Gripping the smooth tiles of the island, Shawn swallowed, his very toes tingling at Roscoe’s touch. “Yeah. Well.” Chuckling softly, Roscoe leaned in, closing the distance between their lips. Shawn opened up for the soft, sweet kiss. This was why he’d come. Just touching Roscoe made him feel better.
Safe. Whole.
“All right, you two,” Lisa called from her station at her front door. “Lovely as you are together—and you are—you should probably head on upstairs.”
Slowly drawing back his lips, Roscoe skimmed a hand down Shawn’s arm until he could lace their fi ngers. “That’s an excellent idea.”
Shawn blinked, licked his lips, nodded and followed when Roscoe tugged him toward the door.
Lisa caught his shoulder as Roscoe led him past. He wound an arm around her waist as she kissed his check. “
Talk
to each other, would you please?” she chided.
Shawn glanced up to see Roscoe plant a kiss on her forehead.
“We’ll do our best.”
48 Mykles ~ Much Ado
Shawn ducked his head again when they both looked at him.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊
Shawn walked past Roscoe into the loft, heading for the kitchen as the track lights came on.
“You sure you’re okay?” Roscoe asked, voice soft behind Shawn.
“Yeah.” He snagged a glass from the cabinet and poured water from the fi ltered spout in the refrigerator door. “I’m sure it’s fi ne. I don’t think he’s dangerous. He just kind of…spooked me, is all.”
“Tell me.”
A glance showed Roscoe seated on one of the barstools, hands folded casually on the counter in front of him, but his eyes watching Shawn like a hawk.
So Shawn told him, sipping his water as he did. “See?” he said fi nally, setting the empty glass in the sink, “probably nothing.”
“I hardly think that’s nothing. He knows where you live.”
“There is that.”
“What are you going to do?”
He stared at the stainless steel of the sink’s faucet. “I don’t know yet.”
“You’re welcome to stay here.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re more than welcome to move back.” That got Shawn to twist around and face him. Roscoe hadn’t moved, just as calm and steady as always.
Shawn swallowed over a sudden lump in his throat. “Yeah?” A smile warmed Roscoe’s face. Slowly, he stood and rounded the edge of the counter. Shawn stayed where he was, watching him come. Again, Shawn’s face was bracketed by gentle hands that tilted his face up. Only then did he notice that the horn ENCORE! ENCORE!
49
rim glasses had been left behind on the counter, leaving Roscoe’s gorgeous black eyes unshielded.
“I love you, Finn. You have to know that.”
“Do I?”
A thumb rubbed his bottom lip. “Yes. I’ve never stopped loving you.”
Everything in him wanted to say the words back. Instead, he blurted his main concern. “You can’t run my life.” Roscoe nodded. “I know that.”
“Do you?”
Roscoe sighed, dropping his hands and stepping back. “I’ll apologize for trying to push you, but I won’t apologize for my opinion. Would you rather I lie to you when you’re making an obvious mistake?” When Shawn opened his mouth to respond, Roscoe held up a hand. “Wait. But I concede that my opinions are just that. I had no right to deny your trying something new.
And you’ve proven you can. So—” he took a breath and let it out “—if the drag show is what you want, I’m behind you. One hundred percent.” He turned and pointed toward a closet area beside the downstairs bathroom. “I fi gure we could expand there to give you more closet space, and we can setup a vanity where the bookshelf is. The lighting’s not too bad in that corner. I know a few students studying costume design who might be willing to help you out. And you
know
Kendra would adore helping you with makeup and hair. Did you know she used to style wigs?” He glanced over his shoulder and saw Shawn silently laughing at him.
“What?”
Heart bursting, Shawn couldn’t speak. He launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Roscoe’s waist. “You’re awesome.” He pressed his face to Roscoe’s chest in a vain attempt to staunch hot tears burning his eyes.
The older man’s arms settled around him, holding him close.
“Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
50 Mykles ~ Much Ado
“Only if you’ll forgive me.”
“What for?”
He squeezed tight. “Staying away. Keeping at something I didn’t like anymore just to spite you.”
“What’s this?”
Shawn shook his head, rubbing the tip of his nose right about where Roscoe’s left nipple would be. “It’s not fun anymore. I still like wearing skirts and dresses, but all the rest of it— It’s different to do it for a living.” He sighed, making sure his breath pushed through the thin fabric of the dress shirt to warm Roscoe’s skin.
“You were right. I’m not cut out to be a drag queen.” Long fi ngers sifted through his hair as a chin came to rest on top of his head. “This isn’t just because of what happened tonight with the stalker?”
