Echo (13 page)

"I can't believe my dad bought this place," Anderson said. "It might actually be bigger than his house." He didn't add that that was probably due to all the children his father was expecting him to populate the place with.

And considering the sheer magnitude of the place, it looked like George was expecting Anderson to produce the population of a small country.

He had to shake his head when the image of a small Cole-replica popped in his head. A quiet and studious little boy with black hair and a solemn expression. Or maybe a pretty little girl that liked to dress like a princess and have tea parties, but also kicked butt at video games and said things like "Suck it, loser!" when she won.

He cursed his father for putting the idea of Cole-children in his head, especially when he couldn't help picturing a little brown haired boy and a black haired girl running around getting into trouble. They would probably be complete terrors to everyone around them, and the idea made a tiny surge of happiness go through him.

Anderson shook his head. He couldn't believe his dad had given him the idea of having kids with Cole. Especially since all they'd done was make out and he'd given the man one hand job.

He knew he'd been pushing things too fast before, and now his father had just casually kicked things up another notch. It was frustrating and terrifying all at once.

"This place is absolutely beautiful," Cole said. "I've only seen houses like this on TV. I didn't really think they were real."

"Don't worry about breaking anything," Anderson said after seeing how careful he was. "This place is meant to be lived in and there's no way Laura would put anything in here that's too breakable. She knows me much too well for that." And probably remembered the time he'd broken a priceless lamp while wrestling around with one of his friends. He'd been twenty-two at the time, so it wasn't like he could claim teenaged hijinks.

The tensed line of Cole's shoulders relaxed a little, but he still walked around as though he was in a museum--able to look, but not touch.

They wandered through the rooms and Anderson had to admit that Laura had good taste in furniture. Too bad very little of it was
his
taste, but still. He wasn't going to complain.

"This place really is very nice," Anderson had to admit. "Though I don't know how comfortable I am with the size."

"Though I don't know how comfortable I am with the size
. You could host football games in here," Cole said. "You're like one guy, why would you ever need this much space?"

Anderson shrugged. "My dad's policy has always been 'Go big or go home.' He kind of slops it over every aspect of his life. Including house hunting." He brushed his fingers over the banister rail as they went up the winding staircase and had to admit that, yes, that really was an ivy pattern painstakingly carved into the wood. "I knew that any house he got me in this neighborhood was going to be way outside of my size range, but this... this is a bit much."

"
This is a bit much
. Are you going to tell him that?" Cole asked curiously.

"Hell no. I'm going to smile and nod at him and tell him that the house is perfect. Seriously, my dad with bruised feelings is not a pretty picture." Anderson mock-shuddered. "Besides, he already paid for the place and it would be too much hassle to get the money back."

Cole made a mumbling sound in the back of his throat but didn't say anything.

The second level was just as beautiful as the first with three guest bedrooms, a second living room with fireplace, and the master bedroom.

"Wow," Cole said, whistling.

"I second that," Anderson said.

The master bedroom was
huge
, even when compared to the over-sized nature of the rest of the house. There was a round-shaped king-sized bed in the middle of the room with cream colored sheets and comforter--most likely made out of goose-down considering Laura had picked it out.

Running along one whole wall was a series of shelves and drawers with a large flat-screen TV on the wall above them. Laura had even added a frame around the TV so it looked more like a painting than a television.

"That TV is gigantic," Cole said, gazing at it. "Would you be really upset if I slipped it under my jacket and took it home with me?"

"Yeah, I might be upset. Especially since I'm planning on taking it home with
me
." Anderson slipped an arm around Cole's shoulder. "But you can stay here and watch it with me." He pressed a kiss against the side of Cole's head.

Cole snorted a laugh. "
But you can stay here and watch it with me
. Like that doesn't sound like some kind of line. Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Yes, yes I am." Anderson licked his lips. "Does that freak you out?"

"
Does that freak you out?
" Cole's cheeks were pink as he shook his head. "No. In fact, that's actually kind of why I thought you invited me here with you."

Anderson laughed. "It totally was."

"It totally was.
" Cole plucked at his clothes, "I need to take a shower and change though."

"Well, this place probably has like twelve bathrooms, so I'm sure we can find you one that will work for you." He had to laugh at the look Cole gave him.

They finished their tour of the house, wandering around the third floor, then going down into the basement to find that it featured a temperature controlled wine cellar as well as a home gym.

"This place is ridiculous," Cole said. And Anderson had to agree.

* * *

They'd gotten their bags out of the car and retreated to separate bathrooms for showers. Anderson went to a guest bath with a laugh and Cole got to use the master bath.

He'd never seen a bathroom so lavish and large, not in real life anyway. There was a jacuzzi tub as well as a shower large enough to hold at least five people and featured multiple shower heads and a set of in-shower speakers attached to a stereo panel that he couldn't help playing with.

