Inertia: Impulse, Book One Read online

  “So gorgeous. So fucking gorgeous.”

  The pressure left his cock just as it became too sensitive to continue. His eyes opened, and he stared at Gavin in a daze as Gavin rose up, sitting back on his haunches, his slick hand beginning to move up and down his own cock. He kept his eyes on Derrick’s face, and Derrick realized it was a performance.

  He watched, rapt. The fingers of Gavin’s other hand gathered a small bit of oil not mingled with Derrick’s cooling semen, and he reached behind himself.

  Derrick echoed Gavin’s groan, and Gavin’s eyes fluttered as his hand moved.

  Gavin’s hips rolled in a continuous motion, pushing into his fist before retreating to fuck himself on his finger, then repeating the circuit. Derrick couldn’t have torn his eyes away if he wanted to—and he damned sure didn’t. Faster, Gavin moved, and faster, the pumping of his fist getting harder, hitting the skin of his groin on each downward thrust with a wet smack. His groans grew louder, his face more strained, agonized.

  “Go, Gav,” Derrick heard himself murmuring. “I wanna see you come.”

  “Fuck,” Gavin panted, hunching over a little, no longer concerned with putting on a display. His eyes closed, and he focused on jerking himself with fast, firm strokes. His groans became continuous, punctuated by muttered profanities.

  Derrick realized what Gavin had meant when he’d called Derrick gorgeous in the moment before his climax. He waited with bated breath, staring as if afraid of missing a single second.

  “… fuck. Derrick….” Gavin’s moan choked off as he went still, shuddering, sliding through his fist as warm streams crossed the cooling mess on Derrick’s belly.

  Derrick stared at the mingled splashes, fascinated by them as he’d never been by his own. He wanted to touch it, feel it. Swirl it and play with it. Learn it. But Gavin caught his hand as it twitched toward his abdomen.

  “You work with your hands,” he murmured, almost managing not to sound remorseful. “There could be cuts….”

  “Right.” Derrick mustered a half-hearted smile as Gavin reached into a nearby drawer and grabbed a dishtowel to clean him off. The cloth was dry, but it would do for the initial cleanup, though he’d need a shower to get the oil off his skin. He felt content and quiet as Gavin tended to him and carefully wadded up the towel. Then he sank down beside Derrick, taking his weight off his knees, and reached out, sliding a hand along Derrick’s jaw and drawing him in for a kiss. Derrick sank into it, lassitude setting in, along with a craving to be close to Gavin.

  He nuzzled Gavin’s neck, breathing in the scent of him, the amazing amalgamation of woodsy cologne and cigarettes and something that was simply Gavin. He couldn’t be bothered to care what he might be giving away, with the sudden need for closeness, for intimacy. He just had to feel Gavin’s arms around him, to feel Gavin’s lips against his.

  “You’re right,” he murmured against Gavin’s jaw. “That was gorgeous.”

  Gavin chuckled. “Glad you think so. Ready to get off this floor?”

  Nothing sounded better than curling against Gavin in bed, since the ravenous need was quiet again. “Think your legs are working yet?”

  Another soft chuckle. “I think I can manage. Can you?”

  “It might be a near thing, but it’s worth the effort.”

  They gathered up their scattered clothing, making it to the bedroom without incident. Derrick hung his clothes neatly over the back of the chair again and brushed his teeth as Gavin had his last cigarette, then slid into the fresh sheets they’d changed the morning before.

  When Gavin climbed into bed, Derrick moved into his arms without delay, refusing to let himself analyze this unprecedented neediness. He lay his head on Gavin’s shoulder, draping his arm across Gavin’s stomach and hooking his knee over Gavin’s thighs.

  “I like this,” Gavin whispered, his lips against Derrick’s forehead as his gentle fingers combed through Derrick’s hair.

  I do, too. Maybe too much for my own good.

  He wouldn’t let himself say it.

  “So do I,” he murmured, closing his eyes with a sigh.

  MORNING SEX, Derrick thought deliriously, panting in the aftermath, was definitely something he could get used to.

