Paul woke the next morning with the sun warm on his face and a mop of golden hair on his chest. He had that unsettling feeling of not knowing where he was.
Suddenly, the fog of sleep cleared and he remembered what had brought him to this moment. Ace’s slick skin, the irresistible scent of the oil and Ace’s body, the impossible heat surrounding his cock when they finally gave in to each other.
Paul purred deep in his throat. That experience should have satisfied him, should have left him worn out and sated. Instead, it did just the opposite.
After they had rested following the first desperate joining, they found each other twice more in the night, each time a new discovery for each of them. Paul hadn’t been fully naked in front of Ace until Ace had slowly stripped every remaining stitch from his body and pushed him into the shower so he could de-oil their bodies. Then Ace proceeded to lick every place his tongue could reach.
They both passed out, drunk on each other after their third coupling. Paul hadn’t meant to spend the night, though he knew that once he closed his eyes they weren’t going to open again while it was still dark out.
He’d never actually slept next to another man like this. Not once in all his years of being sexually active. He was hardly a virgin, but this was definitely virgin territory.
Ace stirred slightly in his sleep and wrapped his arm around Paul’s waist, treating the bigger man like a human pillow. He breathed deeply and made a sleepy, satisfied sound that echoed through Paul’s body.
This was expressly against the rules. This was what he needed to avoid, so he didn’t let himself believe he could have it full time.
But this felt good. Right, even.
His physical need had deepened into something else, something scary. He could see a lifetime of mornings waking up to this very sight, a lifetime of evenings filled with massages and Chinese food and that fireplace.
He shouldn’t be wishing on stars that were so far out of his reach. He should run away before he was so far caught in this pleasant trap that it would destroy him to have to leave it.
But he couldn’t make himself do what he needed to do. In this room with Ace, he was himself, and himself was completely content and at home.
He wound his arms around Ace’s body and hugged him closer, deeply breathing in his scent and willing time to stand still.
The movement caused Ace to wake up further. He made a noise that was half groan, half moan, all sexy.
“Morning,” he mumbled. “What time is it?”
Paul twisted his body to find the alarm clock. “Just after ten.”
“Christ,” Ace sighed. “I hardly ever sleep this late.”
“You probably actually sleep during the night most of the time, though,” Paul smiled.
“Mmmm, true.” Ace slowly pressed wet kisses into Paul’s furred chest. “Something disrupted my sleep cycle.”
“A couple of times,” Paul confirmed.
Ace rolled onto his back and stretched his nude body, grunting with the pleasure of reawakening his muscles. Paul’s cock stirred in appreciation.
“Mmmm, I can’t lie around here all day. Erik is coming over for brunch any time now.”
A bolt of jealousy smacked Paul in the gut. “Erik?” he asked in a tight voice.
“My best friend,” Ace said. “Standing Sunday thing.” He curled onto his side to face Paul. “You want to join us? We’re headed to Mass Street to that great bakery and cafe.”
Paul’s heart fell. More than anything right now, he wanted to be able to say, sure, absolutely, I’d love to meet your friend, let’s make a day of it.
But none of those things were possible. Not today. Would they ever be?
“I can’t,” Paul whispered, knowing this could cause things to cool between them. “I haven’t been home much in the last two days, so…”
Ace’s sleepy smile faded sadly from his face. “Of course. Right. Well, a guy can dream, right?” He threw off the cover and started to rise.
Paul tugged him back down and position himself over him. “You don’t have to go right this moment, do you?” he whispered against Ace’s throat.
Ace took a deep breath, as if to fortify himself. “You can’t keep doing this, Paul.”
“Doing what?” Paul played innocent, but he knew exactly what Ace meant. Instead of acknowledging the real issue that lay between them, Paul licked up the side of Ace’s neck, swirling his tongue into his ear. He’d discovered that trick last night when Ace lost the ability to speak the first time he’d done it.
“You know what,” Ace said, his words strangled by a bolt of lust. “Despite yesterday, I really have sworn off closet cases. It’smyrule.” He moved his hands to Paul’s chest to push him off.
Paul swiftly grabbed both wrists and pinned them to the bed. “We both broke a lot of rules last night,” Paul said, his face hovering over Ace’s. “The night’s not over yet.”
Ace quirked an eyebrow. “And that bright sun in the window?”
“Moonlight,” Paul murmured against his mouth.
“Nice try, Romeo,” Ace said.
“The night’s not over as long as we’re in this bed,” Paul said, capturing his eyes and holding them fast. He ground his hips into Ace’s to emphasize their shared need.
He saw Ace’s resolve crumbling, and Paul took advantage.
“This bright moonlight is giving me a perfect view of your body, you know,” Paul rumbled, his mouth pressed to Ace’s neck. “Must be a really full moon tonight.”
He released Ace’s wrists so he could touch some of that bared skin, and he noticed that Ace kept his hands perched above his head. Paul took that as a hint and as an offering.
He feasted on Ace’s body with his mouth and hands, relishing every helpless sound he pulled from his lover.
“Mmmm, want to eat you up,” Paul growled. “So fucking delicious, your sweat, your skin, your cock. Hungry for you.”
Paul teased Ace’s nipples with his tongue and teeth, chewing lightly on the hard nubs, wanting Ace to lose his mind in the overwhelming sensation. His skin felt alive and warm and glowing under his tongue, and it drove him to seek out the other sensitive spots he’d already discovered on Ace’s body.
Paul had wondered if this would be less exciting, exploring territory that had already been conquered. Part of the thrill of fucking strange men in dark corners was that he never knew what to expect, and each man was tasty in different ways.
Paul loved the variety he found in his past encounters. Loved discovering new flavors, new beautiful bodies. It kept him hungry for the next new flavor because once he’d had someone, he never went back for more. He couldn’t see the point – or the reward.
But as he drew his tongue along familiar flesh, Paul suddenly saw the appeal of revisiting one partner over and over. The taste, the feel – none of it was boring. Instead, Ace was quickly becoming his favorite meal, one he wanted to savor slowly. The kind he kept ordering at his favorite restaurant even though he knew the menu was filled with interesting options.