Guys on Top 02 - Guys on the Side (20 page)

Corey stood motionless, arms at his sides, Angelo’s lips just brushing over his. He kept his own lips soft, only slightly parted, and let Angelo decide how much further he wanted to take it. But when Angelo drew Corey’s lower lip into his mouth, sucking gently, he couldn’t resist reaching up and running his hands over his shoulders, tracing the line of muscle beneath the soft fabric of his sweater.

Angelo let out a hard breath as he drew back, releasing Corey’s lip. His eyebrows pinched together, and he paused there a moment and just stared, their faces close.

“So,” Corey said, his voice deep and breathy. “This is what you’ve been thinking about?”

“Yes,” Angelo said. “But I had no idea it would feel like this.”

Corey stroked Angelo’s shoulders, resisting the urge to pull him in, trying to hold back. “Like what?” he asked, eyes flicking to Angelo’s lips. “How does it feel?”

Angelo’s hands rested on Corey’s lower back, sending a shiver through his spine. He gently pulled Corey against him. “Like I can’t stop.”

All of Corey’s practiced restraint fled in an instant, and he took Angelo’s face in his hands, capturing his mouth hungrily, consequences be damned. When he boldly worked Angelo’s mouth open, risking a lick of his tongue, he was rewarded with a deep, desperate groan from the other man, and his control shattered completely.

But his abandon was short-lived, as Angelo abruptly tore his mouth away, pulling back with a gasp. “Wait.” He closed his eyes, a deep frown between his brows.

Ah, fuck. Here it comes. Should have known better, Corey, you dumbass.

“I’m sorry,” Corey said. “Too much?”

Still with his eyes closed, Angelo grinned. “No.” Opening his eyes, he said, “My legs feel about to give out. Can we move to the sofa?”

Corey’s eyebrows rose. “Um...yeah. Sure.”

“Unless you still want to leave.”

Grinning, Corey grabbed Angelo’s shoulders, receiving a smile in return as he walked him toward the living room area.

“Guess that’s a no,” Angelo said.

Corey released him, then walked over to a cozy looking gray sofa, and sat down, leaning against the side arm. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good.” Angelo shut off one of the lamps, leaving the room moody with just the dimmed overhead lights.

Corey’s phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, saw that it was Zach, and ignored the call, setting it aside on the end table.

Angelo moved cautiously toward the sofa, stopping midway. “Call not important?”

Corey shook his head. “Nope. Come sit.”

Angelo grinned shyly, and came and sat down next to Corey, shifting to face him with one arm slung over the couch back.

Corey’s phone quacked with an incoming text. He groaned, then reached for it. “I’m sorry,” he said to Angelo, then read the text.

‘
Please answer the phone. I only want to apologize for tonight. I’ll keep calling until you pick up so you might as well answer.
’

Corey scowled. “Son of a bitch, back the fuck off,” he muttered, forgetting Angelo for a moment.

“Problem?”

Corey looked up at Angelo, so gorgeous in the muted light. “No. Just being harassed by the ex.”

“Do you...need to call him back?”

“No. In fact I’m shutting my phone off.” Corey did so, and set it aside again. He tried not to let his irritation show, but Angelo studied him hard.

“It’s all right,” Angelo said. “I understand if that killed the mood.”

“Only for a moment.” He looked at Angelo. “But if anything, it made me glad I’m here. This is exactly what I needed tonight.”

“Is he the one who upset you tonight? Your ex?”

“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about him. Let’s talk about you instead.”

Angelo smiled. “What do you want to know?”

Corey shuffled closer, running a knuckle down Angelo’s inner arm. “I want to know if you liked the way I kissed you just now. Or if it freaked you out.”

Angelo laughed, and cast his eyes down. “Well, shit,” he said. “I suddenly find myself shy.”

“It’s okay,” Corey said. “I won’t interrogate you about it.”

Shrugging, Angelo said, “A little of both, to be honest.”

Corey couldn’t help the sting of disappointment. But what had he expected? Of course the guy would be freaked out. He’d never kissed a man, as far as Corey could surmise. “Freaked out because it felt weird,” Corey said. “I guess that’s a normal response considering.”

Angelo’s eyes lifted. “No. Freaked out because I’ve never been so turned on in my life, and I really want you to do it again.”

