“Nice,” Hank breathed, drawing out the word as he came around to stand in front of Reese. “I told you it was fucking awesome, didn’t I?”
“You did,” Reese breathed, the endorphins that were flooding his system making him almost happy.
Hank climbed the stepstool and pulled the cuffs free. Reese sank to his knees, wrapping his arms around his torso. Hank appeared in front of him, unzipping his jeans and pushing them down his muscular thighs. He wasn’t wearing any underwear, and his thick, hard cock sprang free, fully erect, the head inches from Reese’s mouth.
“Now it’s my turn, boy,” Hank said in a low, urgent voice. “Do it how I taught you, all those years ago.”
Reese toyed for an instant with the idea of refusing, but the fallout wouldn’t be worth it. Instead, he closed his eyes and willed his mind to remain blank as he accepted the cock he’d worshipped countless times over the years, and now no longer wanted.
Chapter 5
At eight o’clock Saturday morning, Luca heard the sound of a motorcycle and leaped to his feet, shutting his laptop without even bothering to power it down. He’d been awake since five that morning, too wound up to sleep.
After Reese had left the night before, Luca had alternately congratulated and cursed himself for sending Reese away. To distract himself and because he was curious, he’d hacked effortlessly into Strata’s personnel files, having been the one to set up the encrypted system in the first place.
Oddly, Reese’s background wasn’t in sales as one might assume, but in construction. According to his job application, he’d worked for Seeley Construction since he was eighteen, starting out as a basic laborer and moving on through the years to machine operator, carpenter and finally foreman. Thinking about the man’s muscular body and deep tan, that made sense. All he’d listed under education was a high school diploma and two semesters of community college.
Robert was known for hiring people based on gut feel rather than exclusively on credentials, so maybe Reese’s apparent lack of education wasn’t all that surprising. Being a good salesperson was all about sealing the deal. You didn’t need calculus or physics or classic literature to do that. Confidence and charisma were essentials, and Reese obviously had those qualities. Luca recognized Reese’s innate intelligence, but something in the picture didn’t make sense. Reese was very well-spoken, like someone who had grown up with all the advantages, or at least achieved them along the way.
Feeling slightly guilty for prying into Reese’s file, Luca had lost himself for a few hours in Civilization VI, his favorite strategy video game that allowed him to compete with a computer-controlled AI opponent to grow his civilization from a small tribe to control of the entire planet across several periods of development. He had already launched a satellite into space, put a person on the moon and established a colony on Mars. He was working on building cities with spaceports, which should be enough to achieve the victory condition.
Finally tired and distracted enough to try to sleep, he fell into bed. Closing his eyes, he refused to allow himself to dwell on Reese and whatever was or wasn’t happening between them. But the whole astonishing turn of events over the past two days had instantly filled his thoughts and engorged his cock the moment he lay down. He stroked himself to a quick, unsatisfactory orgasm and finally drifted into a restless sleep.
Now, he rushed to the front window and looked between the blinds. Reese was striding toward his apartment door, his motorcycle helmet in hand, his blond hair pleasingly tousled. Too eager to pretend he hadn’t been waiting, Luca pulled open the front door. “Hey there,” he said, unable to suppress his happy grin. “Eight o’clock. Right on t-t-time.”
They moved together for a quick embrace, and Luca’s heart instantly began to pound. If he pulled back just a little and lifted his face to Reese’s, closing his eyes and parting his lips… But after a second, Reese dropped his arms and stepped back. “That’s me.” His lips lifted into a grin, his eyes hidden by mirrored sunglasses. “Mr. Punctuality.” He was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket, unzipped enough to reveal flannel beneath it, hiking boots on his feet. Though it was late June in Denver with a predicted high of eighty-three, at the moment it wasn’t quite sixty.
Luca was also in jeans, with a performance fabric pullover over a T-shirt. He didn’t own hiking boots, but had figured his sneakers would do.
“You have a jacket?” Reese asked. “I have an extra helmet. I thought we’d go on the bike, if that suits you.”
