by A R Steele
And Lev was so small and so vulnerable. If Austin had his way, he’d throw Lev over his shoulder the moment he saw him at the end of the night and carry him home caveman-style. He would do whatever it took to take care of him, even if Lev wasn’t going to like it.
Fuck, the thought of Lev was making him so horny. He was getting harder with each passing moment that he spent thinking about him. It didn’t help that Austin now knew what those pouty lips felt like.
As Austin headed back outside, he fought the urge to slip around to Jesse’s smoking corner and give himself some relief. It wouldn’t have taken much for him to get off right now. He was all heated up thinking about Lev’s sweet face and sexy body. He wanted to touch him, to taste him. To feel him. He wanted to own Lev’s body and stare into his soul.
He wanted to talk with Lev, laugh with him. Even Lev’s brattiness couldn’t bother him now. Lev could be as bratty as he wanted, and Austin wouldn’t say a word. Austin just wanted him.
His care for Lev was far from platonic, and that was going to be a problem.
Sixteen
Hey, you. What’s up?
The words danced through Lev’s mind as he made his way through the door and back into the main room. They were short, simple, and absolutely infuriating. Lev couldn’t even believe that Peyton would have the balls to text him like that – as if nothing was even wrong, as if they had left on good terms. Lev hated that man’s guts, and Peyton must have known it.
Peyton seemed to have immediately known it was him. Lev had been naïve to think not posting a face pic would keep him anonymous. After all the time they’d spent together, Peyton knew his body well enough to recognize Lev in a heartbeat.
As he reached the main room and looked around, smiling at every customer he saw, his mind was focused on what to say back. Not responding would have been a mature option, of course. But he was far from mature.
His eyes landed on a group of eight or ten, and he headed over. The bigger group meant more chances for tips, especially because they didn’t have anyone with them yet. They were definitely getting more customers these days, Lev thought as he walked toward them. Back in the day, a group that big would never have gone long without a bunch of the guys trying to talk to them.
“Hey,” he said when he arrived. “How are you ladies doing?” He leaned on a chair, positioning his package directly in front of one girl’s eyes. This pose always got him plenty of tips.
“We’re great,” one said. “You were the one who was on stage just now, right? We were talking about how adorable you are.”
“You mean how sexy,” Lev said with a grin.
Even as the conversation continued, Lev’s mind was on what to say to Peyton next. Part of him wanted to write out everything he’d done wrong to him. It would end up practically being an essay, but at least he would get it off his chest.
“Excuse me, ladies,” he said after far too short an interaction. He hadn’t even gotten any tips from them, but he needed to get back to his phone. He was going to keep it simple. Short and sweet, that would get the job done. When he opened his locker and pulled out his phone, he typed out six words. Leave me alone. I hate you.
Before he could even put the phone away, it vibrated with another message. He blinked, taking it back out again. I doubt that, Peyton had written.
Lev’s fingers shook. Fuck you, he tapped out, and threw the phone to the back of his locker. He turned to face the door, but he couldn’t make himself leave yet. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted Peyton to respond or not. He wanted that asshole to feel the brunt of his anger, but he also wanted him to go away and disappear out of his life forever. Lev was finally getting over him, and Peyton had to go and show up again.
Against his best efforts to stop himself, he twirled his lock until it opened a second time. There was a new message from Peyton on his phone. Delete it, he told himself. Don’t even read it, just delete it and block him.
But his curiosity got the best of him. How are things? Peyton wrote. Are you still living at the same place?
This time, Lev managed to pull himself away. He put the phone back, closed the lock, and went back into the main room. But his heart was still pounding as he found his way back to the group from earlier.
Lucas was with them now, and they were all fawning over him. Lev moved on, determined to find another target. Something, anything, to get his mind off the psychopath who had just returned to his life.
