In the Silks (16 page)

Henry followed Ryan’s instruction.

“Don’t put your hand inside.”

“Okay,” Henry said arching his back.

“Does it feel good?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Henry, tell me what you want.”

“I want you.”

“You have me.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

Henry licked his lips, “I want to take these off.”

“Peel them off slowly, imagine me using my teeth to pull them down your legs.”

Henry hooked his thumbs in his underwear and pulled them down lifting his legs to pull them off and toss them to the side. “They're off.”

“Good, I wish I could see your cock right now; I bet it’s already leaking and hard.”

“Oh my God,” Henry moaned.

“Show me Henry.”

“How?
Oh
.”

“Show me that big hard cock. Don’t worry, no one will see but me. Please. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

“I don’t know.”

“I want to see it. It’s making my mouth water just thinking about it. Come on, Henry.”

Henry hesitated, but then he picked up the phone, changed the screen to camera mode, and took himself in one hand while he snapped a picture using the other. He looked at it quickly before putting it in a text message and hitting send.

“Okay, here it comes. I can’t believe I just did that.” He shook his head, his face burning red.

Ryan laughed at that.

“Hold on, let me see. Fuck that’s hot. I wish that was my hand holding it.”

“You approve?”

“Oh baby, you have no idea. I could lick the fucking screen right now. Do you still have that picture I sent you?”

“Yes, but I want another.”

“That I can do. Hold on a sec.”

Henry, lazily stroked himself while he waited.

“Okay, I just sent it.”

Henry picked the phone up with his free hand and opened the new message. The picture was similar to the one that Henry had sent. It was Ryan holding his dick, thumb resting on the tip.

“Fuck, that’s hot.”

Through the phone, Henry could hear Ryan's breathing was clearly erratic. Henry assumed he was jacking himself.

“Henry.”

“I’m here.”

“Talk to me,” Ryan moaned.

Henry swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Damn, I wish you were here right now.”

“What would you do, tell me?”

Henry hesitated before answering. He was stroking himself again. “I would put you in my mouth.”

Ryan groaned. “I want to lick you from top to bottom, Henry. Then I want you to pick me up throw me down on the bed. Bend me in half and pound into me until I scream. I’m picturing it right now. You’re bending me in half, damn, I can feel you in my gut, and you’re pounding me so fucking hard telling me to take
it
.”

“Oh fuck.” Was the only response Henry could produce. He was pumping away; images of what Ryan had described playing out behind his closed eyes.

You want that Henry?”

“Fuck, yes.”

“Feels so good.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll feel better when you’re inside me.”

That’s all it took to send Henry over. He came, hard and loud. His groans filled the empty room.

Soon enough Ryan wasn’t using words anymore, just sounds.

Ryan panted, calling Henry’s name. If he hadn’t just come, that would have done it. Henry spoke first, “Wow.”

“Yeah, I agree. That was so hot.”

“I can’t believe I just did that.” Henry laughed, using his clean hand to twist a curl dangling over his forehead. The other, the sticky wet one, was resting on his stomach.

“You’re too funny, and that was too fun. Expect more of that in the future. Sleepy now, will I see you tomorrow night when I get home?”

“Most definitely.”

“Night, Henry.”

“Night, Ryan, sweet dreams.”

“Oh, they will be.”

Henry smiled at that as the call disconnected. He cleaned up then climbed back into bed and fell asleep with a big, cheesy grin on his face.

That night he dreamed of taking Ryan the way Ryan had described without hesitation.

Chapter 15

A
FTER RYAN woke up and took a piss, he grabbed his cigarettes and headed for the front porch. He lit one up and sat on the porch swing, rocking it back and forth. Thinking about the night before brought a smile to his face. He wasn’t sure what had come over him. He thought maybe he had pushed too far when it seemed like Henry kept putting off going to bed. But that wasn’t true, quite the contrary, as it happened. He wanted to go upstairs and get his phone that very moment but he knew if he looked at that picture he wouldn’t make it down stairs for breakfast with his parents.

Ryan was practically giddy.
What the hell was happening to him?
He needed to calm down, he had a plan and this wasn’t part of it. Falling for Henry couldn’t be an option. But he knew that was what he was feeling; yet another thing in Ryan’s life that he had no control of. Despite knowing better, Ryan put Henry in that column of vices that he wasn’t willing to give up anytime soon. Except, Henry
wasn’t
a vice. He was incredible and for right now, that’s all Ryan cared about.

