Ring my Bell

Spin-Off from project Runway

Gianni Holmes

Ring My Bell © Gianni Holmes

All Rights Reserved

This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic, in whole or in part, without expressed written permission. This is excluding brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental in nature.

Warning

This book contains material that is intended for a mature adult audience. It contains graphic language and explicit sexual content.

Chapter One

Sheldon

If I were able to go back in time, I would have stopped my dumbass self from catfishing the man I was supposed to be with. I tore my eyes away from the couple leaning against the truck to the woman who was talking to me.

“Sheldon, dear, are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to stay the night with us?”

I wanted to accept Mrs. Hicks offer, but seeing the closeness of the family while I had dinner with them, I didn’t believe I had a right to shelter in their home. I had lied to her son and stood him up. I deserved every damn curved ball that fate threw at me.

“Thanks for offering,” I answered, giving her a grateful smile. God, had I made a mistake not getting on that plane when I should have. “I’d feel much better at a hotel, but I enjoyed dinner with your family.”

“Well, feel free to come on by,” Mrs. Hicks said. “Have a good night.”

“Same to you, ma’am.”

Mrs. Hicks returned inside, and although the night was cold, I didn’t put on my jacket. There was something refreshing about the cold and how it kept me facing reality. My life was shit, and I had added another mistake to my epic fails for this year.

I turned to walk down the steps and paused as I stared at the couple standing at the truck. A lump formed in my throat, and I removed my glasses and wiped at them with my shirt. Despite this trick to keep them out of focus, I still saw enough of their forms. Will should have been mine. He would have been mine if I hadn’t gotten cold feet.

With a sigh, I jammed my glasses back on and shuffled from the porch. I shoved my hands into the front pockets of my pants as Ainsley wrapped his arms around Will’s neck and kissed him. They did that a lot. They were always hugging, touching, and kissing. It made me extremely jealous because I could have had that with Will.

I saw the way Will’s hand crept down the younger man’s back and cupped his ass hard. I could hear Ainsley’s moan even though I was still several feet away. I didn’t mean to be a dirty little pervert, but my cock stirred watching them. I had to admit they looked hot together, Ainsley slender and Will the opposite.

I had enough time to study Will throughout dinner, and he was so attentive that I didn’t doubt he was an extremely good lover. And definitely a top. That had drawn me to his profile online. We were nearly the same age, and he topped. Since I preferred bottoming, our arrangement would have worked perfectly.

Of late, whenever I tried for a hookup, I usually ended up with a guy who took one look at me, older and solidly built and thought I was a top. It was annoying, but I had to take what I got. The pickings were slim for forty-two-year old guys with hair that was already started to thin and vision that wasn’t worth peanuts without corrective lenses.

Men like Will preferred younger guys like Ainsley. I couldn’t even begrudge him for falling in love with the younger man in less than a week. I had gotten to know Ainsley during dinner, and though he wasn’t my type, I couldn’t deny that he was gorgeous. He had a mouth on him that could cause offense but inspired laughter instead. He was way too cute and likable for me to even dislike him for snagging the guy who should have been mine.

I cleared my throat as I approached them. I heard Ainsley’s sigh as they parted. I didn’t have a ride so Will had volunteered to take me to the hotel. Just before dinner, I had used my almost-maxed-out credit card to book a room at New Horizons hotel. The price was on the cheaper side so I could manage for a few days until my flight back to Connecticut where I was from.

“Ready?” Will asked me over Ainsley’s head. His hands were on his boyfriend’s waist, still holding the younger man close to him. I hated that I had to pull him away. It was obvious that he was aroused and would have liked to drag Ainsley off to finish up what that kiss had started between them.

“Yeah. Thanks again for offering to drop me off.”

“It’s no trouble. The door’s open. Get in.”

“Nice to meet you, Ainsley.” I nodded toward the younger man before heading for the passenger seat. My bag was already in the truck.

“Same here,” Ainsley responded, his eyes taking on that fierce territorial look of his. “I’m lending him to you just for a few. See to it he comes back the same way he’s leaving. Untouched.”

“Ainsley, behave,” Will growled at him.

“I am. I’m allowing you to drop him at his hotel without me tagging along, am I not?”

Shaking my head, I got into the truck and closed the door while they hashed out the fact that Will was dropping me off at the hotel. Having Ainsley warn me off his man made me feel a bit better about myself. If he thought I could gain Will’s attention, then I couldn’t be as bad as I thought.

Will got into the truck, and he started the ignition, but before he could shift to drive, Ainsley was poking his head into the truck with his mouth upturned for another kiss. I tried to stifle my groan as Will gave him what he wanted. It was easy to see he was spoiled rotten, and Will was indulging him. I’d never had anyone spoil me in my entire life. I’d worked hard for everything I had achieved in life. Although, at the moment, I had almost nothing. I was on the verge of losing my apartment back home. I had been laid off my job for a few months which was the reason I had needed Will’s help to pay for the plane tickets. Coming to Alabama had been one last attempt to have at least one thing going right for me.

“Get your ass inside, Ainsley,” Will said, breaking the kiss. “I’ll be back shortly to pick you up, so we can go home.”

“Okay. I’ll go in and keep my butt all warm for you. You got thirty minutes to get back!”

“Ainsley!”

The young man waved and ran off toward the house. “Okay! Okay! I’m going.”

I thought Will would have driven off seeing as Ainsley was running toward the house, but he sat there watching him. I heard him give a sigh of relief when Ainsley blew him a kiss at the door and disappeared inside the house. Only then did he back out of the driveway.

“Sorry about that,” he chuckled. “I just wanted to see if he’d fall.”

“Fall?” Why would he expect Ainsley to fall?

“Yeah. Just an inside joke.”

One I wouldn’t be made privy to. “Oh.”

“Please don’t take anything he says to heart,” Will told me. “He knows I wouldn’t cheat on him. I’m not that kind of guy.”

I felt that he said it for my benefit. “Hmm. I actually think Ainsley’s very serious where you’re concerned. He knows he’s got a good guy, and he won’t let that go. I don’t blame him. I was stupid.”

“Bro-Sheldon, don’t.”

I swallowed hard at him almost using the fake name I had fed him while we dated online. “Sorry.”

We fell into an uncomfortable silence after, and I stared out the window at the few cars we passed along the way. What was I going to do for the next seven days I was spending at the hotel? I didn’t have any extra money to spend on anything but necessities such as food. I would have to take advantage of the continental breakfast which was a part of my hotel package. I could always skip lunch and find somewhere cheap to eat in the evenings. I had nothing better to do with the time than to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Over fifteen years in sales had done very little for me.

When my ex-husband Gene had walked out on me four years ago, he’d taken half of everything. I had drunk the other half of what he hadn’t taken, squandering my hard-earned money. It just hurt that after ten years of marriage Gene had walked out on me, and I hadn’t wanted to survive at the feelings of insecurity I had endured. Thankfully my drinking hadn’t affected my work much. I had been sober for almost a year when I met Will online. Still bitter about my divorce and how easily people could change, I had adopted a fake persona. I had used Gerard Butler’s photo because I always liked him, and from my talks with Will, he wouldn’t have known the actor.

“We’re here.”

I startled at Will’s voice and blinked my thoughts away to find that he was driving past a big welcome sign of the hotel. For such a reasonable hotel, it looked good on the outside. It didn’t look very huge and had only about ten floors.

“I see,” was the only thing I could muster up. It was Christmas night, and I was about to spend it alone in a hotel with no family or friends to make the night better. The highlight of my day had been dinner with the Hicks. The family had been welcoming, and they hadn't needed to be. They could have turned me out on my ears. I would never forget their hospitality.

“Do you want me to walk you in? Check that everything is okay?”

I closed my eyes briefly and inhaled deeply. This was what I had given up. Damn Ainsley and his cute little ass. If he hadn’t entered the equation, I would be the one beneath Will tonight. He seemed to be the kind of guy who treated his partner well.

“No, that’s okay,” I replied, reaching in the back for my bag. “I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”

When I got the bag, I clutched in one hand and opened the door with the other. Before I could exit, Will placed a hand on my knee and squeezed. I glanced at him in surprise, wondering if he was hitting on me and if what he said about being faithful to Ainsley was bullshit. However, I imagined the second he saw the interest in my eyes, he removed his hand.

