Bad Boyfriend

A Story Orgy Single

Hank Edwards

Startled Monkeys Media

Contents

Summary

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

About the Author

Also by Hank Edwards

Summary

On a rainy night in New York City, Bryce meets up with a group of friends for dinner and is introduced to Colin. Sparks ignite between them and soon the two are dating. But Bryce quickly discovers that what he first thought of as responsible frugality on Colin's part is, in actuality, just Colin being a cheapskate.

Bryce tries to overlook the reused water bottles, Colin's failure to pick up a check, and his penchant for Dumpster diving, hoping for a shot at true love. But before too long it becomes clear that Colin can't seem to grasp the fact that he only pays for what he has to.

Bryce confronts Colin and puts his heart, and their relationship, on the line, hoping that, in the end, they can find a happy medium and continue to see each other. But it's going to take a lot of effort on both of their parts to get his bad boyfriend to change his ways.

Copyright © 2017 by Hank Edwards

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover art by Startled Monkeys Media

1

A rumble of thunder drew Bryce to the window of his bookstore where he watched people hurry along the sidewalk through the strengthening rain. The weather seemed ordered up to mirror his mood, and it was so similar to the night he'd met Colin his spirits sank even lower. Had it been a mistake for him to walk away from Colin outside the restaurant two weeks ago? Maybe. But, Colin hadn't really been fair to Bryce, had he?

Bryce turned and trudged back behind the counter where he resumed looking through his inventory lists. He’d had to do something, he knew that much. And now here he stood, alone inside his bookstore, just like always. To feel better—correction, to stop feeling altogether—Bryce had sealed his dented and battered heart behind a wall of ice. Better to freeze someone out than moan about in misery, right?

But frustration still simmered within Bryce’s mind. Memories fought for attention as he tried to focus on the inventory list, but the book titles soon blurred together and another rumble of thunder made him think back on the night he and Colin had met.

The rain had caught Bryce by surprise—he had a damn weather app on his phone but hadn't bothered to check it before leaving home—so he had been without an umbrella and gotten soaked during his dash from the subway to the restaurant. He had dripped so much on the tile floor of the restaurant's foyer, the hostess had given him a stare that might have turned him to stone if he'd been able to look her in the eye.

His friend Faustino had a penchant for cramped, pricey restaurants with vague names like Brick or White, small eateries tucked away into the nooks and crannies of New York City. That night they all met at a converted townhouse that was called simply Tile. True to its name, Tile's floors were laid with varying ceramic tiles and slick underfoot due to the rain being tracked in. As Bryce followed the hostess down the narrow hall and up a similarly narrow staircase to the second floor, he nearly fell several times, once almost taking down two waitresses carrying heavily loaded trays. Faustino had reserved a table in the front bay window of the second floor. It was an oval farmhouse table covered with a white cotton tablecloth and surrounded by mismatched wooden kitchen chairs, something Bryce had been seeing a lot of in restaurants lately and which he didn't care for. What was wrong with furnishings that matched?

"Bryce!" Faustino stopped in the middle of whatever elaborate tale he was spinning to the five people seated with him and leaped to his feet. He grabbed Bryce in a tight hug then immediately pushed him away with a shriek of surprise. "You are soaked!"

"Well, it is raining," Bryce said and gave an embarrassed shrug as he looked around at the other diners who watched the exchange with amusement. He leaned in closer and said, "Great place you found here."

As Bryce knew would happen, Faustino brightened at the compliment, then asked, "Isn't it crush?"

Crush was Faustino's most recent way of saying he liked something a lot, as in he had a crush on it. Faustino could crush on men, restaurants, cars, clothes, shoes, or the lucky find of an available taxi late at night.

"It is quite crush," Bryce agreed. "So, who are we dining with tonight?"

Fasutino smiled in a devilish way and linked arms with Bryce, not even caring that Bryce's sleeve was still wet with rain. "Oh, you'll see. I've invited an interesting line up to subject you to."

A tiny alarm klaxon sounded in the back of Bryce's brain as Faustino led him to the table. Since they had lived across the hall from each other in college, Faustino had tried to set Bryce up with a host of men to mostly embarrassing results. Bryce forced the memories of those disastrous dates from his mind as they came to a stop at the table and the rest of their party turned to stare at him. At the near end of the table sat a girl with long blond hair dyed in various places with large dark black polka dots. She held an electric cigarette in one hand and a martini glass in the other. She fixed Bryce with a cool look from beneath her bi-colored bangs and pursed her cherry red lips. A wisp of menthol-laced vapor drifted from the end of her e-cigarette, and she let more slip from the corner of her mouth before she spoke.

"Whom do we have here?" Her voice was deep, and Bryce wondered if she was a man in drag, but he couldn't be sure.

"Everyone, this is Bryce," Faustino said, and Bryce nodded. Although there were four more people at the table, three men and one other woman, Bryce couldn't seem to take his eyes off the woman with the polka dots dyed into her hair. Faustino introduced him to the table, but the only name Bryce could retain was the woman's: Isobel. He wondered briefly if she might be a witch and had put an enchantment on him, but then had to abandon that thought as Faustino directed him to a vacant chair between two of the men.

After sitting down, Bryce blotted rain from his face with the napkin—also mismatched from the rest of the table, just like his chair—then jumped a bit when he found the man to his left leaning in very close.

"What do you think of Isobel's hair?" the man whispered.

Bryce jerked his gaze around to see if Isobel had overheard the question, but she and Faustino were currently trying to one up each other with tales of gross incidents they had witnessed on the subway. He looked back at the man and cleared his throat, words spinning inside his head as if in a tornado. He had a difficult time meeting new people, which was why Faustino occasionally quit asking and simply bullied him into attending one of his dinners. And Bryce, though a bit of a lonely introvert, was also an optimist at heart, and every so often accepted the invitations. In his more optimistic moods, he figured that one of these nights he might meet someone with whom he could truly connect.

This man, Bryce decided immediately, was not to be the one. So Bryce cleared his throat, daubed a few more drops of rain from his forehead, and said, "It's incredibly creative. I'm afraid I'm not half that imaginative, as you can probably tell."

The man narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded. "I see." He thrust out his hand almost like an attack, and Bryce jumped before realizing it was just the offer of a handshake.

"Dieter Paneck," the man stated.

"Bryce Casellas." Dieter's hand was warm and soft, like a silk pillow fresh from the dryer.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Bryce Casellas," Dieter said. "Will you be having a drink tonight?"

Bryce frowned as Dieter's question caught him off guard. Was Dieter going to be their server or something? Would he be dining with them as well? Was that the special thing about Tile that would make it stand out from other new restaurants? But then Bryce realized that Dieter had been signaling for the server behind his back as they shook hands. Something about that—the sleight of hand feel to it, perhaps, or the similarity to Dieter stabbing him in the back—made Bryce's creep meter start beeping.

Dieter asked Bryce a few questions about his preferences then turned to the server to order a drink for him, but Bryce cut the man off. "Oh, you know, I'll have a glass of wine. Your house pinot noir will be fine, thanks."

"They are known for their house made vodkas here," Dieter informed him.

"Oh? How nice. I'll stick to wine, thanks." Bryce turned away to face the man on his right, severing contact with Dieter, and smiled as he extended his hand. "Hi. I'm Bryce Casellas."

"So I understand." The man's palm was warm and moist, but not unpleasant, and the touch of skin sent a shivery sizzle up Bryce's spine.

"And you are?" Bryce asked.

The man tipped up one corner of his mouth in a smirk and said, "Colin Strasser," as a wicked amusement danced in his bright blue eyes.

"Good to meet you, Colin." Bryce leaned back in his chair so the men he sat between could see one another. "Have you met Dieter?"

Dieter made a sniffing sound and looked away to stare out the rain-streaked window as he said, "We have met. I was occupying your very seat prior to your arrival and chose to move."

"Oh?" Bryce looked down at the chair. "Is something wrong with the chair?"

"Um, no," Colin explained, leaning in closer and lowering his voice to a husky whisper that sent Bryce's pulse racing. "He sat beside me and introduced himself and tried to order me a drink like he did with you just now, and I told him I thought he was a blowhard."

Bryce let out a surprised laugh as Dieter made a sound of disgust.

"Is there a problem over there?" Faustino asked, having come up long enough to sense the mounting tension between his guests.

Bryce tamped down his amusement and shrugged. "Not on my end."

Faustino gave Bryce a long, assessing look that was thankfully interrupted by the return of the server. They gave their dinner orders, and when the server had left, Bryce took a deep, calming breath and a healthy swallow of wine. The way Dieter had tried to order for him and the overwhelming way the man had introduced himself had made Bryce tense. Add to that the palpable tension between Colin and Dieter, and Bryce's nerves were being drawn even tighter. He didn't like conflict, did everything he could to avoid it, actually, and now here he sat between two men who clearly didn't care for each other one bit.

And this was why he more often than not stayed home and ate take out.

As Dieter, Isobel, the other two table occupants, and Faustino began to discuss fashion—one of Bryce's least favorite topics—Colin tipped his head closer to him. "Feel better?"

"Pardon?" Bryce asked.

"The deep breath and gulp of wine," Colin explained. "Did it help?"

Bryce smiled. "I did not gulp my wine."

"Oh, sorry. My mistake. Though it seemed like a pretty big sip from where I'm sitting." Colin squinted up at the ceiling where tiny spotlights hung intermixed between exposed heating ducts. "Maybe it was a trick of these fancy lights."

Bryce shook his head and looked away but then turned back, quietly noting that Colin's eyes were as blue as the bay on a sun-drenched day. "Anyway, my taste of wine did seem to help a bit, yes."

"Oh, a taste? I see, good to know how you measure things." Colin turned in his seat to face him more fully. "So, Bryce, what is it you do?"

"Besides offend people I've just met?" Bryce asked.

"Dieter?" Colin asked, and Dieter turned to glare at them a moment before Faustino pulled him back into the conversation. Colin made a pffft sound. "I think it energizes him to be offended. Look at him, you can practically see his battery indicator lighting up."

Bryce smiled despite himself and risked a glance to his left. Dieter did, indeed, appear extra animated as he verbally tore down a new designer's latest arrivals at the couture clothing store where he worked.

