Love in La Terraza (5 page)

Cain passed him the beer and the water, keeping the soda for himself, then spread out the truly odd display for his guest, which consisted of jumbo marshmallows, an assortment of snack-size bags of chips, pickles, cheese, crackers and the small frozen pizza he’d baked and cut up.

Henry laughed, taking it all in before grabbing a slice of pizza.

“I don’t entertain much.”

“I totally love that about you,” Henry said, leaning in for a kiss.

Cain popped open his can of Coke and grabbed a slice for himself. “You can’t be the jealous type. You’re entirely too hot, who in their right mind would ever cheat on you?”

“Unfortunately, that’s not the case, but thank you all the same.”

Frowning, Cain shook his head, finding that difficult to believe. “Where are you from again?”

“Atlanta.” Henry grabbed a napkin to wipe the cheese off his chin. “Lotta hot guys down there, way too much competition for a cutie like you. I’d have to lock you away to keep from losing you. How old are you, anyway?”

“Twenty-six. You?”

“Thirty-one.”

Cain snickered under his breath.

“Don’t even say the ‘D’ word, asshole.”

With that, Cain really lost it.

Henry nodded. “I thought that’s what you were thinking, smart ass. I’m not old enough to be your daddy.”

“I think you’re just about old enough to be anybody’s anything-you’re-willing-to-be.” Cain winked.

“I did thoroughly enjoy being the guy inside of you.”

“As did I, baby. That dick of yours was…” Cain got a chill and jiggled, just thinking about it.

Henry burst out laughing, but his face and neck went as pink as a Georgia peach. “That was hands down the best compliment I’ve ever been given in my whole life.”

“Truly, it’s a gift meant to be shared, and I’m volunteering myself to be the shar-ee, anytime you might need to, you know…”

“I love that the guy who was begging me to
fuck him harder
less than hour ago now has trouble saying the words.”

Cain cringed. “It’s annoying, I know. I have issues. It’s not pretty.”

“I find it adorable and quite the compliment to me, like maybe I brought it out in you, driving into such a fever that you couldn’t keep yourself from uttering such filthy words.”

Cain took a deep breath, as if Henry had just wounded him in the most destructively pleasant way possible. “So you’re an architect?”

Henry nodded, smiling from ear to ear but not calling him out on the sudden change of topic. “Just started working with the guys over at Hamilton-Bach. If things go well, it could become Hamilton-Abrams-Bach.”

Cain felt that sock in the gut, and apparently couldn’t hide it from Henry.

“Everything all right?” Henry asked, visibly concerned. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Of course not!” Cain smiled, able to recover quickly. “They’re the big dogs around here. That’s…amazing for you. Congratulations.”

Henry searched Cain’s eyes as if trying to determine if Cain was telling the truth. Cain didn’t want to ruin the moment by telling him Ham-Bach’s real estate and acquisitions division was representing the conglomerate that was pressuring him to sell La Terraza. He and Henry were clicking, having too good of a time and this was most likely just a one-nighter anyway. No reason to muck things up.

Finally, Henry nodded, biting off a hunk of pickle, talking and crunching away. “They wooed me, saw some of my work in Atlanta and convinced me to relocate. I was certainly flattered.”

“As well you should be.” Cain smiled his appreciation of Henry’s success. “Never had much drive to learn a trade, preferring to be a landlord and mess about with the gardening and landscaping for the building.”

“That’s work, Cain,” Henry added, reaching over to poke him in the side. “You enjoy it?”

“Yeah, I do. Still feel hinky about not going to college at times. Just a simple guy, I guess. Not trying to be a captain of industry, but, you know.”

“I think it’s amazing, this place. Can certainly see why you’d not want to leave it every day to go work somewhere else.” Henry looked around the room once again, smiling. “Gonna have to do some research and find out who designed this place.”

“Oh, I know!” Cain started to raise his hand then stopped about halfway up, realizing he didn’t need to be called on.

Henry laughed at him then leaned over and kissed him quickly before biting off some more pickle.

Jeez, he even chews hot,
Cain thought, distracted by the sight he now beheld. His gaze ran along Henry’s naked frame and he sighed wistfully.
Most definitely a show-er
.

Henry was grinning again. “You gonna actually tell me or continue to leave me hanging?”

“Huh…oh, um…shoot now I forgot his name!”

Henry rolled his eyes. “Such a tease.”

Cain chuckled, shaking his head that he was not. “Mario something? Bell, maybe? I remember the Mario because of the video game, but—”

“Holy fucking shit,” Henry mumbled, interrupting Cain’s train of thought. “Mario Bello?”

“Yep, that’s it, that’s the one! He somebody important?”

“Yeah, he’s like a god to many an architect, a total rock star back in the day who managed to dabble in just about everything, from commercial to residential—even designed furniture.”

Henry seemed lost as he glanced around the room once more in awe. “I’m actually sitting inside a Bello.”

Cain was surprised by the man’s awe. “You just had sex in a Bello.”

Henry broke out laughing again. He leaned over and kissed Cain, this time not pulling away quite so quickly. For a brief moment, Cain wondered if this Bello fellow was the reason the real estate people wanted the place so badly. He’d feared they’d wanna tear the place down, as they refused to tell him what their intentions for the property were, but perhaps that wasn’t the case.

Cain lost his train of thought as their kiss deepened, Henry’s tongue intruding a little deeper with each thrust. The passion quickly took over, and Cain lay backward as Henry crawled over him. In an instant, all playfulness was gone, replaced by longing and flesh and hot wet tongue.

* * * *

They’d been laying on their sides, staring at one another through the dark for a good five minutes. Henry had surprised him, taking his hand after they’d crawled into bed then refusing to let go of it. The light from the living room cast a faint glow into the bedroom at the top of the stairs, just enough to make out the faint curves in Henry’s shoulder and arms along with a glint of light in his eye.

