Of Love and Corn Dogs (20 page)

They got into Ricky's apartment, and for the first time, Darwin got to meet Merlin, who greeted him at the door with a loud whine.

“Feeding time,” Ricky explained. “Better than an alarm clock.”

“Can I feed him?”

The question warmed Ricky. He showed Darwin where he kept the food, then stood back and watched as Merlin tried to climb Darwin's leg while he filled the dish. When Darwin put the food down, Merlin forgot all about them.

“It's a cat thing,” Ricky explained. “Merlin thinks he's a dog, at least until feeding time. But I really don't want to talk about that right now.”

He took Darwin by the hand and led him to the bedroom. A few weeks ago, he would have been embarrassed for Darwin to see the place, but he now understood the man simply didn't see the world in that way.

They made short work of their clothes, then climbed onto the bed. Ricky hadn't seen Darwin naked before, and the sight took his breath away. He had a furry chest and stomach, with a thin line of hair that ran down to his groin. Not overly muscled, he still possessed a nice body that Ricky couldn't wait to explore. But that would wait until he had a few more kisses.

He leaned forward and nibbled on Darwin's neck, interspersing the touch with quick nips to the kiss-swollen lips. Darwin groaned, thrusting up. Ricky wrapped a hand around Darwin's cock, loving the weight of it.

“Ricky, please…” Darwin pleaded.

“What? What's wrong?”

“No one has touched me for years,” Darwin admitted. “It feels too good, and I'm going to come if you keep doing that.”

Ricky laughed. “You make it sound like that's not the goal.”

“Oh, God. I want to come. But I want it while you're inside me.”

That brought Ricky up short. His hands stopped moving, and he could barely breathe. “You want me to…?”

“Don't be so surprised. I love you and I want you to love me back. I like to bottom. I prefer it, in fact. But I haven't in a long while. Please be patient.”

Ricky gazed into Darwin's eyes and smiled. “I will. And I promise I'm going to do my best to make it good for you.”

He stroked a hand down Darwin's chest, loving the sounds that came from the man. It sounded almost like purring.

“You're so needy,” he teased.

“I haven't been with anyone since Dean,” Darwin confessed.

And here the man lay, willing to share his body with Ricky. Though he claimed to want it, Ricky noticed the goose bumps that dotted Darwin's arms.

“Hey, it's okay. We don't have to do this,” Ricky assured him.

“Shut up. I've been waiting for this. I've dreamed about it. You don't know what you do to me. You burn me up every time you touch me. When we're out on the dance floor, I expect to go up in flames at any moment. Yeah, I'm nervous, but I need to see if the reality is going to be as good as the dream.”

“So, no pressure?”

Darwin grinned. “I love you.”

As he ran his fingertips over Darwin's stomach, he noticed his lover spread his legs a little. He had to be as eager as Ricky. They'd danced around sex since they'd gotten together, making kissing and a little groping be enough. But now, Darwin wanted him. And he wanted Ricky to… God, he never expected that. But now that he knew what made him happy, he'd never let Darwin go.

He stroked his fingers across Darwin's shaft, which jerked and did a little dance.

“Fuck. Stop teasing.”

“Not,” Ricky assured him. “Savoring.”

He wrapped his hand around Darwin's shaft and gave it a few good tugs. Darwin writhed on the bed.

“So good,” he cried out. “Please. I'll do anything. Just touch me.”

Tears ran down Darwin's cheeks. Ricky leaned over and licked one of them. “I'm not going to leave you wanting. I swear.”

He pulled Darwin's legs open, then reached into his nightstand for the economy-sized bottle of lube he'd gotten plenty of use from since he and Darwin had met. Fumbling around in the drawer, he found a lone condom that still retained freshness. He gently tore it open and laid the packet on the bed. Snapping the lid of the lube, he put a dab on his index finger and slowly ran it over Darwin's pucker. His head shook side to side, and a deep moan escaped as Ricky dipped the tip of his finger into Darwin's ass.

“Oh, God,” Darwin gasped. “Fuck, I've missed this.”

Ricky grinned and let a small trail of lubricant drizzle down Darwin's crack, then he spread it around. He slipped his finger inside, marveling at the heat. He had to wonder if he put his cock inside Darwin, would he last beyond the initial stroke?