“Sorry,” he said, clutching the steering wheel. “I just wanted to let you know that I think you’re a great guy. I’m glad you stayed for dinner, and although things didn’t work out between us, I know you’ll find someone for you. Someone even better.”

I scoffed. Someone better than him? I wasn’t about to hold my breath. “Thank you for allowing me to stay. I wish you and Ainsley all the best.”

“Thanks. If you need anything while you’re here Sheldon, please call me.”

“That’s sweet, but I think this is where we part. Merry Christmas, Will.”

On second thought, I surprised him by giving him a swift kiss on his cheek. His eyes bulged in surprise, and I could already see him thinking about Ainsley. I grinned and let myself out of his car. “Oh come on, Will. He got you. He can’t begrudge me one kiss on the cheek.”

I didn’t wait for his response but walked toward the entrance of the hotel without looking back.

Chapter Two

Jesse

I hated being called a bellboy. I had lost track of the number of times I’d casually dropped the word bellhop to a patron for them to stop using the odious word. At twenty-eight years old, I was certainly no boy, and I took offense at being called one, especially by guests who tried to sexualize the word. I had been propositioned by women to men, old and young. I should have known when I took on this position that it would have its usual challenges, but I’d had no say in the matter. The position had appeared as vacant, and I’d counted it as a good sign.

I was one of those people who believed in signs and karma. I had needed to work at this hotel, so when I’d seen the ad for bell assistance at New Horizons hotel, I’d taken the opportunity. New Horizons was a newish hotel which was more like a boutique hotel. Despite being small, the owner Allen Horizon did his best to make the place feel welcoming to his guests. I was one of the only three bellhops on regular duty, which had not turned out to be in my favor. I had to work a twelve-hour shift on Christmas Day.

“It’s so terribly boring to be stuck in a hotel on Christmas Day,” the woman who had summoned me moaned. I stood just inside her room, not willing to take a foot further because I saw the mood she was in. I had quickly summed up what she wanted when she opened the door wearing a transparent negligee that displayed her huge nipples.

“There is a meet and greet that’s taking place on the first floor if you’re in the mood for mingling,” I suggested, hoping I wouldn’t have to spell out for her that I was gay. “The owner puts it on every year to help guests not to feel nostalgic.”

“I was thinking more of a one on one activity,” she continued with a pout. “Can’t you think of anything?”

She thrust out her chest, and I barely concealed my grimace. She had nothing I wanted. In fact, I’d been having a bit of troubling finding what I wanted of late, but she was definitely out of the equation.

“I’ll check with the front desk on any activities going on tonight,” I told her, beating a hasty retreat to the door.

I didn’t like the gleam in her eyes at all. “Okay then. I’ll be waiting.”

I only relaxed when the door closed. There was no way I was returning to her room. I didn’t put in past her to be completely naked if I returned. I could very easily have Mario from the front desk call her with the relevant information. Not that there was much that would be going on around Huntsville on Christmas night.

I rode the elevator to the first floor, sighing. Mario was behind the front desk, concentrating really hard on whatever he was doing. As I approached the desk, he startled and jerked to his feet.

“Fuck, Jesse, you scared the shit out of me,” he muttered, all the buttery politeness gone now that we didn’t have any guests. “I thought you were the boss.”

I chuckled softly as he flipped his bangs. Mario was gay, but even though he had shown interest in me, he wasn’t my type. Plus, we were friends, and I drew the line at sleeping with friends. I didn’t care how cute people thought it was. I didn’t muddy the waters of friendship with sex.

“What game are you playing this time?” I asked him.

“Sonic,” he answered. “What did the guest want?”

“Not what. Who.”

His eyes crinkled as he laughed. “I could have seen that coming. I tell you that you fill out that uniform way too well. Wouldn’t kill you to get a size bigger.”

“It was the only size available,” I answered, glancing down at myself in the red jacket with white trimming and black slacks. The uniform fit snugly to my body, molding to my sleek muscles.

The ringing of a bell alerted us to the fact that we were no longer alone. I sneaked a glance at my watch to find out how much time I had left before my shift ended. Thank fuck, just half an hour. I would survive until then.

“Merry Christmas,” a deep lackluster male voice greeted. “I have a room booked for a few days.”

The low growl of the voice caused a shiver down my spine. I turned to check out our newest guest, aware that I had neglected an aspect of my duty to greet him. He didn’t seem to notice me as he walked up way too close to speak to Mario over the counter. I didn’t mind because it gave me just enough time to completely check him out.

A twitch in my pants alerted me that my cock was waving the flag of approval. Unlike Mario and Ms. White up in room 45, this guy was exactly the sort of man I went for. The little glimpse I had of his face revealed that he was older. In his forties. He fiddled with his glasses like he was either tired or nervous, and he shifted weight from one foot to the other impatiently. Although we were at the same height, he had a good twenty pounds over me, and I wasn’t a small guy. I shifted my gaze to his large hands that he placed on the desk. I noticed he didn’t wear a wedding band, although that meant very little these days. Plus, I had no idea if this guy was gay. But the universe had been so kind to me of late that I could only hope this was a continuation of my good luck.

“Happy holidays, and welcome to New Horizons!” Mario greeted chirpily, giving me the side-eye because he had to do my job for me. “I trust your evening has been well.”

The man frowned. “I’ve had better. What do I need to sign to get my room? Here’s my credit card.”

He dug into his wallet, thumbing through different cards before he retrieved one, eyed it skeptically then handed it over to Mario. “If it doesn’t work, I have another.”

Mario nodded, checking the card. “No problem, Mr. Carter. Just a sec.”

Mario’s fingers flew over the computer keys. He did his thing while I kept checking out our hottie. I eased back a little to check out his rear and was disappointed I couldn’t see much from his slacks. I wished he was wearing jeans so I could determine if I could bounce quarters off his ass. Not that I would be getting anywhere that close.

The man chose that moment to glance to his right at me. He froze, blinking comically behind his glasses. Then he just stared, not blinking at all, and my gaydar broke the fucking scale at the way he was looking at me.

“Sir!”

It was Mario’s sharp tone that finally reached both of us. “Uh sorry,” our guest mumbled, turning his attention back to Mario. He even scooted away a little from me.

“I’ll need you to sign this, please.”

The guy signed, and Mario handed him back his credit card. “Thanks for choosing New Horizons. Here’s your key, and Jesse will take you to your room.”

His nervousness turned me on and excited me. “Umm, that’s not necessary. I can find my way.”

“But I insist, sir,” I replied. “Hotel policy. Each guest should be made to feel right at home.”

“At home, I don’t have a handsome guy walking me to the door.” His eyes widened when he realized what he said, and his cheeks turned an attractive shade of red. I could imagine him hoping the floor would swallow him whole, but I wasn’t about to let that happen. There was something intriguing about this man with the adorable glasses and nervous idiosyncrasies.

I smirked at him and extended my hand toward the elevator. “At your service, Mr. Carter.”

He didn’t respond but headed for the elevator. I glanced behind me to find Mario erupting in silent laughter. I winked at him and followed Mr. Carter to the elevator. I had a feeling he wouldn’t hold the elevator for me if I wasn’t there promptly. He clearly didn’t appreciate the current of attraction between us.

Once in the elevator, I tried not to make him uncomfortable by standing too close. I settled beside him with a good few feet between us as the doors closed.

“Are you from out of town?” I asked, making small talk. Most guests didn’t mind, especially those who found themselves alone on Christmas day in a hotel.

“Uh yes, I got in today.” He removed his glasses and rubbed at them with his shirt which I believed was more of a nervous habit than his glasses needing cleaning. He slid them back on neatly, settling them up his straight nose.

“Your first time in Alabama?”

“Yes, first and most likely the last.”

I glanced at him slyly, catching his eye as I answered, “Too bad.”

“Nothing here for me in Alabama,” he muttered, looking away and mumbled under his breath.

The elevator came to a stop all too soon. We both moved off at the same time and ended up bumping shoulders. Sparks shot between us, confirming what I already knew. He was just as attracted to me. If only I knew what he liked. I couldn’t decide if he topped, bottomed or was versatile. I could usually sniff out which suited a guy based on his mannerism, but I couldn’t decide with my latest fixation.

“Sorry,” he mumbled and stepped back.

I gestured for him to move ahead of me. “After you.”

