Crush (Hard Hit #5) (6 page)

A sound somewhere between a sigh and a moan caressed Andrei’s ears. The desire to pound away, seeking and finding the release he desperately needed, was like a hot coal in the pit of his stomach. Andrei refused to give in. Not yet. Instead, he slowly lowered his weight until his chest met Orlando’s spine, and he could touch his lips to Orlando’s shoulder.

“Tell me what Noah whispered.” He rolled his hips, torturing the man beneath him. “If you want this,” he said, slipping away an inch before impaling him once more. “I suggest you answer me now.”

Orlando released a sharp gasp. His fingers scratched at the sheets. “Oh my God. Do that again.”

Andrei held still. “Not until you tell me,” Andrei said, taunting him and allowing his lips to brush Orlando’s skin with every syllable.

Orlando whimpered. “Shit, um, he said, if he’d known I was so fucking sexy, he would’ve agreed to share that day.”

A shot of rage hit Andrei’s bloodstream, mixing with his lust and turning him into someone he didn’t know. Digging his hand beneath Orlando’s body, Andrei squeezed the other man’s cock as he fucked his ass hard. He bit Orlando’s shoulder before licking it in apology. Greed built in his heart as the pressure built in his dick. He licked Orlando’s ear, ensuring he had the man’s full attention before growling against it.

“I’ll fucking kill you if you ever let anyone touch you again while you’re with me the way you let Noah. Do you understand me?”

The only sound reaching Andrei’s ears was Orlando’s moans and labored breaths muffled by the mattress. Andrei tightened his hold on Orlando’s erection. Orlando almost crippled him by clenching tight on Andrei’s cock.

“Do you understand?” Andrei repeated.

“Yes," Orlando said on a low moan.

At Orlando’s agreement, Andrei broke, slamming inside the man’s ass as he pumped his cock. Orlando’s cries matched the ones inside Andrei’s head. When Orlando came, his greedy ass clamped around Andrei’s dick, pulling him deeper. Between Orlando’s tight ass tugging on his erection and the hot cum coating his hand, Andrei flew apart. The orgasm hit him in the balls and poured out in waves, stealing Andrei’s breath. He gasped for air. Words he forgot the moment they passed his lips fell between them. In the aftermath of Orlando, Andrei was crushed.

*

Andrei’s eyes glittered in the dark. Orlando couldn’t look away. With the mess cleared away, they climbed back into bed beside one another. They hadn’t stopped staring at each other since. Orlando didn’t know why. All he knew was he couldn’t stop. A thousand questions ran through his mind. None of them fell from his lips. Andrei was the first to break.

“I was wrong about two people tonight. My ego is in shambles.”

A smile exploded across Orlando’s face. He was helpless against it. For the past ten minutes, he’d fought for something to say and Andrei had wiped away all discomfort with a few well-placed words.

"Who were you wrong about?”

“I expected Noah would be greedy and I’d be willing to share. Turns out Noah is the one open to anything, while I’m feeling deadly at the thought of him touching you."

A possessive Andrei was a sexy Andrei, but Orlando didn’t think he’d appreciate hearing it. Instead, he chose to attack the first half of his claim.

“I don’t think you were wrong about old Noah Cote. That shady fucker is greedy, but not for one person. He wants all of everyone."

Andrei sighed. “No. More likely, he was feeling spiteful. I guess I must swallow my pride and apologize.”

A shot of cold fury hit Orlando, twisting his guts. “For what? You did nothing wrong." Orlando could hear the anger in his voice, but he couldn’t stop. “You can’t turn on the TV these days without seeing his face and hearing all about him with that actress he’s dating. Yet tonight, he’s out with you and kissing me. I think you dodged a big cheating bullet.” There might’ve been an ounce of jealousy coating Orlando’s words, but he meant them. He hated cheaters.

“Huh,” Andrei grunted, sounding thoughtful. “I’m not surprised you recognize Noah. He is getting very big. I admit I did not know of this actress. Not that it matters. He is my friend only.”

