Worth Keeping (31 page)

“Hell, I still can’t believe you painted a picture of me. It’s too bloody beautiful even though I say so myself.” Owen’s hungry mouth searched out Nick’s, his tongue slick and hot. Nick thought he might choke from Owen’s passion. He growled, pushing Owen off him, gripping his arm and throwing him backward into the corner on top of a pile of canvas covers. As he did so, Owen’s arm flailed, hitting the corner table, and a number of paint cans that Nick had been using to freshen up the interior walls fell onto the canvas, spilling their contents in shades of white, grey and blue. Owen looked up at the towering figure of Nick as he fell back into the slick mess he’d created.

“Crap. There’s damn paint everywhere now. Don’t you know how to seal a paint can properly so it doesn’t go hard? This stuff’s toxic.” His voice was aggrieved and Nick wanted to laugh out loud at environmentalist Owen in full mode given the heat of the moment.

“I don’t give a toss about the paint.” He lowered himself down on top of Owen, who lay sprawled in wet slickness of B&Q’s best. “The only thing that’s hard here is me.” He reached down and palmed Owen’s crotch. “And you. And all I want to do is get inside you and find out what you feel like.”

Owen’s pupils darkened, his breath hot and rapid against Nick’s mouth. “Then let’s get naked, Nick,” he whispered. “Get your damn clothes off. They’ll all need chucking after we finish here anyway.” His hand trailed down the canvas, picking up globs of blue paint and he slowly drew it against both of Nick’s cheek in a horizontal gesture. Owen’s breathing got deeper. “Let’s just try not to get poisoned by paint and fumes, shall we, my Indian brave?”

Nick stood up, lifting his shirt above his head and shedding his clothes with alacrity. Naked, he stood above Owen, watching him do the same. Owen lay there, raising his hips and shifting out of his chinos, quickly sliding his black briefs off and finally, sitting up to lift his paint-splattered shirt over his head, wipe his hands on it then toss it on the floor. He lay back in the mess, his body already streaked with splodges of paint. His cock rose regally from the black curls of his groin. He raised an eyebrow at Nick, who stood watching him in awe as Owen stroked his erection with a sly grin.

“I had to clean the hands. I didn’t want paint all over this.” He gestured at his ready dick. “I have no idea what it would do. I’d hate to be allergic.” He laughed. “Although any swelling may come in useful...”

Nick joined Owen on the canvas, lying beside him, his body too becoming wet with the colours of the lighthouse.

God, this man was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

Nick trembled in anticipation as Owen’s greedy eyes roved over Nick’s body. His lover moved to kneel between Nick’s legs, hands trailing lightly over Nick’s thighs and over his balls. Owen’s warm mouth licked his tip, his tongue dipping into his slit.

Nick’s hips arched upward urgently and Owen lifted his mouth and looked up, his mouth wet with Nick’s pre-come, looking decadent. “You are a needy bastard, aren’t you? Let me work my magic on you before you start humping my mouth.” His lips twisted in a wolfish grin and then Owen proceeded to rack every sense of decorum and rational thought from Nick as his mouth got busy.

Hot, wet, slicking tongue and fingers grasped his shaft and stroked as Owen’s lips sucked him and teased him.

Nick had never felt such a sense of belonging to Owen as he did now. Owen was excellent at blowjobs but this surpassed even his usual high standard. Nick moaned loudly as he watched Owen bobbing up and down. Finally Owen removed his mouth from his attempt to draw Nick’s insides out through his cock and looked up at him as he gave a final swirl to Nick’s glans.

Nick thought frantically he would come there and then. But Owen kept up the pressure on his shaft, stopping the urge to ejaculate as he laughed softly. “You are not coming now. The only place you’ll be when you do that is in my arse. With no damn condom. Trust me when I tell you we don’t need one. I trust you.”

Nick’s dick jerked at that thought and he thought desperately that he hoped he could remain hard. But already the pressure to actually penetrate another man seeped into his mind and despite his will, Nick felt his erection wilt. He felt a sense of panic as Owen settled himself over Nick’s hips, pressing their cocks together, the silky smoothness of his lover tantalising and comforting at the same time.