“No. I’m not worried about Joshua.” He wasn’t, not anymore.
Now that he’d calmed down, he was pretty sure Joshua was intense, but harmless. “I’ve felt this way for a long time. Just—” he laughed “—certain things in the last two days have made it impossible to ignore.”
“Are you sure? We could work on your act…?” Shawn nipped that line of thought by glaring up at Roscoe.
“Don’t start.”
“What? You’ve got the basics. With a little work we could—”
He slipped his hand over Roscoe’s mouth. “Quit it, you. You’ll spoil the mood.”
Roscoe smiled behind Shawn’s hand. He caught Shawn’s wrist and kissed his palm. “Wouldn’t want to do that.”
“That’s better. Besides, you offered me a new job, and I think I like Shakespeare better.”
A cloud of worry that Shawn hadn’t even been aware was there dissolved away from Roscoe’s face. Smiling, he pressed Shawn’s palm to his cheek. “Will you come home?” ENCORE! ENCORE!
51
Shawn had to smile. “Home” sounded so right. “Convince me.”
That devious glint sparkled in the depths of Roscoe’s black eyes. He slid one hand down Shawn’s back to cup his ass, slipping the fi ngers of the other into the hair at the back of Shawn’s skull.
“And how might I do that?” He leaned in to nuzzle Shawn’s cheek.
Shawn let his head fall back, supported by Roscoe’s hand. “I think you’ve got the idea.”
He let Roscoe tilt his head, exposing his neck to further nuzzling and nipping. Lifting his leg, he wrapped it around Roscoe’s thigh so his growing erection could make itself known.
Roscoe must have noticed because his grip on Shawn’s ass tightened, pulling the smaller man up on his toes so their groins could fi t together. Shawn helped by sliding his arms up around Roscoe’s neck, hanging on tightly.
Roscoe’s lips reached Shawn’s, brushing softly, teasing.
“Should we take this upstairs?” he asked, his breath as much a caress as his lips.
“Yeah.”
Reluctantly, slowly, they released each other, caressing and kissing the entire time. Much as he loved going at it hot and heavy, Shawn was pleased at the slow pace. It seemed fi tting.
He led the way to and up the circular staircase, taking his time and putting an extra sway to his hips to catch Roscoe’s attention.
A quarter of the way up the stairs, he pulled off his hoodie.
“Nice,” Roscoe murmured, spreading an appreciative hand over Shawn’s lower back.
“I’ve kept in shape.”
“That you have.”
They reached the landing, and Shawn almost made it to the side of the bed before Roscoe hooked his waist from behind. He stopped, then happily melted back into the taller man as strong hands stroked around his sides to his belly, to the waistband of his
52 Mykles ~ Much Ado
jeans. Clever fi ngers made quick work of the button fl y, soft lips skated up and down Shawn’s neck. Shawn turned as Roscoe sank to his knees, kissing and licking his way down Shawn’s torso.
Roscoe chuckled when he found what was inside Shawn’s jeans. “I like,” he murmured, tracing the delicate edges of the lace thong.
Shawn shrugged. “Makes me feel pretty.”
“Mmmm.” While pulling down Shawn’s jeans, Roscoe pressed his face to the bulge of the thong. It wasn’t a gaff so his cock was up close and personal, straining the sturdy Lycra mix of the fabric under the lace. He gasped when Roscoe tongued the head of his cock, just peeking out beneath the top band. “Very pretty,” Roscoe agreed, leaving the jeans pooled at Shawn’s feet to skate his hands up Shawn’s legs and behind to cup the bare cheeks of his ass. He traced the creases between thighs and groin with his nose and tongue, teasing Shawn by intentionally not touching the part that ached for him most. But Shawn was used to this.
He knew Roscoe would make up for it eventually. If he had to, Shawn would beg. That rarely failed to get him results. But Roscoe’s patience was low tonight. He growled, then mouthed Shawn’s shaft, making it push against the now-damp stretchy fabric.
“Ah, damn, Coe,” Shawn breathed, digging his fi ngers into Roscoe’s hair.
Roscoe growled again, his fi ngers digging into Shawn’s ass.
They wiggled into the crack, spreading Shawn open so the pad of one fi nger could dip under the string of the thong to tease his opening.
That did it. “Fucking damn it,
suck
me already.” Laughing, Roscoe freed one hand to pull the thong far enough down to let Shawn’s cock out. It slapped against the side of his face, leaving a small splatter of pre-cum that Roscoe barely seemed to notice. He turned his head to mouth up and down Shawn’s shaft wetly while that one fi nger gently probed inside Shawn’s hole.
