Chapter 20

Adam

I’ve spent the entire morning trying to think of an excuse to give Gage to explain why Nox and I are going away for the weekend together. And for the life of me I can’t come up with a damn thing. Time is running down for me to make something up because I booked a room at a bed and breakfast in a small town just outside Portland. There’s no way in hell I’m missing a weekend alone with Nox. No sneaking around, no fear of creepy notes, and no clothes if I have any say in it.

I need another perspective on this so I go in search of Owen to get his advice.

“Hey man, you have a second?” I ask as I lean against the doorway of his workspace.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Here’s the situation, I want to take Nox away for the weekend but I can’t figure out how to justify our absence to Gage.”

Owen raises an eyebrow at me.

“I assume telling him the truth is out of the question?”

I let out a long breath and run my hand through my hair.

“I’m going to tell him soon. But I don’t really want to deal with it right this second when I’m trying to take my boyfriend on a romantic weekend in four hours.”

Owen nods in understanding and strokes his beard as he thinks.

“Oh, I know, what about a fake tattoo convention?”

“Hm, that could work. Gage wouldn’t go checking into it to make sure it’s real or anything. But how would I explain only taking Nox?”

“It’s last minute, you can’t spare anyone at the shop but Nox is only an apprentice so you figure it’ll be a good learning experience for him.”

“That’s brilliant, and so obvious. Why didn’t I think of that hours ago?”

Owen shrugs and laughs.

“You should tell Gage soon, though.”

“As soon as we get back,” I promise.

 

When Gage, Nox, and I pile into my car at the end of the day I take a deep breath and prepare to lie to my best friend for the millionth time.

“Hey, I forgot to mention I think I’m going to go to a tattoo convention in Portland this weekend.”

“Okay, cool. You know I can hold down the fort,” Gage assures me and my heart twinges. Of course Gage would take care of everything at Heathens. It’s as much his shop as it is mine.

“Thanks.” I reach over and pat his shoulder. “Nox, I figured I’d drag you along. It’ll be a good learning experience for you.”

I glance in the rearview mirror and see Nox giving me a secret smile.

“Cool,” he says in a casual tone.

 

 

Nox

Not knowing what Adam has planned I’m not sure how to pack. I end up throwing a few all purpose items into my bag and figure it’ll have to do.

My stomach flutters, remembering last night and how it felt to be inside Adam.

That wasn’t like any sex I’d ever had before. The way our bodies fit together, the way he gasped my name as I moved inside him.

My dick starts getting hard just thinking about it.

My fingers land on a silky tie as I riffle through my clothes and I remember Adam’s erotic request from a few weeks ago. He said he wanted me to tie him up and use his body.

I go from semi hard to fully tenting my pants at the thought. My blood heats as I imagine Adam’s hands bound as I lick and touch. Then I imagine his cock in my mouth with him bound and at my mercy.

“Oh fuck,” I gasp as my cock jerks at the thought.

I press my palm against my erection, willing myself to calm down while simultaneously thrusting a little and reveling in the friction.

A knock at my door startles me into dropping my hand.

“Almost ready?”

“Uh, yeah, one minute.” I shove the tie into my bag and grab a few other items before declaring it good enough.

 

 

Adam

I feel a bit like I’m getting away with something as we cruise down the highway toward Oregon.

“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

“Somewhere I can spend the weekend ravaging you.”

“Mmmm, that sounds nice,” Nox agrees, putting his hand on my knee and giving it a little squeeze.

I cover his hand with my own and relax into the warm feeling his touch evokes.

“I’ve got a game to play, we’ll put the music on shuffle and whatever song comes on we have to make up a story behind the writing of it.”

For the next two and a half hours laughing and coming up with the most outlandish stories and sneaking small touches and kisses.

When we pull up in front of the large, blue Victorian house Nox looks up at it with excitement gleaming in his eyes.

“Are we at a Bed and Breakfast like rich people?”

I chuckle at his enthusiasm.

“I don’t know about rich people, but we are at a bed and breakfast.”

“I don’t deserve this.”

“Of course you do. Come on, Bird let’s get our bags inside and we’ll figure out something for dinner.”

“Sounds good, I’m starving.” Nox’s stomach growls as if to prove his point.

 

An hour later we’re settled into our room and looking through some take-out menu’s given to us by the kindly old couple who run the place.

“Thai food?” I suggest.

“I’ve never had it, but I’m game for anything.”

I place an order for a few items we can share and then settle onto the bed, opening my arms to beacon Nox in.

He comes readily, snuggling against my chest with a happy sigh. I run my fingers through his hair and he leans into my touch like a content cat.

“Hey, I know this is vacation and I shouldn’t talk about work but I had an idea I wanted to run by you,” Nox says after a few minutes of quiet cuddling.

 “I’m all ears.”

“I’ve been trying to think of ways to raise money for Rainbow House. I figure it can’t be cheap to upkeep and the thought of them ever having to turn kids away or shut down turns my stomach. I was thinking, what if we did a day once a month at Heathens where fifty percent of profits get donated to Rainbow House? I looked it up and charitable donations are a tax write off.”

