What We May be (6 page)

Neither was twice. On the third pass, he paused at the opening and sank his tongue past the ring, burying his nose in Rick’s balls.

Rick started to thrash at the contact, but Jared held him still—or as still as he could, considering the size of the other man. He thrust in and out of the quivering passage, imagining what it was going to be like when it was his cock sinking into that hole instead. Rick’s moans only encouraged him to go on, 47

WHAT WE MAY BE

and he lost more time with each additional stroke.

Pain shot through his scalp when Rick grabbed his hair.

“If you don’t fuck me now,” Rick panted, “I’m going to pin you to this bed and ride you.”

Was there anything this man could suggest that wouldn’t set him aflame? As Jared sat up, he seriously doubted it.

“What about stretching?”

“What about it?”

Jared chuckled. “I haven’t done any.”

“I don’t care.”

Jared had never put a condom on faster in his life. The rubber snapped around the base of his cock, stinging slightly as he grabbed the lube. Rick watched each movement like a hawk. Jared knew that if he hesitated even for a second, Rick would swoop in and do it all himself. While the thought of being smothered by all those muscles was more than tempting, he was just as ready to split that ass as Rick was ready to be split.

He knelt between Rick’s legs, aligning his cock up with the hole. Rick grabbed the back of his thighs and held himself up and open, eyes dark and locked on Jared’s face as Jared slowly pressed forward. He didn’t look away. The desire burning in the depths elicited shivers that nearly made Jared lose control. The tightness around the head of his prick did the very same thing.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…” Jared muttered. It was even better than he’d imagined. Every inch he pushed inside sucked away more of his breath, until he couldn’t inhale at all when 48

WHAT WE MAY BE

his balls nudged against Rick’s ass.

On the other hand, Rick couldn’t seem to stop gulping for air. His cheeks had mottled with splotches of red, and the same heat crept down his neck, disappearing into the hair on his chest. “Gimme a second,” he said. “Let me…”

The request was unnecessary. Jared couldn’t move anyway. His entire body had locked into a fiery stasis. He couldn’t think, or speak, or do much of anything but thank every god ever created for this seemingly perfect moment.

After what was probably only a few seconds but felt like minutes, Rick nudged Jared with his heel. “Do it.”

Do it.

Right. Time to move.

He took a deep breath. Curling his hands around Rick’s thighs, Jared slowly withdrew.

He only made it an inch before driving forward again.

“Do you have any idea how fucking good you feel?” Jared said.

“Do you have any idea how much better it’ll be if you go faster?” Rick teased.

Jared grinned. “Point taken.”

This time, he made it two inches.

Slowly, he sawed his way in and out of Rick’s clenching channel, a little bit more with each stroke. His hands shook.

He had to dig in even harder to Rick’s hips to keep them steady. The heat was killer, the constriction even more so, but eventually, they reached a long, hard rhythm where the only sound louder than that of their skin slapping against each other 49

WHAT WE MAY BE

was their harsh breathing.

Pre-come flowed freely from Rick’s cock, making his stomach glisten. Neither one of them touched it—Jared, because he feared letting go would be the end of him, and Rick because it was evident from the sounds he made that he was more than satisfied at the moment with the feeling of being stuffed. Jared’s mouth watered to taste him again, but that would have to come later. After they had taken the edge off. Before they had another go. Maybe again after that.

Sweat dripped into Jared’s eyes. He lost his tempo when he tried to wipe it away, and Rick took advantage of the break to grab his arm and pull him down. They both grunted at the shift in angle. Rick slid his hand up Jared’s arm to the back of his neck and lifted to meet his mouth.

Both exhaled as Jared chose a new, more demanding pace to drive into Rick’s ass. Rick coiled his legs around Jared’s hips, refusing him the room to move very far, so what he lacked in distance he made up for with force, the pair of them hissing from pleasure with each thrust. Jared scratched across Rick’s skin in order to get to his cock. The first squeeze around the shaft had Rick clamping down around Jared’s dick.

