Page 22 of Rubbing One Out

Chapter 9

“This is your idea of a bar?” Dae’s nose wrinkled in distaste as he stood shivering in the queue to get into Do Cum In. “One has to stand in line like a commoner and subject oneself to being prodded and poked by passers-by?” He shot a dangerous glare at the man who jostled him from behind. “If you touch my arse one more time, I will turn you into a fucking lizard. Back off.”

The man laughed. “He’s a feisty one,” he said to Ben admiringly. “Perhaps I’ll look you both up on the dance floor.”

Ben bit back a chuckle. He’d like to see the guy try given the look Dae was currently sporting. He moved a little behind the Djinn, more to try to protect the stranger than out of any sense of decorum to protect Dae’s sensibilities. He was sure his friend could look after himself. Of course, Dae looking like a delicious morsel of sheer sexy in his black see-through silk blouse and tight white trousers, wearing that chain of his that reached from wrist to bicep, wasn’t going to stop unwanted attention.

“Could you honestly turn him into a lizard?” Ben murmured into Dae’s ear. “Do you have that kind of magic here on earth?”

Dae huffed. “My magic is less here, but yes, I could. It isn’t generally advisable to do so, though. It drains me, gives me a bit of a headache.” He pushed a piece of hair back from his eyes. “I would gladly suffer it if that muckdweller keeps ghosting my backside.”

Ben snorted. “You have a unique vocabulary of insults. I need to keep a notepad nearby so I can write them down.”

“Hey, guys.” Ben turned as Ryan walked up to them, cheeks ruddy and a hesitant smile on his face. “I made it. Sorry I’m late.” He cast an appreciative look at Dae. “Wow, Ben, hooked up already? You lucky bastard, you.”

“You must be Ryan,” Dae said frostily. “Ben hasn’t ‘hooked up’ as you so delightfully put it. We came together.”

“I bet you did,” Ryan joked and squawked as Dae poked him fiercely with a finger tipped with black nail polish.

“Not funny. Did Ben not explain I was his roommate, and his cousin?”

Ben thought it was time to stop the amusing interchange and grinned as he moved in between the two men.

“Guys, settle down. Dan, this is Ryan, my friend from the antiques shop. Ryan, this is Dan. He’s my cousin from Scotland who’s visiting….” His voice trailed off as he realised Dae had spoken normally and not in his faux Scottish accent. Shit. He’d have to make sure that Hemmy and Ryan weren’t together when Dae was around, or the cat would be out of the bag.

“You don’t sound Scottish,” Ryan said doubtfully, brow furrowed.

Dae sniffed and cast a wary look at Ben, obviously remembering who he was supposed to be. “I only live there. I’m not a native Scot.”

“Oh. Well, nice to meet you, Dan. If you’re not with Ben…” Ryan cast a speculative look at Dae’s outfit. “Maybe we can get together inside for a dance…or more?” He smirked and Ben rolled his eyes.

Over my dead body are you getting frisky with my Djinn.

“Listen, Ryan, I said I’d come with you tonight to be backup. I didn’t ask you to hit on my cousin, all right? Find your own man to get down and personal with.”

Ryan frowned. “Have to say I don’t get the family resemblance. Are you sure you two are related?”

Ben was saved the trouble of answering as the doors open and the crowd surged forward. As they shuffled closer to the entrance, Dae leaned in to whisper in Ben’s ear.

“My, we are possessive, aren’t we? You do realise we can’t get up to any hanky-panky inside as I’m family? You didn’t think this one through.”

Ben hadn’t thought of that and his heart sank. Any grinding up and getting sexy on the dance floor would have to wait for the privacy of home. Damn.

Since the epic blowjob they’d shared a couple of days ago, and a sensuous post-sex shower massage, he and Dae hadn’t gone any further. Sure, there’d been a few stolen kisses here and there, but no more.

Dae gave a sexy chuckle. “I can see that realisation coming to roost. No matter. I’m sure there’s plenty more talent for us to enjoy inside. It looks like Ryan is already getting his groove on.” He waved a hand behind them. Ben turned to see that Ryan was in animated conversation with some other young twenty-something, and the two of them appeared to be getting along, as evidenced by their sly touches.

The nightclub was buzzing as they finally paid their entrance fee—much to Dae’s disgust—and stepped inside. Despite Ryan having said he wanted company to assist him on his first jaunt into a gay club, he wasted no time disappearing to the bar with the guy he’d met outside. He waved at Ben and Dae apologetically as he disappeared into the throng.

Ben motioned over to an open table. “Looks like he doesn’t need any moral support. Let’s grab that space, and then I’ll get us a drink.” He had to shout a little over the raucous strains of dance music. Dae nodded and followed Ben over to a table along the wall. They’d been lucky—most of them were already filled.

“What do you want to drink?” Ben asked. He was ready for a beer.

“Grab me a double gin and tonic,” Dae replied as he surveyed the room with appreciative eyes. “I’ll start off easy.”

Ben fought his way through the grinding couples on the dance floor to get to the bar. Ryan was in among the dancers, beer in hand as he shimmied with the stranger he’d met. He saw Ben and lifted his bottle in a wave.

It was a bit of a wait, but eventually Ben had their drinks and he made his way back to the table. He was irked to see someone perched in his chair, already seemingly staking a claim on his—what, boyfriend? Friend? Exactly what was Dae to him other than a friend with benefits? That knowledge irritated Ben and when he reached the table, he put the drinks down with more force than was necessary.