Don't Drink the Holy Water (6 page)

And the more he thought about what Yolanda said, the more he thought she was right.

Axel left Sand Master Park, catching a cab to his hotel. He had his own room at least, though Jukie had bitched about that. Called it an extravagance they couldn’t afford.

He was right, but Axel had been growing less and less patient with Jukie, and he hadn’t wanted to be kept up at night while Jukie did whatever shit he did.

The hotel room was nothing fancy. If Axel had gotten more commissions for his art, he’d have been able to stay somewhere nice, like a Holiday Inn Express. That was way out of his budget. As it was, he’d do well to not to overdraft his checking account to pay for the room he had.

Once in his room, Axel was restless. It was probably because he was stressing over what Yolanda had said. That, and he hadn’t had sex in a long time. Too long for a guy his age, that was for sure. As tempted as he was to jack off, another idea held much more appeal.

There were clubs in Portland, and one in particular he’d heard of. He could spare five bucks for a day-pass… Or he could go to one of the numerous other gay bars. After all, he was only looking for a little play, not even a one-night stand.

Yeah, he could do with a bathroom blow job. It’d been just him and his hand since he’d broken up with Jukie. It was time for him to move on, and while he wasn’t up to a relationship, he sure wouldn’t say no to an orgasm or two.

* * * *

“This feels like stalking,” West complained. “I mean, I shouldn’t have agreed to this. It’s creepy. Like stalking.”

Terrence rolled his eyes. “Please. So we found out what hotel he was staying in by calling around a few dozen hotels. So what? We aren’t going to hurt him. I just want to look at the pretty man.”

“He’s not pretty,” West grumbled, remembering Axel’s masculine features. “He’s handsome.”

“Same diff.” Terrence blew in West’s face. “How’s my breath?”

West coughed and fanned his face. “Stop it. You aren’t going to be getting close enough to Axel for him to tell if you forgot to brush or not.”

“I didn’t,” Terrence said indignantly. “And how do you know? I might have him naked and fucking me before you get past ‘how do you do’. It could happen.”

West didn’t understand why he was getting so angry, but the sudden urge to smack Terrence into next week was almost irresistible. “Cut it out,” he growled.

Terrence blinked. “Oh. You have the hots for him. Why didn’t you say? I can ask him to introduce me to his ex. Jukie’s fuckable too.”

“I don’t have the hots for him,” West denied, while his heart sped up and his pulse followed suit. He could remember, suddenly and vividly, the scent of Axel, the dark shadows under his eyes, the feel of his lean body as West had tried to help him walk. Then there was the low rumble of his voice, and the curve of his lips— “No, I don’t. Stop smirking like that.”

“But you’re hard.”

West started to deny it, but Terrence ran a finger down the length of West’s erection. It was a surprise—West hadn’t really been aroused in months. He hadn’t wanted to be, either. “Stop it,” he hissed, swatting Terrence’s hand away and glaring down at his stupid cock. “Keep your—”

“Er, West?”

Terrence squeaked. “Oh my god! It’s
him!
”

West didn’t have to ask who. He knew that deep, rough voice well, even if he’d only had a short time to memorize it. Still, it was a shock to look up into those gorgeous eyes. Dark circles didn’t ring them this time. West upgraded Axel’s appearance from handsome to effing stunning.

“It is you, right?” Axel said, taking a step toward him. “West. From the desert.” He laughed. “God, that sounds like an old silent film.”

West licked his lips. He was afraid his voice was going to break if he spoke.

Axel looked away. “Sorry. I guess I’m mistaken. You look—”

“He’s West,” Terrence said loudly, “and I’m Terrence.” He kind of purred his name.

West thought about thumping Terrence on the back of the head.

“Hi, Terrence, nice to meet you.” Axel shook his hand. “So, you’re, um, well. I guess…it was good to see you again, West. Without the desert creepers. And it was nice to meet you, Terrence.”

But Axel winced a little when he said that last bit, like he’d had to force himself to say it.

“You two have fun doing, um, whatever you’re here doing.” Axel took a step back.

He seemed to be waiting for something, but West had no idea what. He still couldn’t get his tongue to work.

