"Sucker"

Sucker

Rating: NC-17 for graphic male-male sex

Pairings: Backstreet Boys/*NSYNC/O-Town

Disclaimer: The young men who comprise the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and O-Town are their own people. The author has not met anyone here described, nor does the author mean to suggest that these people act this way in real life. This writing is a work of fiction. I make no money from this venture.

Continued from part seventy

After lunch and sex, Joey and Ashley had talked some more, and watched TV, and talked some more, and played videogames, and talked some more. Then Joey started kissing Ashley’s neck, kissing behind his ear, murmuring pretty things. He laughed and murmured some sexy, loving things back and made out with Joey for a little while.

While they were tangled on the sofa, Joey rubbed his thumb over Ashley’s nipple through his shirt. “You want to watch a movie with me?”

“A movie?” Ashley asked, kissing him. “Sure.”

Joey kissed back, reaching for the remote without leaving Ashley’s embrace. “Good.” He turned on the TV and started the movie, kissing Ashley to distract him for another few minutes.

Then, a unique line of the film’s dialogue caught Ashley’s attention, and he looked over Joey’s shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the screen.

His eyes widened.

He burst into laughter. “What the hell are we watching?”

“Naughty Misfits V,” Joey said, squeezing Ashley’s ass.

“Um… Why?” Ashley asked, amused, puzzled.

“It’s a classic.”

“It is?” Easing himself off of Joey’s lap, Ashley gave the flick more of his attention. “Wow.” He seemed startled as the shot changed. “That’s…”

Joey had seen this particular flick quite a number of times, so he could afford to take his gaze from the screen and kiss Ashley’s jaw instead.

“This is - - he’s not even attractive. A woman like that would never jump a guy like him.”

“Keep watching,” Joey murmured, licking. Any second now…

Ashley’s breath caught briefly. “God, that looks like it feels good.”

Right on cue. Joey nuzzled Ashley’s neck, running a hand up the inside of Ashley’s thigh. “I’d love to fuck you like that.”

“You would?” The woman onscreen cried out. Ashley made a quiet aroused sound like he just couldn’t help it.

            “You’d look so hot.” He nibbled until Ashley shivered. “I can just imagine your pretty, naked body bent over my sofa like that, with your pretty, naked ass in the air.”

            “I’d come all over your couch.” Ashley turned his head, kissing back. “You could give it to her much better than he is. I love how hard you fuck.”

            For that, Joey rewarded Ashley with a deeper kiss. “You do?”

“When we made love, earlier, it was… I could feel it all through my body, it was so intense, it was like, god, it just felt so good.”

Joey chuckled, kissing him, stroking his jaw. “You did get nice and loud for me.”

Ashley blushed.

Joey kissed him more gently, caressing him tenderly, making him moan. “Can you stay for dinner?”

Ashley sank back against the armrest, pulling Joey closer. “I’ll stay as long as you want.”

Sitting down on Kevin’s couch, Chris kicked his shoes off and tucked his feet up, looking down. “Trevor’s car looks like a traveling circus.”

“We’ll talk about that in a minute.” Kevin crouched down right in front of him, lifting his chin and looking into his eyes. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” His gaze slid to the side, checking out Kevin’s cheekbones. He wanted to touch.

“You threw up and passed out. Your friends don’t know why?”

“I told them that it was bad milk.”

Kevin’s grip firmed; Chris met Kevin’s eyes. “You can’t start this again. It’s not safe for you and it could be bad for the game.”

He wasn’t at all surprised that Kevin knew of his history in the vomit-and-faint department. “It wasn’t intentional.”

“You’re stronger than this. I know you are. You dealt with everything that Brian ever threw at you. You’re stronger than the rest of them combined. You have to push your way through it.”

Chris didn’t mean to complain, but, “Brian hurts.”

“I know he does.” Kevin stroked his jaw. “I know he hurts you. He gets off on it. But you can’t give in to that. You haven’t thrown up and passed out in a long time. It doesn’t have to happen again.”

