Dance (8 page)

It
didn't help that Fenix genuinely disliked mornings. Daylight, noises, waking
up... none of that was particularly appealing to him.
Never
had been.

Something
clattered to the floor with a loud thud and Jared swore colourfully. Fenix
smiled.

“Need
some help?” he yelled over all the noise.
A moment later
Jared appeared behind the partition.
He was wearing only black boxers
and a grin. He looked gorgeous! Fenix stared at him and his mouth went dry. The
morning wood he was sporting took interest in Jared’s demigod form as well. Fenix
stretched seductively under the sheet covering his body, hoping it would be
temptation enough for Jared to abandon whatever he was doing and come back to
bed.

“Oh,
don't you start that. I’m making breakfast,” Jared scolded him with a stern
look. It only spurred Fenix on – Jared was so damn hot when he scowled.

“Can
it wait? I’m not hungry,” Fenix said and raised an eyebrow.
“For
breakfast.”

Jared
shook his head ‘no’. Fenix slid his hand down his body and under the sheet,
palming his straining erection and giving it a few slow strokes. “You go ahead,
finish whatever you’re doing in the kitchen. I’ll be right there,” he said, the
last words coming out huskily as his arousal built even more.

“
Dammit
,” Jared muttered and disappeared. Fenix gaped after
him, unable to believe Jared had just turned down the opportunity for morning
sex. He hadn’t even finished his thought when the commotion in the kitchen grew
quiet and Jared came back, sliding under the covers next to him. “You do not
get to do this without me anymore,” Jared murmured as he snuggled next to
Fenix, wrapped his arms around his waist and hoisted him on top of his chest.
Fenix yelped in surprise and laughed as he straddled Jared and settled his bare
ass over Jared’s groin comfortably. He flung the duvet off his shoulders and
quirked an eyebrow.

“Any requests?”

“Yeah,”
Jared rasped, his eyes darkening. “I want to watch.”

A
shiver ran through Fenix’s body as Jared’s words, spoken in that seductive
voice, aroused him even more. He bent down and kissed Jared slowly, biting his
lower lip before pulling away. Jared gasped and instinctively followed Fenix’s
mouth, trying to prolong the kiss. Smirking, Fenix pushed him back down with a
firm hand to the chest as he stretched over him to reach in the bedside drawer.
Taking out a condom and the lube, Fenix did a quick job of sheathing Jared’s
cock before he slicked his fingers and reached behind to prepare himself.

Jared
stared at him, his mouth slightly open, his eyes completely dark and his skin
flushed, already glistening with sweat. Running his hands along Fenix’s thighs,
Jared groaned as Fenix lowered himself on his cock and started moving. Fingers
digging in his hips, Jared met Fenix halfway with every thrust. Fenix palmed
his cock and started stroking himself in rhythm with the movement of his body,
his eyes never leaving Jared’s.

“God,
Fenix, you’re so hot!” Jared
said,
his voice strained
and hoarse. “I want to devour you. Possess you. Make you a part of me.”

Fenix
moaned, the hand on his cock speeding up. Jared shouted a curse and pumped his
hips vigorously several times, slamming into Fenix’s ass and leaving bruises
where his fingers dug into his skin. Fenix felt Jared coming inside him as he
arched
off the bed, closing his eyes in ecstasy.

Fenix
kept jerking himself off leisurely, leaving Jared to ride out his orgasm. When
he calmed down and managed to open his eyes again, Fenix bent down to kiss him.

“My
turn,” he whispered against Jared’s lips before he pulled back up and started
working his cock in earnest.

Jared’s
dick was still half hard inside him and Fenix moved slowly, finding the angle
he needed. He leaned back and propped his hand on the mattress between Jared’s
legs as he jerked off with the other.

“Jesus,
Fenix...” Jared gasped. Fenix felt Jared’s hands roaming over his thighs, his
stomach, his nipples, his back... Everything they could reach.

