Spokes (34 page)

"No, I have bottle." Luca corkscrewed a hand into the bedside table. "Thinking ahead."

"Okay." He'd need to grease the extra-virgin carefully. "Leave it there for now." He poked his tongue
into Luca's navel. "Mmm, tasty." The chuckle from above said Luca appreciated the joke.

He was always good with head--Christopher went for oral soothing. Sliding that sweet curved cock into his mouth, he listened for the signs from
above that Luca was with him here. Throaty moans went in time with his slow travel up and down Luca's shaft. Playing, not going for the finish
line, would get Luca to melt into the mattress. But he had more territory to cover--sucking Luca's balls into his mouth one at a time
made him appreciate his lover's efforts with the razor. He slurped and tickled until the mumblings from above became words he couldn't understand. Good.
Because Luca's taint was next, and when he'd thoroughly licked that flat plane....

"Lift your legs for me," he asked, but he couldn't reach properly without folding Luca nearly in half, and that would undo
the entire mood he'd been trying so hard to create. "Roll over on your knees. Just for kisses," brought him the beautiful
sight of Luca's exposed hole, and if he was way too tight for "wonderful" yet, that wouldn't last. Christopher put
his face down to lap.

Lavender from the soap lingered over the scent of Luca's skin. The little ridges of muscle jumped under Christopher's tongue.
He'd do his best to reduce Luca to a pile of quivering pleasure and lick away every bit of tension that would stand between him and wonderful.
"You doing good?" he asked, but the moans and thin whimpers were the only answer he got. He'd keep licking for a while.

Oh, man, yeah. Luca was letting him do this... If he thought too much about what he was trying to do, he'd come, and then...
well, he'd keep doing this until he came back up again to do what Luca had asked for... He should be
really
relaxed by then.

And those beautiful buttocks--he wanted a bite of those glorious mounds, but nothing with teeth--nothing to spook a jittery lover. Christopher rose
to his knees: he could see Luca's face profiled against the crisp white sheet, his eyes closed and his lips parted. "Gonna get you
slick. You don't have to move."

"Can't move," Luca mumbled. "Don't want to."

Well, well, this once a still Luca was a blissed-out Luca. Christopher stroked his back and reached for the bottle. Some for him, some for Luca. He dripped
and started to rub over the surface of Luca's hole. Luca's eyes flew open but he didn't leap sideways or even flinch.
"In?"

"Kind of. Getting you slick inside." Christopher looked at his hands--he'd really gotten greasy, and he
couldn't wipe his hands, and why did he want to? He needed more.

"One finger, Luca, okay?" No surprises, he'd promised. Luca whimpered when Christopher breached him, but it wasn't
"stop" and it didn't sound like pain. He paused anyway, lost in the wonder of heat and grip. Luca had been inside him so many
times, but this... first... oh. He pushed in deeper, his cock throbbing hard with the newness and the want. Brushing against
Luca's buttock made Christopher moan. "Oh you feel good. Do you like this?" Because if he didn't, there'd
be no pushing onward. Luca moaned and rocked against Christopher's hand.

Okay then.... Christopher rested his cheek against Luca's butt and gave him what they both wanted, more motion, and some swirls inside.
Luca's gland lay under the pad of Christopher's finger--time to press the "wonderful" button. And reach
around, or--under was better. With a hand around Luca's erection to pump in counterpoint to his finger, Christopher reveled in the
"yes" coming out of his lover.

They'd always had to be quiet, but not here, where they were the only ones in the sprawling house on an acre of land behind high walls. Luca
cried out words Christopher didn't understand, but his name, oh that he understood--he'd made Luca call his name, and it all
sounded like "yes."

Until it sounded like "stop." Luca pulled away, twisting to face Christopher. "I don't want to come yet."

Oh.
Oh.
"But it felt good?" D'oh, coming, good, yeah, but... he had to ask.

"Wonderful." Luca pulled Christopher against his chest. "But if I come now, I--" He clenched his fist to
demonstrate. "--for later." He pulled his mouth sideways, staring at his fist. "Better to stay relaxed."

"Yeah." Christopher cupped his hand over Luca's, stroking. "As long as you were enjoying what I was
doing."

Luca let his hand uncurl. "Very much." His cock jutted over his thighs, bouncing its own agreement in heartbeat rhythm.

