Something Like Lightning

  “Could be. If so, it’ll probably be your last day together.”’

  “What? Why?”

  “Because guys like him get spooked.” Allison’s expression was sympathetic. “I’ve seen it happen to one of the dearest people in my life. Not being able to have what you want hurts, but I promise you, getting what you want and losing it hurts more.”’

  “So you agree with Nathaniel? We should avoid taking risks just because we could get hurt?”’

  “No, but we should weigh those risks, especially when we see danger ahead. And maybe—just this once—you should listen to someone who has more experience in such matters.”’

  “Okay, so what happened to your broken-hearted friend? Never left the house again? Became a man of the cloth? Lives a life of celibacy?”’ “No.” Allison’s expression softened. “He lived happily ever after.”’ “See?” Kelly said. “There’s nothing to worry about. I can handle this.”

  Allison sighed. “For your sake, I hope you’re right. If you’re not, you know where to find me.”’

  Kelly stood in front of the apartment door, heart racing. This would lead to rejection. His hand had been played, his intentions made known. Nathaniel’s scowling eyes would see through his ruse in an instant, stripping him bare, and not in the way he desired. But oh that hunger! If Nathaniel shared even a tenth of this desire, he wouldn’t be able to turn Kelly away. Not tonight. The air pressure was thick, a thunderstorm having come and gone, but the tension remained. The water evaporating off the streets only added to the humidity, the very air sweating in anticipation.

  But Kelly no longer perspired. His pulse steadied with new-found certainty. They both wanted this. He knocked on the door, just a few raps, hard enough to draw attention. Light appeared through the peephole, footsteps approached, and then shadows covered the tiny round glass. When the door swung open, Nathaniel stood there wearing a maroon bathrobe that sat crooked on his shoulders, as if thrown on in haste. Kelly could see fine straight hairs near the top of his chest where it hung loose.

  “Kelly?” Nathaniel blinked a few times. A moment later his leg shot out to prevent Zero from escaping. “Back to bed, mutt.” The dog grumbled and retreated down the hall, Nathaniel watching him go before turning forward again. “Any idea how late it is?”

  “Two in the morning,” Kelly said. “I finished thinking. What we talked about, I reached a decision.”

  Nathaniel’s brow furrowed. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.” Kelly took a step forward. “Just friends. Nothing more.”

  Eyes searched his. “Strictly platonic?”

  “Strictly?” Kelly leaned forward. “I don’t think so. How about no strings attached?”

  Nathaniel’s gaze intensified just before he grabbed Kelly’s head in his hands, bringing their lips together. No tenderness, no hesitation. Their tongues touched moments after their lips did. Nathaniel tasted of toothpaste, his breath a little stale from sleep, his upper lip salty from the night’s heat. Kelly didn’t care. He loved it. The combination should be bottled into some sort of cologne or artificial flavor and be labeled hot guy stirred from sleep.

  Kelly leaned into him so much that he almost stumbled forward when the kiss broke. They panted a few times, eyeing each other. He noticed that Nathaniel’s bathrobe was now starting to tent toward the waist. The feeling was completely mutual.

  “You’re not going to make me drive home, are you?” Kelly said. “Any idea how late it is?”

  “Two in the morning,” Nathaniel said with a grin. “I should be in bed.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Nathaniel stepped aside so Kelly could enter. He stopped in the doorway to kiss him again. Nathaniel reciprocated. For a moment, at least. Then he murmured against Kelly’s lips. “The dog.”

  “Oh, right.” Kelly entered the apartment, praying Nathaniel wouldn’t offer him a drink or sit at the kitchen table expecting conversation. He didn’t. Instead he walked down the hall to the bedroom door and stopped there. Good.

  “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight,” he said.

  “You’d better be talking to Zero and not me,” Kelly replied.

  Nathaniel looked him over. “That depends on how you do.”

  “Challenge accepted.”

  Kelly headed into the bedroom as Nathaniel struggled to get the dog out and the door shut. The sheets were tangled up, like the former occupant hadn’t been sleeping well. Kelly considered taking off his clothes and diving in, but he felt Nathaniel’s breath on the back of his neck first. Lips kissed the spot that had just been warmed before Kelly was turned around. They kissed as Nathaniel wrapped an arm around Kelly’s waist and lifted him, leaning back so far that Kelly was almost on top of him. He let his crutches fall to the sides, freeing his hands to touch Nathaniel’s hair, stroke his ear, caress his neck.