Good thing he didn’t live at his old place anymore. He could only imagine what would happen if Peyton did decide to drop by and he was still there. Would Lev even be able to resist him? Peyton had always had such a hold over him. Something about him made Lev want to give everything to him.
Lev made a circuit around the room, but although a few women smiled at him, he couldn’t get himself to stop thinking about that charming, suave piece of shit. He turned his steps toward the change room one more time, telling himself that he was just going to block him and be done with it.
As he passed Trenton and Brentley’s office, Brentley squinted at him reproachfully. “You’re taking a lot of breaks tonight.”
“Sorry. This is the last one,” Lev promised.
Brentley nodded and sank back into his chair. He was sitting awfully close to Trenton, Lev noticed. It seemed like those two chairs used to be further apart. As he walked by, Trenton leaned in to whisper something into Brentley’s ear. Brentley laughed under his breath. Lev sighed and walked on.
When he got to his locker, he was almost ready to block Peyton. Another message that had shown up in the meantime. Lev’s stomach twisted, and he told himself not to open it. But he could just glance at it, see what Peyton had said. Then he would delete it and stop thinking about that bastard.
He opened the message. I hope you do still live there. I’d love to drop by sometime. I sure miss fucking that tight little asshole.
Lev’s breath caught in his throat, and he set the phone down on the bench for a second. It was a decidedly unromantic message. But then, he wasn’t a romantic guy.
There was no way he would ever go back to Peyton now. That guy had fucked him up so badly. There was no way he would even consider it, not for a second. Or was he just trying to convince himself of that?
Go away, he wrote. Leave me alone. You’re never going to see me again.
But he didn’t block him.
He powered the phone off, unwilling to deal with anything more from Peyton for the rest of the night. Anyone else who wanted to text Lev would have to wait for a response. He made his way back out to the main room, his steps heavy and slow. Pressing his lips together, he looked around the room, trying to find the next group to engage with.
A woman waved at him from a table on the other side of the stage. She and her friends stared at him as he walked over. He managed a small smile, a shadow of his usual grin, as he approached them. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” the girl who had waved cooed. “I was hoping we would be able to catch your eye. We’ve been wanting to talk to you all night, ever since you were on stage with the other guy. You are so damn sexy.”
“Definitely the hottest one here,” her friend added.
“Seriously,” the third said. “You were the only one that we all agreed on. It’s, like, unfair that someone could be that good-looking.”
Lev nodded harder as each one spoke. Goddamn right, he was sexy. He could have anyone he wanted. He could do so much better than Peyton.
He could even have a certain huge, muscled bouncer if he wanted.
Swallowing, he tore his mind away from Austin.
Seventeen
Three-thirty came at last, well past the point that Austin was ready for it. He would have been happy if closing time had come two or three hours ago. His urge to jerk off hadn’t gone away, and neither had the urge to drape Lev over his shoulder and take him away to somewhere safe.
One stripper after another left the building, each of them saying good night to Austin cheer
fully. Austin could have left any time, but he lingered. He planned to wait around until Lev got here.
Trenton and Brentley passed before long, the two of them talking to each other in soft voices. Trenton was smiling in a way that Austin hadn’t seen him do before. Austin punched his brother on the arm. “You have a good night?”
“Great night,” Trenton said. “You should see the receipts we’re taking in these days.”
“So you mean I might not have ruined your life by convincing you to open this place?”
Trenton narrowed his eyes at him, deepening the crows-feet that had formed with age. His face relaxed into a grin a moment later. “There’s a chance you didn’t completely fuck everything up.”
Brentley looked from Austin to Trenton, looking as if he wanted to leave. He was welcome to, unless he was waiting for Trenton. It did seem like they were leaving together. Maybe they were carpooling. Austin would have to ask Trenton later.
As Yorick and Wright headed out of the building, Trenton and Brentley turned to go as well. “Not leaving yet?” Wright asked Austin.
“I wanted to talk to Lev.”
“I see,” Wright said, raising both eyebrows.