Axel sighed and his shoulders rounded as he turned and walked away.

“Wow, you’re just gonna let him go?” Terrence asked. “Are you stupid?”

“What do you mean?” And, yeah, West’s voice cracked.

Terrence gave another eye-roll. “Please. He was all about you. He didn’t even notice how adorable I am. Damn it. Hm.” He tapped his chin. “I wonder if he saw me touch your dick. If so, he probably thinks we’re together. You just broke his heart.”

“I did not,” West protested. “We don’t even know each other, so I can promise you his heart has nothing to do with me.” Wait, that didn’t make a lot of sense. “Whatever. He’s getting on the elevator, so I bet he’s going back to his room. You got to meet him, and—”

“Oh my god!” Terrence squealed again. “It’s Jukie! I am so nailing him!”

“But—” West closed his mouth as Terrence sauntered up to Jukie. In short order, they were entering another elevator. The speed with which Terrence worked was mind-boggling.

West stood there like an idiot in the lobby for five full minutes before he realized he had no reason to be there. A strange tug in his gut made him want to head toward the elevators himself, but that made no sense. He shouldn’t worry about leaving Terrence here. Terrence was a grown man and knew how to get back to the coven.

But it wasn’t Terrence he wanted to go after. The revelation startled West and it propelled him to the rotating door. He’d just stepped into one of the slots of the door when he heard his name called from behind him.

Chapter Nine

When Axel had first seen West in the lobby, he’d actually stumbled then stopped walking. He had just stared at the man’s profile. The chances of them running into each other again had to be exceedingly unlikely, yet there West was.

Axel had come out of his stupor, a spurt of joy burbling to life inside him.

Then that other fool had touched West’s dick. Axel’s mood had plummeted so quickly the room had seemed to spin with the weight of his disappointment. He’d have left if said fool hadn’t spotted him.

Even then, even thinking West had a handsy boyfriend, Axel hadn’t been able to resist a small flicker of hope that West would be happy to see him. There was, apparently, some idealized little romantic saga going on in the back of Axel’s mind.

It went something like—West would look into his eyes and an electric energy would spark between him and Axel. Fool-boy would disappear into a vapor or maybe ashes, whatever. He’d be gone and West would take Axel into his arms and kiss him as if he’d never wanted to be parted from him.

Axel was internally mortified by his hidden fantasy, and he wondered if he shouldn’t have read his grandmother’s old Harlequins. Perhaps they’d set him up for a lifetime of romantic disappointment.

But then…then Axel had run into Jukie and the guy Axel had thought was West’s boyfriend. When he’d bluntly asked, the guy had laughed like Axel’s question was the funniest thing ever before saying no.

Axel had never run down seven flights of stairs so fast in his life. The elevators had already left his floor and he’d not wanted to wait.

Winded more from nerves than the running, Axel saw West step into the rotating door and called out his name. Shouted it across the lobby, really, but he didn’t care that it got him several odd looks. It was only the startled one from West that mattered.

Axel rushed to the door where West was still standing, temporarily entrapped between the door’s panels. West seemed to be stuck in place, and other people waiting to exit were glaring and muttering.

“Excuse me,” Axel said as he slipped past them, his gaze still locked with West’s. Axel’s heart was slamming in his chest like it did before a competition, right before the calm hit and he lost himself in his routine. He wanted to lose himself in West the same way.

And hopefully there were no zombies around.

Axel stopped and pushed on the door.

West jolted and took a few steps. Axel slid into the next space, then in short order he was standing outside, with West only a couple of feet away.

It would figure, then, that words would fail him. Axel gulped and began to sweat, which certainly wasn’t going to make him more attractive. West probably thought he was a moron, and one with a potentially contagious illness, sweating like he was.

“Um.” Axel licked his lips and was heartened when West dropped his gaze, watching Axel do so. It bolstered his courage, which Axel really needed. “Hey. I was wondering if you’d like to maybe go get a drink somewhere and talk. I never did get to thank you for helping me that night.”

West seemed to be having trouble meeting Axel’s eyes, his gaze still lowered.

Axel licked his lips again and heard the quiet hitch of West’s breath. “Or we could go up to my room and fuck.”

