Chapter 15
15
MARNIN
T he salty tang of the sea still clung to me as I pushed open the door to my apartment, exhaustion seeping into my bones. But it was a good kind of tiredness, one that brought satisfaction and a sense of gratitude for a day well spent. Ennio trailed behind, both of us wordlessly shedding the weight of our day trip with a bag that thumped to the floor. My shoes followed, a pair of muffled kicks against the welcome mat that had seen better days.
“Home sweet home,” I muttered, the phrase dissolving into a yawn.
“God, I could sleep for a week,” Ennio announced, echoing my fatigue. His hair, usually an impeccably styled masterpiece, now lay fizzy and subdued from the wind’s relentless grooming.
“Before you do that, Chef Ennio has a dinner to prepare,” I reminded him. On the drive back, he’d insisted on cooking us dinner rather than ordering in as I had suggested.
Ennio scoffed playfully, nudging me with an elbow as he passed by, heading toward the kitchen. “You’ll thank me when you’ve got a plate full of fresh food in front of you…including vegetables.”
I feigned a puzzled look. “Vegetables? What are those?”
“Exactly my point.”
I watched him go, the sway of his hips almost hypnotic after a day spent shoulder-to-shoulder on the cramped boat deck, scanning the waves for the elusive orcas. Something warm unfurled within my chest—an emotion that felt too much like tenderness. I shook it off, the gruff edges of my nature bristling at the sentimentality.
He stepped into my kitchen, and I followed him, leaning against the doorway, arms folded across my chest as I observed him rummaging through my cabinets with a familiarity that alarmed and comforted me. “Despite my joking, I appreciate this, you know? You taking care of dinner.”
The words were awkward on my tongue, like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. But they were true. And damn if I didn’t feel a surge of gratitude.
“Of course,” he replied without looking back, his tone light. “It’s no big deal, Marnin. Besides, who else is gonna make sure you eat something other than takeout?”
“Ha-ha,” I shot back. Sarcasm, my trusty shield. Yet, as I watched him move about my kitchen with ease, the tension began to ebb from my shoulders. There was something undeniably soothing about the clink of pots and pans, the rhythmic chop of knife against cutting board. Ennio hummed some indistinct tune, and I found myself swaying slightly, a reluctant leaf caught in the gentle current of his energy.
“Go sit down. Relax.” He caught my eye with a pointed look. “I’ve got this.”
“Fine, fine.”
I flopped onto the couch, the cushions accepting me like an old friend. From here, I had a clear view into the kitchen—the golden glow of the overhead lights casting a halo around Ennio’s figure. His movements were deft, assured, and every so often, he’d glance over, a smile playing on his lips.
“Hey, Marnin?” he called out.
“Yeah?”
“Open a bottle of wine, will you?”
“Your wish is my command, your highness,” I said, pushing myself up with a groan. But inside, I was smiling. There was no denying the simple pleasure of this moment—just me, Ennio, and the quiet intimacy of a shared meal. It was a kind of contentment that, until now, I hadn’t realized I craved.
Thirty minutes later, we sat at my small dinner table to enjoy the simple pasta with fresh pesto Ennio had made. The rich aroma of garlic and herbs hung in the air, and the wine I’d opened at his behest was a perfect companion to the meal—smooth, with just a hint of oak that lingered on the tongue.
“I’m assuming you want to hit a club tonight?” I asked after wolfing down half my plate. “I’d be happy to come with you and keep an eye on things.”
He looked up from his plate, his eyes holding mine—a clear blue that reminded me of the sky just before dusk. “As tempting as that sounds, I’m beat. Today’s adventure took it out of me.”
I shouldn’t be happy he wanted to stay home. His goal was to find a partner, and I should assist him. “We could try The Neon Flamingo, a newer club with a great DJ and a fun atmosphere.”
“Maybe next time,” he said, setting down his fork and leaning back. “I’m really enjoying this—being here. With you.” His gaze was earnest, almost vulnerable, and it struck something deep within me.
Uh-oh. Alarm bells were going off, red and loud and flashing. “I’m not sure?—
“Relax. I’m not trying to trick you into anything more than sex. But it’s okay to like your company, no?”
