Wicked Hearts (19 page)

to deliver a sharp right when Jeff"s quiet voice penetrated the blood roaring in his ears.

“Don"t, Reese. You"re better than that. You
are
a different man now. I know it.”

It was as if someone had taken a lance and punctured the bubble of fury that had

encased him. All at once he felt it easing away, draining from him like blood and pus

from an infected wound.

He dropped his arm, suddenly aware he was shaking, and turned toward Jeff. The

tender expression on Jeff"s face washed away the last of his anger. Jeff was right. He

was a different man now. It wasn"t just lip service or wishful thinking. That kind of

uncontrolled, helpless anger no longer held sway over him. Hank just plain wasn"t

worth it.

Reese felt a strange exhilarating calmness descend over him. All the dirty, guilty

shame over his past behavior and deeds seemed to slough off like a skin no longer

needed. He was washed clean at last by Jeff"s faith in him.

Was that what love was? Something that refused to believe the ugly and shallow,

that saw only the good in a person? Or did it also see the fears and the failures, the

dreams broken, and still love the person? Was believing in the possibility of the good

what inspired it into being?

Addressing Hank, Jeff spoke with quiet but undeniable authority. “You need to

leave. I think Reese has made it pretty clear you"re not welcome.”

Hank"s face was mottled with rage, his mouth twisted into a snarl. Taking the key

from his pocket, he hurled it to the floor. “When you come to your senses, Reese, you"ll

have to get on your knees and fucking
beg
me to take you back.”

Reese stared at him, too stunned that Hank actually thought such a thing might be

possible to answer. Hank started back, his dark, hooded eyes glittering. Once Reese

would have been afraid of Hank"s wrath, but not anymore. He felt—nothing.

“Good bye, Hank,” he said quietly.

Hank glared a moment longer, his eyes flitting from Reese to Jeff and back to Reese.

Turning on his heel, he strode out the front door, slamming it as he went. Calmly, Jeff

followed him and turned the lock.

Jeff walked back toward Reese. Reese said nothing, any words he might offer too

clumsy, too inexact to convey his happiness. Stepping closer, Jeff took Reese"s face in his

hands and pulled it toward his. Reese closed his eyes as their lips met.

Reese brought his arms around Jeff and held him tight, tenderness warring with

lust as his cock rose hard against Jeff"s body. His own body ached with the memory of

Jeff"s touch, the heat of his kiss, the hard press of his cock. Desire for this quiet, sensual

man burned like a flame over his skin.

Arms still around each other, they moved in silent accord to the bedroom. It was a

mess, the contents of Reese"s suitcase strewn over the unmade bed, some of it spilling

onto the floor. Reese pushed it aside. Sitting on the bed, he pulled Jeff down beside him.

Their mouths locked again, as if both were starving men, the other"s lips their only

sustenance.

After a while, they pulled apart. Jeff reached for Reese"s hand and held it between

his. He smiled slowly and Reese felt a strange sensation in his chest, as if the shattered

remains of his heart were literally mending themselves into a cohesive whole again.

They sat quietly for a while, just holding hands. “You okay?” Jeff finally said.

“Yeah. You?”

“Better than okay.” Jeff let go of Reese"s hand and drew his fingers over the curve of

Reese"s forearm. He moved his hand, slipping it beneath Reese"s shirt and resting the

palm flat against bare skin. Jeff"s touch caused lust to rise like hot wine in Reese"s veins.

He reached for Jeff, but, as he had that first night, Jeff pushed him back against the bed.

With deliberation, he unzipped Reese"s jeans and pulled them from his body, along

with his underwear. Reese"s cock sprang out and he groaned with pleasure as Jeff"s

fingers closed around it. He was watching Reese, his pupils dilated, his lips parted.

Jeff pushed at Reese"s T-shirt until his stomach and chest were bared. Taking the

hint, Reese pulled it over his head and tossed it aside. When Jeff brought his warm, wet

mouth over the head of Reese"s cock, Reese"s eyes closed and his head fell back against

the pillows. Jeff licked and sucked his cock and balls, worshipping the phallus until

Reese was ready to explode.

Apparently sensing his impending climax, Jeff pulled away. “No, not yet.”

Reese managed to open his eyes. He was so close to the edge. He wanted to grab

Jeff"s head and force him back down onto his cock, but something in Jeff"s expression

made him wait.

He could feel Jeff"s desire, matching his own and reflecting his heat. He could feel

Jeff"s power and he gave himself over to it, falling back against the bed. Jeff"s silvery

gaze was at once tender and fierce. “I want you, Reese. I can"t deny it. I tried to forget

you, to get over you. I can"t do it. You"re in my blood. You"re in my bones. Tonight I"m

going to take you back and this time, I won"t let you go.

