Chapter Seventeen
Haris knew the words hadn’t come out of his mouth. Maybe he didn’t love him. If he did, wouldn’t he have been able to say it? He was befuddled by desire, his heart pounding hard enough to crack his ribs. You don’t tell a guy you love him just because he has his tongue up your arse. Oh Christ. It felt so fucking good, so fucking bad, so fucking perfect that Haris wanted Tyler to do this forever. And when he pushed one lubed finger inside him and then two, he wanted him to do that forever as well.
Almost impossible to keep watching. His eyes kept closing and then popping open because he didn’t want to miss a thing. He lay back on the bed with his knees bent, his legs wide open, his fists clenching the covers, strange guttural cries spilling involuntarily from his lips.
Tyler’s fingers twisted in his ass and the moment Haris’s gaze locked with his, the guy took almost all Haris’s dick into his mouth. Shit, fuck, oh hell. Don’t you have a gag reflex?
The head of his cock brushed the back of Tyler’s throat and Haris moaned. “Oh fuck…that’s…”
Could cocks burst? Because his felt so hard and swollen, it was an actual worry. When his hips arched up into Tyler’s downward swallow, Tyler’s hand settled on his thigh to keep him flat. Silky strings of saliva and pre-come dribbled down Tyler’s chin, and he could see the mischief on his face as he swirled his tongue around his cock. Short fast sucks, hard deep gulps, whatever Tyler did just about blew his mind.
But not quite. Haris wanted to prolong the journey toward orgasm as long as he could, take the roundabout route to completion until the thrill of mounting anticipation had invaded every part of his body. Shivers of excitement rippled across his flesh leaving goose bumps behind. Pressure built in his head until the back of his skull throbbed. The ache in his belly intensified. Like a dragster gathering speed, he sprinted faster and faster toward his goal. His dick swelled and jerked, his sweat-soaked body tensed and his balls—
“Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck,” he blurted and then he was unravelling in a blaze of heat, everything racing, his heart, his head, his words and his seed, spilling into Tyler’s mouth in long wrenching spasms as his body turned itself inside out. He could feel Tyler swallowing and the pressure of his mouth around his cock just about drove the last remnants of sense from his head.
With every burst of come, Haris cried out, his balls intent on emptying themselves and Tyler just as intent on capturing every drop. And when the last spasm died away and he sagged boneless on the bed, all he could think about was when he could do it again.
Tyler crawled over him, supporting himself on his elbows, staring down into his face, his chest heaving. His black hair was a mess, his lips glistened with saliva and semen, and Haris didn’t think he’d ever seen anything sexier. He pulled him down and kissed him, tasting himself and Tyler, feeling the long hardness of his cock sandwiched between them. Since he was having problems telling Tyler what he meant to him, maybe he could show him. When they pulled apart to take a breath, Haris spoke before he lost his nerve.
“I want to feel you inside me.”
Tyler smiled. He stretched an arm toward the nightstand and Haris caught his elbow.
“Really feel you.”
He saw the instant Tyler understood what he meant. Haris held himself absolutely still while his heart rate zoomed off the scale. Did Tyler understand all of it? What he was doing? Trusting him with?
“Even after you found out what I…” Tyler mumbled, his gaze sliding away.
“You told me you were clean. I believe you.”
Part of Haris’s brain was yelling at him not to be so stupid, the other part had its tongue out, panting. But the longer Tyler didn’t say anything, the more anxious Haris became. Had he misjudged this?
“Or get a condom. That’s just as good,” Haris blurted.
“I wouldn’t know,” Tyler whispered.
“Me neither.”
Tyler’s laugh dragged one from him too.
“Maybe it’s crap without,” Tyler said and then his eyes widened and he laughed harder.
“Probably.” Haris smiled.
Tyler sighed. “Thing is, I decided a long time ago that I’d only ever go bareback with one person. I’ve been really careful. I know the trick some guys play of whipping a condom off at the last minute. No one has ever fucked me without protection. I’ve never fucked anyone without it either. I had it in my head that I wanted to wait for when I found that special guy. One I could completely trust.”
“Sor—”
Tyler put his hand over his mouth. “Let me finish. Waiting seemed even more important once I’d started to go to Prescott’s parties. Not just because of the risk but because I thought waiting was the one thing I could hang onto, going bareback the single thing I had to share that I hadn’t given anyone else. So I know what you’re offering here. I know what a big deal it is because it is for me too.”