Ryan continued to rock, cigarette in hand. He made a concerted effort to turn his thoughts from Henry, already hard, he needed time to calm down before going back in. He reflected on his childhood home. It was the quintessential American dream house; two-story colonial in a nice upper-middle class suburb of Connecticut, white picket fence included. He was at peace when he was here but there was no way that he could ever consider living here again. It was almost the same as his feelings about being back in Boston. He loved it and felt at peace there but didn’t think it was where he belonged.

Going back there to convalesce had been the so called happy medium that he and his parents had come to. They wanted him in Darien, he wanted New York; he couldn’t go back to home like an errant child. He knew they doubted that he could be alone given the circumstances. He wasn’t just healing his knee, if it had it only been that, they probably would have been okay with his plan. It was the other piece that had them apprehensive. He wasn’t sure where the suggestion of Boston came from, but before he could question it, the words were out of his mouth. After looking at places to rent, his father, who was in real estate, found the loft and insisted they buy it. Ryan hadn’t been comfortable with that at first, but his father explained that he could rent it out once Ryan went back to New York and it would be a great investment. Chet Mallory was always looking for a way to bring Ryan in to the fold of his business. Not that he wasn’t supportive of Ryan’s career, he just always made it clear that eventually he thought that Ryan would need more. Ryan understood, but he had no interest in business. His mother, Elise, was an artist, mostly paintings and sculptures, and understood his apprehension. She tried many times to put a different spin on it, telling Ryan that property investment would be a good thing for him to try. He could hire people to handle most of the paperwork and viewings, etc. He still wasn’t totally convinced, but he was warming up to it, in the far distant future. Ryan was so grateful to have parents that supported him and looked out for his well-being, even as a grown man, but he felt like he was just spinning his wheels.

“Ryan James Mallory, get in here. Your breakfast is getting cold.” The disembodied voice of his mother came through the screen door. He leaned his head before yelling in, “Coming Mom!” Ryan took one last drag of his butt and put it on his shoe before sticking it in his pocket and going into the house.

“You stink.”

“Good morning to you, too.”

“Ryan, when are you going to give up those cigarettes? Honestly.”

“Mom, I love you and I know that you’re heart is in the right place, but you have to stop. I’m doing the best I can; I need my nicotine habit, at least for now. Lesser of the evils, you know?”

“Of course, you’re right. I apologize.” His mother said, leaning down and kissing him on the top of the head as he sat at the table.

“It’s okay, what are we having?”

“Nothing special, I made waffles, eggs, and some turkey sausage. There’s fresh juice and coffee too.”

Ryan’s mother brought the platter to the table, when she placed in the center and sat down Ryan asked. “Where’s dad?”

“Oh, he’s sleeping in, I think he’s coming down with a cold.”

“That sucks.”

“Ryan!”

Ryan rolled his eyes at her and smiled. She pushed the tray in his direction and smiled back.

“I ran into Chelsea at the market the other day.”

“Oh really, how is she?”

“She seemed good, she’s engaged. She asked how you were.”

“I haven’t seen her in ages.” Ryan said as he poured syrup on his waffles.

“I just told her you were doing well, busy as ever.”

Ryan nodded around a mouthful of waffle. Chelsea is the girl he’d taken to the prom. They had been friends since elementary school and she was one of the first people that Ryan had come out to. She was a sweetheart but she’d gone to Notre Dame after graduation and they’d drifted apart. Ryan chuckled at the memory of their prom night. They had both gotten totally wasted and tried to have sex because, they insisted, it was a rite of passage to get laid in a hotel room on prom night. But Ryan could not get it up. They made out a little; both got sick, slept it off and then went out for breakfast. It was a really goodnight, despite the whole no erection with a girl thing.

“What are you laughing at?” Ryan’s mother interrupted his thoughts with a raised brow.

“Nothing. Chelsea, we used to be really close.”

“Did you two?” His mother waved two fingers in front of his face.

“Mom, you did not just ask me that.”

“Well, I’m curious.”

“Mom stop, seriously.”

“Oh come on, you’re grown, it’s no big deal. Have you ever been with a girl?”

“Mom, I am so about to stick this fork in my thigh, it would be less painful than this conversation.”

“Oh, you’re such a prude!”

“I’m a prude? You yelled at me for saying the word ‘sucks.’”

She waved him off and began to make her plate. They sat silently for a few minutes, eying each other every so often.