He hurried from the elevator with me right on his heels. I really should have offered to take his bag, but the deathlike grip he had on the thing was enough for me to know he wouldn’t have relinquished it had I asked.

“So, you’ll be here for a few days,” I remarked, quickly calculating in my head his seven-day stay meant he would be leaving right after New Year's Day. “Is there anything special you’d like to do while you’re here? I’m good on the local scene.”

“Not that I can think of,” he answered. “I’m trying to spend as little as I can over the next few days. I didn’t plan on having to stay in a hotel when I flew out.”

I had a feeling his bad mood involved some man. I waited until we were at his room, and I swiped him in before I pushed. I stood aside for him to enter and survey the room. It was a basic hotel room with a standard queen-sized bed, bedside table, small table with two chairs, television, closet, and bathroom. Although it was small, I had to hand it to management. Everything was usually spotless and made up as nicely as possible.

“I hope you’re comfortable here for the next few days,” I told him. “And if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to call the front desk and ask for me.” Usually, we advised the guests to call and ask for the available bellhop, but I wanted him to ask for me. Carrot-top Cole would be too willing to get on his knees for a few dollars. We weren’t paid a lot at our job, so he tried to make an extra buck where he could.

“Fuck.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I just realized I’ll be stuck in this hell for the next seven days. I need a drink.”

I glanced at my watch, heart thumping with excitement when I saw the time. Ten minutes left to go. “There’s a nice little pub down the street from us,” I told him. “It’s mostly LGBT folks down there if you don’t mind that sort of thing.”

“Why would I mind? I’m gay.”

I bit back my smile at having confirmed that he was indeed into men. Now to find out if he was into me. “I see. Well, there’s that option if you fancy yourself a drink.”

He groaned and walked over to the closet to dump his bag. “Probably too cold out to walk. And with my bad luck, I’d end up somewhere I shouldn’t.”

“Don’t have a rental?” I pried.

“Nope.” He didn’t bother to expound. “Jesus!” He combed his fingers through his hair. “Coming here was such a stupid idea.”

“I believe everything happens for a reason,” I remarked, feeling some pity for the miserable look in his eyes as he went to sit on the bed. I tried to concentrate on his words instead of thinking how much I’d like to tip him backward and plant his legs over my shoulders. How I’d like to watch the look in his eyes change from misery to torture. The kind that would leave him gasping and begging for more.

“That’s pretty chipper of you,” he answered. “Forgive me if I don’t share the same sentiment.”

“You may not see it now, but I’m sure something good will come of all this,” I told him. “Listen, if you really do want to check out the bar and relax a little for the night, I get off work in the next ten minutes. Meet me out in the lobby, and I can drop you off?”

He stopped avoiding my stare at this but really looked at me for the first time since we met. He bit his bottom lip which was sexy as fuck as he swept his gaze over me. No one would call me the prettiest boy in town, but I could hold my own. I was often told I had sex appeal in droves, and if there was a time I needed it to be true, it was now.

When his eyes returned to mine, some of the anxiety in them was replaced by curiosity and desire. It took everything in me not to close the distance between us, hold him by his strong jawline and kiss him to see if his glasses would get foggy. I’d kissed a lot of guys in my lifetime, but I couldn’t remember any in the lot wearing glasses.

“What do you say?” I tried to coax him into agreeing by adopting a sultrier tone. I shouldn’t fraternize with him on the hotel premises. I shouldn’t fraternize with him any at all, but there was little the hotel could do about me doing what I damn well pleased in my own time. And what I wanted to do was him. Over and over until he no longer had that look of uncertainty in his eyes. I wanted to make him happy.

I knew I was in danger of continuing my fucked-up stance with men. Older men seldom wanted to be cuddled and loved-up to death. I’d driven a few away with my constant need to show them affection and take care of them. All a part of my fucked-up psyche since my affair with an older man when I was in high school. Jack had been needy, and I’d been a nurturer. That relationship had set the tone for my other relationships to come, and although I had been with men my age who weren’t as needy, I was more satisfied in relationships with older guys who allowed me to take care of them. I had stopped fighting it and accepted it as a part of who I was. I was the opposite of a boy wanting to be taken care of by a sugar daddy. I wanted to be the one taking care of daddy, and something told me this guy wanted, no needed someone to take care of him. At least for a little while.

“Okay,” he finally agreed after what felt like ages.

I couldn’t hold back my grin then. I felt like I had won the lottery tonight. “You won’t regret it.”

Chapter Three

Sheldon

An hour later, I was still trying to figure out how I had ended up at Jesse’s house. Sensing his interest, but not sure if I was reading into things and he was just being polite, I had taken the fastest shower ever. In the event that I was right about his interest and where tonight could possibly lead, I wanted to be freshened up for him. I felt almost ridiculous for thinking this young man was interested in me, but I was too vulnerable to think. My mind was a mess of how my life had tanked, and just for tonight, maybe I could forget about it all. I didn’t care if I had to top. With a gorgeous guy like Jesse, I’d damn near do anything kinky he asked of me. Slim pickings and all.

I smoothed my hands down my jean-clad thighs as I surveyed the inside of Jesse’s house. As we had walked from the hotel, the front desk clerk smirking at us, Jesse had asked if it was okay for him to stop home first to take a quick shower and change before we went to the bar. I had agreed because of the possibility of us doing more interesting things than going to a bar. I wasn’t one of those recovering alcoholics who completely stayed away from liquor. I knew my limits, and I still had a beer every now and then. I thought that was the true evidence that I had overcome that period in my life. Being able to take a sip and knowing when to stop.

The door closed behind me, and I felt Jesse move up to my rear, his hands lightly resting on my hips. “Sorry. The entrance is a bit narrow. Come on in.”

I missed his hands on my hips when he walked by me to usher me further into his home. We entered the living room which was a little messy. Throw pillows were in no particular arrangement on the couch. A half-filled cigarette tray was in the center of the coffee table, a porn magazine right beside it. Guys I knew would have been embarrassed and rushed to remove it, but Jesse didn’t. An image of him smoking while he jerked off came to my mind, and I plunged a hand into my pocket to adjust my growing cock.

“Can I get you anything to drink while I’m in the shower?” he asked.

“You have something else in the shower besides bathwater?” I returned, choosing to misinterpret his question. I was shocked at my ability to flirt with him. It just sort of popped out and reminded me of what I was really like before my nasty divorce.

He laughed, the sound low and dangerous. Dangerous because it was doing all sorts of things to my libido. “Well, I will be the something else in the shower if you’d rather have that?”

Whoa, the evening had turned interesting pretty fast. To be honest, it had turned interesting the moment I had been introduced to Jesse and saw the way he stripped me naked with his eyes. I glanced at his biceps. He had changed out of his uniform back at the hotel and was wearing a T-shirt that showed off his muscled arms and tattoo circling his biceps. I wasn’t exactly a softie, but neither was I built like him.

“Moving too fast?” he asked when I took too long to respond.

“Uh-n-no,” I stuttered. This was exactly what I needed tonight. To lose myself into something else other than these miserable thoughts of how much my life sucked. Still, I had to find out what his deal was, so I blurted out, “I’m forty-two.”

He didn’t even bat an eye. “Perfect. I’m twenty-eight.”

Silence stretched between us as I waited for him to tell me I was too old for him or something. That fourteen-year difference between us was a lot. Biologically speaking, I could have been his dad.

“I don’t like topping,” I finally said. Fuck it all. If I were going to spend one night with a gorgeous guy, I wanted it my way. I wanted my ass up in the air and him balls deep inside me.

He smiled at me. “Good. I prefer topping anyway.” He walked up to me, and I unashamedly admitted I almost ran. For a younger guy, he was so confident but not in the cocky way young men were. He gave off waves of power and dominance, and it excited me. I could hardly contain my excitement. He backed me up into one wall.

“Why are you doing this?” I gasped at his closeness.

“Why do I want to do what? Fuck you?”

I nodded and swallowed hard. “Yes, why do you want to do that?”

“Because we’ve both been thinking about it since we’ve met,” he answered. “And because you’re exactly the kind of guy I prefer to have in my bed.”

That surprised me, and I searched his face to find out if there was even a smidgen of truth to it. From the hungry way he was looking at me, it was all the truth. “What kind is that?”

