Black & Blue_A M/M Standalone Romance Page 5

  “He’s a big teddy bear in that way. Scary on the outside, but surprisingly tender on the inside.”

  “Exactly. So when you see him checking out on you, try to step back and give him room. Don’t take it personally because it’s not you. It’s him. Show him you care by letting him have that space,” she says and suddenly stands up. Maura checks her watch as if she’s late. Sighing, she moves toward the door and then stops. “Oh, and he’s got really sensitive nipples. If you give them some licking, he’ll turn into putty.”

  Her advice throws me for a loop, and I snicker like a dorky kid. Until the nipple thing, I thought she viewed me as his roommate/friend. Now I get how Maura learned to talk around stuff in the same way Declan does. Apparently, his club has the same habit. They know Declan is gay but choose not to say the actual words.

  “Thank you for talking to me.”

  Maura stops at the door and gives the waiting dog a head pat. “Declan doesn’t let many people close. Not like he has with you. He was my husband for a long time, and we’re still friends, and I really want him to find someone who makes him happy like I couldn’t. Declan deserves to have a home. This apartment and Abbott aren’t enough. He needs someone who owns his heart,” she says and opens the door. “I hope that’s you. If not, I just pray you don’t hurt him because I will fuck you up. Mama knows herself some karate.”

  Maura smiles while making her threat, but I get the distinct impression she would hunt me down if I hurt Declan. I share her grin, respecting her love for the big guy.

  ♂◈ Declan ◈♂

  My tiny restaurant office doesn’t comfortably fit my frame, so I do most of my paperwork upstairs or in a booth before we open. I’m still working on it when Shiv knocks at the front door less than a half hour before we open.

  Gina lets him inside and they make small talk about her teenage kids and his adult children. She dotes on her offspring while Shiv doesn’t know the birthdays of his. It’s odd to listen to the old man pretend to give a crap about people he wrote off long ago.

  Once he stops playing family man, Shiv joins me in the booth where I pile up my paperwork and shove it into a manila folder.

  “Businessman looks good on you,” he says like a proud papa.

  “What brings you in so early?”

  Shiv runs his finger over a deep groove in the wood table. I can’t imagine what he wants, but I suspect he’s heard about Adam.

  “I have someone staying at my place,” I tell him while organizing the paperwork in the folder. “His name is Adam, and he’s from Indy.”

  “Is he your kid?” he asks, and I feel a stab of anger in my gut.

  “No.”

  “How did you meet him then?”

  “I was driving back from Indy and stopped at a gas station near Muncie. I saw him getting his ass handed to him by a few local wannabe toughs.”

  “How old is this Adam?”

  “Twenty.”

  “And is he bunking in the kids’ room or yours?”

  I feel the question coming and don’t miss a beat before answering, “For now, he’s in the kids’ room. Those fuckwits banged him up something solid. He’s lucky they didn’t break a few ribs.”

  Shiv nods slowly, probably unhappy I’m not bullshitting him. “What’s your plan?”

  “With what?”

  “With the kid?”

  “He isn’t a kid.”

  “He isn’t old enough to buy alcohol.”

  “He’s older than your youngest who’s married with two kids.”

  “He isn’t much older than Emma.”

  “Six years is a lot of time in the lifespan of a young person.”

  “Well, I don’t want to argue the matter,” Shiv finally mutters.

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “You can see why I’d be worried about a young man shacking up at your place.”

  “Did you get this worried when Elbow shacked up with a hooker he met in Vegas?”

  “No, and you know why.”

  “And you’ve known at some point this situation would play out. I’m surprised by how unprepared you are for this moment.”

  “I hoped maybe you’d find a woman.”

  “I did, and her name was Maura, and we know how that worked out.”

  “Other women out there.”

  “Other men too, but for now, I’m keeping Adam. Is that a problem?”

  Shiv holds my gaze. “I’m not telling you who to fuck.”

  “Are you sure because it feels like you are?”

