Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Four (146 page)

“What happened with that?”

“She caught her ex in bed with the neighborhood cougar the same

afternoon she put the deposit down on the reservation. She kicked him

out, but didn’t want to lose the money, or the chance at a good

vacation. She charged the rest on his credit card and never looked

back.”

“Tough girl.”

“Very.”

“Deceptively so. She seems so sweet.” Tad smiled as Nick sized

up the accusation.

“She is. I adore her. She’s tough as nails when she needs to be and

unfailingly optimistic and happy all the rest of the time. It’s

exhausting, but she makes it look easy.”

Tad laughed. “She sure does.”

Their eyes locked across the table. The waitress came back, but

Tad waved her away. “Let’s go,” Nick whispered, afraid to break the

spell that draped over the table like a veil.

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“Yes,” Tad whispered back.

As they walked side by side out of the restaurant, Nick asked,

“Tad? What’s that short for?”

“Theodore.”

“Why not Ted or Teddy?”

“Ted is my father. I was Tad, as in tadpole, just this little kid all of

my childhood, and I never much liked the sounds of Ted or Theodore,

so I let it slip through the years.”

“I like Teddy.”

“I’m not going to be your toy bear.”

Nick glanced up, but Tad was still smiling. “Are you a bear?”

Nick asked with a seductive purr to his voice.

“Not really. You weren’t there with your sister this afternoon?”

Tad slowed and faced Nick as they stopped walking. They’d

wandered into the corridor circling the casino. The machines clattered

and rang, singing out songs of temptation and coin, while gamblers

wandered from table to table and slot to slot with dollar signs in their

eyes.

With a groan, Nick turned to face the window. No, that chest was

definitely not furry, and now he had bare flesh crowding conversation

out of his thoughts. The sun had set while they ate, and the view was

black sky across black water, with only the faintest hints of stars

overpowered by the reflection of casino lights on the glass.

“I was for a moment, but when she decided to talk you up, I

disappeared quickly. She has this thing for being helpful, but really

just embarrassing me.”

“She did fine.” Tad drew closer. “At first I was convinced she was

hitting on me, but then she kept saying: My brother this, and my

brother that.” He lowered his voice and said, “How she decided I was

gay I have to wonder.”

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“That might’ve been inspired by the way I was checking you out,”

Nick admitted. He cheered silently inside at Tad’s playful, flirting

tone.

The moment froze, gazes locked and the noises from the other

guests faded into the distance like a retreating thunderstorm. Nick

tilted his head down, feeling out the chances for a kiss, but before he

could make his move Tad turned to face the crowd behind them.

“So,” Nick said. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to

convince his body not to throw Tad into a nearby easy chair and

straddle his lap. “Now what?”

“How about my room?” The wicked smile Tad had been flashing

at Nick all through dinner crept back.

“Sure.” He wondered if his agreement came too quickly, but he

wanted a taste of Tad, so he had no intention of playing hard to get.

“Do you have any supplies?”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, those supplies.”

Nick scowled and looked around. They were still mostly alone.

The guests on this level stayed within the false borders of the casino,

having no reason to stray past the last line of slots and into the

corridor where the two men talked. “I have lube, but no rubbers,”

Nick said.

“Trusting sort, are you?”

“No, I wasn’t planning on meeting anyone. I figured this thing

would be full of couples.”

“But the lube?”

Nick blushed, but hoped Tad would think it was just the weather.

“I may not have expected to get laid, but I still plan on getting off

when I have the room to myself.”

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“Oh fuck yeah,” Tad said in a whispered exhale. “I want to see

that.”

“I don’t know about that. I don’t even think I want to risk the

sisterly inquisition to retrieve the lube. Maybe the gift shop?”

CHAPTER THREE

Nick found condoms in the gift shop, but no lube. He turned

around to ask if Tad wanted them anyway, for another day, but the

man had wandered off to flip through t-shirts on a corner rack. Nick

charged them to his room, and then slid up behind Tad with an arm

snaking around his waist. Tad jumped at the contact, spinning away.

“Sorry,” Nick mumbled. “I thought you saw me coming.”
Talk

about mixed signals,
Nick’s inner voice muttered.

“That, I do want to see.” Tad’s gaze smoldered like softly glowing

coals. Nick could feel the fire he would set already licking through his

body.

“I wasn’t sure.”

“Seriously? You’re hot. I thought I’d start drooling when Maggie

introduced us.”

“I meant… never mind. Let’s go.”

****

Nick stood in the hallway, staring at a red thong dangling from the

door handle. “I may never open that door again.” He turned and

frowned at Tad when a snicker snuck through the hand covering the

man’s mouth. “My
sister,
” Nick said.

“I know.” Tad slapped Nick’s shoulder in a friendly manner. “I

have one too. I’ll be forever scarred from the night I came home early

and caught her on the sofa with her legs splayed around her boyfriend.

They were still mostly dressed, but the image still won’t leave my

mind.”

With a small shudder, Nick sighed, and then stepped closer as Tad

guided him back towards the elevators. When Nick bumped up

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against him, Tad shied away, dropping his arm from Nick’s shoulder.

They rode up the elevator in silence. Once they stepped out and turned

left down the hall, Nick took a deep breath and refocused his thoughts.