"There, you see? He should thank you," Colin assured him.

"Do you think so?"

"Yes. With a bottle of house-distilled vodka called Snooty Pants."

Bryce surprised himself and the rest of the table, Colin included, with a loud snort of amusement. He quickly contained himself and mumbled apologies, all the while elbowing Colin who had collapsed across his place setting with laughter.

When Colin had recovered, he sat smiling in silence at Bryce a moment before he said, "Banking."

"Excuse me?" Bryce asked.

"You look like you work in a bank or with money or something."

Bryce sighed. "No. Not even close."

"Art gallery?"

Bryce chuckled. "Far from it."

"Bus driver?"

"Closer."

Colin thought a moment before saying, "Port Authority officer." Then he leaned in and whispered, "Do you carry a big night stick?"

Bryce blushed and a hot ball of lust gathered low in his belly. Before he could respond, their meals arrived, and Bryce avoided looking at Colin as he sat back to allow the server to set his plate in front of him. The food smelled good, even though each meal was served on a different style of plate, and they all had different silverware. Seriously, didn't eclectic style restaurants go out of fashion years ago? He considered asking Dieter, but immediately discarded that thought when he realized that would mean he would need to talk to the man.

As the dinner progressed—and Bryce's clothes dried out—he relaxed into the fun of the evening. Though Dieter was vaguely offensive, and Isobel lofty, the other diners, Lamar Harper, a funny man who worked as a nurse's aide at a senior center, and Ruth Blotch, a charming woman in her fifties who managed a Brooklyn flea market, chatted amiably. The conversation never lagged, and Faustino did a very good job of shifting the spotlight between each of them at one time or another to keep everyone included.

At one point, Bryce felt the warm press of Colin's knee against his own, and it startled him so much he dropped his fork on his plate with a loud clatter. Everyone looked at him and Bryce cleared his throat and said, "Oopsie," as Colin smirked and shook his head.

A second glass of wine helped Bryce relax even more, and when Colin's knee pressed against his once again, Bryce found the courage to press back. A flutter of nervous excitement took up residence in his belly, just above the tiny nugget of lust that had formed earlier. He was such a bundle of excited nerves he declined when the server wheeled around the dessert cart.

"Come on," Colin coaxed, his voice soft and deep, like honey poured over crystallized sugar. "Split something with me."

"I won't eat much of it," Bryce said.

Colin smirked again. "Well, just eat what you can."

Bryce's head spun and he looked down to his hands clasped tight together in his lap as Colin stretched an arm along the back of Bryce's chair to point at a decadent looking piece of cheesecake. "How about we split a piece of cheesecake?"

"All right. But you're going to have to eat most of it."

"It's okay, I can fit a lot in my mouth," Colin assured him.

"So Bryce," Faustino said, bringing Bryce back to awareness of the rest of the group. "Ruth says there are a couple of vendors at her flea market you might be interested in."

"Oh?" Bryce and Colin said together.

Faustino gave them an assessing look. "Are you two already finishing each other's sentences?"

"Not quite," Dieter snarked. "But they will be splitting a piece of cheesecake and have been playing footsies all during dinner."

Faustino's eyes widened and he ducked to peer beneath the table. Bryce snapped his legs and feet tight together and tried to appear as innocent and shocked as possible when Faustino came up from looking beneath the table. "Footsies? Bryce, is this true?"

Bryce blinked. "I don't know what Dieter is talking about. Oh look, dessert."

The plates were, of course, mismatched, but Bryce could not help a moan when he tasted the cheesecake. It was sweet and creamy and delicious, and the few sips of wine that remained in his glass perfectly complimented the dessert. Colin caught Bryce's gaze and held it as he slipped a piece of cheesecake between his full lips. The tip of Colin's tongue eased out to lick away a few crumbs, and Bryce barely held in a moan as he made himself drag his attention away from the man.

Colin turned away and said, "Faustino, you said Ruth knew of some vendors at her flea market that Bryce might be interested in. What kind of vendors are they?"

Ruth saw that Faustino had just taken a large bite of his chocolate cake and answered for him. "Used book sellers."

Colin smirked at Bryce again. "Used book store?"

Bryce blushed and had no idea why. He loved his little bookstore in Brooklyn. He enjoyed interacting with other book lovers, getting to know the local residents, getting to know books he might never have heard about before. Here he had been trying to act casual and aloof, keep from falling too fast for someone he'd just met, but now Colin was asking about his bookstore and sitting there looking so damn handsome. Dammit, but Colin Strasser seemed to have slid under his skin like the best kind of sliver.

"Yeah," Bryce admitted. "I opened it about the time Amazon released their first Kindle. So, great business planning, eh?"

"Still making money?" Colin wondered.

"Enough to pay most of the bills and manage to eat small meals."

Polite laughter followed Bryce's statement then Dieter mentioned that he thought wide belts seemed to be making a come back, and the rest of the table ran with the new topic.

At the end of the meal, the bill was placed in the middle of the table and all conversation stopped. Faustino was the first one to grab the bill folder, and he flinched a bit when he read the total. "Well, I guess it's boxed macaroni and cheese the rest of the month for me. But, damn, it was worth it."

Every one dug out their wallets and tossed in cash. Faustino and Colin excused themselves to use the restroom, and Ruth took on the task of counting out the money.

"We're short," Ruth said.

Bryce immediately reached for his wallet. "Oh? By how much?"

"Twenty-five dollars, at least."

"Oh, wow, I thought I put in enough, but maybe not." Bryce checked his wallet and found he had just that much left. "Ugh. I still need to buy subway tokens, too. I can put in twenty."

Isobel glared at him a long moment before reaching into the hollowed out blue plastic Close N'Play she carried as a purse. She dropped a five on top of the pile of cash and snapped the Close N'Play shut with a definitive click.

Faustino and Colin returned and Faustino claimed the evening a success—it was crush—and invited them all to attend the opening of a new club in Brooklyn with him the following weekend. Bryce hesitated, but when he heard Colin agree to go along, he said he would join them as well. Faustino claimed the new club name was top secret, but he would send directions later in the week. They rose as a group and everyone tromped downstairs to the front door. The rain was still falling steadily, and Bryce stood beneath the tiny awning huddled together with everyone else.

"No money for cab fare," Isobel said and shot a cool look Bryce's way before she tucked her e-cigarette into her bosom. "I'm running for the subway."

Faustino and Dieter fell in step behind her, and Ruth and Lamar grabbed a fortuitous cab that had just dropped off some diners. Bryce stood facing Colin, suddenly more nervous than he had been in a long time. Was it because he was out of the house and his bookstore for a change? Or was it because of the chemistry between him and Colin? Either way, they stood staring at each other, the last two members of the group and the ones with the deepest attraction between them.

"Where you headed?" Colin asked.

"Well, back to my apartment. I get up early to open the shop and all, you know..." Bryce heard his voice trail off and looked out from beneath the awning toward the subway. "I'm in Brooklyn, so I need to catch the G and switch to the F to get home."

"Ah, the old jump from the G to the F." Colin nodded. "I'm familiar with it."

Bryce was torn. Half of him wanted to run through the rain and start the long train ride home. But the other half didn't want to walk away from Colin just yet. He had been so starved for male attention lately; he wanted to soak up as much as he could before returning to his solitary life. He couldn't have been imagining the connection between them, could he?

He cleared his throat and asked, "What about you?"

Colin waved a dismissing hand. "Me? Oh, I'm easy. I'm in Jackson Heights, so I take G in the opposite direction and hop over to the 7." Colin scuffed his shoe against the sidewalk before looking up again. "I really enjoyed meeting you, Bryce. You were the light in an evening I had feared would be painfully boring."

"Well, I don't think I did all that much," Bryce said, but he couldn't help feeling good about Colin's comment.

Colin bowed and waved his hand out into the steady downpour toward the subway station. "Shall we?"

They laughed as they ran through the rain. Colin purposefully stomped into puddles and sent waves of water over Bryce's shoes and onto his legs. Bryce shouted and laughed and, as they slipped and staggered down the steps into the station, he had to stop and catch his breath, leaning against a graffiti stained map of the Williamsburg area. Colin smiled at him then pointed back up the stairs.

"You ran too fast," he said. "I totally forgot I need to cross the street and go down the other steps."

"Oh, yeah." Bryce widened his eyes in amused surprise and Colin mimicked him, then they both laughed.

"You look like you've been at sea for days," Colin said.

Bryce frowned. "Sunburned and dehydrated?"

"No, wet." Colin thought a moment. "Probably a bad comparison." He shook his head. "Damned smarty-pants bookstore owners. You're all the same."

"Do you know any other bookstore owners?"

"See? There it is again—smarty-pants."

They stood looking at each other in silence a moment, and Bryce recognized his own dumbstruck expression mirrored on Colin's face. The spark between them hadn't just been in Bryce's mind, apparently, and a flame of hope flickered to life inside him.

"So, I guess I should, you know, get over to my own side of the tracks," Colin said. He turned away toward the steps, turned back to Bryce, and asked, "You're going to the club this weekend for sure?"

"Absolutely,” Bryce assured him. “I mean, unless Prince Harry calls or something."

Colin's eyebrows went up. "You like those ginger bad boys?"

"Hair color's not important to me," Bryce said with a shrug of one shoulder.

"Well, lucky for plain ol' brunette me," Colin said. "Guess I'll have to work on the bad boy part then." He hesitated, looked up the steps at the rain waterfalling down them, then back at Bryce. "I don't know Brooklyn that well, so I might get lost on my way to the club. Think I could get your number in case I need to send a text or something?"

Bryce didn't trust his voice to remain steady, so he simply nodded.

Colin smiled. "Yeah? Good." He pulled his phone from a pocket and Bryce was surprised to see it was a flip phone.

"Wow, haven't seen one of those in a while," Bryce said, then immediately regretted it. "Sorry."

A laugh and a head shake from Colin made him feel better. "No worries," Colin said. "I hear that all the time. I figure I'm smart enough, don't need a smart phone, or the giant bill that goes with it."

They exchanged phone numbers and Colin pressed the buttons on his phone as he added Bryce to his contacts before he snapped his phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket. "Would it be too forward of me to send you a text before the weekend? Just to make sure you're still going?"