ENCORE! ENCORE!
53
Ignoring the whimper in his own throat, Shawn reached down to grip his shaft and forcibly guided the tip to Roscoe’s lips. Roscoe laughed, eyes tilted up as he opened his mouth to let Shawn slide his dick in. Shawn nearly lost it, had to grip his shaft hard to keep from coming just from watching the obvious pleasure Roscoe got out of tasting him. Gorgeous lips pursed over the head of him, sucking gently, teeth lightly scraping the sensitive spot just underneath the rim.
Shawn shuddered. “Gotta…sit…”
Roscoe guided him down, tossing aside his thong and spreading him out in the middle of the bed before settling between Shawn’s thighs to seriously get to work. Shawn groped blindly at the rumpled bedspread beneath him as Roscoe sucked his brains out of his cock. He released what would have been an embarrassing series of whimpers and moans if Roscoe didn’t get off on them. When Roscoe prodded his hole with saliva-slick fi ngers, Shawn eagerly grabbed his own thigh to hold it to his chest, giving Roscoe as much room as he could manage. The explosion came when Roscoe twisted two wet fi ngers in him up to the webbing and closed the back of his throat around Shawn’s cock head.
Roscoe milked him dry then slowly crawled away while Shawn tried to draw his wits back together.
“Fuck. Are you still dressed?”
The older man chuckled, loosening his tie. “I seem to be.”
“How’d that happen?”
The tie sailed into the corner then his fi ngers started on the shirt’s buttons. “You’re just that hot, Finn.” Shawn stretched, posing for his lover. “I am, aren’t I?” Roscoe joined his laughter as he drew his shirt open, exposing that long, splendid torso.
Shawn licked his lips. “You’re pretty hot yourself, Coe.” The shirt joined the tie in the corner. “I have to measure up to deserve you.”
54 Mykles ~ Much Ado
Shawn sobered for a moment, his smile dissolving. “That’s not it, you know.”
Roscoe’s weight shifted as he toed out of his shoes. “I know that, Finn.” He winked, hands at his waistband. “But it doesn’t hurt, huh?”
Shawn laughed, happily stretching among the spread and sheets that smelled like his lover while said lover shucked the rest of his clothes. He
was
insanely beautiful. His smooth skin glowed faintly in the muted lighting from below, like satin molded tight over sleek muscle. His cock jutted proud and long in front of him.
And he was all Shawn’s.
Roscoe circled to the side of the bed to open the bedside drawer. Lube and condoms were placed on the top of the nightstand.
Shawn rolled onto his side. “Hey?”
Roscoe raised an eyebrow at him.
“Do we need the condoms?”
“You tell me.” Roscoe knelt on the edge of the bed. “Before last night, I hadn’t slept with anyone since you left.” Shawn blinked. “No shit?”
He shook his head. “Never could go through with it. I kept wanting this adorable young thing with a penchant for wearing lace and skirts. They’re not so easy to fi nd, even in my line of work.”
Shawn laughed, edging closer. “I wasn’t…” He balled a fi st in the spread beneath him. “But it was only three times and we used condoms.”
Roscoe sat, leaning over to prop himself up right next to Shawn. “I’m willing to trust you.”
Shawn blinked up at Roscoe. “I totally trust you.” Smiling, Roscoe leaned down to lower his lips to Shawn. “Are you sure?”
ENCORE! ENCORE!
55
“God, yes.” Shawn grabbed Roscoe’s shoulders and rolled onto his back, pulling the bigger man on top of him.
Roscoe went easily, adjusting so he lay in the cradle of Shawn’s groin. The pressure from his fl at belly on Shawn’s cock pushed a groan out of Shawn. Another adjustment brought Roscoe back up on his knees, his thighs under Shawn’s, pushing them up and out. His hand skimmed down Shawn’s chest to palm cock.
“Reach the lube for me, baby.”
Words didn’t immediately make sense to Shawn, who writhed in Roscoe’s fi rm grip.
Roscoe chuckled. “Finn, baby, lube.”
Grumbling, Shawn twisted and reached, unwilling to move anything from the waist down for fear of Roscoe stopping. But Roscoe didn’t stop and Shawn just managed to stretch and grab the bottle. Once it was safely in Roscoe’s hands, Shawn threw his hands over his head to grip the pillows, rocking his hips as he spread his legs as far as they would go.
“Sore from last night?” Roscoe asked, watching a thin stream of liquid pool in his palm.