“Yeah. I have a j-jacket.” He peered past Reese to the large, shiny motorcycle parked in the nearby lot. “That’s a c-c-cool motorcycle.” The thought of sitting behind Reese, his thighs hugging Reese’s from behind, his chest pressed against Reese’s back, his arms around Reese’s waist, brought heat to Luca’s cheeks and a rush of desire that hardened his cock. He was glad for the excuse to turn away as he rummaged in the hall closet for a suitable jacket.
Reese smiled. “Thanks. It’s old and needs work, but I love it.”
As Luca pulled on his jacket, he said, “I don’t have a backpack. Is that okay?”
“No problem,” Reese replied. “I’ve got one, already filled with everything we’ll need, including water, a thermos of coffee and the usual hiking basics. I figured we could stop somewhere and get some breakfast on our way, and eat it at the summit.”
Luca locked his front door and they walked together to Reese’s motorcycle. Luca put on the helmet Reese handed him, mimicking Reese’s movements as he adjusted it on his head and buckled the chinstrap.
“You ever ridden a motorcycle before?” Reese asked.
Luca shook his head. “B-b-but I’ve always wanted to.”
Reese smiled. “You’re in for a treat. Just a couple of safety tips.” He pointed to the metal peg that jutted just in front of the back tire. “Keep your feet on those pegs at all times, even when we stop at lights and whatever. Always keep your helmet on and lean with me into the turns. Use the backrest on the trunk for stability while seated. Any questions?”
“No. I’m g-g-good,” Luca replied, bubbles of excitement popping in his gut.
Reese climbed onto the bike and patted the seat behind him. Two men could fit, but snugly. That suited Luca just fine. Yet, as he settled onto the seat, he didn’t quite have the nerve to wrap his arms around Reese’s waist. Instead, he rested his hands on his thighs.
Reese drove slowly down the streets of downtown Denver, pulling to a stop at a bagel place not far from where they worked. They bought ham and egg breakfast sandwiches along with a couple of bananas, which Reese stowed in the backpack he had in the motorcycle’s small, square trunk. “Let’s avoid I-70, since everyone goes that way toward the mountains on Saturday mornings. Route 6 isn’t quite as scenic, but it’ll get us there faster.”
Luca, who hadn’t ventured out of Denver since he’d arrived for the job, said, “Sure. Whatever works.”
Reese revved the engine and turned back to Luca. “I think you should put your arms around my waist when we’re on the highway.” His mouth quirked into a half-smile. “You know, just to be safe.”
Luca could have refused, assuring Reese he was fine as he was, but he was actually glad for the excuse to do what he’d been longing to do from the second he’d climbed onto the bike. As Reese faced ahead once more, Luca wrapped his arms lightly around Reese’s chest, resisting the urge to press against Reese’s back and rub his cheek along the smooth leather of his jacket.
Once they were on the highway, Reese picked up speed. The engine was loud, the cold wind sharp in Luca’s face. It felt both amazing and dangerous to be flying along the road without the protection of a car. He tightened his grip around Reese’s waist and it seemed to him that Reese leaned back against him in subtle encouragement. Emboldened, Luca dared to rest his cheek lightly against Reese’s broad shoulder. The sun was bright overhead in a dark blue sky. He breathed in the bracing air and laughed aloud, exhilarated.
When they got to the turnoff
for the hiking trails, Reese slowed and eventually pulled into a parking lot. They climbed off the bike and removed their helmets. “Fun, right?” Reese asked, tossing his shiny, golden hair perfectly into place with a shake of his head.
“It was terrific,” Luca replied, running his own fingers through his tangled mop of hair for a second before giving up. Not just the ride, but holding you, he thought but of course didn’t say aloud.
Reese moved to the trunk and opened it with his key. He took out the backpack and set it on the seat. Then he unzipped and shrugged off his leather jacket. “We’ll get warm on the hike,” he said. “We can stow our jackets in the trunk along with the helmets.”
Once they’d done that, Reese hoisted the pack onto his back, and they walked toward the trailhead. They were early enough that the trail wasn’t yet too crowded with day hikers and tourists, though there were some. The air was fresh and clear, scented with pine and sunshine.