  “Screw you,” Shiv grumbles while getting to his feet. “I’m feeling my age in my knees.”

  Remaining stony-faced, I watch him wiggle his legs as if working out the kinks. He showed up here, believing I’d lie about Adam. Then he could spook me about having a public boyfriend, and I’d send away my lover. Since I didn’t follow the script, he’s ready to leave. Typical Shiv behavior.

  Despite my big talk with my president, I can’t imagine Adam fitting into the life I have in Haystack. Then again, I never would have imagined falling for a stranger and bringing him into my house after exchanging a few words.

  ♂◈ Adam ◈♂

  After Maura leaves, I hurry to take a shower before Declan arrives for lunch. The hot water leaves my sore body tired. I wish I could crawl into bed for a nap but missing lunch with Declan isn’t an option. I finally shut off the shower and pull back the blue curtain to reach for a towel. The sight of Declan leaning casually at the door scares the shit out of me. I flinch and ball up my fists out of habit.

  “I hope you fight me better than you did those shits at the gas station,” Declan mutters while wearing a smile on his face. “You got more fucked up than I thought.”

  Crossing my arms, I unleash my best faux frown. “I’m buck fucking naked, and you’re only interested in my bruises? Talk about a kick to the ego.”

  Declan’s smile widens. “Oh, were you naked? I hadn’t noticed, and my jeans are not currently strangling my dick.”

  I reach for a towel, dab off a bit of water and then wrap it around my head. “I’m not particularly hungry for food right now.”

  “Is that your way of saying you’d like to fill up with my cum again?”

  I caress my cock and shrug. “I won’t beg.”

  Declan’s gaze remains locked on my cock. “Why was Maura here earlier?”

  “She wanted to tell me to play with your nipples.”

  “Sounds about right,” he says, rolling his eyes and walking out of the bathroom.

  I follow him until the rest of the apartment’s chill clings to my naked, damp body. “Hey, are we going to enjoy an afternoon delight or should I get dressed?”

  “Up to you, but I’m hungry for actual food. I forgot to eat breakfast this morning.”

  Snickering as I quickly dry off and get dressed, I almost pity Declan and his growling stomach. Too bad our morning fun forced him to delay any afternoon fun.

  Declan sits in the kitchen, eating big bites of what looks like pepperoni pizza lasagna. I sit across from him but don’t reach for the food. The sleepiness from my shower continues, only distracted by the mild arousal I still feel from finding Declan waiting for me.

  “Tell me about where you lived before I found you,” Declan says.

  “No.”

  “How come?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “I realize I know what you look like jacking off, but I don’t know anything about you from before we met. Thought I should probably ask.”

  “I’m in a good mood and talking about that will put me in a bad one. Not cool for you to come upstairs, make me feel like this, and then leave.”

  “Fine,” Declan grunts and wipes his mouth. His dark eyes search my face for something. “I know you’re sensitive about sharing personal shit, but think you could make an exception for long enough to tell me if you’ve eaten sushi before?”

  “You’re accustomed to people doing whatever you want, huh?”

>   “No, kid, I’m not. If I was, I’d have eaten sushi before,” he says and drinks down half of a Coke before burping and adding, “And gotten sucked off by a sex-drenched stud like the one now pouting across from me.”

  “I am a stud,” I mumble and fight a smile. “How come you haven’t eaten sushi?”

  “I don’t go to restaurants alone, and I can’t think of anyone who’d want to try it. I’ll probably hate it, but I get curious.”

  Studying him, I ask, “Was I the first guy you got sucked off by?”

  Declan shakes his head, offering no other details, so I ask, “How many guys were there?”

  “Two and one of them isn’t pouting anymore. You liked that stud thing, huh?”

  “Yeah. Men always think I’m good for sex. With you, it’s different, though.”

  “That’s how it is, I guess. You got fucked too much, and I never got fucked at all. Does that make us opposites attracting?”

  “We’re not so different. Your childhood sucked. Mine sucked. We both had trouble finding our ways and then someone came along to give us direction. I don’t think I’ll marry a chick and have kids. No offense but that sounded like a lot of work.”