I blew out a breath. He knew me well. Maybe too well, which was a bit of an unsettling thought. “Of course. I mean, I can’t help but question your sanity for wanting to hang out with me, but yeah. I just wanted to…” I vaguely gestured.
“Manage expectations. I understand. We’re on the same page, I promise.”
Relief filled me. “Okay.”
After dinner, I cleared the last dishes and put everything in the dishwasher. I’d told Ennio to go sit. Auden’s mom had taught me that people who cook don’t do the dishes, and I stuck to that rule.
Besides, it gave me a little time to think. Ennio’s words had left a confusing warmth in their wake, and I found myself at a loss, unmoored in the sea of emotions his simple preference to stay in had stirred within me. What were we supposed to do? Hanging out felt somehow too…close. Too intimate. I needed to do something with him.
“Hey, how about we watch a movie?” I suggested when I finished the dishes and headed into the living room, where Ennio had installed himself on my couch, clutching his second glass of wine.
“Ooh, yes! Have you seen Red, White & Royal Blue yet?”
“Doesn’t sound familiar. What’s it about?”
“It’s based on a book about a British prince who falls for the son of the American president.”
My brows hitched upward. “It’s a gay movie?”
“It is. It’s even got some sex scenes, though tastefully done, of course.”
“Sure, sounds good.”
“It’s on Prime. I assume you have that?”
I grinned. “Honey, Amazon is my lifeline. I order literally everything there to avoid having to shop in person.”
“Perfect! It’s charming, funny, and trust me, you’ll love it,” Ennio assured me with a flourish of his hand, the dim light glinting off the subtle sheen of his nail polish. His excitement was infectious, as usual. No one could coax me out of my grumpy shell like he could.
“Alright then, Red, White & Royal Blue it is.” I grabbed the remote, feeling an odd sense of anticipation for something as mundane as a movie night.
As the movie started, I sank deeper into the plush sofa, my limbs lax as the characters on screen danced around each other with a tension that mirrored my own. Ennio’s laugh, light and unburdened, filled the room at every witty exchange, and I found myself stealing glances at him, enviously admiring how effortlessly joy seemed to cling to him. What would it be like to be that open? To embrace life with so few reserves and hold nothing back? I couldn’t even imagine.
The plot thickened, the dialogue crackled, we both laughed at the rapidly evaporating animosity between the two guys, and then there it was—the first sex scene. My breath hitched as the actors moved together with an intensity and eagerness that reminded me of the evening before. Ennio had been so responsive, so tuned into me.
My pulse quickened, my skin grew warm, and my mind replayed scenes from our encounter. Fuck, I wanted him. I wanted to bury myself inside him again, hear those little whimpering sounds he made, and taste his soft lips against mine. My cock grew iron-hard within seconds, as if nothing had ever been wrong with me.
“Quite the scene, huh?” Ennio murmured, his voice a feather against my heightened senses.
The movie blurred into the background as our gazes locked. He licked his lips, eyes traveling south and widening when he spotted the outline of my erection. Oh, we were so on the same page.
Ennio scooted over to me, and then I grabbed his wrist and dragged him on top of me. Our lips met without hesitation, a question asked and answered in the same breath. My hand cradled the back of his head, pulling him closer, delving deeper into the taste of him.
Ennio melted into me, responsive and eager, his body pressing against mine as if he wanted to climb inside my skin. Our tongues danced, a mingling of need and want that pushed all rational thought aside. I groaned into his mouth, the sound swallowed by his quiet sigh. His kisses were intoxicating, like drowning in an ocean of lust and never wanting to come up for air. The way he used his tongue to chase mine, to suck and lick inside my mouth… He made my head spin.
I pressed Ennio to me, our kiss deepening, the air around us charging with electricity. My fingers found the hem of his shirt, and I tugged it upward in one fluid motion, breaking away only long enough to pull the fabric over his head. I traced the outline of his sleek muscles, that quiet strength he carried in his slim frame.
“God, you’re beautiful,” I murmured against his lips, my own shirt discarded somewhere in the tangle of limbs and urgency. There was an artistry to his form, something almost ethereal about the way he moved, how he responded to each touch with a soft moan or a sharp intake of breath.
“Thank you.”