"Okay. We were good then, but my finger and my cock aren't the same."
Thank goodness, except for just now where size matters for him.
"If you're ready, we can try two."

Something flickered across Luca's face. Laying his cheek against Luca's, Christopher whispered, "I think I can make it twice
as good as one."

"Okay." Luca lay on his back. The head of his cock rubbed against his belly.

More lube. Christopher slathered his hand. One finger, just to remind Luca how much he liked that, and he smiled when Christopher slipped inside. But two
wasn't doing so well--he flinched, and he'd tightened beyond what Christopher would push past. "Sorry,
Christopher."

"Don't worry about it. We're not in a hurry." Christopher drew tickly fingers up and down Luca's torso,
anything to take his mind off his butt.

"Why can't I...?" Luca reached to his hole, and from the squinch of his eyes, he wasn't getting any
farther than Christopher had, and seemed willing to hurt himself more in the process. "I want this."

"I know, but don't do that." Christopher pulled Luca's hand away, immobilizing both of them over Luca's
head. He swooped down to kiss the frustration off Luca's face, which might require lips like Jagger's. "Roll over.
We'll do something different for a while."

"But..."

"We have all the time we need."

If he massaged Luca, that ought to help... Luca was used to being touched, although if Paolo had the same methods, there might be a cranky Italian
grease-spot on the floor next time they were all together. Christopher poured some oil over Luca's butt and worked his glutes, squeezing and
parting as much as pushing down. Good, from Luca's deep groans, but maybe not the same good he'd mumbled about before. But yeah, if he
could just keep Luca thinking about the good things instead of what wasn't working. Besides, this was kind of nice in its own right, and he
wasn't going to die of an unsatisfied erection. At least, not until after dinner...

But it would be nice to get some contact. Luca was calmer, and slick, but more goop never hurt. Christopher applied a dollop to his cock, working the
slickness around his shaft. Might take a while to come at that--just getting Luca to relax wasn't keeping him on the edge.
"Gonna snuggle on you."

Luca twined his fingers into Christopher's, pulling them partly under his chest. "You're still hard."

"Getting harder." Christopher lay down with his cock in Luca's crack. Even this was more than Luca had ever been comfortable
with. "Do you want a glass of wine or something?"

That got some serious consideration. "Maybe later, if...." Yeah, if he was going to push himself into accommodating body
parts.

Plastered against Luca's back as he was, Christopher was just as happy not to get up to go to the kitchen. Oh, but Luca felt good, and the furrow
of his ass was really slick. Christopher had to slide up a ways. And back.

"That's..." Luca lifted his butt to help with the sliding. "I like."

"I like too." Christopher wasn't sure how much liking it would take to turn it into coming: Luca was getting a little
vigorous under there. Damn. He could reach for slightly sideways kisses which Luca matched, chuckling with his tongue straining around the corner of his
mouth.

"Christopher--" Luca stuck with his hips on "up". "Try to go in."

Okay, but... "You were pretty tight."

"Just try." Luca spread his thighs farther. "Please."

This wasn't going to be much of a try if Luca didn't feel ready, no matter what he said. "You have to tell me if you need me
to stop." Not that Christopher trusted the answer. Luca pushed himself past the agony point for something he wanted badly enough. He'd
reached the top of the Mur de Huy ahead of the rest, and he'd finished Zoncolan.

"Try."

Christopher would try, but he'd stop faster if he thought it was necessary.
This is for him, not for me. He trusts me this much.
"Okay." But he slipped back and forth a few more times, just to lull Luca and then he pulled back far enough to find where he wanted to
go. "Push down." Aaaannndddd ...
In.
Oh, Lord. In. Christopher froze. "You okay?"

Luca breathed shallowly through his mouth, not answering, but started pulling in more air after a few seconds. "Yes." His fingers
tightened on Christopher's. "Okay."

He was feeling more okay, looser--Christopher pushed in slowly until he was sheathed as deeply as he could fit. Slow, he had to go so slow, or
he'd shoot his load right this second into the unbelievable hot clasping around his cock. But Luca deserved his wonderful.

"Slow," he whispered into Luca's ear, but since when had Luca ever gone slow on anything? He'd have to set the
pace.

