Winner: The Mathesons Book 4

by Declan Rhodes

  “Okay, what’s your idea. I assume that it’s something other than a simple cab ride, and please tell me that you don’t want us to take a ride to Tijuana. I want to be back in time to catch our plane ride home.”

  Jamie laughed out loud. “Seriously, you read too many books or see too many movies. I was only going to suggest that we stop by one of my favorite downtown L.A. bars on our way back to the hotel. Their cocktails are amazingly creative, and they taste good, too. It’s a fairly upscale crowd, but it’s diverse like the city itself.”

  Reaching out across the table to tug on my forearm, Jamie said, “Come on, Angelo. Loosen up. You cooped yourself up in the hotel room last night. Live a little this evening. Let me be your tour guide. Let me start showing you what a great city this is.”

  It was the incredibly charming and endearing Jamie that wooed my mom at our restaurant. With the sense that he’d taken a massive wrecking ball to all of my emotional defenses, I said, “Okay, yeah, but I’m only having one drink. I had my usual limit with dinner. You know what happened when we had too many beers after they announced that we won the contest.”

  A wickedly provocative smile crept across Jamie’s lips. He sighed. “You make me sound like the tour guide leading you down the road of ruin. Give me more credit than that. We’ll have fun together. I guarantee it. That’s all it is. Lighten up and enjoy.”

  Jamie was right about the bar. It resided in a refurbished general store from the city’s early days. The old wood counter still existed, but the owners refinished it and polished it until it gleamed. I looked up at the tin ceiling and wished that it could talk. I knew that the surroundings had to see and hear many stories of interesting people’s lives through the years.

  Jamie leaned close and said, “Let’s sit at one of the small tables in the back. They’ll come to our table and take an order if we want any more drinks.”

  We sat together on leather-upholstered bench seating. Jamie suggested that we sit close together. It gave us both a good view of the rest of the crowd. If I sat on the chair pushed up to the opposite of the table, I’d miss all of the action.

  I still don’t remember for sure what drink I had, but it was delicious. I told the server that I liked a fruit-based drink that was lightly sweet. I didn’t want it sugary, but I also disliked too much bitterness. What came back was perfect for my taste buds and had a slightly smoky aroma to make it even more fascinating.

  Jamie reached out and touched my thigh. He said, “What’d I tell you? It’s great, isn’t it?”

  I nodded in agreement. “Jamie, I have to tell you that more often than not, you’ve exceeded my expectations at every step of the way since they matched us up for the project.” I paused. “And damn, I just sounded like a supervisor evaluating you for a raise. Fuck, I’d give you more money in an instant.”

  “Aw, damn, you’re sweet, Angelo. I’d have to say the same about you. By the way, how about one more round of drinks? I know you said that you had to stop after one, but this place is special for me, and you know how amazing it tastes.”

  Against my better judgment, I nodded and said, “Okay.” My growing trust in Jamie tore even more of my defenses down. He was assaulting me with a massive charm war.

  Jamie still had a pile of cash left over when we arrived back at the hotel after another cab ride. He divided it between us, and I stuffed $60 in my pocket.

  When the elevator door closed, Jamie asked, “Are you tired?”

  “A little. Yeah.”

  “I’m a little sleepy, too, but I’m not sure that I’m ready for the night to end just yet.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Why don’t we both go to my room and watch something on the TV for another hour or so?”

  The elevator door opened, and I didn’t answer in words. I followed behind Jamie as he walked down the hall to his room.

  Glancing back at me, Jamie said, “Man, Angelo. You make me smile from ear to ear. It’s been a long time since I’ve hung out with somebody like that.”

  As the keycard swept over the lock, I feared that I was making a mistake, but curiosity overwhelmed me. Nipping at its heels was a grating desire for Jamie that I couldn’t deny any longer. It was growing all evening long.

  Jamie stepped into the room and then turned back to look at me. I didn’t immediately follow. My brain fought against my feet and the rest of my body. As Jamie reached out and tugged on my elbow, my body won. The door closed behind me as our lips met.

