One More Time Read online

  We both ate the rest of our cookies and drank our tea in silence after that. When we had finished and Theo put our plates in the sink, he turned to me. “Want a tour of the rest of the house?”

  “Yeah, I’d love that.”

  I wasn’t bullshitting when I told Theo I was impressed that he’d done a lot of his own work on his house. I couldn’t do anything like that without it looking like a big disaster. I could definitely admire it from someone else, though.

  He first showed me a hall bathroom. It was the typical older house bathroom, not much room, rectangular, with just enough space for a toilet, a sink, and a teeny-tiny shower with a shower curtain. The one Theo had chosen had antelopes all over it.

  “Since it’s just me I don’t think I’ve ever used this shower. Before I even moved in, I was expanding the master bathroom, as you’ll see in a minute,” Theo explained.

  He showed me his gym room next, which I noted had a really expensive, fancy incline treadmill. In addition there was a stationary bike and some weights.

  “Nice.”

  “Gets the job done.” Theo gestured me to the next room, the small room he’d turned into an office. Still I found it cozy with a little window that overlooked the backyard.

  “And finally, the master.”

  I wasn’t at all surprised to see a king-size bed situated in the middle of the room. It was a sleigh bed, though this one looked sturdier than a lot of the ones I’d seen.

  “Did you make the bed yourself?” I asked, going to the curved headboard to stroke the dark wood.

  Theo stood beside me, his dark eyes scanning the mattress, and then his gaze went to my face. “Yes, I did. Nothing in the stores satisfied me.”

  I swallowed. “I’m sure satisfaction is important to you.”

  He smiled. “It is.”

  I nodded, ready to move away and see the bathroom.

  Theo raised his hand, his fingers fluttering in the direction of my mouth.

  “What?”

  “Chocolate.”

  I just stared at him, not having a clue what he was talking about.

  He pointed to the corner of his own mouth. “You have some there.”

  “Oh.”

  “Let me.” I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed and leaned toward me. I expected him to wipe at the chocolate with his thumb. His tongue darted out and teased the corner of my mouth. Shock coursed through me, my feet rooted to the floor. His lifted his head to inspect me. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared. “No, not quite.” Theo sucked at the chocolate and wrapped his arms around me to pull me closer against him, his lips sliding over mine, apparently no longer caring at all about the smudge of chocolate. If it had ever been there.

  I didn’t have too much time to mull that over, though, because his lips on mine had turned eager and demanding, and I found myself reacting with enthusiasm. I moved my arms from hanging stiffly at my sides to circle his waist. I turned off my brain for a second—it was way too intrusive—and gave myself up to his kiss.

  Theo slipped his tongue inside and found mine to tangle with, pulling a moan from me. My eyes drifted closed, and suddenly I was lying on the bed, Theo’s body crushing mine beneath him. My brain tried to come back and tell me this was a mistake, but the kisses felt so good. My cock seemed pretty happy too, judging by the uncomfortable tightness of my jeans.

  He threaded the fingers of one hand through my hair, melding our mouths together harder, rougher. I felt the ridge of Theo’s arousal against my leg. There was no doubt in my mind that if I didn’t put a stop to it, we would have sex. His intention was clear. Bad idea or not, I wanted it. I wanted to be splayed out naked on his big bed with him driving his cock into my ass over and over again. Why pretend otherwise?

  I slipped my fingers under his long-sleeved shirt, seeking bare skin. Hot to the touch, Theo’s abdomen quivered as I splayed my hand there. I hadn’t thought his lips could become more devouring than they already were, but his kiss intensified, sending jolts of powerful lust ricocheting through me.

  Without breaking our mouth meld, Theo pushed my shirt up until it stopped just under my armpits. He grazed his warm, calloused hands over my bared nipples, and I reared up, demanding more, needing more.

  I slid my own hands down to the fly of my jeans, barely able to maneuver the buttons with Theo’s weight on me. I undid them enough to slip my hand inside my boxer briefs to grasp my achingly hard cock.