If he could. Luca lifted against him and pulled away until Christopher was sure he'd fall out if he didn't follow Luca's
lead.

He'd follow Luca--anywhere. Up a mountain or across an ocean. And Luca trusted him. Maybe even loved him. So following his pace meant
trusting Luca, and thinking was slipping away.
He feels so good. Wonderful.

"Christopher!" Luca's cry cut through his fog. Passion or pain? The clenching around his cock said passion, and yes, and
everything went to bright lights and waves of pleasure pouring out of him and into his beloved Luca.
Oh Luca. You gave me wonderful too.

A slight hiss told Christopher to pull out, they were finished, and he turned them to their sides, unwilling to let go in any other way. He twitched the
sheet over them. "Did we get to wonderful?"

"Oh yes." Luca found his hand again and squeezed. "Most wonderful." He twisted as far as he could to catch
Christopher's lips. He settled into the curve of Christopher's body. Christopher curled around him. Soft words Christopher
didn't quite understand came from him, but "...
amore mio
" had to be....

"I love you too," he whispered into a faceful of brown curls.

Chapter 29

Christopher woke first, torn between stroking Luca into awareness and more lovemaking or gazing down into his face. Luca's lashes lay flat
against the delicate skin below his eyes, paler than the rest of his face. He'd been sleeping so badly Christopher wouldn't disturb
him, even for a kiss, if he'd been loved into peaceful rest.

Christopher's grumbling belly would cause a less pleasant awakening. Breakfast for dinner after their afternoon nap sounded right. He slithered
out of bed and had some prosciutto and veggies chopped for an omelet before he heard Luca moving around. Once the shower water stopped he poured the eggs
into the pan. Luca, his hair damp and curling and his smile toothpaste bright, emerged to a ready meal that they took out to the patio overlooking the
lake. Luca inhaled every scrap and eyed the emptiness of his plate.

Guess he should have cracked another egg. Christopher shoved a quarter of his omelet onto Luca's plate. One of them had been eating more or less
properly this last week. He took his plate back to the kitchen and returned with another piece of buttered bread for each of them, plus the bowl of fresh
strawberries.

They ate the berries from each other's fingers.

"Thank you, Christopher." Luca sighed against his shoulder. "I needed today. All of today. Ghisallo. Riding. And
you."

"You have me forever." How else could he say it when Luca wouldn't say anything in a language he knew Christopher understood?

"Forever?" Luca lifted his eyes to Christopher's face. "If you keep me when I'm broken-down old cyclist
who can't ride or even advertise pain pills. Might be soon as next year."

Christopher had to laugh. "Do you really think I'd care? I'd make you translate race broadcasts for me, and I'd
kiss you whenever the spectators rang cowbells."

Luca smiled. "Some races, that could be many kisses."

"It'll be many kisses anyway." Christopher shifted to get both arms around Luca. And he'd say what Luca skirted. At
least then he'd know. "I love you."

"I love you too." Luca met Christopher's lips. "I don't deserve you, but I love you."

Deserve? What did that have to do with anything? And since when was he such a prize? But...okay. There wasn't anything to say to that,
but holding Luca under the wide Italian sky was all the answer either of them needed.

"I'm glad you're not brooding any more." Christopher rocked Luca slowly back and forth in one of the intervals
where they'd come up for air.

"I needed to visit
il Santuario.
It cleared my mind." Luca rested his head on Christopher's shoulder. "Who
was that you were talking to?

"Bob Rasmussen from
Gear Up.
Um, I had to do a little horse-trading. Do you mind talking to him first after your next race?"
Better let Luca know what he'd promised.

"Ahead of you? Yes, I mind, but for you, I do it." Luca swatted Christopher's thigh lightly. "What sort of horse
did he trade you?"

"I wiped all the pictures out of his camera. He'd taken several of us crying on each other, and that pissed me off. Horning in on a
private moment. Even if it was kind of public. I told him not to make news out of your loss." Christopher finger-combed through Luca's
curls. "But there may have been other people who took pictures, and I know some people there recognized you. I heard them talking. Luca, we may
have a problem."

"Other people with pictures." Luca spoke slowly.

"Yeah. And some of them may end up on Facebook. Or in a magazine." Christopher could kick himself for not thinking things through.
"And someone's likely to ignore all the tears and the grief and make a different kind of deal about it."