  Gavin released his too-sensitive cock, wiping him with a sheet, while Gavin’s own dick still softened against the cleft of Derrick’s ass. His semen cooled between Gavin’s belly and Derrick’s back as the rocking of his hips, the pantomime of fucking he’d chased to its climax against Derrick’s back, ceased.

  Derrick turned his face toward the pillow, gasping ragged breaths. He could still hear Gavin’s voice, low and growly in his ear, making vulgar demands.

  You sound so sexy when you beg.

  Derrick finally found his voice. “How do you manage that?”

  “Manage what?”

  “Being so insanely sexy?” he asked with a breathless, giddy laugh, not entirely sure he could think clearly enough to speak sense.

  Gavin chuckled behind his ear. “I’m flattered.”

  Derrick smiled, still feeling dazed, high. “It’s true. That was about the hottest thing ever.”

  “Oh, I dunno. Give me time.” He could hear the grin in Gavin’s voice, low with sexy promise. “I guess that was more than the couple of minutes we’d planned.”

  Derrick chuckled, the sound transforming to a full-throated laugh. “Yeah, I guess so. Sorry.”

  “Why would you be sorry for that?” Gavin panted, his voice amused.

  Derrick laughed harder. Could it be possible to actually be high from sex?

  “I lied. I’m not. Not even a little. Damn, I’m having fun.”

  Gavin echoed the laugh, and Derrick felt him kiss the back of his neck. He closed his eyes, the gesture replacing humor with a surge of tenderness.

  “So am I,” Gavin agreed in a murmur. “I wish we didn’t have to get out of bed at all, but….”

  Derrick sighed, nodded. “Yeah. I don’t get sick days, and today my client’s a real piece of work. I shouldn’t be late. Guess we should get to the shower, huh?”

  He felt Gavin’s nod. “Yeah, we should. Separate, so we don’t get distracted again.”

  “Oh. Right. Yeah. Probably a good idea, there.”

  Gavin chuckled. “Go ahead, then. I’ll start the coffee while you shower.”

  Pulling away from Gavin’s body was far harder than he could ever have imagined it being. He made himself do it, wanting nothing more than to find a reason to stay for another minute, or another hour.

  Instead, he turned and gave Gavin a soft kiss. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning.” Gavin slid a hand along his jaw and into his hair, kissing him in return.

  Breaking off, Derrick drew away, doing his best to wipe his back with the sheet he knew they’d be changing anyway before picking up his overnight bag and padding to the bathroom off the bedroom closet.

  The bedroom smelled faintly of cigarette smoke from Gavin passing through when he emerged from the shower. In the other bathroom, he could hear the shower running. He couldn’t smell coffee wafting through the apartment, but he figured it was due to the French press Gavin used instead of a drip-brewer. Laying his clean clothes over the chair, he located the linen closet and grabbed a fresh set of sheets, stripping the bed and dropping the stained linens into the washer before returning to spread the fresh ones. He’d start the washing machine once Gavin had finished with his shower.

  As he replaced the bedspread, laying it out with his back to the bedroom door, he heard Gavin behind him.

  “Wow. Now this is a great sight.”

  Derrick straightened from where he bent over the bed, a hot flush creeping up from his chest.

  Maybe leaving his jeans and shirt off to avoid staining them with any of the fresh semen on the sheets hadn’t been such a great idea.

  Gavin’s hand ghosted over his ass, and Gavin’s lips pressed against the back of his shoulder.

  “You’re blushing now, aren’t you?
”

  Derrick laughed, self-conscious. “That’s not fair.”

  “Hm, maybe not, but it’s fun. And sexy.” Gavin stepped back. “Thank you for changing the sheets. You didn’t have to do that.”

  Derrick shrugged. “Why not? Needed to be done, and I had a few minutes to spare.” He gave the bedspread one last twitch, tucking it around the pillows, then crossed to the chair to grab his jeans.

  “Well, thank you,” Gavin murmured. “There’s coffee in the kitchen for you.”

  Gavin disappeared into the master bath again, where Derrick imagined he kept most of his toiletries. He still felt damp after his shower, even in the air-conditioned apartment, hinting that it would be a humid day outside. He opted to leave his shirt off, the top button of his jeans undone to keep it from rubbing against his belly, and headed out to the kitchen.

