by A R Steele
“Vodka, vodka, and more vodka.” Lev swished around the flask. “I can drink it like water. It doesn’t even affect me.”
“I can see that,” Austin snorted. Lev had to slow down, or they were going to have a repeat of their first encounter. “Chill out a little, kid. Try taking a breath or two between gulps.”
“Whatever. I don’t have to listen to you. You know how many girls hit on me tonight?”
Austin flicked on the turn signal. Eyes on the road. Don’t look at Lev. “Too many,” he muttered. “There’s more to life than looking good.”
“As if you do much more than being hot,” Lev said. In Austin’s peripheral vision, he could see the flask glittering as Lev tilted it upwards.
So Lev thought he was hot. “My job’s not about my looks,” Austin said. “If anything, it’s about looking mean.”
“You do look mean… meaner than you are.”
Austin let out a laugh. “I’m mean, then?”
“Yeah, but in a nice way.”
That was fair, Austin supposed. “I turn left here, right?”
At least Lev stayed sober enough to guide him back to his place. Last time, Austin had to pull his wallet out to check his address and use the GPS on his phone. Lev had been sprawled all over the place, slurring and cursing. Considering how trashed he was, Austin could definitely believe he’d blacked out the events of that night.
“You should come inside with me,” Lev said as they pulled into his driveway.
“Why’s that?”
“Because we didn’t last time.” Lev’s words ran together.
“And why’s that matter?”
“Because, Austin! We talked about this earlier. You don’t remember? I’m supposed to be the one that doesn’t remember things.”
Austin let his eyes glide up and down Lev’s body as he stalled the car in front of the house. He could definitely have a good time with Lev, especially when the kid was so eager. He was sorely tempted.
“Come in with me,” Lev said, pouting at him. “My aunt’s working all night. It’d just be you and me.”
Since when did Austin find pouts sexy? He didn’t know why, but he found himself licking his lips. “What would you want to do in there?”
Lev leaned closer. “I want to fuck you.”
That definitely wasn’t going to happen. “I’ll take you inside, but just to say good night. I’ll get you into bed and go.”
Although Lev wasn’t wasted, Austin needed to make sure he got inside safely. At least, he told himself that was why he was unbuckling his seatbelt. Nothing to do with the little ball of lust growing beneath his skin.
“You’ll get in bed with me,” Lev murmured. He grabbed Austin’s arm as they went in the door.
This felt familiar, and memories of Lev trying to kiss him came back to Austin. Lev was much less drunk tonight, but still a hot mess. Emphasis on the hot. Still, he wasn’t irresistible. Austin had told him no before, and he would manage to do it again.
“This isn’t about sex. Your room is here, right?” Austin asked, pointing toward the first door on the left once they got up the stairs.
“That’s my room, yeah.” Lev swayed as they made their way down the hall. “Come in. I’m going to rock… your… world.”
Once they were inside, Lev pulled off his shirt without hesitation. That took Austin by surprise until he recalled the man walked around nearly nude for a living. In any case, Austin couldn’t help but gasp a little when he saw Lev’s hard body. He was so small compared to him, yet he was all muscle too, his figure lean and hard.
Lev’s back was narrow, and every muscle was sculpted in perfect proportion to the next. Austin imagined putting his hands on either side of his small waist. He’d probably be able to get his fingers to touch. He was so much bigger than Lev, and the idea of teasing him turned him on.
“Get in here,” Lev murmured. “Going to strip you down and bang you so hard.”
“I already told you we’re not doing anything tonight.”
“You mean I’m fucking you,” Lev said.
The kid’s arrogance was beginning to get on Austin’s nerves. Austin was more of a top than a bottom, and he sure as hell didn’t give up his ass to any guy that asked for it. Most men didn’t have enough balls to even try. What made Lev so damn confident?
Lev threw his arms around Austin’s neck, pressing his lips to Austin’s. For a moment, Austin gave in and enjoyed the kiss. His cock hardened against Lev’s stomach, and he fought the urge to throw him down and have his way with him.
