Windows in the Mist

by Trina Lane

  “Do you want to take your truck?”

  “No, you called dibs fair and square.”

  Javier held out his hand. “I said I was driving. Not that we had to take my car.”

  “Thank fucking God!”

  Malaki tossed him the keys and miraculously exited the vehicle ten times faster than he’d gotten in. Javier locked up his car. He patted the roof. “It’s not your fault.”

  “Stop making out with your car and let’s go. I’m hungry.”

  “I don’t know how a man who eats so much is constantly hungry.”

  “I didn’t hear you complaining the other night when I had your cock shoved down my throat.”

  He climbed into the driver’s seat of Malaki’s truck. “Hmm, maybe tonight I’ll let you have my ass for dessert.”

  Javier got everything adjusted for a normal-sized person and started the engine. He looked over at Mal to see how the man had responded to his little bomb.

  “I’m trying really hard to play it cool right now.”

  He took Mal’s hand. “I’m not fucking with you. I think I’m ready. At least for some stuff and we’ll see how it goes.” He turned to face his lover and kissed his hand. “You know it’s never been a matter of not wanting you, right? My body craves every touch and kiss. I’ve even—” He cleared his throat. “I’ve even played with my ass in the shower a few times. I figured if I can get used to a sexual touch from my own fingers, it wouldn’t feel so foreign when you do it.”

  Malaki visibly relaxed and cupped Javier’s cheek. “It’s always been at your pace. You know that. Now, having said that, I feel obligated to tell you that I am so fucking turned on right now at the thought of you fingering yourself. Did it feel good?”

  Javier nodded.

  “Did you come?”

  “Almost. Can we skip dinner?” he whispered

  Malaki sat back in the seat and smiled. “Nope. We’re going out, and the both of us are going suffer to the point that by the time we get home these fancy clothes will be in real danger of being destroyed. Now, to The Mansion, Jeeves.”

  “Thanks for the blue balls, you bastard,” Javier mumbled

  Malaki took Javier’s hand and put it over his crotch. The stiff cock beneath his slacks filled his hand and Javier moaned.

  “Just think about how glorious you’re going to feel when you shoot your wad all over my ink in a couple of hours.”

  “God damn it, Mal!” he shouted as he ripped his hand away and gripped the steering wheel hard.

  Malaki’s deep chuckle filled the cab and Javier adjusted himself. The traffic on the 75 was worse than he would have expected this time of night, requiring a modicum of concentration to keep them from getting tangled up and missing the exit. Thank God for the GPS whose pleasant British voice told them they’d arrived at their destination twenty-five minutes later.

  Imposing oak trees lined the cobblestoned driveway as they pulled up to the mansion that had been converted to an exclusive restaurant and boutique hotel. The valet stood beside an awning, but there was no obvious parking lot.

  “I guess we’re about to find out how the other half lives.”

  “This place is amazing.”

  If he was being honest, he was a little intimidated by the imposing luxury spread out in front of them. He glanced at Mal out of the corner of his eye to see if he was alone. Mal was peering through the windshield, like a child’s face pressed up against the glass of a toy store.

  “We are going to look like a couple of gawking tourists.”

  Mal took Javier’s hand as they pulled up to the valet station. “No way. We’re going to own this joint.”

  He was right. There was a time Javier wouldn’t have thought anything about making reservations here and treating a date to a special night out, and it was time to take back that last bit of his old life.

  The valet opened his door. “Evening, sir.”

  Javier got out, holding his head up high. He handed over the keys to Malaki’s truck. “Hello. Thank you very much.”

  The valet looked a bit shocked then smiled. Javier guessed he didn’t hear those words often. Well, there’s no reason not to treat someone with respect. He walked around the front of the truck and joined Malaki. His insides warmed as Mal rested his hand on Javier’s lower back and guided him inside. The subtle statement let everyone know that they were together and not ashamed to show it.

  “May I help you, gentlemen?”

  “I believe there should be a reservation for Alde?”