Hot come flooded over his hand. Slamming his head back into the pillow, Rick practically vibrated from his orgasm. The tendons stood out in his neck, his color deepening as he refused to let go of the air in his lungs. Jared fought against the vise of his channel to piston in once, twice, three more times before his own release obliterated every sensibility. He shouted loud enough for his eardrums to ring. Pleasure 50

WHAT WE MAY BE

scorched through his veins.

Rick wrapped his arms around Jared’s back and caught him when he collapsed. Their mouths sought the other’s without fail, but these kisses were slower than their predecessors, too spent to do anything more than show them just what havoc this had wreaked. Jared nipped at Rick’s lower lip before soothing it over with his tongue. The musky scent of sex and sweat filled his head. The best smells in the world, as far as he was concerned.

“I am so glad I had the nerve to ask you over here tonight,”

Rick said.

Jared propped himself up to gaze down into Rick’s flushed face. “You were nervous? Are you kidding me? Why?”

“Because look at us.” His lazy smile brought a flicker of life back to Jared’s cock. “I can’t say that I’ve ever gone out with anyone like you before.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.” As he bent his head for another kiss, though, Jared wondered if there was more to Rick’s declaration than the obvious. After all, they didn’t exactly have the same social circles. Or the same career paths. Or even many of the same interests.
But the sex is
phenomenal.

For now, that was enough.

51

WHAT WE MAY BE

“He took you where?”

Jared grabbed the hem of the blouse Kelly was wearing and yanked, hoping that would help it lay better across the model’s narrow shoulders. He should have asked the agency to send Philippa instead. That girl actually had some curves to her body. His latest designs looked better when they weren’t on stick figures.

“You heard me.” He sat back on his heels and scanned up the middle seam. At least it was straight. Pinching an inch of the scarlet fabric tighter at her waist made it look even better.

He reached for a clip to secure it without letting go. “I still haven’t figured out why he’d spring family on me on the first 52

WHAT WE MAY BE

date.”

Theresa still stared at him from where she stood at the side of the clothes rack. “Maybe because he likes you.”

“He liked the sex.” Fastening the clip, he stood and walked around to Kelly’s front, surveying every angle of the tighter fit. “What do you think?”

“I think he likes you.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “About the blouse.”

Theresa barely looked at it and waved her hand. “It looks fine. Let’s talk about your date.”

“How about let’s not. Can we focus please? I’m not blowing this show. Not even for someone as amazing as Rick.”

“Ha!” She bolted around the end of the rack to stand in front of him, her hands on her wide hips. “So you admit it!”

“I never denied it. Would I be letting you distract me if I hadn’t had a good time?”

She looked all too impressed with herself, and maybe, if he didn’t have a deadline for this damn show, he might actually be willing to waste time dishing about his date—his all too mind-blowing, amazing date—with Rick Paulson. But right now, he had two hours to get Kelly completely fitted for walking the runway in less than a week. He did not have time for gossip.

“So when are you going to ask him out again?”

The one question he had been hoping she wouldn’t ask.

Brushing past her, Jared went to the second mannequin and began stripping off the dress. “I’m not. Kelly, get undressed.

53

WHAT WE MAY BE

I’ll fix the blouse while Theresa fits this.”

Both women moved at the same time, though Theresa’s frown said she wasn’t nearly done talking yet. He traded the scarlet shirt for the dress and carried it over to the sewing machine, already planning on where to tack in the extra darts.

The quiet lasted a whole thirty seconds.

“If you like him, and he likes you, why on earth wouldn’t you ask him out again?”

Jared sighed. The sewing machine whirred as he stitched in the first dart. “Because I made a complete ass of myself, okay? I’m not going to ask him out, just to have him turn me down. End of story.”

“What did you do?”

Great. Now Kelly was getting in on it.

“Did you guys not hear me say, ‘End of story’?” Jared whipped in the second dart. Rising from his seat, he threw the shirt at Theresa, who caught it from hitting the floor at the last second. “I’m going to get a latte from downstairs. I’ll be back in five.”

He didn’t bother asking if they wanted anything. After the inquisition, he wasn’t in the mood to be generous.

