“What about now?” Matt asked. His voice soundedcalmer, reassured. “Why do you love me now?”
Vic took a moment to study his lover. The hair, thebody, the feet hidden from sight—those things only enhanced the manhe knew now, the man inside the pretty package. “I love the way yousmell,” Vic said softly. “It reminds me of summertime and childhoodand innocence. I love the way you smile, especially when you’rehorny.”
That brought a quick snicker from Matt, so Viccontinued, “I love your laugh, and the way your voice changes whenyou say my name. I love holding you as we sleep. I love dreamingwith you. I love hearing you here—” He pointed at histemple, a subtle reminder that he was locked out of Matt’s mind.Then he touched his chest, the spot above his heart, where yearsago he’d had a tiny double Mars symbol tattooed. “I love feelingyou here. I love everything about you, Matty. It’s likeasking why I like the sunlight, or rainstorms, or kittens. BecauseI do. I was born to love you. There’s nothing else I cando.”
One of the tears that wavered in his lover’s eyesspilled down his cheek when he blinked. Matt cleared his throat,but his voice was still choked with emotion when he spoke. “Comehere,” he whispered, patting the bed beside him.
Vic didn’t need to be told twice. Crossing the room,he sank to the bed and took Matt’s hand in his. With a tendertouch, he brushed the tear from Matt’s face. “Look at me,” hemurmured. Matt pressed his face to Vic’s palm; his eyelashesclumped together like black spokes radiating from his damp eyes.“What’s this all about, huh? Where’s it coming from?”
“Vic.” His name, whispered in Matt’s usually strongvoice, broke Vic’s heart. Leaning closer, he touched his lips toMatt’s mouth in the gentlest of kisses. He felt Matt tremblebeneath him, struggling to keep pent up emotions he didn’t wantreleased. Vic kissed him again, taking Matt’s lower lip betweenboth his own and tugging. The next kiss, Matt met with an openmouth, eager for more. As Vic licked into him, the dam that kepttheir thoughts apart burst and a swirl of Matt’s thoughts floodedVic’s mind. Every moment of the day, every drop that had added tothe weight bearing down on him, every word spoken, every touchfelt…
And the phone call. It shone with an oily sheen inMatt’s mind, slithering over his other thoughts, poisoning hisfeelings. In an instant, Vic knew what Matt knew—each word spokenin a voice Matt had never wanted to hear again, the emotions thatboiled in him at the insinuations made, the doubt that had crept insometime this evening to spoil the love they shared.
Their kiss deepened as Vic remembered their psychicconnection worked both ways. So he gathered in him everything hefelt when he looked at this man, thought of him, touched him. Allthe love he felt, all the passion, everything inside his heart, hepoured into Matt. He imagined his love soothing, like melted gold,filling the cracks and crevices of Matt’s bruised ego, repairingthe damage caused by a few careless words. He felt warm hands onhis shoulders, pulling him down; those same hands smoothed down hischest, around his waist, to clench behind his back and hold himtight. “Love you,” he murmured into Matt’s mouth. “Only you.Don’t let anyone tell you different.”
“I’m sorry,” Matt whispered. “I shouldn’t havelistened. I’m so sorry—”
Vic silenced him with a kiss that pressed him to thepillows and took both their breaths away.
* * * *
Sometime later, as their kisses grew urgent, Matt’shands eased into Vic’s boxers, cupping his large buttocks, liftingand gripping the flesh, opening him. One exploratory finger tickledalong the cleft between his cheeks, seeking entry. Between them,twin erections pulsed with the heat of their desire. Matt kissedhim, his hands kneading Vic’s ass. “Please,” his lover gasped,breaking away long enough to draw in a shuddery breath. “Vic, canwe please…”
Vic’s tongue darted out, licking the words away.Straddling Matt, he pinned his lover to the bed and trailed hotkisses down the curve of his jaw, under his chin, along his throat.Matt moved beneath him, thrusting against him, eager for more. AsVic made his way over the shelf of his lover’s collarbone, Matt’shands slid down the back of Vic’s thighs, pushing his boxers away.The fabric cut across his lap, restraining the hard cock hidden athis crotch. His balls throbbed with a sweet pressure.
Kissing down the muscled valley of Matt’s chest, Vicstopped once, twice, to tease his lover’s nipples erect. His lipsclosed over the hard nuggets, one at a time, suckling and nippinguntil they stood up swollen in his mouth. Matt thrust against himagain, kicking the sheets down in his haste, but Vic took his timeloving every inch of the man beneath him. His mind was an open bookthat Matt read as Vic traced the planes of his body. Each sensationpassed between them, so that it wasn’t just one man loving anotherbut two men together, loving and being loved at the same time. Vicfelt each of his own kisses, as well, as if Matt were strung sotight, every touch reverberated through him to echo off Vic.
Down the flat stomach, over taut muscles, along theticklish band of Matt’s lower abdomen. Vic swirled his tongue intohis lover’s navel, eliciting bright giggles that made him smile.Lower, along the trail of fine hair that trickled into a pool ofcurls at Matt’s crotch, lower, pulling the bed sheets aside.Matt’s thick shaft swung up to meet him, the red tip bumpingagainst his goatee. Vic rubbed his chin along Matt’s length,tickling him with the fine hairs of his slight beard. “Yes,” Mattsighed, bucking into his face. “Yes, yes.”
Vic’s hand closed around the base