The movie played on, a forgotten backdrop to the real sex scene happening between us. I helped Ennio out of his pants, dragging down his underwear at the same time. His pretty cock slapped against his flat stomach, and I ghosted my fingers down his length, then grabbed his balls and squeezed gently. Ennio’s high-pitched whimper told me he liked that edge of pain as much as I did.
With my hand caught between us, I pushed my pelvis against his, creating friction. I loved the sounds he made, so unrestrained, so deliciously dirty and erotic.
“Jesus, I want to be inside you again…”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
I halted, meeting his eyes. I hadn’t counted on fucking him again. “You’re not too sore?”
“Don’t care. Need to feel you inside me. You fucked me so good, Marnin. Don’t make me beg.”
Something inside me snapped. The confirmation was all I needed to abandon any pretense of restraint. With a growl, I closed the gap between us once more, claiming his mouth with a fervor that matched the rawness of my desire. He rutted against me, kissing me back with an enthusiasm that had me impossibly hard.
“Hurry up,” Ennio moaned, his hands fumbling with my belt, his eagerness matching mine.
I lifted my hips as he dragged the fabric down, then kicked off my pants and underwear. Naked flesh met naked flesh, and my body shivered in anticipation.
I nipped his bottom lip, and I was pretty sure my grip on him was too hard, bordering on bruising, but he moaned, clearly into it. The fact that he loved a little roughness only fueled my fire and my need to be inside him.
My hands, steady despite the rush of blood deafening my thoughts, found the lube and a condom in the side drawer by the couch. Ennio watched me with that mix of anticipation and impatience that made him irresistible. I slicked my fingers quickly, reaching around to prepare him, wanting him ready for me.
His breath hitched as I worked him open, my fingers coaxing him to let go, to give in to the urgency building between us like a storm. He opened beautifully, moving against my hand, urging me to go faster, deeper, harder.
“Ready,” he grunted. “Stop playing around.”
“Don’t wanna hurt you.”
“You won’t. Not more than what I like anyway. Please, Marnin, don’t make me beg you to put your fucking cock in me.”
Jesus fuck, the mouth on him. I withdrew my fingers. “Come here.”
He allowed me to manhandle him as I bent him over the edge of the couch, the perfect height to rail him hard. The sight of him there, the soft lights catching the contours of his body, the way he stuck that luscious ass back for me, how he spread his legs and teased me with his hole—it did things to me. Primal, possessive things.
I positioned myself at his entrance, pushing in slowly at first before surrendering to the hunger that clawed at my insides and sinking in all the way. Ennio gasped, his fingers digging into the fabric of the couch, and I held his hips, grounding myself as much as him. I should have waited, given him time to adjust, but I couldn’t. My need to claim him, to own him, was too strong.
I started to move with fast, sharp thrusts, each punch of my hips punctuated by his moans and the slap of skin on skin. He met my every move, matching my speed and force. We created a rhythm that was frantic and raw, our bodies speaking a language older than words.
“Harder,” Ennio gasped, and I obliged, driving into him with all the force of my desire for him. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered why my need for him was so strong when I rarely fucked the same person twice, but then instinct took over, drawing out everything else. I drove inside him as he held on for dear life, making sounds every time our bodies crashed into each other.
His hole was red, obscenely stretched around my thick cock, and so damn enticing it could’ve been a drug. Jesus fuck, he was so slick and tight, so snug around my dick as if he never wanted to let me go.
“Ennio,” I grunted, feeling that familiar coil of heat building in my core. It was fast, too fast, but he and I were caught in the same wave of need and lust, about to crash.
“Fuck, Marnin,” he managed, his voice breaking on the last syllable. “Almost there.”
I adjusted my angle and hit his happy spot dead on.
“Ungh, fuck… Right there. Please, Marnin, please. Don’t stop. Don’t you dare fucking stop.”
Even if I’d wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to. “I got you. Let go, baby.”
I fucked into him hard and fast and with perfect aim, and within seconds, his body went rigid. “Oh god,” he moaned. “Fuuuuuck…”
This time, I didn’t stop, didn’t slow down. The last thing I wanted was to give my cock the opportunity to deflate. Nope, this time, I was coming inside him.