Corey’s pulse quickened, but caution had wormed its way into his senses now. “Are you sure about that?”

Angelo took Corey’s hand. “Before, all I knew was I liked you and was drawn to you in a way I didn’t understand. I’d been having some feelings I admittedly rejected at first.” He grinned, then laughed softly. “But they wouldn’t be so easily cast out. And after leaving your apartment yesterday, after the massage and spending all that time talking, I came home and could
not
stop thinking about you. All night. I realized this wasn’t just some odd fascination simply because I enjoy our conversations and find you entertaining.”

Corey heard the sincerity in his words, but also the struggle. “How can you be sure it’s something more than that?”

“Because when I tried to go to sleep, it wasn’t our conversations I was thinking about. I wanted you in my bed.”

“
Oh
.” Corey was silent for a long moment, a bit thrown. He’d been prepared for Angelo to be reluctant, mixed up in his head. He’d been prepared for Angelo to retreat, to change his mind. What he hadn’t been prepared for was total acquiescence.

“Corey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just thinking about what you said.”

Angelo smirked. “You do know I can read people, right? It’s kind of what I do.”

“And what is your psychiatric crystal ball sensing about me now?”

“Apprehension.”

Corey chuckled. “A bit apprehensive, I guess.”

“Okay.” Angelo squeezed Corey’s hand. “About what, exactly?”

Corey looked into Angelo’s eyes, struggling to put what he was feeling into words. Then he just blurted it out. “I don’t know how to make love to a straight guy.”

Angelo blinked twice. The side of his lip crooked up, then he snorted and doubled over, laughter pealing out of him.

“What?” Corey grinned down at him. “What is so funny about that?”

“I just...” Angelo held a hand up. “You just...” Then he fell into laughter again, wheezing with it, his back shaking.

Corey watched him, frowning.

“I’m sorry.” Angelo sat up and wiped his eyes. “I’m sorry, it’s just...it’s all backwards.” He fell into giggles again. “You don’t know how to...oh, God.”

“Are you quite finished?”

“Yes.” Still smiling, Angelo wiped his eyes again. “Yes, I’m done. Sorry.”

“Thanks for being so compassionate and understanding, doctor.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have laughed. It just sounded odd. I mean, okay, I’ve never been with a man before, but I’m not a unicorn or something. I’m still a man. How do you make love to a
gay
guy?”

“Lots of different ways.”

Angelo’s grin slid away, his eyes darkening. “Maybe you could show me one or two of those ways.”

Tingles stirred in Corey’s groin. “I guess I didn’t expect you to be so...all in.”

“Do you like me?” Angelo asked.

Corey frowned. “Well, yeah. Of course I like you. Would I still be here if I didn’t?”

Angelo looked deeply into Corey’s eyes, letting out a breath through his nose. “I’m not
all in
. It makes me nervous as hell, I admit it. But I am all into
you
. I want to be honest and get that out there, in case you still think I’m just curious or that you’re an experiment, or whatever else you said. I’m into you, Corey. I know you just went through a breakup and things are turbulent in your life right now. So if you’re just toying and don’t feel anything for me, I would like to know that now.”

Corey blew out a breath. “I feel like that should have been
my
speech tonight.”

“Told you,” Angelo said. “Everything’s backwards.”

Nodding, Corey said, “I’m into you.”

Angelo grinned. “Yeah?”

Corey shuffled closer, stroking Angelo’s cheek with his finger. “Yeah.”

Closing his eyes, Angelo said, “So what now?”

“I don’t know.” Corey leaned in and nuzzled his neck. He trailed his mouth up to Angelo’s ear, licking his lobe. “What now?”

“Shit.” Angelo let out a staggered breath. “Can’t think while you’re doing that.”

“Sorry.” Corey eased back, but kept his hand on the back of Angelo’s neck. “Angelo, I am into you. Really into you. But you’ve got to tell me what you want. I need some guidelines here. I don’t want to freak you out and I don’t want to break you.”

Angelo smiled. “I’m pretty solid. I doubt you’ll break me.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes. I know what you mean.” Angelo’s lips pursed, eyebrows pinching. “All right,” he said, and leaned back. “So considering what you’d normally do. With um...with a man?”

Corey raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Well, maybe you could...start me out easy. Do you know what I mean?”

