. But they’d also kept him soft-looking, disguised the harder parts tucked away underneath. Without them, he looked his age, if not a year or two older.
He’d also traded his ill-fitting khakis for a pair of bootcut dark jeans, a thick white cotton long sleeve T-shirt, and a casual blue tailored jacket from H&M. To top it all off, he’d only shaved under his jaw this morning, leaving a dusting of stubble on his cheeks.
The pretty blond barista flashed him a saucy smile as she handed him his coffee. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. My name’s Kelly.”
Chuckling, he returned the grin without engaging her. He’d been buying his coffee at this little donut shop at least once a week for nearly a year, though usually in the morning. It was pushing two o’clock in the afternoon now. With his impromptu trip to the mall, his day had been too busy to get here sooner. And he still had his visit to the Q-Center to go to next.
Kane waved him over from the booth where he sat with Brick. “Holy shit, brother. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
He lifted his shoulder before sliding in on the vinyl seat beside Brick. “I figured it was time to stop hiding behind my hair. I guess you could probably relate.”
Kane’s hair used to hang down to the middle of his back, but he’d chopped it down to a more traditional length just before he got married.
The ex-biker barked out a laugh around the beignet he was chewing. “Baby’s got bite! New look and a new attitude to match.”
“I like it,” Brick rumbled. “You look—confident. It agrees with you.”
Yes. Confident. Last night had been a revelation.
A first for him in as many ways as it had been for Matt. Because in all the years he’d had relationships with other men—all the times he’d had sex, and there had been a lot—he’d never been the one in control.
He’d played at it. John loved dominance games and every so often he’d pull Robby’s strings to act out some tableau. But there’d been no doubt, John called the shots. So had any other man who’d taken care of him, which was the trade-off. He was meek, pretty, young, and most of all, malleable.
But last night, Matt belonged to him. Not in some kind of power play, but because he trusted him to guide their course. Even better, Matt wanted Robby the man, not the kid.
“It was long overdue.” Robby sipped his coffee.
Another great thing? He had no doubt whatsoever the guys at this table would be happy he’d figured all this out. They had his back in every way. Which was why he’d called them here.
“Kane, do you think you could set up a meeting for me with Amanda?”
“Mandy?” Powdered sugar clung to his five o’clock shadow. “You don’t need an appointment. Just come over to the apartment.”
Robby straightened his spine, drawing his shoulders back a fraction. “I have a business proposition to discuss with her. I didn’t think it would be right to trade on our friendship and spring it on her out of nowhere.”
Brick wiped at his own chin with his thumb in an exaggerated motion, but either Kane didn’t see it or he didn’t get the message.
“You’re family, Robby. You don’t have to worry about shit like that. Our door is always open to you.” Kane bobbed his head from side to side. “If you don’t mind dealing with some pregnancy hormones.”
Relaxing back against the seat, he thanked his lucky stars for leading him to Cooper Construction and the men beside him. “Thank you.”
“Now, are you going to tell us who prompted this make-over?” Kane bit back into his French donut. “Cause I’ve got to say, it’s weirding me out.”
“Me. I wanted my outside to match my inside.”
Kane snorted. “Can the kumbaya bullshit. I know there’s a guy.”
His smile barely quirked, but it was enough to make Kane whoop in victory.
Brick shifted, raising one eyebrow in his imperial way. “You want to share with the class?”
“Not yet,” he lilted. “But soon.”
Draining his coffee, he saluted his buddies and stood to make his exit. On the way to the door, Brick’s voice carried over the scattered conversations from other diners.
“—and would you wipe your fucking face, for God’s sake? You look ridiculous. You didn’t have this much trouble feeding yourself when you had an Opie beard.”
“Stop bringing up that fucking show!”
At least he didn’t have to worry they’d spare his feelings about his new look. Puffing out his chest as he walked, he sent up a quick prayer of thanks for Brick and Kane, for Matt and the center, and for the confidence to finally show his real face to the world.
***
Matt wrinkled his forehead in an expression Robby found both confused and completely adorable as he looked around the stacks of books surrounding them the next night. “Tell me again why you wanted to meet at the library.”
Robby rubbed his fingertips over the smooth, familiar surface of the wooden table. “Because—A—I love the library. When I was really low on cash, I would spend hours here at a time. They always had heat in the winter, A/C in the summer, computers with access to any information I could ever want or need. And books. Entire worlds of stories within arms’ reach whenever I needed an escape.”
Matt propped his elbows on the flat surface. “And B?”
“B—I needed a place where we could talk alone, where I wouldn’t be tempted to strip you down, tie you up, and have my wicked way with you.”
Matt mouthed the words tie me up and blinked rapidly.
Robby barked a laugh loud enough for the librarian to shoot him a death glare. Properly chastised, he ran his fingers over his lips like he was closing a zipper. “I’m kidding. Mostly.”
He reached down and dug a manila file from the duffel he had on the floor. “I need some of your architecture smarts.”
“I don’t have any architecture smarts, Rob.” Despite his words, Matt eagerly took the file Robby offered.
“The Q-Center needs to expand. They’ve got some space to use here.” Robby gestured to the rough sketch of the building. “But we need a way to make the most efficient use of it. Every hundred square feet could give someone a safe place to sleep.”
Matt shrugged. “What do you need me for? This looks like an adequate open space for bedding. Maybe you can add a partition to separate men and women.”
“No. This needs to be individual sleep space. An open plan invites all kinds o
f opportunity for abuse. No one can police that sort of arrangement all night. We need walls and doors with locks. Each room can be tiny. They need to be. But they also need to be secure.”
“You have a pencil?”
Robby pulled one out of the bag and placed it on the table.
Matt grabbed it and started sketching right away. “I think you’ve got some really solid bones here. And you can probably do it for under ten thousand dollars. But where are you going to get so much money? Fundraising?”
“In a way.” Robby smiled. “I’ve got an idea.”
***
Later in the week, Robby leaned back on Amanda’s loveseat, watching Kane fuss over his wife like she was Cleopatra on a throne, rather than a modern woman sprawled out on her sofa in a pair of sweatpants. “You want me to make you an Arnold Palmer, babe? I bought you some decaffeinated tea from Trader Joe’s and the Minute Maid you like.”
Amanda waved him away. “Sounds good. Make one for Robby too.” She rolled her eyes as her husband bustled to the kitchen. “We had another ultrasound today, and he’s had the dial turned to eleven ever since.”
Robby eyed her stomach, which barely boasted a bump. “This ultrasound would tell you what you’re having, right?”
Nodding, she leaned forward and lowered her voice. “We found out we’re having a girl.”
“Is it a secret?” he whispered back.
“No.” She smirked. “It’s just, every time Kane hears it, he freaks out all over again.” She modulated her voice down an octave, in a dead-on impression of her spouse. “What the hell do I know about raising a daughter? I’m going to fuck this up.”
“I am going to fuck this up!” Kane called out from the kitchen. “She’ll end up in therapy, with stories about the time her dad busted some dude’s kneecaps for trying to get to second base.” Loping back into the living room, he placed Robby’s drink on the table and put Amanda’s in her hand. “I won’t be sorry about it either.”