Moments in Time (32 page)

The first floor of the building was empty, but in the stairwell of the second floor, I ran into the RA, who gladly took one of the pizzas off my hands with an enthusiastic thank-you. I saw him stick some menus into the side of the bulletin board before he started knocking on doors.

Tim and Eric had their door open. They were still carrying in boxes of shit.

Eric saw me first. “Oh, man, tell me you’re bringing food.”

“Best pizza in town.”

Tim appeared on the spot. “Hell yeah. I fucking love you.”

The expression on Eric’s face defied description. “We missed dinner because that was the only time we could borrow his brother’s car to go pick up our fridge.”

“Take a whole pie,” I said.

“Seriously? Thanks. What do we owe you?”

“Nothing. On the house, courtesy of my boss.” I handed him a flyer. “Just stop by some time to give him business.”

Tim already had the box open and was inhaling a slice. “Like you’ve gotta tell me to do that? Their food’s the best.”

The door behind me opened. Our door. Tanner leaned against the doorframe wearing a dark T-shirt and jeans. Barefoot. Looking so goddamned sexy, my entire body was ready to say hello.

“Hungry?” I asked, holding out the remaining box, knowing he was always ready to eat.

“Nah, just exhausted.”

He stretched, cracking his back. His ready-for-bed sounds sent tingles straight through me. I wanted nothing more than to get out of that hallway and into our room, behind that closed door, ASAP.

“Me too. Looks like we’ll have pizza for breakfast.”

“Fine by me.” Tanner gestured to the few crates still left in the hall. “You guys need help with anything?”

Eric shook his head. “This is the last of it. Soon as we finish this pizza, we’re heading to Duncan’s for drinks. You want to come?”

Tanner yawned. “Not tonight.”

“I’m pretty beat too. I slept on Wendy’s floor last night.”

Eric’s gaze shot between us, and my cheeks heated. I still wasn’t used to people knowing about us—not here at least—and I had the feeling he sensed that Tanner and I wanted time alone.

He just gave a smile and a wave. “Catch you guys tomorrow. Thanks again for the food.”

“Anytime.”

Tanner stepped aside, and I walked into our room. The sound of the door clicking shut behind me was like music to my ears.

The look in Tanner’s eyes had me mesmerized. Dark heat, drawing me into his imagination, making me wonder which dirty thought he’d act on first. He took the pizza box from my hands and slid it onto the desk as he nudged me so that my back was against the wall.

Leaning so close that I could feel his warm breath, he whispered, “If we’re both so tired, I guess we’d better get to bed.”

His hips pressed against mine as I arched away from the wall. Jesus, he was hard. Our cocks rubbed against each other through the thick fabric. I stifled a groan, staring down between us as our bodies moved together.

“Fuck.” I breathed the word, unable to think of anything else.

“If you insist.” His mouth was on mine before I could answer, laugh, or take my next breath.

Good. All I felt was good. His warm tongue circled mine, thick and sweet, as we continued to grind
. God, I missed this.

I slid my fingers under his T-shirt, gasping deep in my throat as they passed over his smooth hot skin. He pulled back enough to yank the shirt over his head and jettison it across the room before reaching for mine.

Skin against skin, the heat between us rose exponentially as our mouths found each other again. As much as I wanted the rest of our clothes gone, I was grateful to have our jeans separating us. The friction felt amazing, but layers of denim were the only thing keeping me from coming right then and there, and I wanted this to last as long as possible.

Tanner’s hand slid to my nipple, plucking on it as he sucked my tongue, and I began to think, jeans or no jeans, I was going to come. Then my phone rang, buzzing harshly against my ass, startling us both.

“Ignore it.”

My brain was barely functioning, but I recognized the ringtone. “I can’t. It’s Sean.”

Tanner let out a slow breath and eased away. I fished the phone from my pocket. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I, um, just wanted to check and see how you’re doing. I got your message.”

“We’re all moved in. Everything okay there?” He sounded funny. Tense and strained.

“Not exactly. I just got off the phone with my lawyer.”

Shit
. “And?”

“He said the guy Laura’s hired is a real shark. Loves anything down and dirty. He didn’t come out and say it, but I can tell. He thinks I’m gonna lose the kids.”

“Jesus.”