“Older,” he answered, placing a hand on one side of my waist then the other. “An eager bottom.” He pulled me closer until we bumped chest. “Someone as big as I am or bigger. Who won’t try to get away when I’m nailing him to the bed.”

“Fuck,” I moaned because that was exactly what I wanted.

“And because I’ve been wondering if kissing you will make your glasses foggy like happens in the movies.”

I licked my bottom lip and gave a nervous laugh. “Only one way to find out.”

He didn’t need any other invitation after that. His lips claimed mine at the same time he moved closer, so the points of our boots touched. His lips were just a bit cold at first as they roved mine, but I couldn’t concentrate on our kiss. I kept being distracted by the feel of his hard cock bumping mine. He was every bit as hard as I was. With each stroke of his tongue against mine, I melted more into him, forgetting about my troubles over the past years and focusing on the moment. His hands slipped around my waist and down toward my ass. He cupped and squeezed. My buns reacted by tightening. My hole was already pulsing at the promise of the wild sex he had mentioned earlier. I wanted him already deep inside me.

Chapter Four

Jesse

With Sheldon’s lips clinging to mine, I backed him into the wall behind us and deepened our kiss. He moaned into my mouth, hands gripping at my shoulders as his body sought the comfort of mine. I slipped my hands behind him, smashed between him and the door so I could reach his ass. His buns were well-formed and hard with muscles. I squeezed, felt the muscles flex as I aligned him up to my body so we were cock to cock, grinding on each other.

His inhibitions seemed to have flown out the window since our lips met. Truth was that I knew this was going to happen. And I knew he knew it too. It was the real reason he had agreed to me taking him out for drinks. He had entered Horizons hotel with a heavy gloom about him, and the second he saw my interest, he had identified his opportunity for a distraction. And distract him I would.

Still, I had no intention of giving him exactly what he wanted now. I would whet his appetite before giving us both some space to cool off. The way he bucked against me, I knew it wouldn’t take long for him to climax, and I wanted more than ten minutes with him. Something told me that as soon as he got the fuck he wanted, he would be out of the door, and I didn’t want him to go just yet. I wanted to know more about his trip to Alabama and the reason for the lackluster in his eyes.

I plunged my tongue into Sheldon’s warm mouth, tangling with his. He easily gave control to me which I liked. It almost made me cart him off to bed, face down in the mattress and ass up. But no. I would blow him, give him a taste of what was to come tonight, and then we would go out. We would have some drinks, talk a little then I would take him back to my house where I would satisfy both of us.

Releasing his buns, I brought my hands forward to the waistband of his pants without removing my lips from his. I sensed a flicker of uncertainty from him, but it wasn’t enough apparently for him to stop kissing me or grinding against me. Neither did he stop me when I loosened his belt, unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down his firm thighs. Thighs I couldn’t resist stroking. He shivered against me.

“Cold?” I asked, breaking our kiss. I grinned when I saw we had fogged up his glasses with our heavy breathing while we kissed.

“N-no,” he answered, licking his lips. I trailed my hand up his thigh, between them and cupped his junk. His cock was thick in my hand, pulsating with need.

“I’m going to suck you off,” I told him frankly. “That’s all we’ll have time for now. Is that okay?”

He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He didn’t bother to vocalize his thoughts but nodded instead.

“Good.”

As I knelt before him, I peeled down his tight boxers, and his cock sprang out like a coiled spring. I moaned at the sight of his girth. He wasn’t very long, but his dick was fat. I wrapped my lips around the tip, prepared for the challenge.

Cupping his balls at the base, and holding them hostage, I sucked on just the tip of his cock.

“Fuck!” he exploded in a choking sound.

I had him right where I wanted him— by the balls. I released the tip of his dick to run my lips down his shaft. He moaned above me, hips twitching as he sought more. At the base of his cock, I licked my way back up to the tip to devour more of him. I swallowed him inch by inch, mouth widening as I took more and more of him. My head bobbed up and down his cock as I kissed and licked, sucked and released.

Not before long, we came up with our own rhythm, one that satisfied us both. My head bobbed from side to side as I sucked him faster, to a beat set in my head. His hips ground in tandem to my rhythm, sending his cock deeper into my mouth. I didn’t mind trying to deepthroat him although I knew it would be impossible given his girth. I damn near took all of him though, and when I did, a keening sound escaped his lips.

He smelled fresh, like soap with a hint of his musky manly scent that not even soap and water could take away for long. It was obvious he had taken a shower for our night out, and this pleased me.

I released his cock. “Face the wall,” I instructed him.

“What?” he asked.

“Face the wall and give me your ass,” I replied, spelling it out for him. I want to rim you and suck your cock from behind.”

“Jesus!” he gasped but didn’t protest when I gently turned him. In fact, he braced against the wall with his forearms, his ass pushed out in my direction.

Feeling up his ass had been great, but seeing the rigid twin muscles were even better. There was a heady feeling in taking care of a grown man who looked like Sheldon. A wave of possession threatened to overwhelm me as the familiar feeling of longing and needing to claim took over me. I shrugged it off and concentrated on how I would worship his ass.

I grasped his cheeks, and he assisted by shuffling his legs apart. I pushed the hard globes apart and groaned to find he had manscaped. I didn’t care who he had taken the time to get all pretty for. I only cared that I was the one who would get to enjoy it.

With a moan, I licked from his taint up to his crack. A long moan left him, ending on a breathless sound. I allowed the sounds that he made, the pants, groans, and moans to guide me that I was doing what he wanted. And boy, was I doing a whole lot of right to his body. I circled my tongue around his puckered entrance, driving my tongue close enough for him to quiver in anticipation. My tongue flitted on the outside of his asshole, licking, but not giving him exactly what he needed.

“Please!” he finally cried out in frustration. “Please, Jesse.”

“Tell me what you want,” I encouraged him. I wanted to hear him say it.

I imagined his cheeks going red as he answered. “Your tongue. I want your tongue inside me.”

So I gave him my tongue. I kissed his spread hole, tonguing him each time my lips enclosed over his pucker. I was pleased to find he was not new to bottoming. Now that I knew for certain, I wanted to drive him to his limit and see how he reacted in my arms.

“Yes!” he hissed as I continued to eat his ass like he’d invited me to Sunday brunch.

“Give me your hands.”

At my command, he gave me his hands, and without a word, I guided him to hold his cheeks spread for me. Now that my hands were free, I grasped his cock and stroked him. I kissed down his crack, over his taint, dipping lower as I brought his cock down. I was gentle with him, bringing his cock low enough for my mouth to capture him from behind by me inching my head between his legs. I got a few good licks in before I was back to his ass which had a date with my tongue.

“Please,” he moaned, his forehead rubbing against the door. “Oh, please. I can’t stop-I am-oh god!”

At his incoherent sounds, I sensed he was about to blow his load. I spat right onto his hole, dipping a finger inside and twisting it hard as I captured the tip of his cock inside my mouth again. It was just the thing he needed before he groaned and stiffened. I continued finger-fucking him slowly but deliberately as he came in my mouth. If I had guessed he would shot so much spunk, I would have allowed him to explode onto the floor. Once his cum hit my tongue, it was already too late anyway. For me at least. With a groan of satisfaction, I licked him all up.

I released Sheldon’s cock and pulled my finger gently out of him. I gave his buns a little pat as I rose to my feet. He was still facing the wall, his shoulders heaving as he tried to catch his breath. That pleased me to no end.

Cupping the side of his face, I turned him toward me enough for me to be able to kiss him. I had meant it to be a swift kiss before I left for the bathroom, but it turned out to be longer and sweet. Our lips had separation anxiety, and the little sound of protest in his throat when I pulled away showed it.

I nipped his earlobe with my teeth. “I’ll take a quick shower then we can head on out to the bar.”

“Hmm. Okay.”

He didn’t sound so sure of himself anymore. I pulled back, not wanting him to have his back up. “If you need a pre-drink before we go on out, you can also help yourself to whatever is in the fridge.”

“Thank you,” he answered. “But what about you?” His face looked crestfallen and uncertain.

I gave him a slow smile that hoped translated well. “I’m in no rush. We have all night.”

Chapter Five

Sheldon

Stealing a glance at Jesse as we walked from his car to the entrance of the bar, a bundle of nerves settled in the pit of my stomach. Earlier, I had been caught up in all the feels of what he was doing to my body to really think, but the blood was flowing the right way again. Along with the return of my senses was the confusing thought of what I was doing out in public with such a gorgeous guy like Jesse. He had explained that he preferred guys like me, but I still had a hard time believing it. Maybe he just wanted something different for the night. There were men who didn’t mind what his sex partner looked like as long as it was just a one night stand.

