Christmas And Gingerbread Men (10 page)

The blond god, Aleks, smirked. “Go on, blame the family. We don’t want to cause problems between you two. We can go and—”

“No!” Pitney interrupted, waving his hands. “No, stay. I’d rather Rafael and I talk somewhere else. There’s a café only five minutes from here. We’ll be back soon,” he said as he eyed Ruben and his tall man. “I’d love to get to know you two.”

Then he caught Rafael’s gaze, pleading with his eyes and hoping Rafael would understand his need for a neutral place for the upcoming conversation.

They had some serious things to discuss. So, Ruben was his brother and Rafael hadn’t been with someone else. That didn’t mean it’d stay that way. Pitney wanted to talk with his lover about exclusiveness.

Rafael seemed to understand, for he grabbed his jacket, put a beanie on his head and stepped into the cold December afternoon. When he held out his hand, Pitney took it.

* * * *

Rafe felt queasy. He and Pitney were sitting at a little table in the romantic café around the corner from his house to talk about their relationship. Until now, neither of them had said a word.

Instead, Pitney kept stirring his by now well-stirred cup of herbal tea and examined each man that came through the door. It was unnerving and made Rafe nervous as hell.

Since his phone call with Corey and Remy, he hadn’t found the right time to talk with Pitney about their relationship. Okay, so maybe he’d wanted to wait until they knew each other better. Even for Rafe, who was too romantic for his own good, as Remy liked to phrase it, two weeks was a short time.

“Did you think I had sex with Ruben before you knew he is my brother?”

Pitney’s brows knitted and he placed the spoon beside his cup with slow, deliberate movements. “The question is, do you want to have sex with other men?”

“No, of course not!” Pitney’s surprised expression didn’t bode well. “Do you?” Rafe asked, dreading the answer but needing to know it anyway.

Pitney didn’t answer. Instead, he let his gaze roam the café once again, until he fixed on a man sitting at the window. The stranger was about Rafe’s age, with a tall, fit build and brown hair. When Pitney dipped his head thoughtfully and pursed his lips, Rafe felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on him. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest and he struggled to breathe.

“I... I know you’re very young,” he muttered eventually. Rafe was glad when he got Pitney’s attention and Pitney looked at him. “You’re still exploring your sexuality, and I’m glad you chose to be with me while you figure out what you like and what not.” God, this was way harder than he’d thought. But he at least had to make the offer, right? “However, if you ever feel that it’s not enough to be with me, that you want something else, or someone else, you can tell me. I’d rather you be honest than do something without me knowing it.”

Rafe didn’t know what reaction he’d hoped for, but Pitney looking at him like he’d lost his marbles wasn’t one of them. Maybe he needed to be more straightforward. “What I’m trying to say is, I want to be your boyfriend, Pitney. Anyway, we could try for an open relationship in case you want to explore with others. I don’t want you to feel trapped with me, you understand?”

Pitney gasped. “What? You... you want to share me?”

Rafe sighed and dragged his hand over his face. “This has nothing to do with what I want. It’s about you. Till now, I’ve had no idea how you picture our future. We’ve never talked about exclusiveness.”

Pitney’s expression darkened, then he fisted the front of Rafe’s sweater and pulled him closer with surprisingly little effort. “Do. You. Want. To. Share. Me.” He pressed the words through his clenched teeth.

His eyes widening, Rafe shook his head and whispered, “No, it’s the last thing I want. But I would if it meant being able to keep you. When I was twenty-one, I explored all kinds of stuff and—”

Pitney’s lips meeting his stopped his words. Although Pitey was such a skinny slip of a man, Rafe couldn’t help but open to his probing, nudging tongue. The kiss that followed tasted of possessiveness and the gingerbread man Pitney had ordered with their tea.

When their lips parted eventually, Pitney’s golden-brown eyes were huge and dark with arousal. “All I want to explore is you,” he murmured.

That low, seductive voice sent shivers down Rafe’s back and caused his prick to harden painfully, thanks to the awkward angle.

“I don’t want an open relationship, Rafael, and if you ever allow another man to touch what is mine, I’ll slice off the guy’s balls. Did I make myself clear?”

Rafe whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut. Surely the other patrons were wondering why he was allowing this skinny kid to manhandle him like that. He didn’t care. He only hoped Pitney would use the same strong grip he had on his sweater later when they were in bed. Just the thought of Pitney holding his wrist behind his back while fucking him through the mattress had him almost creaming his pants.