“Take your clothes off.” Lev rubbed against Austin, and the evidence of his arousal made Austin take a step back.
“Time for me to go.”
He took a step toward the door but Lev latched onto him, his arms encircling his neck and his legs around his waist. Austin wasn’t held back by Lev’s slight weight, but the way he’d positioned his head made it hard to see. Austin shook him as if trying to shake him off. Having his body pressed up against him like this made it even harder to tell him no.
“Stay with me,” Lev said, sinking his teeth into Austin’s neck. “I know you want to.”
“I’m not going to have sex with you tonight. I told you, I only came in to get you in bed.”
“Then why aren’t you getting me in bed?” Lev ground his hips against Austin again.
Nearly overcome, Austin let out a soft groan. He ran his hands over Lev’s bare back, feeling the smooth skin under his fingertips. “You said you’re up for anything anytime, right?”
Lev nodded, his face moving against Austin’s neck. “You want to top? You can top.”
Nose in Lev’s hair, Austin inhaled the scent of birch bark shampoo. The offer was tantalizing, but the kid needed to be taken down a notch. Austin had to stay strong in order to pull this off properly. “Do you have some handcuffs?” he asked hoarsely.
“I sure do,” Lev said, a flicker of excitement coming into his voice. “They’re in a box under the bed.”
“Go get them.”
Lev slipped off without a complaint. Austin considered going through the door right now, but he liked this idea too much. No way was he going to be one more entry, a name checked off and forgotten. He’d give Lev something to remember him by.
“Hands behind your back,” he ordered when Lev presented him with the handcuffs.
Lev did as he said… for once. Austin took one hand and circled the metal around it, even more turned on by the heat of Lev’s skin. Again he considered whether he should
“You’re going to fuck me good, aren’t you?” Lev murmured. “I can barely wait to get your dick in me.”
“You’ll see,” Austin told him. “It’s going to be kinkier than you ever imagined.”
Let the kid think what he wanted. He’d find out soon enough. Once he acted less bratty, they could finally have their encounter for real. Austin would have loved to do it sooner, but he refused to give in until Lev approached him with the right attitude.
He clicked the second cuff shut. Luckily these were the kind of handcuffs that you could get out of without a key.
“Lie down on the bed,” he told him. “Face down.”
Lev did as he said, the roundness of his butt silhouetted in the dim light. For his part, Austin retreated to the door frame.
“I’m just going to go get something,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
“Sounds sexy,” Lev said.
Austin stood back, appreciating the view. Lev was going to hate him for this.
“Good,” he said. “Don’t move a muscle.”
Six
Lev’s mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls. Face down on the mattress, he shook himself awake. What the hell? Instead of moving freely, his wrists banged up against hard metal. He sucked in a breath, then freed himself from the pinching cuffs. Fucking Austin!
He slammed open the door of his room. The TV was blaring below, so he turned his steps toward the living room. His stomps practically shoo
k the foundation of the house as he went down the stairs.
As he’d suspected, Austin was in there with his feet up, a beer in his hand. He gave Lev a nod and held up the bottle in greeting. Lev narrowed his eyes, taking in the trickle of condensation running down its side. That was his beer, dammit!
“What in the fucking fuckity fuck?” he yelled.
Austin just quirked up an eyebrow. “Something the matter?”
“Yeah, something’s the matter!” Lev vibrated with anger. “You tied me the fuck up and walked away!”
As Austin hauled himself to his feet, Lev took a step back. Maybe he needed to bear in mind who he was yelling at. Austin was so much bigger and taller than him. Lev frowned as Austin approached. Then his jaw dropped as Austin patted him on the head.
“Poor darling,” Austin said. “You can’t have minded that much. You were passed out for close to an hour. I was getting bored of the late-night TV choices. There’s only so many infomercials I can watch.”
“What if my aunt had come home and saw you?” Lev sputtered.
