Chapter Ten
It had been almost a month since the convention, and it seemed that William had been right. Everything between them had ended when they returned. Justin kept his promise, of course. He was friendly and helpful at work. They seemed to be getting along. Justin had even left a mentoring application on his desk the day after they returned. William did his best to follow Justin’s lead, but he wasn’t sure a casual friendship was all he wanted from the man. Sometimes when Justin talked to him, the sound of his voice was enough to send tingles rushing along his spine. And when they were alone, the desire to pull him close and claim his lips was all but overwhelming. Don’t even get me started on the sexual fantasies. Their weekend together was burned into his brain and played every time he touched himself.
William sat in his father’s office going over their schedule with him. “We have a representative from Kinetics coming on the twenty-eighth.”
Isaac nodded. “I want you to handle that with Maddox. You know what we need better than I do.”
“Of course, Dad. I’ll make sure everything is in order.”
“I know you will.” His father smiled at him. “You seem to be adjusting well to being home.”
“Yeah,” William confirmed. “Getting back to the things that make me happy helps. Justin got me involved with the mentoring program at Howard. Did you know that Faith is a teacher there?”
“Is she?” William nodded causing his father to shrug. “Let’s hope she’s grown up as well.”
“Trust me, so do I.”
“Well, I’m about to head out. Are you going to be home for dinner?”
“Yes, sir.” William nodded, walking toward the door.
“Oh, William.” He turned back. “I just wanted to let you know that you’re doing an incredible job.”
“Thanks, Dad.” William went back to his own office with a smile. He was really giving this his best effort, and he was glad that his father saw that. He sat the files he was working on down on his desk, almost missing the white envelope with his name scrawled across it. Strange, he thought, picking it up and taking a folded piece of paper out of it. When he straightened the letter, something fell out. They were tickets to this weekend’s game. He looked back at the note while his heart beat rapidly in his chest.
If you haven’t changed your mind, call me tonight. J.
Of course he hadn’t changed his mind. Actually, he wanted nothing more. He sat down and pulled out his cell phone. After dinner?
8, Justin replied.
William quickly finished up anything that couldn’t wait until Monday then shut down everything in his office so that he could get home. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of weekend this would be, and what Justin wanted from him. He didn’t even realize that he was in a daze of thoughts until he pulled into his driveway. Thank goodness for autopilot, I guess. William shook his head, getting out of the car. He walked over to the back door entrance to the main house, which opened to the kitchen.
His mom looked up from putting the finishing touches on dinner. “Oh, honey, you’re right on time. Carry this to the table for me.” She patted his cheek before thrusting a serving platter into his hands. He followed her into the dining room with a small smile and a shake of his head. His father was already seated.
“Any plans for this weekend, William?” Isaac asked as he filled his plate.
“I might head over to Dallas with a friend to watch Sunday’s game.” William tried to sound nonchalant, but probably failed. “We haven’t worked out all the details yet.”
“Well, won’t that be fun, dear.” His mother patted his arm. “Which friend?” she asked innocently.
William wasn’t sure Justin wanted people to know they were hanging out outside of work, but these were his parents, and he always felt horrible about lying to them. “Justin,” he said softly. Instead of showing any kind of surprise at his answer, his mother looked happy and proud, while his father was smiling and nodding.
“I have noticed a huge difference in the way you two treat each other at the office. I’m glad you were able to get past everything and be friends again.” Friends, there was that word again. It sounded even worse out loud than it did in his head. “May I ask what turned things around?”
“Honestly, it was the trip to the convention.” That trip had completely changed his life and made him want things he wasn’t sure he could have.
“I told you it would work.” Abby smiled broadly, clapping her hands like an excited child. “I knew all you needed was the opportunity to hash things out.”
“So, we created one.” Isaac shrugged.
“That’s why you backed out the morning of?” They had tricked him, and set him up, but there was no way he could be angry about it. Being with Justin that week had been one of the most intense experiences of his life. He wanted to hug his mother for her interference. “Thank you,” he told them both sincerely.
