Yours All Along (8 page)

Devon sat back on his heels and rubbed a thumb over lip to catch a remnant of Hunter’s come. He sucked it of his thumb, and Hunter’s dick gave a final kick at the sight.

Dev nodded at Hunter’s exposed state. “Better get yourself together, big man. I think we just pulled into the drop-off line at the hotel.”

“Oh shit.” Everything snapped back in Hunter’s brain like a rubber band, sending each part of him in motion all at once. He fumbled to tug up his pants, but his limbs were like wet spaghetti and everything took twice as long.

Devon climbed back onto the seat and adjusted the front of his pants where the outline of his erection was impossible to miss. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“What are you doing?” Hunter asked as he finally got his button fastened.

“Thinking of that time I got kicked in the nuts in gym class. Kills a hard-on without fail.”

There was a tap on the window, like the limo driver knew they needed a warning shot. Great. God only knew what the guy had heard.

Devon took one more breath and then leaned over to open the door.

“We’re here, sir,” the driver said, taking the handle and opening the door the rest of the way.

“Thank you.” Devon was the picture of calmness.

They both climbed out while the driver grabbed their overnight bags. The driver handed them their luggage, accepted his tip, and then left them on the curb in front of the posh Carmichael Hotel. Hunter hooked his backpack over his shoulder with a shaking hand and tried to regain some shred of his composure as he took in the front of the hotel. “Damn, looks like your sister set you up good.”

“No kidding. I bet a night here costs as much as a month’s housing at school. Oakley said she’d told them to get me a nice place. I thought she meant the Holiday Inn.”

A doorman was heading their way, asking if they needed help, but Hunter waved him off. He wanted to get to the room as quickly as possible. Even though he had his clothes back in order, he felt like he was wearing a billboard that announced what had happened in the limo. His face was hot, his legs were wobbly, and his thoughts jumbled.

He followed Devon into the lobby, his shoes squeaking on the gleaming white marble floor as they made their way past brightly colored modern furniture and metal sculptures. High-tempo wordless music played low in the background. This definitely wasn’t the Holiday Inn. Not that he’d ever actually stayed in one of those. Hunter had grown up staying in swanky hotels, but his parents usually preferred the ornate historic ones. This place was all sharp angles and pulsing energy, matching how Hunter was feeling inside at the moment.

Devon made his way to the front desk and gave the attendant his name. She typed in a few things on her computer and then gave them each a friendly smile. “Would you prefer two queens or a king, Mr. Crowe?”

“Two—”

“A king is fine,” Hunter interrupted.

Devon glanced his way, brow lifted.

Hunter shrugged, unsure where the flash of bravery had come from but standing by it nonetheless.

“Okay, then, a king,” Devon said, turning back to the woman.

“Absolutely,” she said brightly. “We’ve got a junior suite with a great view and a Jacuzzi tub on the sixteenth floor. Is there anything we can send up for you? Fruit platter or maybe some wine?”

“No, I think we’ve had enough to drink,” Devon said, returning her smile and bumping his shoulder against Hunter’s.

It was something Devon would’ve done playfully before tonight. But right then it felt so much more intimate, real, like he was announcing to the girl that they were together. The publicness of it made knots gather in Hunter’s neck. Since Devon had come into his life, he’d never cared what people thought. More than one person had joked that he and Devon were secretly dating. But because it hadn’t been real, it had been easy to brush off. Now he felt exposed.

This was happening. He was spending the night in a hotel room with one bed with Devon. They’d fooled around in the car, and Hunter had just made some kind of promise for more when he’d asked for a king. Pterodactyl-sized butterflies crashed around his stomach. What the fuck had he gotten himself into? His body was warring with his good sense.

The clerk got them set up with their keycards and gave them directions to their room. As they headed toward the bank of elevators, Devon glanced over at him.

Hunter could feel the gaze burning into him, making his skin itch. “What?”

“Nothing. You just look like dead man walking. You haven’t signed a contract, you know? Just because we messed around doesn’t mean you’re obligated to anything. Seriously.”