“That is an amazing idea, I can’t believe I never thought of that.”

Nox shrugs and I notice a slight pink in his cheeks.

“I just want to help those kids.”

I pull Nox close and devour his lips. I can’t believe I landed such an amazing, brave, kind hearted man but I’ll be damned if I’m ever letting him go.

A knock at the door interrupts us before anything can get too exciting.

“That must be dinner.”

I collect our food and tip the delivery driver generously before bringing everything over to the bed and unpacking it.

When we dig in Nox makes happy noises as he tries a little of everything. For a few minutes I’m too fascinated by the sounds he’s making and his facial expressions to remember to eat myself.

 

 

Nox

We take our time eating, discussing some ideas for organizing and getting the word out about fundraising days for Rainbow House. I’m thrilled Adam liked my idea because I’ve been thinking for weeks about how I could find a way to fundraise for the kids.

Once we’re both full, we clear away the empty containers and a familiar glint sparks in Adam’s eyes.

My skin heats as I remember my fantasy earlier in the day. The same fantasy Adam told me he had the first time we fooled around. 

“Get on the bed, on your knees, with your hands behind your back,” I command and Adam’s pupils dilate with lust. “Clothes off,” I add to the instructions, giving Adam a hard slap on the ass when he turns around to face the bed.

He wastes no time obeying my command, shedding his clothes and climbing onto the bed. Then, he looks over his shoulder at me. We share a hungry smile before I grab him by the hair and drag him into a bruising kiss, his body vibrating with excitement.

I release him and step behind him, running my hands over the planes of his muscles.

“I have a surprise for you,” I say as I run my finger along the seam of his ass just enough to tease. “Do you want it?”

“Yes.” His voice is husky and breathless.

I bend down and fish out my bag I stashed under the bed. When I stand back up I have a red, silky tie in my hand. When the material touches Adam’s wrists he lets out a low moan, his ass cheeks clenching.

“You want this, don’t you?” I purr as I bind his hands. 

“Yes,” Adam gasps.

Once I’m finished with the knot I put my hand between Adam’s shoulder blades and push until he gets the hint and falls forward, ass in the air, hands bound at his lower back.

“What a pretty sight, I almost want to take a picture,” I praise, running my hands along the taut globes and then spreading them wide so I can see his tight, pink hole just begging to be filled. It clenches and Adam’s hips twitch no doubt seeking some sort of relief for his achingly hard cock.

I give him a hard smack, leaving a burning pink handprint on his left ass cheek.

“Don’t move unless I specifically tell you to, understand?”

“Yes.”

“I kind of like that.” I lick my lips as my gaze travels over my man. “The only word I want to hear out of your filthy mouth is ‘yes’, got it?”

“Yes,” Adam moans again.

I grab his thighs and force them wider and then reach between his legs and palm his sac, tugging and massaging his balls in one hand as I lean down and run the flat of my tongue up his crack and over his needy hole.

My cock throbs as the musky taste hits my tongue.

Adam whimpers but obeys the directions I gave him not to move or speak. I’ve never thought much about bondage or dominance play, but I can’t deny the rush it’s giving me. Nor can I deny that my cock has never been this hard. It helps that Adam is so into this, his balls already pulled tight, pre-cum leaking from his slit onto the mattress below as I tease my hands all over him, my tongue working open his ass.

I reach between his legs and slowly stroke him as I fuck him with my tongue.

Adam whimpers but behaves and doesn’t move or say anything. His easy acceptance of my instructions is a bone deep thrill.

 I want Adam’s cock in my mouth. The unexpected thought gives me pause. Am I ready to take that step?

Adam gasps as I cup his balls with my free hand and roll them in my palm.

“Flip onto your back,” I demand before I can change my mind.

I untie his hands and Adam scrambles to comply, putting his hands over his head so I can bind them again. His chest is rises and falls rapidly and his flushed cock is standing at full attention. The sight takes my breath away.

I love you. The words are on the tip of my tongue but I bite them back. Adam can’t possibly love me back, can he?

Instead of dwelling on that I shuffle down between Adam’s legs. I lick my lips as I run my index finger along the crown of his cock, gathering the pre-cum and spreading it.

Adam gasps and his muscles tremble, but he remains stock still.

Emboldened by the look of pained pleasure on his face and the strain of his muscles I lower myself and test the waters by slicking my tongue along the large vein that runs along the underside from base to tip.

“Yes,” Adam chokes out.

His salty skin against my tongue makes my heart race and my own cock ache. I glance up at Adam’s face and there’s no question, this is nothing like what I feared it would be. His eyes are full of adoration and longing. He’s looking at me like I’m the center of his universe. I matter to him.

Without wasting another second I wrap my lips around him and swallow him down. Even still he doesn’t thrust and gag me. Adam stays still, letting me suck and lick him at my own pace.

