Chapter Six
Troy
Seth navigated shops full of twisted metal, piles of antiques, and rolls of fraying carpet, with surprising grace.
His enthusiasm never wavered, and he greeted every little find with bright-eyed enthusiasm.
It was…endearing, the way he acted as though I was the most important person in the world.
I couldn’t help but look at him out of the corner of my eye, which meant—unfortunately—that I hadn’t looked for potential junk components as much as I wanted.
But I couldn’t really bring myself to feel guilty about it.
Maybe Godofdiscord and Skye were right about a few things.
Hanging out with Seth was nice. Pleasant, even.
“How long have you been in Bluehaven?” Seth asked.
I shrugged. “Few years.”
“Oh. And your wife?”
“My wife?” I echoed, confused.
Seth raised an eyebrow. “Skye? She isn’t…?”
I snorted. “She’s my sister. And besides, I—”
I nearly said, “besides, I’m gay.”
Seth’s eyes searched my face, but whatever he found, I couldn’t tell. “Well,” he said lightly. “She’s a gorgeous woman, if you don’t mind me saying so. You must have very good genes in your family. You’re not bad-looking either.”
“Do you want her number?” I asked dryly.
Seth’s eyes flickered towards me. “Not hers,” he said, voice low. “Someone else’s.”
My pulse quickened. “Like…?”
Seth sighed. “You're hard to read,” he admitted. “Perhaps, you might tell me what you’re thinking.”
I let my gaze wander over him. He was handsome, almost too handsome.
My fingers twitched with the urge to curl into his hair and pull him to me. I forced down the lump in my throat.
“Are you asking if I find you attractive?”
“If you like,” he said.
I drew in a deep breath. “I’m not… out to everyone.”
“I understand that. I was really fortunate to have supportive parents,” Seth replied.
“And a lot of enormously kind people in my life. I won’t tell anyone.
If it makes you feel better, I’d just sort of guessed you were gay.
I’ve been around a lot of gay guys, and I can just sort of tell, most of the time. ”
I had supportive people in my life, too. But I still had doubts about how well they’d all take something like this. I’d learned that people could really surprise you sometimes, and not always for the best.
“My apartment is near here,” Seth said, as we wandered onto the sidewalk, “If you want, we could swing?”
“And do what?” I asked.
“Just look. See my space. Unless…” Seth trailed off and looked as though he was considering something.
My pulse quickened. “Unless?”
Seth clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Unless nothing,” he said. “What did you think I wanted?”
“I think you…” I trailed off. “Are you coming on to me?”
“Would you like me to?” Seth asked, stopping before an apartment building.
I gazed upwards at the white pristine building with gilded doorways and glass doors etched with floral designs. “So this is how the other half lives, huh?”
Seth laughed, his face becoming a bit sheepish. “Yes,” he said, “The other half.”
I took a deep breath. A delighted shiver went down my spine. My toes curled, as I imagined pushing Seth against those expensive glass doors. “I might like to see it,” I said.
It had been so long since I’d slept with another man, and that had been a one-night stand. I’d never really had sex with someone I knew, although I didn’t really know Seth that well either. He was just some guy I’d met at work.
Seth gave me a coy grin and a wink. I hesitated. Then, I followed him, and the closer I came, the quicker I wanted to go. I was really doing this. “God, Seth,” I said.
“Hm?”
Seth typed in his passcode and shoved the glass door inwards.
“I haven’t done this in a really long time,” I confessed.
“That’s all right,” Seth replied. “We can go at whatever pace you like.”
It took all my willpower to keep my jaw from dropping as Seth and I crossed the white and gilded lobby. A crystal chandelier glowed overhead; it was as large as a car. Seth continued up a short staircase, covered in a red carpet, trimmed with golden embroidery.
I trailed him, suddenly all too aware of my stained jeans and battered jacket. “They aren’t going to throw me out of here, are they?”
“Only if I tell them to,” Seth said mischievously.
We entered a gilded and crystal elevator.
Seth typed in his code on a keypad and clicked the button for the penthouse.
As we soared upward, I watched the gilded floors pass and then, the city of Bluehaven in all its glory.
To be fair, Seth's apartment building wasn't the tallest building in all of Bluehaven. I bet you could see an incredible Bluehaven skyline from his balcony. When the elevator doors opened, we stood in the largest, most beautiful apartment I’d ever seen.