Hunter punched the button for the elevator and one instantly dinged open. “That’d be pretty shitty of me—to take and not to give back.”

They stepped inside and thankfully no one else followed them in. Devon pressed the number for their floor and then turned to Hunter, his gaze shrewd. “This isn’t a flea market, Hunt. We’re not exchanging goods and services. I gave you head. We both enjoyed it. We can leave it at that. I’m not going to hold it against you if you call this experiment done.”

The elevator dinged before getting to their destination, and a big group of women and men in business attire streamed in, chattering loudly. Their lanyards announced they were there for some tech convention. Hunter shifted closer to Devon until they were crowded into the corner—shoulders pressed awkwardly together.

“Can you fit one more, Jim?” a lady asked, hurrying for the door.

A man held the door and another sardine got on. Hunter tried to make room but there was nowhere else to go. The elevator doors shut, and the car began to rise. But after only making it up two more floors, it jolted to a stop halfway to the third. The car made a dreaded groaning sound—unhappy metal.

Oh, shit.

One of the ladies up front jabbed the button for her floor but nothing happened. She jabbed again. The air in the small space suddenly felt scarce, and a murmur of unrest went through the group.

“I think we’re between floors. This happened earlier,” one of the men said. “Give it a second and it will probably fix itself.”

“No, press the alarm,” someone else demanded. “We’ve probably exceeded the weight limit. The car can’t move.”

“Is it gonna fall?” asked a lady from the back, fear in her voice.

In the corner of his eye, Hunter caught Devon close his eyes and take a wavering breath.
Uh-oh.
He knew the guy had a touch of claustrophobia. During rush week, they’d had an activity where the pledges were locked in a room, and Devon had panicked.

“You all right?” Hunter asked under his breath.

“Could be better.” His Adam’s apple bobbed.

Damn, the kid was going to freak out.

People were arguing.

“Press the alarm. They’ll fix it faster if they know it’s stopped,” Hunter said louder than the others, his tone brooking no argument, and then he forced his way behind Devon. He wrapped his arm around Dev’s waist and gathered him against his chest. Devon stiffened in surprise but didn’t pull away. Hunter leaned down next to his ear, keeping his voice just loud enough for Dev. “You’re fine. Breathe it out. There’s enough room in here for all of us, and they’ll get this fixed. And when those doors open, I’ll get you off in a hurry, even if I have to knock everybody else down to get there.”

A few glances cut their way, but Hunter ignored them. Right now, he didn’t give a shit what any of these strangers thought.

Devon turned his head and whispered, “Stop promising to get me off in a hurry. I’d rather you take your time.”

Hunter snorted and squeezed Devon tighter against him. The alarm was pulled and someone from maintenance came over the loudspeaker and told them they were getting things fixed. It took a few minutes, but Hunter didn’t let go of Dev. At first he told himself that he was doing it simply because it was keeping Devon calm. But as time passed, his body grew all too aware of what was pressed against what, and then he was just holding on because he liked having Devon against him.

The elevator ground to a start again, earning relieved noises from the group, and people streamed off on the next few floors. He expected Devon to hop off on the first stop, but he didn’t move a muscle. And by the time they reached their floor, no one was left on the elevator, but Hunter still held Devon close.

“You can let me go now,” Devon said softly.

“I don’t think I want to.”

“I don’t think I want you to either.”

College

This was such a bad idea.
Such a fucking disastrous idea.
Wasn’t going to stop him, though. Devon grabbed Hunter by the front of his shirt and yanked him into the hotel room. The door clicked shut behind them, and he pushed Hunter against the wall.

He’d given the guy the out. He’d seen the wheels grinding in the hotel lobby. Post-blow-job brain had been clearing, and reality was settling over his friend. Devon had seen the shift. Had accepted that Hunter was about to freak out over their whole lapse in judgment. But then in the elevator, Hunter had surprised the hell out of him—grabbing him and talking him down from a panic attack—in front of all those people, no less. Despite the trapped quarters, one of Devon’s biggest fears, he suddenly hadn’t been able to think of much else besides wanting to tear Hunter’s clothes off right there. And now the adrenaline from their time in the elevator was pushing hard at any remaining self-restraint he had.