  The hostess took her sweet time examining the tablet, while peeking up at Malaki through her eyelashes. The light blue dress shirt and navy suit stood out against his skin and the soft lights did nothing to minimize the power of his body.

  Mal filled the entry hall both physically and with a presence that people just couldn’t avoid, as was evident by several stares from other diners and staff. Just then Mal turned and looked down at Javier. He’d never stood a chance from the moment Mal’s gleaming smile and dark eyes focused on him. The hostess let out the tiniest bit of a sigh.

  Yes, he’s a fucking stud and he’s all mine.

  “Love you,” he mouthed.

  “Right this way. Is this your first time with us?”

  “Yes. Your establishment was recommended by a friend,” Malaki answered.

  “I saw that notation on the reservation. We pride ourselves not only on the cuisine but also the experience. As you can see, the mansion has a distinct European decor with ornate details. You gentlemen will be dining in what was once the owner’s private study. It’s one of our more intimate rooms.”

  They entered the room and Javier had to keep himself from freezing on the spot. His gaze bounced from the dark wood paneling that covered the walls to a massive carved fireplace, across the arched ceiling with the plaster reliefs and down the leaded windows.

  “Here you are.”

  The hostess had led them to a table right by the fireplace. It might have been spring, but the fireplace was lit, throwing a warm glow across the room. He sank into the plush high-backed chair and met Mal’s gaze across the table.

  “So, what do you think?”

  “I think Tyler has a lot more strings to pull than I ever gave him credit for.”

  Javier nodded. “Tyler likes to play the small-time ranch owner and breeder, but his name is known across the country. On top of that, his family is like Dallas royalty. It might have been his dream to ride his horses across the hills and not a desk in the corporate office, but never doubt he has the kind of power only a few can lay claim to.”

  He was so caught up in looking at all the features in the room that Javier jumped when their waiter appeared out of nowhere.

  “Gentlemen, my name is Evan and I will be your server. I understand that you’re celebrating a special occasion tonight. I’ve been informed that a private party spoke with our chef and they arranged your meal and drink selections. Are you amenable to their selections?”

  Mal did his one-eyebrow trick and Javier smiled. “I’m game. How about you?”

  “I believe that we should live this experience to the fullest.”

  “Very well.” Evan brought out a bottle of wine and presented the label. “To start, I have a bottle of cabernet blend from Destree Vineyards. You’ll notice notes of violets, raspberries and dried herbs. It’s very smooth and has just a touch of vanilla in the after-taste.”

  Javier nodded and the server went about presenting the glasses with a quiet competency that, despite Javier’s lack of knowledge when it came to wines, didn’t make him feel awkward.

  Malaki raised his glass. “To celebrating life. I’m honored you’ve chosen to share yours with me.”

  He swallowed and refused to acknowledge the fact that his vision wavered slightly with emotion. He lifted his glass and gently touched it to Malaki’s. “I…” He cleared his throat. “We never know where the diversions of our paths in life may lead, but I am so glad mine led to you.”

  Mal
aki’s eyes burned with an intensity that Javier had only seen in the quiet moments of intimacy they shared. They stared at each other as they sipped the wine. The flickering comfort from the fireplace was nothing compared to the all-consuming warmth he found in Malaki’s presence. Tonight truly was a celebration of not only his survival, but their life moving forward together.

  * * * *

  “Are you sure about this?”

  Javier slid his hands up Malaki’s bare chest and around his neck. The pounding of Malaki’s pulse matched Javier’s. “More than. I want to share everything I am with you.”

  “I believe you, but that doesn’t have to mean everything. I know you love me. You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

  Javier shook his head. “That’s not what this is about. For years I purposefully held part of myself away from my lovers, both physically and emotionally. Being with you has taught me that the emotional walls prevented me from experiencing the very connection I’ve been desperately seeking. I trust you to help me break through the last of the physical walls I built around myself. Maybe it sounds stupid, but I think if I never try, then I’m still holding something back. And that’s not what I want for us. I fought to escape that hell. I fought to get my life back. And I want to fight for us.”