“You okay?” Jesse asked me as we entered the bar.

His concern baffled me. I nodded and cleared my throat before I spoke. “Yeah, I’m good.”

I wished I could have at least lost the glasses before going out with him, but contact lenses weren’t a necessity, and I was short on cash. I couldn’t see at a long distance without my glasses, so leaving them at home hadn’t been an option.

A transgendered woman by virtue of the Adam’s apple that couldn’t hide greeted us, welcoming us to the bar. She seemed to know Jesse by the way they smiled at each other, and I figured this was probably a regular hangout spot for him.

“Let’s grab a table,” Jesse suggested. I was taken by complete surprise when his hand settled on my back, and he guided me toward an empty two-seater table in the corner of the dimly lit room. I had anticipated him giving me a wide berth while we were here. Apparently, that wasn’t the case. He didn’t seem to mind being seen with an older guy whose life was going downhill from here. Except, he made me believe it didn’t have to all go downhill.

No sooner had we taken our seats when a slender guy who reminded me a little of Ainsley approached our table and asked to take our drinks. I watched for signs of Jesse flirting or eyeing this guy, but he merely turned to me and asked what I would like.

“My treat,” he added.

I shook my head, feeling embarrassed that I didn’t have a lot of money on me, but I could at least afford to pay for one lager. “I can’t let you do that.”

“I insist,” he replied. “I asked you out. Remember?”

The waiter tapped me on the wrist. “Honey, if a guy who looks like that want to buy you a drink, you let him. I’d give anything to trade places with you.”

Beside me, Jesse chuckled. His eyes met mine as he replied. “Sorry, but I already have my sights on someone.”

“I can see that,” bartender guy answered. “Are we ordering?”

It was that look from Jesse that had me caving in and allowing him to buy me the drink. The waiter walked away but glancing back at us to shake his head as if he couldn’t make sense of us.

“I should have asked if you wanted anything to eat,” Jesse said.

I shook my head. “I’m fine. I had dinner with a family before checking in at the hotel.”

“Your family?” he asked. “Is that why you’re here in Alabama?”

“Umm, it’s a really complicated story,” I answered, feeling another layer of embarrassment piling on. “One in which I come off as a douche.”

“Yeah? We all make mistakes. Why don’t you tell me about it?”

The waiter chose that minute to return with our drinks. I had hoped it was enough distraction for Jesse, but he was still looking at me expectantly.

I groaned and mopped at my brow. “I catfished a guy.”

He took a sip of his drink at the same time I spoke. He ended up choking on the swig of beer as he dissolved into a fit of coughing that sprang tears to his eyes.

“Oh my god, that was unexpected,” he gasped. “That’s going to need some explanation.”

So I spilled everything to him about meeting Will online, being uncertain about him liking me for me and deciding to use a picture of Gerard Butler to catfish him.

“I had every intention of coming clean to him,” I added to the tale that had him smiling in amusement. “By the time I did, he already found someone.”

“What’s his loss is my gain,” he remarked on a chuckle. “I can’t believe you did that. It’s fucking funny. I mean, who the hell doesn’t know Gerard Butler. This guy must have been pretty dense.”

I frowned, thinking about Will and Ainsley. “Actually, he’s not. He’s a really nice guy. He still allowed me to have Christmas dinner with his family. They were all so nice about the whole thing. Even his boyfriend.”

It was his turn to frown at me. “You have feelings for this guy?”

I thought about the question carefully, taking a swig of my beer before responding. “Over the phone, yeah. And I still think he’s a great catch, but he’s right. We would have never suited.”

“Why not?”

Because he’s not you. I was surprised at the thought that sprang to mind. Here I was feeling too much way too soon for this stranger. I was such a fucking hypocrite. Hadn’t I expressed disbelief that Will fell in love with Ainsley so quickly? I didn’t usually believe in fate and all that bullshit. I believed people’s lives were a sum total of their decisions and some coincidences thrown in the middle to make things interesting.

“The attraction’s not really there,” I replied. Not like it is with you. I almost applied the beer bottle to my cheeks to cool the heat I was feeling from the memory of Jesse eating me out. Sex had never felt so good before in all my forty-two years. He knew his way around a guy’s ass. A man wouldn’t mind being eaten like that for the rest of his life.

No, it would be no hardship at all being with a guy like Jesse for the rest of my life. The only problem was his age. With that gap between us, there was no way tonight could be any more than a one night stand. What would Jesse do with a man like me in his life forever? I wasn’t as confident as Will. Thoughts of Jesse looking elsewhere although in a relationship would never leave me.

“How long have you worked at the hotel?” I asked to shift the topic.

He shrugged. “Only three weeks ago.”

My eyebrows rose. “Seriously? You look so much a part of the hotel that I would have envisioned that you’ve been there since they opened doors.”

“Just very good at my job.”

“And your job affords you to do a little extra work with guests?”

“You’re the first man from the hotel I’ve ever taken out,” he answered.

I tried not to smile. “You could have sex right there with them at the hotel.”

“I haven’t really been interested.” He reached across the table to cover my hand with his. “Face it, Sheldon. I brought you here because I want you. Not just anybody.”

I went silent, debating whether or not to believe him. We drank in silence, both consumed by our own thoughts. When my drink finished, he pointed at my bottle.

“Want another?”

I shook my head. “I better not.”

“I’m not trying to get you drunk so you’d sleep with me, you know,” he remarked, sounding offended by the idea.

“I think as I demonstrated earlier, you wouldn’t have to get me drunk to fuck me anyway.” He inhaled deeply, and his eyes were full of desire. “Why did you stop earlier?” I asked him. “You could have fucked me right there against the door with my pants around my knees, and I would have allowed it.”

“I didn’t because you wanted it too much.”

I stared at him as though he was mad. “What?”

His soft laugh pulled me closer to him. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me or just to be fucked, so I calmed you down some before coming here to find out that question.”

“Does it matter?” I asked.

“To me it does.” He raised my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I know you’ll be off to Connecticut soon, but I prefer my partners to want me. Not just a cock to fill your hole. As much as I want to, I’m going to hold off until you’re sure it’s me you want.”

“You can’t be serious!” I exploded. Why the hell had I gone out with him if there was no sex at the end of our date? Sure, I was enjoying the night with him, but I wanted the distraction of waking up with my ass sore tomorrow morning.

“It won’t be so bad,” he replied. “I’m pretty sure that sooner or later, you’ll know for sure if you want me or if just anyone will do.”

Chapter Six

Sheldon

I tried to stifle my disappointment when Sheldon turned in the direction of the hotel instead of his home. I was certain I wasn’t being very good at it though. For the past three nights, he had taken me out after his shift ended. He would wait for me in the lobby, we would go back to his place for him to shower and then we’d hit whatever spot he came up with.

Tonight, we had gone to Waffle House for a 1AM breakfast. To be fair to him, I enjoyed these dates. I ended up learning way more about him than was advisable for a one-night stand. I couldn’t even think of him as that anymore. He really was a likable guy who seemed sincere in his desire to ensure I wanted him versus just any available cock.

He had a point. I hadn’t cared before about who I slept with, only too happy to get my fix on for a night. I just didn’t understand why he even cared if I didn’t. Except now that I was getting to know him, I actually started to care which was dangerous. My flight back home was in another four days, and there was no sense in me leaving Alabama with a broken heart.

Still, it was hard to not like Jesse. He was a good guy, one who was quick to laugh at jokes, even when they were about himself, but he also knew when to be serious.

Staring out the window of his car, my cheeks heated as I thought about spilling my guts to him last night about my loser life. He had listened, and in the end, he had just taken my hands, kissed the back of them and declared that my luck was about to change.

I had snorted at him. “I fail to see how going home with blue balls every night is my luck changing.”

Sexual frustration was beginning to set in hard. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way he had sucked me off on that first night. I wanted more, but so far he was holding out, and I didn’t know how to beg. I thought I made it very obvious by our goodnight kisses that I wouldn’t complain if he wanted to follow me to my hotel room or take me home.