Devon pressed his lips to the cord of Hunter’s neck and nipped him. “Tell me to stop, Hunt. Tell me to slow down. Tell me to leave you the hell alone.”

Hunter tilted his head back, giving Devon better access. “Don’t wanna.”

God, he was so fucking beautiful. All muscles and mussed hair and hungry eyes. Devon had imagined touching him like this for so long that he didn’t know where to start. He wanted to gorge on the guy. But he had to be careful. This wasn’t a normal hookup. This was Hunter.
Hunter.
God, such a bad idea. “Lose the shirt.”

Hunter reached back without hesitation and pulled his T-shirt over his head, revealing that ridiculous body of his. Baseball had been good to this man. Devon’s fingers curled into his palms, the need to explore a burning thing inside him.

“Tell me what you want tonight,” he said before he allowed himself to touch again.

“What?”

“How far? I need to know.”

Hunter’s gaze was full of want but indecision hovered there, too. “I may not be sure until I get there.”

“Swear to me you’ll say stop if things go to a place you don’t want to go.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Promise me.”

Hunter grabbed Devon’s belt and dragged him close. “I promise, man. Now shut up.”

Hunter kissed him then, hard and hot, and Devon lost all thoughts for a moment. It was just lips and scruff and hands grappling. Hunter may have never been with a guy before, but he definitely knew how to kiss. Devon’s hands slid down Hunter’s bared back and then sank lower. Hunter’s grip on Devon’s head tightened, the only sign that Hunter was bracing for what was coming, but he didn’t pull away.

Devon slipped his hands beneath Hunter’s jeans, his fingers running over the cotton of his boxer shorts, and then he squeezed Hunter’s ass in a hard grip. The muscles tensed in Devon’s hands, but Hunter groaned into Devon’s mouth—a groan that said Hunter was doing the opposite of freaking out.

Hunter’s tongue probed deeper, a frantic edge to the kiss, and Devon slid his hand lower, finding the place where Hunter had never been touched and rubbing the fabric of his boxers over it.

A shudder moved through Hunter, and he broke away from the kiss with a gasp, the back of his head tapping against the wall. “Fuck.”

Devon had gone hard the instant they’d stepped through the door, and now he couldn’t help but rub his cock against the hard outline of Hunter’s erection as he teased Hunter with firm fingers. “I’m going to make this so good for you.”

Hunter’s eyes squeezed shut, the muscles in his neck straining. “I have no idea how to do any of this. I don’t know how to make it good for
you
.”

Devon smiled and kissed Hunter’s collarbone. “I’ve got you. It’s not rocket science, I promise. You’re already making me feel good.”

Devon lowered his head and dragged his tongue over Hunter’s flat, brown nipple, then sucked, inspiring Hunter to let out a string of curses. Devon found the buckle on Hunter’s belt and worked on it while he teased Hunter’s other nipple.

Hunter helped things along by knocking Devon’s hand out of the way and undoing the jeans completely. Then to Devon’s surprise, Hunter reached out and unbuckled Devon’s pants as well.

Devon held his breath for a second, knowing that being touched by a guy was a different mental place than being the one doing the touching. But after only the briefest of hesitations, Hunter tucked his hand into Devon’s open fly and wrapped curious fingers around his erection.

The hot feel of Hunter’s palm on his bare skin made Devon groan aloud. “Jesus, fuck.”

Hunter stroked a hand over him, tentative at first and then with more confidence. Devon pressed his forehead to Hunter’s shoulder, rocking into the delicious friction.

“Damn,” Hunter said against the top of Devon’s head.

“What?”

“I was hoping you’d be smaller. No way is this gonna fit.”

Devon laughed and looked up. Hunter was smirking, but a hint of apprehension lingered there.

Devon put his hand over Hunter’s, slowing the stroke into a teasing, sensual glide as he met his eyes. “I’m not going to fuck you tonight. We’ve got lots of other things we can do. No need to go that far yet.”

Surprise flickered in Hunter’s gaze. Surprise, relief . . . and maybe a little disappointment.