"Well, I guess I'll allow it. Will it be in hieroglyphics because your phone's so old?" Bryce asked with a grin.

"Cute." Colin started to turn away, did a slow spin instead, and ended up leaning close to Bryce, braced with a hand to either side of him. Rainwater dotted Colin's forehead and his brown hair was simultaneously flat and spiky. His breath was warm against Bryce's face and his blue eyes somehow even more dazzling.

"Good night, Bryce Casellas," Colin whispered just before brushing his lips softly against Bryce's. "I'll be seeing you."

Bryce stood with his back pressed hard against the wall, hands flat against the cool, damp tile. His cock roared to life at the touch of Colin's lips, and he swallowed hard and watched, speechless, as Colin slowly climbed the steps to the street, his ass round and tight inside his black pants. At the top of the steps, Colin turned to look back down at him, smiled, and tipped his fingers in a salute before he moved out of sight.

2

A heavy rumble of thunder brought Bryce back to the present, and he let out a frustrated sigh. He needed to focus on his inventory sheets, and not on Colin Strasser. What was the point in going over the silly, romantic moments early in their relationship? Romance could only take him so far until reality slapped him in the face. Hadn't Bryce seen that happen with the other men he had dated?

To keep himself from mooning further over Colin, Bryce gave up on the inventory sheets and took up the feather duster. As he dusted the bookshelves, he discovered that memories were very much like having a snippet of song stuck in his head; sometimes he just needed to listen to the whole thing to get it out of his mind. So be it with Colin Strasser then, he thought, and, as he walked slowly up and down the aisles, Bryce turned his thoughts to the second time he had seen Colin, at the club opening Faustino had invited them to attend.

Bryce had been nervous as he got ready for the evening. True to his word, Faustino had sent a text the night before with directions to the club and said he was crushing on the super secret name of the place: Cavort. Bryce wondered if there was a dress code at Cavort then couldn’t even begin to think of what the hell kind of dress code could be enforced at a club named Cavort. He tried on several different outfits, all of which he immediately discarded, and finally settled on a black button down shirt and plain front linen khaki slacks. The linen slacks had been a lucky find on a sale rack and the shirt a Christmas gift from his sister. Usually he wore pull over Henleys and jeans, and if he really wanted to dress his outfit up he'd throw a sport coat over it. But tonight he wanted to dress a little classier. He tried to convince himself it wasn't because he would be seeing Colin again, but his brain, and his cock, knew better.

Thankfully, the weather was much more cooperative than the last time they had all been together, a light breeze and mild temperatures without a cloud in the sky. Bryce checked his wallet to make sure he had enough cash, grabbed his phone and key and headed out the door. The club was a dozen blocks from his apartment, so he decided to walk there and, if money permitted, take a cab home.

He altered his route slightly to walk past his bookstore. Standing on the curb, he gave the front of the building a critical review. The name stood out, Buy the Book, but he needed to do something better in the front window. Maybe take out the display of good condition books and move the wing-backed chairs from the back wall up to the window. That might look inviting to anyone passing by.

"Looks like a nice place. I hear the owner's a bit sassy, but you can't be too choosy these days."

Bryce jumped at the voice just behind his shoulder and turned to find Colin standing there. The man looked good, damn good, in faded jeans and a white button down shirt open enough to show soft curls of dark hair on his chest. Bryce wondered how it would feel to run his fingers through that hair, then had to make himself think of something else as he started to become aroused.

"Hi there," Bryce said. "You look good."

"This old thing?" Colin looked Bryce up and down, his expression just slightly licentious. "You look good enough to eat."

Bryce cocked his head and smiled. "Um, thanks, Hannibal Lecter. That's not at all creepy."

Colin stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Not the way I do it."

A hot charge sparked between them, bright enough for a couple of young men walking past to call out, "Get a room!" before they laughed and continued on their way.

Heat flared in Bryce's cheeks and he quickly looked away from Colin's blue-eyed gaze. "Guess we should get going."

Colin quirked up his eyebrows. "To Cavort?"

Bryce laughed. "Yes. Let's get our Cavort on."

What he really wanted to do was take Colin by the hand and lead him into the bookstore, push him up against the freshly dusted shelves of World Religions and Spiritual Guidance and drop to his knees in front of him. But that would have to wait for another time.

They talked as they walked to the club, catching up on the past week. Colin told Bryce he was a teacher at a small music school in Williamsburg.

"It doesn't pay much, but I love the students. Kids, adults, senior citizens, it's a pretty interesting mix."

"What kinds of instruments?" Bryce asked.

"Piano mostly, but I've started to branch out to guitar and, for some insane reason, drums." Colin widened his eyes and made a face that caused Bryce to laugh.

"Does it pay well at least?"

"Maybe if we lived in Nebraska where the cost of living is far less than New York." Colin grinned at him. "But I don't want to talk shop. Let's have fun tonight."

"I think that's a given," Bryce said. "Seeing as how we're going to a place called Cavort."

The club was outlandish and loud. The DJ played a bizarre fusion of ballet / house music and dancers in steel cages wore tutus fashioned out of found items like plastic grocery bags, PVC pipe, and, to Bryce's dismay, pages from books. Colin hauled Bryce out to the dance floor several times and, once Bryce got over his initial embarrassment, was actually able to find the rhythm within the eclectic mix of music and move to it. He found that Colin was a very good dancer, and when the man moved in close and put his hands on Bryce's hips, the heat of his touch settled in Bryce's chest and crotch.

Only five of them were able to make it: Isobel, Dieter, Faustino, Colin, and Bryce. As the evening progressed, each of them made a trip to the bar to buy a round of drinks, and when it was Bryce's turn he was shocked at the total. He looked at the five glasses of various sizes and shapes lined up before him and turned to find Colin right behind him.

"I was just going to look for someone to help me out," Bryce said.

"I sensed that you needed help and came to your aid." Colin put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. "I am Music Instructor, superhero extraordinaire."

Bryce smiled and dropped his gaze along Colin's body, taking in the width of his chest, the way his sweat had made his shirt stick to his flat belly, and the bulge inside his faded jeans. "Do you have a large tuning fork?"

Colin laughed and reached to either side of Bryce, his gaze locked on Bryce's as he leaned in close. Bryce's breath stopped in his chest, caught, it seemed, on the trembling ball of attraction and excitement that had lodged there just beside his heart. He stared into Colin's blue eyes, the ache of want, of need, like a sudden hunger within him. He wanted this man, wanted him bad. A kiss at least, for now, and later, hopefully, more, so much more.

But just as Bryce started to close his eyes and lean forward, Colin smiled and pulled away, a drink in each of his hands. He smiled at Bryce and lifted the drinks in acknowledgement. "Just being helpful."

Bryce gave him a narrow-eyed look. "I'll remember that when you come up to buy a round."

Colin nodded. "Do that."

Bryce managed to carry the other three drinks back to the small table Faustino had claimed the moment it had freed up. Dieter barely acknowledged Bryce and Colin, choosing to stand with his back to them as he talked with Isobel and Faustino. Isobel turned away from explaining to a server, for the sixth time, that her cigarette was not real and she was, indeed, allowed to use it indoors under New York's smoking laws. The club's lights made her polka-dot hair look magical.

Toward the end of the evening, as Bryce tipped up his glass for the final swallows of his Highball, he noticed the rest of the table was in need of a fresh drink. He wasn't quite ready to leave yet, he was having too good of a time there with Colin to think about heading out, but he was ready for another drink. Bryce knew he'd been up to the bar at least twice, and he thought Faustino, always the good host, had made the trip three times. He had lost track of whose turn it was to buy drinks, but as he looked at the faces gathered around the small bar table, he realized he had never seen Colin go up to the bar. Could that be right? Had Colin not done his part and paid for a round of drinks for the rest of them?

Perhaps Colin had gone up when Bryce had used the rest room, but that didn't seem right either.

Bryce leaned in and said in Colin's ear over the thump of the music, "Do you need another drink?"

Colin lifted his empty glass and shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Want me to come with you?"

A quiet ping went off in the back of Bryce's mind, cautionary sonar. "Oh, I thought it was your turn to buy a round. Do you know whose turn it is?"

"Um, no. Guess I lost track." Colin looked away toward the crowded dance floor for a moment then leaned in close to Bryce once again, avoiding eye contact as he did so. "I'm pretty much set, actually. I think if I have another drink I might turn into that guy you always hear people talk about."

Bryce pulled back and looked at him. "Which guy is that?"

Colin smiled and took a step closer to slide an arm around Bryce, seating his hand in the back pocket of Bryce's pants. "You know. The guy who gets all handsy."

A pleasant tremble started low in Bryce's belly. He wondered how Colin's hand would feel sliding over his bare skin, leaving behind a trail of heat. The fingers that cupped his ass through his pants and briefs would wrap around his cock and stroke, moving faster, tightening and loosening their grip with the quickening motion.

The touch of Colin's lips against Bryce's pushed the tremble to an all out shiver. Silence and darkness replaced the music and shouted conversation, the flashing, colorful lights, the self-satisfied smirk on Faustino's face and Dieter's annoyed expression. The press of Colin's lips became the center of Bryce's world. Soft, warm, and with just enough pressure to show he meant it. The kiss seemed to simultaneously last forever and just a few seconds, and when Colin moved back, Bryce had to remember to breathe again.

"Well, aren't you two getting along well?" Faustino put an arm around Bryce's shoulders and turned to smile at Colin. "Mind if I steal him away for a quick tick?"

Colin removed his hand from Bryce's back pocket, and Bryce noticed his butt cheek felt cool after the heat of Colin's touch.

"Not at all, Faustino, please do." Colin turned to join Dieter and Isobel's conversation, but as Faustino turned him away to walk with him toward the restrooms, Bryce saw Dieter and Isobel glaring at Colin, the red tip of Isobel's e-cigarette glowing like a tiny eye of Sauron.

When they reached the area outside the restrooms, Faustino stopped and turned to face Bryce. He smiled slyly and asked, "You like him?"

Bryce shrugged and looked away. "Well, yeah, I do like him. He's fun and we've had a good time the last couple of times we all got together." He frowned and leaned in closer. "Why? What's wrong with him? Is he married?"