At the hotel, my frustration grew. I walked stiffly by him inside. I knew the drill by now. He would walk me to my room, we would share another steamy kiss that would leave me so hard it was painful, then he would walk away, wishing me a good night. Like I could have a good night when I was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling and counting sheep until my hardon went away. Only to return when I thought about him rimming me or our last contact for the night.

At the elevator, I turned to him. “You don’t have to ride the elevator with me.”

He shrugged. “Why not? I want to?”

“Why?” I asked in frustration. “It’s not like you’re going to accept my invitation to come in.”

“But don’t you like our kisses?”

The elevator dinged open, and I entered, sighing when he followed me. “Sure, I do. A little bit too much, but you’re being a tease, Jesse.”

“Not,” he argued with a grin. “We’re getting to know each other.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes, folding my arms across my chest as tension mounted. Why was I even allowing this guy to frustrate me like this? I should be the one taking control of the situation. Except, he had already pegged me as the kind of guy who was too happy to relinquish control. I didn’t even think it was relinquishing since I never had any control of the situation in the first place.

From the minute I walked across that hotel lobby and saw him, I was his puppet to do with as he pleased. I had thought he would have done a whole lot to me by now, but as a true puppet master, he was moving at his own pace. Not when I wanted.

“Don’t be mad,” he said, placing an arm on my waist and pulling me to him. The sucker that I was, I went along. “It’ll be worth it. You’ll see.”

He kissed me, mouth pressed to mine, lightly exploring my mouth as if he hadn’t thoroughly done so every single night since we met. When the elevator doors opened, I was already tenting my jeans. Just great.

At my door, I turned to him, key in hand. “Will you come in tonight?”

“I want to,” he answered. “But not yet.”

I smacked a hand to his chest. “You’re enjoying teasing me, aren’t you?”

“A little,” he admitted, and I scowled at him.

“Well, two can play at this game.” I smacked him a kiss on his cheek. “Good night, Jesse. I’ll see you later.”

“What? No proper kiss?”

“Good night, Jesse.”

When I slipped into my room, closing the door between us, I realized I had cut off my nose to spite my face. I really wouldn’t have minded another kiss just to be in his arms for another minute. A kiss was better than nothing. Even if it left me sexually frustrated, but I had come to enjoy it as the highlight of our night.

“Shit.” I yanked the door open to go after him but ended up smacking into him still standing outside the door with his hand poised to knock. His face registered surprise before his lips upturned into a smile.

“A change of heart?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes, I’ll take that kiss after all.”

“A proper one?”

I groaned. “Yeah, a proper one.”

He still had a smile on his face when he kissed me. We were of the same height and almost the same weight with me having a few pounds on him. His hands snaked around my back, pressing me closer to him as he deepened our very proper kiss…a whole lot of tongue and nipping.

His hands slipped below my waist and he gripped my ass hard, pressing my groin to his. I gasped into his mouth, giving him my tongue as he rubbed his cock against mine. He was as hard as me. I realized then I wasn’t the only one who went to bed suffering at night. He wanted me just as badly. That made me feel better.

When we pulled back, we were both breathing hard. I licked my lips, blinking up at him through my foggy glasses. He reached up and fixed the glasses on my nose before kissing the tip.

“Good night, Sheldon. Sweet dreams.”

As I watched him walk away, I knew my dreams wouldn’t be sweet. Not when they would be of him and me tangled up in bed sheets like I desperately wanted.

Chapter Seven

Jesse

“Another late night booty call?” Mario asked as I walked into the lobby.

“Yeah,” I grumbled, glancing at my watch as I approached his desk. I had twenty minutes left before I was officially off duty. And tonight was going to be the night. I had held out on Sheldon enough, and getting to know him the past few days had brought so much more than I had hoped for. I liked him. Really liked him. He continued to be shy at times, but his personality was coming out a lot more. He wasn’t like the other older men who hadn’t minded me taking care of them. Yes, he craved me being in control, even when we went out. He didn’t mind me ordering for him or dictating where we would go. In fact, he seemed only too happy to leave most decision-making to me, but he also knew what he wanted. I smiled thinking about the way he had thought to withhold our nightly kiss.

“That woman is sure as hell persistent,” Mario remarked. “Why don’t you put her out of her misery and admit to her that you are gay?”

“Honestly, I don’t think she would care,” I answered on a sigh. “How much longer will she be here?”

“Another week, I think,” he answered sympathetically. “Well, look on the bright side.”

“What bright side?”

“You’ll meet a certain older man in a few.”

I smiled at the mention of Sheldon. “Yeah, that is a bright side.” Especially given what tonight would bring for the both of us.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with him,” Mario said eyeing me. “But, I never really would have thought those were the guys you would go for.”

“Why not?”

“Well, come on. Look at you. You’re hot. You had my gay heart racing the first time I saw you. I even tried to get your attention a couple of times. I had thought you turned me down because we worked together, but that wasn’t it, right?”

“Only somewhat, but really. I like older guys.”

“I get that. Older guys are hot. When they are toppy and a bit possessive. I don’t get that vibe from your guy. He strikes me as a bottom.”

I shook my head at him. “Seriously? We’re going to have this conversation?”

He shrugged. “Why not? If I’m not going to get a sample of you, I can at least hear about your preference. I saw you first.”

I chuckled at his petulant tone. “If you must know, I’m attracted to guys like Sheldon. But in his own way, he is even more special. I like him.”

“Whatever. If that floats your boat, I guess. I just don’t get it.”

I didn’t respond. I got that a lot, and I felt no need to try to explain myself to anyone. I liked what I did, and that was just it. I had no reason to defend it. I found a thrill in being in control of older guys with submissive personality. Sheldon fit the bill just right. It also didn’t hurt that he was handsome and built solid like I preferred my men. God, the things I’m going to do to him tonight.

I got back to work as a family of four entered the hotel. By the time I took care of their needs, my shift was over. I rode the elevator to the ground floor to wait on Sheldon. Tonight we would go to my house and stay there. I had frozen pizza in the fridge that we could devour when we got hungry. And we would get hungry after the appetite I had in mind to work up.

I didn’t bother to change out of my uniform because I had to bring it home to do laundry anyway. I was leaning against the front desk, having a nonsensical chatter with Mario when the elevator dinged. I glanced up, hopeful and smiled at the sight of Sheldon walking toward me. His lips curved into a smile as well, albeit a tiny one. Dressed in jeans and a shirt with the top two buttons undone, I saw the smattering of hair on his chest. Holy fuck, he was perfect.

“I take it back,” I heard Mario whisper over the counter. “He’s actually kind of hot.”

I grinned at him. “See ya on Monday, Mario.” I had worked all week so I had both Saturday and Sunday off which was perfect. I would have Sheldon all to myself for the two days to convince him to stick around a little longer. He had admitted he didn’t have a job at the moment, and he was on the verge of losing his apartment. Alabama could be his fresh start. For him. For us.

If only I could convince him, but it would be hard. Sheldon didn’t believe in fate as I did. I would have to appeal to his practical side.

“You ready?” I asked him.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

He fell into step beside me, and we left the hotel together. “I think I mentioned I’m off for the next two days,” I told him.

“Hmm, yeah you did.” Silence trickled between us as we headed for my car. “Are you doing anything special?”

“Hell, yeah.” I grinned at him. “Spending it with you.”

He tried not to show how pleased he was at my words, but he failed. I couldn’t resist backing him up against my car and fitting his body against mine.

“Anything interesting planned for us?” he asked, his tone a little gruff with need.

“Yeah. A lot actually. I’m going to give you a reason to stay in Alabama.”

Chapter Eight

Sheldon

When we got to his home, my head was still reeling from the shock of Jesse admitting he wanted me to stay in Alabama. He hadn’t given me the chance to answer as he’d kissed me so senselessly that afterward, I’d had no choice but to follow him. He’d made light talk all the way to his house, asking me about my day which was boring. I didn’t do much other than read a little from my Kindle while spending the day at the poolside. It probably hadn’t helped my sexual frustration any that I spent much of the day reading gay romance novels and thinking of myself and Jesse as the protagonists. Especially when it got to the hot sex scenes.

If I couldn’t have the real thing, I was damn well going to fantasize about it.

“I’ll take a quick shower,” Jesse said, dropping a kiss to my mouth before he shuffled away to a room I had never entered, though I had been to his house every single night. I always waited for him in the living room, sometimes accompanied by my thoughts or watching a show on the TV.