“I can’t control it.”

Kevin’s expression hardened. “You can control anything you want.”

Kevin could. He couldn’t. “I’ll work on it.”

“Good.” Kevin gave him a chaste kiss. “I was worried about you. I’m glad you’re fine.” A brief hint of a smile as Kevin moved to sit beside him. “How’s Trevor?”

“He’s very excited about the car. He fucked me in it. In the front seat, in my garage. But then he got… I think he feels guilty. And Jacob must know it’s from you, because he made some Jacob-type comments when he saw me.”

“Brian can handle Jacob.” Kevin shifted closer, emerald gaze pinning him. “Which is going to win, the excitement or the guilt?”

“You’re better at this than I am,” Chris said.

“Brian taught you to read people. You know Trevor.” Kevin’s gaze didn’t waver. “What’s going to win?”

Chris fidgeted. “The excitement.”

“You’re sure.”

“It’s an educated guess.”

Kevin tipped up Chris’s chin, studying his face. “He loves you more than I calculated.”

“He kept the car,” Chris pointed out.

“If you were a colder person, I could use you to break him instead of doing the bulk of it myself.”

Chris’s stomach twisted. “Please don’t.”

            “Lance would do it. JC would do it. Joey would do it.”

            “They don’t understand,” Chris said. “They don’t know what they’re doing. Please, don’t ask me.”

            “There is...something…” Kevin licked his lips, touching Chris’s mouth. “Something I’d like you to do for me.”

JC was restoring order to the bears on his bed when the doorbell rang. He knew better than to hope for Nick, but a pulse of “I hope that’s Howie” flashed through his mind. Setting aside a panda, he went to the front door, pulling it open.

“Hey.” Lance gave him a tentative smile. “Can I come in?”

Shit. The flowers. He could keep Lance out of his bedroom, but there was no way to keep Lance from seeing his living room. He could lie about where the flowers were from, but Lance would know.

But he didn’t want to turn Lance away from his door. That wouldn’t do their friendship any good.

Lance’s gaze flickered. “Is this a bad time?”

“No,” JC said. “No, it’s fine.” Slipping outside, he pulled the door almost shut. “Before you come in, I want to - - Erik’s been trying to get me and Howie to hook back up ever since our little break-up. The plan is for Howie to try to win me back by showering me with gifts.”

Lance frowned, following along but apparently not clear on why he couldn’t just go inside.

            JC continued on quickly. “So far he’s sent me a whole bunch of flowers, and a whole bunch of teddy bears. It’s really all stupid and cheesy, but it’s just for effect, for Erik. He makes the deliveries, I haven’t even seen Howie. And I made plans to donate everything, I just have to keep it all for a few more days, for Erik’s sake.”

            “Okay,” Lance said. “So your house is filled with gifts from Howie.”

            “No, it’s not - - it’s just flowers in the living room, and teddy bears in the bedroom. It looks like a lot but it’s not, Howie didn’t put a lot of thought into it, he got Erik to make most of the decisions about what to get. And I paid for half, so Howie isn’t even out all that much money.” God, he was lying to Lance now? JC rubbed his cheek, making himself shut up.

“What about that watch?” Lance asked. “That’s new.”

Shit. “That’s just - - there’s some jewelry, this watch and this necklace, I was going to get it anyway, I just told Howie what I wanted and when he took Erik to the jewelry store he pointed Erik in that direction.” It was scary, how easily untruths fell from his mouth.

“You picked out and paid for your own jewelry,” Lance said. “But Howie gets the credit for it.”

“Right. So I get something I wanted anyway, and Erik thinks that Howie’s being romantic.” He had to shut up now.

“Well,” Lance said. “That’s interesting.”

“I just wanted you to know what was up, before you walked in and saw the flowers and thought…whatever, you know, whatever you were going to think. So, uh, anyway, come on in, we can talk in the kitchen. Can I get you something to drink?”