Isaac shook his head. “We never need a thank you for doing our job, Son.” He put his hand on William’s shoulder. “When your mother was pregnant, we thought a lot about what kind of parents we would be. Everyone we knew, and some we didn’t, had advice to give us. But your great-uncle Elton was the one who gave us the best recommendation. I suppose having five kids made him an expert.” Isaac chuckled.
“Uncle Elton said that there were only three things every child really needs,” Abby continued. “Unconditional love, a lifetime of the best guidance you’re capable of giving, and sincere forgiveness.”
“We’ve done everything in our power to always show you those things,” his father told him.
“You have,” William assured them. “You are the best parents anyone could ask for.” His mother’s smile at his words warmed his heart. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Anyway, what about you guys?” he asked.
“We were thinking about taking the boat out on the lake with Maddox’s parents. They’re in town for the next few weeks,” his father answered.
“Oh, did they move away?” William asked.
“Basically.” Isaac shrugged. “They traded their, what they referred to as, ‘stuffy lifestyle’ for the open road. They sold their house, bought an RV, and just go wherever the wind takes them.”
“I can’t wait to hear Carol’s tales of their latest adventure.” His mother had always liked Maddox’s, whom she considered a loving free spirit. “She tells them so well; you can almost imagine yourself there with them.” She let out a little sigh and shook her head wistfully. “Maybe someday.” That was the first time he’d ever heard his mother express an interest in traveling. Sure, they’d gone on vacations every summer when he was a kid, but they always stayed in resorts with amenities. It was nothing like the off-the-beaten-path nomad-style the Sterling’s were pursuing. He couldn’t imagine his parents like that. Hell, he’d never even seen his dad in a shirt without buttons.
Dinner continued with talk of the places his parents would like to visit one day. They even brought him into it. “What about you, William?” his father asked. “Where would you go if you could go anywhere?”
Dallas with Justin. But he couldn’t say that, so he went for choice two. “I’ve always wanted to see the northern lights.”
“I’m sure that is breathtaking.” His mother had a faraway look in her eyes for a few seconds before she returned her focus. “Well now, is everyone done?” She rose and started collecting dishes.
“Why don’t you let me do this, Mom?” William had checked the time, only seven thirty. He needed to do something to kill time and keep his hands busy.
“Are you sure, honey?”
“Yeah, of course. You two go relax. Call the Sterlings and plan your outing.” He took the dishes from her. “I’m going to go out to my room when I finish up here.”
“Thank you, William. Good night.” She kissed his cheek before turning away and looking around. “Now where did I put that phone?” William laughed. His mother pretty much never knew where her phone was. It was like an Easter egg hunt trying to find the thing every time it went off.
Isaac laughed as well. “I think I saw it next to your chair.” They both went in the direction of the living room.
Alone, he took the dishes to the sink, rinsing and putting them into the dishwasher while lost in the same thoughts he had been on the drive home. This weekend felt like it was going to be some kind of monumental event. Something that would change his life forever. Which was silly, of course. They were going to a football game. It wasn’t like Justin had mentioned eloping or something. He wasn’t even sure yet how this was going to go down, or what Justin’s plans were.
“Oh good, you’re still here.” Isaac came up behind him as he was finishing the pans. “I wanted to tell you that we’ve decided to go out to breakfast before sailing, so we won’t be here in the morning.”
“No problem. Thanks for letting me know. I hope you all have a great time tomorrow.”
Isaac patted his back. “You too, Son. Good night.”
William finished the last of the dishes then flipped off the kitchen lights before walking out to his room. He kicked off his shoes as soon as he entered then went to sit down on his bed. His heart pounded as he again dialed Justin’s number.
“Hello.” Justin picked up on the second ring.
“Hi,” William returned.
“Guess this means you still want to go.”
“Yes.” His immediate answer caused Justin to chuckle.