“I knew I shouldn’t go back for the lube,” he said. He glanced up at

Tad who looked ready to burst from suppressing laughter. Nick

grinned, the shock at his stateroom door dissipating. “I suppose I

should be glad she left a warning.”

“Very,” Tad said. He slid a keycard into the lock on the door and

pushed it open.

Nick followed him in, his gaze on Tad’s ass. The man was hot,

and would soon be naked and subject to Nick’s desires. Tad dropped

down to sit on a narrow bench. He spread his arms along the backrest

in either direction. With Tad out of his line of vision, Nick’s gaze fell

on the sliding glass door beyond the full-sized bed.

“A balcony?” He grinned and glanced at Tad. “You lucky devil.”

He walked past Tad, and didn’t give the bed a second look. He pulled

open the door and stepped out, taking a deep breath of salty air.

“Wow…”

Tad stepped out behind Nick and pressed him to the railing by

fitting his hips against Nick’s ass. “It’s beautiful out here,” he said, his

lips brushing Nick’s ear. “But, I bet I could distract you with a better

view.”

Twisting his neck, Nick looked back, but Tad wouldn’t let him

move his body. Tad’s hands rubbed Nick’s hips and then drifted up

his sides, gently exploring. Nick arched his back, pushing his ass

against Tad’s hardening crotch. “I bet you could,” Nick said.

“Maybe we could make do with shampoo or something.” Tad ran

his tongue over the slope of Nick’s neck, just under his ear.

“No way,” Nick said through a moan. Tad’s lips send warm

tingling surges through his entire body. “As much as I want you to

fuck me right now, there are other ways to get off.”

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“Not as fun.” Tad tucked his hands under Nick’s shirt, pulling him

away from the railing while keeping their bodies firmly nestled

together. His fingers brushed taut nipples while his lips continued to

tease at Nick’s neck.

“Not true.” Nick squirmed away and turned. Pushing Tad back

through the door with a stiff arm separating them, Nick said, “I

guarantee a mind-blowing orgasm.”

“What kind of guarantee could you give? I’m not paying you for

this, so no refunds.”

Nick laughed. “No money, but I’m not leaving until you’re

thoroughly satisfied.”

An eyebrow cocked up. “I’m a lawyer. I could lie with a straight

face and keep you here all week.”

“Either way I win.” Nick gave Tad a shove. His legs slammed into

the bed and Tad toppled backward, sprawling on the mattress with a

wicked grin plastered on his face.

****

“We both do,” Tad said, grinning up at Nick. The man had such

raw sexuality, and the way his body warmed under Tad’s touch

couldn’t be denied. He’d had plenty of the anti-reaction men in his

bed, but this one, with just a caress and a kiss had returned the interest

tenfold.

Nick pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “Are you

going to undress? Or did I totally miss the cues out there?”

“I’ll get to it.” He gestured with his chin and propped himself up

on his elbows. “You, on the other hand, should continue.”

With a smug but satisfied sound, Nick did as requested, first

kicking off his shoes, and then unfastening his belt and fly. Hooking

his thumbs under the waistband of his boxer briefs, he slung both his

underwear and his shorts down his legs in one motion. His cock

bobbed, as if nodded in agreement to being clothing free.

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Tad whistled. “Very nice,” he said.

“Nice? Is that it?” Nick grinned and stepped forward between

Tad’s knees.

“Sexy,” said Tad, his voice dropping lower. His gaze drank in the

strong, lean muscles, and dark skin covering Nick’s body, and

culminating in a slender, but by no means undersized cock jutting

forward with a slight curve upward towards his belly. Covered in a

fine mist of dark hair, Nick wasn’t furry really, but had just enough to

look manly without appearing unkempt or bearish. Not that he had the

size to be a bear. All of the artists Tad ever met had no muscle tone,

and often a beer belly. Not Nick. Nick had abs hinting at washboard if

he’d only apply himself a few more minutes each visit to the gym.

Sexy, without being self-absorbed. Tad was enchanted.

“You’re turn,” Nick said. He reached for Tad’s waistband, but Tad

beat him to it. He unfastened his fly, and then reached in to free his

cock, letting the plump head out from beneath the cotton of his shorts.

He liked the way Nick suddenly froze, his gaze locked on Tad’s hand,

and what he stroked with it.

Tad rolled his hips up, fucking his fist slowly, to tempt and tease.

When he swiped his thumb over the damp head, spreading pre-cum

down his shaft, Nick broke out of his stupor and reached for Tad’s

pants. As eager as his Tall, Dark, and Handsome, Tad lifted his hips,

still fisting his cock, and let Nick rid him of his shorts, shoes, and

boxers.

Shirt forgotten, Tad continued to stroke himself while watching

Nick’s every move. The man’s body called to him, but Tad wanted to

be played like a fine instrument. He wanted Nick, but he wanted Nick

to take what he wanted even more. Nick dropped to his knees and

kissed Tad’s thigh, his gaze never leaving Tad’s cock as he fingers

worked up and down, tracing veins, and then squeezing the

mushroomed tip forcing a groan from his lips.

When Tad’s hand slid down again, Nick leaned forward and

closed his lips around the head of Tad’s cock. Tad gasped and nearly

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forgot what he was doing. When he started his upward stroke, Nick