  Theo’s mouth left mine to gasp out, “Fuck, goddamn, Dane, you are so hot. I want to fuck you. If you don’t—”

  “Stop thinking,” I cut in. “Get naked, and get the condom and the lube. Before either of us thinks too much.”

  Theo leaped off the bed at superhuman speed. While he was gone, I pulled my shirt off and removed my jeans and briefs, kicking off my shoes to the floor first. I closed my fist around my cock, pumping hard as I waited. I slid my other hand under my balls, farther down to tease the outer rim of my hole.

  “Jesus, you’re trying to kill me.”

  A naked and fully aroused Theo knelt on the bed between my outstretched legs. I noticed he’d already taken care of encasing his dick in the rubber. He held a small bottle of lube.

  I reached a hand out, palm up. “Wanna watch?”

  I thought Theo might drool there and then, but he nodded rapidly and put the lube in my hand. His gaze was riveted to mine as I squeezed out a generous amount of the slick stuff. I pushed my index finger inside me, just up to the first knuckle, while I waited for his reaction. His pupils were huge, and he bit his lip, ready for whatever I would do next.

  I pushed my finger all the way in and groaned, lifting my ass just a bit for the show.

  “Goddamn. Hurry,” Theo growled.

  Chuckling even though my cock quite agreed, I added a second finger, this time thrusting them in and out, widening my legs further.

  Theo inched closer, placing himself squarely between my spread thighs, his hands curving under them as he drew me closer, his hard, fat dick poised to replace my fingers the second I told him I was ready.

  My cock jumped as I sped up my strokes, and I knew I had to have Theo inside me and now. I pulled my fingers out, moving my hand to caress my nipples.

  He pushed into me, long and thick, and for a moment I wondered if I hadn’t prepped enough as his cock stretched me wide. I exhaled as the burn of his intrusion faded and he entered me fully. His eyes drifted closed, his expression of ecstasy enough to send my pulse racing.

  I pushed back into his every thrust, tightening my muscles to clench around his cock. I pumped my dick furiously, tingles of my impending orgasm already tightening my balls.

  “Theo,” I groaned as his balls slapped against me. I couldn’t hold back the eruption any longer, and white gobs of cum shot out and covered my fingers.

  The bed creaked under us as Theo’s thrusts sped up to a frenetic pace, his fingers digging into my thighs as he rammed me hard through his own release.

  And then he collapsed on me, and the world went dark.

  * * * *

  I woke in the pitch dark to the feeling of Theo’s hands trailing down my bare back to squeeze my ass. I had no idea what time of night it was, but apparently Theo had awakened horny. He smoothed his hand over my thigh and grasped my hardening cock.

  “Good,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re awake.”

  “Ah, yeah, fully.” I gasped when he curled his fingers around the tip, rubbing a drop of precum into the head. Theo rubbed his already sheathed shaft along the crease between my cheeks and pushed me flat onto my stomach, thrusting two slippery fingers inside me. The slick lube felt as cool as ice in my heated body. He eased his knee between my legs, spreading them wider to give him easier access to my hole.

  I moaned as he continued to stroke my dick and worked his digits inside me, curling them within me.

  “Theo, fuck me,” I urged, pushing back against his probing fingers.

  His breath hitched, brushing against the tiny h
airs on my neck. After withdrawing his fingers, Theo pushed into me, easily sliding in past the ring of muscle.

  He rose above me, working my cock, fucking me deep and slow, no longer needing the urgency of earlier in the night.

  I buried my cries in the soft pillow, unable to keep quiet. I clawed the sheets, my ass bouncing back against his thrusts.

  “Dane,” he groaned, biting my throat where my pulse throbbed. He jerked my cock harder, and I tensed, my balls tightening as my imminent release flared up my spine and cum shot out of my cock over Theo’s fingers.

  Theo pumped into me a few more times before giving a hoarse shout.

  He slipped out, and I felt him leave the bed, no doubt to take care of the condom. I rolled over onto my back and yawned.