“What would you say to leaving around eight tomorrow morning? We could spend the night in Dallas, then catch the game on Sunday.”
“Do you want to take your truck or my car?” William asked instead of answering.
“I’ll drive,” Justin told him. “Should I pick you up, or would you prefer to meet somewhere?”
“You can pick me up at my house.”
“Good.” William could imagine Justin smiling at his statement. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Then his voice got sultry and low. “Sleep well.” Then he disconnected.
William got through his bedtime routine in a daze then slid between the sheets, thoughts of Justin swirling through his head until sleep found him.
Two minutes after eight, Justin pulled into the Harper’s driveway. William must have been waiting for him because he came out immediately. Either he didn’t want anyone to see who he was going with, or he was incredibly excited about this trip. Maybe it was a little of both. He came over to the truck, put his bags in the backseat, then climbed in on the passenger’s side.
“Hey,” Justin greeted him.
“Hi,” William returned with a shy smile.
“Ready?” Justin backed out onto the street when William nodded. “I’m glad you decided to come.” He glanced over at the man next to him. William seemed to be vibrating with a nervous energy, so Justin put his hand on his knee in a calming effort.
“I am, too.” William’s hand covered his.
At those simple words, Justin’s cock hardened, and he felt a heavy thud in his chest. “Sorry about the late notice.” But he wasn’t, not really. He had to be sure first.
In the weeks following the convention, he had watched William closely. He’d seen very little of the man he used to know. Scratch that, of the child he used to know. Grown-up William was a pretty great guy. After somewhat of a rocky start, he quickly became an expert on every system, protocol, and policy S&H had. He was even popular among the rest of the employees, and his door was always open. He had a way of talking to people that made them feel understood and important, even if it wasn’t about work matters. At lunchtime, he could usually be found in the breakroom with everyone else who was on site that day. Hell, he’d even again donned a polo to help on a shorthanded crew. He was acting like he was just any other employee, and that was the way Justin had been treating him. He’d purposefully kept all their interactions to a friendly yet professional manner. He didn’t want hormones influencing his decision. Sometimes, William made that almost impossible though. Justin could see the desire in the man’s eyes every time he looked at him.
“This may sound pathetic, but I haven’t really made any kind of plans since I’ve been home.” William’s thumb moved back and forth across Justin’s hand in a gentle caress. “But even if that wasn’t the case, I would have still kept this weekend open.”
“You must really like football,” Justin joked, not ready to process how profoundly that statement affected him. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw William shake his head with a smile.
“Something like that.” Justin peeked over at William and noticed a faint staining of his cheeks. “What’s the plan for today?”
“I was thinking about lunch after we checked into the hotel. Then maybe the botanical gardens.” Justin tried to sound nonchalant.
“The gardens? Really?” William’s excitement was everything he’d hoped for. “I haven’t been there since high school.”
“Yeah, me either.” They had gone to the Dallas Botanical Gardens on their ninth-grade end-of-the-year trip. It was something of a bittersweet memory, and part of him wanted to replace it with a different one. “I know how much you used to love going to Mrs. Drummond’s greenhouse. And how excited you were to go on that trip.”
“I can’t believe you remember that.” William squeezed his hand.
It was Justin’s turn to blush, and he quickly changed the subject. “Where did you tell your parents you were going this weekend?”
“To Sunday’s game with you.” William shrugged.
“Really?” He was a little surprised. He’d honestly thought William wouldn’t want anyone to know.
“Yeah.” William shrugged again. “It’s not like I’m ashamed of the fact that we’re hanging out.”
A warmth flowed over Justin. “What did they say?”
William chuckled and shook his head. “That they knew their plan would work.”
“What plan?” Justin asked quizzically.
“My dad purposely backed out of the convention when he found out Maddox wasn’t going. Mom believed we would be forced to work out our differences along the way.”
“What did they think the problem was?” Justin wondered.
“The stuff that happened when we were kids.”
“You told them about that?” He was again surprised by William.
