“Let’s take a shower. I need to get cleaned up, and you need to get taken care of.”
Carter’s silvery eyes darkened, and he licked his lips. “I like the way you think. Come on.” Carter’s hands rested on Reed’s hips, tickling at his waist.
“Don’t be in such a hurry,” said Reed as they stepped into the brightly lit bathroom. He turned on the taps and watched Carter strip out of his clothes. “We have all night.” He pulled off his shirt and dropped it to the floor.
“Oh, I know, and I intend to use every minute to its fullest.”
Carter pushed him into the shower, and he yelped at the splash of water down his back.
“Hey.”
Carter joined him and pushed him up against the wall. “Is there a problem?”
Reed felt the thrust of Carter’s very hard cock and laughed. “Not any longer.” His laughter ceased as Carter covered his mouth in a possessive kiss.
***
Winter sunlight paintedwatery, lemon-yellow stripes across the carpet of the bedroom. Reed squinted at the clock, and when he saw the time was eleven a.m., he sat up so quickly his head spun. He was alone in the bed, of course, Carter being an early morning riser as Reed had come to learn. But today Reed had plans, and though he’d slept later than he would’ve liked, he was now wide awake and ready to go. Strange how he’d slept better these stolen weekends with Carter than any other time in his life.
After taking a piss and brushing his teeth, he found Carter on the sofa, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper. His hair lay sleek and wet against his shirt collar, and his freshly shaven jaw gleamed where the sunlight hit. Remembering the delicious friction of Carter’s stubble against his balls and ass, a small sound of dismay escaped him, which caught Carter’s attention. He glanced up and smiled.
“There’s coffee. I didn’t know what you wanted, so I got a bunch of stuff.” He gestured to the table, and Reed’s eyes widened at the sight. There were coffee cakes, miniature danish, muffins, and bagels, along with an impressive bowl of fruit. A large thermal carafe of coffee and a pitcher of milk rounded out the contents of the breakfast tray.
“Are you expecting guests? ’Cause there’s enough here for five more people.” Plus, Reed decided as he picked up a bagel and spread on the cream cheese, the sugar alone would send him spiraling into the next stratosphere. Too much was always a trigger for him, and he tried to keep away from eating crap.
“Hmm,” said Carter, handing him his coffee. “Maybe I did go overboard. But I like having choices. Choices make life interesting.” He picked up a muffin and took a huge bite out of it.
“Well, today you are my prisoner, so you have no choice. I have a surprise planned.”
Instantly wary, Carter swallowed what he was chewing and set his coffee cup down. “I’ve never been thrilled with surprises. What is it?”
“We’re going to do something really touristy and fun.”
“What are you talking about? I thought we were—”
“What, going to stay in and screw all weekend?”
A lazy grin curled Carter’s lips. “Well, now that you mention it…”
“Last month you made me go dancing, something way outside my comfort zone.” So far outside as to be revolutionary. The entire night played out as a surreal fantasy for him.
Carter picked up his coffee and took a sip. “You seemed pretty comfortable to me. At least while we were out on the floor.”
Reed’s cheeks heated. He’d lost count of how many times he’d replayed their dirty dance in his head this past month and jerked off to the memory of Carter’s hands down his pants while the other people in the club remained oblivious to what went on beneath their noses. It never failed to give him a hard-on.
“That’s not the point. I did it because you wanted to. This is something I want, and it shouldn’t be a big deal.”
“Fine,” said Carter, tossing back the rest of his coffee. “Let’s do it.” He took another bite of his muffin and chewed noisily. “I’ll be right here when you’re ready.”
“Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full?” Reed meant it as a joke, but Carter’s wide smile faded and his eyes darkened with pain.
Obviously he’d hit a nerve. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” Reed muttered. “Just going to jump in the shower.” No use in asking Carter what was wrong as he’d never reveal his precious hidden life.
Before Carter had a chance to change his mind, Reed raced from the room. He didn’t bother to shave and within fifteen minutes had showered, dressed, and was back in the living room, relieved to see Carter sitting with his phone, a sweet smile playing on his lips. Unnoticed, Reed stood for a moment, watching who he knew to be the real Carter—his eyes lit up bright with life, laugh lines fanning out from the corners. It struck Reed with a pang how young and surprisingly vulnerable Carter seemed when he dropped that confident, brash exterior. Pain and happiness danced together in his chest, and Reed knew if he answered the call of his heart, it would tell him how deeply he’d come to care for Carter.
“What’s so funny?” He walked behind Carter and bent over his shoulder to take a peek.
“Uh, nothing.” Carter clicked the screen to dark and flipped the phone in his hand so it faced downward. “Ready?” He pasted on a huge, fake smile. Having witnessed Carter’s spontaneous happiness, Reed wondered at his need to pretend.