Faustino shook his head and laughed. "Oh, no no no, dear Bryce. He's not married. And he's currently not seeing anyone that I know of. I just wanted to make sure you were really into this guy and that you... You know, keep your head about things."

"What do you mean by that?" Bryce asked.

"We've known each other a long time, right?" Faustino said.

"Yeah..."

"I know how you are with men. You lose yourself in a guy and sometimes don't see the pitfalls about him."

"Does Colin have any pitfalls?"

"Dear Bryce," Faustino said with a shake of his head. "We all have pitfalls. Just be sure to keep an eye open for his."

"We haven't even gone on a date by ourselves yet," Bryce pointed out. "Let me just enjoy getting to know Colin, okay? I promise I'll stay alert for pitfalls and shortcomings."

Faustino gave him a knowing smile. "Famous last words." He leaned in and kissed Bryce on the cheek, whispering, "Be safe, love," before he turned away to push into the restroom.

Bryce made his way back to the table to find Dieter and Isobel huddled together in deep conversation. They completely ignored Colin who was focused on folding a cocktail napkin into the shape of a small bird.

"Origami?" Bryce asked.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry," Colin replied. He looked up and blinked in surprise. "Oh, you mean this?" He held up the bird. "Yes, just a little something I picked up when I was over in Japan during the service."

"You were in the Army?"

"Army? No." Colin shook his head. "Flight attendant. Overseas." He shuddered and shook his head. "Not the most pleasant job I've held."

"From flight attendant to music teacher? That's quite a change."

"Not really," Colin said. "In both jobs you pretty much just deal with a bunch of people making awful noise."

Bryce laughed then drew in a quiet breath when Colin balanced the small white bird on the palm of his hand and held it out toward him.

"For me?" Bryce asked.

Colin rolled his eyes. "No. It’s for the obviously underage girl behind you. Yes, it's for you."

Bryce gently took it from Colin's hand, unable to keep himself from drawing a finger across Colin's palm as he did. "It's beautiful."

Colin's expression turned serious and he said just loud enough for Bryce to hear, "Not as beautiful as some things I've seen lately."

Not used to hearing such heartfelt compliments, Bryce snorted a laugh that shocked all five of them. As his cheeks flamed in embarrassment, Bryce carefully placed the paper bird on the table and said, "Sorry. I thought you were referring to the obviously underage girl behind me."

Colin pretended to look over Bryce's shoulder. "Oh, she's pretty all right. But I would never call her beautiful." He leaned in again and this time intertwined his fingers with Bryce's. "I think I've had enough cavorting for one night. How about you?"

Temporarily unable to formulate a full sentence, all Bryce could do was nod.

"Shall I escort you home, kind sir?" Colin asked.

"That would be lovely," Bryce said.

Bryce picked up the cocktail napkin bird and cradled it carefully within the curled fingers of his right hand. They bid the others goodbye and headed for the door.

The evening was pleasant, and they took their time walking back to Bryce's apartment, talking and laughing and bumping shoulders on occasion. When they reached the apartment building, Bryce didn't know what to do next. He wanted Colin to come upstairs so he could spend more time with the man, but the evening up to that point had been so semi-magical, he wasn't sure he wanted to take things to the next step yet.

Colin must have sensed Bryce's hesitation because he raised his arms in an exaggerated stretch and let out a loud yawn.

"I’m bushed!" Colin said. He checked his flip phone and widened his eyes. "Look at the time. It’s late!"

Bryce smirked and narrowed his eyes. "That phone actually tells you the time?"

"In Roman numerals," Colin said with a nod. He looked around the empty street before leaning in to kiss Bryce softly on the lips. "Good night, beautiful Bryce Casellas."

A buzz started in the back of Bryce's head, tingling and pleasant, and a happy smile seemed plastered on his face. "Good night. Thanks for the origami bird."

"You are most welcome. Thank you for a lovely evening." Colin turned and walked a few feet away, then turned to look back at him. "You going to watch me walk all the way down the street?"

"Absolutely," Bryce called back. "It's the second best view."

Colin let out a surprised laugh and turned away to walk slowly down the street. When he got to the corner, he looked over his shoulder and reached down to smack his right ass cheek before slipping out of sight. Bryce looked down at the paper bird still nestled in the curve of his fingers, smiled as he sighed, and turned to climb the steps to let himself in the door of his building.

3

The week after their night at Cavort, Bryce and Colin had exchanged several text messages—each more flirtatious than the last—but Colin never officially asked him out. Bryce finally decided to take the first step and sent a text suggesting they meet up. Maybe for coffee or an inexpensive dinner

After he had sent the text, Bryce shoved his phone in a drawer behind the counter and prowled the aisles where he offered to help browsing customers and rearranged books. Finally, he stepped back behind the counter, took a breath, and opened the drawer. Seven text messages waited for his attention, and his hand shook as he accessed the messaging app. A nervous tightness that had formed inside his chest loosened and he smiled as he read the first message—I would be honored to accompany you out in public. As he read the six messages that followed, a giddy sense of joy filled him until his brain seemed to bubble and fizz as if his insides had been filled with soda. The messages read:

Haven't heard back from you. Worried now that you regret asking me out and don't know how to get out of it.

I texted you seven minutes ago and still no response. Are you there? Has a bookshelf fallen and trapped you? Do you need me to come by and rescue you? First though, I'll have to dig the back support belt out of my closet. Just let me know.

What are you wearing?

Damn, I thought that one would work for sure. Okay, I get it. You're busy. Let me know where we're meeting.

Oh, and when, as well. And not just the day of the week, or date of the month if you're thinking more in advance than this week, but the time as well.

Please also let me know if the requested time in the previous message will be AM or PM.

Bryce shook his head as the smile stayed stuck on his face. He set aside his phone to wait on a few customers, laughing and talking with them as he suggested books similar to those they wished to purchase. Because of his happy mood and this increased interaction, he sold eight books more than the customers intended to buy. When the last customer had stepped out of the shop with a bag full of books dangling from his hand, Bryce finally sent back a response.

I was trapped but managed to get out from under the shelf all on my own. Guess I'm more flexible than I thought. Too bad my shirt and pants were torn off in the process, but on a happy note I've been selling more books today. Would this Thursday at 8:30 PM work for you? Or is that too late at night for you?

Moments later, Bryce's phone buzzed and he blushed as he read the response.

Leaving now to come by. Will be out of breath from running straight there. Suggest closing shop and removing rest of clothing in case there might be splinters caught in the fibers. I'll take care of the rest when I arrive.

Bryce rolled his eyes and sent back, No need for that, I had a change of clothes in the office. So Thursday evening?

There was no immediate response, then a customer asked Bryce for help locating a murder mystery series. More customers showed up, one of them a regular who liked to talk for long periods of time. When the talkative woman finally purchased a thin paperback romance and left, Bryce ran back to check his phone. There were no new messages, and disappointment chilled a bit of the joy he'd been feeling. Had Colin taken his message the wrong way?

He had an hour until closing time so he went about straightening up and preparing the nightly deposit. His phone buzzed once during that hour and when he checked it, his heart pounding and fingers tingling, found it was a message from Faustino. He thought it would be crush to play tourist one day soon and go out to the Statue of Liberty, and he wanted Bryce to go along with him.

Before Bryce could send a response to Faustino, the shop door burst open. A shiver went through him at the sight of Colin standing in the doorway, cheeks red, and sweat standing out on his face as he gasped for breath.

"Colin!" Bryce said in surprise.

Colin lifted a hand in acknowledgement but was unable to speak as he leaned over to put his hands on his knees and continued to take deep breaths.

Bryce hurried out from behind the counter. "Why are you so out of breath? Did you actually run here?"

A nod as Colin pointed at him and he managed to say, "Yep," between gasps for breath.

"Oh my God. Are you serious? That's like..." Bryce couldn't even process the number of blocks Colin would have had to run to get to his shop. "Like really far."

Colin nodded again. "Yep."

"Would you like a bottle of water?"

Another nod, followed by another, "Yep." It seemed to be the only thing Colin could manage to say.

Bryce hurried to his office down the narrow back hallway where he had a desk, a safe, and a small refrigerator he kept stocked with bottled water and some food items for when he worked late. He returned to the shop to find Colin sitting in one of the faded but comfortable wing back chairs he had moved to the front window. Bryce was relieved to see that Colin's color had returned to normal and he wasn't breathing quite as hard as before.

"Here you go." Bryce handed over the water and sat in the matching wing chair situated nearby. "I can't believe you ran here."

Colin took a long gulp of water then looked him up and down. "Well, when I read that you'd lost your pants and shirt, I just had to come and see for myself. Apparently I’ve been misled."

Bryce blushed and looked away. It had been so long since a man had been this overtly attracted to him, a man Bryce found attractive as well, that it was difficult for him to keep his thoughts together. He looked back and asked, "You didn't think to take a cab?"

A surprised expression flashed over Colin's handsome face. "And pay all that money? I ran here in less than forty-five minutes. A cab would have taken, what? Twice that?"

"No. Less than 15 minutes," Bryce replied. "I've done it."

Colin narrowed his eyes. "You've taken a cab from here and cruised by my place? Well, well, well."

Bryce grinned. "You're impossible."

"That's Captain Impossible, thank you. And don't tell anyone my secret identity." Having regained his breath, Colin pushed up out of the chair and walked a few feet down one aisle of books. "So, this is the famous Buy the Book Used Bookstore."

"This is it," Bryce said as he got up and followed. The musky scent of Colin's sweat drifted to him, and Bryce's cock took notice. "I've owned it for just about six years. Still amazed I make enough to pay for it all."

Colin nodded and drained the last of the water from the bottle then turned to Bryce. "So, since I'm here now, how about that date?"

"Um, oh, well, yeah, sure," Bryce stammered as excitement and nervousness collided within him. Things seemed to be happening simultaneously really fast and not fast enough. "I just, you know, need to be here until eight to close up."

"That's in fifteen minutes," Colin said. "I can browse until then."

"Sure," Bryce said. "Browse away."