Leaning back, Corey crossed his arms, smiling. “I think I do. So you’re saying if I normally take the volume to ten, we could try starting at maybe...a two.”

Angelo grinned. “Maybe a three. Or four.”

“Four? Angelo! You slut.”

“Told you I was into you.”

“
Okay
.” Corey laughed. “We’ll call it a soft four.” He let his eyes linger on Angelo’s lips, no longer hiding his desire. “Oh, yeah,” he whispered. “I think I can handle this.”

“You think so?” Angelo’s voice had gone breathy, olive skin pinking up along his neck and cheeks.

“Yeah.” With his index finger, Corey traced a line down the front of Angelo’s sweater, from his neckline to his stomach, feeling the hard ripples of his abs. He’d seen Angelo’s back already during the massage, and it had been an impressive thing to behold. He couldn’t wait to see the rest of him. “Looking forward to it, Angelo.”

Angelo’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Would you like to see my bedroom?”

“I would.” Corey smiled. “I absolutely would.”

Chapter Thirteen

Angelo led Corey toward the bedroom. They passed the bathroom along the way, and Corey said, “I’m gonna freshen up, I’ll be right in.”

“Okay.”

While Corey was in the bathroom, Angelo prepared the bedroom, switching on the lamp and setting the dimmer down very low. He forced a calming breath as he turned the blankets down on his bed.
Holy shit, I’ve got him here. I’m really doing this
.

He was undeniably nervous, but not hesitant. Sleepless nights, hours of self-evaluation, heavy contemplation and debates with himself had all led to the same conclusion. This budding desire for another man was not a temporary aberration, it was not something to be taken lightly, and it was not something he wanted to go away. It was something he wanted to pursue.

On his drive to The Horse and Carriage earlier he’d had a single, unwavering thought: He had to find the courage to make Corey aware of his interest in him, and that it went beyond friendship. The urgency of it shocked him, but any trepidation was overshadowed by the overwhelming sense that a window was closing, and if he didn’t grab what he wanted quickly, it would be gone.

Auspicious that Corey had become single suddenly. But Angelo doubted a guy like Corey would remain single for very long, and all he could think about were all the potential rivals for his affection that might be milling around in that nightclub. Once he’d made the decision, accepted that these feelings—while intensely new and unfamiliar—were real, he experienced a clarity of thought.

He wanted Corey Stengel, and aimed to snatch him up before anyone else got a chance.

What he hadn’t expected was to run into Corey before ever setting foot in the club, to have him dropped right in his lap like this. His concern had overshadowed his seduction mission once he realized Corey was in an emotional upset, and his focus had shifted to doing all he could to calm him down and soothe whatever demons had led to him being out on the street, trembling.

But once Angelo had gotten Corey back the loft, he’d calmed, his steady charm returning. And Angelo had found himself unable to hold back his desire to make his feelings known. But he’d been thrown by Corey’s seeming rejection of him at first, and realized, with a flicker of shame, that he’d been overconfident. It wasn’t that he’d just
assumed
Corey would want him. His assuredness came from the flashes of desire he felt coming off of Corey at the apartment yesterday. Those flashes were intermittent, and clearly restrained. But they’d been there, and it was enough.

And now, he’d tasted a bit of what he’d been hungering for, and was blown away by how powerfully he’d responded to it. The sexual rush he’d experienced when Corey kissed him was like nothing he’d ever felt, a cyclone ripping through his senses, making him realize that all his past experiences had only been gentle winds.

Angelo turned from the bed and examined the rest of the room. The lighting was good. Bed turned down. What else?

Music.

He went and plugged his phone into the speakers, and the broody, ambient trip-hop mix he’d been listening to earlier came through. He frowned, pondering if he should switch to something else. Something a little more romantic. Maybe some—

Angelo gasped when Corey grabbed him from behind, pulling him in.

“Whatcha doin?” he whispered in Angelo’s ear, running his hands up the front of his sweater.

“I was just...” Angelo’s eyelids fluttered as Corey mouthed the side of his neck. “I was...going to...change the music.”

“The music’s fine.” Corey’s hands glided downward and slipped under Angelo’s sweater, caressing his lower belly.

Angelo leaned back into him, weakening, so overwhelmed already he wasn’t sure he’d live through more of this. “Mmm.” Angelo hissed when a hot tongue slid along the side of his neck.