Brian groaned. “That wasn’t my finest night.”
“We all have our rough days.”
“I don’t.”
“Well, if you hadn’t, things might’ve been different between us.”
That brought a smile to his lips. “You’re right, but I’m just so angry about this.”
“I know, and you have every right to be.” I motioned to his car. “Can you drive?” I cursed under my breath. “I’m sorry. I forgot. I can go grab them.”
He laughed. “Don’t be mad,” he said. “But I fibbed earlier. I just didn’t feel like driving.”
I shook my head, but I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to face the gruesome twosome. “I’ll meet you at your house,” I told him. “Don’t worry, I still remember where it is.”
When he pulled me into his arms for a quick kiss, a big part of me hoped that Garret and Steve were watching. It served them right, and I couldn’t believe how far they’d gone to hurt someone for no reason but for their own amusement. It was sick, and for the first time since I’d met Garret, I’d truly lost all respect for him.
By the time we made it to Brian’s house my nerves were shot, but I’d made up my mind. There would be no more waiting, no more teasing and no more playing. We had fulfilled our three-date obligation and taken things as slow as possible. If Brian was willing, I was ready to take things to the next level and further if Brian would let me.
I parked beside him in the generous driveway, and I prepared myself for whatever emotions he might be feeling. But he got out of the car with a gentle smile, and the tears I’d expected were nowhere to be seen.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said when I met him at the door and took his hand. “I’m all right, really. It was just the shock of seeing him.”
“I know, but we were already talking about this before they showed up. It’s not about them. It’s about us and what we want.”
“And the timing has nothing to do with what just happened?” At least he was smiling, but his voice was heavy. He could try to pretend he wasn’t heartbroken, but I wasn’t buying it.
“You’re human,” I said, completely ignoring what he’d said. “It’s natural to feel something when you see your ex with another man.”
“Maybe I don’t want to talk about it.”
“That’s fine.”
He chuckled. “They deserve each other.” The statement was a little too forced, but I wasn’t there to nitpick how he dealt with his emotions. He was a grown man, and it was nice to see a glimmer of vulnerability in his perfect façade, even if the pain in his eyes broke my heart.
I took his hand and kissed his palm, then held it to my chest. I looked deep into his eyes and took a deep breath, then I said the only thing I could think of to take his pain away. “What can I do to make you forget him?”
16
Brian
I was still shaking when we made it back to my place, but Jeremy was intent on taking my mind off Steve and Garret. My stomach churned at the thought of their names, but then Jeremy was there, his hands taking mine and his eyes boring deep into my soul.
“What can I do to make you forget him?” he asked. His voice trembled a little; with excitement or nervousness I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was all of that.
“You don’t have to,” I began, but he let my hands go and started unbuttoning his shirt.
“I want to please you. I told you I was going to prove to you I could be submissive and I want that chance.”
“I don’t think you’re ready,” I insisted, though my body betrayed me, pressing against the zipper of my khakis. “Have you even had time to prepare?”
“I thought you could do that for me,” he said, biting his lip, then gesturing with his head as he led the way down the hall to my bedroom.
I stopped him a few steps away when his shirt fluttered silently onto the carpet. “Once you step into that room, there’s no going back,” I warned.
“I know.”
“You can use a safe word.”
“Guitar,” he said. “But I won’t use it. Show me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”
My cock was straining against the fabric of my pants, but I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. “I’ll go easy on you,” I promised.
“I don’t want you to.”
His words were my undoing, and I hurriedly unbuckled his belt and shoved the rest of his clothes to the floor. When he tried to undo my shirt, I stopped him. “I’ll undress when I’m ready to take you,” I said. “Until then, you’re the only one naked.”
His nostrils flared and his eyes widened, but when his cock jumped in response, I knew that he was as thrilled as he was nervous.
I pointed to the door in the back and ordered sternly, “shower and prepare yourself, and when you come back into the room, display yourself on the ottoman on all fours.”
I gave him a swat on the ass to punctuate my order and I watched him disappear into the master bath with my handprint fading away on his luscious olive skin.
Digging around in the locked drawer by the bed, I took my collection of toys out, including a plug and a dildo that were still in the package. I’d replaced everything when Steve had left, too angry at the memories they invoked to consider reusing even the flogger that was my favorite. At the time, I’d laughed at how foolish it was to repurchase things without a man to use them on, but now that Jeremy was in the shower in the next room, I was glad I had.
By the time I finished setting everything out he emerged, curly hair damp and skin glistening with the moisture that remained after he’d toweled himself off. Without a word, he crawled onto the large ottoman that was the size of a twin bed that I’d placed near an open window with a lovely view of my garden in the back. He got onto his hands and knees and I heard him suck in a breath when his gaze landed on the toys spread out on the table.
I couldn’t help the smile that teased my lips. “Have you ever been a bottom before?” I asked.
“I’ve switched before, but only vanilla sex.” He took a deep breath. “It’s been a long time.”
“Good. Then you won’t complain if I take things slow.”
He shook his head and his curls bounced back and forth. Sunlight streamed through the window and my breath caught at the sight of him. “You’re beautiful,” I said, walking around the ottoman and taking in every inch of his perfect body.
He was slender with lean muscles, his body still supple with youth. At twenty-six he still had the lithe, long legs of a college freshman, but I was most surprised to see his skin didn’t have a single tan line.
“I’m part Italian,” he said when I asked him about it, his voice quiet and demure.
I didn’t respond, and when I came around behind him again, I pushed his knees apart and watched him struggle to hold the new position. “Arch your back,” I ordered.
I could see he was blushing and when his cheeks spread and displayed his perfect asshole, I knew he was mortified by being exposed so widely. I reached in between his legs, taking his balls and cock into one hand and pulling them back a little so I could admire them while I stroked his crack. “Do you like this?” I asked.