Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tommy helped himself to more coffee, yawning widely.
“Looks like someone didn’t get much sleep last night,” Caroline said from behind him.
She chuckled. “Did you stay up late or something?” The kitchen was quiet.
Bethany had already left to play tennis at the club, and Ben was nowhere to be found.
He hadn’t come home the previous night, not that Tommy was about to share that with his mom. She didn’t need to know.
He covered his mouth politely with his hand and turned around to face her.
“Sorry. I was talkin’ with Mike on Skype for a while.
” “A while” translated as four hours. One of the things they’d been discussing was Tommy’s plans for the future.
Mike had been impressed that if everything went according to plan, Tommy would have to study for a total of seven years to become a vet.
What had impressed him most was that Tommy was prepared for that.
Tommy knew it was going to be hard work, but it was what he wanted.
It had felt really good talking through all his plans.
They’d discussed summer school, his scholarship, everything.
It had been so nice, curled up in his sofa bed, the laptop on the mattress next to him where he could see it, Mike lying in his hotel room, the two of them talking. Tommy had been amazed at how quickly time had flown. He still couldn’t get over the idea of Mike wanting to take him away.
“Okay, do I wanna know what just crossed your mind?” Caroline was grinning. “Because you have this little smile on your face right now.”
Tommy knew he was blushing. “I guess I can tell you, seein’ as you’re sorta my substitute momma.”
Caroline beamed at that. “ Damn straight.” He chuckled, and she laughed. “You know what I mean.”
He couldn’t help smiling. “Mike has asked me to go away with him for spring break. Just for a few days.” His pulse raced at the thought.
Caroline arched her eyebrows. She poured herself more coffee. “And how do you feel about that?” She sat back in her chair, regarding him steadily.
Tommy shrugged. “Okay, I s’pose. Guess there’s a first time for everything, right?” It did excite him, the idea of spending time in a hotel with Mike.
“Hmm.” Caroline pursed her lips. “I’m gonna put on my substitute momma hat, in that case.”
Tommy stared at her, chest tight. Caroline drummed her beautifully manicured nails on the tabletop.
“I want to meet him.” She pressed her lips together.
“Meet Mike?” Tommy straightened, mouth open.
She nodded. “Bring him to lunch next Sunday.” Caroline stared at him intently.
“And I will not take no for an answer, y’hear?
I’m the next best thing you’ve got to a momma right now, and I intend to take my responsibilities seriously.
So if Mike wants to take you away, he has to meet me first.” She smiled sweetly.
“Sunday, midday. I will expect to see both of you.” Her eyes glittered.
“And now I’ll take my husband some more coffee, while there’s some left.
” She got up and crossed the floor to the coffee machine.
Tommy watched her, his mind in a whirl. He had no way of knowing how Mike would feel about Caroline’s… invitation. All he knew was that it felt too much like introducing his lover to his prospective in-laws.
Talk about bein’ taken home to meet the parents…. Damn, this was getting scary.
So why did he like the idea?
“Mike? You still there?” The silence at the end of the phone was beginning to worry him.
“Sorry. You sorta caught me off guard for a minute. Let me get this straight. Caroline, your roomie’s mom, wants me to come to Sunday lunch? This Sunday? So she can basically vet me?”
“Uh, yeah.” Now that Tommy thought about it, he could understand how Mike might see it as kind of a weird setup.
“You know how things are. She looks out for me. Hey, she was the one who took me shoppin’ for that outfit I wore, the leather jacket ’n’ pants?
An’ she ’n’ her husband have been really good to me since… .”
“Yeah, I know,” Mike came back quickly. “And now that I’ve had time to think, it’s not a bad thing. Like you said, she’s looking out for you. Hell, for all she knows, I might be some old pervert who’s about to kidnap you and sell you into sexual slavery.”
The maniacal laughter that followed had Tommy giggling.
“Oh, man, you’re gonna be trouble, aren’t ya?”
Mike chuckled. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll be on my best behavior on Sunday, okay?”
It took a moment for his words to register. Then Tommy smiled. “So you’re comin’?”
“Of course I’m coming. I’m gonna be charming, polite, funny, whatever it takes to show Caroline and the rest of her family that you’ll be safe with me.” He paused. “That I’ll take care of you.” His voice was soft.
It was Tommy’s turn to be quiet. A warm glow spread throughout his body. “Thank you,” he said quietly. He took a quick look at the clock. “Sorry, but I need to go. I’m working on a paper that’s due Friday, an’ I wanna make sure I’ve covered everything.”