“A friend who you’ve kissed,” Orlando reminded him.

“You sound jealous. Don’t be. I warned you not to feel and I’m serious with no one, especially Noah. Bitterness is wasted on me.”

Orlando shifted positions, tossing one leg over Andrei and straddling his hips. Andrei rolled willingly onto his back.

“There is a ton of rage inside of me," Orlando admitted as he trailed his lips along Andrei’s collarbone. “But you don’t own any of it.” Orlando punctuated his promise by rolling his hips and sliding his growing erection along Andrei’s. Andrei hissed. Orlando did it again. His lips found Andrei’s shoulder, colliding with the raised skin of one of the man’s many scars. “Will you tell me about these?” Orlando licked the marred skin in case Andrei didn’t understand what he meant. Orlando found himself on his back with nearly three hundred pounds of delicious male covering his body.

“No." Andrei’s breathless tone took away the sting of his rejection. Reaching between them, Andrei stroked both of their cocks. “Will you stay the night?”

Orlando’s response was swept away with the swipe of Andrei’s tongue. It didn’t matter. They both knew Orlando wasn’t leaving. Now he knew how to find Andrei. The man would never rest again.

Chapter 4

Andrei:
I hate cell phones. They make people so rude.

Orlando:
I feel ya.

Andrei:
For the past 10 minutes, I’ve watched my waiter texting instead of taking my order.

Orlando:
You need to get passive aggressive. Start talking real loud about people who don’t think they have to work around there.

Andrei:
Since I’m alone, that would make me look crazy.

Andrei:
Want to have lunch with me? We can be aggressive together.

Orlando:
Where are you?

Andrei:
Devlin’s on West End.

Orlando:
I can be there in 5.

*

Orlando:
Why can’t people drive in the rain? Everyone slows down to 5mph, like they’ve never seen water falling from the sky before.

Andrei:
Are you texting and driving?

Orlando:
No. I’m sitting in the drive-thru at the bank.

Andrei:
That’s good. I don’t want anything to happen to you.

Andrei:
Well, not anything where I’m not involved.

Orlando:
Want to have dinner with me tonight?

Andrei:
I’d love to.

*

Andrei:
Is it this weekend or next that you’re on call?

Orlando:
Next.

Andrei:
Want to go to Denver with me this weekend? They’re having skate-on tryouts, and Kieran needs me to scout some talent.

Orlando:
I’m sure Kieran would love that.

Andrei:
What does that matter? He won’t be there.

Orlando:
It doesn’t matter to me
.

Andrei:
Obviously, it doesn’t matter to me either or I wouldn’t have asked.

Orlando:
Then I’m there.

*

Orlando:
I have something I need to say.

Andrei
: Okay.

Orlando:
You’re sexy as fuck for an old dude, and I’ve been thinking about you a lot.

Andrei:
Being old means I have a trick or two to teach you.

Orlando:
I’m not busy right now.

Andrei:
You will be in a minute.

*

Andrei:
Want to go with me to look at houses this weekend? My house in New York finally sold, and I’m ready to get out from underneath Kieran and Henley’s feet.

Orlando:
I have to work
☹

Andrei:
I’ll wait until you can go with me.

Orlando:
You don’t need me. I know you’re ready to get out of Kieran’s house.

Andrei:
I’ll wait for you.

*

Each time Orlando thought about Andrei, his chest tightened. The night he’d tracked Andrei down, he hadn’t expected to land in the man’s bed. He doubly hadn’t expected they’d keep seeing each other afterward. Andrei saw him for who he was and accepted it. Combine that sort of freedom with the way Orlando’s mouth watered every time he set eyes on Andrei, and Orlando couldn’t quit him.

For the past two months, imagining the other man’s kiss was all it took to get Orlando through the day. Today wasn’t that day. It was no reflection on Andrei. The man had been nothing but amazing. It was Orlando. Some days, he couldn’t escape the darkness inside his mind. He’d made it through his shower and through pulling on pants. That was where his willpower ended. He lit up, inhaling the chemicals into his lungs as he prayed for oblivion. He didn’t want to think or feel anymore.