  15

  Jamie

  Guilt almost overwhelmed me at first. While Angelo didn’t say no, I knew that he was reluctant. I was the one that pushed him, and from the start of dinner, I spent the rest of the evening with one destination in mind. Angelo didn’t turn and run, but in the end, he didn’t have much of an opportunity.

  Our first kisses were tentative. We pecked at each other like nervous little birds, and a moan from me filled the silence between us. Angelo didn’t reach out with his hands. He stood still almost like a statue.

  The reluctance to push forward was sexy to me. It was almost like standing in front of an open refrigerator when you know you have to lose two pounds in the next three days. That leftover cheesecake is calling your name, but you know you shouldn’t touch it. In the end, it’s just too much, and your body responds with very little conscious thought.

  Angelo finally parted his lips, and when our tongues touched, it sent shock waves to my cock. I pushed forward until Angelo’s back hit the door. I started to explore his body with my hands for the very first time. He had firm pecs, and they were stronger than I ever knew. His belly was taut. The man knows the importance of regular gym time.

  The kisses grew more erotic, and Angelo squirmed beneath my touch. My fingers worked their way downward feverishly kneading at his flesh until one hand found his package.

  Pulling away from the kiss and gasping for breath, Angelo moaned, “Oh fuck, Jamie, are we? Damn, I don’t know…”

  I smothered the words with my lips and soon our tongues tangled together. It was like an intimate little sword fight in our mouths. I pulled my hands back and pushed my body forward. The flames of lust climbed higher when the full length of my body pressed against Angelo. I rubbed against him like I was starting a fire with two sticks.

  Staring into Angelo’s dark brown eyes, I saw a hint of fear dancing there. It started to fade as lust and desire took over. As I began grinding my body into Angelo’s, I said, “Every damn day, I look at you and want you. I think you’ve figured that out, and fuck, here we are. We can’t deny it anymore. Let’s dive into the pool and have fun.”

  Before he could offer a verbal protest, I kissed Angelo hard again. The rest of his body began to move, and he pounded the palms of his hands against the door. I let my lips crawl along the line of his jaw until they found a soft spot just below his ear.

  The gasps and whimpers in response were among the most arousing sounds I’d ever heard. Angelo’s defenses were crumbling. I’d breached the walls.

  He moaned, “Jamie, fuck. I can’t…”

  This time the words faded out without help from my lips. I was busy kissing and sucking on Angelo’s neck while his chest heaved against mine.

  I don’t know the specific moment that something changed in Angelo, but I soon found out that it did. I reached up for the collar of his shirt so that I could plant a kiss on his bare collarbone. Then I felt his hand on my ass. It squeezed. Angelo was reaching out, and I rotated my hips beneath his grip, grinding my cock into his package.

  The sensual side of Angelo emerged like a butterfly fighting its way out of a cocoon, and it was fucking exciting. While one hand caressed and kneaded my ass, the other reached for the buttons on my shirt. Seconds later, he pulled the hand off my ass, pushed both palms against my body, and feverishly began working at exposing my chest.

  “Fuck, Angelo, just tear it off me.”

  The comment came out in the heat of the moment, and I didn’t mean it literally, b
ut Angelo followed my suggestion. It was a first for me, and it was freaking intense. Angelo gripped both sides of my shirt and tore it open. I heard both the sound of fabric tearing and the sound of a button hitting the desk to the side of the door.

  I growled, “Aw, damn, you’re a fucking animal.”

  The mild-mannered Angelo returned for a moment. He said, “Oh man, I’ve never done that before. I’ve fantasized about it. I hope it was hot for you, and I’ll buy you a new shirt.”

  “I can’t believe you have to ask that question. You’ve got me fucking hard as a rock. Let’s go to bed.”

  “Did you bring protection?”

  As I turned toward the bed and shrugged the shirt off my shoulders, I asked, “Are you freaking kidding me? It’s always in my pocket. I make sure to prepare myself when I know that I’m going to spend time with animals like you.”

  My words set him off again. As I sat on the edge of the bed kicking off my shoes, Angelo stalked me with hunger in his eyes. He unbuttoned his shirt and revealed his chest for me.