Tonight I sensed something different between us. Jesse hadn’t mentioned any plans of going out, so I was hoping this was it. He was finally about to put both of us out of our misery. I went to his small kitchen and as I got a beer from the fridge thought of how good it would feel to be here with him all the time. As much as I hated my ex for leaving me, I missed the intimacy of living with someone and having someone interested in how my day was.

Although I turned the TV on, I kept it muted on Home Alone 3. I had watched this show so many times that I could quote the lines by heart so I didn’t need the audio. I was lost in thought, contemplating what Jesse had said about convincing me to stick around in Alabama. I didn’t even hear when he came out of his bedroom. He walked into my line of vision, right in front of the television, wearing nothing but a small towel around his waist.

My mouth went dry when I took in his broad shoulders and physique. He was one gorgeous man. Without a word, he sank onto the couch beside me. “Is this cool?”

“Hell, yeah,” I answered then flushed at my eagerness. He chuckled and leaned sideways to kiss me. “You’re fucking gorgeous when you blush,” he remarked before our lips met.

I turned into the kiss at the same time he pushed me back to lie on the sofa. He was on top of me, lips and limbs intertwined. He eased up and pulled the towel from his waist. I couldn’t resist spanning the width of his naked shoulders. He was all hard muscles and smooth flesh beneath my touch. I bucked my hips into him and he ground into me, rubbing his dick against the front of my jeans.

“We need to get you naked,” he remarked.

So we struggled off the couch to divest me of my clothes. For a guy of forty-two, I had a decent body, so I wasn’t shy about undressing before him. And if I had a little pouch, it was just a part of me that he would have to get used to. Especially if he wanted me hanging around Alabama.

When I was fully undressed, he pushed me back into the couch and stepped between my legs. Kneeling, he placed his hands about my thighs and hands-free captured my dick in his mouth. He rolled his tongue over my tip, and I moaned, plunging my hand into his hair to pull him closer.

“Oh my god!” I gasped as his lips traveled further south, down my shaft. I didn’t have much length by a stretch, but my cock was thick which didn’t usually make for a comfortable blow job from other men. Jesse didn’t seem to mind but took in as much as possible, moaning around my cock in enjoyment.

I closed my eyes, thrusting upward several times before I relaxed my hips because I was enjoying his blow job way too much. If I weren’t careful, I would blow my load too soon, and I wasn’t a fresh-faced youth anymore who could manage to come several times throughout the night. Not that I would have minded him having a go at my ass all night if he wanted even if I didn’t come.

As though sensing how close I was, Jesse ran his lips down my cock once more before he rose and leaned over me to kiss me. His kiss was raw and deep, leaving nothing of his passion unchecked. He plundered my mouth, his kiss more of a statement of how tonight would end. All the anticipation was going to culminate here, and based on his kiss, it would be wild and explosive.

He released my lips, breathing hard as he eased back. “On your knees facing the back of the sofa. I’ll be right back.”

I did exactly as he suggested, placing my arms over the back of the sofa. I was glad for the minute he was gone that I got the chance to regain control of my body so my cock didn’t throb like a backed up dam.

Jesse returned, and I watched him as he walked over to me, towel, condom, and lube in hand. He was gorgeous, his cock jutted upward with a slight tilt to the side. He had a thick girth and enough length to go with it as well. I had no control over the pulsing of my ass when I saw what I was going to have up my butt in a few. I knew guys who had taken one look at my girth and changed their minds about sex. I took one look at Jesse and craved it. It took all that was inside me not to hold my cheeks apart for him and beg him unashamedly to put it in and fuck me until I forgot about the past year of my life. I wanted to wake up in the morning with the reminder of what transpired tonight.

“You look perfect,” he said as he came up behind me. His hands on my hard ass, he leaned forward to kiss me. I gave him my tongue, our kiss sloppy and too wet, but I didn’t care. I was horny, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had such anticipation about sex.

“You ready?” he asked, kissing my shoulder.

“I was ready three nights ago,” I reminded him, and he chuckled.

“Isn’t this better though? The wait?” He trailed his lips down my spine, not stopping when he got to my ass. He pressed my cheeks apart and feathered his tongue over my hole.

“Oh God, I don’t think I can survive that tonight,” I moaned. “I’m already close, Jesse. Sorry.”

He placed a full, tongue-involved kiss to my pucker before pulling back. “Nothing to be sorry about. I want to make you come.”

“But with you fuck deep inside me,” I replied, vocalizing what I wanted. In the past, I was usually quiet about it, but not tonight. I would be a selfish bastard for once and ask for exactly what I wanted.

“You want it hard, yeah?” he asked.

“The first time, yeah. I want to feel everything.”

“I can do that. Let’s get you ready for what you want.”

The guy didn’t skimp on foreplay and prepping. That was for sure. Despite me telling him how close I was before, it didn’t stop him from kissing and fingering my backside as he shoved a generous amount of lube inside me. He finger-fucked me slowly with two fingers, lazily kissing my cheeks as he did so. He even used two more fingers from his other hand as he loosened me up by stretching gently. I could have used his care and precision when I first had my ass fucked.

“You stick around for more of this, Shel,” he moaned, finally removing his fingers. “There’s nothing back in Connecticut for you, and everything possible here.”

I gave a noncommittal moan as he rubbed his hands up my back until he gripped my shoulders. He squeezed hard, probably waiting for me to respond, but I couldn’t give him an answer when my mind was all kind of muddled from wanting him.

“Jesse, fuck me now!” I growled at him, surprised at myself. I buried my face in my arms on the back of the sofa.

“Right. Relax, and don’t forget to breathe.”

I heard the ripping of the packet the condom came in and, in a couple of seconds, the bulbous head of his cock was pressing against my ring of muscles. He felt bigger than my earlier assessment, and I now understood why he’d spent so much time getting me prepped. Inhaling deeply, I pressed back, and he popped inside me. With a few tiny thrusts, he was deeper inside still.

I reached behind me to run a hand down his thigh in encouragement. He pulled me to my knees on the couch, and I twisted my head to kiss him as he fucked him slow and deep. His tongue mimicked the motion of his hips as he worked his length deeper and deeper inside my body.

“Harder,” I begged him. “Fuck me harder, Jesse. I want to feel you pounding me.”

“Fuck.” He sucked on my earlobe. “Keep talking dirty like that. I love it. Tell me what you want.”

“You,” I gasped as he drove his cock deep inside me. “Oh yes. Like that, Jesse. Feels so fucking good the way you’re stretching that hole.”

“Like this, huh?” He drove inside me harder, and I howled, my cry ringing out in the room at his roughness. I loved it, wanted more.

“Yes, just like that.”

“Stay with me,” he begged, pelvis slamming into my ass. “I’ll be your fix whenever you want to get blissed out.”

“Jesse!” I cried out his name again. My dick was throbbing, and I didn’t even have a grip on it. I threw my ass back to receive his thrusts, and he groaned.

He forgot to beg me to stay after that. I kept up the steady stream of dirty talk he liked to hear. It really drove him wild as his thrusts became more demanding, more powerful the more I begged him to work my hole with his cock.

He pulled out and hugged my back. “Let’s see how flexible you are.”

“What?”

He motioned for me to get off the couch, and I did, eager to try anything just to feel him filling my ass once more. My hole throbbed but not in an unpleasant manner. I wasn’t ready for him to stop yet.

Chapter Nine

Jesse

I loved Sheldon’s eagerness to please, and I loved seeing him more in the position I had him in on the floor. His back supported by the sofa, he was lying on his shoulders on the floor, his ass upended to the ceiling. I ran my hands down his torso and tweaked his nipples. His legs trembled, and he groaned. Despite getting him in the position, I had no idea how long he could stay in it for, so I got to work.

Positioning myself behind him and gripping his legs which were extended toward the ceiling, I bracketed my legs at his hips. Lowering myself like I was sitting on his upended ass, I guided my dick back inside his hole my fingers and cock had stretched to my satisfaction. I wrapped my arms beneath his knees to keep him steady while I worked my cock in and out of him.

Given our new position, I could see everything I was doing to him and he was doing to himself. He gripped his cock with his right hand, rubbing on his dick as I fucked his ass. I hissed a long breath beneath my teeth as he sucked me in, tightening his muscles. I almost tipped off the edge and grappled like hell back for control.