“No,” Lance said, “I’m fine, but it looks like you need one.”

The garage door.

Justin pushed himself up, alert. “Kevin?”

It might be AJ.

It might be someone else.

It could be Brian. It could be a stranger.

“Kevin?” Justin asked, getting up from the bed. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to expect. He was naked, he’d been belted, he was vulnerable and afraid.

The back door opened and closed. “You have two seconds to get back on that bed.”

Kevin! Justin leapt back onto the bed, facedown, breathless, heart hammering. Kevin! Kevin had come back. Kevin had come back.

Footsteps. “I brought something for you. Open your mouth.”

Lifting his head obediently, Justin opened his mouth. Ecstasy lanced him as Kevin cupped his chin; Kevin was touching him! It felt incredibly personal to be face-to-face. Kevin’s other hand held a ball gag; he licked his lips, swallowed, and opened wider. He remembered this, too. He’d used to live like this. Once the gag was in place, Kevin adjusted the strap and stepped away.

He could do this. He’d done it many times before. This was who he was.

“It sickens me to have to waste my time disciplining a useless, selfish whore. I had to leave Chris to come back here and finish the job. I could have stayed there with him and enjoyed myself, but instead I had to come right back after one little blowjob.”

What?! Justin’s head whipped around; he stared. Chris? Was that where Kevin had been? Kevin had left him to see Chris? Kevin had left his abused, degraded body sprawled naked over this strange bed in this abandoned house to go see Chris?!

Chris had given Kevin head? Chris had gotten to taste, to suck, to experience, to - - no, no, his, Kevin was his, Kevin was-

“He’s very good. He knows more than you could ever learn.”

No! No! He could learn anything, he could do it, he could learn, he’d be good, he’d be the best, he’d do everything that Chris did and more.

“He had a pretty interesting morning. Trevor’s car came back from the shop.”

Trevor. Fury and hatred pierced deep. That motherfucker.

Left wrist. “Have you thought about what you want to say to Brian?” Left ankle. “Have you thought about how kind he was to you?” Right ankle. “He’s so forgiving he doesn’t even understand how wicked you are at heart.” Right wrist. “But I know that you’re rotten to the core. You’re a depraved narcissist.”

He wasn’t, he wasn’t, he wasn’t a narcissist. He hated himself. He loathed himself. Kevin, he loved Kevin. He wanted to climb out of his own skin and live in Kevin. Didn’t Kevin understand that? Didn’t Kevin know?

“I used to think that someday you’d learn. But there’s only one way to teach you anything.”

A whip cracked.

Lance tried to ignore the flowers filling JC’s living room. Once he was in the kitchen, he tried to ignore the watch shining on JC’s wrist, the necklace resting against JC’s perfect chest. He was sure that Howie enjoyed JC’s body. Sure that Howie enjoyed JC’s perfectly chiseled abs and perfectly shaped pecs and perfectly-

“You’re glaring at me,” JC said, like he understood but was somewhat disturbed by it.

“Could you do me a favor?” Lance asked.

JC sat across the table from him. “I’d love to.”

“Could you have a temporarily disfiguring accident?”

JC smiled, his eyes crinkling. “I would if I could, just for you, but I can’t do it while Nick’s still around.”

Yeah, well, Lance couldn’t blame him for that. “Thanks, anyway.”

JC slipped his watch off, closing it into the nearest drawer, tucking his necklace under his shirt. “What can I do for you?”

For weeks, Lance had been trying to pick JC apart in his mind, to find a flaw that might turn Howie off. JC was a bottom. But apparently, the new Howie that JC had met was a great top. JC shaved everywhere. But maybe Howie found that sexy. JC’s teeth weren’t perfect. And that was all he had to go on. Teeth. JC was too damned perfect, and it was driving him mad.

