“What happened?” I ask, my brows furrowing, my fingers finding their way to the space below the purpled skin. He winces slightly, and I snap my hand away, wondering how far that sore spot goes. How long has he had it?
“It’s nothing,” Luke says again quickly, almost dismissively, but his brow pinches as he glances down at his shoulder. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and ran into an open cupboard. That’s all.”
“What, at breakneck speed?” I scoff.
“I bruise easily.” Luke shrugs.
“Does it hurt?”
“Yeah, sure.” He sighs, and I can sense irritation creeping at the edges of his tone, though I can’t imagine why. “But I’ll be fine. Now, stopdeflecting. We’re not done here.”
Then, before I can even attempt to argue, he pushes me back down until I’m lying against the pillows again, and he presses his lips to mine with a new, raw intensity that takes my breath away. He grinds his hips back at the same time, making every thought fly out of my head with the motion. Luke works on my pants next, clawing them off my body with a reckless sort of energy that has my heart racing. Vaguely, I’m aware he’s trying to distract me, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t working.
As soon as he’s got me completely naked, I’m like putty in his hands, molded however he wants, and brought to life by his touch. And when he removes the rest of his clothes, he presses his gorgeous body against mine with an urgency that matches my own, rocking his hips back and forth with our hard lengths pressed between us. His fingers in my hair send tingles through the back of my head. No one else has ever had the same effect, and it might be one of my favorite things Luke can do.
I drag my hands up his back, his arms, his neck, and his stomach, making sure to avoid his injured shoulder with caution. His skin is so soft in my calloused hands, and the way Luke shudders at my touch makes me think he likes the feel of the contrast.
But he doesn’t let us stay in that position for long. Not when he’s got something else in mind. Pushing himself up, he regards me with a hazy smile, his hair mussed and wild from my hungry fingers. I watch as he leans over to the nightstand, and I notice for the first time that he’s got a little bottle of lube and condoms already set out from god knows where. Did he have those with him the whole time? Shit, he really came here prepared.
Luke grabs both and brings them closer, then cocks his head to the side curiously, his sharp eyes calculating as he regards me. He takes my hand and pulls me up, switching positions so that he’s lying on his back, and I settle between his open legs.
“This might feel more natural for you.” Luke smiles, brushing his hand through my hair.
“Is this natural foryou?” I can’t help but frown.
“Oh, my god.Yes, Ethan.” He suddenly chokes, his eyes crinkling with genuine laughter. “Gay people can have missionary sex just like straight people. You’re not special.”
“Don’t be a dick,” I say, pinching his side until he squeaks, squirming beneath me. But I smirk, feeling a surprising lack of embarrassment for the wisecrack at my ignorance. “How the fuck was I supposed to know?”
“Common sense, for starters. The internet also exists. And if you recall, we’vedoneshit in this same position before.”
“Okay…” I scoff. “But that wasn’t the same thing. There wasn’t any putting of things inside other things then.”
Luke bursts out laughing and then groans, covering his face with both hands. “God, you’re such achild. Why am I dating you?”
My eyes narrow, but I can’t hide my grin. “You’re cute when you’re mean.”
“I’m not mean.” Luke pouts. “You’re just completely unhinged!”
“Yeah, well. You can make fun of me for it tomorrow.” I smirk, and I reach for his semi-hard cock, thumbing over the soft crown and earning a startled gasp. As I lean in to kiss him, his arms wrap around my neck reflexively, and he releases a soft moan against my lips. When I pull back again, I poke his bare chest without any real force. “Right now, you’re supposed to begraciousand let me be stupid. Safe space and all.”
Luke’s lips twist up with smug satisfaction, but there’s an unmistakable tenderness in his gaze, enough to make my heart stutter. Even as he teases me, there’s no bite to it.
But the realization that we’re at the precipice of something magnanimous suddenly rips through me, and for a second, allI can do is stare at the sharp angles of Luke’s face in the soft lighting and wonder if I’m really ready for this. When I break it down, I’m not sure I can entirely blame my anxiousness on what we’re about to do. It’s only sex, after all—a task I’ve executed hundreds of times in my life. But something about tonight feels different. Irrevocable. The air feels charged with the sacredness of what’s coming, but not just for the act itself. It's more like we’ve reached a point of no return, solidifying our paths to blissful ruin.
Searching Luke’s face, my eyes jumping across his, I know without a doubt that I would happily let this man destroy my life, just as long as I get to keep that smile and the way he looks right now, all mussed hair and flushed cheeks, in my memory forever. I could die tomorrow, never accomplishing anything other than having him in my arms tonight, and I would be satisfied.
As if he can sense the thoughts swirling inside my head, Luke draws his hand to my forehead, gently brushing the hair away. His long fingers are warm against my skin, but the touch sends a shiver down my spine.
“Are you still nervous?” he asks softly, and my heart leaps in my chest.
Yes. Horribly. Somehow, I hear myself answer, “No.”
Luke smirks, a flash of bright white teeth as he bites his lower lip, and he pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around my neck. “Liar,” he whispers into my ear, chuckling. He sighs happily, putting our heads together. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
I close my eyes, feeling Luke’s fingers brush up through my hair, and I let the sensation move through my whole body, swirling tingles all the way down to my toes. When I open my eyes again, Luke’s still right there, that killer smile on his face. Suddenly, there’s no room left for the anxiety in my chest.
I can’t help but lean down to kiss him, and he melts with it easily, his cheeks flushing with new color as things get more serious. My hands map every inch of his chest, my fingers memorizing the dips of soft skin where his hip bones jut out, tracing the little inked sparrows until he’s losing himself to the motion. The way his stomach rises and falls with each new tortured breath at my touch has me hypnotized as I streak every muscle like an undiscovered landmark in need of exploration. I could draw this soft pleasure out of him all night.