  Malaki took Javier in his arms. “I know you do. But loving each other is not about fighting. It’s about sharing. Sharing our lives and, yes, sharing our bodies, but only in ways that fulfill us.”

  “That’s funny, because I thought that’s what I was asking for you to do.”

  “What?”

  “Fill me up. Fill me with everything you have till my heart and body are bursting and I have no choice but to release the last ounce of darkness inside me. Because from tonight forward, I want there to only be room for light.”

  He pulled Malaki to him and pressed their lips together, lingering till his flesh tingled and his head spun. Javier closed his eyes, and with each second that passed he realized this connection he shared with Mal was the most vital thing in his life.

  Javier pressed his face against Malaki’s thickly muscled chest. Layers of scents enveloped Mal’s body. The clean-smelling soap that still clung mixed with his cologne that, although evaporated, still exuded a musky fragrance. Javier traced the shapes of Mal’s tattoo over the broad expanse of his pectoral. By the time he reached the jutting tip of his textured nipple, Malaki was breathing fast. Mal held Javier’s face against him with his large hands. Whispering pleas reached his ears and Javier had no trouble complying. There was nothing better than making Malaki writhe in pleasure. He circled the nub with his tongue and bit the puckering skin, cheering on the inside when Mal gasped and jammed his hips forward.

  Javier didn’t let up. He abused one nipple with his teeth and flicked the other with his fingernail. Malaki’s body was so taut that Javier skipped his fingers across the ridges of muscles standing out against his torso and stomach. He wrapped his hands around Mal’s hard cock, fisting it tight. The slick fluid leaking from the tip eased the friction as he did his best to bring out Mal’s sexy growl.

  “God, I can’t decide if you’re an angel or the devil.” He clutched Javier’s wrists and held them tight. “But either way, you can’t tempt me away from that glorious ass of yours.” He herded Javier toward the bed.

  Javier found himself flying backward onto the bed. The mattress cradled him in a cloud of softness as Malaki came down over him. “Did you just throw me?”

  “Yes. Now, where did we stash the lube?”

  He stretched his arms over his head, elongating his body. Mal’s gaze darkened with appreciation. Suddenly he found himself a victim of Malaki’s mouth and fingers. Mal played Javier’s body with the expertise of a virtuoso. The haze of lust cleared enough for Javier to realize that Mal had been holding back. Till now he’d been feeding Javier nibbles off the Malaki Taupo sexual buffet. His body vibrated with tension that he would normally have unleashed upon his lover to make his body explode with pleasure. But right then, Mal refused to let Javier capture even a single breath, and he found he rather enjoyed it. He brushed against the lube on the bedside table and, with an effort born of desperation, gripped the tube and tossed it across the space between them. Malaki must have had eyes on the side of his head because, faster than a cobra strike, the man snatched it out of the air.

  “Get me ready?”

  Javier lifted his legs, and if they trembled a little, he was going to chalk it up to an errant muscle spasm, but before he could work up another response to the question that appeared in Malaki’s eyes, Mal took him in a ferocious, wet kiss, sweeping the inside of Javier’s mouth from back to front with his masterful tongue. Is that me whimpering? He threw his arms around Mal’s neck, arching his body into the heat of Malaki’s chest and the hard line of his questing mouth. A growl of approval vibrated all the way down to his ankles that gripped Malaki’s narrow hips.

  “Don’t make me wait any more, please?”

  Mal ground his cock against the crease of Javier’s ass, and he blinked up at Mal.

  “You think you’re ready?”

  He nodded, but his eyes went wide when Malaki popped the top of the lube. The click suddenly took on a whole new meaning from this position. Mal’s usually glittering eyes darkened as he squeezed out a generous amount of the clear liquid. Javier unwound his legs and folded them up until his feet were flat against Malaki’s chest.

  “All those hours of yoga have paid off, huh?”

  “Want to see just how flexible I’ve gotten?”

  “You do that, and the slow sweet seduction is going out the window and you’re going to get fucked to within an inch of your life.”

