Carter grinned inwardly and finished the song with a loud flourish and fist pumps, then jumped off the stage to thunderous applause, striding over to a still-stunned Reed who stood along with the rest of the people in the room. To the delight of the whistling, clapping crowd, he grabbed Reed around the neck and kissed him full on the mouth, leisurely at first and then with increasing fervor. Curbing his desire to drag Reed off to a dark corner and do lewd things to him, Carter vowed to save it for the privacy of their hotel room.
“I didn’t know you could sing,” said Reed, breathing hard into the curve of Carter’s neck. “That was amazing.”
“I’m a man of many talents—some hidden, some not.”
That brought a smile to Reed’s lips, which remained pressed against Carter’s throat. The mere touch of Reed’s wet lips against his burning skin fired Carter’s lust all over again.
“Let’s go next door and dance. We can be amazing together.”
Reed sat in his seat, and Carter took his own chair, hitching it close enough to keep nibbling kisses along Reed’s jawline. Carter could tell Reed wanted him by his rapidly heaving chest and how the bottle of beer shook in his trembling hands. He loved setting this man on edge. It made their short time together explosive and an unforgettable memory he could hold onto in the long weeks until they came together again.
“I already told you I don’t dance.”
Adrenaline continued to hum through Carter’s veins, and he laughed. “I’m offering to be your tutor. You can pay me later for the lessons.”
Reed swallowed and breathed deeply several times. Carter, sensing this was more than mere nerves, massaged the back of his neck, attempting to soothe him. After a few moments, Reed let out a shaky laugh that sounded anything but happy.
“I’ve never felt comfortable dancing; I’m clumsy, and don’t have rhythm, and step on people’s toes, and—”
“Shh.” Carter placed his fingers across Reed’s mouth. “This is supposed to be fun, not a chore. Let’s try it, and if you don’t like it, we’ll leave, okay?”
When a moment passed and Reed still didn’t answer, Carter sighed and cupped Reed’s chin, forcing him to meet his eyes.
“Come on, just one song, and then I promise we’ll go if you say the word.”
At Reed’s hesitant nod, Carter kissed him again and put a few twenties on the table to cover the drinks and the tip. He then took Reed’s hand, and together they walked across the hall where the flashing lights and pounding music consumed him until his bones rattled under his skin. Carter stood close behind Reed and rested his hands on Reed’s slim hips, both of them swaying slightly to the beat. The couple right in front of them on the dance floor drew his attention, and he nudged Reed.
Oblivious to the crowd, the two men had their eyes closed and their arms wrapped around each other, swaying back and forth. The sight of them, so free and beautiful with their love, gave Carter hope for a future where this would be the norm and not something for people to stare at like a science experiment.
“That’s going to be us.” Carter slipped his arms around Reed’s waist and snuggled his pelvis in the tempting curve of Reed’s ass. They fit together perfectly, and Carter closed his eyes for a moment, losing himself in a world he never gave himself permission to enter.
“I—I can’t do that.”
Feeling Reed quivering in his arms, Carter took his hand and led him to the far corner of the dance floor where tall columns as well as the thicker darkness hid them from sight.
“Is this better?” He smoothed the hair from Reed’s damp face and kissed his cheek. He didn’t understand Reed’s fear over a simple dance, but he wouldn’t push him to a breaking point or give him an ultimatum. If he’d learned anything from living with Jackson, it was to introduce new experiences one small step at a time. Anything too overwhelming and Jacks shut down, and it seemed Reed might have that same issue as well.
The song ended, and new music came on. A slow, rhythmic beat pulsed through the air. All the lights in the club dimmed, and Carter took advantage of the darkness to pull Reed close. At first he stiffened, and Carter whispered encouraging words in his ear. “Come on, baby. It’s only you, me, and the music. That’s all you need to remember.”
Reed glanced up, almost shyly it seemed, then pressed himself tight against Carter’s chest, burying his face in his neck. Confused as to Reed’s response, Carter held him close, and they simply stood and rocked together, the music enveloping them. He hummed the tune in Reed’s ear and settled his arms around his shoulders, their hips matching the beat.
“See? You’re doing it. That’s all there is to dancing. Letting the music come alive inside you. The rest is all instinct.”
Reed nodded, his cheek lying flat against Carter’s shoulder now. A small shudder ran through his body, and Carter pulled him closer, molding their bodies together, and smiled to himself as the unmistakable hard ridge of Reed’s erection brushed up against him. Reed’s brain might not think he knew what to do, but his body certainly did. And Reed’s body wanted him as much as he wanted Reed.
They stayed hidden behind the columns, Carter holding on to Reed until the flow of the music took over and the motion of Reed’s hips began to match his, roll for roll. Their bodies picked up the beat, arms twining around each other, and Reed leaned his head back, opened his eyes, and gave a smile of such pure, unfettered joy, Carter’s heart surged. It seemed like years since happiness had touched him, sweeping against him like a paintbrush colored with all the pleasures of life.
He grabbed Reed by the waistband of his pants and popped the button tab while at the same time brushing his lips to Reed’s smiling mouth. “I want you,” he said, the pace of his breathing quickening as his hand swept across the warm smooth skin of Reed’s firm stomach. “Right here. Right now.” Carter unzipped Reed’s jeans halfway, slid his hand inside Reed’s boxers, and grasped his thick cock.
And apparently Reed wanted him as well—the wide head of his cock slick and sticky with precome was all the proof needed. It coated Carter’s fingers, making it wonderfully easy to slide his hand up and down the hot soft skin of Reed’s cock. It was dirty, illicit, and Carter’s dick ached, tightly encased in his jeans.
“Fuck,” moaned Reed, throwing his head back while grasping hold of Carter’s biceps for support. “What the hell…” He bucked against Carter, thrusting into his hand, while his breaths came in short, hard pants. “Faster, damn you.”
Reed’s fingers dug into his muscles, but the pain only added to Carter’s pleasure. “Come on,” he muttered, working Reed’s cock with swift strokes, adding just enough pressure by pressing his thumb over the sensitive, flared tip. Carter gripped Reed’s dick, feeling the heavy veins and soft skin sliding over the rigid length as he continued to pump him. The zipper gave a bit more, and he dug his hand farther down Reed’s pants to fondle his balls, giving them a squeeze; Reed moaned loud enough for Carter to hear. A single strobe light hit Reed’s face, and he looked debauched, his eyes wild and mouth open and panting.
Carter reached up with his free hand to cup the nape of Reed’s neck and drag him down so their lips could meet, and Carter took his mouth in a brutal kiss of possession. His other hand kept busy in Reed’s pants, and he slid his thumb over the leaking head of his engorged cock, giving it a wicked twist. “Give it to me, Reed. Hold me and let go.”
“Oh God, oh fuck.” Reed collapsed against Carter’s shoulder, his teeth nipping at Carter’s neck. He jerked against him twice, and Carter’s hand filled with fluid while Reed’s gasping breath gusted past his ear. As promised, Carter held on to Reed as his climax ripped through him, his body shuddering and twitching in the aftermath as his dick continued to unload in Carter’s hand. Carter kissed the top of Reed’s head, the damp curls tickling his nose, but Carter held tight. The promise he’d made was to hold on to Reed, but when had it happened that he no longer wanted to let go?