After Bryce had counted out the deposit and written up the slip, he locked the front door, tucked the cash and checks inside the deposit bag, and walked to the office. Colin was just stepping out of the tiny bathroom at the other end of the hallway and came up to meet him at the door to the office.

"I like the soap you've got in there," Colin said and sniffed his fingers. "Smells like spring rain."

Bryce laughed. "Yes, nothing but the best scented generic liquid soap for my store. I've locked the front door and just have to do a couple things, and I'll be ready."

Colin followed him into the office, and once Bryce had sat at the desk that faced the wall, Colin touched his shoulder and said, "Hey there."

Bryce looked up and was surprised to find Colin leaning down, eyes half closed, lips slightly puckered. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but the touch of Colin's lips lingered even after he'd pulled away.

"I just wanted to do that again, make sure we both really liked it," Colin said. He cleared his throat and shrugged as he stuffed his hands in his pants pockets. "So, did you like it?"

"Yeah, I did." Bryce stood and stepped up to Colin to kiss him again. Heat rushed through Bryce, hardening his cock and making his head spin. Colin ran his tongue along the seam of Bryce's lips and, before Bryce could talk himself out of it, he opened to him. As their tongues danced, Bryce put his arms around Colin and pulled him closer.

The kiss deepened and Colin framed Bryce's face in his hands. His tongue was soft and whiskers pleasantly rough. Colin backed Bryce against the wall and pressed his body against him. The hard line of Colin's cock ground against Bryce's, and Bryce suddenly needed to feel Colin's skin against his own. He pulled the ends of Colin's shirt from his jeans, and, not even bothering with the buttons, lifted the shirt up and over Colin's head, effectively trapping his arms inside the cuffs behind his back.

Colin let out a surprised gasp and laughed before saying, "Kinky."

Bryce laughed as well and reached around him to unbutton the cuffs and allow the shirt to drop to the floor. They fumbled with the rest of their clothes, bumping heads and apologizing, then clicking teeth as they kissed. When they both wore just their underwear—boxer briefs for Colin and white briefs for Bryce—they moved together again. Their cocks strained against the thin layers of cotton, each now damp with precum, and Bryce swooned a bit at the sight of the dark hair that spread across Colin's chest and down over his belly, a good contrast to his own blond body hair.

"Is this part of your customer appreciation?" Colin asked.

Bryce frowned at him. "But you haven't bought anything."

Colin thought a moment. "Got any Dashiell Hammett?"

Bryce nodded. "Shelves of him."

"Set aside the cheapest one for me."

"You got it."

They kissed again, and Colin ducked his head to take Bryce's nipple between his lips. After flicking and sucking it into a hard, sensitive bud, he moved to the other and repeated the actions. Bryce moaned and followed that up with whispered encouragement as Colin got on his knees before him. Colin hooked his fingers beneath the waistband of Bryce's briefs then looked up and met his gaze, his eyes so blue in the fluorescent lighting.

"May I?" Colin asked.

Bryce stared back at him, savoring the moment before nodding. "Yes."

Colin slowly pulled out the waistband and Bryce's cock bobbed before him. With a hand around the base, Colin looked it over, then leaned in to run his tongue along the side of it.

"It's always the quiet ones," Colin said, and smiled at Bryce before he opened up and took him into his mouth.

Bryce gasped and groaned as Colin sucked him, his fingers scratching along the wall behind him. Soon he was close, too close, but he didn't want this to end yet. He eased himself from between Colin's lips and crouched down to kiss him.

"My turn?" Bryce asked.

Colin was on his feet with his back against the wall in a flash, and they both laughed then Bryce knelt before him. He put his mouth over the outline of the cock beneath the gray boxer briefs and ran his tongue along the cotton. Moving higher, he placed a soft kiss on the sweaty, hairy spot between Colin's navel and his cock. With slow, easy movements, Bryce pulled down the briefs and freed Colin's dick. He held it in his hand, let the heat of it soak into his palm before he placed gentle kisses along its length. With a final kiss on the very tip, Bryce parted his lips and took Colin deep into his throat. The dark tangle of hair at the base was fragrant with the smell of Colin's sweat, and Bryce paused with his nose pressed into the wiry bush to breathe in the smell of him.

"Oh my God," Colin said with a moan. "You're really good at that."

Bryce closed his eyes and sucked him, his hand keeping time along the shaft. Colin's muscles tightened, his breath hitched in short, quiet hiccups, and Bryce knew the man was close. When he heard Colin let out a deep grunt and the man's balls pulled up, Bryce pulled back and stroked him to a heavy, soaking climax that left his chin and chest covered with semen.

"Oh, fuck," Colin said between breaths. "Holy fuck, that was hot."

Bryce trailed his fingers through the cum on his chest and was surprised when Colin knelt in front of him so they were eye to eye. Colin met his gaze and held it as he leaned in to start licking Bryce clean. It was one of the most erotic things a man had done to or for Bryce. When Colin had him as clean as possible, he stood and pulled Bryce to his feet, then moved him back to sit on the edge of the desk. Colin knelt between Bryce's legs and took him in his mouth.

Colin worked him hard and fast, and it wasn't long before Bryce felt the familiar spark of orgasm, and managed to let out a guttural groan of warning before he came. To Bryce's surprise, Colin didn't move back very far. Instead, he closed his eyes and turned his head back and forth to let Bryce's cum cover his face.

When he had finished, Bryce helped Colin to his feet and kissed him hard on the mouth, tasting his spunk. He licked up what he could from Colin's face then led him by the hand to the bathroom where they used a couple of cloth towels and a lot of paper towels to clean up.

"I look younger already after that facial," Colin said as he inspected his reflection in the mirror. He turned to squint at Bryce. "What kind of diet are you on?"

"Cheap take out and food carts," Bryce replied. "Oh, and our dinner at Tile."

Colin snorted. "Yeah, which blew my budget for a few weeks."

"I think it did that for all of us," Bryce said then shrugged. "But sometimes you just gotta spend the money on yourself, you know?"

"Yeah?" Colin glanced at him then looked away again. "I guess I never thought about it like that."

"Well, you have to. I mean, if all you do is stay home and save money for some uncertain future that may or may not turn out the way we've planned, then what's the point? You need to enjoy some things while you're young enough to do them. And you need to step outside your comfort zone now and then to change things up." Bryce smiled and lightly smacked Colin's ass, enjoying the tight feel of it and the brush of hair against his palm. "See what happened when we both did that the other night with Faustino?"

Colin smiled and leaned in to kiss him softly. "You may have a point."

"Yeah, I have a lot of points," Bryce said. "Just need to take my own advice sometimes. I know it's easier said than done."

They returned to the office and got dressed, digging through the tangle of clothing and exchanging kisses and light touches. Colin frowned as he inspected his shirt, the buttons still in the holes and the sleeves turned inside out. "How the hell did you manage this?"

Bryce shrugged and blushed. "I don't know; I went with my instincts. Guess I just wanted you out of your clothes as fast as possible."

When they were dressed, Bryce followed Colin to the door and stopped as the man turned to kiss him again. "I had fun."

"Me too," Bryce said. "Thanks for coming to my rescue, though it wasn't necessary."

Colin gave the shadow-cloaked shelves a distrustful look. "I'd keep an eye on those shelves if I were you. They look to be a sneaky bunch."

"Oh, I'm quite aware of how sneaky those shelves can be, no worries there."

Another kiss followed, and Colin hesitated at the door. "You know, I'd beg to be able to spend the night with you, but I have a very early appointment."

"Oh? Something work related or something fun?" Bryce asked and cocked his head. "Hopefully not a drum lesson so early in the morning."

"I am not that crazy." Colin smiled and leaned in a bit closer. "It's trash day in my neighborhood. I like to browse the curbs, see if anyone's throwing out something good."

Bryce laughed but stopped when he realized Colin was serious. "Oh. Really? Have you found many nice things that way?"

"Nice is a very broad term," Colin said. "I prefer affordable." And, with a smile and a wink, he turned to walk off down the street.

4

A car horn went off outside the store, bringing Bryce out of his memories. He straightened up from where he'd been leaning on the counter and checked his phone, though it hadn't made a sound all day. No text messages, no voicemails, and no emails. It was as if everyone else in the city—on the planet maybe—had been washed away by the rain. As if to punctuate his thought, lightning flashed and a rumble of thunder followed close behind.

Bryce stood behind the counter, feather duster abandoned, and shook his head. Colin’s trash day comment should have been a clear warning sign, but Bryce had overlooked it. Maybe if he'd cut things off at that point, just stopped communicating with Colin from that point forward, he wouldn't be so miserable right now.

He yanked open one of the drawers behind the counter and rifled through the odds and ends. As he touched each item and considered whether to keep it or pitch it, Bryce’s mind was busy running through the memories of the third time he had seen Colin.

After another series of fun, suggestive text messages, they decided to actually meet for a date, this time at a coffeehouse halfway between them. It was there that Bryce really noticed Colin's reluctance to spend money, and it started the entire downfall that followed not long after.

They talked as they stood in line waiting to order, talking and laughing, and when Colin moved up to place his order, he didn't ask what Bryce wanted. Instead, he just paid for his own coffee and stepped aside so Bryce could order. Bryce didn't let it bother him too much, though if he had been the first in line he would have paid for Colin's beverage. The rest of the evening spun out along similar lines, however, and it built from there. Bryce had suggested they see a movie or maybe try to get last minute play tickets, or even go to a club. But Colin had shot all of his ideas down with the excuse that each of those activities was too expensive.

And so they ended up back at Colin's apartment. It was furnished with mismatched odds and ends of furniture, some of which Colin explained he had found at the curb on trash day. They sat on the futon—which Bryce hoped hadn't been picked from the trash—and kissed like teenagers. After several minutes, Bryce pressed his palm against the hard bulge in Colin's jeans and looked into the man's beautiful blue eyes and asked, "Do you have a condom?"

To his credit, Colin blushed and looked away, blushing as he said, "Haven't gotten around to buying a fresh box for a while." He met Bryce's gaze a moment and looked away again. "I haven't needed them much lately."

"Oh. Okay. Well, is there a convenience store close by?" Bryce asked.

"Just down the block," Colin replied.