His moment of peace didn’t last. A solid knock landed on the door. Orlando didn’t bother checking the peephole. Only one person ever came to see him who knocked like he was bringing down the door. Not to mention, he’d been expecting Andrei. The man possessed some sort of sixth sense. If Orlando was having a shit day, there he was. Holding his blunt between his lips, Orlando let Andrei in. He inhaled deeply and turned his back to Andrei before exhaling. Anyone else walking into his home would get what they got, but he knew Andrei hated secondhand smoke.

“Sorry I’m not quite ready,” Orlando said, heading for the bedroom and leaving Andrei to shut the front door. Andrei followed on his heels.

“I see you’re busy smoking the nasty shit.”

“Don’t,” Orlando said over his shoulder. “I work a hard job, seeing some of the worst shit. Today was one of those days, and I’m off tomorrow, so don’t judge me, okay?”

Andrei stretched out across the bed. With his head propped up on one hand, he watched Orlando with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You don’t need that to make you feel better. You’re dating a magician.”

Orlando snorted. “A comedian, maybe.”

Wearing a half smile, Andrei patted the empty spot next to him. “Come. I show you a magic trick, make all your problems disappear.”

In spite of himself, Orlando chuckled. “I’ve seen your tricks.”

“Not this one,” Andrei said, promise dripping from every word.

With a sigh, Orlando stubbed out his fire and joined Andrei on the bed. As soon as he settled in next to Andrei, Andrei snagged Orlando around the waist and tucked him against his chest, holding Orlando tight.

“See. Now I have you, and everything disappears once you tell me all about it.”

Orlando closed his eyes and relaxed into Andrei’s hold, already feeling a little better. “I pulled three dead kids out of the van today on the interstate. They were all under seven.” Andrei’s fingertips skimmed down Orlando’s arm, but he didn’t speak. Knowing he was listening made a world of difference. “The mom was messed up, but she’ll live. She won’t want to, but she will. I hate days like this one. They make me feel useless and small.”

As the confession left Orlando’s lips, he realized something. Andrei was a magician. His touch tricked Orlando into telling him things he wouldn’t dare tell another soul. Orlando cared about this man — way more than he should. Andrei cast the illusion of caring about him too.

“Do you know how to skate on the ice?”

Orlando’s brows drew together at the odd question. “Yeah. It’s been a long time, but we used to go all the time when we were kids.”

“Okay, then,” Andrei said, pressing a kiss to Orlando’s neck before pulling him to his feet. Orlando watched in confusion as Andrei pulled a shirt from the closet and tossed it over Orlando’s head. “Finish getting dressed. We have somewhere to go.”

Orlando pushed his arms through the sleeves. “Okay. Where?”

“We have to go make you feel big again,” Andrei said, as if the answer should have been obvious.

*

Andrei hated the pain in Orlando’s eyes. It didn’t belong there, and the shadows wouldn’t stay if he could help it. Even though he couldn’t explain his obsession with Orlando, the man mattered to him. As long as that remained true, he wouldn’t allow him a moment of unhappiness. The expression currently donning Orlando’s face, as he stared at the ice rink packed with kids, said a thousand things. Sad wasn’t one of them.

“What the fuck?”

“See how big you are,” Andrei said, pointing out the obvious while barely holding back his laughter. Orlando glanced over. To his surprise, a huge grin spread across Orlando’s face.

“Dude. If one of us falls, it will probably kill one of these munchkins.”

Andrei winked. “I never fall, baby. All of this is solid,” he added, motioning toward himself. “Built to take a hit without wavering, and I won’t let you down.” Andrei meant it in so many ways. Orlando’s smile turned sweet and Andrei took his hand. “Come on.” With a tug, he had Orlando on the ice. It was obvious he was nervous, doing something he hadn’t in years, but Orlando’s discomfort didn’t stop him from joining Andrei. He was a bit unsteady at first, but quickly caught the rhythm.