  I gasped. His pecs were smooth, but he had a light trail of dark hair leading down the center of his abs. And Angelo had a belly shaped by toned muscle. His body wasn’t the kind that belonged to an overworked god of the gym, but it was perfect for me. The definition was all there.

  In the next minute, he was on me. Angelo pushed me backward, and I scooted up onto the bed. We both still had our pants on, but I knew that wouldn’t last for long.

  Seconds later, I found out two more reasons that Angelo could be a nearly perfect lover for me. It was like a lightning bolt from the heavens. As he reached for my belt with his hands, his mouth aimed for my chest. With the light, feathery touch of the tip of his tongue to one of my nipples, he had me in the palm of his hands.

  I pushed my head back against a pillow and moaned helplessly. My nipples were hard-wired to my cock, and it didn’t take Angelo long to figure that out. He alternated between gentle sucking and the grazing of his teeth against my sensitive flesh. Meanwhile, his hands continued their pursuit of the jewels tucked inside my pants.

  I grunted, “Angelo! Damn, kiss me, please.” I interrupted his roaming hands and rolled him onto his back. My thumbs toyed with his nipples, and he moaned, pushing his head back and exposing his neck to me. I responded by planting kisses along his jawbone.

  We tussled on the bed, and soon Angelo was back on top again. As one of his hands slipped inside my jeans and my boxer briefs and gripped my cock, he stared into my eyes. I saw the burning lust tempered slightly with genuine affection. His defenses were down. He asked, “Jamie, is it okay?”

  The vulnerable Angelo was still there even when the hungry, sexual beast emerged from deep inside. The combination blew my mind. In that moment, I knew that I was the luckiest stud on the face of the earth. Angelo was a rare lover.

  I smiled the best way I knew how and said, “It’s not only okay; it’s the best thing ever.” Our gazes locked, and I said, “Now get those pants off. I thought you might not be a top, but fuck, I guess I lucked out.”

  As he followed my suggestion and began to strip off his pants, Angelo said, “Versatile if you have to label it.”

  “But you want to fuck me?”

  “Oh, yeah. Seriously, Jamie, who wouldn’t want that?”

  “I’d say about 80% of the guys I’ve brought home. With most of them, I don’t even have to ask. They’ve already climbed onto the bed with their ass in the air.”

  Angelo laughed while we both tossed our pants to the floor. He wore bright red cotton briefs, and I had navy boxer briefs. He asked, “Underwear, too?”

  “Unless you’ve figured out a way to fuck through them, I’d say yeah.”

  I started to reach for the waistband of my underwear, and Angelo’s right hand suddenly darted out to stop me. He said, “No, I want to do it.”

  I threw my head back against the bed. “Yeah, you do it. Oh, damn.”

  I knew that I would happily give up half of my fuck sessions in a year with the dregs I picked up from the bars for one night with Angelo. His physical intensity shocked me, but I knew how focused he was as an artist. He brought the same approach to sex.

  Those long slim fingers hooked into the waistband of the boxer briefs, and he slowly pulled them down. He was literally peeling them off my body, and my body shuddered at the sensation.

  We both stared at the head of my cock as it appeared. It glistened with drops of precum. Angelo stopped and grinned. “Is that for me?”

  “That’s because of you. Fuck. See what you do to me?”

  I didn’t expect what happened next. Angelo pulled the underwear clear of my legs and feet and then turned his attention back to my cock. With the shaft gripped tight by those sexy, slim fingers, he lowered his head until his hair tickled my balls. I squirmed and gasped.

  Angelo turned his head and asked, “Is that a good squirm? I didn’t hurt something, did I?”

  “Oh, fuck no. You’re driving me insane, and yeah, I squirmed because I’m so incredibly excited.”

  He turned his attention back to my cock and kissed the head. He didn’t suck. It was only a kiss. For one brief second, his tongue flicked out and fluttered against the sensitive flesh.

  I moaned, “I bet you know how to suck, too.”

  Angelo turned to look me in the eye. “You’d win that bet. I get compliments for that.”

  I didn’t get to find out more about those talents that night. Instead, Angelo turned his attention to my ass. He lost his briefs and asked me for a condom.