I whistled between my teeth as I took in the sleek, minimalist apartment and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown Bluehaven.
The lights of the buildings and cars from below disappeared this high up which highlighted the stars in a sea of black.
This place probably rented per month more money than I’d ever earn in my life.
Everything was white and freakishly clean, too. “This is nice,” I said.
“Thanks,” Seth replied. “It’s new.”
Maybe that was why it didn’t look like him. I’d expected Seth’s apartment to be something brighter, for it to have spots of red or maybe purple.
“I like the view,” Seth said, throwing his jacket onto the sofa as he walked into the living room.
I kept my coat on, suddenly aware of how cheap and worn it felt for me to throw it over Seth’s furniture. I felt too poor and soiled to be here.
Seth crossed the room and stood before the window.
I joined him and gazed down over the city.
My heart quickened. A hot curl of desire burned inside me.
My fingers itched, and with a sudden, impulsive jerk, seized a handful of Seth’s shirt.
Seth turned and caught my gaze, his hazel eyes questioning.
My face grew hot, and I lurched forward.
Seth’s back collided with the window. I pressed my lips hard against his, inhaling the heady scent of beer and coffee.
There was something else beneath it, a sharp, spicy cologne.
We turned to the right until my back was against the window as Seth pressed me closer to him.
His hands curled in my hair, twisting so tightly that my scalp smarted.
My jeans grew tighter, grinding my hips against him.
He tossed his head back and moaned. I twisted my fingers in the fabric of his shirt, just over his shoulder blades. The air between us grew thick and husky. I dipped my head and sucked along Seth’s collarbone. Seth’s hands tightened. “God, Troy,” he rasped. “Can we move this to my room?”
He pulled me away from the window, his eyes darting around the apartment.
There was a door opening, and a dim glow of Bluehaven's skyline that bled through the half-drawn blinds of his bedroom, painting the room in shifting hues of amber and cobalt.
I saw the bulky form of a bed. Seth corralled me, grinding his hips against me.
The backs of my calves struck a hard surface and Seth pushed me suddenly.
I toppled onto the bed, sinking into the soft mattress.
With a grin, Seth clambered over me. My cock ached, every bit of friction sending jolts of pleasure through me.
“I'm afraid this is going to be quick,” I said. “I’m out of practice.”
“Oh?” Seth asked.
His lips curled into a sly grin. My hands flew through his pants. In my haste, I fumbled with the button and zipper. Seth hunched over and stroked my chest, his hands gentle and warm.
He stood up as I yanked down his pants and boxers. He was quite well-endowed, with a bead of pre-cum glistening at the tip. I swallowed thickly and wondered where to go from here.
“Surprised?” Seth asked, grinning.
“Not in the slightest.”
I had no idea why I said that, but it came out more flirtatious than I’d anticipated. For better or worse.
My fingers reached out, wrapping my hand around Seth’s shaft. The heat of him was almost shocking, the skin velvety smooth over the iron-hard length. I stroked him once, twice, my thumb swiping over the slick crown.
“You’re fucking huge,” I murmured, my own cock throbbing in my jeans.
Seth chuckled, a dark, knowing sound. His hand shot out, fingers tangling in my hair, gripping just tight enough to make my scalp prickle.
“Prove it,” he growled, tugging gently. Not a demand. A challenge.
I didn’t need to be told twice.
Seth stepped back from the bed and I sank to my knees, the plush carpet cushioning the impact.
The scent of Seth—musky, salty, with the faintest hint of whatever expensive cologne he wore—filled my nostrils, making my mouth water.
I leaned in, my breath ghosting over the tip of Seth’s cock, watching as the man above me shuddered, his abs tightening.
I licked my lips, then pressed a slow, open-mouthed kiss to the crown, tasting the bitter salt of pre-cum.
Seth hissed, his fingers tightening in my hair.
“Tease,” he muttered, but there was no real complaint in his voice.
I grinned around the thick length, then took him in, inch by inch.
My lips stretched wide, my jaw already aching, but I didn’t stop, didn’t pull back until Seth’s cock hit the back of my throat.
I swallowed around the intrusion, my tongue pressing flat against the underside, and Seth groaned, his hips jerking forward involuntarily.
“Fuck, Troy,” Seth rasped, his voice tight. “You’ve got a mouth made for sin.”
