Best Served Cold, page 21
Noah: does one of the bartenders hang out with your friends?
Zane: no?
Zane: why?
Noah: I thought I saw one of them at masons last party
Noah: I think his name is jet
Zane: I asked riv and he said jett was at the last party. He and mia might have a thing
Zane: I hate gossip
Noah: same but I was starting to question my sanity so at least I know I wasn’t seeing things
Zane: plans tonight?
Noah: hanging with the kids and trying to keep them occupied with quiet games
Zane: good luck with that
Noah: starting work soon?
Zane: yeah. First set is in ten
Noah: how many sets do you do in a night?
Zane: depends. But usually 4 solos and 2-3 duos
Zane: plus the group stuff
Noah: my brain is forever an adolescent
Noah: group stuff *waggles eyebrows*
Zane: most of my friends have the humor of adolescents so your in good company
Zane: wanna know a secret?
Noah: obviously
Zane: most of the time when I say stuff like that its on purpose because I like making my friends laugh
Noah: you like laughing?
Noah: who are you and what have you done with zane?
Zane: I like making my friends laugh
Zane: learn to read
Noah: most of the time when I say that stuff it’s a total accident
Zane: and you make yourself laugh
Noah: I’m my biggest cheerleader
Zane: gotta warm up
Zane: good luck keeping the kids quiet
Noah: have fun
Noah: I’ll need it
Zane: you still awake?
Noah: yeah. You good?
Zane: just got home
Zane: too hyped up to sleep
Noah: how was your night?
Zane: good. Decent crowd and the tips were flowing
Zane: how was yours?
Noah: good
Zane: were the kids quiet?
Noah: not a chance
Noah: theyre like wolves. They can smell fear and the desire for silence. Made them fucking feral tonight
Zane: feral?
Noah: oh yeah. Pure chaos. My niece is in a biting stage too so she really leaned into it
Zane: kids are weird
Noah: that they are
Zane: I’ll let you get to bed. Its late
Noah: yeah, I’m fading
Zane: have a good night
Noah: you too
Neither of us had texted today, and I still couldn’t wrap my brain around why he’d texted at all.
Tucking my phone away, I looked at Mason’s grandparents’ house from where I was sitting in my truck.
I shouldn’t be here.
I hadn’t even planned on coming, not until Zane asked.
He was the only reason I was here. Because I didn’t want to wait until work tomorrow to see him, even if he thought I was a giant loser.
God I was pathetic.
Climbing out of my truck, I headed into the house.
The twins’ car was already in the parking area. At least I wouldn’t have to wait to be humiliated all over again.
I greeted the people who called out to me, stopping to say a quick hello as I scanned the house for the twins.
I found them in the back living room standing together a bit away from the crowd.
River beamed and waved as soon as he saw me. Zane’s reaction wasn’t nearly as animated, but he actually smiled when he looked my way. Or at least what passed as a smile from him.
“Hey,” River greeted as I came up to them.
“Hi.” I glanced around. “Is it just me or are they starting early?”
River snickered. “Definitely starting early.”
Three couples were on the couch, the girls straddling the guys as they made out. A couple was tangled together on the loveseat, while another was getting familiar with each other on a recliner.
Music played through the house system, some EDM song I didn’t recognize, giving it a bit of a club feel, and the low lights added to the atmosphere.
No one was dancing, but a few couples were getting their freak on against the walls. Nothing too overt, but there were definitely hands up skirts and down pants.
“Pretty sure these Sunday parties are just an excuse for this.” Zane gestured at the room.
“Oh!” River perked up and waved at someone. “Gotta go talk to Jon. BRB.” He darted off.
“Is Jon the one who likes to fall off banisters?” I asked.
Zane’s mouth curled up in a grin. “Yup. Make sure you hide your lighter around him. He likes to start fires, too.”
“In a first stage of the psychopathy triangle way, or in a fire is pretty way?”
Zane snickered. “Little bit of both would be my guess. But he’s too dumb to be dangerous so we’re safe.”
“How do you feel about fires?” I gave him some side-eye. Maybe we could pretend like nothing had happened. But this version of Zane was weird in a different way. I didn’t know what to do with his smiles and conversation. Was this us becoming friends?
“They’re pretty.” He grinned, and the effect was terrifyingly evil.
“Goddamn.” I shivered as goosebumps raised on my skin. “How the fuck do you manage to look so sinister when you do that?”
“It’s a gift.” He nodded to my empty hands. “Not drinking?”
“Not for a while. And not vodka for even longer. You’re not drinking?”
“Driving.”
Silence descended.
“Will River be long?” I asked awkwardly.
“Probably. He’ll get distracted by something and lose track of time.”
“Cool. Cool cool.” I rocked on my feet.
“You’re being extra weird today,” he observed.
Of course I was. “Did I say anything on Friday?” I asked, my voice cracking with nerves. “Do anything I shouldn’t have?”
Zane gave me a look of understanding. He motioned for me to move into the corner with him, behind some shelves so we were out of view of the room. “What do you remember?” he said, hushed.
We were standing so close our chests were only inches apart. I tried to keep my focus on the conversation and not on his proximity and what it was doing to me.