The sun blinded him as soon as he emerged from the building. Jared scowled as he turned down the street. Of course, they would make him forget his sunglasses. His head had been everywhere but in the moment all day long. If he’d had his thoughts on his work, he would’ve had Philippa sent from the agency instead of Kelly, he wouldn’t have thought for a second that the burgundy dress would work with Kelly’s 54

WHAT WE MAY BE

coloring, and he most certainly wouldn’t have blabbed about his date to Theresa. Theresa might be his best friend, as well as his assistant, but he should’ve known she’d be a pit bull about this. He didn’t need her to focus on his love life. He needed her to concentrate on making sure they didn’t look like fools on the runway.

It was just a shame he couldn’t follow his own advice.

Because he’d spent the entire day playing the date and night over and over again in his head, getting increasingly annoyed at himself for his behavior.

Rick had never complained. Except for carefully correcting him when Jared jumped to the wrong conclusion, Rick had been a veritable saint about Jared’s misconceptions.

And Jared knew he’d made mistakes. He’d made a lot of them.

He’d assumed a lot of truths, based on superficial data, and each and every time, he’d been wrong. He could use the excuse that his entire livelihood was based on physical impressions, but that didn’t justify how badly he’d misjudged Rick. Not once, not twice, but constantly throughout the night.

Frankly, he didn’t deserve a second date. He wouldn’t tell Theresa that; he felt bad enough about everything that had happened.

As he paid for his coffee, his phone jingled on his belt.

Stella behind the counter smiled as he snapped it to his ear; Theresa always called as soon as he stepped away from the sewing machine.

“I said I would be back in five,” he sighed in exasperation.

“Actually, I don’t think we had a chance to figure out 55

WHAT WE MAY BE

when you’d be back here.”

Jared stiffened at the amused tone in Rick’s voice. His coffee splashed against his wrist, and he hissed in pain.

“Sorry, I thought it was Theresa.” Jesus, was he always going to be apologizing to this guy?

“I figured as much.”

“Let’s try this again, shall we?” Jared gave an awkward wave to Stella before juggling his phone and coffee on the way to a quiet corner. “Hi, Rick, how are you?”

“Good. Did I call at a bad time?”

“Actually, you probably managed the one time all day I haven’t had my hands all over models.”

“Male or female?”

“Female.”

“Good. I don’t have reason to get jealous then.”

They both laughed at the small joke, but a thrill rippled through Jared. Maybe he hadn’t botched the date part of the night as badly as he’d thought. Unless Rick was calling for a quickie, which actually wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

“Trust me.” Jared dabbed away the coffee that still lingered on his wrist. “I would much rather have my hands all over you.”

“And speaking of, last night was good. Very good, you think?”

Jared paused. Rick was asking his opinion? How could he be so unsure? Jared was the one who deserved to be so worried about the possible response.

“Very good,” he agreed. He decided to take the risk.

56

WHAT WE MAY BE

“More than good enough for another.”

Rick’s sigh floated through the line. “Thank God you said that. I was a little worried I was the only one who had fun.

You left a little quick this morning. We didn’t get a chance to make more plans to get together.”

He’d left because he’d been more than a little terrified of looking like a schmuck when Rick threw him out. It hadn’t been the easiest thing to peel away from Rick’s gorgeous body, but it would’ve been much worse to face one of those awkward morning afters. He’d had enough of those already in his lifetime.

“I had models coming over for fittings early.” It was only a half-lie. “I’m sorry, I thought I’d mentioned that.”

“I knew you were busy. I should’ve expected it.”

“After one date? You’re not Superman. Even if you’re built like him.”

Rick chuckled. The rich sound went straight to Jared’s cock, even over the line. “So let’s try another one. When is good for you?”

“We’re not going to spend a week going back and forth on the phone, trying to find a date that works for both of us again, are we? We’ve probably logged more talking time already than people do in four dates.”

“Tell me you’re free tomorrow night then. I can even promise you a non-talking date, if you want.”

Jared’s mind raced. Tomorrow night. With his show so close, he should probably work. But did he really want to lose this opportunity while he had it? “Count me in. What did you 57