I froze.
Fuck.
I wasn’t wearing a condom. How the fuck was that possible? In the thirty-plus years since I’d become sexually active, I had never fucked anyone without a condom. Ever.
“Marnin?”
It cost me all my willpower to hold still, and I couldn’t make myself pull out just yet. “I forgot the condom.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve never… I got caught up and forgot. That’s never happened to me before.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. It’s my responsibility to keep you safe.”
“Don’t make it into a bigger deal than it is. You’re tested regularly, right?”
“Yeah. Every month. Always negative. And I’m on PrEP.”
“So am I, so it’s fine.”
I blew out a breath. “Thank you. I’ll put one on now.”
“No, you won’t. Keep fucking me.”
“But—”
“It’s okay. Keep fucking me.”
It felt all kinds of wrong, and at the same time, I was enthralled by the reality of fucking him raw. I’d never done that, not since my very first time, which had been with Tiago. I’d used condoms ever since.
It took me a few thrusts to get back into it—and to get my cock back to its previous state, as it had flagged a little—but all I had to do was look at Ennio’s sweet hole and picture my cum dripping out of it. Fuck, I couldn’t wait.
He pushed his ass back and, with legs spread wide, encouraged me to fuck him hard. And even though he’d come already, he was making sounds as filthy as the squelch of my cock sinking inside him. The sound of his pleasure was my undoing. With a few more powerful thrusts, I reached the edge and tumbled over it, my release tearing through me in shuddering waves.
For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of my labored breathing and the slow return to reality. I remained inside him, savoring the closeness, the aftershocks of pleasure that coursed through me.
“Thank you,” I stupidly said, my brain not fully back online yet.
Ennio giggled. “Right back atcha, champ, but you’re welcome?”
With reluctance, I pulled out and stood up straight, stretching my sore muscles for a moment. “Let me clean you up.”
I grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the coffee table, but then had to take a moment to admire the sight of that gorgeous ass…with my cum dripping out of it. Damn. If I were a painter, I would’ve immortalized that right there. Maybe mot Louvre-worthy but it would’ve been one hell of a memory.
After taking my fill, I wiped Ennio down with a gentleness that contradicted the harshness of our earlier actions. My hands were steady, but my pulse was still racing from the intensity of what we’d shared. The logical part of my brain urged me to back away, to reestablish the boundaries I was so accustomed to guarding. Yet, as I cleaned myself off, watching Ennio’s chest rise and fall with each satisfied breath, I hesitated.
“Thanks,” he murmured, his blue eyes soft with gratitude. He reached for the remote, fingers brushing mine in a lingering touch that sent another jolt through me.
“Sure,” I managed to say, betraying none of the turmoil inside.
The movie flickered back to life on the screen as Ennio pushed a few buttons to bring us back to where we’d gotten distracted. I should’ve been planning my retreat to the other end of the couch, but Ennio shifted closer, tucking his legs under him and leaning into my side with an ease that felt disarmingly right, even though we were both still naked.
“Keep watching?” he asked, head tilting toward me, lashes casting shadows over his flushed cheeks.
“Okay,” I said, more out of reflex than decision. I wasn’t sure why I agreed so readily—perhaps it was the warmth radiating from his body or the way he looked at me.
We watched in comfortable silence, the characters’ lives unfolding before us, their trials and tribulations a stark contrast to the simple moment we were sharing. Ennio’s laughter filled the room at intervals, a melodic sound that made the corners of my mouth twitch in response.
Without quite realizing it, I relaxed against the cushions, allowing the tension to seep from my muscles. Ennio’s head eventually came to rest against my shoulder, his breaths evening out as sleep claimed him. His presence was soothing, an unexpectedly welcome deviation from my usually solitary existence.
As the credits rolled, I turned off the TV but didn’t bother to move. The night had grown quiet around us, the only sounds the distant hum of the city and Ennio’s gentle breathing. I let my eyes close, inhaling his scent—soap and something uniquely Ennio.
“Stay,” a part of me whispered, not to Ennio, who was already lost to dreams, but to the half of myself who wanted to push him away. And for once, I listened.
Under the cover of darkness, with Ennio’s warmth pressed against me, sleep took me too.