Haris moved his hand. “If I’m not the right—”
Tyler put his hand back. “You are the right man. You think I don’t want to do this? Hell yes. I’m scared I’ll come before I even get all the way inside you.”
He moved his hand from Haris’s mouth.
“Only one way to find out,” Haris said.
For a long moment, they stared into each other’s eyes and then Tyler kissed him so wildly, Haris’s head buzzed. Is this what it’s like to inhale cocaine? Their tongues fought and tussled, their teeth clashing, as they licked and bit and sucked all over each other’s faces. The intensity of the kiss, the electric power of it, was enough to kick-start Haris’s cock and despite the fact that he’d just come, he began to thicken again. Tyler was relentless. He pushed his legs back so he could touch him, lick him, lave his cock and then his fingers were back on his arse and—where did he get that lube?—he was teasing him into opening, by circling his anus, pressing with his thumb. Oh Christ.
“Fuck, let me in,” Tyler muttered.
His arsehole was listening even if his head was still struggling. His muscles gave way and Tyler’s thumb slipped inside, to be replaced by two fingers. Haris’s muscles burned at the intrusion, clenching around the fingers as they twisted and thrust into his body. A brush against his prostate and the breath caught in Haris’s throat. He wanted more, needed something longer, harder, thicker and bucked up into Tyler’s hand.
“Need. You. Now.” Haris forced out the words.
Tyler pulled his fingers out and lined up his cock. Haris could see him shaking. The sensation of the soft, silky cockhead caressing his puckered anus dragged another groan from Haris’s throat.
“Can’t go slow. Sorry,” Tyler blurted and thrust long and hard, burying his cock balls-deep inside him.
Slight pain morphed almost instantly to acute pleasure. Tyler had his eyes shut, his head thrown back, his face screwed up, but looking just as gorgeous as when he smiled.
“A hundred and seventy two multiplied by thirteen,” Tyler gasped.
“Two thousand two hundred and thirty six.”
“You’re not supposed to bloody tell me. I’m trying to distract myself.” He opened one eye and glared at Haris. “How come you can still think straight? How come you can work it out that fast?”
“Good at maths, good at multi-tasking, just good.”
Tyler groaned. “Well, see if you can count to ten before I come. Anything over ten is a miracle.”
Haris looked down as Tyler began to move, and watching a bare cock slide in and out of him sent a rush of blood to his head and shivers down his spine. It actually didn’t feel much different to being fucked with a condom, but doing this brought him closer to Tyler. How crazy to think he could avoid emotional entanglement with this guy. Tyler had him wrapped in invisible ropes.
Tyler moaned and groaned and every sound he made echoed inside Haris.
“Are you fucking counting?” Tyler gasped.
“Five.”
Tyler moved his hips faster, his hands gripping Haris’s legs, pushing them back as he shoved forward.
“Six.”
He looks so beautiful.
Tyler held himself upright, his body rigid while his hips shifted like pistons.
“Three,” Haris blurted and his reward was a quirk of Tyler’s sexy lips.
“More like sixteen. You…okay?” Tyler asked.
“Perfect.”
“So fucking tight and hot and oh Christ.”
Tyler came apart, spilling himself inside him and Haris thought he’d never seen or felt anything more perfect in his life. As Tyler slumped down and Haris wrapped his legs and arms around him, he whispered, “A miraculous ten minutes,” in his ear and felt Tyler shake against him as he laughed.
But when Haris tried again to tell him he loved him, he couldn’t. The words wouldn’t come out.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Tyler hopped on one leg as he struggled to get into his jeans. “I’m late. Last day at college. I’m supposed to be having my term end assessment this morning.”
“You’re supposed to be speaking to the police this morning.”
Tyler glanced across to Haris who still lay in bed. “Stop looking so tempting.”
Haris laughed. “I’ve got to get up anyway, but call the police and Michael Dunnock and tell him when to meet you.”
Tyler fumbled with his zip. “You think I still need a lawyer?”
“I think it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Tyler flung himself back on the bed, kissed Haris and then rolled off again. “See you later.”
He made it to college with minutes to spare. He’d phoned the hospital to ask how Jeremy was but they wouldn’t tell him. When he’d pushed, at least they reassured him he was alive.