“You invited your buddy to hang out, then got sleepy,” Austin said calmly. “Besides, you already told me she’s working all night.”
That part was true, but Lev was still indignant. No one tied him up without following through. No one!
“You haven’t explained,” he said, poking Austin in the chest. “Why in the fuck would you do that?”
Austin slung an arm around him and took a step toward the doorway. “Because, my friend, you were annoying me. I told you ten times that we weren’t going to have sex, you refused to believe me, and I took matters into my own hands.” Lev began to sputter again, but Austin cut him off. “I’m getting sleepy for real. Mind if I crash on your couch?”
They were at the bottom of the stairs, and Lev was still turned on. He bit his lip, but the pain did nothing for his arousal.
Before he could think of what to say, Austin was speaking again. “That’s what I thought. See you in the morning, sunshine.”
Lev rolled back his shoulders in preparation to fight back, but Austin was already walking over to the couch. Fuck it. Lev was tired too, and Austin was too intimidating to argue with. Besides, he could always fuck Austin in the morning.
When he woke up a few hours later, there was a note from Aunt Sandra under his door. Thanks for letting me know about the big, scary man on the couch. I almost had a heart attack! I’m working again today, so our paths probably won’t cross, but I hope you have a good day. Love you!
Although Lev cringed at the thought of her running into Austin, the note left him in a good mood regardless. It meant he and Austin had the house to themselves for the next few hours. And he intended to finally get in Austin’s straight-leg black jeans.
Except when he got downstairs, he found Austin at the front door, lacing up his shoes. “About time you woke up,” Austin said. “I didn’t want to take off on you while you were sleeping, but I gotta run.”
Narrowing his eyes at him, Lev threw himself into the doorframe. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To the gym, little buddy. This body didn’t happen by accident.”
Oh, Austin was just trying to piss him off now. “You’re not leaving here yet. I still haven’t fucked you!”
“And I haven’t fucked you,” Austin said, raising an eyebrow. He stood up, towering over Lev once again. “What’s your point?”
Lev trembled a little. “Either way is fine with me. Pretty sure you know that by now. But my one-and-done policy doesn’t work too well when you won’t let me get it done!”
Pushing him aside with a gentle shove, Austin put his hand on the doorknob. “We’ll get it done, don’t you worry about that. But it’ll be on my schedule, not yours.”
Ugh! If Austin was trying to drive Lev crazy, it was damn well working. Lev racked his brain for a solution that wouldn’t involve Austin going out that door and leaving him here alone. “We don’t have to hook up,” he finally said. “We can just chill.”
“Is that so?”
Lev didn’t like the sarcastic slant to his smile. “Yeah, we can,” he said. “You can even work out here. I’ll help you.”
Now Austin looked genuinely curious. “What, you’ve got weights?”
Holding both arms high in the air, Lev pointed at himself. “Right here, little buddy. I’m the weight. I’ll get on top of you, and you lift me up and down.” He thrust his pelvis.
Austin chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent sparks through Lev’s belly. “All right, whatever you say.” He took off his shoes.
What exactly had Lev let himself in for? He’d been imagining this with a lot less clothes on, but Austin was taking his challenge seriously.
He gulped as Austin straightened up, picked him up, and slung him over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing at all. Austin’s broad back was as solid as he would have imagined, and he hoped Austin didn’t notice the reaction their proximity was causing.
In a few seconds, they were in the living room again and Austin let him down. There was barely enough space for the two of them to stand. Whether fortunately or not, they weren’t standing for long. Austin picked Lev up in both hands this time.
“You want to be my weight.” He balanced Lev straight across his thighs, one hand on his forearm, the other between his upper legs. “I’m going to curl you.”
“No problem,” Lev said. He crossed his arms and folded one leg over the other, figuring that would make him more bar-like.
“Hold still, now.”
Being this close to Austin’s groin had Lev wanting to squirm. A twinge went through his body as he thought about what hid under that layer of dark fabric. Then he squeaked as Austin began to lift him upward.