Devon eased their hands from his pants. “Come on. There’s a big bed waiting, and you’ve still got too many clothes on.”

“So do you.”

Devon smiled. “Grab my bag and meet me in there.”

Devon started undressing as he headed toward the bedroom. The lamps were on in the room and the design was minimalist. All white linens and gray everything else. A platform bed stretched across the middle of the room, made with sheets that didn’t have a wrinkle in them—a smooth white canvas he couldn’t wait to destroy. He stripped down to his boxer briefs and sat on the end of the bed.

Hunter walked in a few seconds later and tossed the bag at Devon’s feet. His shirt was off and his jeans hung open and loose on his hips. His erection hadn’t flagged, and the view of all that honed flesh made Devon’s blood rush south. For a second, Devon wondered if this was all some erotic dream. This couldn’t be his best friend, half naked and hard and wanting him. Devon reached into the side pocket of his bag and pulled out what he needed, tossing the packet onto the bed. Hunter’s eyes followed the movement, but he didn’t ask questions.

“Take everything else off,” Devon said, the urge to take control an impossible one to fight. He always liked to be in charge in the bedroom, but with Hunter the desire beat even stronger. Something about Hunter’s strength and size made Devon want to break him down. His mind fast-forwarded to nights down the line—nights after they’d built trust, nights where Devon could show Hunter just how rough-and-tumble he liked to get in the bedroom. But he had to reel those thoughts in. He wasn’t stupid. Tonight was a onetime blip in the universe. Hunter wanted to experiment. This wasn’t the start of a relationship. Hell, Devon didn’t do relationships. And he especially didn’t do them with closeted guys.

Hunter held the eye contact as he toed off his boots and socks and then reached for the waistband of his jeans to shove them off. He kicked the clothes to the side and then stood, naked, proud, adorably nervous. “Girls don’t usually make me strip for them. They want to be the ones stripped.”

“Well, they’re missing a helluva show.” Devon sat forward and reached for him, tracing his fingers over the deep V of Hunter’s pelvic muscle, making Hunter’s cock twitch. “You’re fucking gorgeous, man.”

“You gonna strip for me?” he asked, his gaze going to Devon’s boxer briefs. “I think I’m at a disadvantage being the only naked guy in the room.”

Devon gave him a slow smile as he stood. “You know, sometimes it can be hot for one person to be naked and the other fully dressed. But I’ll play fair tonight.”

He slipped off his briefs and tossed them to the side.

Curious eyes coasted down Devon’s body as Hunter took in the view. Devon could only imagine what he was thinking. They’d seen each other in various states of undress living together. But he doubted that Hunter had ever looked at another guy’s body through a sexual lens. Devon took himself in his hand and gave a casual stroke.

Hunter rubbed his lips together.

“You okay?”

Hunter ran a hand over the back of his head, expression chagrined. “I guess this is where it gets real.”

“Hey,” Devon said, getting Hunter to meet his eyes again. “If you’re not into it and want to stop here, it’s completely fine. We’re running an experiment, right? Results can come in at any time.”

Hunter shifted nervously but then quickly shook his head. “No. I’m not
not
into it. Obviously.” He swept a hand indicating his unflagging erection. “I just—I’m not sure what to do.”

Devon let out a breath, not realizing until then exactly how much he didn’t want the night to end. “If I were a girl, what would you do right now?”

Hunter glanced at the waiting bed. “Lie down with you, kiss you, feel you up. Maybe tell you how hot you are.”

Devon reached for Hunter’s hand and guided him toward the bed. “Sounds like a winning plan.” Devon sat on the bed and pulled Hunter down with him. “Want me to turn the lamps off? Might make it easier.”

Hunter put a knee on the bed, crawling next to him as Devon lay back on the pillows. “No, I’m not a chickenshit. I don’t want any smoke and mirrors. I’m not going to hide from what this is, who you are. Eyes wide open, man.”