  On the counter sat a cup of coffee lightened with cream. Derrick thought it was Gavin’s until he noticed the note the cup rested upon.

  Enjoy your coffee.

  He smiled at the note. He hadn’t had a chance to try Gavin’s coffee yet. They’d had coffee at Derrick’s house Saturday morning, of which Gavin had taken one dutiful sip before he set the cup aside and ignored it, leaving Derrick with the impression he didn’t care for it.

  Derrick didn’t usually take cream or sugar, but he took a sip and hummed in approval. Gavin hadn’t over-sweetened it, and the coffee was rich and mellow.

  “Like it, then?” Gavin asked, coming down the hall with a suit jacket in his hands, which he folded over the back of one of the barstools.

  Derrick forgot about the coffee, staring. Every time he’d seen Gavin on a weekday, it had been after work, when he was a little rumpled, no longer clean-shaven, his tie missing and his collar unbuttoned.

  He looked different in the morning. Sharper. More gorgeous. His hair, which he wore so tousled on the weekend, had been neatly combed back. His shirt was crisply ironed and his tie impeccably knotted. Derrick was willing to bet his suit pants had been custom-tailored to fit him so well.

  He had to quell the sudden urge to undo all that neat grooming and leave Gavin rumpled again, and nodded, remembering the coffee. “It’s good. Really good.”

  Gavin grinned, preparing a cup for himself from the French press on the breakfast bar. “I think it’s worth the effort. Makes my Mondays better, at least.”

  He knows he looks good.

  Gavin knew, and he was proud of it, Derrick realized. The light chatter about the coffee was just a cover. He wanted Derrick to see him looking gorgeous. Derrick knew he should say something, compliment Gavin, but anything that came to mind sounded trite or clumsy.

  Gavin trailed a finger down Derrick’s bare chest, and Derrick felt his nipples tighten.

  “I like the view, here.” He stepped closer, kissing Derrick’s collarbone. “If every Monday could begin like this….”

  Derrick set his coffee aside, his arms encircling Gavin’s torso. He took a breath, keeping his tone neutral. “I don’t think I’d mind that a bit. Maybe we should make a habit of this.”

  Gavin grinned again. “Maybe we should. Though with the busy day I’m sure you’ve got ahead of you, we should probably get a better breakfast in you than coffee and an orgasm, hm?”

  “Guess we should.” He kissed Gavin, keeping it soft, but unable to resist the urge to have his hands on Gavin just a moment longer. God knew he’d be doing a hell of a lot more if time weren’t an issue.

  He forced himself to turn away and locate the paper bag of bagels he’d brought with him to tide him over until he could get a full breakfast on the way to his morning job. He sliced two and put them on a tray in the toaster oven. As they cooked, he opened the refrigerator to rummage for the cream cheese and stopped cold.

  “You bought breakfast foods.”

  “Yeah,” Gavin said softly. “I did.”

  Such a little thing. Why was he at a loss again?

  He could demur, protest that Gavin didn’t have to do that sort of thing for him. He could freeze up, over-think it all, trying to figure out just what it meant that Gavin wanted him over regularly enough to do such a thing. He could let himself get scared again, terrified at the idea of becoming too attached, too dependent.

  Nothing lasted. He knew that. People left, sooner or later. They died or they walked away and went on with their lives while he was alone and hurting. The best he could manage would be to try to minimize the damage.

  He could pull back, guard himself against the day that happened. Hide away like he had for the last decade.

  Or he could accept it, and keep moving forward, taking things as they came.

  “Thank you,” he murmured, pulling out some berries and cottage cheese to go along with the bagels.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Swallowing hard, he pushed aside the fear. “You’ll call me later? I really should stay at my house tonight. Chelsea’s been alone too much. But other than that, I don’t have any plans.”

  “Of course I’ll call,” Gavin assured him.

  “I check my cell phone pretty regularly, since it’s my main business line. I’m hoping I’ll be done with this job by mid-afternoon. If you wanted to see each other tonight, you’re welcome to come over.”

  Gavin smiled over his coffee mug. “Should I bring dinner? Or perhaps pick up some beer on my way?”

  “Beer sounds good. I’ll cook. Yesterday I set a rib roast to marinate overnight.” He ducked his head. “I was hoping you’d say yes.”