He blinked frantically, wishing he could move but unwilling to let himself. Austin was finally letting him get close, even if this wasn’t quite what he’d planned on. When the back of his legs hit Austin’s chest, Austin let out a grunt. “One.”
Down he went again, holding tight to his own arms. His fingernails dug into his skin. He wiggled a little, conscious of his boner pressing against his zipper. This was definitely different from any other foreplay he’d engaged in.
Austin counted up to ten, then let him down. “That’s all?” Lev asked, shaky on his feet. Can we fuck now?
Giving him a cocky smile, Austin got down on the floor. “Not much I can do with something so light. Let’s try some weighted push-ups.”
“About damn time!” Lev flipped down to the ground and sat directly in front of Austin. Raising his butt off the ground, he began to wriggle out of his pants.
“Push-ups,” Austin repeated. “That wasn’t some kind of code word.” Nudging Lev out of the way, he got into position. There was so little space in here, his head stuck right out into the hallway. “I need you on my back.”
“I’ll give you weighted push-ups, all right.” Lev scowled at Austin, even though he was facing forward and couldn’t see his disdain.
He climbed onto Austin’s back and sat cross-legged at the base of his spine. Holy shit, Austin wasn’t even trembling. He was a beast. His core had to be made of steel! For a moment, Lev was more impressed than turned on. But only for a moment.
“Not like that,” Austin said from underneath him. His words vibrated through Lev’s body. “You’re going to throw off my balance. Stretch out on top of me.”
“Oh.”
Lev’s cockiness disappeared as he eased himself along the hard lines of Austin’s frame. The solid muscle beneath him didn’t even quiver. The only movement was the rhythmic swell of Austin breathing.
At last Lev lay atop Austin’s back, his pelvis pressed up against Austin’s ass. He rocked his hips slightly, his cock twitching, but Austin didn’t seem to notice. Pressing his face into Austin’s neck, he took a breath. “This good?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Austin lowered himself before he even finished speaking, and Lev let out a gasp at their sudden descent. H
e moved his head up so he could cling onto Austin’s strong shoulders. His back muscles flexed and tightened as Austin brought himself back up. What were those ones called again? Lats, traps, delts? Austin would know, but Lev wasn’t about to ask.
“Too easy,” Austin grunted after the third rep. Muscles Lev had never even heard of popped under his fingers. “Hang on tight, now.”
Easy? Lev clung on for dear life as Austin rose up higher, actually lifting his arms off the ground. What was he doing? Lev’s jaw clenched. Time seemed to slow down. Austin clapped his hands once, twice… three times before returning to the ground.
Lev’s knees shook, and he rolled onto the ground. “What… the… fuck.”
“Not a fan?” Austin sat on the ground and pulled his knees into his chest, smirking at Lev.
“That was worse than a rollercoaster.”
“You’re not into coasters?”
“Not a chance! I’m too cute to die young.” Lev was still panting. “That was not what I had in mind when you said you were going to do push-ups.”
“Yeah, I picked up on that.” Austin extended a hand to him. When Lev only blinked at it, Austin said, “Come here. You might like this next exercise a little better.”
“More?” Lev groaned. “You said we were going to get it done.”
“What I said was we’d do it on my schedule. And you offered.”
Austin was way too smug about this. Still, Lev took his hand and scooted forward until he was facing him. Austin gave him a wink as he lowered himself to the floor. Once he was lying on his back with his knees bent, Lev leaned over to peer at his face. “What now?”
“Hold my feet down.”
Okay, sit-ups. These had to be as easy as riding a bike for Austin. Lev put his feet over Austin’s feet and watched as he came up in a fluid, effortless-looking motion. He just wished Austin’s shirt was off so he could see those abs work.
He was still trying to picture what Austin’s stomach looked like – six pack, or eight? – when Austin’s lips pressed gently against his.
Lev’s eyes shut reflexively and he leaned in to deepen the kiss, but Austin was gone. “What was that?” he squawked.