Tyler’s heart pounded as he knocked on the door of his tutor’s room. He felt as if he’d hardly slept last night, not helped by the fact that Haris insisted on waking him when he did fall asleep because he’d read that was what you were supposed to do if someone had concussion. Though Tyler didn’t think the treatment also included fucking. He grinned.
“Good morning,” Boris said.
“Morning.”
He wished he’d had time to warm up first.
“What delights do you have for me today?” Boris asked.
“Grieg,” Tyler said. “A selection of his Lyric Pieces.”
“Ah.” Boris leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.
What did “ah” mean? Tyler risked his tutor’s ire by running his cold fingers up and down the keyboard several times.
“Were you late in?” Boris narrowed his eyes.
“The Tube. Some sort of hold up.”
Tyler started with Puck, followed that with To Spring and then March of the Trolls. He loved that piece. He could almost see the trolls playing in the snow and then creeping away at dawn. The last one was Wedding Day at Troldhaugen. He finished with a flourish and turned to Boris.
“Didn’t you read the instructions? You were supposed to select one piece not four.”
Tyler gulped. “But one would have been too short.”
“Then you should have chosen something different. You’ve not met the requirements of the module. The instructions were quite clear. All you had to do was follow them.”
Oh fuck. “Can I play something else?”
“Do you have another piece prepared?”
No. “Yes.”
Boris glanced at his watch. “Okay.”
Tyler faced the piano and took a deep breath. Loss, longing, sadness. Not hard to put himself in the zone. He bent over the keyboard and began to play. His anxiety faded as he immersed himself in the piece. Long, cold unmelodic runs gradually morphed to light, warmth and soulful harmony as happiness was regained.
He’d been thinking of a fallen angel when he wrote it. The idea being that he was deprived of love once he fell from Heaven, but that through good deeds, he was rewarded with a chance of happiness with another who’d fallen like him. Tyler knew he wasn’t supposed to play something he’d composed, but he had a feeling Boris was going to fail him anyway so why not take the risk? At least if he made a mistake, the guy wouldn’t notice. And I have made a few.
As the last note died away, Tyler sighed.
“Who wrote that?”
Pointless lying. “I did.”
He turned to face his tutor and gaped when he saw Boris wipe a tear from his face. He must have had something in his eye. He couldn’t be—
“You weren’t supposed to play something of your own.”
Yeah, I know. “Oh, I’m sorry.” He tried to look contrite.
“Want to try again?”
“I can’t. I have to go the police station to make a statement. A lawyer’s waiting for me. A friend of mine was attacked last night and I was knocked out.”
Boris’s eyes widened.
“I spent much of the evening in the hospital.” He might as well go all out for the sympathy vote. “I signed myself out so I could come in today.”
“Okay. Off you go.”
Tyler jumped and grabbed his coat. “Thanks.” He hurried for the door.
“Don’t you want to know if you passed?” Boris called.
“Did I?” He kept his back toward Boris.
“Yes.”
He turned and beamed. “Thank you.”
“Next time follow the rules.”
Tyler emerged from the police station feeling like he’d been knocked down by a car.
“Are you okay?” Dunnock asked.
He nodded. “Thanks for your help.”
“I take it I’m to send my bill to Haris?”
Oh God. More money? “Yes.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but contact me if the police want to speak to you again. They probably will.”
“Right.”
Tyler knew the police hadn’t figured out why the sock and belt had been in his pocket. Jeremy hadn’t been tied up when he arrived so it wasn’t that he didn’t remember freeing him. Someone must have put them in his pocket, and that someone could be the guy who’d stabbed Jeremy. Had he still been in the room? In the bathroom? If Tyler had been the target, he’d had chance to kill him and hadn’t.
Before he went back to Holland Park, he wanted to talk to Jeremy. He knew he might have made things difficult by speaking out and wanted to warn him. It hadn’t been his place to tell about the rape, but it gave Gerald a motive to want Jeremy silenced.
When he finally found Jeremy’s ward, a policeman sat outside his room.
Tyler approached him cautiously. “I’m a friend of Jeremy’s. I found him last night. Can I see him?”
“He’s not allowed visitors.”
“I just wanted to make sure he was okay.”
The policeman stared at him and then said, “I’ll come in with you.”
Tyler bit his lip when he saw Jeremy. He looked battered and bruised and as pale as his pillow, especially with his hair dyed.
“He says he’s your friend,” the policeman said. “You happy for him to spend a few minutes with you?”
“Yes,” Jeremy croaked.