When Colin didn't make a move to go out and purchase the condoms, Bryce sat forward on the soft futon mattress and said, "I guess I'll head down there, then, and get some. Which way is it?"

"Oh, no no," Colin said, and cool relief washed through Bryce. Here he was offering up sex to this man and Colin didn't have the courtesy to pay for the protection they would need to use?

Colin got to his feet and reached down to help Bryce up as well. "I'll walk with you and show you where the store is."

"Oh. Um, yeah, that would be nice, I guess."

Bryce was quiet on the way to the store, and when they got inside, he located the family planning section and hesitated as Colin stood beside him, hands in his pockets. Finally, Bryce grabbed a small box of condoms off the rack and turned to Colin with raised eyebrows. "Do you have lube?"

Colin looked embarrassed again as he shook his head and dropped his gaze.

Bryce sighed and reached down to grab a small bottle of lube. After paying for his purchases, Bryce and Colin walked side by side along the sidewalk, both silent. Bryce wasn't sure how to proceed, or even if he wanted to now that he had had to buy his own protection. Though, when he thought about it, really turned it over and over in his mind, he had been the one to bring up the need for condoms and lube. Should he really, truly expect Colin to pay for the things he wanted to use? But then again, it wasn't as if Colin wasn't going to enjoy the evening himself. The least he could have done was offer to pay for half.

Back in the apartment, Colin got them each a bottle of water, and when Bryce twisted the cap he noticed it had already been opened. He held the bottle out to Colin and said, "I think mine's been opened already."

"Oh, they all have," Colin said. "I reuse the bottles. Saves me a lot of money not having to buy a fresh bottle of water."

"You fill them from the tap?" Bryce asked.

Colin shrugged. "Sure. Don't you drink city water?"

"Yeah. I do. I just... I didn't expect it in a plastic bottle, I guess."

"Oh." Colin took a pull from his own bottle and set it aside. He walked up to Bryce and put his arms around him, his hands coming to rest on the swell of Bryce's ass. "So, about that conversation we were having before over there on the futon."

Bryce smirked and let his gaze drop to the dark-colored rug beneath his feet. His mood had been thrown off earlier from having to buy the condoms and lube, but he was attracted to Colin, and he had bought the items for them to use. And Faustino had cautioned him about keeping an eye out for pitfalls...

Shoving shut a mental door to block out any quiet protests, Bryce capped his bottle of water and set it aside. He lifted his head, smiled at Colin, and said, "Kiss me."

They were nude in moments, snatching eager open-mouthed kisses as they pulled clothes off each other. Bryce needed to taste the hot skin of Colin's cock, and quickly turned himself around on the futon to a sixty-nine position. He wasted no time on sensual licks or gentle kisses, he wanted sex and he wanted it now. Bryce opened wide and took Colin deep into his throat, savoring the salty taste of him along his tongue. Colin repeated the movement on Bryce, and both men groaned as they sucked.

Bryce was harder than he'd been in weeks, maybe even months. As he sucked Colin, Bryce ran his hand along the man's furry thigh then down over the firm, rounded muscle of his calf. There was a definite connection between them, Bryce hadn't been this attracted to or had as much fun with a man in all his years of dating. He pushed thoughts of Colin's cheapness out of his mind and focused on the tactile sensations—sucking and being sucked—and the feeling of desire. It seemed to rise within him, filling in the empty spots inside, but there was one place these emotions could not reach, and Bryce knew just what to do about it.

"I need you inside me," Bryce said as he lifted his mouth from Colin's cock.

"I thought you'd never ask," Colin replied.

Bryce watched Colin get up on his knees and reach for the condoms and lube. He fumbled a bit trying to open the box, and they both laughed as Bryce positioned himself on his back with his legs up. Colin rolled a condom over himself then popped the top off the lube to slick his cock. He used slippery fingers to slowly circle Bryce's twitching anus, pausing now and then to gently dip them inside, shallow at first, then deeper, until Bryce finally said, "God, stop teasing and just fuck me already."

"As you wish." Colin moved up between Bryce's legs, adjusted his aim, and slid inside.

The sting was expected, and Bryce only winced a bit. Colin stopped his push and slipped back out. Bryce looked up to find Colin studying his face with a concerned expression.

"Is it okay?" Colin asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Bryce replied with a smile. "Just adjusting. Keep going."

Colin adjusted his position between Bryce's legs and the movement jostled his cock inside Bryce. He let out a grunt and Colin froze.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" Colin asked.

Bryce sighed. "I was just surprised by your repositioning. Stop apologizing and fuck me."

Colin laughed and the sound deflated a bit of the nervous tension in the room. He leaned down to kiss Bryce firmly on the lips, then straightened up and slowly pumped his hips.

They were both nervous, Bryce always was his first time with a new lover. Neither of them knew what the other liked—where he might move next, how much speed or pressure he liked—and it took some time for them to find a groove. When Colin did settle into a steady rhythm, Bryce closed his eyes and didn't think about the occasional hitch in Colin's tempo or the sometimes awkward angle of penetration. Something different hummed inside him, a new and quiet sensation, yet to be identified. It seemed to hover just outside of Bryce's reach, just on the outer edge of his building orgasm. He tried to open himself to it, but the air in the room was starting to become stuffy, and the futon mattress beneath him was giving off a damp, musty smell. It wasn't that sex with Colin was bad; it was just that Bryce thought, if given enough time, it could be outstanding.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden surge of his climax. Colin's strokes had quickened and deepened and Bryce stroked himself to a shuddering finish. With sweat running down the sides of his face, Colin wasn't far behind Bryce, and moments later, he released a shout as he pumped his load into the condom.

Colin eased himself out of Bryce and carefully removed the condom. He tied a knot in the end and wrapped it in tissues from a box on a nearby table, then settled in beside him with an arm across Bryce's chest.

"That was..." Colin let his statement fade out.

Bryce grinned. "Awkward?"

They both laughed then Colin leaned over to kiss him softly on the mouth. "I was hoping for amazing, but I'll settle for awkward."

Bryce kissed Colin again, then turned his back to him and shifted position to press himself against Colin's chest and belly. Colin kissed the back of Bryce's neck as he slid an arm around him and, even with the slightly musty smell of the futon mattress tickling his nose, Bryce fell asleep.

5

The rain slanted even harder against the big plate glass window of the shop, and Bryce finally gave up trying to stay busy. Instead, he grabbed a book he'd been meaning to read for a while and sat in one of the comfortable chairs at the window. Though the story started off well, he had trouble focusing on the details, and soon every piece of dialogue seemed to be something Colin had said to him.

"Ugh," Bryce finally said with a sigh, and shut the book. He leaned back in the chair, turned his head to stare out the rain-blurred glass, and thought about that final date with Colin. It had been a few days after they'd had sex in Colin's apartment, both of them too busy to be able to get together until later that week. They had met for dinner at a small diner in Brooklyn, and things had gone well. There had been none of the awkwardness Bryce sometimes experienced meeting up with a man on the date following sex. He and Colin had joked and laughed, and the silences that did fall over them were not uncomfortable in the slightest.

It had been the end of the meal that had set Bryce off. The server had approached their table and asked if they wanted anything else. Bryce had purposefully kept quiet, waiting to see what Colin would do. Part of him felt bad, like he was laying a trap for the man, but another part of him, a more suspicious and realistic part of him, wanted to see what Colin would say. He had found Colin's pitfall earlier, now he needed to see if it was something he would need to deal with on occasion or all the time. So Bryce sat in his chair, hands balled into fists in his lap and his mouth shut tight.

Then he'd heard the words once more, that familiar phrase he'd been hearing so much of these past few weeks he had been dating Colin: the man had once again asked for separate checks.

"So we're paying separate again, I guess?" Bryce asked, unable to remain quiet any longer.

Colin looked up from where he had been checking the contents of his wallet. Bryce wondered idly if Colin had a family of moths in his wallet, he opened it so seldom. Then he mentally chastised himself for thinking that way and tried to push the anger and hurt feelings back. There really was no reason for it. Colin liked to pay his own way, and if Bryce picked up a tab now and then, it was Bryce's choice. Colin was simply choosing to pay only for himself. Bryce had no idea how much money Colin did or didn't make, who was he to expect him to pay for at least one meal or one round of coffee or drinks? Bryce was an independent man, had been for a long time, and he didn't need someone to pay for him.

But then a tiny, whiny, angry voice piped up from a dark corner of Bryce's mind and asked, But why doesn't he like you enough to pay for your dinner? Don't you mean that much to him?

"Oh, I'm sorry," Colin said, sounding as bewildered as the expression on his face. "Were you...? I mean, we've always paid for our own. I just thought... I guess I thought we'd keep doing that."

The server had walked off and returned and set their bills down in front of each of them. She seemed to sense the tension between them, because she turned and hurried away without a word.

Bryce pressed his lips tight together and reached back to snatch his own wallet from his back pocket. He checked the total on his check and dropped a handful of bills in the folder, making sure to leave a good tip. God only knew what kind of tip Colin would be leaving with his history of frugality.

Frugality? Oh hell, Bryce thought to himself, just say it. The man was a cheapskate.

The feet of his chair screeched across the floor as Bryce stood up. He couldn't bring himself to meet Colin's eyes at that moment, he was too angry, and he wasn't even certain he had anything to be angry about. His emotions were like a tornado inside him, whipped up and destructive, flinging hurt and guilt every which way as they tore up his rational thinking and normally steady demeanor.

As he walked through the restaurant toward the front door, Bryce tried to talk himself down from the angry rant building inside him. He and Colin had not been seeing each other that long; it wasn't like they were engaged. This was only the fourth time they had seen each other, second on their own, what did Bryce expect Colin to do? Spend a bit of money on him to help him feel special? Was that really what would validate Bryce's feelings for Colin?

Damn, he wasn't very good at talking himself down when all he really wanted, needed, was to spout off about what was troubling him. But he would not make a scene, that much he promised himself.

Out on the sidewalk, Bryce turned and started walking at a brisk pace toward the corner. He didn't want any of the diners sitting at the windows of the restaurant to watch their conversation.

"Bryce? You doing a 5k or something I'm not aware of?" Colin asked from behind him.