“Mom.”

“What?”

“Stop it.”

“What am I doing,” she held a hand to her chest, “I’m just sitting here, eating my breakfast.”

“You’re being silent until you get your question answered, I know you! All right fine, I have never been with a girl. I tried once, it didn’t work. Happy now? Can we please eat?”

“Whoa, that’s quite the breakfast conversation.” Ryan’s father stated, entering the kitchen. His voice sounded hoarse, supporting his mother’s assumption that he was getting sick.

“Good morning, Dad. Mom is just trying to torture me.”

“Ryan, hush. Good morning, dear. I was just trying to have a conversation with our son. He doesn’t like to share. How about I make you a cup of tea?”

“I don’t blame him, when you’re asking about his bed partners.”

“Oh please, make it stop!” Ryan dropped his fork to his plate, raising his hands to run them through his hair.

His father began to laugh, which evolved into a cough. “Tea sounds good, and then I’m going back to bed. Could I have some toast too, please?”

“Of course, dear.”

“So Ryan-”

Ryan put a hand up to halt his father. “Are you going to ask me something totally inappropriate?”

“No, actually, I was not. I wanted to see how things were going; we didn’t get a chance to catch up much yesterday. How’s physical therapy? How are the meetings and the counseling going? They helping? Have you reconnected with any old friends yet?”

“That’s a lot of questions.” Ryan told him before picking up his juice and taking several large gulps. The questions weren’t actually more than he could handle, but the last one about reconnecting… that one brought Henry to mind and Ryan needed to rein himself in before responding. He didn’t hide much from his parents and he wasn’t trying to hide Henry. He just knew what they would probably say. His mother would want more information than anyone’s mother should have and then she would insist that Ryan remain celibate while he got his head together. He knew this because after Cameron, they had had a similar conversation. Sure, he could tell her they were just friends but she would keep asking about it. He didn’t have any answers about Henry himself, how could he give her any?

Chapter 16

T
HE NEXT day seemed to drag for Henry, knowing that he would see Ryan that night. Remembering what they had done over the phone heated his skin and kept a smile on his face the entire day. He kept the picture Ryan had sent him. He saved both of them and sent them to his email with the intention of deleting them from his phone; however, he found that he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He went home; showered, changed, and left in a hurry to meet Ryan. Ryan had messaged him earlier in the day asking Henry to meet him at a particular restaurant.

When he arrived, Ryan was waiting outside. Ryan hugged him, but didn't do anymore. Henry was ambivalent; he wanted to kiss Ryan right there, but he was relieved that Ryan hadn’t done any more than hug him. This was still all so new to him. He didn’t know where this was going. He knew what he wanted, but what he wanted and what was possible were two very different realities.

“Welcome back,” Henry said, as he pulled the door open and waited for Ryan to walk through ahead of him.

“Thanks, I’m glad to be back,” Ryan said with a smile and walked ahead.

They ordered dinner and some drinks. Ryan talked about his family a bit and how he loved them but he was glad to leave, too. Henry could share the sentiment and told Ryan about Sunday dinners. He loved being with them, but when it was time to pack up his leftovers and take off, he was all too happy to go. They were almost finished eating when Henry’s sister called. Henry was reluctant to answer, but because of his father, he always did.

“My sister Annie,” Henry said looking down at the phone, “I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

“No problem, I’m going to grab a butt,” Ryan said getting up from the table and heading toward the entrance.

Henry watched him go as he answered the phone. “Hey Annie, everything okay?”

“Hey, Henry, yes it is. What are you doing?

“I’m out right now, can I call you later?”

“Out where? On a date?”

Henry scoffed, damn but she was nosy and perceptive. “Annie, I love you. Mind your own business. Talk to you later. Bye.”

Henry caught her words of protest at being dismissed as he pulled the phone away from his ear and hit the end call button. While he waited for Ryan to come back in, he got the waitress' attention to bring the check, and had sent the bill and his credit card off by the time Ryan was back at the table.

“All good?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, fine. Do you want to bring any of this home?” Motioning toward the food they hadn’t finished on the table.

“Nah, I’m good.”

When the waitress came back and when Ryan realized that Henry had paid the entire check, he scowled.

“Stop, you can leave the tip,” Henry laughed at him.

Ryan pulled out his wallet and threw some cash down on the table. “Ready?” Henry asked.