  “Tuckered you out?” Theo asked, chuckling as he returned to the bed.

  “You could say that.” I blinked, realizing this was the second time since I’d arrived at Theo’s house that he had fucked me.

  “Sorry.” He leaned over and kissed my nose.

  “You don’t sound sorry.”

  “Well, I didn’t say I was super sorry.” He put his arm around my waist and pulled me close, placing a kiss on my shoulder.

  I opened my mouth to say something else and realized he was softly snoring.

  * * * *

  I woke to the buzzing of my phone.

  Where the hell?

  Oh, on the floor somewhere in my discarded jeans. The buzzing stopped, and I turned over in the bed onto my back. My body was covered with a sheet, a blanket, and a comforter. I was alone and light streamed through the partially opened blinds.

  Blinking, I noticed a note on Theo’s pillow.

  Had to go to work. Stay as long as you want. Talk soon.

  Crap, I’d spent the night. My sore ass cheeks clenched from the memory of our fucking.

  I scrubbed my hand over my sleep-worn face and sat up. I strongly suspected the person calling my phone had to be Emily. Lord, help me.

  Swinging my legs out of the bed, I saw that my jeans had been laid out on small chair near the dresser. I padded barefoot over to my jeans and took my cell phone out of my pocket.

  CALL ME in all caps.

  Wincing, I did just that.

  “Dane! At last.”

  I frowned, realizing she sounded more excited than afraid. The time on my phone said just after eight.

  “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t call last night.”

  “It’s okay, I knew you went with Theo,” Emily said. “And he texted me this morning to tell me you were still sound asleep and not to bother you before eight.”

  “Jesus.”

  “What?” She sounded all innocent. “Did you have fun?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it. Um, can you come get me from Theo’s?”

  “Yes, sure. Are you ready now?”

  “No, let me get a shower. Can you bring me a change of clothes?”

  “Okay, I’ll be there in like an hour. Want me to bring you something to eat too?”

  I was hungry now that she mentioned it. “Yeah, I’m starving. Thanks. Talk soon.” I disconnected before she could get to asking the personal questions I knew were probably burning a hole in her tongue. I wasn’t even sure how I felt about it myself.

  I took a much-needed leak before turning on the shower in Theo’s massive master bathroom. He’d added one of those big stand-up glass showers and a whirlpool tub.

  As I stood under the hot streams of water, I thought about what had happened. I’d definitely had some great sex, and though a huge part of me felt guilty about it, another part of me welcomed it. I knew it was probably too soon after Donald’s death. He’d died only a little over a month ago, and I was definitely still in mourning for him, but on the other hand, I’d needed the human contact.

  Would I let it continue? At least for the time I had left in Vermont. That was if Theo wanted it to continue. I didn’t know for sure. What I did know was that for the first time in weeks, I felt alive again.

  Chapter 6

  “Don’t ask,” I warned Emily as she backed out of the driveway of Theo’s home. Her kids had already been sent off to school.

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  By the time I had taken my shower and dressed, and Emily had arrived, the sky had clouded over. She had just handed me a breakfast sandwich and a Styrofoam cup of coffee she’d picked up for me on the way over when the first drops of rain fell on her windshield.

  “That was unexpected,” I finally said after a few bites.

  She glanced my way, then returned her gaze to the road. “This wasn’t the first time with him, though, was it?”

  “No. Actually, he was my first time.”

  “I figured.” Before I could ask, she continued, “He mentioned the other day when I talked with him about coming to Clive’s dinner that you guys had a history. With you being gay and him being bisexual, I thought that might be it.”

  Sighing heavily, I took a large swallow of coffee, which went a long way toward reviving me. “I figured that part of my life was over.”

  “Sex?”

  “Sex with Theo. It didn’t end well back then. There was no place in his life for me, and anyway, I went with Mom. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again.”

  Emily nodded and fell silent, her expression pensive.

  “What about now?” she asked as she turned the corner of her quiet street.

  “I don’t know. I mean it was amazing, but—”

  “But what?”