“Not until a couple of months ago, but yeah.” William nodded. “You don’t even want to know about the resulting lecture I got. But I deserved it.” William took a heavy breath then looked over at him. “You don’t know how much I hate myself for hurting you.”
“That’s in the past, William,” Justin said. “Let’s leave it there, okay?”
The sun seemed to shine brighter when William nodded with a brilliant smile. Of its own accord, his hand moved up to William’s thigh. He felt the man shiver slightly, which caused his own body to react. At least they were pretty close to their destination. And while he couldn’t wait to get William into bed, there were other things he wanted to do first. He wasn’t trying to make this just a sex thing. For some reason, he wanted more with William, but he wasn’t exactly sure what.
“Is there anything you want to do while we’re here?” he asked William.
“Does being alone with you count?”
“That one’s easy. And already done.” Justin lightly rubbed William’s thigh. “Just you and me this weekend.”
“Good,” William said as they pulled into the parking lot of the Safeway Inn.
“Be right back,” Justin said to William before getting out to go into the hotel lobby.
“Good afternoon, sir,” the woman behind the desk greeted him. “My name is Angela. How may I assist you?”
“Hi there.” He stepped up to the counter and took out his ID. “I have a reservation for Ashton.”
She took his license and quickly clicked around on her computer. “Of course, Mr. Ashton.” She handed him a key card. “Room three-fifteen. Anything else I can do to make your stay more enjoyable?”
“Actually, my partner and I have been on the road pretty much all day, and we’re starving. Where would you recommend?”
“There’s a small, locally owned authentic pizzeria down the street, Mariana’s,” she replied. “It’s to die for. One bite and you’ll be completely in love.”
“Thanks, Angela.”
“No problem, Mr. Ashton. Have a wonderful day.”
Justin walked back out to the truck so he could park in front of their room. “Come on,” he said to William with a smile before getting out and walking up to the door. William joined him, and they both went in.
William placed his bag on the dresser then sat down on the bed, staring at Justin. Justin dropped his bag on the floor and joined him, sitting as close to him as possible. “I’ve been dying to kiss you since you picked me up,” William whispered.
Justin had wanted that as well. He had wanted to pull the man tightly to him and kiss him senseless. But he couldn’t, not in front of the Harper household. But here, they were all alone. He took William’s face in his hands, bringing their lips together. William parted his instantly, swirling his tongue with Justin’s.
“Damn,” Justin said when the kiss broke. He ran his thumb over William’s lower lip. Why the hell does kissing this man feel so good, so right? Why does William in my arms feel so fucking necessary? “We should really get out of here before I forget all about feeding you and keep you in bed until it’s time to go to the game.”
“That doesn’t sound like much of a threat.” William smiled. “And it’s definitely something I would encourage.”
“Do not tempt me.” Fuck, all it took was William’s words to cause his already hard cock to throb. “Food first.” He kissed the man deeply, anyway, not stopping until William was moaning into his mouth.
“Justin,” William whispered, his voice a little breathy.
Justin stood, taking William’s hand and helping him to his feet. “Come on.” He pulled him toward the door. “The sooner we start our day, the sooner we can get back.” He winked and saw William flush with desire.
When they were both settled into the truck, Justin pulled out of the parking lot and headed down the street to the pizza place Angela recommended. It was a small blue brick building with the most incredible smells wafting outside.
“I hope it tastes as good as it smells,” William commented as they entered.
“The hotel receptionist seemed quite fond of this place.” Justin shrugged.
“Welcome to Mariana’s,” the hostess greeted them.
“Hi,” Justin returned. “Can we get a table for two, please?”
“Of course, sir. I’d be happy to seat you gentlemen right away if you’re ready.”
Both men nodded then followed her into the seating area. The place had something of an old-world, old-fashioned kind of vibe that Justin really dug. The entire place was lit by soft lamps and flickering candles. Very romantic, was all he could think, and he couldn’t stop himself from taking William’s hand as they were shown to their table. William squeezed, letting Justin know he liked the gesture.
