Finally, Tom drew a breath and pulled away, his lips red and his cheeks flushed. His eyes sparkled, and the very sight made me smile back at him. “It’s getting late. Do you have to work tomorrow?”
“Mmm. Yes. Nearly every day,” I murmured, trying to catch my breath. I wouldn’t tell him I’d swapped classes in order to get Friday evening and all of Saturday off.
“Well, if you’d like to…” Tom hesitated, like he wasn’t sure how I’d react, and then plunged ahead. “You could stay the night? I mean, you’ve been drinking…”
Yes! I beamed at him, cutting him off before he could keep trying to persuade me. “I’d love to. Thanks.”
“You can have the bed, if you want. The couch is comfy enough for me.” Tom was holding my hands, fidgeting like he was eager to ask permission for something else.
I grinned and cupped his face, making him look at me. “Or.” I drew out the syllable as hope flared in his eyes. “We could share. I promise I don’t bite.”
Tom blushed, his hands on my thighs. “You sure?”
What a gentleman. I can’t wait to draw the slutty top out of him. I chuckled softly and kept that to myself. Instead, I bit my lip and grinned. “I want the bed because you’re in it.”
“Oh.” Tom sounded so pleased, his chest swelling as he sat straighter. “Great. Well, come on, then.”
He put a hand in the small of my back to steer me down the hallway once we’d stood up. “Leave those,” he added with a grin when I leaned down for the glasses. “I’ll get it in the morning.”
“Oooh. Eager, are we?” I teased.
“Yes.” Tom spoke with a simple honesty that just blew me away. I wordlessly followed him down the hallway, still reeling. I wasn’t used to guys being so open with me.
They usually played games—pretended to want love in order to get sex, or pretended to want me to get my affection. Suddenly, I saw the layers of games I hadn’t even noticed I was used to playing.
Tom made them all seem like nothing.
“I have spare sleepwear,” Tom said, making me giggle. Sleepwear seemed like a word only Tom would use. He grinned at me, perhaps misinterpreting my giggle. “Or… you know, you can wear less. I certainly won’t complain.”
Oh, hell, yeah. I winked at him. “We’ll see how hot we get.”
Tom reached for the thermostat on the wall. “Well, it’s—oh,” he abruptly added, clearing his throat as his eyes brightened with eager hope—and maybe embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his head like he’d only meant to scratch it. “Yes. I’ll just get ready.”
He drew back the sheets and then disappeared into the bathroom as I giggled and sank to sit on the edge of the bed.
The dark green and blue colors of the duvet contrasted the light cream walls and dark wood furniture. It felt elegant, yet soothing. Like a little oasis from the world.
An oasis I was now invited to join.
Slow, I reminded myself for the millionth time, as much as I wanted to wait here naked and spread-eagled. From everything Tom had told me, he’d barely even held another man before.
Sensible-me wanted to do this right and follow Tom’s lead.
Wine-me wanted to show him everything we could use this bed for.
But the sensible me won, and I stripped to my underwear, neatly folded the clothes at the foot of the bed, and then climbed into the cozy sheets. I pulled the sheet over my legs to my waist and fluffed up the pillows.
My anticipation didn’t have long to build. Tom came back in sweatpants and no shirt, and I rejoiced.
With about fifty percent more skin on show, I grinned and made a show of looking him over. “Oh, hello, handsome.”
Tom gave me a self-conscious smile and brushed his hand over his chest. “I’m not really a gym guy.”
I snorted. “I’d rather have a guy with more brain than muscles.”
“Not sure I can promise that, either,” Tom laughed, swinging into bed alongside me. He propped himself up on his elbow, turning toward me. “Or I would have invited you to do this the very first night.”
“No,” I murmured softly with a smile. “You’re taking things a step at a time.”
“That’s okay? You’re not waiting for me to get with the program?” Tom asked.
“You worry a lot,” I murmured, scooting close. Gingerly, I rested a hand on his bare chest. “I want you to worry less and… just enjoy things more. I’ll tell you if I’m unhappy. Okay?”
Tom drew a breath, his ribs expanding gently under my touch, and then he nodded. “Okay,” he promised. Then he took my shoulders and leaned over me to press a long, slow kiss against my mouth.
His tongue flickered out to claim my lips, his teeth suddenly bolder than they had been a minute ago. He was kissing me like he meant it now, like he had intentions that I’d daydreamed about.
I moaned, arching off the bed and into his touch. Every inch of skin where our bodies met just tingled with delight and desire.
At last, Tom pulled back again, his breathing rough. “I don’t want this to just be a one-time thing, Rusty,” he murmured, still hovering over me, his elbow pressing into the mattress by my head.
I knew what he was trying to ask, and I smiled up at me. “Yes,” I whispered, gazing up at him and framing his face with my palms. “I want to date you, too.”
“Yeah?” Tom lit up like Christmas morning. “Like… partners?”
“Partners,” I echoed, nodding slightly as my pulse thrilled. “No pressure. You just take things as fast as you want to. I’m ready when you are,” I added, winking.
Under the sheets, of course, it was a different story. My cock strained desperately toward him in my underwear, my pulse fluttering through the shaft.
I bit my lip, desperately dragging my mind off my own hard-on. Thinking about it would only make it linger.
Tom grinned and settled on his side next to me again. “Okay,” he murmured. “Come here.”
Gently, he turned me until I faced away and then guided me into him. Thank God his hands stayed above the waist, because I would have whimpered shamelessly had they gone wandering.
His chest pressed against my back, and I relished the tight grip of his arm around my side and chest.
There it was—the scent of him that had nearly choked me earlier. If only he could choke me with something else right now, I thought, my dick twitching again as I stifled a laugh.
“Hm?”
“Nothing,” I whispered and patted his arm. “I like this.”
“I’ll get the light, then.”
As we lay together in the darkness, Tom’s hand wandered gently down my arm and over my chest. His touch grazed the outside of my thigh but stayed politely away from the problem area.
Under the magic of his touch, I drifted into a contented daze. He’s good at this. At comforting and holding. “Have you ever laid like this with a man?” I asked softly, into the dark.
Tom’s touch stopped for a moment where it was, on my wrist, and then continued. “No,” he murmured. “But I’ve always craved this.”
I beamed to myself. That made the blue balls totally worth it. The intimacy between us was just as delicious, and far rarer than good sex. “Is it as good as you imagined?” I whispered, my heart swelling with tender affection for him and his discoveries.