“Jared...”
Fenix whimpered helplessly as he came in waves all over Jared’s stomach.

“What’s this?”
Fenix asked as he lay half on his side, half on top of Jared, caressing a mark
on his skin just below his belly. “Is it a birth mark?”

“Yeah,”
Jared replied quietly. “My mum used to say that it looked like a horseshoe and
I was branded as lucky even before I was born,” he continued and entwined his
fingers with Fenix’s over his stomach. Their fucking had left them both tired
and drowsy, but there was additional heaviness in Jared’s voice. It was there
every time he talked about his family.

“I
think she was right,” Fenix said and propped his chin on Jared’s shoulder to
look at him. “You
are
lucky. After
all, you’ve got me.”

Jared’s
laughter filled the room and Fenix leaned in to kiss him.

When they
eventually managed to drag themselves out of Jared’s flat, it was past noon.
Jared insisted they go to the bank first and get the most important job out of
the way.

“It’s
going to take about an hour,” Jared told him when he finished talking to the
receptionist. “Would you like to wait here in the lobby or take a walk
outside?”

“Yeah,
I’d rather go for a walk, browse the shops. The thought of sitting here for an
hour without anything to do terrifies me,” Fenix said. Jared raised his
eyebrows in a silent question. Fenix sighed and explained, “I have mild ADHD.”

Jared
nodded slowly and Fenix was glad he didn’t see any pity or ridicule in his
eyes. He brushed a strand of hair off Fenix’s cheekbone, brushing his thumb
over it.

“Go
then. I’ll call you when we finish here and we can go furniture shopping.”

Fenix
walked out of the bank and strolled down the
highstreet
.
It was Monday so it wasn’t too busy. He browsed through a few shops, not really
looking for anything, but it gave him something to do. His mind kept wondering
back to Jared as he looked through the racks of clothes. Fenix was astonished
at the strength of the feelings he had already developed for Jared. He’d never
been one to rush into things. He’d never even had a relationship because he’d
never felt like this with anyone before.

What goes on in our
heads is not something we can predict or explain
,
it
just is what it is.

His
mother’s words echoed in his mind. She had been right – it was what it was.
Fenix could not force his heart to stop beating a little faster and his chest
to stop feeling tight and warm at the mere sight of Jared. He didn't want to.

A
faded blue t-shirt caught his eye and he took it off the rack to examine it
closer. His phone vibrated in his pocket and Fenix put the t-shirt back to
answer it.

“Hey,”
Jared said cheerfully. “Where are you?”

“In
Topshop
.
You sound happy. Did they give you the loan?”

“Yep.
I’ll have the money
in my account by the end of the day.”

“Great.
Congratulations.”

“Thanks.
Now let’s go to Zone. There’s a leather corner sofa and a vintage coffee table
with my name on it.”

Zone had
everything anyone could ever need when furnishing their home. The best part was
that there was something for everyone – high-tech sound systems, soft cotton
sheets, black-out blinds, silverware... The price range, model, and design also
varied. From vintage chest of drawers to electric recliner sofas and old school
movie posters, there was something for everyone.

Jared
was like a kid in a candy store. His face lit up with excitement every time he
saw something he liked. Fenix could not keep the smile off his own face
–
 
Jared’s
enthusiasm
was contagious. He ended up buying the cherry red leather corner sofa he’d
wanted, as well as the coffee table, Egyptian cotton sheets, a fluffy new
duvet, a colourful rug for the living room, and a Broadway musical poster Fenix
had fallen in love with. Jared arranged for everything to be delivered to his
flat in two weeks, and they left the store.

“We’ll
come back next week after the contractors start. We need to choose a whole new
kitchen, light fixtures, and a ton of other bits and pieces I’m sure I’ll come
up with.
Oh, and a new bed!”
Jared rambled animatedly.

We.
That
single word warmed Fenix’s heart.

