Essence of Time (24 page)

“Yeah, I know.” Then he’d rolled over onto his side and sighed in contentment as Rob curved his taller body around his, holding him close until they woke at noon to the sound of a French cursing on the street below. A little more sex in the shower, then espresso in the café downstairs, and now this, a perfect Parisian picnic on a damn red-checkered blanket, cheese, wine, and that stupid fucking accordion. Blake got to his feet, ran a hand through his hair. Nervous energy twitched through his body. He had to get some space.

Rob still leaned against the tree, watching him. Blake’s heart pounded in his chest, his throat was so dry he could have spit cotton. His knees shook. Putting his hands on his thighs, he leaned over, sucked in a breath.  “I’m gonna walk a little.”

Rob nodded, pulled a newspaper from the food basket and opened it without a word.

Grateful for something he couldn’t name yet, he turned on his heel and started across the large expanse of green toward the sidewalk. “Keep your phone handy.” Rob called out. “In case you get lost.”  Blake raised a hand without turning to look and kept going.

After an hour of mindless meandering, not really seeing or registering anything around him, Blake found a seat at an outdoor café and ordered a crisp French lager. The girl who served it was gorgeous, like most of the women in this town, and flirted with him some in French until he reached the end of his limited vocabulary and she left him with his thoughts.  He sipped, watched the comings and goings of the busy boulevard, and tried to come to terms with the roiling in his gut. He still loved Suzanne. He knew it. He dreamed of her still, imagined her small form in his arms, his hands on her flesh, her lips against his.

Shifting in his seat he swallowed hard and admitted something else.  He may always hold her in his heart thanks to the trauma that had surrounded their coming together and falling apart, but the very real, very special man who’d dragged him to this famous city was definitely under his skin. Physical relationships were all well and good, he mused, signaling the hot server girl for another beer, but he was a little afraid he might want more. And the fact that Rob had waited two solid years, giving him all the space he needed, and still seemed eager to be with him…Blake shivered a little, as anxiety flooded his brain. He wasn’t ready for emotional intimacy, not even now. But part of him wanted it, craved it like a starving man craves meat.

Rob was such a calm guy. Always steady, never rattled, at least that Blake had seen. He had a quiet authority about him Blake envied. Blake took that role with his sister, keeping her naturally high-strung personality in check with his temperament. But the last few years had taught him something about himself—he needed someone to be that kind of emotional rock for him too.  He finished the last beer and put some Euros down on the table, winking at the girl who stood with her hip cocked still staring at him. Suzanne had been one more woman to take care of, bringing out his natural urge to fix, to placate, to smooth over. And, here he was, being fixed, placated, smoothed over. He smiled and picked up his pace. The hotel was only a few blocks away but at that moment he wanted to be with Rob so badly his whole body buzzed.

He took the narrow steps up to their third floor room in the quaint, Euro-style, elegant hotel two at a time, stuck his key card in the door and pushed it open, words on his lips he had to get out before he lost his nerve. He dropped the key on the desk, and walked over to the tall silhouette at the window, wrapped his arms around Rob’s waist and leaned into his back. Contentment settled over him like a warm blanket. The sound of Rob’s voice rumbled through him as he spoke into the phone at his ear.

“Well, I don’t know but I’ll try and call him again.” He reached back and pulled Blake around to his side and they stood, arm in arm, while Rob finished his call. “You know Jack, though. The guy is like a dog with a bone when he gets his mind set on something.”  There was a silence and Blake could hear the tinny voice on the other end of the line. Rob kissed the top of Blake’s head then moved away, his body language revealing that the conversation was a stressful one. He sank into an overstuffed chair, hand over his eyes as he listened. “All right, I get you. Let me make a couple of calls. I’ll let you know what I find out.” He smiled and looked up at the ceiling then pinned Blake with a look that made him tingle and his cock stand at attention. “No, actually Kyle. I’m not. I’m with somebody.”  He listened, keeping his eyes on Blake’s, licking his lips as he crawled down Blake’s body with his gaze. “Thanks. I’m glad for you too. Yeah. Mine is pretty special as well. I’ll track down our man Gordon. Don’t worry. Bye.”

He ended that call, then dialed another number, holding up a hand so Blake would stay on the other side of the room. He repressed a quick jolt of aggravation, then flopped on the bed, arms behind his head. He needed to talk, now, before they did their usual jumping into each other’s pants and not talking thing. But it must be important, Blake knew or he wouldn’t be able to resist.