Bryce stopped and turned to glare at Colin, who came up short and took a cautious step back. Colin looked confused and frightened, like a dog about to be scolded for something he didn't know was wrong, and—for just a moment—guilt swamped Bryce, threatening to douse the flames of his anger.

But then Colin asked, "What is it? What's wrong? Did I do something?"

A tiny sunburst of anger erupted inside Bryce, and he asked, "You really have no idea, do you?"

"Uh oh, someone's in for it," a young man said as he and his girlfriend hurried past.

Bryce ignored them as he continued to glare at Colin.

"Um, no, I really don't," Colin admitted. He managed a tentative smiled and asked, "Can I buy a vowel or something?"

The harsh laugh that came out of Bryce's mouth surprised even him, and before he knew it, words were spilling from his lips.

"That's pretty funny, coming from you. Buy a vowel? You hardly spend money on food, God knows you never spend any money on food for me, so how would you be able to force yourself to buy a vowel? And I'm not trying to say that I need lavish dinners or fancy gifts, but, for God's sake, Colin, I bought the condoms and lube the night we had sex! And we were at your place! And now that I think about it, the first night we met when we were out with Faustino and the group, you and Faustino went to the rest room after the bill was passed around and we came up $25 short, so I pitched in! And at the bar with Faustino and the others, you never once went up to the bar to buy everyone a round, but you sure as hell accepted the drinks the others bought for you. And you always ask for separate checks when we go out. Are you really, truly that broke, Colin, or just that cheap? Or am I simply a fuck buddy and nothing more to you? Just someone you fuck but don't want to invest a lot of money in because you don't see us going anywhere?"

Colin's face had paled and his eyes widened. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it once more, than closed it again. Finally, he managed to say, "No, Bryce, absolutely not. You're not just a fuck buddy. I see a future for us. I see great things ahead."

Bryce's anger dissipated. He was left feeling empty, sad, and more than a bit guilty. And Colin's stunned expression only increased his guilt.

"Bryce..." Colin started again.

"No, don't," Bryce said, and held up a hand. He was tired—exhausted, really—and right now he just wanted to be on his own. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I sound like a spoiled little brat, and you have enough going on without the likes of me complaining that you don't spend any money on me. Maybe we should just take a break."

The blue of Colin's eyes seemed to dim as the word "break" left Bryce's lips. Colin licked his lips—those soft, kissable lips—and gave a single nod. "Oh. Okay. If that's how you feel. I ... I didn't expect this evening to turn out like this. I'm sorry, Bryce. I never meant to make you feel like you weren't worth me spending money on. I really didn't."

"I know, Colin," Bryce said. "But that's how it feels, you know? I'm sorry. I should go. Take care of yourself."

Bryce turned away and walked quickly along the sidewalk. He didn't look back and he avoided meeting the gaze of people he passed. Tears threatened to fall at any minute, hot and sharp in the corners of his eyes. It was all Bryce could do to make it to his bookstore, jab the key in the lock with trembling fingers, and push inside before he broke down. He slid down the door to sit on the floor and put his face in his hands as he cried. Had he overreacted? Possibly. But had he been wrong to bring up the subject? No, on that score, Bryce felt justified in his feelings. Colin exhibited all the classic signs of a grade A cheapskate, and Bryce didn't need to deal with that.

It could have been worse, of course. There were always much worse case scenarios to be considered, when he put his mind to it. For one, Colin could have been the complete opposite, a spendthrift, who threw money away like it was nothing and racked up huge debt. Bryce might not have found out about the extent of debt until they'd been together for years, living together most likely, and Colin couldn't get a loan or a credit card.

Or a cheater. Colin could have had a man or two or three on the side, been hooking up with them while he was telling Bryce they were exclusive. That would have been a lot worse than not buying Bryce dinner.

But the condoms and lube, the refilled bottles of water, shorting the bill at dinner, and not buying even one round of drinks—when Bryce thought about it in that light, it made his stomach clench and his chest feel hollow. He did have a good reason for the way he felt; he wasn't simply looking for any small thing to push Colin away.

He had just gotten his tears under control when his phone buzzed with a text alert, startling him. His heart pounded as he fished it out, simultaneously hoping and dreading that it would be Colin.

But it was from Faustino.

What's up Brylcream? You and Colin got plans tonight? Want to meet up?

Another flood of tears swamped Bryce, but he managed to send back a simple text. We broke up. Can't talk about it now. Later.

With that done, Bryce switched off his phone and pushed to his feet. He splashed water on his face in the bathroom, checked his appearance in the mirror then headed for home.

6

Bryce sat and stared out the window, alone inside his bookstore, nothing but the dust bunnies and fictional characters to keep him company. The rain continued to plummet down onto the street, sinking his mood with every dreary minute that passed.

It had been two weeks since his argument outside the restaurant with Colin—or rather, since he had yelled at Colin outside the restaurant—and Bryce had not heard from him at all. Not a text, not an email, not a phone call. For the first week, Bryce had needed to stop himself from riding the subway up to Colin's stop and simply walking past his apartment building. But he'd convinced himself not to with the thought that Colin might be out on the street, maybe returning from the store or from dinner with a friend or a new date, then what would Bryce say?

A gloomy pall seemed to descend on the bookstore as Bryce sat and stared out the window. After some time, he got up and returned to his original spot behind the counter to flick back and forth through inventory spreadsheets. No customers came in, the store phone didn't ring, and his mobile phone didn't give off the alert for a new email or text. The only sound was the rain outside, the splash of traffic going past, and the hurried conversations of people dashing through the down pour.

Bryce finally managed to make himself focus on his inventory sheets so that at first he didn't notice the music coming from outside. When he finally did notice it, he hummed along with the singer, wondering idly who in the block was playing music so loud he could hear it over the rain.

Then a car horn sounded several times in a row and someone just outside the bookstore laughed and shouted to someone else, "He's serenading someone!"

The commotion drew Bryce out from behind the counter and to the window. He squinted through the rain-washed glass then widened his eyes in surprise.

Colin stood on the curb just outside the bookstore. He wore a ridiculous rainbow umbrella beanie hat to keep the rain off his face, and he held a guitar, the strings throwing off drops of water as he strummed a melody. Bryce pulled open the door and stood there staring, too stunned to feel embarrassed by the people gathering even in the heavy rain.

As the smooth tenor of Colin's voice flowed into him, Bryce realized he knew the song. It was "Whataya Want From Me?" by Adam Lambert, and each lyric was like a tiny blast of hopeful sunlight in the midst of the rainy day and Bryce's mood.

People stood on the sidewalk, umbrella handles tucked beneath their arms as they held up mobile phones to capture video of Colin singing to him. It was all very unreal and overwhelmingly romantic. When the song ended the people on the sidewalk, at least fifty of them, applauded and let out whoops of encouragement. Then, to Bryce's surprise, and minor terror, they turned to look at him.

"Well?" asked a young woman standing a few feet away. "You going to invite him inside and tell him what you want from him?"

Then it got even worse as several of the people pointed their phones in his direction to film his reaction. Bryce could only imagine how the videos might be edited, and he took a step back from the doorway, waving Colin inside.

"Come on in, let's talk," Bryce said.

Some of the onlookers started to follow Colin inside as well, but he turned to face them and, as he removed the umbrella beanie hat and shook off the rain, Bryce heard him say, "Thanks for the support, everyone. But I need to talk to him one on one, okay?"

A chorus of "Aww"s followed his request, but the onlookers remained outside as Colin closed the door and took the guitar from around his neck. He turned to face Bryce and the sight of him there, his clothing soaked through, rain water dripping into puddles around his shoes, and the embarrassed but hopeful expression on his face started to melt the icy wall Bryce had built around his heart. But he wasn't going to give in that easily. First, they needed to talk about some things.

"Not sure about your song choice," Bryce said, keeping his expression neutral though inside he was screaming for joy and envisioning himself rushing into Colin's wet but warm embrace.

A blush burned across Colin's cheeks, and he dropped his gaze to the spreading puddle at his feet. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I'm dripping on the floor."

"It's okay, it's just tile. I can mop it up later." Bryce held his hands out to his sides, palms up. "The song?"

Colin let out a breath and looked up at the ceiling a moment. With his gaze averted and his cheeks still crimson, Colin said, "You were right, I am cheap. I did all of those things, but for a reason." Colin finally looked at him.

Bryce nodded. "I'm listening."

"I know what you want from me," Colin said. "You want me to spend more money." He unzipped his jacket and reached inside. "Here. I wanted to show you I am able to spend money on things for you. For us." Colin withdrew a large box of condoms from an inner pocket and Bryce had to laugh as he took it from Colin’s hand.

"That's not all," Colin said, and handed over a large bottle of lube, followed by a brand new bottle of water, and several different varieties of candy bars. Colin shrugged and admitted, "I didn't know which was your favorite type of candy bar, and so instead of being cheap and not buying any, I bought as many as I could carry."

Bryce held the items gathered against him as he shook his head and tried not to shout in frustration. "This is really very nice of you, but that's not the true point I was trying to make."

"Well, that's a big part of it though," Colin grumbled. "You want me to buy you things."

"Yeah, but it's not a demand or anything," Bryce said, the tone of his voice rising with his excitement. "I just want you to pay for a few things sometimes." He held up the box of condoms and lube. "Like the condoms and lube you keep at your own apartment, or the occasional dinner. Or a round of drinks when everyone is pitching in and buying for everyone else." He set the items on the counter and turned back to Colin. "I want you to spend a little money and enjoy your life, Colin. Whether or not that includes me."

Colin nodded as Bryce spoke, and when he had finished, Colin shrugged and said, "I get it. I do. I just need to learn to do it. I've been living cheap for so long, I'm not used to spending money on anything except the basics."

A major part of the icy wall around Bryce's heart finally melted away, and he stepped up to Colin and reached out to take his hands. His skin was cold and damp and he let out a quiet, "Oh," and clutched them to his chest to warm them up. He kissed the knuckles of Colin's left hand, and said, "I don't want a lot. And I know about being broke, trust me. But living like that day in and day out wears you down. It means every day is the same; there's never an afternoon play matinee, or a spontaneous trip to the Statue of Liberty, or a picnic in Central Park to make one day stand out from the others. You need to spend a little money sometimes, and not on me, but on yourself, too. What good is all the money you can save up if you're too old to do anything with it except sit in a chair and stare out a window?"