“Look at me.”

Rafe obeyed immediately, and Pitney rewarded him with a smile. “I want to be your boyfriend, too. I want to get to know you and I want to find out if we can make this relationship work. Anyway, this is between you and me, so don’t even think about other men. And don’t keep wondering if I’ll leave you. You worked hard for me to understand that you want me despite my flaws and hang-ups. I get it now. So please understand that I want only you, too.” Pitney caressed his cheek, and Rafe leaned into the tender touch with a happy sigh.

“I just want you to be happy,” Rafe whispered and brushed a kiss to Pitney’s soft palm.

“Oh, darling. I am happy. You were the first one to ever see me. The real me. You looked right through this façade of an awkward, skinny waiter and recognized my needs. Hell, you don’t care what I look like. Even if I were model material, I wouldn’t trade you for the world. Rafael, you’re kind, romantic and funny, and I want you. I don’t know what the future will bring, but right now, you’re it for me. Please.”

Rafe looked into those golden eyes he loved so much, then closed the distance and brushed their lips together in a sweet kiss.

* * * *

Pitney pulled back his fingers that had been busy stretching his obedient lover’s hole. The man was on his knees, his shoulders resting on the bed.

Rafael protested with a garbled moan and wriggled his muscled behind. Not so obedient then. Pitney swatted one perfect ass cheek and marveled at the man’s pleased moan and the red handprint blooming on his ass. Yes, Pitney would most definitely spank him some more. Later.

Right now, he was busy trying not to succumb to a heart attack from erotic overload. After undressing, he’d flung himself right onto Rafael’s plush comforter and rolled over onto his back. Resembling a powerful, hungry cat—a big cat, like a panther or lion, not the purring, yarn-ball chasing sort of cat—Rafael had crawled over him.

Never before had anybody looked at Pitney with such an intense, burning gaze that made him feel like a tasty prey as it roamed his goose-bumping body.

Despite Rafael’s strength, his sleek muscles, and the hungry fire in his eyes, Pitney had known he wouldn’t be the one brought down.

Pitney knelt, his cock already lubed and sheathed by a condom, behind Rafael. He’d prepped the man, and his pink hole glistened and twitched enticingly. And now Pitney’s brain had decided to gift him with a nervous breakdown. What the hell was wrong with him?

“Pitney! Please, I’m dying here.” Rafael panted. His hands fisted the comforter where they rested beside his head. Oh, that wouldn’t do.

“Hands behind your back, darling. Grab your own wrists.”

Rafael gasped but did as he’d commanded. Pitney placed his own hand over Rafael’s wrists and squeezed. Hard.

“Fuck, yes!” Moaning, Rafael wriggled his ass again. “You’re a mean tease. Fuck me, already.”

Pitney used his free hand for another slap to his lover’s ass, the noise resounding through the bedroom. Then he held his cock and teased Rafe’s pucker with the tip. “Language. I’m trying to show my man whom he belongs to.” Too bad Pitney didn’t feel as confident as he sounded. After all, he’d never done this before.

“You. I belong to you. But, please,” Rafael begged. “My balls are about to fall off.”

Pitney chuckled. He wanted to touch the orbs in question but didn’t want to risk Rafael coming just yet. “We can’t have that. I’m rather fond of your balls. Deep breath and push out,” he said.

“I fucking know how to—oh shit! Oh fuck!”

Yeah, exactly, Pitney thought as the head of his cock popped through the tight ring of muscles. Exquisite, warm heaven welcomed him, and he just couldn’t stop pushing in until his balls pressed against Rafael’s ass. Damn, why had nobody ever told him how that felt? Well, he probably wouldn’t have believed them anyway.

A shudder rippled through Rafael’s body, and Pitney groaned at the pleasure zinging up his spine as the man’s ass tightened around his prick. When Rafael did it again, probably on purpose this time, Pitney growled.

“Stop that. If you make me come too soon, you’ll sleep on the floor. I want to savor this.”

“I’m sorry?” Rafael asked cheekily.

“Yeah, right.” Pitney pulled back slowly, then reversed direction and, oh god, he thought his heart would explode. Rafael’s constant moans, the rocking motion of his body, and the musky smell of his body didn’t help calm him down, either.