I take my time, enjoying the weight of Adam’s cock against my tongue, the feel of his taut muscles under my hands, the gasps and moans I easily elicit. Why was I so afraid of this? How could I have ever thought this would make me see Adam differently? Maybe it does change things because there’s no way I can deny to myself how much of my heart and soul Adam owns.

“I’m close,” Adam warns, the muscles in his arms straining against his bindings as I suck harder, desperate to taste his release. “Nox, oh fuck.”

Adam thickens between my lips and then starts to pulse, spurts of tangy release coating my tongue and hitting the back of my throat as I work him through his orgasm.

“Oh my god, I love you,” Adam mutters as I release him from my mouth.

My blood runs cold. Of course I hoped Adam might feel the same way I do, but…

I take in his disheveled and sated appearance. His hands are still secured over his head and he seems content to leave them there until I see fit to untie him. Does he mean it or is this post-orgasm haze?

I crawl over him and release his writs from the tie. He moves just enough to wrap his arms around me and pull me against his chest

“Mmmm, give me a few minutes to recover and I’ll take care of you, Bird.” Adam nuzzles my hair and lets out a content sigh.

My stomach is still in a tight knot but I force the worries from my mind and settle against him.

 

 

 

Adam

My eyes drink in the sight of the long lines of Nox’s bare back bathed in the morning sun as it peeks through the curtains.

I know I freaked him out last night when I told him I loved him, but I couldn’t stop the words from spilling out. My whole body was bursts with the awe and affection I feel for him.

I’m not ignorant of how difficult it was for him to go down on me. The amount of trust that had to take on his part is humbling.

And the way he dominated me…

A delighted shiver runs up my spine at the memory.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Nox is the one for me. I can see a life with him. I can’t shake the image of the two of us building a life together, getting married, maybe adopting a child someday. It’s everything I never knew I wanted before the shy, talented man with the scarred arms walked into my tattoo shop and asked for an apprenticeship.

I can be patient until Nox is ready to tell me he loves me back. I know he does and I can bide my time.

I waited for my Phoenix for over a year, even when I didn’t realize I was waiting for him.

I loved him before I met him face to face, I know that now. I loved Nox’s soul and his sense of humor. I loved his resilient spirit.

Nox stirs beside me and I take the opportunity to trail a line of chaste kisses down his spine.

He hums and arches into my touch.

“You have two choices. We can stay in bed and I’ll have my wicked way with you or we can be total hipster tourists and go to the farmer’s market in town.”

“Hmmm.” Nox rolls over and yawns before stretching his arms over his head.

“You’re so beautiful,” I tell him as I kiss along the marred skin on his stomach.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to sway my decision?” Nox laughs and squirms as I dip my tongue into his belly button.

“Wow, I’m offended. Because of those libelous allegations I’m going to get dressed and go to the farmer’s market without you.”

“Dork.” Nox pulls me in for a quick kiss before he rolls out of bed and grabs his bag. “Let’s go, sexy time when we get back.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

 

“What exactly is a scone?” Nox asks as I drag him to one of the bakery booths at the farmer’s market. “It looks like a flat muffin.”

“Kind of,” I agree. “They’re delicious, trust me.”

I get a few different flavors for us to share and two coffees before turning back to Nox with a smile.

We find a grassy spot to sit down away from the chaos to enjoy our breakfast.

“Okay, yeah, these are amazing,” Nox moans as he shoves an orange cranberry scone into his mouth.

I almost blurt out that I love him again, but stop myself before the words are out. I don’t want to push Nox too fast.

“Oh look,” Nox points to something over my shoulder. I turn my head and see an art shop.

“Let’s go after we finish eating. You can never have too many art supplies.”

“Preach,” Nox agrees with a nod.

We polish off the pastries and head to the art supply shop.

I can’t get over how perfect it feels as we browse, hand in hand.

“It’s nice to be out like this in public,” Nox muses, gesturing to our joined hands.

My heart twinges as his words sink in.

“I’m sorry,” I tug Nox closer and kiss his forehead. “When we get home, I’m going to tell Gage and we’ll never have to hide again. Okay?”

“Okay.”

As we continue to look around my attention snags on a gorgeous leather bound sketch book that has Nox written all over it. I grab it along with some water colors I saw Nox eyeing when we came in and head up to the register.

“What are you doing?” Nox asks.

“Getting you a present.”

“Why?”

“Because I missed your birthday. Plus, it’s our, what? Three-and-a-half-month anniversary. I’d be a horrible boyfriend if I didn’t get you a present.”

Nox laughs and his expression gets all gooey.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I always want to put that smile on your face, Bird.”

 

 

The rest of the weekend passes with the two of us in bed, only putting on pants to accept take-out orders, and getting completely lost in each other.

By the time we’re in the car heading home on Sunday night I’m strategizing about how to tell Gage I’ve been lying to him for more than half our lives.

“You don’t have to tell him if you’re not ready,” Nox says, reading my expression as we drive.

“I’m ready. As ready as I’ll ever be, anyway,” I assure him, reaching over and taking his hand.