“Hey, uh, Suzanne,” Blake bolted upright, his body zinging with stress at the sound of her name. Rob shrugged, mouthed “sorry” to him then walked into the small anteroom with another window onto the busy street. Blake followed him, suddenly pissed.  “Yeah, have you talked to Gordon lately? Kyle is freaking out because he hasn’t been to the club in over a month and won’t return his calls.”  Blake frowned, leaned on the doorway. If it was the Gordon he knew then this whole thing had taken a turn for the weird he didn’t know if he wanted to be privy to. “Oh, huh.” Rob put his hand on the wall, and Blake tried to ignore how much he wanted to yank the man’s jeans down and…he shook his head. “I figured as much. Let me try and call him then so he can call Summerlin. Thanks. You, ah, doing okay these days?”

Blake listened hard, but couldn’t hear her voice. Which was probably a good thing.  Rob chuckled. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. And yes, he is. Would you like to talk to him?” Blake stepped back, shaking his head, managing to trip over a decorative stool, landing unceremoniously on his ass. Rob smiled encouragingly and handed Blake the phone. He kept shaking his head, but took it.

“Hello?” Her voice, strung out over thousands of miles of technology, still had the power to dry his mouth in an instant. “Blake?” He let Rob help him to his feet. The look on the man’s face calmed him instantly. He took a breath, felt Rob’s lips on his neck, just a soft kiss, before he walked away. Blake watched him go.

“Hi.” He said, surprised at how calm he felt. “Suzanne. It’s good to hear your voice.”

After what turned out to be a surprisingly easy conversation after two years of complete silence, he turned the phone off, all the way off, and wandered into the bedroom, noting that Rob had fallen asleep, sprawled across the bed. The guy loved his naps there was no doubt about that. He could sleep at the drop of a hat, but also woke nearly as instantly.  Blake struggled at both ends, many times staring into the dark for hours, and hitting the snooze button five or six times in the morning. He sat, ran a hand down Rob’s face, cupped his chin, then traced a line across his shoulder. The other man sighed, reached up and tugged Blake down beside him, slanting his mouth over his, the slow, almost lazy nature of his kiss reminding Blake of his original mission.

Reaching up to thread his fingers in Rob’s silky hair, Blake groaned as his body started reacting to his lover’s expert touch. Their tongues tangled, clothes melted off, and they were naked, pressed together, hard flesh to hard flesh. Blake no longer knew, nor cared, where his body ended and Rob’s began. He wanted this, needed this, so much. He gasped when Rob started making his way down Blake’s body, biting and sucking nipples, nipping skin, then lapping at the head of his aching shaft, providing quick suction to the head. “Oh hell… Rob…” He mumbled, tilting his hips up, needing more. “Lower baby. Please.”

Rob rose from his task, his luscious lips plump, red, glistening, then leaned slowly down gripping Blake’s ass and tilting him way up. “Ahhhh, yessss…” Blake hissed and fisted his hands in Rob’s hair again as the man’s lips and tongue made their way down his cock, cupped his balls in one hand and fisting his shaft with the other as he buried his face underneath Blake’s tight sack, licking along the soft line of flesh between them and his now achingly empty ass. He lifted his hips higher, felt the press of Rob’s tongue all over him, then the lovely sensation of penetration, as Rob stuck a wet finger inside him, reaching high straight for his gland as he shifted, put his mouth back over Blake’s swollen head.

“God!” Blake grunted, pumped his hips and filled Rob’s mouth as the man stroked his gland, forcing the most intense possible orgasm. He kept coming and coming, his hips jerking and thrusting as his vision dimmed, then brightened. Rob groaned, slipped his finger from Blake’s body and fell down beside him, wiping his wet lips with the back of his hand. Blake shuddered, trembled with cold and residual lust as Rob made his way to the bathroom, washed his hands and returned.

Blake smiled at the sight. His man, this blonde, amazing god with the talented lips, tongue and cock. His man. He sighed, rolled over and moved to the edge of the bed, raising his hips and looking over his shoulder. “Fuck me Rob. I know you want it. Show me.” Rob ran a hand over Blake’s hip, his ass, leaned in to press his hot shaft against the cleft of Blake’s body. Blake shifted back. “Now, baby.” He whispered, gasping when warm lube spilled over his ass and Rob worked his finger back inside, stretching him, prepping him for Rob’s wide girth. His cock twitched again, hardened as his brain shut down and he gave into the amazing, glorious feel of Rob, fucking him, hard. So hard they shifted the bed nearly across the room.