He knew JC better than that; he knew JC’s flaws as well as anyone. But they kept fading into the mist, while JC’s strengths stared him in the face. And no one who met JC thought, “He’s a demanding perfectionist! And hey, his teeth aren’t flawless! I could never have sex with him!”

Lance couldn’t find a way to solve his JC problems. But he definitely needed to nip his Erik problems in the bud. “I wanted to talk about Estrada.”

            “You’ve come to the right place,” JC said. “I am the resident expert.”

            “What’s he like in bed?”

            JC made a surprised face, then rubbed his palms together, thinking.

Not good. Lance had wanted an immediate, negative reaction.

“He’s sloppy,” JC finally said. “But he’s learning. He’s straightforward. He’s also pretty darned horny.”

Lance didn’t want to hear that Erik was learning; he wanted to hear that Erik was failing. “How is he as a top, specifically?”

“Energetic,” JC said. “He gets hard fast and often. It just keeps…popping up.”

Which was just perfect for someone as insatiable as Howie. Terrific. Lance was going to have to kill him.

“He has pretty good rhythm. His dick is about this,” JC gestured, “big. As far as putting his dick in and rutting goes, he has that down pat. It’s everything else that goes with it that we’re working on.”

“So he’s…good?” Lance asked. “Bad?”

JC shrugged. “I wouldn’t do him if I didn’t have to.”

Now that the idea had been planted, Lance needed to know more. “What about his fingers?”

JC turned red.

Damn it.

“He,” JC looked away briefly, touching his face. “His fingers, I’d keep. He’s very good at, uh…”

Lance couldn’t believe this. “Have you forgotten who he is, or have you just forgotten who you are?”
“Who I am?” JC asked, looking surprised.

“You’re JC,” Lance insisted. “You only touch the best of the best. I’ve seen you turn down Greek gods. I’ve seen you take home porn stars and then not call them back because they weren’t good enough. I still can’t believe you gave Nick Carter a second glance. And now you’re hot and bothered over Erik-Michael Estrada?”

“I’m not hot and bothered,” JC protested. “I wanted to give you an honest assessment, and in that assessment, I have to admit, the way he strokes me makes my eyes roll back in my head. I don’t know how he does it.”

“Maybe you’re not as discriminating as I thought.”

“I’m not happy about this,” JC said. “I hate it that he can get to me like that. I wish he made my skin crawl. Sometimes he does. But it’s getting harder and harder to put myself into that place.” JC pointed at him. “And don’t start in with me about Nick because he could fuck circles around you.”

“Around me?” Lance asked. “I don’t know who you’ve been sleeping with, but-”

“Who’s the best you’ve ever had?”

“Howie.”

JC sat back, satisfied. “Nick’s better.”

“You only think that because he brainwashed you. And you can’t prove it.” Lance remembered something. “Doesn’t he use toys? A real top doesn’t have to rely on props. Does he have trouble using his own dick?”

JC shook his head. “Man, you don’t even know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing hotter than someone who knows how to use every tool at his disposal.”

“I’m going to have to find you a real man someday, so you’ll know what it’s like. Screwing wastes of dick like Nick and Erik has gotten to you.”

“What about you?” JC asked. “Who’ve you been with lately?”

“Brian.” He shrugged. “I can make him scream without even trying.”

JC looked surprised. Curious. “Is he good?”

“He’s fantastic.” It was true. “He’s almost the best I’ve ever had. It’s just that… He’s a little too into it. Too enthusiastic.”

JC frowned. “You think he’s faking?”

“I think I never know what to think when I’m around him.”

“Yeah.” JC sighed. “I know what you mean.”

“You’re a fucking mess.”

Sobbing, Justin couldn’t even bring himself to move as Kevin uncuffed him. His skin felt like it was on fire, felt like it was bleeding. He felt completely worthless because of what he’d done, absolutely pathetic because of his wretched condition, and desperate for Kevin’s forgiveness…but he had no idea how to get it.