“More, please,” Darwin pleaded.

“When I'm ready,” Ricky replied. “I won't hurt you, so you've got to be patient.”

When he slipped the finger in again, Darwin thrust up, trying to drive the digit deeper. Ricky grinned at how enthusiastic and hungry for affection Darwin was. He added another finger, making sure he moved slowly. He'd been serious when he told Darwin he had no desire to hurt him. And since Ricky didn't have all that much experience, he needed to keep an eye on Darwin for any discomfort.

“So good,” Darwin murmured. “Please, don't stop.”

The encouragement spurred him on, as did the absolute rapture of Darwin's expression. He pushed in a third finger, mesmerized by how Darwin's body responded to him, gripping him tight.

He removed his fingers, and Darwin whimpered.

“Shhh. Almost time,” Ricky said quietly. He slipped the condom over his engorged cock, then added a little more lube. He slid between Darwin's legs and hoisted his knees. The slick shined in the light, and Ricky swallowed.

With one hand guiding him, he put his cock against Darwin's hole and pushed gently. Darwin grunted.

“Am I hurting you?” Ricky asked, ready to stop.

“A little burn, but it'll go away. Just…go slow, okay?”

Ricky gave a slight thrust of his hips, burying himself deeper into Darwin's channel. Darwin lay there, his head thrown back, mouth open as Ricky bottomed out.

“That's all of it,” he said. “You took all of me.”

Darwin looked up and grinned. “There was quite a bit to take. Just hold still and let me get used to it, okay?”

He watched as Darwin's expression went from a pinched look to one of acceptance, and, finally, one of pure pleasure. Ricky pulled out slightly, then pushed back in. He repeated the motion, drawing out a little more each time, then punching in a little harder.

“Yes, like that,” Darwin mewled. “I won't break, I promise.”

Ricky pushed Darwin's legs back, leaving him wide open, and began to slam in as hard as he could. He'd known the sensations would be indescribable, but this was beyond his imagining. Darwin cried out as come shot from his cock, coating his belly and chest. His ass muscles clenched, gripping Ricky, demanding their prize. When Ricky came, he cried out how much he loved Darwin. How much he'd always love him.

Then he collapsed on top of his lover, claiming his mouth in a kiss.

“Stay with me,” Darwin begged. “I don't want to be alone anymore.”

Any fear Ricky had of losing himself evaporated. All he felt now was love.

“Okay,” he agreed.

“Really?”

“Yeah. But you know I come with a cat.”

“And he's welcome, too. As long as you're there, we can have as many cats as you want.”

“How about, after a shower, we try for round two?”

“I'm all in.”

Ricky knew Darwin meant he'd be there for the long haul.

“Me, too,” he promised.

 

Ricky moved into the mansion a few days later. Darwin, Henley, Tomás, and Martín came to help him load up his apartment. It didn't take long. Ricky directed them to throw most of his furniture onto the curb, but Darwin hedged.

“You don't want any of this?”

Ricky gazed longingly at his chair. He loved it, even though it had gone threadbare in some places, and Merlin had taken to scratching the leg of it. But none of this stuff would fit in a mansion.

“No, it's fine.”

“Could you guys excuse us for a minute?”

Darwin took Ricky's elbow and led him into the bedroom where they'd made love. “Why don't you want your stuff?”

Ricky glanced down at his feet. “You probably have that Chippendale stuff in your house. I don't think a chair from a thrift store is going to cut it.”

Darwin scrubbed a hand over his face.

“You know, one day you
will
understand. I want you as you are—chair, cat, and all. If you want to redo the mansion with everything from a thrift store, that's perfectly fine. We won't be living in a museum. It's going to be our home. And it's going to be as much yours as it is mine.”

Ricky blinked back the tears. “You really mean that, don't you?”

Darwin pulled Ricky into a tight hug. “Of course I do. We can put the old stuff into storage and redecorate it together if you want.”

“No, that's fine. But…could I have somewhere to put my chair? I really love that thing.”