He gasped and groaned, the scent of men and fucking filling the living room. Our new position meant I couldn’t fuck him as hard, but the depth I could thrust into him more than made up for it. I pressed his knees down to point to the floor while the bottoms of his feet faced the ceiling. His face was red, but his moans were of pleasure.

Throwing one leg between our bodies so I scissored him, I ground inside his body, giving him every inch of my length until my balls were crushed to his pelvis.

“Oh fuuuuuuck!” he shouted in the living room, and his legs shook. I knew he was close to coming. I pulled out and did it again, grinding deep. His body twitched, his hands stroked his cock faster and then he was exploding, cum streaking through the air, splattering both of us.

I allowed him to ride the waves of his climax, and when he had calmed down, I continued thrusting into him. Releasing his legs, I reached up to tweak my nipples, and just like that I came as well, buried deep inside him. I gripped his thighs, pressing hard. He clenched his inner muscles and milked me dry. My one regret was that I wouldn’t get to see my cum dripping from his hole. Maybe someday, when our relationship had developed more.

“Oh my god!” Sheldon gasped. “Nobody’s ever fucked me like this before.”

I chuckled. “Like it?”

“Fucking loved it.” He grinned up at me. “Get your dick out of my ass so I can find the right side up without breaking my neck.”

I laughed while I pulled out and helped him to his feet. He crashed into the sofa to sprawl, and I pulled off the condom, dropping it to the towel I had brought with me before I lay on top of him. I ran my hands up his body and watched as he tried not to smile.

“This feels good, doesn’t it?” I asked. “You know you want to stay here with me.”

He bit his lip. “I want to, but I can’t. We just met. I can’t haul ass to Alabama permanently because our fuck’s the best I’ve ever had.”

“That good, huh?”

“You don’t have to sound so smug about it.”

“I want to be smug about the fact that I make you feel so good,” I remarked. “Imagine every day like this, Sheldon. Our dates, spending time with each other, the best sex ever.”

“Yeah, but Connecticut is home.”

“Home is where your heart is. You know damn well your heart hasn’t been in Connecticut since your divorce. Isn’t that why you came here in the first place, to see what the future held for you and Will?”

“That was different,” he argued.

I got off him and sat up. “How is it any different? You came here for a guy. What does it matter if that guy turns out to be someone else?”

He sighed. “You’re twenty-eight. I’m fucking forty-two.”

“You told me Ainsley’s twenty-one and Will’s thirty-fucking-nine. How’s this any different?”

“It’s just different.”

I rose to my feet, feeling pissed at him for not taking a chance on us. I would have gotten it if he had a life back in Connecticut. If he had a job, somewhere to live. If he didn’t pay his next rent, he would be given notice. Why the hell was he so insistent in going back to a life where he had nothing?

“I see,” I murmured. “Too bad. I’m going to hit the shower. Feel free to join me if you want.”

My words were bitter as I stalked from the living room and to the bathroom. I felt devastated that he wouldn’t take a chance on us.

Chapter Ten

Sheldon

“Fuck.” I saw the hurt in Jesse’s eyes as he walked away. I wanted to go after him, but I was so very afraid. That I wasn’t enough. We really didn’t know that much about each other for me to make such a huge decision. Even Ainsley was returning to New York to continue his career while he and Will worked things out from a distance.

But you don’t have a job. No family. Just a few friends who you can keep in touch with.

I supposed that was true. I was an only child and had long since been estranged from my family since I came out. It was one of the reasons I had been stoked about my marriage, to finally have a family of my own. My ex had broken my heart, and then Will had found somebody else, although that was my fault. Didn’t they say bad things happened in threes? What if sticking around Alabama was my third strike?

Yet, I couldn’t get his hurt look out of my mind. And I knew now why he had insisted on us getting to know each other before we fucked. He was just as vulnerable as I was in all of this. We were both slaves of the desire we had for each other.

With a sigh, I trailed after him to the bathroom to talk about things. Maybe we could work something out. It wasn’t like I wanted to give up this either. I did want to come home to this kind of feeling every night. I was just worried it wouldn’t last. What if I fell for him and he broke my heart? Then I would be in a strange city. Alone.

Jesse was already in the shower when I got to the bathroom. I pulled back the shower curtain and ducked in, quickly repositioning it so we didn’t get the bathroom floor wet. Jesse ignored me and continued to wash up, but I reached for the knob and turned off the showerhead.

“What are you doing?” he asked, rounding on me, his shoulders squared as though ready to do battle.

“I just want to talk,” I answered. “I don’t like the way we left things.”

“Now you want to talk? It doesn’t matter, Sheldon. I get it. All you wanted was a fuck to make you feel better about Will and Ainsley.”

“Hey,” I grabbed his shoulder before he could turn away. “That’s not true. Truth is that I’ve not thought about Will since I met you and we went out that night.”

“What are you saying?”

I sighed. “I’m saying that my life’s a fucking mess right now. I’m almost completely broke, and if I don’t find a job soon, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to pay for anything. It seems kind of messed up to be a part of your life in these circumstances. I’m already charging my room at the hotel to my credit card. If not for you taking me out on occasion, I would have had to spend way more than I already do. I can’t shoulder that burden on you, especially to someone I just met.”

“But what if I want to help?”

I shook my head. “You can’t. You’re just a bellboy.”

“I fucking hate that word.” He grimaced. “I’m not just a bellboy.”

“I know. You’re wonderful. And I do think you’d be good for me. Just under better circumstances where I don’t feel like I’m taking too much from you.”

He reached for my hands. “I need to tell you something.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not just a bellboy,” he said. “You can’t repeat what I’m about to tell you, okay?”

“Is it something illegal?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Fine. What is it?”

He took a deep breath. “My family owns a chain of boutique hotels. We’ve been wanting to acquire New Horizons hotel, and we needed someone to get close enough to see what the operation was like. That’s me. I saw the ad for a bellboy so I took the position, but the truth is that I’ve an office in Birmingham where I work. This isn't even my real home. Just a decoy until I finish up with my assessment of the hotel.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re kidding me, right?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m not. I haven’t told anyone because as you can guess, it wouldn’t go down well. I can help you get back on your feet, Shel. Just let me.”

Reeling from the unexpected news, I stepped away from him. “I can’t- Jesus, what the fuck do you really see in me, Jesse? This is even worse. Your family’s successful. Why the hell would you want to hook up with someone like me?”

“Not hook up,” he answered. “If that’s all I wanted I would have fucked you from the first night then never looked back. Do you think so poorly of yourself that you can’t see me wanting to be with you? I like you, Sheldon. Really like you, and I want to see where this will lead.”

He sounded so sincere that I felt myself believing him. I was screwed if he was fucking with me, but he was convincing him to give us a chance.

“If I stay, we take this slow,” I told him.

“Like no sex slow?” he asked.

“God, no. I don’t think I could go back after tonight.”

“Good. Slow I can do then.”

“And we’ll only agree to one month at a time,” I continued. “If I decide to stay, it’s just for a month initially. If we want to continue this then we do.”

“Sounds good.”

“And you can’t interfere with me trying to find a job. I want to do that on my own. I’m not going to use you for my gain simply because you have connections.”

“But I don’t mind helping you.”

I shook my head. “No interference. Let me prove to myself, if not to anyone else, that I’m not a complete loser.”

“You’re not a loser,” he said backing me up against the bathroom wall.

“I know. A loser wouldn’t have landed someone like you.”

He kissed me hard and deep. “You’re an awesome guy, and I intend to love on you until you believe it.”

I tugged his head to mine and kissed him, liking the sound of that. We had one month to prove this could work. Hopefully, it would turn into two and three. With every other kiss, he made me want to stay permanently.

Thanks for reading Ring My Bell, a follow-up of Sheldon who was featured in Unwrapping Ainsley. I hope you enjoyed it.

Books by Gianni Holmes

Till There Was You series

Easy Does It Twice

Easy Does It Twice: Honeymoon in Paris

Ollie on the Out

All Heart on Deck

Corporate Pride Series

Falling for Mr. Corporate

My Dear Mr. Corporate

Corporate Bondage

Man Evolved Series

Bartering His Body: Prehistoric Man

A Marksman Tale

Marking What’s Mine

Coming Soon

Marking His Mask

Project Runway Series

Unwrapping Ainsley