Just that morning, he’d swung from store to store, catered to, fawned over, sucked up to, universally admired. Now he was this broken thing whose screams of pain and cries for help went ignored because he needed to be disciplined, he deserved to be punished, he-

“Get up.” Kevin jerked at him, yanking him to his feet. Staggering, he almost fell; Kevin snatched him back up, holding him by one arm. His legs barely held him. Frightened, debased, whimpering, abused, Justin knew better than to hold onto Kevin for support. “Look at what I tattooed on you.” He looked down, eyes seeking the dark mark through tears. “Look at it!” Kevin ordered. Justin flinched, a new sob threatening to choke him. “What is it?!”

It was BA, it was Kevin’s mark, it-

“Do you know what that stands for?”

For Kevin, for Kevin’s power, for Kevin’s control-

“That stands for Backstreet. That isn’t my mark, that’s Backstreet’s mark. I put it there, but I claimed you as ours, not as mine alone. You belong to us.” Kevin threw him back down to the bed; Justin cried out as his whipped flesh hit the mattress. “You’re mine. You’re AJ’s. You’re Brian’s. You’re Howie’s. You’re Nick’s. As the complete and absolute gutter filth that you are, it is your job to do what we want when we want it, to listen and obey, and to make our lives easier.”

No, no! He was Kevin’s, he belonged to Kevin! He cried out in betrayal, reaching out desperately.

Kevin smacked him back down. “They don’t want you. They have no use for you and no time for you. No one cares about you, Justin. No one gives a fuck about you. They’ve seen who you are and they want nothing to do with you. I’m punishing you, I’m teaching you, I’m the one who knows what you need. I’m the only one willing to do it, and I only do it so they won’t have to. The more you inflict yourself on me, the less you bother them. But you belong to them, and it is your duty to obey.”

It wasn’t true. It wasn’t true. He was Kevin’s. He was Kevin’s. Kevin had come for him. Kevin had claimed him.

He was Kevin’s. He’d always be Kevin’s. Only be Kevin’s. Kevin owned his soul.

Kevin’s scornful gaze burned him. “Pull yourself together. Take that off.”

With rushed, clumsy fingers, Justin removed the ball gag. Coughing, he wiped at his face, swallowing desperate sobs.

Kevin pulled out a phone and dialed.

Whimpering, sniffling, he tried to bring himself under control. His body protested; the muscles in his arms and legs had resented his strained, bound posture, and his back from shoulder to knee burned from the punishment and near-cutting of the harsh whipping.

“Hi. Is this a good time?”

He had to say the right thing. If he said the wrong thing, Kevin would think that he hadn’t learned, and he’d be punished again. What could he say? Kevin had told him to think about it, before, but the pain had wiped away all thoughts that weren’t specific to Kevin.

“It won’t take long. Justin has something to say to you.”

“How you treat me, is how you treat AJ. How you treat me, is how you treat Brian, and Howie, and Nick. With obedience. Respect. Love.” Kevin’s voice hardened. “Reverence.”

Kevin handed him the phone.

Justin clutched it, fresh tears forming at the threat in Kevin’s eyes. “Brian?”

“Justin, hi,” Brian said, like it was good to hear from him. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m sorry, Brian.” His voice shook and wavered. “I’m sorry, Brian, I love you, I didn’t mean to - - I would never take anything from you. I never - - I had no right to ask you for anything. I’m sorry, Brian, it’ll never happen again.” Wrong person, he was saying these things to the wrong person, this wasn’t right, this wasn’t Kevin, it killed him to pledge loyalty and devotion to someone else. This was for Kevin, only for Kevin. “I shouldn’t have wasted your time, I shouldn’t have-”

“It’s all right, Justin,” Brian said gently. “I accept your apology. Give the phone back to Kevin.”