  Declan exhales softly. “I think I go both ways. Maybe. I mean I didn’t struggle with Maura. Or maybe my dick will get hard for anyone.” Declan frowns, thinking about something. “No, probably not. My earlier answer would have been three if I could get off to anyone. I don’t know.”

  “Before me, when were you last, you know?”

  Declan leans his head back against the wall and exhales. “I’ll lay it all out right now. There was one guy before Maura, and that was no good. There was Maura for ten years. And then there was one hookup in Indianapolis a year ago. The sexual shit was fine, but I didn’t want to talk to him afterward. I guess he’s like the club whores that hang around bikers. They’re fine to fuck, but no way do you date them.”

  “What about me?”

  “What about you?”

  “Are you playing my mentor or do you want to be my boyfriend?”

  “A good mentor wouldn’t rub his cock on yours, Adam. At your age, you should know that already.”

  Laughing, I shake my head. “I’ll be patient with you.”

  “Don’t think my lack of experience makes me your bitch.”

  His tone makes me laugh harder, which only pisses him off more. Nothing more comical than his need to remain a badass when I made him come twice just feet from where we now sit.

  “I haven’t eaten sushi before either,” I say when my chuckles die out. “Not because no one would eat them, but they seemed expensive, and I’m cheap.”

  “You and me both. Why do you think I eat from my place all the time rather than pick up something else?” Declan asks and rubs his fingers together. “I like going on road trips and seeing shit. That’s worth spending money on. My Harley is worth it, and my kids are worth it, but I’m cheap about my clothes and food. You should accept that now because I’m not taking you to dinner a lot.”

  “But you will take me to dinner occasionally?” I tease.

  Declan glares at me before suddenly laughing. His change in mood startles me, and I realize I’ve only scratched the surface of this burly man. I’ve never really been a goal-oriented person, but discovering Declan’s many layers and helping him explore his hidden desires are aspirations worth having.

  6

  ♂◈ Adam ◈♂

  During my afternoon alone, I nap, watch TV, and eventually shave off my shaggy blond beard. I prefer the smooth face I find in the mirror and hope Declan will too.

  Returning after dark, Declan doesn’t hide his shit mood. He glares at me and then at Abbott before disappearing into his bedroom. I immediately assume the worst. Has his club president put his foot down about my staying at the apartment? Will Declan make me leave? How can I walk away and never see him again?

  I sit on the living room couch, petting the dog for comfort and waiting for my future to receive the hammer.

  Returning from the bedroom twenty minutes later, Declan smells like Irish Spring and looks like walking sex in a black wife beater wrapped tight around his strong chest. I notice the way his deep brown hair hangs over his forehead, still damp from the shower. Admiring the black and grey tattoos on his shoulders, I wonder what hides under his shirt.

  Turning around to see him in the kitchen, I work up the courage to ask, “Bad day?”

  “My waitresses got into a huge stink tonight and almost went to blows. I don’t know if either of them will show up tomorrow,” he says with his head in the fridge. “My chef goaded them on. When I get into it with him tomorrow, he’ll probably fucking quit, and I’ll have to pay the other chef overtime to pick up the shifts until the first fucker grovels for his job again or I find someone new.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” I ask, relieved to know the problem isn’t me.

  “Wanna learn to make Italian food and be my new chef?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m not kidding,” he says and walks into the living room to hand me a beer.

  “I don’t have any life goals. Cooking food is a job I could do.”

  “Don’t agree just to make me happy,” he mutters, standing next to the couch and seeming larger than I remember.

  “I can make you happy in other ways,” I say, giving his body the once-over. “I don’t need to lie about cooking to put a smile on your face, Declan.”

  Leaning down, he plants his smiling lips on mine and erases my earlier worries. My hands immediately reach for his chest, wanting to feel the hard curves of the muscles I’m desperate to claim.