“Here we go,” the hostess said, handing them their menus. “Your waiter will be right with you.”
“I like this place.” William looked around at the decor with a smile, before opening the menu. “What are you thinking?”
Justin looked the menu over. “What if we split a pepperoni and mushroom?” William nodded just as the waiter arrived, so Justin went ahead and placed their order.
While they waited, Justin found that he couldn’t take his eyes off William. The soft glow around him made him look almost angelic, although the thoughts he inspired were anything but. “Damn, you are beautiful.” William blushed slightly but reached across the table to take Justin’s hand. Fuck. He’d waited his whole life for someone to look at him like that. Never in a million years did he expect that person to be William Harper.
The pizza arrived, and it tasted as good as it looked. While they ate, William told a story about interviewing the men’s Olympic soccer team. Justin listened intently, much more interested because of the soothing sound of William’s voice. He heard all about how the goalie caught a ball that everyone had deemed unstoppable. And about how the center midfielder, who intercepted a pass from out of nowhere to win the game, collapsed against him after the game due to an intense adrenaline drop. He and William both laughed. Damn, even the man’s laugh was transfixing. He was screwed and he knew it. He needed to get these fantasies of forever with William out of his head. Friends with benefits were all they’d probably ever be.
Pizza finished, William smiled at him. “Are you ready to get out of here?” he asked, signaling their waiter when Justin nodded.
“What can I get for you gentlemen?” the cherry young man asked.
“We just need the check, please,” William told him.
“Of course, sir. I’ll get that and be right back.” Justin looked over at William. Drop-dead gorgeous, that’s what he was. “Here you are, sir.” The waiter was back before he knew it. He pulled out his wallet, taking out enough cash to cover the bill and a very generous tip.
“Ready?” Justin took William’s hand as they walked out of the restaurant and back to his truck. “Can you pull up the directions to the gardens?” Justin asked William when they got back in.
William took out his phone and typed in the information. “Got it.”
Justin turned back onto the main road, letting William direct him. The gardens ended up being about half an hour away from where they were staying. There wasn’t much conversation along the way, but the silence wasn’t the least bit uncomfortable. And the way William held onto his hand made him feel at peace. He found a parking spot near the front. As they made their way to the arched entrance, sad memories washed over him. William pulled him to the side just past the welcome sign.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Justin shrugged. “I was just thinking about the last time we were here.”
William took his hand and squeezed it. Justin stared at him for a moment. It was sort of surreal to be here with him again after all these years. “Come on,” he said before gently tugging him along with him.
Justin had to admit, the gardens were even more beautiful than he remembered. But maybe it was just the fact that he was holding William’s hand. They came upon the waterfall section at the entrance to the Red Maple Rill section and stopped. He couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the way the water cascaded down over the large rocks. William seemed entranced as well.
“Can we take a picture?” William asked.
“Of what?” Justin was confused. Why would William need his approval for that?
“Us by the falls.” William chuckled. “What else would I want a picture of?”
“Why not?” Justin shrugged before pulling William in front of him, holding him with one arm across his chest. “Like this?” he whispered in William’s ear.
“Exactly like this.” He felt a shiver go through William as he raised his phone to click the selfie.
He looked at the resulting photo. Damn, we look good together. “Come on.”
Around the last bend, they came to a small, flowered gazebo. Justin again stopped. He was transported back to the ninth grade. William squeezed his hand, pulling him over to the benched side to sit. He took Justin’s face in his hands and gently pressed their lips together. Justin took over, wrapping William tightly in his arms. He had William breathless by the time he pulled back. Justin brought his hand up to William’s cheek. Looking deeply into his eyes, he offered him a small smile.
“You look a little sad.” William gave him a quick soft kiss.
“The last time we sat here was the last time we were friends.” He ran his thumb across William’s lower lip. “Do you remember?”