Justin handed the phone to Kevin, sinking down to the floor, kneeling by Kevin’s feet. He didn’t love Brian. He didn’t love AJ. He was in love with Kevin. He hated having to obey anyone else. They weren’t Kevin. They weren’t powerful enough. They weren’t forceful enough. They weren’t strong enough. AJ hit people and Brian said things but Kevin…

“He could have done better,” Kevin said to Brian. A pause. “That’s no excuse.” Another pause. “All right. Bye.” Kevin hung up, then kicked him. “Get up.”

Resisting the urge to touch his ribs, Justin rose, aching all over: inside, outside. He kept his gaze on Kevin’s face but below Kevin’s eyes.

“You had no right to take those shirts from Brian. If I had wanted you to have them, I would have given them to you.” Kevin’s voice hated him, punished him. “You will give AJ what you so thoughtlessly took from Brian with your selfish greed. He will return it to me.”

“Yes, Kevin.” His soul was suffocating.

“You were rude, demanding, and stupid, but Brian was kind enough to forgive you.”

Gratitude beat in Justin’s heart. Maybe if he was nice to Brian, maybe if he made himself useful to Brian, Brian would tell Kevin nice things about him and-

“He’s more generous than I am. I haven’t forgiven you. I don’t think that you’ve learned your lesson.”

His heat sank. It was a hopeless situation. He wasn’t allowed to explain. Kevin would only take his words as useless excuses, anyway. Kevin had already punished him, but it wasn’t enough. He felt horribly thwarted. He didn’t have a way to make this right. He had no way to fix it. The pressure of Kevin’s scorn was unbearable.

What was he going to have to do? How could he prove himself? How could he love someone this much and still be seen as so ugly and terrible and unworthy?

“When you get home, ask AJ to trim you. I want that tattoo more visible, and I don’t trust you to do it.”

“Yes, Kevin.”

“I want you to go to Brian, AJ, Howie, and Nick. Each one of them, in person. Show them your tattoo, tell them that you understand what it means, and promise to love, honor, and obey.”

No.

Silence.

No. “Yes, Kevin.” No!

“After you’ve done that, maybe then I’ll bring you back here.”

Justin’s eyes flew up to Kevin’s, shocked.

“Do not,” Kevin’s voice was firm, “tell your little friends about what I’ve asked you to do. Your visits to Brian, AJ, Howie, and Nick, are private.”

He whispered it. “Yes, Kevin. Thank you, Kevin.”

Kevin stepped closer, commanding all of Justin’s attention, as if at any point he hadn’t had it. “You will always be mine.” Kevin’s gaze was so hard it hurt. “There will never be one second of one day that you are not mine.”

“Yes, Kevin.” Rapture. “Thank you, Kevin.” The edges of Kevin’s hair were damp with sweat. Kevin had put effort into whipping him. “I love you, Kevin.”

“If you love me, you’ll obey.”

“Yes, Kevin.”

Kevin’s eyes challenged him. “Stay.”

Stay?

Kevin turned away.

“Kevin?”

Kevin walked from the room.

No! “Kevin! Kevin, I love you. Please, please, Kevin, please, don’t go, I’ll listen, I’ll be good, I love you, I’m sorry, I’m sorry for taking anything from Brian, I’m sorry…”

Kevin was gone.

Gingerly, weakly, Justin returned to the bed.

He cried.

After Lance left, JC ran his hands through his hair. God. He’d lied to Lance. And it had been frighteningly easy.

But it had been to protect Lance. It would be too easy for Lance to read something into the truth. JC’s lies had just made the situation a little more palatable. Easier for Lance to take.

He had been honest about Erik, though.

And Lance’s opinion of Nick, well... JC was sure that if it came down to it, Lance could make his eyes roll back in his head, too. But Nick? Being fucked by Nick - - being touched by Nick - - being looked at by Nick was like having the spirit of sex visited upon him. It was like having ecstasy infect every cell of his being and then claw its way out through his flesh. It was like-

The doorbell rang.

Shaking himself, dispelling the haze of arousal, JC slipped his watch back on and went to open the door.