Colin laughed, and a warm sense of calm filled Bryce's chest. The calm receded, however, when Colin pulled his hands from Bryce's and turned away as he moved off a few paces.

"I just..." Colin stopped. He took a breath and looked back over his shoulder, and his expression was so pained a bright flare of fear burned into life inside Bryce. Maybe Colin was heavily in debt after all, and his credit score was abysmally low and all his money went toward credit card payments. Well, Bryce told himself with a mental shake, so what? If that were the worst thing about Colin, Bryce would take it. These last two weeks without Colin had been miserable.

"It's okay," Bryce said. "Just tell me."

Colin sighed and his shoulders drooped. "I don't know if I can change so quick, you know? Like just like that." He waved toward the items on the counter. "Buying those really took some consideration. Like a lot. I paced and I stared and I paced. I was there so long the security guy started to watch me. I don't think I'm very good at it."

Bryce let out a quiet breath. "That's it?"

"I don't want to risk losing you again," Colin said. "I really feel a connection with you, more so than any other guy I've met. And I don't want us to start seeing each other again only to have you get disappointed again and I have to watch everything fall apart, you know?" Colin tipped up a shoulder and gave Bryce a nervous look. "Being apart from you these past two weeks really tore me up, and we haven't even really gotten to know each other yet. What if we have a good six month run and I mess up?"

Bryce moved up to Colin and kissed him hard on the mouth. Colin didn't react at first, he was so taken back by the kiss, but then he put his arms around Bryce and pulled him in close. The damp press of Colin's clothes didn't phase Bryce one bit. All he could focus on was the taste of Colin's mouth as he opened to the man.

When they finally moved apart, Bryce looked Colin in the eye and said, "If you promise to try to spend a little bit more money, I'll promise to try and not expect you to spend a lot of money. Deal?"

Colin's smile was bright enough to light a small city. "Deal."

"Now, go dry off as much as you can in the bathroom," Bryce instructed.

"Why? You have plans for us?" Colin asked as he moved past Bryce to head for the bathroom.

"Absolutely. I'm closing the shop early, and we're going back to my apartment."

7

Bryce knew he had missed Colin's long, fur-covered torso and the man's legs corded with muscle from walking all over the city to save on subway and cab fare, but he hadn't realized just how much until Colin lay stretched out beside him in Bryce's bed. He moved down the length of Colin's body, leaving gentle kisses in his wake, each one earning a quiet sigh from Colin. The rain pattered against the windowpane, diffusing the glow of the streetlight and throwing shadows across Colin's pale skin. The hot, rounded tip of Colin's erection poked the underside of Bryce's jaw, and he had to hold back from moving lower to swallow the entire length of the man and suck him off.

"We were only together twice," Colin said, his voice deepened by lust, "but I swear I've known you longer than most of my friends. God, I missed you."

Bryce kissed the tip of Colin's cock, tasted the slick precum as he swirled his tongue around the wide head and then slid his mouth over the full length. Colin groaned, and the deep, animal sound of it rumbling against Bryce's hand where it rested on Colin's chest made Bryce's cock buck in response.

"I want to taste you, too," Colin said, and pulled Bryce's hips around so he could get to his cock.

They sucked each other slow and steady, moving their mouths and tongues from cock to balls and back again. Bryce savored the taste of Colin, pressed his nose into the soft bristles of his pubic hair, and breathed in his scent.

Soon, Bryce needed more, and he got up and hurried into the living room to grab the condoms and lube Colin had bought. He returned to the bedroom, opened a condom and rolled it over Colin's throbbing prick. With a few strokes, Bryce had lubed Colin up and lay on his back with his legs up.

"God, I've been dreaming about being with you again," Colin said as he moved into position.

This time, the sting wasn't so bad, and Bryce didn't wince. There were new sensations that coursed through him as Colin seated himself completely inside, and they caught Bryce by surprise. The first time with Colin had been nice, but awkward. But now their union seemed more real somehow, more right and fulfilling. It was as if Colin's cock had been molded to perfectly fit inside Bryce and touch all the right nerve endings.

As Colin moved inside him—his motions smoother, more fluid this time—Bryce closed his eyes and rode the swell of his orgasm. It started low in his center, not far above where Colin's cock slid in and out of him, each thrust faster than the one before. The stout head rubbed against his prostate and in moments toppled him over the edge. Just before Bryce came, Colin added his own hand to Bryce's and together they stroked him to a splattering climax.

Colin squeezed the last few drops of semen from Bryce's cock, then grabbed Bryce's ankles and pounded into him. Colin's breathing come faster and Bryce looked up to study his handsome face. Reaching up, he pinched Colin's nipples, his fingers slick-sticky with his own cum.

That did the trick.

"I'm coming," Colin warned through a gasp. "Coming inside you. Oh, yeah. Oh."

When he finished, Colin rolled to the side, his chest heaving as he wiped sweat from his face. He looked at Bryce and smiled. "You're amazing."

"Amazing Bryce," he said with smile. "That's what they call me."

"Really?" Colin said with a frown. "That's odd, because that's what they call me."

Bryce frowned. "But your name's not Bryce."

Colin smirked and leaned in to kiss him. "There's that smarty-pants bookstore owner I met at Tile." His blue eyes lit up, and he pushed himself to his feet and spread his arms wide. "That's what I'll do! Let's go back to Tile and have dinner, my treat."

Bryce's jaw dropped in surprise, but then he laughed and said, "I think Faustino had to put his reservation in two months in advance."

"Perfect! It will give me time to save up."

Bryce shook his head as he got on his feet and hugged Colin tight, the cum on his chest sticky against Colin's sweaty skin. "I appreciate the offer, but let's start small, okay? How about we just walk to a family diner down the street?"

Colin kissed him again. "You sure?"

"I'm sure."

Colin let out a relieved breath. "Good! I was starting to sweat a bit after I mentioned Tile."

Bryce laughed and gave him a reassuring kiss. "You're off the hook, for now. Come on, let's shower together, that should appeal to the penny pincher inside you."

He took hold of Colin's cock and led him to the bathroom.

THE END

About the Author

Hank Edwards is a curious mix of practical realist and feral dreamer. He is a fan of absurd comedy, cases in point, the sizzling and hilarious Charlie Heggensford Fluffers, Inc. Series, and Plus Ones, his rom-com, as well as mystery and suspense such as his Up to Trouble series. His love of chills and thrills prompted him to create the Venom Valley series as well as his humorous and spooky Critter Catchers series. No matter what genre he is dabbling in, however, Hank tries to keep things steamy and heartfelt. He was born and still lives in a northwest suburb of the Motor City, Detroit, Michigan, where he shares a home with his partner of over 20 years and their two cats, who hope you buy lots of his books so they can upgrade their kitty condo.

Stay in touch with Hank:

Twitter: @hanksbooks

Facebook: hankedwardsbooks

www.hankedwardsbooks.com

hankedwardsbooks@gmail.com

Also by Hank Edwards

Gay Romantic Paranormal:

Cowboys & Vampires - Venom Valley Book One

Stakes & Spurs - Venom Valley Book Two

Blood & Stone - Venom Valley Book Three

Terror by Moonlight – Critter Catchers Book One

Chasing the Chupacabra – Critter Catchers Book Two

Swamped by Fear - Critter Catchers Book Three

Wicked Reflection

Gay Romantic Comedies:

Fluffers, Inc. (Charlie Heggensford Stories Book One)

A Carnal Cruise (Charlie Heggensford Stories Book Two)

Vancouver Nights (Charlie Heggensford Stories Book Three)

Plus Ones

Gay Romantic Suspense/Mystery:

Holed Up: Up to Trouble Book One

Shacked Up: Up to Trouble Book Two

Roughed Up: Up to Trouble Book Three

Choked Up: Up to Trouble Book Four

Destiny's Bastard

Hired Muscle

Buried Secrets

Repossession is 9/10ths of the Law

Story Orgy Singles Gay Romance:

A Gift for Greg (A Story Orgy Single)

By the Book (A Story Orgy Single)

Cross Country Foreplay (A Story Orgy Single)

Mistletoe at Midnight (A Story Orgy Single)

The Cheapskate: Bad Boyfriends (A Story Orgy Single)

With This Ring (A Story Orgy Single)

Gay Erotic Short Story Collections:

A Very Dirty Dozen

Another Very Dirty Dozen

Salacious Singles Gay Erotic Short Stories:

Bear Market (A Salacious Single)

Convoy (A Salacious Single)

Double Down (A Salacious Single)

Exchange Rate (A Salacious Single)

Finding North (A Salacious Single)

Hotel Dick (A Salacious Single)

Kindred Spirits (A Salacious Single)

Sacked (A Salacious Single)

Stroking Midnight (A Salacious Single)

Vanity Loves Company (A Salacious Single)

Wet Lands (A Salacious Single)

Hank’s stories also appear in the following anthologies:

50's Mixed Tape Anthology - Totally Bound

Bear Lust: Hot and Hairy Fiction – Bear Bones Books

Bears of Winter - Bear Bones Books

Bears: Gay Erotic Stories – Cleis Press

Cowboys: Gay Erotic Stories – Cleis Press

Dirty Diner: Gay Erotica on the Menu – Bold Strokes Books

Hard Working Men: Gay Erotic Stories – Cleis Press

Hot Cops: Gay Erotic Stories – Cleis Press

On the Run: Tales of Gay Pursuit and Passion - Wilde City Press

Riding the Rails: Locomotive Lust and Carnal Cabooses – Bold Strokes Books

Straight Guys: Gay Erotic Fantasies – Cleis Press

Tales from the Den: Wild and Weird Stories for Bears – Bear Bones Books

Tented: Gay Erotic Tales from Under the Big Top – Lethe Press

Hank writes Young Adult Fantasy Gay Romance under the name R. G. Thomas:

Available from Harmony Ink Press:

The Midnight Gardener – The Town of Superstition Series Book One

The Well of Tears – The Town of Superstition Series Book Two

The Battle of Iron Gulch — The Town of Superstition Series Book Three