“Not a lot. Do you have a butterfly knife?”
He grinned, and not his usual smirk-smile, but a real one that lit up his face. Goddamn he was gorgeous. “I do.”
“Did you use it? I have vague memories of you flipping it around like a serial killer.”
“I pulled it out to scare those asshats off. The ones who were trying to get you to fight them.”
“I don’t remember them, but I’m seeing a chihuahua in my head.”
“You called one of them a chihuahua. It was accurate.”
“Did I say anything when you had the knife?” My cheeks prickled with heat. I remembered how much seeing him with that knife had turned me on, but couldn’t remember if I’d said so out loud, or if that had stayed in my head.
Was I blushing? Could he tell? Ugh, why did I shave this morning? At least my scruff would have helped camouflage my shame.
“You might have said you thought it was hot.”
“Of course I did,” I grumbled and cut my eyes to the wall. “Did I say anything else?”
“You said a lot of things. Nothing you need to be embarrassed about.”
I slid my gaze back to him. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “It was a lot of babbling. You said you were confused about some stuff…”
“Did I tell you what stuff?”
His expression answered that question.
“Fucking perfect.” I covered my eyes. “Pardon me while I go die.”
A warm hand closed around my wrist and gently tugged it away from my face.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” he repeated, his voice rough and a bit broken. “There’s nothing wrong with questioning things. And with how you grew up…”
“I think I’m bi,” I whispered. His encouraging expression helped fortify me so I could keep talking. “I think I’ve always been interested in guys, but I didn’t want to admit it. I could ignore it because I like girls more, but that interest was always there. Even if I’ve only felt it a few times.”
“Makes sense. Sexuality is a spectrum. It takes time to figure out who you are and what you’re into, especially if you never had the chance to explore that when you were young.” He sucked his lip into his mouth and slowly scraped his teeth over it.
Why was that so sexy? I’d seen him do it dozens of times and it never failed to get my blood pumping.
“I guess I didn’t just lose gay chicken,” I said, my voice breathy for no reason. “Can’t play if I’m not straight.”
“I think it’s pretty obvious neither of us is.” He scuffed his shoe against the floor, his eyes darting around the room in a quick sweep.
“You’re…” My throat spasmed with anxiety, and a little hope.
“Not sure what I am, but I’m definitely not straight.” He huffed out a laugh. “You’re not the only one trying to figure shit out here.”
“Does that mean we both forfeit?”
“Or maybe it means we both win.” He quirked his eyebrow, the challenge in his eyes clear.
“There’s only one way we can both win.” My dick throbbed in my jeans.
Don’t get too excited, I told it. He’s just fucking with you. This is what you guys do.
“That’s true.” His gaze fell to my mouth. “What are we going to do about that?”
“I guess that depends on two things.” I stepped closer to him, caging him against the wall with my bigger body.
He smirked and arched his hips so his hard dick pressed against mine. “And what are they?”
“How much of an exhibitionist you are, and if you let me win.” I leaned closer, until our lips were only inches apart.
“Do you give a shit if everyone thinks you’re gay?” he asked. “It won’t matter that you’re bi if people see us. They’ll just run with us being gay and that will be the end of it.”
“No,” I said honestly. “Do you care?”
He tilted his face up and slightly to the side. “No.” His warm breath fanned over my cheek.
He leaned in, but rather than let him kiss me, I pressed my lips against the side of his mouth. He drew in a hissing breath. I gently kissed the other side.
He didn’t close his eyes, so I didn’t either as I slicked my tongue over his bottom lip. It should have been uncomfortable to be staring into each other’s eyes like this. Every kiss we’d shared had been hot and hard and about dominance. That was sexy as hell, but it wasn’t what I needed right now.
I was pretty good at reading Zane, all things considered, and my instincts were telling me he needed it this way, too.
Strong hands gripped my sides, then slid under the hem of my shirt to rove over my back.
God I loved his hands. So big and strong, and his calluses felt amazing on my skin, adding layers to the sensations I’d never experienced before.
Taking a chance, I cupped his cheeks with both hands and held his face still. His eyes went wide but he didn’t pull back.
Slowly, I brushed my mouth against his in a fleeting kiss. His lips parted on a soft sigh. I kissed him again, lingering a bit, but pulled back when he tried to deepen it.
“Noah?” he whispered.
Jesus he looked wrecked already. His pupils were blown, his eyes dark with desire and something I couldn’t quite place. Was that fear, or maybe nerves? But that couldn’t be right.
Why would Zane the fuckboy be nervous about making out with me?
Instead of asking, I leaned in and kissed him. He sighed and relaxed against me. I pressed our chests together to help keep him from sliding down the wall and ran my hands down his sides and over his tight stomach.
“Fuck you’re hot,” I murmured against his lips, fighting the urge to devour his mouth and get lost in him. We could do that later. Right now I wanted to show him just how good being with a man could be.
How good being with me could be.
His pecs were firm and defined, his nipples pebbled in tiny peaks as I found them with my thumbs and stroked them.
He jerked against me. I swallowed his cry of surprise, or maybe it was pleasure?