AJ?

“Hey. I know, I should’ve called first. Howie said you might need some help.”

“Hi,” JC said, trying to remember ever having AJ on his doorstep before. “Come in. Is that video equipment?”

“The finest in personal surveillance.” Handing him a box, AJ entered the house, bringing in a few more. “Let’s get this puppy working.”

It was almost unbearable, not to moan and shiver at the brush of Jacob’s fingers. Brian wanted to move into that questing touch and unburden himself of this terrible ache. The urgent throbbing within created a driving need to be with Jacob, to possess and be possessed, to consummate their union.

Now that Jacob had begun to touch him, the hell of doing without Jacob’s caress was only overwhelmed by the powerful pain of suffering through each touch without being able to express his deepest desires for more. There was only tease without satisfaction. He was a desperately starving man being offered only the merest taste of the sweetest delicacies. He wanted to eat. He wanted to consume. He wanted to devour.

Jacob embraced him upon greeting. Put a hand on his arm when they laughed together. Touched his back, his chest, during conversation.

When he leaned in close to whisper something, his blood pounding at the intimacy as he slid his hand over Jacob’s knee, Jacob wrapped one arm loosely around his shoulders. His control slipped, his breath coming too fast. Oh, the things that being near to Jacob did to him…

JC had to admit that AJ seemed to know what he was doing. Personally, JC might not have been quite as efficient.

As AJ set everything up, he explained what he was doing, enlisting JC’s help as an extra pair of hands. In the middle of that, he also carried on regular conversation; JC found himself relating most of his recent talk with Erik.

They wired the living room and the bedroom. AJ gave both the flowers and the bears a derisive snort, then worked around them as if they weren’t in the way.

JC knew that he’d agreed to tape his time with Erik, but he hadn’t quite been ready to commit to it. Although he couldn’t find the words to tell AJ that. He really hadn’t expected someone to show up at his house bearing video equipment, though. The Boys moved so fast…

When everything was finished, AJ said, “Looks like you’re good to go. Everything should record. He’ll never suspect a thing. If Estrada ever finds a cord, a wire, a mike, or anything, tell him that it’s part of your home security system. Tell him that it’s state-of-the-art. He won’t know any better.”

JC nodded. “Thanks a lot for your help. I had no idea what to do.”

“No problem.” AJ’s gaze caught on something; AJ’s hand came around his forearm, lifting his wrist. “This is from D.?”

“Yeah. It’s a great piece.”

“It really is,” AJ agreed. “Seems perfect for you.” AJ’s hand dropped; AJ stepped back. “I have to get back to Justin. See you later?”

“See you later,” JC said, walking him to the door. “Thanks for coming.”

“My pleasure.” A brief flash of a smile, and AJ left.

JC looked around the living room.

He couldn’t see the cameras, but he knew where they were.

He was being watched.

Alone, in his own home.

Brian hadn’t stopped smiling all afternoon. His eyes held a beautiful sparkle. Jacob wanted to kiss him, make love to him. Make him keep smiling, make him laugh.

It was a bit of a challenge, at first, to find reasonable excuses to touch Brian. Jacob didn’t want to touch him too much, too often, and raise suspicions. But Brian responded so positively to his touching - - smiling, touching back - - that he grew more bold and expanded his repertoire.

Casually brushing Brian’s arm became patting Brian’s back. Squeezing Brian’s shoulder became touching Brian’s hair. His own hair was down, loose, and Brian’s fingers kept playing through it. Brian also kept touching his knee, his thigh, which only made him hot and aware and aroused.

He wanted to touch Brian’s beautiful face, kiss Brian’s happy smile. When he dared to tap his fingers against Brian’s jaw for a second, his dick responded with a quick surge, stiffening in his jeans.

All of this touching. Brian initiated it, responded to it. If this trend continued, where else could it lead but to lovemaking?

It seemed almost inevitable.

But wasn’t that just what true love was?