“Yes, well, the owners and editors of every paper in town are invited. The New Year’s Eve Ball is this town’s best-kept secret.”
I came out of the bathroom to find him already dressed and standing before the mirror, fussing with his tie. It was watered silk, the same midnight blue as his tux. “Goddamned son of a bitch…”
I grinned at him. “Here, let me get that for you.” I finished tying the Pratt-Shelby knot, made sure the dimple was locked in, and smoothed my palms over his pleated shirt front. “Now, where’s your tie tack?” He handed it to me, an opal shot through with streaks of blue, purple, and green. His Uncle Pete, the Marine, had found it when he’d been passing through Australia and had sent it to Wills when he’d graduated from college. “There. Pretty enough to be kissed.” And I pinched his chin, leaned in, and brushed my lips over his.
“Theo…” His eyes were closed and there was that smile on his lips.
All I was wearing was a towel knotted around my waist. A simple tug, and my cock would be free. I pictured Wills on his knees before me…
But he’d get wrinkles in the knees of his trousers. I sighed. “I’d better get dressed.”
“Just one second. I want to give you this.” He handed me a box wrapped in birthday paper. It was the one that was deeper than a regular shirt box, and it had been lying on the bed. I’d been studiously pretending I wasn’t dying to know what was in it. “I know that it won’t be your birthday officially for a few more hours, but…well…I can’t wait.”
“What is it?”
“Open it and see.”
I tore off the wrapping paper, lifted the lid, and parted the tissue paper. Not shirts, as I’d expected. Silver mesh, so fine it slid through my fingers like water. It unfolded into a pair of briefs. Scattered on the waistband and the side seams were pieces of blue-green turquoise.
“I…er…was hoping you’d wear this. They’re really comfortable, babe. I…” He blushed. “I tried on a pair. And I’d…I’d like you to wear them tonight. I want to know that under your tux, you’ll have these briefs on, and we’ll be the only two people at the Madison Arms who’ll know that.”
“What about these?” Beneath the briefs was a cuff that would be worn over the biceps, and ankle and wrist cuffs, all of beaten silver, all also decorated with turquoise.
“No, those are just for us, for later tonight.”
“Dammit.”
“You don’t like them?” He looked hurt.
“I love them, babe. Look how much I love them.” I pulled off the towel to reveal my hard-on. “I’ll never get the briefs on.”
“Oh. I can take care of that for you.” He started to drop to his knees.
“Oh, no, you can’t. You’ll wrinkle your trousers, and we don’t have time for me to pull out the ironing board and iron them.”
“Hmm. But if I sit on the bed?” He backed toward the bed, drawing me along with him. “And if you stand right in front of me? Yes, that’s perfect.” He spread his legs, and I stood between them. His fingers closed over my ass cheeks and squeezed rhythmically, and he leaned forward, licked the tip of my cock, and swallowed it until it was lodged deep in his throat.
My knees started to buckle, and he slid his palms under my ass to support my weight. I spread my legs and braced them, and watched as his head bobbed along the length of my cock, the spit-slicked length appearing and then disappearing into his mouth.
I rocked gently forward, not wanting to hurt him. His hands tightened on me, pulling me closer. His cheeks hollowed, and he sucked. God, he was good at this. If he ever went professional, they’d be lining up all the way down Pennsylvania Avenue for a chance to sample his mouth.
But he was mine, and all those fools who hadn’t bothered to look past the nothing special suits and the nothing special haircut would never know what they were missing.
I ran my fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp, and he hummed in pleasure. At the same time, his forefinger pressed against my hole. The combination of that hum, that finger, and whatever it was he did with his tongue, sent me over the edge.
For the first time in my life, I passed out.
“Theo?” Wills patted my cheeks and chafed my wrists and hands. “Come on, babe, you’re scaring me. Theo.”
“Wow.” I blinked and opened my eyes. I was lying on the bed.
“Jesus, are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I blinked again and stared up at him. “You’ve got the most amazing mouth. God, I love you.”
“I know.”
I know? Okay, I hadn’t expected him to make a big thing over my declaration of love—we were guys, after all, and I’d said it…once…before—but I’d expected more than “I know.”
Well, I wasn’t going to get all girly about it. I’d just come right out and ask him.
“Wills—”
“Can you get dressed?”