Wanting more of those sounds, I trailed my lips across his mouth, over his jaw, then down his throat, dropping wet, open-mouthed kisses against his skin.
“Fuck,” he grunted, grabbing a handful of my ass, and squeezing hard enough to create a jolt of pain.
I moaned against his neck as the pain switched to pleasure and echoed through me, lighting me up from the inside.
His hand threaded through my hair, gripping the strands tight and holding me in place. I sucked on his skin, needing to mark him.
He held me tighter and rocked his hips, dragging our cocks together.
When I was sure my hickey was big and obvious, I tore my mouth from his neck and captured his lips in a crushing kiss.
He kissed me back, moaning and sighing as he let me lead. If I thought bossy Zane was hot as fuck, he had nothing on submissive Zane.
I’d never truly understood how someone could be a switch until we started messing around. I’d assumed men were dominant and women were submissive thanks to my years of brainwashing, and with my limited experience, that was all I’d ever known.
Zane could be as dominant as they came, minus the whole ‘good boy’ and ‘sir’ shit. I had nothing against it for other people, it just didn’t do anything for me.
I liked it when he took charge and reduced me to a blubbering mess of raw need who’d literally begged him to fuck me. I was embarrassed as hell that he’d seen that, but I’d loved every second of it.
I’d assumed I was a bottom, but now I wasn’t so sure.
I liked teasing Zane. I reveled in making him feel good and nothing got me hotter than watching him come and knowing it was because of me.
But I also liked being the one in charge and making him squirm. I wanted to top him more than anything, and while the push-and-pull we’d been doing was hot, I loved that Zane was not only able, but willing, to let me explore my aggressive side.
Did that make me a switch? Was he? I was pretty sure I was vers, but was Zane? He’d joked about letting me win, which I assumed was a euphemism for topping him, but had he meant it?
Zane’s soft moan drew me out of my head and back into the moment. God I hated my brain sometimes. Here I had the guy I was crushing on up against the wall and my thoughts were a fragmented mess and focused on everything except the fact that I had Zane under me.
He angled his head to the side and swept his tongue between my parted lips. I let him, but pulled back when he tried it again. He made a frustrated sound and held still. I counted to three just to be a tease, then kissed him for real.
Zane kissed me back like his life depended on it. Like he was seconds away from suffocating and I was his only source of oxygen. His hands clawed at my back and sides, leaving trails of fire as he raked his nails over my skin.
“Noah,” he whispered against my lips in that broken voice I couldn’t get enough of.
A growl tore from my throat. Still cognizant of the fact that we were completely out in the open and anyone could walk by at any second, I shifted us so we were tucked into the corner and I could use my body to block him from prying eyes.
His kisses were tinged with desperation now. Hot and hard and frantic with an undercurrent of something wild and untamed.
That energy fanned the flames of my own desire, ratcheting it up to levels I’d never thought possible.
I didn’t just want him. I needed him.
I wasn’t the most aggressive guy in bed. I liked sex, but this unrelenting hunger, this feral demand to not only consume him, but blow his mind while doing it, was new.
I fucking loved it.
Zane punched out his hips, bumping our dicks together. He clutched two handfuls of my ass, holding me flush against him.
His sounds were unbearably hot. The little sighs and moans, the bitten-off cries, and muffled gasps. He wasn’t just enjoying it, he was letting me see how much, and that meant everything.
Maybe I was reaching and this was just fanciful thinking, but it felt like Zane was opening up and dropping his guard.
Did he trust me? Was this his way of letting me know this meant something to him and it wasn’t just a game or a bi experiment?
Trying not to get lost in thought, I dipped the tips of my fingers under the back of his jeans and teased the elastic top of his underwear.
He arched his back, creating a void of space behind him just big enough for my hand to fit.
Taking the hint, I slid my fingers lower. His jeans were tight and his underwear were even tighter, but I managed to get my big mitt low enough to drag the pad of my middle finger through his crease.
He jerked and cried out when I rubbed his hole. I swallowed his cry and shifted the slightest bit to make sure I was completely blocking him. I wanted to make him feel good, and doing it out in the open like this was next-level hot, but no way in hell was I letting anyone else see him like this.
Fuck no. His pleasure was mine.
He was mine.
“Holy fuck,” he panted against my kiss as I worked my hand deeper into his pants to stroke his taint. My finger brushed his balls. He shuddered and moaned into my kiss.
Taking a chance, I dipped the tip of my finger inside him.
He clenched hard and tore his lips from mine. His eyes were wide, but he didn’t look panicked or afraid.
“This okay?” I kept my voice a low rumble so no one would hear us.
“Yeah,” he said on a gasp.
I pushed in deeper, not going hard or far because of the lack of lube.
He grunted and wiggled slightly.
The knowledge that a part of me was inside Zane was heady as fuck, and knowing that he liked it made my cock throb with need.
“You gonna let me top you?” I murmured, pressing our foreheads together and gently pumping my finger inside him.
I wasn’t deep enough to stroke his prostate, but he didn’t seem to mind as his eyes glazed over with pleasure.