Chapter eight

Fenix

It was past
five o’clock when they got back to Jared’s flat. He called the contractors he
had in mind for the renovations, and in the meantime, Fenix started collecting
his stuff and putting it back in the duffel. His phone vibrated in his front
pocket and he fished it out.

“Hello?”
he picked up without looking at the screen as he headed for the bathroom to get
his tooth brush.

“Hey,
doll.
Wanna
go out tonight?” Ned’s melodic voice
sounded on the other end.

“Sorry,
I promised Joy I’d have dinner with her. I owe her one after bailing on her the
last time.”

“You
two are like an old married couple. It’s disgusting.”

Fenix
rolled his eyes but decided against biting the bait.

“Where
are you by the way? I swung by last night and you weren’t home. That’s
incredibly strange, considering what a bore you are,” Ned said. Now, if it were
someone else, Fenix might have gotten mad or offended. But that was just how
Ned was. He had no brain-to-mouth filter.

“We
went out two days ago, Ned,” Fenix reminded him. “And next time, maybe it’s a
good idea to call first. Why were you even at my place?”

Ned
huffed, his voice sounding incredibly bored when he spoke again.

“I
went to this comedy club in Greenwich and wanted to crash at your place. It was
closer and I didn't feel like waiting for the night bus. The comedy was torture
enough.”

“You
went to a comedy club?” Fenix laughed disbelievingly.

“Yeah,
that guy I’m
kinda
dating wanted to go, so I agreed
against my better judgement.”

“You’re
dating someone?” Ned’s idea of dating consisted of sex in public places and the
occasional dinner. Not a comedy club.

“Not
anymore. So anyway, don't deflect the subject. Why weren’t you home? I had to
crash at Joy’s.”

“It’s
none of your business where I was, Ned.”

“You
stayed with a guy, didn't you?” Fenix didn't reply. Antagonizing Ned was much
more enjoyable than indulging him.
“Oh my god!
You did!
Are you with him now?”

“I’m
hanging up,” Fenix said.

“You
are! Fenix that’s...”

“Bye,
Ned. Talk to you later,” Fenix interrupted him and rang off.

That
whole conversation had no point besides Ned’s desire to learn the latest
gossip. Fenix knew it wouldn't be so easy to ward him off next time – Ned was
like a blood hound. Once he smelled the juicy gossip he was relentless. Fenix
wondered how Jared would like Ned, if they’d get along. They weren’t as close
as Adam and Jared were, and they definitely had never had sex, but still – Ned
was Fenix’s friend and co-star. He loved him with all his quirks and wished
Jared would like him too.

“Hey,”
Jared said from behind, making Fenix jump. He hadn’t even felt Jared walk in
the bedroom. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, wrapping his arms
around Fenix’s waist. “So, I have good news. The contractor agreed to start
tomorrow. We still need to meet in the morning and discuss the details, but
he’s been here before and has a rough idea what I want.” Jared abruptly stopped
talking as Fenix turned in his arms to face him.

“What?”
he asked.

“What
are you doing?” Jared’s glanced at the duffel bag.

“I’m
packing. I need to go home tonight, remember?” Fenix smiled and gave Jared a
soft peck on the lips.

“Why?”

“What
do you mean ‘why’? I was supposed to stay last night, not move in,” Fenix
laughed and wrapped his hands around Jared’s neck. Jared didn't laugh. He frowned
and eyed the duffel bag as if it had personally offended him. “And besides, I
promised Joy we’d hang out tonight. I also need to be at the theatre by noon
tomorrow for a staff meeting. I was hoping I’d be able to sneak in a work-out
before that. I haven’t danced in three days and it’s making me antsy.”

“Stay,”
Jared said quietly, leaning in to kiss Fenix. The gentle touch of lips and
tongue made Fenix want so much more. “I’ll cook you dinner,” Jared coaxed
between kisses. “And then we’ll fuck until neither of us can come anymore.”
Jared’s kiss deepened and Fenix groaned.

He’d
lost that battle the moment Jared had whispered ‘stay’.