“Yes.” William got up, moving to lean against the railing overlooking a small koi pond. Justin joined him. “You were standing here looking into the water. I called your name, but it was like you couldn’t hear me. Then, when I came over, you didn’t even notice I was here until I touched you. You looked so lost.”
“I had a lot going on.” Justin turned to look into the same pond he had all those years ago.
William put his arm around Justin’s shoulders. “You said you were worried about your family.” Justin’s baby brother, Brandon, had been born two months prematurely, weighing just under three pounds.
“Everything was in chaos. My mom was a mess. She spent most of her time at the hospital, and when she was home, all she did was cry. Dad was barely holding it together. I was trying to help all I could, especially with the girls. But they were all so young, and they just wanted their mommy or daddy. I was on the verge of losing it myself.” Justin leaned his head against William.
“You said you almost skipped the trip.”
Justin shrugged. “Dad refused to let me though. He said he was so proud of me for stepping up, but no way was he letting me miss this. He had Aunt Sara come stay with us through the summer.”
William held Justin a little tighter. “I tried calling you when I found out.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t in a good place. Brandon’s death hit me hard. Especially for someone I’d never even met.”
“I get it. You adore your sisters, but you were super excited to be getting a little brother. It was all you talked about for months. You had all these plans and dreams, and they all just abruptly went away.”
“I got your card.”
William turned Justin to him, cupping his chin. “I wish I had been a better person back then.”
Justin pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Have you forgiven yourself?”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever been asked that.” The look on William’s face told him that he had never thought to examine such a thing.
“Well, have you?”
“No,” he said quietly after a moment.
“That’s your biggest problem.” Justin’s thumb slid over William’s lower lip. “If you can’t do that, no amount of forgiveness I, or anyone else may give you, won’t make you feel any better.”
“I’m not sure I know how to do that.”
Justin stroked his cheek. “I’m not excusing what happened, but you were just a kid.” He leaned into the man. William’s lips were so close that Justin could feel his breath. “And I really like the man you’ve become.” Justin closed the minute distance between them. The hand that had been on William’s cheek moved down to his jaw while the other arm came around his waist. William put his arms around Justin. “Should I show you how much?”
“Definitely.” At his words, Justin gently pushed William against one of the gazebo’s support pillars, pressing them as close together as they could get. By the time they broke apart, his knees felt a little weak.
A young woman with short dark hair and a green park employee shirt came over to them. “We’re about to close, gentlemen. Would you please start making your way out?”
“Sure thing.” William grabbed Justin’s hand, leading him toward the exit.
“I hope you both had a wonderful visit,” she called.
“Amazing,” Justin said with a smile, as he followed William.
“Where to now?” William asked when they’d settled in the truck. “And just so you know, our room is a perfectly acceptable answer.” He winked. “In fact, I really endorse that one.”
“As incredibly tempting as that is, there is one more place I’d like to go. If you’re up for it.”
“Where?” William wondered.
“There’s this night spot I heard about, High & Tight, and it’s supposed to be designed like a speakeasy.” Justin was incredibly excited about the visit, so he hoped William would agree to go.
“Sounds like a lot of fun.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty authentic, complete with a barbershop front.”
“We should definitely go, then.” William pulled out his phone to bring up the directions to the bar.
They held hands the whole way there, with Justin thinking about how couple-like this trip was. And how very much he liked that. Soon they were walking into an old-fashioned barbershop.
“Welcome, gentlemen,” a smiling man next to a barber’s chair greeted them. “Can we line you up today?”
Justin ran his hand along the back of his neck. He really wanted to. Who knew when or if he’d be back this way again?
“You should let him,” William said, bumping his shoulder.
“You think?” Justin looked over at him.
William brought his hand up to Justin’s neck, gently caressing his hairline before pushing him forward. “Definitely.”
“I’m Alfred.” The barber turned the chair toward them.
“Hey, Alfred,” Justin said as he sat.
Alfred spun him around facing the mirrored wall then wrapped a white cape around his shoulders and clasped it at the back of his neck. “Do you want a touch-up or a whole new style?”