Reese shuddered, Jeff"s words resonating inside him. His cock was so hard it

throbbed, his balls tight and aching with need. Jeff stripped quickly, standing naked in

front of him, his cock every bit as hard as Reese"s own.

Jeff reached for the condoms and rolled one onto his shaft. Reese lay on his back,

watching him. Taking the tube of lubricant, Jeff knelt between Reese"s legs and

squeezed some onto his fingers. His eyes on Reese"s, he rimmed the puckered hole and

then inserted two fingers. Pushing his fingers deep inside, he leaned forward and

kissed Reese on the lips.

“I"m going to make love to you,” he informed Reese in a low, growling purr. He

withdrew his fingers and replaced them with the fat crown of his cock. Nudging

forward, he slipped inside, pulling a moan from Reese"s lips.

Reese gave himself over to the pleasure. Jeff"s sensual control was nothing like the

cynical ownership Hank had tried to wield. This was about passion, and something

even more powerful. Reese could feel Jeff"s mastery as they locked gazes.

Jeff moved inside him and Reese groaned with pleasure. He kept his eyes open as

long as he could, mesmerized by Jeff"s smoldering stare. “Jesus,” he gasped, finally

giving up the fight and letting his eyelids close.

Jeff began to move faster inside him, thrusting in long, hard strokes that, coupled

with Jeff"s hand pumping Reese"s cock, sent jolts of pure ecstasy ripping through

Reese"s body. “Oh, god!” he cried, “Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I can"t, I"m going to, please,

oh, oh…”

Reese convulsed in powerful spasms, his cum shooting in a series of ribbons over

his stomach and chest. Jeff gripped his shoulders, thrusting hard, his eyes closed, the

tendons on his reddening neck standing out. All at once he stiffened, save for the

tremors of his orgasm as he came hard inside of Reese.

Jeff collapsed against Reese, who pulled him tight into his arms. He could feel Jeff"s

heart pattering rapidly against his own. “I love you,” Reese whispered, before he

realized the words were out.

For a moment he was gripped with terror. He had never said those words before.

Not since he was a child. He held his breath, wishing he could stuff them back into his

mouth.

“I love you, Reese,” Jeff whispered back.

Something happened in that moment, something Reese had no language for. A

tightness, a bitterness that had lived deep inside him for so many years

simply…vanished.

They lay quietly in each other"s arms and eventually, by the easing of his body and

the deepening and slowing of his breathing, Reese realized Jeff had fallen asleep in his

arms. He closed his own eyes and slept.

~*~

Hours later, in the stillness and the dark, they made love again, and again, only

stopping when exhaustion claimed them. Finally, sometime after midnight, they

stumbled from the bed, hunger driving them. A late-night pizza place delivered a large

pie and they sat together at the table, eating the greasy but delicious food and washing

it down with cold beer.

Happiness rose in Reese like helium. He wouldn"t have been surprised if he

levitated right out of his chair from sheer joy.

There were no secrets. No shame left. Yes, he had nearly lost the best thing that had

ever happened to him, but somehow, by some quirk of fate, this time he"d been lucky.

This time he"d been given a second chance.

A lingering cynicism tried to rear its head, to warn him this wouldn"t last, but he

ignored it, telling it to get lost. Jeff had come home, bearing cupcakes and all was right

in the world.

Jeff rested his chin on his hand and smiled at Reese.

“What? What"re you smiling at?”

“You. You look so happy.”

“I am happy. Maybe for the first time in my life, I"m truly happy.” He paused and

then added softly, “Thank you, Jeff. Thank you for forgiving me.”

“That"s not what happened, Reese. I do forgive you, but that"s not why you"re

happy.”

“No? Fill me in then, oh wise one,” Reese replied with a grin. “What"s the key?”

“The key,” Jeff said, love shining in his eyes, “is you forgave yourself.”

About the Author

Claire Thompson has published erotic fiction since 1996. Claire"s work includes the

sensual exploration of BDSM as well as sizzling m/m erotica, both vanilla and D/s.

Claire"s recent work includes in-depth exploration of the m/m relationship, in the

context of romance and D/s. And don"t miss her ménages, both m/m/f and m/m/m,

where she explores the complexities and passions when two become three. Claire has

published over forty novels and short stories, both in print and ebook format. Claire

lives and writes in upstate New York.

Interact with Claire at the following sites:

Websit
e: http://clairethompson.net

Blog
: http://clairethompsonauthor.blogspot.com

Publishing Sit
e: http://romanceunbound.com.

Yahoo Chat Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clairethompson/