At the last minute, realizing Rob was close to release he looked around, stared straight at the man clutching his hips. “I love you.” He whispered. Rob narrowed his eyes, then went over the edge, digging his fingers into Blake’s flesh, pumping him full, his strong, beautiful body clenched tight. Blake gripped his cock, the sensation of Rob’s shaft reaching his gland again, making him cover his belly with cum. Wincing a little as Rob pulled out, he flopped over on his back and watched as Rob stared at him, chest heaving, hands on his hips.

“I heard what you said,” he said, something like anger in his voice. “Don’t do it again.” Blake frowned at him. “Not…,” Rob held up a hand indicating he should stay put. “Not until you really mean it.” Then he stalked into the bathroom and Blake heard the sorry European excuse for a shower start pattering into the tub. He sighed and rolled onto his side, pulling the blanket over his nakedness. A quick nap hovered, thanks to the back to back orgasms. As he eased into a light sleep, he smiled, and clutched a pillow to his chest.

Chapter Four

Rob’s chest hurt, his shoulders ached, his lips were swollen and approached chapped, his hips and ass were sore. But he’d never felt better in his entire life. Propping his feet up on the table, he found his phone and watched Blake sleep before placing the promised call to Ann Arbor. He ran a hand through his wet hair. He was head over heels in love with that kid and he knew it. But his usual flight instinct was not kicking in like it usually did. Like it had with René. And with Kyle. For the first time in his adult life, he wanted to confide in someone. To tell him about the cancer, to unload some of the daily anxiety he hauled around with him. Well, for the first time since his friend, Jack.

Blake mumbled something, rolled over, threw his arm over his face. Rob realized how lightly the man slept, but believed he was getting somewhat calmer here in the vacation. Or, at least he hoped. He stood, tugged the duvet up over Blake’s near perfect body, smiling when the other man kept muttering to himself.

Rob zipped up his jeans and flopped back into the chair, turned on his phone and stared at it a minute. As if conjured, the thing buzzed and Jack’s name appeared on the screen. Rob chuckled. “Yo, asshole. You’re scaring the natives again. Where ya been?”

His friend’s voice sounded even further away than the miles would justify.  “Working my sweet ass off, my friend. I’d say the question is better: where the hell are you?”

“I’m in Paris. On a vacation of sorts.” Rob draped his legs over the chair’s leg. “Damn it’s good to hear your voice.”

Jack laughed. “I won’t be your boyfriend.”

“I wouldn’t touch you with someone else’s cock.”

“Just so we’re clear.”

Rob laughed. “Look man, Kyle and Suze and the gang are calling me. On my vacation. Trying to track you down. In Ann Arbor. What the hell?”

Jack’s deep sigh was worthy of a teenager. Rob could picture him, running a hand down his face and around the back of his neck as he always did when uncomfortable. “Working. I told you. Kicking ass, taking names. Making more money than you ever thought about, I can assure you.”

“Huh. Well, do me a favor and contact the local contingent so they know you’re alive.”

“Fine. Jesus. Didn’t know I had to check in with them. Whatever.”

“Look, Jack, I know how hard it was to lose your dad the way you did. And that whole mess with Suzanne…”

“Oh, fuck that man. I’m fine. Don’t psychoanalyze me.”

“There isn’t enough psychoanalysis in the world for you.”

“I’m normal. You’re the fucked up one. Hey, get this. I banged the hottest chick the other day.”

“What else is new?” Rob was starting to see what Kyle and Evan were worried about now.

“No, no, man listen. We are in the damn closing room. She and her husband are my sellers, unloading a two million dollar Barton Hills house for a condo, I’m walking out of there with nearly six bills. On my a-fucking game. I look down and her hand is creeping up my thigh. Under the table. With her old man across the way from us. I tell you, man I’m getting more pussy right now than is probably healthy, or fair, for all you regular losers.” 

Rob laughed in spite of himself. The guy would never change. He wondered if he would even settle down someday, find anyone who would put up with him for very long. “Yeah, and, what? You tossed her up on the table and put it to her while her old man watched?”