  To my surprise, Declan doesn’t head for his chair but shoves Abbott over and sits on the couch next to me. He drinks some of his beer, glances at the TV, and stretches out his long legs.

  “Bored today?” he asks without looking at me.

  I suspect he’s nervous, which only makes my dick harder. I shift on the couch and gently sink my teeth into the tanned flesh of his shoulder. Declan flinches and looks ready to punch me before remembering I’m not a threat. My hand strokes his powerful thigh and then slides over to tease his heavy balls through his dark sweats.

  “I only had one boyfriend,” I whisper to Declan while nuzzling his jaw. “He was a stuck-up bitch who made me feel like a loser. I’ve never been with anyone who thought I was worth anything.”

  Declan turns his jaw so his lips can meet mine. He grips the wrist of my hand cupping his balls.

  “Adam,” he moans, “we can talk if you want.”

  “I want to taste every fucking inch of you,” I growl, overcome with lust. “You can’t imagine what I think about in your apartment all day. How much I jack off, waiting for you to return.”

  I suck at his throat while stroking his erection through his sweats. Declan’s groans sound restrained as if he’s fighting to remain in control. His hesitation makes sense, considering his lack of experience.

  I let go of his cock and slide off the couch. Declan looks so unsure when I move between his legs. Taking charge, I hand him his beer.

  “While you loosen up, I’ll explore.”

  Declan takes a long swig from the beer before setting it back on a table and running his fingers through my blond hair. He studies my face and then lowers his gaze to where my hands stroke his thighs.

  “Have at it,” he mutters as if indifferent.

  I shove up his loose tee and finally get to see his bare chest in all its muscular, hairy glory. Brushing my cheek against his warm flesh, I inhale his clean scent. My lips pass gentle over his left nipple and Declan’s dick twitches in my loose grip.

  “Relax,” I whisper before licking at his rib cage.

  Instantly addicted to his salty flavor, I nuzzle my face against his chest hairs while my nails scratch at his skin. Every movement I make presses my chest against his erection, causing Declan to moan approvingly.

  Unable to pace myself, I lick his left nipple. His entire bod
y goes rigid, and his head leans back on the couch. I suck at it, and he lets out a groan that makes me feel like a fucking king.

  I stop long enough to remove my shirt and tug off his. Then I lower his sweats enough to expose his massive erection. Pressing my bare chest against his dick and balls, I return to sucking at one nipple while teasing the other. Declan caresses my head, groaning my name. His jizz leaks against my chest as I graze his nipple with my teeth.

  “Do you want me to suck you off?” I ask while bathing his nipple with salvia. “Do you need to come?”

  “Yes, Adam,” he moans, nearly begging for relief.

  I lower my lips to his erection pressed flat against his stomach. I love the sight of so much hard flesh waiting for me to bring it pleasure. I can’t imagine how it’ll feel inside my ass, but the very thought nearly makes me come in my sweats.

  The head of Declan’s cock probes the back of my throat, leaking wildly on my tongue. I hold it at the base while giving his balls steady strokes. Sucking faster, I can barely keep up with his cum, and he hasn’t even orgasmed yet. Declan holds my head, wanting me to take him deeper, craving to fill my stomach with his jizz.

  When he finally lets loose, my mouth can’t handle so much cum. Swallowing as fast as I can, I feel like I’ve broken the man and wonder if his hot jizz will ever end.

  “Adam,” he nearly whimpers, and I look up at him reassuringly while still sucking the last drops of cum from his stiff cock.

  “I want to suck you,” he mumbles and reaches for my face. Stroking my jaw, he whispers, “I’ve never sucked off a man, but I need to taste you. I want your cock in my throat.”

  I stretch up and cover his lips with mine. While our tongues struggle for dominance, I kick off my sweats leaving me buck-naked and sporting a painful erection. I rest next to him on the couch, still kissing him while he slides off the couch. Declan’s lips leave mine long enough for him to disengage his sweats stuck on his foot. Once he’s also naked, he kisses me again and spreads my legs.