Cole scrubbed his body with the shower gel he'd found waiting in a basket on the counter and washed his hair with coconut scented shampoo. When he was done, he was surprised by a blast of warm air that kissed his entire body and had him making a rather embarrassing squeaking sound.

As he slid open the door and stepped out, he couldn't help tapping his bobbing erection with his fingers. That tickling brush of air had hit his balls and he couldn't help responding. There was no way he'd be able to handle that every day, especially if he had to go to work afterward.

Though he couldn't help laughing at the idea of showing up at the office with a gigantic hard-on. It would certainly be a conversation starter.

He pulled on his briefs and a pair of jeans, stuffing his recalcitrant cock inside. He couldn't help thinking about how Anderson was planning on debauching him in the near future, which didn't really help his self-control any.

Cole pulled his shirt down over his head as he left the bathroom and went in search of Anderson. The carpet felt lush against his bare feet and he couldn't help a faint flush of desire as he thought about Anderson fucking him right on the floor.

He glanced at the bed in passing, but a dirty part of his mind wanted to try other things too.

If things didn't work out with Anderson, he wanted to at least walk away with a whole new set of experiences. If he was going to give his virginity to someone, he wanted it to be memorable. And he really liked Anderson.

Glancing down at himself quickly, he figured he looked passable. Especially if they were going to do what he kind of thought they were going to do.

He felt a nervous lump forming in his belly, but tried to ignore it as he went to find Anderson.

He found the other man in the large living room sitting on the dark colored couch. His hair was still damp, but he'd lit a fire and managed to scrounge up a bottle of wine, glasses, a plate of toast points, and a creamy green spread in a black dish.

"Where'd you get the food?" Cole asked curiously, coming to sit next to him.

The lights were turned low, but in the flicker of the firelight Anderson looked incredible. "Do you think that when she was decorating this place, Laura would forget to stock the kitchen with food? There's no way she would let us starve to death." As he spoke, Anderson busily slathered green spread on a toast point.

Cole accepted it with just a hint of nervousness, but gamely took a bite. Flavor exploded across his tongue and he couldn't help a moan of delight, his eyes falling half shut.

"Yeah, that's how I sounded the first time I tried Laura's spinach-artichoke spread," Anderson sounded like he was fighting off a laugh.

Cole didn't care. He was completely focused on getting the toast point into his stomach. He even licked his fingers clean when he was done, not wanting to waste a single bit of flavor.

Anderson shook his head. "All you had to do is say something and I'd give you more." He started preparing another and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed in passing and Cole couldn't help the jolt that went up through his arm.

A smile quirked Anderson's lips as he munched on his own toast point. "This is delicious," he almost purred.

Cole felt his cheeks going hot and it spread to cover his entire body. "
This is delicious
," he echoed. "Why do I get the feeling that you're flirting with me?" He smiled.

"Because I am," Anderson said, popping the last of his toast point in his mouth and pouring white wine into the two glasses. He passed one to Cole, clinked their rims together quickly, and drained his in one swallow.

Cole raised an eyebrow. "
Because I am
. You are almost painfully honest, aren't you?"

"Just with you," Anderson said, smirking. He set his wine glass on the end table and leaned across the intervening space to press a kiss against the side of Cole's neck. "What do you think about the idea of us fooling around?"

"
What do you think about the idea of us fooling around?
I guess we could do that," Cole said as casually as he could manage considering how nervous he was.

As Anderson began kissing down his neck, Cole moved his arms out of the way to give him better access. And when Anderson's hands grabbed the edge of his shirt and lifted it up, he concentrated just on keeping from spilling his glass. Though it was a real struggle when Anderson began peppering kisses all over his chest, nipping at his nipples with his teeth, and he barely managed to set his drink down on the floor close to the couch.

He'd read enough to know the basics of what to expect, but there were still quite a few things he wasn't completely sure about. But Anderson kept it to a nice pace, giving him time to adapt to each new sensation as it happened.

They necked on the couch for a while and somehow they both ended up out of their shirts and Cole's pants disappeared somewhere. He barely noticed as he wallowed in the sensation of hands moving across his skin and Anderson's lips trying to press kisses on every piece of his body.

And when Anderson hesitated minutely over taking off Cole's underwear, silently seeming to ask him for permission, he didn't hesitate to moan, "Yes!" and shove them down himself.

His cock was so hard that it was almost painful and he had to reach down and grip himself tightly to keep from just coming all over the place. He had to squeeze for a couple of seconds until he got himself under enough control that he didn't think he was going to come too soon.

Anderson chuckled, but there wasn't anything mean to it. "You're just so cute." He knelt between Cole's legs, somehow precariously balancing on the couch, so that he could wrap his own hands around Cole's cock.