“You seen him?” Austin asked, ignoring whatever he was suggesting.
“I think he’s coming. There he is now, actually.”
Lev walked out of the building, a second later. There was none of the usual pep in his step. His face showed none of his usual cheer, either. Just by looking at him right now, Austin would never have guessed the levels of brattiness he could descend to.
Looking at Lev turned him on, but he tried to push down the feeling as he stood in Lev’s tracks. “Hey.”
Lev glared at him. “What do you want?”
“Did you talk to your ex?”
“What do you care?”
Austin crossed his arms. This was the stance that he stayed in through most of the evening every night, but it felt different when his nipples were this hard. He tried to ignore how they brushed against the fabric of his wife beater.
“I think that’s obvious,” he said.
“What?” Lev said, putting his hands on his hips. “You just care that much about me as a friend, is that it? Or you’re jealous because you’d rather be the one fucking me?”
“I thought I had made it clear,” Austin said, giving Lev a meaningful look. “I have good reason to be jealous. If you don’t think I’m interested in you by now, you must be either blind or dumb.”
Was that a tiny smile on Lev’s lips? “Only you would hit on me by insulting me,” he muttered.
“Well?” Austin said, moving forward and taking him by the shoulders. He was ready to kiss him if Lev would just give him a sign.
Instead, Lev’s bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “You missed your chance,” he said defiantly. “It’s too late now.”
Austin searched his face for the truth. What Lev said didn’t match with his actions, or the way he was still staring at him hopefully.
Looking into his eyes, Austin squeezed his shoulders… and he pulled him in and kissed him.
Lev’s lips were soft and lush, and even though he squirmed, he didn’t try to get away. Austin drew out the kiss, making it last longer than any kiss he could remember. He only drew back when he needed to breathe, and then he looked at Lev, whose eyes were suddenly vulnerable and needy. He dipped his head lower and went in for a second kiss.
When he finally pulled away again both of them were breathless. Austin pushed back a strand of Lev’s hair, loving the way it felt so soft under his fingers. “Are you sure about that?” he asked.
Lev opened his mouth, blinked, and closed it. He’d never looked so unconfident before. Now that he wasn’t protesting, he seemed to have no idea what to do. Austin liked him this way, off-guard and authentic. “No,” he finally said.
Joy flared within Austin. At last he was getting somewhere with Lev. “So you want me to return the favor, kid?” Austin said, pushing him up against the wall. “You feel like I left you unsatisfied?”
“A little bit,” Lev squeaked.
Still looking like he half-wanted to run away, Lev trembled under his touch. Austin pressed his forearm across his chest, pinning him to the wall as he reached with his free hand for the waistband of Lev’s jeans. The sidewalk under their feet was going to be uncomfortable for his knees, but he was willing for Lev’s sake.
“Poor darling,” Austin growled. “I think we can do something about that.”
Austin wondered which of them he was doing this for as he reached for the thick shaft he’d seen in the pictures. Lev was completely hard, and his body swayed as Austin gripped his cock. Austin pushed him back again, holding him in place with his forearm.
But Austin wanted this as well. He craved it. He wanted to feel Lev slide down his throat, and to make him come with his ministrations. He was dying to see what Lev looked like when he came, and he knew that after so much dancing around each other, it was going to be incredible.
“You’re pretty proud of this thing, huh?” he said, dropping to his knees in one swift motion.
Lev nodded at him, looking wild and uncontrolled. “You like that big dick?”
Austin pulled himself up just enough to slam Lev against the wall again. “You answer my questions, not the other way around. You need to learn to shut up.”
“I can do whatever you want, baby,” Lev said, his knuckles going white as he pressed his hands against the bricks.
Austin licked his cock from the root to the tip. Lev’s whole body shuddered, and Austin smiled to himself. The attitude was still there, but he would deal with that. Lev was going to be putty in his hands by the end of this.