They walked side-by-side at first along the dirt trail. Reese didn’t say much, except to point out the occasional deer or marmot lurking among the trees. White aspen leaves quaked in the breeze and birds chirped in their delicate branches. Luca was glad for the companionable silence. When the path narrowed and steepened, they moved into single file. As they zigzagged up Lookout Mountain toward the summit, the path took them across small streams that bubbled and tumbled over the rocks. Luca nearly slipped on a loose boulder but Reese, just behind him, caught and steadied him. Luca turned back at his touch, warm and steady on his shoulder. Their faces were suddenly only inches apart and he longed to take Reese into his arms. Why not? Why not finish the kiss he’d halted the night before?
But then Reese dropped his hand and stepped back, grinning. “Slippery in sneakers. Watch your step or you’ll end up in the water.”
Heat moved over Luca’s face, not because he’d slipped, but because of what he’d nearly done.
Though Luca considered himself to be in reasonable shape, he was breathless by the time they neared the summit. “Whew,” he said, drawing his hand over his forehead as he tried to fill his lungs with the thin, cool air.
“It’s the elevation,” Reese said, though he didn’t seem in the slightest out of breath. “Takes some getting used to. But don’t worry—we’re almost to the top.”
A minute later, they emerged from the pines to a stunning view of the Colorado high peaks, which looked like they were rimmed in gold as the sunlight hit them. “Whoa,” Luca breathed, awed. He was vaguely aware of other hikers standing nearby in clumps or seated on the rocks, their faces upturned toward the sun.
“Nice, right?” Reese came up beside him, placing his hand lightly on Luca’s shoulder.
A shudder moved through Luca’s frame at Reese’s touch. His mind again raced back to the aborted kiss the night before. The feel of Reese’s hand on the back of his neck as he pulled him closer, the brush of Reese’s fingers over Luca’s thigh and the bulge in his shorts, the shock of longing and recognition as their lips had touched…
He turned toward Reese, his lips already parting, but Reese had again dropped his hand and was taking the backpack from his shoulders. “There’s a nice spot just off this trail up ahead where we can have a little privacy.”
That sounded good to Luca, and he followed Reese along a narrow, rocky trail toward a small waterfall. Reese led him to another flat-topped rock with not quite as good a view of the valley and canyon below, but nicely hidden from the trail by the tumble of huge, ancient boulders.
Reese pulled a blanket from the pack and shook it out into a rectangle that he smoothed over the pine-needled stone. Luca removed the liter bottle of water from the pack and offered it to Reese, who took it and drank deeply before handing it back. Luca, too, drank from the bottle while Reese pulled out the breakfast bag and the coffee thermos and set them on the blanket.
They drank hot, sweet coffee and ate their bagel sandwiches as they admired the mountains in the distance and talked about the various wildlife they’d seen along the trails. “Once I saw a rattlesnake, not that far from here,” Reese said. “I actually heard the rattle first.”
“Wow. What did you do?” Luca glanced nervously around the rocks, but saw nothing moving.
“Oh, it probably felt the vibrations from my boots, because as soon as I got close, it vanished into the undergrowth. They aren’t aggressive by nature, unless they’re threatened. They don’t want anything to do with humans.”
“That’s a relief,” Luca replied. “I’m such a city boy. B-b-born and raised in Boston.”
“That explains the accent,” Reese said with a laugh.
“Me? You’re the one with the accent,” Luca laughed back. When had he last been this happy?
Finally, they leaned back on their elbows, sated, at least with food and drink. Luca shot a sidelong look at Reese, his shoulder still warm from Reese’s earlier touch, his lips tingling with the need to resume last night’s kiss.
Reese took off his sunglasses and looked directly at Luca with his clear blue-eyed gaze. A tiny voice niggled in Luca’s brain, reminding him of Reese’s lies at lunchtime about a lover who didn’t exist, and that lizard-cold expression that had peeped out from behind the apparent sincerity of the night before. He shut out the voice. It was his own issue—his trust issues because of Tom. Reese wasn’t like that. He’d backed off with grace at Luca’s hesitation, and so far this morning hadn’t made even the slightest move toward anything sexual.