Tanner gestured for me to tell him what was going on. I shook my head and held up a hand for him to wait a second. “She abandoned her children. The judge will just hand them over to her because she says so?”

Tanner’s eyes widened.

Sean sighed. “I never officially filed for custody. When she walked out, I just focused on keeping things normal for the kids. I didn’t want to go public with her affair either.”

The desperation in his voice made my mind race. “That doesn’t change the fact that she left.”

“What matters is that she’s back now, with a way better lawyer than mine. And judges almost always side with the mom in a custody fight.” Sean took a deep breath, and my stomach knotted. “If she can prove that I wasn’t using sound judgment while they were with me, I’ll lose.”

“But you take great care of the kids.”

“Not according to Laura.”

He paused, and my heart filled with dread. “What do you mean?”

“She’s saying I endangered them… by leaving them with you.”

Thank God the desk chair was right next to me, because I needed to sit down. “Sean, I’m sorry.”

“Stop. I already told you, it’s not you. You didn’t do anything. I know that. But I’m not supposed to see you. Or talk to you. That’s my lawyer talking, not me. This isn’t what I want.” He sounded as choked up as I felt.

I nodded before I realized he couldn’t see me. “Whatever you need to do. I understand.”

“Thanks.”

“Please don’t thank me. Shit. I feel like this is all my fault.”

“It’s not. And don’t listen to Mom if she tries to tell you otherwise.”

“She knows?”
How the fuck does she know?

“Yeah, get this. Laura called her. How’s that for a kick in the head?”

“What can I do to help? You want me to talk to Mom? Talk to Laura? Your lawyer? I’ll sign an affidavit—anything you need.”

“I’ll let you know. For now, just… lay low. I’ll be in touch when I can, okay?”

“Yeah.”

I hung up. My fingers felt numb.

Tanner sat down on the bed, facing me. “What was that all about?”

My stomach churned as I relayed to him the things Sean had said.

Tanner listened in stunned silence. He fiddled with the edge of the blanket, then cracked his knuckles. “I can’t believe this is happening. It’s so fucked-up.”

The anger in his voice mirrored what I felt.
How can people act like this? How can they even think for one second that because we’re gay we’d endanger kids?

“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. There was nothing for anyone to say. This was a complete nightmare. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel bad or responsible. This was my fucked-up family, not his.

I rubbed my forehead as if maybe I could massage a thought into my mind. Nothing. Tanner crossed to my side of the room. I looked up at him. The anger I’d seen and heard moments ago was gone. All I saw was need.

His head lowered to mine, his lips soft and gentle. I cupped the back of his neck, pulling him closer, tasting him. Kissing him was enough to make me forget. At least a little. Tanner’s hands settled on my hips, and he tugged me to the edge of the chair. Impatient fingers went to work on my fly. I struggled out of my jeans while Tanner stripped in silence, then knelt in front of me.

Again he moved closer, eyes closed. I swallowed hard, leaving my eyes open so I could look at him as long as possible. Not that I didn’t have every inch of him memorized. I did. I had for ages. But I still couldn’t get enough.

He smoothed his hands up my thighs, up my chest, down my arms. Every molecule in my body stood at attention, electrified from his touch. His lips brushed mine, distracting me more with each pass as he kissed his way from my mouth, to my neck, to my abs, to my cock. Every worry turned to heat.

Goddamn, his mouth feels good.
Warm and wet, pulling me in as he swallowed me whole. His tongue flicked out, grazing my balls, then slithering up my length, around my head, taking every last thought right out of my brain and swirling it into nothingness.

My fingers sank into his hair. Cool silky strands slipped between them as his head bobbed up and down, up and down, making me dizzy. I gripped tighter, drawing his lips down harder, but he clasped my wrists and pinned them to the arms of the chair.
Fuck.
My neck arched back as pleasure shot through me.
Close. So close.
He slowed his mouth, then sped up again, keeping me on the brink.

I whimpered when he pulled away.

“Not yet,” he said, pulling me up from the chair and kissing me again before he gave me a shove onto his bed. He fumbled in the nightstand drawer.

Lube. I tensed. As aroused as I was, I wasn’t sure I could relax enough for anything we usually did with lube. I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose as I lay back on the bed, waiting to feel his fingers.