Ryan nodded; they got up and headed to the door. Ryan had asked Henry during dinner if he wanted to come back to his place, and Henry had all too eagerly agreed. The next day was Saturday, he had to do some chores at his parents but not until late in the day. Henry hoped to stay up all night and sleep in, with Ryan next to him.

~~~~~

Henry woke up before Ryan despite how late they had been up the night before. He watched Ryan sleep for a few minutes before dragging himself out of the warm bed. He urgently needed to take a piss. He took a quick shower and threw his jeans on and went to the kitchen, unbuttoned and barefoot, to make some coffee. He was leaning against the counter waiting for the coffee to brew, thinking about the night before. They’d had sex three times. Henry still wasn’t taking as much initiative as he would like but Ryan was very vocal about what he wanted. Their first few times together, Ryan had been more in control but last night he was much more docile and encouraged Henry to take the reins, so to speak. He wanted to and he tried. He was successful to a
degree
. At one point Henry had reached into what Ryan called the
toy
box
to get another condom and almost asked Ryan to show him some of the things in there, maybe demonstrate but he chickened out.

He wanted to do that. Maybe later, when he got back into bed with Ryan. He also wanted to ask Ryan something that scared him half to death. It hadn’t been brought up yet but Henry wondered; about the fact that Ryan never asked to
do
him. Henry wasn’t particularly eager to try it, not right now anyway, but he wanted to know if it was something that Ryan wanted.  He was apprehensive, but if it was something Ryan desired, he needed to know. He wanted to ask about it but he felt foolish asking.

He shook off the thought as best he could and opened the fridge to find something to eat. There wasn’t much. The inside of Ryan’s fridge looked eerily similar to his own. Henry ate a lot of take out and didn’t shop much, Ryan was much the same way.

He was cutting up some watermelon and cantaloupe that he found when the buzzer went off he looked toward the bedroom, Ryan was still out. He called to him, no answer. The buzzer went off again.

Henry answered hesitantly, “
Ah
…hello?’

“Ryan, open the damn door.” The voice came through the intercom, sounding impatient.

“It’s not-.” Henry cut himself off and buzzed the door open for them and hurried off to the bedroom to try and wake Ryan up before his company got upstairs.

Henry began rubbing Ryan’s back, trying to coax him out of his sleep; “Hey, I think your friends are here. Come on Ryan, you gotta get up. Go open the door.”

Ryan slowly rolled onto his back. He rubbed a hand over his eyes.
“Hmm.”

“Your friends, they’re here.”

“What time is it?” Ryan asked with his eyes still closed.

“Like 10:30.”

“Shit, they're early.”

“Well, they're here, so get up. Come on.” Henry tugged on the blanket that Ryan was tangled up in.

“Okay, okay.”  Ryan got up and started walking toward the kitchen, naked.

“Are you seriously going to open the door like that?” Henry asked with a bit of a squeak to his voice.

“Relax, I'm going to take a piss,” Ryan answered with a yawn and a stretch. Then walked out of the room and off toward the bathroom scratching his ass cheek, as he went. Henry couldn’t help but giggle. The banging on the door put a stop to that easily enough though.

Fuck.
He hadn’t even put on his shirt, he started to look around for it in the tangle of the bed but the pounding got louder.

Screw it.

Henry went to let Ryan’s guests in.  He turned a new shade of red when one of the men on the other side of the door looked him up and down. Henry looked down at himself and noticed he was still unbuttoned and unzipped. He turned to the side to do himself up.

“Shit Hey, come in. Ryan’s in the bathroom, he’ll be right out.”  Henry said over his shoulder. The strangers laughed and filed in.

Ryan came out just then, wearing a towel around his waist, thankfully. Henry noted that his hair was wet. Damn, that was a quick shower. Ryan greeted his friends, hugging each of the three guys.

“Get comfortable guys, I’ve been awake like two fucking minutes,” Ryan told them scratching his chest and yawning. “Henry, this Kev, Cole and Ian. Guys, this is Henry. Embarrass me and I’ll cut your dicks off.” They all laughed at that. Ryan walked over to the other side of the island.

“Were you making breakfast?” He asked Henry, smiling.

Henry shrugged in response.

Ryan leaned in and kissed him, causing Henry to blush, well aware of their audience

“Thank you.”

Henry nodded, “I’m going to go get dressed and head out.”

“Why are you always trying to get away?”

“I’m not. I just thought that you’d want to hang out with your friends.”

“I do but I don’t want you to go. Come on, let’s eat.”