I hummed in response, the vibration making Seth’s cock twitch.
I pulled back slowly, my lips dragging along the sensitive skin, then plunged down again, taking him deep.
My free hand cupped Seth’s balls, rolling them gently, feeling the way they drew up tight against his body.
Seth’s pre-cum coated my tongue, sweet and bitter all at once, and I moaned, the sound muffled but desperate.
Seth’s grip in my hair turned almost painful, my breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps.
“Enough,” he growled suddenly, pulling me up. Our lips crashed together, messy and bruising, Seth’s tongue forcing its way into my mouth, tasting himself on my lips. I groaned into the kiss, my hands gripping Seth’s shoulders, nails digging in through the thin fabric of his opened shirt.
Seth didn’t give me time to catch my breath. He shoved me back onto the bed, the mattress dipping under my weight. Seth loomed over me, his body a solid, muscular wall of heat, his eyes dark with lust.
“I need to feel you,” he muttered, his hands already fumbling with my belt. The buckle clinked as it came undone, the sound loud in the quiet room.
I lifted my hips, helping Seth drag my jeans down my thighs, my cock springing free, already leaking with pre-cum.
I kicked my shoes off, the denim pooling at my ankles before Seth tore it the rest of the way off, tossing it aside without a second thought.
My breath hitched as Seth’s hands slid up my thighs.
Seth didn’t waste any time. He stripped off his own shirt, the fabric whispering as it hit the floor.
His confidence spoke of a man who was used to being naked—used to being wanted.
His cock jutted out, fully hard now, flushed dark at the tip, a thin string of pre-cum connecting it to his abs.
I reached out, my fingers tracing the defined lines of Seth’s muscles before wrapping around his cock again.
“Condom,” Seth bit out, his voice rough. He leaned over, snagging a couple out of his nightstand. I watched, cock throbbing, as Seth tore one open with his teeth, rolling the latex down his length with practiced ease.
Then Seth was on me, his weight pressing me into the mattress, his lips crashing down in another searing kiss. My thighs spread, my cock ached, pre-cum leaked in a slow, steady drip onto my stomach. Seth’s hands lifted my ankles over his strong shoulders, almost lifting me completely off the bed.
“Ready?” Seth murmured, his cock nudging against my entrance.
I nodded. The stretch burned, but it was a good burn, it made my toes curl. My hands clasped around Seth’s muscular arms, now positioned on either side of shoulders. Then he leaned closer, his forehead pressing against mine, his breath hot and uneven.
“Fuck, you’re tight,” Seth groaned, his hips rolling experimentally. “So fucking good.”
I moaned, my head tipping back as Seth began to move, his thrusts shallow at first, then deeper, harder.
The bed creaked beneath us, the headboard knocking rhythmically against the wall.
My cock leaked onto my stomach, my balls drawing up tight, the pleasure coiling low in my gut, tighter and tighter with each snap of Seth’s hips.
“Harder,” I gasped, my voice sounding desperate. “Fuck, harder—”
Seth obeyed, his hands gripping my hips, lifting me to meet each thrust. The sound of skin slapping skin filled the room, mixed with our ragged breaths, the creak of the bed. My vision blurred at the edges, my orgasm building, building—
“Cum with me,” Seth growled, his lips brushing my ear. “Let go, Baby. Now.”
That was all it took.
My back arched off the bed as I came, my cock pulsing, ropes of cum shooting onto my chest, my stomach, some of it even hitting my chin. Seth followed with a guttural groan, his body stiffening as he buried himself deep, his cock twitching as he filled the condom.
He collapsed on top of me, his breath hot against my neck. I wrapped my arms around him, his heart pounding, the scent of sweat and sex thick in the air. His skin was slick with cum, his body still humming with the aftershocks of his orgasm.
“That was—” I started, but Seth cut me off with a kiss, soft and tender this time, his lips lingering.
“Not bad for being out of practice,” Seth murmured, pulling back just enough to smirk.
I laughed, breathless, my fingers threading through Seth’s damp hair. “Give me time,” I challenged, my voice rough. “I’ll show you out of practice.”
Seth’s eyes sparkled with promise as he rolled off of me and pulling me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, the way his breath slowly evened out.
This wasn’t just a hookup.
This was the beginning of something far more.