“Sure, you go get your studying done, Mr. Future Veterinarian.”
Tommy chuckled. “I’ll call you later, okay? Before I go to sleep?” It was a recent habit they’d gotten into and one that Tommy loved. Lying in his bed, listening to Mike’s voice on the phone, feeling warm and cozy….
“Sounds good.” Mike’s voice grew husky. “Later, then.”
“See ya.” Tommy disconnected the call and placed the phone out of reach. He glanced at the pile of books to his left and sighed. Talking with Mike was a pleasant distraction, but there was work to be done. Time enough to chat with his lover when he’d finished his task.
Something Mike had said flashed through his mind, something about taking care of him, and just for a second the words got Tommy’s dander up. I don’t need takin’ care of. For goodness’ sake, he was nearly twenty. Then he got to thinking about it some more. Does Mike see me as vulnerable? Innocent?
The thought gave him pause.
Tommy liked how things were going with Mike. It was a good balance of sex and friendship, and he felt like it was moving in the right direction. He had no way of knowing if Mike felt the same way, but if his words were anything to go by, maybe they weren’t on the same page—yet.
Then maybe I need to do something so he sees that I’m a man.
Tommy had been content to follow Mike’s lead when it came to sex. Despite Mike’s demand that he share his likes and dislikes, it still wasn’t something he felt comfortable doing.
Then maybe it’s time I did.
Ben might be into playing the field, but that wasn’t Tommy. He guessed every bone in his body was monogamous, but he was just fine with that. Now all he had to do was make Mike see that he was it, pure ’n’ simple, as far as Tommy was concerned.
Mike was the one.
They hadn’t stopped kissing once, not since they’d gotten through Mike’s front door.
Boots kicked off, clothes off, followed by a collision of lips and tongues as Mike had steered Tommy backward into his bedroom, Tommy moaning into his mouth the whole time.
“Missed you… want you….” It was the first time his young lover had given voice to his need, and Mike hadn’t hesitated.
Mike had seen it coming ever since Tommy had walked into Woofs.
Christ, the looks he’d kept giving Mike, so fucking hot that Mike was hard as a rock by the time they’d left.
It was a good thing there were no cops around, because he was damn sure he’d broken the speed limit, trying to get home in such a god-awful hurry.
And Tommy had been right behind him the whole time.
Sex had never been this hot between them.
Tommy was on fire, pulling him down to kiss him while Mike fucked him, arms around his neck and back, keeping them connected.
Mike kept slowing down to kiss him. He wanted it to last a while, but there was little chance of that.
He was drowning in sensation: the sound of their breathing, harsh in the quiet of his room; the feel of Tommy’s thighs around his waist, ankles crossed on his back, his heels digging into the swell of Mike’s ass; Tommy’s kisses, hot, sloppy and so fucking perfect.
Mike dropped his head to Tommy’s neck, hips pistoning as he fucked him hard.
“Close, baby,” he panted. He rocked into Tommy, who met his thrusts with equal passion, the two of them gaining momentum as Mike punched his cock deep into Tommy, balls slapping against Tommy’s ass.
He stared down at Tommy and shoved his dick deep. “Whose ass is this?”
“Yours,” Tommy cried out, eyes impossibly wide. Mike thrust hard again, and Tommy sobbed out, “Yours!”
His arms tightened around Mike, fingers digging into the flesh, until Mike could feel Tommy’s nails scoring him, Tommy’s mouth open in a breathless scream of pleasure.
That was it. “Oh, fuck, coming!”
“Yeah, oh, yeah!”
Tommy grabbed at the back of his head and kissed him, tongue going deep, moaning loudly while his ass gripped Mike’s dick. Tommy’s shaft was trapped between them, leaving sticky trails of precome over their abs.
“Oh shit!” Mike howled as he came, filling the condom, spilling into Tommy as deep as he could get.
Heat spread between their bodies as Tommy came with a loud cry, arching up off the bed, body rigid as his orgasm hit.
Mike held him, his dick pulsing inside him, unable to move as Tommy’s muscles held him prisoner. Not that he wanted to.
They clung to each other, bodies racked with tremors, breathing erratic, until little by little, muscles relaxed, tension slipped away, and they lay in each other’s arms, kissing, caressing, small noises escaping that made little or no sense.
Mike nuzzled Tommy’s neck, kissing the soft flesh, loving the way Tommy turned his head to meet Mike’s lips with his own.