I felt them, but not on my ass. Slick wetness stroked down the length of my cock as he drizzled more lube over me. One hand pumped me while the other reached behind him. My heart pounded unevenly.
He’s lubing his ass. Jesus.

“Tanner.”

“Please.”

I didn’t need to think anymore. I’d do anything he wanted. He started to climb on top of me, but I stopped him. “Wait.”

He opened his mouth, but before he could protest, I shoved his hip so he’d lie down. Spooning behind him, I ran my hands over his ass, kneading, reaching beneath him to tickle his balls. He hissed, parting his legs to give me better access.

My heart raced with anticipation. I wanted this to be as good for him as possible. I grabbed the lube and squeezed some into my hand, then slid my fingers up his crack. He clenched, then relaxed as I worked in one finger, then two, just as he’d done with me.

Tanner’s moans encouraged me. I kissed his back, his neck, his arm, letting my teeth graze his skin as I tasted him with my tongue.

My dick pressed against my stomach, hard and ready, waiting its turn as I probed inside Tanner, stroking my fingers over the knot that made him suck in his breath. He reached behind him, sliding a hand down my chest, then wrapping it around my erection. He gave two slow, heavenly strokes, then let go.

“Can you sit up?” His voice was deep and rumbly.

“Sure.” I could do anything he wanted.

“Scoot back.”

I eased my fingers out of him and scooted to the head of the bed, resting my back against the pillows.

Tanner raised himself off the mattress, braced one foot on the floor, then lowered himself like he was about to sit on my lap. Gripping my cock again, he rubbed the head against his ass.

Fuck.
Warm, slippery skin.
So good.
He pushed down, and the tip of my dick pressed against his asshole. I felt it shudder, closing tight, then giving way, little by little. I stayed still, as still as I could, given that my arms were shaking as I steeled myself on the bed.

“You okay?” I whispered.

“God, yes.”

The need in his voice made my erection swell, and he groaned, settling himself farther down my length.

Jesus.

Nothing had ever felt like this. Nothing. Smooth… tight… hot. His body was always warm, but inside him felt like an inferno. He drew in a deep breath and blew it out, sinking the rest of the way onto me.

My eyes clamped shut, blocking out everything but pleasure. I moaned as he raised and lowered himself on me, trying to resist the urge to slam my hips against him.

Needing more, I pressed my mouth to his shoulder, biting and licking my way down his arm.

“Can you turn?” I panted. “I want to kiss you.”

He stilled atop me, then twisted at the waist, swiveling ever so slightly on my lap.
Holy Christ.

Our lips could barely reach each other, but we managed a kiss, tongues lashing together, hungry for more. Tanner braced one arm against the mattress, turning a little more so he was straddling my leg and anchoring his other arm around my shoulder. I kissed him harder, drawing his tongue into my mouth and sucking as my hand slid over his thigh and clamped around his cock.

Tanner sighed into my mouth, plumping in my fingers as I stroked. My hips rocked as he raised and lowered himself, sliding in and out of my fist with the same rhythm I was sliding in and out of him.
Jesus.
It was like fucking, jerking off, and jerking him off all at once. My head swam.

Leaning back for better leverage, Tanner wrapped his arm tighter around my back, clutching at my shoulder as he increased his pace. His thigh muscles flexed hard against my legs. Dizzy from the mix of sensations, I stared at his cock. With him on my lap, turned to the side, I had a clear view. Deep red, thick, so close I could see every one of the veins and ridges of his shaft, the high gloss of the swollen head. But I wanted more. I wanted to see him come.

I kept my grip loose enough that he could thrust freely, but tightened on each upstroke. His breaths came faster, more irregular, as we moved together. I nipped at his shoulder, craving his taste. Smooth, firm flesh grazed against my tongue.

Tanner cried out. “Fuck!”

The desperation in his voice fueled my desire, and I bucked harder.
I’m inside him.
The thought overwhelmed me as much as the sensation. Tanner tensed and jerked, swelling in my fist as come pulsed out of him.

Watching him erupt put me right over the edge. I tried to breathe, but he clenched so hard around my cock, I forgot how. Nothing existed besides my cock in his body. All I wanted was to come. I gripped the back of his neck, needing to hold on to him.
Oh God, oh, yes.