Pitney bent over his lover’s back and pressed kisses to his spine. He licked at his skin, loving the salty taste. “So tight, darling,” he said around panted breaths.

“More. Please. Fuck me harder!”

Pitney chuckled and mentally thanked Ruben, who had dragged Aleks to a restaurant nearby to give them some privacy. Rafael was loud, but Pitney fucking loved it when Rafael, mountain of masculinity, begged so prettily. Giving Rafael what he’d asked for, Pitney set a hard, fast pace.

With one hand he held Rafael’s wrists while the other came to rest on Rafael’s hip. Pitney watched where he and Rafael joined, loving the sight of his hole stretched around him. His cock wasn’t that impressive, but the man obviously enjoyed it, if his loud shouts and his begging for
harder
were anything to go by. Especially when Pitney managed to find his prostate. He grinned. Pitney’s man liked it rough.

Sooner than Pitney would’ve liked it though, he felt his climax approach. He wanted Rafael to come with him, wanted the man to lose it so Pitney could fuck him right through his climax. And he wanted to feel the man tightening around his length.

So he curled his hand around Rafael’s leaking, steely-hard prick and stroked with jerky, untrained movements.

“Fuck! Yes, so close... Pitney...”

After two weeks together filled with hand jobs, blowjobs and some frotting now and then, Pitney knew what to do. “Come for me. Now,” he demanded and made sure to hit the man’s sweet spot on the next thrusts.

Rafael’s orgasm was powerful. His body shook and he moaned, cursed and yelled while Pitney teased him with shallow little thrusts. But then Rafael’s ass clamped tight around his prick and Pitney followed his lover into sweet oblivion.

He grunted as he filled the condom, and stars exploded behind his eyes. Honestly, he’d never felt anything better in his life. Apart from that, he didn’t have the right words to describe the sensation. Sex was great—he’d just done it the wrong way. Or with the wrong person. Didn’t matter. Now he had Rafael, and he wouldn’t let him go.

They slumped onto the mattress, and when Pitney’s prick slipped out of his new favorite place, Rafael hissed. Pitney lay on Rafael’s back and nuzzled his neck with his nose and lips.

“Shh, I’ll get something to clean us up as soon as my legs return from jelly to solid bones.”

Rafael chuckled. “That good, huh? I’m flattered.”

“Yeah, can’t wait to do it again.”

“Me, too.”

“Think you can go again in... say, ten minutes?”

Rafael laughed, and the movement shook Pitney’s body. He was sure they looked weird together. Pitney didn’t see a point in beating around the bush. He was a greedy top, his boyfriend a bottom who loved a good pounding. Life was wonderful.

Friday, 23rd December

Guests and family mingled at Virgil’s, enjoying a Christmas party with Pitney’s aunt’s wonderful food and his uncle’s booze. The staff had moved most of the tables to the side to make room for a dance floor. A big buffet adorned the far right wall, and Nora and Zoe had decorated the restaurant with garlands of evergreen. Pitney even saw the occasional mistletoe. He ducked away whenever a woman came his way, while his cousin used the tradition shamelessly for her own agenda. She’d probably kissed all the single guys between eighteen and forty by now.

Pitney wore his new red jeans with a knitted green pullover with little reindeers, the latter a present from his aunt and therefore mandatory. It was hot as hell—not in the sexy way—but Pitney wouldn’t risk her wrath by ditching the thing. Especially not tonight.

He’d made up his mind about his and Rafael’s relationship, and now it was time to be out and proud. So, in a bold move, he’d decided to invite his boyfriend to his uncle’s Christmas party and introduce the man as—well—his boyfriend. A drastic move that could lead to instant homelessness.

Okay, Rafael would take him in, he was sure of that. Still, he didn’t want to lose his uncle and aunt. Zoe’s reaction had been wonderful, and he hoped the two people he saw as his second parents thought the same.

Pitney checked his watch nervously, realizing with a groan that it was one minute later than the last time he’d checked. Damn. Rafael had a business meeting, but he’d promised to come by right afterwards. Until then, Pitney had to endure cheek-pinching great-aunts and great-uncles that clapped his shoulder a bit too hard and told him to become a man already. Whatever that meant.

Oh, and Zoe had sicced her friends on him, the bitch. Friends with girly parts. He just wished Rafael would hurry the fuck up before the one ogling him cornered him under the mistletoe, or, even worse, in the restroom. Come to think of it...