“Let me just put a shirt on first.”

Ryan rolled his eyes and laughed, waving Henry off toward the bedroom with his hand.

When Henry returned he was wearing his very wrinkled shirt but he still felt ten times better.  His modesty was a bit juvenile but he couldn’t help it.

They all picked at the fruit and went through two pots of coffee. To their credit, Ryan’s friends made every effort to include Henry in their conversation and asked him a bit about himself.  One of them showed Henry some video footage of his act. He was using fire rings, it was extreme. This particular friend got a nudge from Ryan and eye rolls from the other two for showing off.

“Back off my man, Ian,” Ryan said to him.

Henry had been laughing along with everyone else until he heard that and the laugh stopped dead in his throat.  Ryan looked at him but just smiled and kept on talking to his friends.

Henry staggered a bit, trying to get back into the moment. That comment had thrown him off some. He wasn’t sure if this was good or bad, he loved how that had sounded but damn, if it didn’t scare the hell out of him at the same time. That would have to be put aside for a private discussion.

“So what are we going to get into?” Ryan’s friend Kev asked.

Ryan began tossing some ideas out. That’s when Henry excused himself and went to the bedroom to look for his shoes and socks. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he began to pull them on when Ryan came in. “Please don’t tell me you’re trying to take off again.”

“I'm not trying to take off, I swear. I do need to go. I promised my brother I would help do some yard work at my parents’ house.

If Henry wasn’t mistaken Ryan looked upset.

Was it bad that made him feel a little good?
The idea that Ryan wanted Henry to stay with him even though his friends were here was kind of cool, it made him feel wanted.

“Can I meet up with you guys later?”  Henry walked over to cup Ryan's face in his palms.

Ryan gave a nod. Henry grinned.

“Good,” Henry kissed him intending for it to be just a peck but Ryan grabbed his waist and held Henry to him, deepening the kiss.

Henry could feel himself starting to get hard and knew that was his cue to go.

Reluctantly pulling back, he gave an appreciative hum. “Try not to have too much fun today.”

“No promises,” Ryan said leaning in to bite his chin, a devious grin on his face.

Henry gave him one more kiss this time on the cheek but Ryan turned his head quickly and caught his lips instead.

“All right, I’m outta here!” Henry said backing up.

“See you later?”

“Definitely.” Henry adjusted himself before leaving the room, Ryan following behind him.

Henry said his goodbyes to everyone and left.

Later on that afternoon Henry was trimming hedges in his parents’ backyard. He was trying to dodge Pat’s persistent comments about Henry’s
just got laid
face. Pat disappeared into the house and Henry wanted so badly to text Ryan but he wanted to give him his space with his friends and not appear too needy. He also wanted to tell him about what Pat was saying. Even though it caused Henry anxiety, he still found it funny and thought that Ryan would too.

Screw it.
Henry pulled out his phone and sent Ryan a text.

Henry: Hedges are trimmed. Hope you’re having more fun than me!

Ryan: Personal hygiene? At Quincy market.

Henry: Personal hygiene!?! What are you trying to say, lol

Ryan: nothing, I luv ur hedges ;-)

Henry: u and text messages…smh

Ryan: u luv it! R u done there, can u meet us?

Henry: not just yet, call you as soon as I am.

Ryan: kk, xoxo

Henry: :-)

Henry felt flutters in his stomach.
What the hell was he, a ten year old girl
? This was so pathetic.

He was stuffing the phone back in his pocket when Pat came out with two beers in hand.  He really wanted to finish up and go meet Ryan. He also knew Pat well enough to know that his brother was trying to loosen his lips through alcohol.

Not going to happen.

He’d put everything away, have this one beer and then he was out of there.

Those plans went to hell when their mother yelled out the back door for them to come in and eat. They knew better than to tell her no. Henry sent Ryan a message letting him know it would be a while longer.

He was sitting with his father when his mother came in. She took a seat near the front windows. “So your cousin Andrea is pregnant, seventeen. Your Aunt Kim is going to pieces over there.”

Henry tried to act interested in the conversation. He was texting with Ryan at the same time; thank God they weren’t dirty messages. He couldn’t handle that in front of his mother.

When he got his next message he assumed it was Ryan and tried to hide a smirk but it was from Pat.

Pat: pussy whipped much?

He looked up to see Pat grinning from ear to ear in the dining room where he had a perfect view of Henry. Henry wondered how long Pat had been spying on him.
Nosy bastard
.