“Anywhere you want,” Darwin promised, a smile blooming over his face. He kissed the tip of Ricky's nose. “Now, come on, Maria is making you a welcome home dinner tonight, and we're all looking forward to celebrating.”

That night they toasted Ricky with champagne and Maria made him his favorite meal—chicken and dumplings.

“How did you know?” he said, digging in.

“Your mother and I talk. She's got some funny stories. I especially like the one about you and the juice box.”

Ricky groaned and dipped his chin to his chest.

“She also asked me to tell you that she and I were going shopping together next week.”

Ricky threw his hands in the air. “Oh, God. Kill me now.”

Maria walked over, bent down, and kissed his cheek. “Don't worry,
niño
, I promise it will all be okay.”

 

 

A few nights later, Darwin met Ricky at the door when he came home from work. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, and looked absolutely amazing.

“Ready?”

“For?”

“We're going out.”

Ricky frowned. “Another event?”

“Not this time. Alexander put some clothes out for you. Hurry up and get dressed.”

Ricky trudged up the stairs to their bedroom and found a pair of skintight jeans for him, along with a green shirt Darwin loved. He knew now what his lover had planned, and he was all for it.

The trip to the bar was quick, or maybe it just seemed that way, because he and Darwin were making out in the back of the limo. When Henley opened the door, the two of them almost fell out, which Henley found absolutely hilarious.

Darwin glared at him. “Go home. We can call when we're done.”

Henley flushed, rubbed the back of his head and gave a sheepish grin. “Actually, can you grab a cab? I have a date.”

Darwin grinned. “Oh? Do tell.”

“Jeff and I are going out to dinner.”

Darwin gave his oldest, dearest friend a smile. “I'm so glad. Just tell him to have you home by midnight.”

Henley waggled his brows. “With a little luck, I'll be staying there for breakfast.”

They all laughed, then Henley got in the car and drove off, leaving Ricky and Darwin outside the club they'd gone to on their first semi-date.

“I didn't think you'd want to come back here,” Ricky admitted.

“Are you kidding? I love the ale, and the dancing part wasn't half bad. Plus, I may want to try something new.” He winked.

They drank, laughed, and had an amazing time. Darwin rose from the table, and Ricky knew what idea had popped into his lover's head.

“Again? We just did it. I might need a break.”

Darwin scoffed. “Five whole minutes. I can't believe you are going to claim exhaustion after five minutes.”

“I worked tonight,” Ricky protested. “And I ran my ass off.”

“Come on,” Darwin whined. “One little dance.”

He grabbed Ricky's hand and pulled him onto the dance floor of the club that, if Darwin liked it, would likely become their Friday night haunt. Ricky kicked himself for thinking Darwin wouldn't fit in this world. It had taken him time to relax, but once he had, Ricky found Darwin enjoyed being up on the floor with him, touching each other, and falling in love all over again.

 

Three months later

 

“Hurry up, Darwin. They'll be here any minute!” Ricky shouted.

Darwin came down the stairs and his heart beat a little faster when he found Ricky standing next to the Christmas tree they'd decorated. He seemed entranced by the thousands of lights shimmering off the pile of gifts that lay beneath it. Eighteen feet tall, the tree nearly touched the ceiling of the great room.

They'd gathered together the day before to decorate it. He'd loved watching as Maria and her kids; Henley and his boyfriend, Jeff; Alexander, the butler; Cynthia, the laundress; Kyle, the groundskeeper; and Nathan, the household manager, had gotten together with Ricky's mom, as well as Trish and her family to decorate the tree. They'd laughed, drunk eggnog, and had a great time in each other's company.

Tonight they were going to get together again to celebrate their first Christmas as a family. It would be the largest gathering the house had seen since Dean was still alive. Darwin swallowed hard. He and Ricky had talked about Dean, and to his surprise, Ricky insisted that the portrait of Dean that had been stored away be present for the holiday. He glanced up at the picture and smiled. Dean would have wished him and Ricky nothing but happiness.

The doorbell rang. Alexander opened it for their first guests. Megan and Trish, along with Trish's husband, Jack, and their two kids, Mitchell and Deanna, had come in, dressed for the season in matching red and green sweaters. Darwin and Ricky walked over to greet them after Alexander had taken their coats.