Which was the problem, because Luca was now almost shaking with the need to feel those soft, warm lips on his mouth again, and the lingering touch of his hand. Finding courage born of desperate need, he turned his head toward Reese and leaned closer, until their faces were almost touching. His heart beating high in his throat, he parted his lips and closed his eyes in a silent plea…
~*~
Who was this innocent boy? Though he was only a few years younger than Reese and certainly far more accomplished, there was something so painfully naïve and pure about Luca Hartman. How could Reese possibly go through with this sordid, cruel wager? The thought of Hank watching the video, his mouth curling into a superior sneer, turned Reese’s stomach.
And yet, clearly, Luca was ripe for the seduction. From that first puppy-dog eager smile Luca had bestowed on him before he’d even had time to ring the doorbell, Luca had telegraphed his desire loud and clear. Whatever misgivings or fear Luca had been experiencing the night before had apparently evaporated in the light of day.
Though he probably could have dispensed with the hike and made his conquest without leaving Luca’s apartment, Reese had decided to be more careful this time. He wouldn’t rush Luca. He’d let Luca think that this time it was his idea, while quietly, subtly ramping up the heat level between them. He’d played it perfectly, occasionally brushing Luca’s arm or body as they hiked, purposely ignoring Luca’s cues. He could probably take him right there, right on the mountaintop, his cell phone discreetly recording from the side of the blanket where he’d placed it. He could show Hank the video, collect the money, and then delete it forever, with no one, certainly not Luca, the wiser.
After all, what Luca didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. Right?
Reese glanced toward his phone, a devil with Hank’s face perched on his shoulder, urging him to reach for it. No. Even if he went through with this bet, now wasn’t the time, not with all the people nearby on the trails. Not to mention, he hadn’t brought any lube along, though he did have a couple of condoms at the ready in his wallet.
Luca still had his eyes closed, his lips softly parted, his entire body radiating his desire. A kiss would be perfect. It would set the stage nicely for later. He reached for Luca, taking his head gently in his hands as he brought his lips to Luca’s mouth.
This time Luca responded in kind, reaching for Reese and pulling him closer as he slipped his tongue, soft and warm, into Reese’s mouth. All at once, Reese forgot the bet, forgot Hank, forgot everything as the kiss took over both his body and h
is mind. He’d been expecting more virginal hesitation, but this time, somehow, Luca seemed to be the one in control. Luca stroked the back of Reese’s head as they kissed, his fingers strong and sure. He leaned up, gently but firmly pressing Reese down against the blanket, their mouths still locked together.
Then, suddenly, Luca’s mouth was gone. Reese, whose eyes had fluttered shut, opened them in surprise. He didn’t want the kiss to stop. Not ever. “Hey. Get back here,” he demanded.
“No,” Luca said softly, his voice husky as he angled his body away.
No. No, no, no! He wasn’t going to pull that kiss-interruptus bullshit again, was he? Reese wasn’t sure he could take it. He opened his mouth to protest.
“Don’t talk,” Lucas said before he could utter a word. Turning back, he placed three fingers over Reese’s lips. Just this light touch sent a rush of feeling through Reese that he didn’t understand but couldn’t deny. Luca leaned over him again, but instead of kissing his mouth, Luca kissed his left eyelid, forcing it closed with the soft brush of his lips. When he kissed the other eye, Reese’s arms rose of their own accord and linked tight around Luca’s neck.
Reese moaned with pleasure and relief when Luca parted his lips again and slipped his tongue into Reese’s mouth. Someone was trembling but he wasn’t sure if it was Luca or himself. He held the kiss as long as he could, feeling and tasting the warmth of Luca’s mouth. For the first time in memory, maybe for the first time in his life, his mind emptied, his body relaxing as he opened himself fully to Luca’s gentle but sure embrace.
Luca slid down beside him on the blanket, their mouths still locked together. Luca’s cock pressed hard against Reese’s thigh, his own cock throbbing in kind. Reese was vaguely aware of the sound of children laughing and the sound of hiking boots clomping along the nearby trail, but he didn’t care.
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