Devon stared at him in wonder. This guy had no idea.
No. Fucking. Idea.
How goddamned amazing it was that he was so open and accepting. Devon had spent so much of his life hiding, feeling shamed, feeling broken. When he’d realized he liked guys, it’d been a death to the life he’d known. He’d gone from the kid with the big, loving farm family to an outcast—alone, afraid, abandoned. His family would never accept him. All of his ties to his hometown had been severed. And though he’d found a great group of friends here in California, he still got the side eye from some of the other students over how he was. But this kid, this man from the Deep South, whose family had raised him to abhor people like Devon, hadn’t flinched. He’d welcomed him as a brother from the start. Even if there was something sexual between them now, Devon knew that at the start that wasn’t the motivation. Hunter was just a good soul.

And now he was here in this moment with Devon—vulnerable, open, and free of judgment both for Devon and for himself. Devon slid a hand into Hunter’s hair and dragged him down for a kiss. The tension in Hunter’s body relaxed the instant their lips met. Like all he needed to shrug off the nerves was that simple reminder—oh yeah, this. This is good. We’re good.

They both sank into the kiss, their tongues twining and tasting, and after a few long seconds, Devon felt a hand coasting down his side. Hunter was exploring, mapping the unfamiliar terrain of his body. Devon shivered beneath the warm touch, the eager curiosity in it, and then indulged in some exploration of his own. He wrapped his arms around Hunter, letting his fingers run over the flexing muscles in his back all the way down to the curve of his ass.

Hunter shifted, positioning himself fully over Devon, his erection brushing against Devon’s thigh, and he reached between them, cupping Devon’s balls and stroking. Devon groaned.

Hunter broke off the kiss but kept his hand moving, his fingers dipping maddeningly close to Devon’s taint. “Guess I shouldn’t be on top, huh? I’m not sure what to do next.”

“You’re good,” Devon said, reaching out to the side to grab the packet he’d tossed on the bed earlier.

Hunter’s eyes tracked the foil square. “I thought you said—”

“It’s not a condom, just lube.” Devon tore open the corner of the packet with his teeth and shifted beneath Hunter so he could use his hands. He greased up his own cock and then ran his hand over Hunter, making him slippery and hot in his hand.

Hunter pressed his forehead to Devon’s. “Fuck that feels good.”

“This is going to feel even better.” He adjusted himself beneath Hunter, aligning their now-slick erections, and then gripped Hunter’s ass, guiding him against him, dragging their cocks against each other in a slow, heavy glide.

Hunter shuddered. “
God.
”

“I know.” Devon pulled him down for a kiss, and Hunter rolled his hips against him, the friction making Devon’s eyes want to roll back in his head. “Now we just have fun.”

***

Hunter couldn’t stop the motion of his hips if he tried. The feeling of Devon’s shaft rubbing against his was unfamiliar and forbidden and fucking awesome. The sensations took him straight out of his head. It no longer mattered that he was getting off with a guy. It didn’t matter that he had no idea what he was doing. He wasn’t worried if he would look stupid or awkward. All he could focus on was slick, hot skin and the sounds Devon was making beneath him—those same filthy grunts Dev made in the dark when he thought Hunter couldn’t hear him jerking off. Dev was losing himself to this as much as Hunter was.

Hunter broke away from Devon’s mouth and kissed down his neck, enjoying the taste of salty skin and exertion. Everything was so different—new. Devon was hard where Hunter was used to finding soft with women. And everything was rougher, wilder. Part of him wished he had more experience, because he had this urge to flip Devon over and just fuck him into the mattress—or maybe let Devon fuck him. He wasn’t sure which place he’d rather be. All he knew was that he wanted to hear him lose it. But based on the sounds Devon was making, he might get a chance to hear that anyway.

Devon’s slick fingers gripped Hunter’s ass as he dragged Hunter against him over and over, their pace increasing, the mattress springs protesting beneath them. Everything felt alive, his body humming with sensation and his brain spinning. They grappled with each other, kissed, rutted. It was messy and sweaty, and Hunter didn’t want it to stop. He wanted to roll around with Dev and experiment, explore things he’d only thought about secretly in the dark. But his body wasn’t going to last for him. It all felt too good, too intense, too in the moment.