  Then Nathaniel tossed Kelly gently onto the bed, where he landed on his back and sat up to enjoy the view. And what a view it was! Nathaniel slowly untied the robe, something thick and hard flexing as the fabric fluttered open. Kelly didn’t look directly at it. Not immediately. He was too transfixed by the gorgeous pecs that stretched as Nathaniel shrugged off the robe completely, revealing powerful shoulders and arms thick with veins. His stomach had a slight paunch—a gentle curve rather than a beer belly—but even this was undeniably masculine. If Kelly wanted to see six-pack abs, he could look in the mirror. What he wanted was someone who made him feel slight, and right now he wanted Nathaniel’s weight pressing down on him.

  First Kelly admired the light covering of hair on Nathaniel’s chest, which gave way to smooth skin beneath his chest. This resumed again just below the belly button in a wisp that led down to—

  He sighed. Some guys were like art, and should be cast-molded and kiln-fired into sculpture for the entire world to see. Not that he’d invite his grandma to this exhibition. Nathaniel’s cock was just as thick as the rest of him, and judging from the bunched-up skin just past the proud ruby head, uncut. If that weren’t delightful enough, he had the most amazing set of balls Kelly had ever seen. Heavy and pendulous, they would probably slap against Kelly’s butt and all sorts of other places, depending on the position. Sure, the solid thighs were nice too, and that chest was demanding Kelly’s attention again, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

  “You’re making me feel like a piece of meat,” Nathaniel said, dropping forward and placing splayed palms on the mattress to either side of Kelly’s head. “And I mean that in a good way.”

  He dodged a kiss so he could reply. “Just as long as you don’t expect me to compete with that thing.”

  “It’s not a contest,” Nathaniel said, “but I wouldn’t mind judging.”

  He kissed Kelly, pressing their chests together before lifting up again, their stomachs touching next, then their hips before the motions were repeated, like the world’s sexiest wave. Kelly’s brain was overwhelmed with choice as Nathaniel gyrated against him. So much he wanted to touch and taste and cling to. How could he possibly decide? Luckily Nathaniel seemed comfortable taking the lead. After a few more kisses, he hopped up and kneeled, sitting on Kelly’s crotch. Please don’t let him be a bottom!

  Nathaniel started working on the buttons of Kelly’s shirt, but after the first, he grabbed fabric in both fists and tore it open. “I’ll buy you a new one,” he said before Kelly could complain. He tugged the remaining scraps off his arms, then relaxed his weight onto Kelly’s hips while tracing a finger around each nipple, down to his belly button, back up along one arm. Nathaniel’s eyes were glazed, already high from the rush of hormones. When he leaned over to kiss Kelly again, warm balls brushed his stomach, while further up, something hard and wet poked at him.

  Kelly moaned in pleasure as Nathaniel ran a tongue along his bottom lip, and almost groaned in agony when Nathaniel’s weight lifted off him. He had moved off the mattress, kneeling on the carpet and reaching for Kelly’s belt to undo it. Eager to shed this last bit of clothing,
Kelly felt his cock twitch, wanting to break free. But of course when the jeans came down, they would slide off one leg much easier than the other.

  “Wait,” Kelly said, grabbing Nathaniel’s hand, just as the belt came loose.

  “I told you it’s not a competition.”

  “It’s not that...”

  Nathaniel studied him a moment before he understood. “If I had any doubts about what I wanted, we wouldn’t have made it this far. Your move.”

  Those hazel eyes still smoldered, so Kelly reached to undo the button and rip down the zipper before he leaned back and put his hands behind his head. Nathaniel was more than willing to do the rest. Kelly closed his eyes as his underwear was tugged down, feeling a stubbled cheek against his cock, a tongue licking one of his hips as Nathaniel pulled off the jeans completely. Any lingering concerns he had were lost to an assault of endorphins as Nathaniel took him in his mouth.