  Javier’s cock jumped against his stomach. “That’s exactly what I want.”

  Any further words flew out of his brain as Mal pushed Javier’s knees up over his shoulders, exposing his ass to Malaki’s slippery fingers. The foreign touch made him squirm until those digits touched his puckered hole with intentional pressure. Javier’s sphincter contracted, partly in anticipation and partly in trepidation. Then the experiment became reality as Mal slid one of his fingers inside Javier’s ass and worked his tight hole.

  “Oh, fuck…”

  “Is that a good fuck or a bad fuck?”

  Javier smiled through the foreign sensations racketing through his body. “Is there such a thing as a bad fuck?”

  “Not if I’m doing this right.”

  “You’re… Oh, God, there… You’re doing it right.”

  Mal gave him another finger, and Javier sucked in a breath before forcing his muscles to relax and accept the stretch. Mal twisted his wrist, sliding his fingers deeper into Javier’s body, using his thumb to stroke the ring of muscle. He appreciated Mal’s concern for his uninitiated ass, but it was going to take more than two fingers to prepare him for the cock he’d become intimately familiar with in every other way.

  “Give me more. Don’t hold anything back from me.”

  “Never. Everything I have is yours.”

  Mal added a third finger and something unlocked within Javier. It was as if the deepest cell inside him that craved this moment multiplied exponentially and every nerve ending came alive, begging for Mal to become their control center.

  “Ready?”

  “Take me.”

  Malaki slid his fingers away, but before Javier could evaluate how he’d changed on a fundamental level, Mal guided his gloved cock to his entrance. Javier held his breath. His heart and head swelled with so much emotion as Mal pushed the crown of his cock inside that he stared up at his lover through wavering vision.

  “Oh, Javi, I’ve got you.”

  The thickness of Malaki’s shaft stretched his tender channel. Javier tried to take deep breaths and for the first time understood how pain and pleasure could co-exist in a way that a man’s understanding of the world transformed. Malaki peppered Javier with kisses as he pulled and pushed, breaking through psychological as well as physical barriers until he w
as finally buried deep inside.

  “That’s it. You did it, Javi. I’m all the way inside you.”

  He’s inside me.

  In ways that Javier didn’t even have the words to explain right then. Mal rocked gently inside Javier, just barely moving. It was the sweetest, scariest sensation Javier had ever known. He couldn’t look away as words of thanks and love were locked deep inside him. Malaki’s face contorted with pleasure each time his cock stroked in and out of Javier’s body. And while Mal could have given into the demands of his body, his eyes swore that he hadn’t forgotten his pledge.

  “Are you okay?” Mal said between panted breaths.

  “I…I feel like I don’t know myself. My body is on fire for more, and all I want to do is make you my anchor in this storm swarming in my mind.”

  “Your mind has given you shelter in so many storms throughout your life, but right now I’m your shelter. I’ll protect both your body and your mind.”

  Javier cupped Mal’s cheek. His brow glistened as his body worked to reshape Javier’s understanding of pleasure. “I know.”

  Malaki suddenly shifted Javier’s legs back around his waist again and planted his hands over Javier’s shoulders. Now that he wasn’t pinned, Javier started moving with each of Mal’s thrusts, lifting and sliding his channel against Malaki’s cock. Regaining some control unleashed a hunger inside him. He gripped Malaki’s shoulders and it almost seemed as if his ink came alive, unleashing a power within him to send Javier soaring into a space where his body and mind lived on another plane of existence.

  Mal gritted his teeth, shifting his weight. The sharp features of his face blurred and Javier pushed out a guttural moan.

  “It’s about to get real, Javi.”

  Before he could respond, Malaki plastered a hard, searing kiss against his lips. Jerking his hips back, he took everything away from Javier until just the tip of his cock sat inside the tight ring of his hole, then he shifted downward, plunging back in, and sent Javier’s channel into a frenzy of sensation. It felt so damned good to be taken in such a way, so completely, because he knew it was Mal. The man he loved. The man who fostered such a desperate need in Javier that he ached to give Malaki everything he was.