  “There’s so much wrong with it.”

  She pushed the button on the garage door opener on her visor and pulled her car inside. The rain fell heavier now, and I suspected in an hour or so, we’d get quite the downpour. If it took that long.

  We waited to continue talking until we were inside her house. Emily made herself some tea, and she took my hand and led me into the living room to sit on the sofa.

  “Okay,” she said. “Spill.”

  It occurred to me that in some ways she had been more of a mother to me than my real mom had been, and certainly more accepting of who I was as a person. My throat clogged.

  “It’s just, I’m only here for a few more weeks, and then I have to go back to California and decide what to do about Donald’s house. And then, there’s Donald himself. He’s only been gone a short time, and already I’m having sex with someone else. That can’t be right.”

  Emily set her tea down on the coffee table and reached for my hands. Her smile was gentle. “All right. Let’s start with the first point. Theo knows you are here on a visit. Why don’t you just let things go where they will without worrying about what may or may not happen in a few weeks or a few months or whatever?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “As for Donald. I didn’t know him that well, definitely not like you did. I wish I had,” Emily added with a squeeze of my hands. “But what I did know and did see impressed me. He really cared about you a lot, Dane. I’ll be bold enough to say he was crazy about you.”

  Biting my lip, I nodded again, feeling tears pooling in my eyes. I almost told her about Donald’s wife, but the words died in my throat.

  “Then I am going to be even bolder and say I know he wouldn’t judge you for what’s going on now. You loved him. I don’t think anyone would ever doubt that. Certainly not him. And does anything else matter?”

  And about that she was definitely right. Donald had no doubt I loved him. Of that I had made sure.

  “I just don’t want to rush into anything.”

  “And no one is asking you to, Dane. Just don’t close yourself to possibilities. You can take things as slow as you want. If you don’t want to see Theo again, that is entirely up to you. I will support you no matter your choices.” She released my hands and reached for her mug of tea. “Now, wasn’t last night’s dinner horrendous?”

  I laughed at her abrupt change of subject, knowing she’d lightened the mood on purpose, and I adored her for it.


  * * * *

  Some hours later, I was in my room sitting at the small desk reading and sending e-mails when my cell rang. I glanced at the phone and immediately recognized the number as Theo’s. Funny how I knew it already.

  “Hi.”

  “Hey. How are you doing?” Theo asked.

  “Good. You?”

  “Great. Listen, I was wondering if you’d like to come over tonight.”

  I smiled a little. “You were wondering that, were you?”

  “We can watch a movie and sit in front of a fire.”

  I looked out the window at the dark sky and the pouring rain. “It does seem like the perfect night for a fire.”

  “Shall I come pick you up?”

  “Well—”

  “I can bring you back whenever you want, Dane. I really just want to spend some time with you. No pressure for anything else.”

  Biting my lip, I wondered if I ought to go over there again. Sure, Theo said no pressure, but neither of us could possibly doubt where it would lead.

  I wanted to spend time with him, but I wasn’t so sure I wanted to impose on Em every time I wanted a ride home. I hadn’t thought I’d need a car during my visit, so I hadn’t bothered to rent one. Perhaps Em would let me borrow hers.

  “Dane? You there?”

  “Yes, sorry. I was just trying to think if I could borrow my sister’s car. Then neither of you would have to worry about being my taxi service.”

  “Not a bad idea, but doesn’t she drop the kids off at school in the morning?”

  “Crap, I hadn’t thought about that.” Did she? Or did a bus collect them? I tried to remember if she had mentioned it or if I had noticed since I’d arrived. “Hang on—I’ll go ask.”

  I set the cell on the desk and left my room in search of Emily. I found her stirring something on the stove in the kitchen.

  “Hey, Em, I was wondering something.”

  She smiled. “Yes?”

  I cleared my throat. “The thing is, Theo’s on the phone, and he wants me to come over tonight, and I’d like to. I thought I’d stop inconveniencing you to come get me from there by asking if I could use your car.”