“Stop thinking about it, Nick,” Owen whispered, as he leaned down and brushed his lips over Nick’s. His arse rubbed against Nick’s groin and Nick’s cock gave another lurch. “Just think of me, my lips, what it feels like to have you like this. I think the best way to do this is with me on top, driving this beautiful machine.” He stroked Nick gently, his thumb gliding over his tip, smearing fluid down the length of his shaft. Owen reached over to drag his pants towards him, reaching into the pocket and bringing out a small packet of lube. He swore as he got paint on his fingers and wiped them on his discarded trousers.

“Always prepared?” Nick gasped as his eyes shut at Owen’s movements on his dick.

Owen grinned. “Always. Now lie back and let me get this on you. Then you can watch me do it to myself. That always seems to turn you on.”

His fingers coated Nick’s cock liberally with the lube then Owen reached around to his own arse. Nick held his breath as Owen closed his eyes in pleasure and inserted slicked-up fingers inside himself.

His eyes opened and he gazed into Nick’s staring and eager eyes as he smiled. “Feels good, Nick. It will be even better when I have you inside me.”

Owen shivered and Nick saw goose bumps forming on his skin. “God, I can’t wait. I’ve dreamt of this happening.”

Nick hoped fervently he was going to make the grade. His cock felt ready to explode but the test would be when Owen finally mounted him and took him inside. Nick knew that was the point at which he normally withered and died.

God, please let me do this, he pleaded silently. Let me satisfy Owen this way. He deserves it so much.

Owen’s ravenous lips distracted him and for a while, all Nick could taste was mint toothpaste and the slight metallic taste of paint from a splash on the corner of Owen’s mouth. He lost himself in the sensation. When Owen finally raised himself up over Nick’s body, then settled himself on Nick’s erection with a grunt and a satisfied moan, Nick’s hips rose in sheer pleasure at Owen’s obvious enjoyment.

The sensation he’d denied himself for so long made his mind melt as Owen’s silky heat enveloped him, taking him deep inside.

Nick groaned loudly, concentrating on Owen riding him, lifting himself up and down on his still-hardened dick. That thought alone, the fact he was still hard, took Nick’s breath away.

“God, you feel so good, Nick,” Owen moaned softly. “Just how I thought you’d feel. Like fucking heaven.” Nick had to agree. To feel smooth heat around his cock, feel Owen’s contractions and realise he was inside another man—the feeling filled him with awe.

Owen’s lithe body rose and fell with rhythmic cadence and he watched Nick with pure love on his face. His expression of sheer adoration made Nick’s groin burn hotter and he knew that it wouldn’t take long for him to climax. It built in his arse, in his toes, his thighs, waves of heightened pleasure that swept like waves to the shore up to his stomach and hips.

Owen reached down, stroking himself, movements growing faster and faster and Nick covered Owen’s hands with one of his own as he helped Owen.

“I am so close,” Nick said through gritted teeth, “I’ll try to hold out. You come first, I want to see you.”

Owen nodded, his panting getting more laboured as he rode Nick’s cock and fisted himself at the same time. “Get ready, buster, because this geyser is about to blow.”

Nick’s hips thrust upward in time with Owen’s slick bobbing and he watched his man’s face change from intense to something wondrous. Owen managed a strangled gasp then streams of hot, white come shot forth from his cock as he emptied himself all over Nick’s stomach and chest, mixing in with the paint streaks striping his body.

At seeing Owen’s pleasure and hearing his loud, triumphant shout, Nick released. He cried out loudly as for the first time in his life, Nick came inside another man.

A rush of pure joy, a stream of liquid satisfaction made his heart beat stronger and his pulse race faster. The knowledge of the breakthrough he’d just had made his eyes sting and his throat close up with emotion.

Owen slumped across his chest as his lips found Nick’s and he kissed him with the tenderness that was his trademark. Nick reached up and caressed his lover’s jawline, feeling a wealth of love surge inside.

Owen smiled and whispered in his ear, “You’re welcome.”

“I can’t tell you how it feels to have done this,” Nick whispered as he held Owen tightly, never wanting to let him go. “I never thought I’d get the chance—”

Owen’s mouth found his as he uncoupled himself to lie beside Nick, his body curling into his boyfriend’s like a kitten curling up to its mother. For a while there was only the feel of Owen’s lips on his and when they finally separated, Nick heaved a deep sigh.

“I hope that was a lot better than the dildo. Maybe we can make it a regular thing.” He grimaced. “Except we have bloody paint everywhere. Thank God this is water-based paint.” He chuckled. “We need to get inside and have a shower. You look like a damn sooty tern.”