  That’s not all he was doing. Those hands still explored, stroking the side of his ass, the underside of his thigh, the center of his chest. Everywhere. Even there. Nathaniel seemed intent on touching every single part of him, not avoiding any, and not lingering in any one place.

  Indiscriminate and impartial. Kelly wished they weren’t denying their emotions, because the pleasure his body felt was overshadowed by the warmth in his heart.

  The attention ceased. Kelly looked down to find Nathaniel grinning. “What?”

  “I’ve been dreaming about those lips every night. Or at least right before bed.”

  Kelly smiled seductively, but not with his teeth. “What did you dream I’d do with these lips?”

  “Stay right there and I’ll show you.”

  Nathaniel climbed up, putting a knee to either side of his chest before flopping forward, holding himself up with his arms. Kelly opened his mouth in invitation, taking Nathaniel in as deep as possible before the thrusting began. He glanced upward at the bucking body, the flexing arms, the dark armpit hair, and occasionally the face twisted in ecstasy when Nathaniel let his head hang loose instead of holding it back and moaning. Kelly thought they would end this way, even thought he could explode right then and there.

  But soon Nathaniel rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows. “Come sit on me.”

  “Condoms and lube,” Kelly said. After a moment, he added. “And a few more nights like this, because I’m not ready yet.”

  “That’s fine,” Nathaniel said. “That’s not what I meant anyway. Come here.”

  Kelly scooted up to be on his level, then threw a leg over him and sat his rump down on what felt like a scalding hot sausage.

  “I love your face,” Nathaniel said, grabbing his hips. “So many expressions.”

  He shifted Kelly downward a little, and then sat upright. Now he got it. Kelly readjusted, wrapping his thighs around Nathaniel’s waist and bringing their cocks together. A warm meaty hand wrapped around both of them and stroked. Then they took turns spitting until the hand was able to slide. Locking eyes, they moaned. Nathaniel kept stroking, seemingly tireless as they stared into each other’s souls. The tension built, Nathaniel bucking a few times before bringing his face close, his breath a puff of warm air when he spoke. “Come with me.”

  Kelly bit his bottom lip and nodded. Nathaniel’s grip tightened, and he started pumping faster. Then he growled, and Kelly felt something hot and wet splatter into his chin before he let loose himself. Howls, clenched muscles, hisses, and finally sweet relief. Endorphins spilled into Kelly’s bloodstream, pure and perfect in a way that painkillers never had been. Then Nathaniel leaned back, taking Kelly with him, holding him tight to his still-heaving chest. Eventually his breath steadied and his grip relaxed.

  Kelly rolled over to his side, and instead of melting into blissful sleep, he became aware of another sort of tension. Unless a second storm was brewing outside, this couldn’t be good.

  “Kelly—”

  Before Nathaniel could continue, he sat up, swung his leg over the mattress, and reached for his shirt. Or the remains of it, at least.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just friends,” Kelly said. “I’m totally cool with that. Don’t worry. Besides, I sort of stole my mom’s car and should probably get it back.” After a pause, Nathaniel murmured. “You’re really okay with this?” “Yeah!” Kelly said, sounding chipper.

  “In that case,” Nathaniel grabbed his shoulder and pulled him backward. “Friends have sleepovers too, you know.”

  “I suppose they do,” Kelly said, keeping his face turned to hide his grin. “And I suppose when my mom finds both me and the car missing, she won’t call the cops right away.”

  “Exactly.”

  “How about a towel,” Kelly said. “You’re a human geyser!”

  “Sorry,” Nathaniel said, sounding anything but. “Be right back.” When he returned, Zero was slinking along behind him, as if hoping he wouldn’t be seen.

  “The dog isn’t sleeping with us, is he?” Kelly said, forcing down a smile.

  “It’s actually his bed.” Nathaniel tossed him the towel. “Zero got a part-time job to pay for it and everything. If we’re lucky, he’ll let us share it with him. It’s either that or the couch.”

  “I suppose we’ll have to make do.” He watched Nathaniel flop into bed, pull up a sheet, and pat the space next to him. Kelly wasn’t sure if that was directed at him or Zero. “You sleep naked with the dog?”