He pressed Lev’s hips against the wall. “Don’t,” he warned. “Don’t even make a sound.”
“Or what?” Lev asked. His hands came as if to touch Austin’s head, but then fell back. Austin suspected he’d gotten scared.
“Or I walk away,” Austin said. “You already know I’ll do it.”
“Fine,” Lev said, rolling his eyes.
Austin shook his head, fully in control even though he was the one on his knees. “What did I just say?” He grabbed Lev’s cock a little too tight, watching with pleasure as Lev squeezed his eyes shut. “Not. A. Sound.”
Lev nodded, his face still tight, and Austin moved his hand back and forth a few times. It was a warning because they were just getting started, but after this, he would leave if Lev disobeyed him. Lev was under his control now, and he wasn’t going to accept anything but the best behavior. A brat like him needed to be trained, shown how to act.
After a few slow strokes, Austin let his head move down Lev’s length. He could feel Lev fighting to not react, and the way he quivered under his tongue satisfied him. He licked him from base to tip again, savoring the feeling of silky hardness under his tongue. Then he drew his head back and swallowed Lev down to the base.
Lev’s body jerked, and he let out a strangled yelp. Hearing it, Austin pulled back. “Don’t go,” Lev said, his voice desperate. “I couldn’t help it. It’s so good.”
“I know,” Austin said. “I was going to say what a good boy you’re being. Not perfect, but you’re trying so hard. Keep it up.”
Lev quivered as Austin drew his tip into his mouth again. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Just like that, the attitude was gone. Austin bobbed his head slowly on Lev’s cock, flicking his tongue against the opening. He’d always known that Lev would be sexy in a heated-up state, but this was beyond what he’d even fantasized. Lev was so perfect with his neediness and his quivering. He was so beautiful when he let somebody else take control.
Tiny shivers went through Lev’s body, and Austin realized with a rush of satisfaction that he was suppressing his shudders. Lev clearly wanted to jerk and writhe, but he wasn’t letting himself. The brat could obey when he wanted, it seemed. And he would reap the rewards for doing so.
After running his hands up Lev’s hipbones, Austin
reached around to cup his ass. Lev rearranged himself, moving off the wall just enough to let Austin in. Feeling those firm globes had Austin hard as a rock, and he couldn’t resist the temptation to feel what he intended to have.
He pushed further, putting one finger past Lev’s cheek. His mouth watered as he found a tight, hot opening. He would definitely have a hard time fitting in there, but he intended to try it at the earliest opportunity.
“Yeah,” Lev gasped out.
Austin was so far gone, he wasn’t even going to stop for that infraction. He could feel that Lev was close to his release, and he intended to get him there. He flicked his finger further in, barely brushing Lev’s prostate. Lev’s cock pulsed in his mouth, and he opened his throat to let him push even further.
Lev exploded into his mouth, and Austin swallowed everything he gave him. When Lev stopped shaking, he slumped against the wall.
“Wow,” Lev breathed.
Austin straightened up and looked down at Lev, content with the way he’d left him. Lev was still trembling, and as his fingers went to pull up his waistband, Austin noticed they seemed limp.
Lev’s eyes were different than Austin had seen them before. Soft, innocent. Lev seemed to have aged backwards. Austin would have thought he was about eighteen and completely lacking in experience. The way he looked at Austin was like a little puppy dog.
“Can I come over to your place?” he asked.
A puppy dog that wanted to follow him home
Stiffening, Austin looked at the ground. “Maybe another time.”
Eighteen
Lev’s foot hit the ground, flicking it with all the anger and humiliation that he felt. The skateboard moved a few feet and he put his foot down again, not even waiting for the momentum to slow. He needed to get away from Austin. Now.
“Lev,” he heard Austin call.
But Lev didn’t turn. He fled instead, the ground rushing away under the wheels of his skateboard. He made his way faster and faster, barely even noticing that his hands were clenched into fists. All he wanted was to be at home. Alone.