Owen frowned. “What the hell is that?” He shifted uncomfortably, picking flecks of drying paint off his body.

Nick laughed. “It’s a grey and white bird that lives out these parts.”

Owen huffed as he kissed Nick’s shoulder. “Oh. And FYI? That was way better than any dildo, even the Daddy Do-Gooder. It was you inside me, no barriers and no reservations. It couldn’t get any better.”

Nick closed his eyes and smiled. Satiated, he relaxed and as Owen pressed his warm body closer, placing a possessive hand across his chest as he snuggled in.

Nick was happy. Damn the outside world and all its problems and stresses. Damn his stupid psyche and his past. A hot shower and this man were all he ever needed. Owen was back to stay, he’d make sure of that.

This man was his to keep.

Chapter 20

Across the restaurant table, Owen gazed in exasperation at the smug face of Justin Cranbourne. The young man sat with a smirk that made Owen want to slap it off his handsome face.

He and Nick had met Daniel and Justin at a trendy restaurant in the middle of Norwich. The idea was to stay over at the hotel to save driving home. Heather was babysitting Socks for the night. But Owen had a feeling he might be more than a little drunk if events so far were anything to go by. Justin could be maddening company and the whisky bottle beckoned.

“Really, that’s what you think about it all? That we just live then die and that’s it?”

Justin nodded as he picked up his drink and took a gulp. “Yep. I don’t believe in life after death.”

“But you said you once did hypnosis on someone who thought they had a past life and spoke bloody Arabic when they hadn’t even learned the language. How do you explain that?”

Justin shrugged. “There are lots of things you can’t explain, Owen. I don’t profess to know everything. Just
nearly
everything.” He grinned at Owen’s fierce scowl. “But I can tell you I don’t believe in ghosts or reincarnation like you do.”

“Well, I think there’s something to the metaphysical world,” Owen muttered. “To think we just have this one life then we kick the bucket and that’s it—that’s a damn scary thought. I want to think somewhere those we loved are safe and we’ll see them again one day.”

Thoughts of Jules flooded his mind. Owen hoped fervently one day he’d get the chance to see him again.

Justin reached over and gently stroked his hand. “Owen, you need to believe whatever makes sense, whatever gets you through. There’s no right or wrong answer, just different views. It’s what makes us all human.”

“Can’t leave you alone for a minute, Justin and you’re hitting on my boyfriend.” Nick stood at the table, a mock frown on his face as he handed Owen his whisky.

Daniel chuckled as he sat down beside Justin. “I know; I can’t take him anywhere. He did this experiment last week, in a supermarket in Norwich. He goosed half a dozen guys and just as they were about to either punch or fuck him, he told them he was a psych grad doing a project to test people’s reactions. He was lucky he came away with that pretty face intact.”

Justin grinned, removed his hand from Owen’s and raised his beer. “It was a lot of fun. I like being able to touch hot guys and then tell them it’s a bona fide experiment.”

Nick leaned forward in fascination. “And what were the results of your project then?”

Justin sniggered. “Fuck knows. It was all a damn scam just to have some fun. There was no damn project.”

Nick’s face was a picture. Daniel laughed loudly.

Owen snorted his drink all over the table at the look on Nick’s face and said to Justin, “You, young man, have no bloody shame. You’re the sort of man my mother warned me about.”

“Crikey, one of these days someone is going to punch your lights out,” Nick muttered. “I don’t know how you get away with it.”

Justin raised a hand and waved at his body airily. “I’m cute and fuckable. I can get away with a lot.”

The merriment calmed down and the talk at the table led to more serious topics.

“Owen here believes in ghosts. What do you think, Nick?” Justin’s question seemed innocent but Owen heard the underlying concern in his tone. He wondered where Justin was leading the conversation.

Nick shrugged. “I guess there might be something in it. Too many people have seen too many things for it to be a complete crock of shit. But I think until I see one, I’ll sit on the fence.” He smiled at Owen. “Owen is a pretty spiritual guy. He still believes in the Easter Bunny.”

Owen punched Nick hard on the arm as Nick grinned and took a gulp of his whisky. “I do so not believe in that pink-arsed hairy bunny.”

Daniel chortled as he reached over and ran his hand down Justin’s cheek. “I have my very own Easter Bunny. He’s definitely cute, sexy and loves carrots. Especially my carrot.” He leered at Justin who giggled and reached over to kiss his boyfriend.