The policeman left and Tyler sat on a chair next to the bed. “Christ, Jeremy, you look like shit.”
“Exactly the look I was going for.”
Tyler chuckled. “You’re going to live, I take it.”
“Thanks to you. You saved my life.”
“Hey, I took one look at the blood and passed out.”
“Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
Tyler smiled. “How are you feeling?”
“Like crap.”
“So what the hell happened?”
“I opened the door when someone knocked. I thought it was you, but this stranger burst in and bowled me over. I struggled but he gagged me and tied me up on the bed. I thought he was going…but he grabbed a knife from the kitchen.”
Tyler took hold of Jeremy’s fingers and squeezed gently.
“He pulled my phone and wallet out of my pocket and I thought he just wanted to rob me and then he’d go. But he went through the wallet and got all pissed, started to swear—well, I guessed he was swearing, I had no idea what language he was speaking.” He stopped to take a breath. “I think I had about twenty quid in there, but what the hell did he expect to find from someone in a little bedsit? I thought, this is so unfair, I’m going to get fucking killed for twenty quid, but he just glared at me and called someone on his mobile. More of the foreign language before he grabbed my phone and sent a text.”
“To me. I had a feeling it wasn’t you. I can barely understand yours. Though if he texted in English, he must speak it.”
Jeremy shifted and groaned. “He didn’t say anything to me. He just sat playing with the knife, checked his watch a couple of times and the next thing I knew, he’d stuck the blade in me a few times. “
“Oh God.”
“The doctor said I was lucky he’d used a little knife. Lucky it hadn’t gone an inch to the right.”
Tyler winced.
“Next time I opened my eyes I saw you.”
“I gave a statement to the police this morning.” Tyler was working up to telling him what he’d said about Gerald and Prescott’s parties.
“They took a brief one from me. I wasn’t much help. Don’t know the guy. Don’t know why he did it.”
“I thought it might have been Gerald.”
“It wasn’t. He was in his mid-thirties, I’d guess. Curly dark hair, darkish skin, foreign. I suppose Gerald could have paid him to stab me. But why?”
Tyler took a deep breath. “I cocked up.”
Jeremy stared at him.
“I saw Gerald at a charity dinner at the Natural History Museum last Sunday. His name’s not Gerald, by the way. It’s George Blunt. He’s a senior civil servant. He cornered me in the Gents’ and I accused him of raping you.”
Jeremy pressed his lips together.
“He wasn’t happy. I should have warned you I’d seen him. Sorry. I told the police. And I told them about Prescott and his parties.”
“Jesus, Tyler. I didn’t say anything about that. I told them I was staying at your place because a guy had been bothering me, but I said I didn’t know who it was. They think it’s the same one who stabbed me.”
“You have to tell them about Gerald and Prescott. Even if they don’t bring charges against Gerald, they need to know.”
“I don’t want that on my record. Nor about the parties. I’d never get accepted as a pilot.”
“What we did isn’t an offense. It’s only Prescott who’s broken the law. Well, and Gerald, but you don’t stand much chance of proving the r…what he did.”
“You really think Prescott or Gerald could be behind this?”
“Who else could it be? Maybe one of them hoped to set me up for your murder but things went wrong. Your attacker waited after he’d texted me before he stabbed you, so he might have been making sure I was close and had no alibi. What if he was hiding in the bathroom?” He shuddered. “Maybe it was him who hit me. Or maybe he laughed when he saw I’d knocked myself out when I fainted.”
“There’s no proof Prescott or Gerald are involved.”
“I know. And if it was only Gerald, and Prescott discovers what’s happened and thinks the jig’s up, he’ll just close everything down. I think he’s screwed.”
“Maybe not. There’s no proof as you said, and I haven’t confirmed your story.”
Tyler opened his mouth and then closed it again.
Jeremy sighed. “Bang goes my chance of making some real money. I can’t even work now for weeks.”
It shocked Tyler that he’d even consider going back. “You might get something from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.”
“Not ninety thousand quid.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What I thought I never would. Go home. My parents should be here soon.”
Tyler frowned. “I thought you didn’t get on with them.”
“I don’t, but it’s amazing how being stabbed changes things.” He laughed and groaned. “Ouch. That hurt. I’ll go back for a few months. I’ve had my fill of London. When I’m well, I’ll rethink. Keep in touch, okay?”
“Sure.”
“And be careful.”