West snapped his head back, his cheeks darkening with a blush.

That was obviously the wrong approach and too strong of a come on. Axel stuttered, knowing he couldn’t let West get away without something more than this stilted conversation this time. “Or not. Maybe you aren’t—” He glanced around then tipped his head toward the bench away from the entrance. “Look, could we at least sit and talk for a few minutes? Please?”

West scraped his top teeth over his bottom lip, then nodded.

Still fearing West would leave, Axel gestured to the bench. “After you.”

Axel ogled West’s butt for only a second before guilt had him staring instead at the man’s broad shoulders. As shy as West was—and Axel remembered now how nervous West had been simply taking off his shirt—Axel felt like a real perv checking out his ass. It would have made West uncomfortable to know he was doing it. Not getting caught didn’t matter. Axel wanted to respect West, he needed to.

West sat on the bench. The lighting wasn’t very good and cast him more in grays and blacks than color. Axel still thought he was gorgeous.

Axel sat beside him, careful not to touch. “So, I was surprised to see you here. And I…I thought that guy was your boyfriend since he was, um, groping you.”

“He’s not,” West got out as he looked down at his hands. “Terrence just doesn’t understand boundaries.”

Axel’s heart thudded a little faster. “I do,” he said quietly, willing West to look at him, to see and hear the sincerity he was trying to convey. “I wouldn’t touch you unless you wanted me to. I’m sorry I was so forward. I made you uncomfortable and that was the last thing I wanted.”

There it was again, that tiny hitch as West inhaled. Did that mean Axel had said the right thing or the wrong thing?

West finally darted him a quick glance before studying his hands again. “I don’t… I have four siblings that I’m responsible for raising. I don’t have the…the opportunities a lot of men my age do. My brothers and sisters, they mean everything to me.”

Axel bobbed his head. He supposed that might mean that West was a virgin after all. Usually he steered away from inexperienced men because they expected and deserved more than he was willing to give.
Usually.
There was just something about West that made walking away from him impossible. “I get that. I’m an only child, but I’d have loved to have even one sibling to play with. I’m glad you have them, and I think it’s admirable that you’re raising them. Can I ask what happened?”

West hesitated, then he sat up a little straighter and he began to talk about his parents, haltingly at first, then with more confidence. He even looked Axel in the eyes several times.

Axel thought he could live just for those moments.

Chapter Ten

West tucked in his shirt, then untucked it, then tucked it in again. Did tucking it in make him look like a loser? Did not tucking it in make him look like a slob? And why couldn’t he pull off that casually cool look so many other people managed? Heck, he couldn’t even hit it as a hipster.

West sighed and pushed his hair back off his forehead. The blond locks seemed to grow faster now than when he’d been just a regular guy. He considered putting some product in his hair, but trying to figure out who he could borrow some from left him with a blank. West settled for wetting it and brushing it back.

He was nervous, feeling like his body was a butterfly-filled shell. Tonight he was meeting Axel again. Just thinking about that made the back of his neck heat up, and his groin followed suit. West was surprised by his arousal, but it wasn’t the first time he’d had that reaction when thinking of Axel.

Last night, for instance, he’d had to use all of his willpower to keep from getting hard when he was saying goodbye to Axel. There’d been something in the way Axel had looked at him that had made West feel good and warm and happy. What that translated to for his dick was an erection West hadn’t been willing to allow. He would have been mortified if he’d stood up to say goodbye and his erection was noticeably out there—and it would have been, in that instance. The pants and the way he’d packed them last night hadn’t been conducive to hiding such things.

Tonight he’d be better prepared. And he’d leave his shirt untucked. West wrinkled his nose at his faceless reflection. It was still so weird seeing himself that way. Or not seeing himself, rather. Maybe a tank top or T-shirt under an untucked, unbuttoned shirt—

“Wow, you’re like my sister, only you’re a guy.”

West twisted around and glared at Terrence, who looked hip and cool and everything West wasn’t. “Ha. Ha. Are you seeing Jukie again tonight?”

Terrence shrugged and grimaced. “No way. He had trouble keeping it up last night, and he reeked of drugs and booze. I would have had more fun jacking off. Did, in fact.”