  “Don’t worry, he’s naked too. No collar, see? He’ll let you wear it if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

  “That’s all right.” Kelly finished wiping himself off and slid beneath the sheets. “When in Rome...”

  Spooning with Nathaniel would have been a nice end to the evening. Unfortunately, a small wolf squirmed his way between them. Not that it felt so bad. Kelly reached out to stroke the dog’s fur. A moment later, his hand bumped into Nathaniel’s. Their fingers intertwined, and hands still resting on the dog, all three of them slowly drifted off to sleep.

  Kelly awoke to find the bed next to him empty, but considering he was in the other guy’s apartment, Nathaniel probably hadn’t run off in the middle of the night. He groped around for his underwear, then picked up his crutches and headed into the hall. He found Nathaniel in the kitchen, already showered and fully dressed. On the counter was a plastic shopping bag, a quart of milk sticking out of the top.

  “Morning,” Nathaniel said. “I hope you like pancakes.”

  “Absolutely” Kelly glanced over at Zero, who was already drooling. “Do I have time to get cleaned up first?”

  “Sure. There’s a fresh towel by the sink. Think you’ll need anything else?”

  The question seemed innocent enough. Nathaniel could have been asking if he needed a washcloth or a back scrubber. In reality, he wasn’t sure how his guest would manage in the shower with just one leg. Kelly would have to sit on the bottom of the tub while doing so, which wasn’t ideal but also not a big issue.

  “I’ll manage,” he said.

  Nathaniel nodded. “Cool.”

  Simple as that. No wringing hands or concerned expression. No well-meaning offers of help that Kelly would have to repeatedly decline. No helpful suggestions. Nathaniel had already returned to whisking the batter.

  As Kelly scrubbed himself, the warmth of the shower matched his thoughts. He loved how casual Nathaniel behaved toward his disability. Especially since lately it no longer felt like an impairment to Kelly. Sure he was missing a part, but he no longer considered himself incomplete. Only when others reminded him of his difference did he feel uncomfortable. But that never happened with Nathaniel. He treated Kelly just like anyone else.

  These thoughts were still on his mind when he sat down at the dining room table. “You never asked how I lost my leg,” he said. “That’s one of the first questions out of most people’s mouths. Especially kids.” Nathaniel chewed and swallowed. “I already know.”

  “You do? How?”

  “Marcello had me do some
research on you. But even if I hadn’t, I would have let you tell me in your own time.”

  Kelly took a few bites while mulling this over. “Seems a little paranoid, Marcello requiring background checks on all his models.”

  “Normally he doesn’t. Marcello takes his models at face value, as he’s so fond of saying. His escorts are another manner.”

  “Of which, I am not one,” Kelly said pointedly. “So why was he poking around in my past?”

  Nathaniel paused in his chewing, looking puzzled. His features relaxed again as he swallowed. “He wasn’t doing a background check on you. He asked me to research William Townson.”

  Hearing Nathaniel speak the name of his former boyfriend was beyond surreal. Kelly was pretty sure the blood drained from his face, but it soon rushed right back as he put the pieces together.

  “I doubt Marcello screens his waiters either, so why would he bother?” Unless someone asked him to. As a favor. But who would want to know more about William’s past? The answer came all too quickly. “Have you ever heard of Jason Grant?”

  Nathaniel took a sip of coffee, hand just as steady as his gaze. But even after he set the cup down again, he remained quiet.

  “The night we met,” Kelly said, replaying the events in his mind. “You wouldn’t let me into the kitchen. I always wondered what that was about. Did they really go through all that trouble just to have an hour alone? It’s not like they couldn’t meet at the mall while William worked. I know they did sometimes, and that seems way easier, so why?”

  “I’d rather you remember that night for the drink we shared,” Nathaniel said easily.

  Wouldn’t that be nice? But Kelly was too close to an answer now, and he knew he wouldn’t have to drag it out of Nathaniel like he would other people. Nathaniel didn’t pussyfoot around sensitive issues.

  “Tell me,” Kelly said.

  “They weren’t just hanging around the kitchen. Marcello arranged for them to have a private room. I wasn’t there and can’t say what happened, but I’m sure we can both guess.”