  “Aw, shit, they are still in the pocket of my pants.” I pointed over the edge of the bed. “There, you’ll find them in the pile of clothes on the floor.”

  “That’s no problem.” Angelo took everything in stride. He didn’t have a script in mind for the sexual encounter. Angelo’s confidence to handle any issue that came up was intoxicating.

  As he had my ass lined up with his hands gripping my thighs while I rocked my hips back to open myself for penetration, Angelo’s doubts crept into the picture for a final time. “Damn, Jamie, you’re so fucking hot, and I’m not sure. This will change everything. You know that, and so do I.”

  “Aw man, Angelo, drop it for now. You’re the fucking hottest thing on God’s green earth. Drop the worries. Fuck me, please. Oh, man, fuck me. Look what we’ve done together so far. The world’s ours.”

  The combination of compliments and desperation in my voice was successful. I gritted my teeth and pushed out as Angelo thrust hard at my ass.

  I lost control. Angelo took over. I was his. His cock worked its magic with my body. We fucked in three different positions, and the last was lying side by side, spooning up close. Angelo behaved like a sexual expert. I’d never been fucked so well by a man spooned up behind me.

  With his chin on my shoulder and his breath against my neck, Angelo asked, “Will you touch yourself, Jamie? I’m close, and I want you to cum, too.”

  “Oh, hell, yes.” I gripped my cock and started to stroke while Angelo performed a slow grind as he kissed and sucked on my neck. It wasn’t going to take long, and I asked, “Are you close? Please tell me you’re close.”

  “I’m nearly there. So…so…close.” The words stuttered out of Angelo’s mouth.

  I felt the heavy breathing tickling my ear. I had only seconds left. “Aw, fuck, I’m gonna come…”

  “Me, too. Aw, damn, me, too.”

  Angelo’s hands gripped my bare chest tight. When the fingers dug even deeper into the flesh, I knew it was the moment. He grunted into my neck, and I erupted.

  My entire body convulsed, and Angelo pounded three more times before he laid his head on my shoulders gasping for breath.

  I mumbled, “Wow.” I shot so incredibly hard and couldn’t remember the last time anyone took me to such an erotic high.

  I pushed back against Angelo’s body until I landed on my back, and I looked up to see his smiling face. He brushed his hair back out of his eyes and rested his che
ek on my chest. Angelo whispered, “Your heart’s pounding.”

  “Oh, fuck yeah. Why wouldn’t it be? You’re a beast.”

  Chuckling under his breath, Angelo said, “I hope you mean that I’m a gentle beast. I like to fuck, but I want it to feel good.”

  “Just the right amount of gentle. It’s better that than a savage animal. I think I’m pretty safe in your arms.”

  Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for reality to creep back into Angelo’s head. He gasped, “Fuck, Jamie! What about tomorrow?”

  “What about tomorrow?”

  “This changes everything. You can’t stuff a genie back in the bottle once he escapes. We can’t ever sweep this under the rug and pretend like it never happened.”

  16

  Angelo

  Jamie and I both worked hard at making small talk on the plane ride home from Los Angeles to avoid having to discuss the big issue between us. Unfortunately, it hung out there, casting a shadow over everything like an elephant sitting on my head.

  Jamie dangled the tiny bag of peanuts the airline offered and said, “I’ve heard that once upon a time they served real meals on the plane.”

  I said, “But I also heard that the food was never any good, so I’m not sure that it’s a big loss.”

  “So how did you like your first trip to L.A.?” asked Jamie as our plane cruised through the air somewhere over Phoenix, Arizona.

  It was a loaded question if I ever heard one, but I wasn’t sure that was the way Jamie meant it. My brain was cluttered with emotion that could best be described as guilt tangled around with confusion.

  My discomfort was a far cry from how I felt when I first woke up the morning after wrapped tight in Jamie’s arms. With our naked bodies pressed up close, the world was the safest place I could ever imagine.

  Unfortunately, it didn’t take long after I woke up for the safety to fade away. It was like a little cloud made of smoke that dissipated as it rose higher and higher away from me. I wanted the original sensation back, but it was far out of my reach.