  Gavin grinned. “And should I stop by here and pick up another suit before I go?”

  “If you’re okay getting ready for work someplace else, I’d really like that.”

  “All right. I’ll call you when I leave work, then.”

  “That sounds perfect.” Derrick pushed his empty plate aside, wiping his mouth before sliding off his stool to kiss Gavin. “Thank you.”

  Gavin returned the kiss, taking his time. His hand cupped Derrick’s cheek, stroking with soft fingers. “I’ll probably call you around five or five-thirty.”

  Derrick opened his eyes, a bit glassy, once again wanting nothing more to drag Gavin back to bed. Not even for sex, necessarily. As with last night on the kitchen floor, something that had happened this morning made him feel like he needed to be close Gavin.

  With effort, he answered. “I’ll be sure to keep my phone on me. If it goes to voice mail, I’m probably in the middle of a job and can’t let myself get distracted. I’ll check it as soon as I can, though.” He chuckled. “Now I just have to make sure I’m home in time to clean up the stack of dirty videos piled up by the TV in my bedroom.”

  Gavin laughed in delight. “See, that’s why porn on the computer is so much easier. All I had to do was make sure you didn’t open my laptop.”

  “I’m too paranoid about viruses, I guess.” Still chuckling, Derrick began to clean up the breakfast dishes.

  Gavin sat at the bar, continuing to sip his coffee. “You just have to be careful. Anyway, clean them up if you’d really like. I wouldn’t mind either way. I hear you can tell a lot about a man by his porn. Or maybe I’m just making that up.”

  Derrick glanced over his shoulder, meeting Gavin’s grin with one of his own. “Huh. Then maybe I should have a look at your laptop after all.”

  “Next time. We’ll both be late for work if I pulled it out right now and you know it.”

  “Yeah, I do,” he said a touch wistfully, washing the dishes by hand and propping them in the drying rack. “Or you could just tell me what I’d find on there. Sometime.”

  “Sometime, I might just do that.” Gavin slipped off his bar stool and came up behind Derrick, putting an arm around him. “God, I wish I didn’t have to go to work today.”

  It helped, a little, knowing his reluctance to be apart, this need to be near Gavin, was shared. Derrick had no idea why but he felt downright clingy, trying his best to keep it in check.

  “I do, too,” he answered, drying off his
hands and turning to Gavin. “Those buttons on your shirt are just begging to be opened one by one.”

  “I notice you didn’t mention the tie.”

  Derrick slid his hands down to ride at Gavin’s waist. “I would have to get rid of that to get to the buttons, now, would I?” he hummed, pondering. “Tug it slowly loose from your collar, that sort of thing?”

  “Yeah, that sort of thing.” Gavin closed his eyes, his lips curving.

  Derrick’s hand came up, stroking the side of Gavin’s neck. “I really should go finish getting dressed.”

  Nodding, Gavin released him, and Derrick made himself walk away.

  When he emerged from the bedroom with his overnight bag slung over his shoulder, Gavin had his laptop case packed and his suit jacket on. Derrick started the washing machine on his way back down the hall to the living room.

  “When you come over tonight, you might wanna bring your little coffee maker.”

  Gavin laughed at the description of his French press. “Okay, I’ll do that. I’ll even bring my beans.” Derrick watched as Gavin did a conscientious inventory, making sure he had everything he needed.

  Outside the entrance of Gavin’s apartment building, they paused.

  “My truck’s parked down there,” Derrick murmured, pointing in the opposite direction of Gavin’s car. “How okay are you with your neighbors seeing us saying good-bye?”

  Gavin shrugged, smiling. “I don’t have anything to hide. Unless you intend to shove your hand down my pants. Then I might have an issue with it.”

  “Don’t tempt me,” Derrick murmured. He grabbed Gavin lightly by the tie and tugged him forward, kissing him briefly and firmly, then straightened Gavin’s glasses for him. “Okay then. Have a good day.”

  Gavin gave him a delighted grin, adjusting the damage done to his careful Windsor knot. “You, too. I’ll call you later.”

  Smiling, somehow feeling lighter about the prospect of the day apart and the evening to come, Derrick turned and made his way to his truck.