“Touch up,” William blurted out before Justin could speak. He shrugged when Alfred looked his way. “I really like the style he has now.”
“The boyfriend is always right.” Alfred winked, grabbing his razor and turning it on.
“Usually.” Justin swallowed hard. Boyfriend. Why the hell did that sound so good? Why did it cause a fluttery feeling in his chest? Why did it make him want that so damn much?
“What are you guys up to tonight?” Alfred asked, trading the razor for a pair of scissors.
“We wanted to get a drink,” Justin replied.
“Well, you’ve definitely come to the right place.” The barber smiled, quickly finishing the haircut. He brushed off Justin’s neck and shoulders then removed the cape and handed him a small mirror.
“Looks great.” Justin turned to William with a sexy grin. “Do you like it, Will?” William nodded quickly, which caused him to chuckle. He pulled out his card to pay.
Alfred ran it then handed it back. “Alright, guys, head down this hall and have fun.” He pointed to a drape-lined doorframe. Justin wrapped his arm around William’s waist as they walked in the direction he gestured. Through a door at the end, they found the bar area. One wall was lined with bottles around a centered mirror with the company’s logo. Justin pulled him over to the bar to order them both a beer. When they arrived, William led them to a table near the back of the crowded room.
“What do you think?” William asked after looking around for a few minutes. He turned toward Justin, expecting an answer.
Truthfully, he hadn’t even looked around. He had been too busy staring at William. When the man blushed, he finally let his eyes scan the room. It wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting. It was a little more modern and crowded for his taste. And in no way did it compete with William. “I like the music.” There was soft jazz playing throughout.
“Yeah.” William smiled as Justin took his hand.
“But maybe this isn’t the place for us.” Justin traced his fingers along the inside of William’s wrist.
“Where is the place for us?” William whispered. The desire in his eyes caused Justin’s heart to pound. He was glad he was sitting down because he knew his knees would never be able to support his weight.
He took William’s hand then stood. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
They quickly made their way out of the bar, through the barbershop, and back to the truck. Justin took William’s hand again as he pulled out onto the road leading back to their room. No words were spoken, but anticipation sizzled between them, making the drive back to the motel seem to take twice as long. Finally, their destination was only a few blocks away, and Justin had never been so glad to see a motel sign. As soon as they parked, they got out, and walked up to the room with Justin’s hand resting on the small of William’s back.
Once inside, William turned in Justin’s arms, holding him tightly and fusing their lips together. While they kissed, William inched Justin’s shirt up until he shrugged out of it then decided that his needed to go as well. Bare chests met as the kiss resumed, and Justin went to work on the button of William’s jeans.
“Naked, now,” Justin got out through heavy breaths as the button popped open.
“Damn, I want that.” William shed his clothes with lightning speed then got on the bed, watching as Justin did the same. William pressed their lips together in a deep kiss while pushing him down onto his back. By the time the man pulled back, his body was throbbing.
Justin flipped them over, claiming William’s mouth once again. He pressed their bodies together and rocked against him, causing William to moan. “Want you close to me.”
In response, William held him tighter and met his thrusts with his own. He loved the feeling of William’s body against his. Justin had one hand on his hip, encouraging his movements, and the other tangled in his hair. William surged faster against him, and he smiled when he felt the man tremble. Justin’s mouth moved to his neck, and the man moaned. “This feels so good.”
“Gonna come for me, baby?” Justin had never heard his voice sound so strung out.
“Close.” Justin held him tighter. “Yes, yes, just like that.” His breath came out in heavy pants. “Justin,” he cried out as he came between them. Justin let out a deep groan as he too finished.
Justin didn’t move right away. Instead, he put his head on William’s shoulder and buried his face in his neck, not releasing the tight grip he had on him. For several minutes, they just laid there, breathing heavily. Justin closed his eyes, allowing William’s hands to drift up and down his back. Damn. This feels way better than it should.