Cain had wanted to ask him a million questions but stopped short, not feeling all that sure Henry was in the mood to talk—or spend the night for that matter. Cain hadn’t asked him to. He’d simply followed him upstairs and into the shower before crawling into bed with him. That would lend one to think Henry wanted to be there, but some guys were too polite to say they wanted to go after all the fun was over. Others weren’t polite so much as more worried about what others might think of them if they didn’t stay and were unable to make that graceless exit.

Despite what anyone might otherwise try and tell themselves, there was nothing graceful about a fuck ‘n go. It was more akin to a dine ‘n dash except no one called the cops.

Cain wouldn’t have thought much about it had Henry evacuated the apartment after the sex, but he was happy the man had stayed. There was an odd sort of earnestness about Henry that Cain would’ve been disappointed to discover was merely a mask.

“What are you thinking about over there?” Henry asked.

Cain shrugged, leaning forward to kiss the back of Henry’s hand. “What an odd day it’s been, I guess.”

“I’m gonna do my best to not take that personally.”

Cain laughed. “You are definitely the bright spot.”

“Care to tell me what’s got a boy as sweet and sexy as you so blue?”

“That’s probably more like a fifth date kind of a topic.”

Henry whistled, and Cain could tell his eyes had widened in shock and awe. “You’re that messed up, huh? Damn. And now I’m saddled with the knowledge you have fifth date kinda drama to look forward to?”

“I am that guy—a charmingly, adorable mess.” Cain laughed. “How’s that for lame spin?”

“The bright side for me would be that you’re apparently still planning to see me that far down the road, making this the budding romance that hasty sex built.”

Cain felt the corners of his mouth curling up as his face flushed with heat. “Well sure…after sex like that? You bet my sweet ass I’ve planned for more.”

Henry burst out laughing. “It was good for you, huh?”

“Oh baby.”

Henry scooted closer. “Is it okay that I’m staying? I hate hotel rooms. Guess I could have asked before crawling right into bed with you.”

“Or my rude ass could have issued an invitation.” Cain scooted closer as well, leaning in to give Henry a soft peck on the lips. “I’m real glad you stayed.”

“That mean you’ll go out on a date with me tomorrow night?” Henry asked.

“Like that.” Cain nodded. “Could make you dinner?”

“I’d like that, thank you very much.”

“Anyone ever tell you you’re kinda sweet?” Cain asked.

“Come here,” Henry said, lifting an arm for Cain who rolled over, backing in and snuggling up in his arms. “And for the record, you can tell me anything, Cain.”

“Thanks…‘preciate that.” Cain sighed, thinking a safe place to rest his weary head was just what the doctor ordered.

“Sooner rather than later, you know. In case, I need to make a run for it.”

Cain laughed as Henry squeezed him tighter, hugging him closer to contradict the comment he’d made in jest. The man was too good to be true, so Cain reminded himself not to get comfy. The fact he worked for the men who were attempting to terrorize him into selling his home was likely to be an issue. Cain was just paranoid enough to momentarily imagine they’d hired the man to romance the property out from under him.

“God, you smell amazing,” Henry added, pressing his nose into Cain’s hair and breathing him in then exhaling.

And with that, all worry and concern floated right out the window.

“FYI…I’m a morning sex kinda guy,” Henry clarified. “In case you were wondering.”

“Finally…a decent reason to get up in the morning. I’ve been waiting for one for years.”

Henry hugged him tight once more. “I’ll remind you, you said that.”

Cain wiggled back, attempting to snuggle in closer and feeling strangely content, all things considered.

“Good night, Henry.”

“Good night, Cain.”

With that, Cain closed his eyes and drifted off.

Chapter Three

Cain twitched, snorting as he came to, certain he’d heard a woman giggling. He felt a warm hard body shifting behind him and smiled when Henry ground his erection into his ass.

“Good morning to me,” Cain muttered.

Henry made a long throaty groan.

Both of their eyes popped open when they heard, “Keep it G, bitches—or save it up for my bachelorette party if nothing else. You two can be the entertainment.”

“Em?” Cain said, rubbing at his eyes and staring down the bed to find his bestie perched on the foot of it.

In all her early morning glory, Emily Haven’s wildly, manufactured mane of blonde curly locks were on display, a sliver metallic scarf keeping the front half tied down. Too thin for her build, her clothes hung on her frame, held up by her shoulders and too-large boobs, which had been a gift from her mother on her eighteenth birthday. The woman almost never allowed herself any excess outside of the alcoholic variety, and she never failed to appear as rich as she really was.

As friends, they’d been a total mismatch from the very beginning—the princess and the pauper—but Cain adored the very sweet girl hiding underneath the protective monster Emily kept firmly in place much of the time.

“What the fuck, dude? Knock much?” Cain asked.

“I take it you know this person?” Henry muttered, gently thrusting his erection into Cain’s ass once more.

It was instinctual on Henry’s part, but Cain found it difficult to concentrate regardless.

“That’s not at all distracting,” Cain mumbled to Henry in response.

“I could ask him the same thing about you, studly,” Emily said, placing a hand on Cain’s leg. “Who’s the hunk, C? And why am I the last to friggin’ know everything these days?”

“Why are you here?” Cain said, kicking her hand off his leg. “Unannounced?”

“Rowr,” Emily cringed. “You did give me a key, remember? Hope you’re taking notes, mystery dude. Cain and mornings don’t mix.”

“He all but promised me morning sex, which you’re presence is hindering,” Cain pointed out.

“Ouch, jeez, okay, so you have every right to be pissy.” She was already pouting. “I get that, but it’s an emergency, C!”