Page 45 of Lace

At the beginning seemed best, so he told Levi everything from his father kicking him out of the house the first time, which Levi already knew, to his sending him off again when Caleb confronted him with the truth.

“So why…?” Levi was leaning on the opposite wall now, hands braced behind him. “Why didn’t you just tell me? Come and talk to me? Why… God, Cally, I missed you so much.”

“I did. That night I found you in the office, but you…” He took a few sharp, shallow breaths. “You were already mad by then. It had already started, and then there was Mitchell, and…and…”

“There was Mitchell.” Levi gazed at him, eyes flat, face blank. “What does that mean? What else of you did he get that I’ve never had?”

“Nothing.” Caleb pushed himself away from the wall. “Nothing, I swear. We’re friends. I never wanted anything else from him. Never asked. Never offered. I don’t even know if he’s gay. I don’t care, frankly. I only ever wanted you, since the day we met.”

“But you didn’t trust me.”

“No.” Caleb’s gaze fell to the dirty carpet, to Levi’s bare toes peeking from the cuffs of his pyjamas. “No, I didn’t, and I’m sorry. I was scared. Which isn’t an excuse. Just a fact. I couldn’t see past it. Couldn’t see that you aren’t my so-called father, not my uncle. That you’re different.” He struggled, but managed to look up again. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.”

“And now?”

Caleb held out both arms, showing off his outfit again, displaying himself. “I’m here. No leather. No armour. Just me. Invite me in, or tell me to go. This is who I am, and who I want to be. I know now you don’t care about the clothes. That you never did. It’s the rest you have to decide if you can forgive. I’m only asking for a second chance.”

“Is this…?” Levi, too pushed himself away from the wall. “Are you always going to dress like this now?”

Caleb shrugged. “No idea. Doesn’t really seem practical. I like it. I’m comfortable. But I don’t have any desire to be anything other than a man who likes men. Who loves you. I don’t know if I’m ready to always go out in the world like this. Everybody has their public face, right? And the leather and the kilts don’t seemso restricting anymore, now that I’ve given myself the other option.”

“And what about your private face?”

Caleb managed a shaky grin. “I’d prance around in heels and garters for you, if I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“But you don’t know what I want. You didn’t know I wanted this until tonight. You never asked.”

“You want this?” The last, constricting strap holding Caleb back, at the mercy of all his reservations, snapped. “Really? It’s not something you’d put up with because your boyfriend’s a bit on the bent side?”

“I told you earlier, there are any number of boys who’d never be caught dead in a skirt willing to give me a shot. I want you. I want you in leather and those…insane boots, or in nothing at all.” Levi moved, this time, closing the last of the space between them. “But mostly, I want you just the way you are. This turns me on, Cally. This makes me hot for you, makes me want to lay you down and just take every little bit of you that you’ll let me take.”

They were standing chest to chest now, and Caleb’s heaved with his fight for breath, with the hammering of his heart. His cock shifted against the silky-rough lace of his underwear and he almost managed to stifle a moan.

“Oh yeah?” Levi asked, taking his strangled sound for some sort of consent. Levi’s hands dropped from where he’d been holding Caleb close by his shoulders, until his fingers tickled Caleb’s thigh. “I like these,” he whispered, lips just brushing Caleb’s. “Sweet.”

He caressed Caleb more surely, fingers sliding along in a firm, smooth glide, upward to where they met the garters, then farther, to the crease of his ass. “How far up did you shave?”

Caleb licked his lips, tried to answer, but only a small squeak came out as Levi’s fingers continued their exploration, up and over the silk panties.

Levi’s lips curled against Caleb’s mouth. “Oh, yeah,” he breathed. “I like that.” His hands, warm and strong, cupped Caleb’s ass. “The leather was sexy, but this…” He flexed his hands, then his forearms, and yanked Caleb against him. “You see what this does to me?”

Caleb could feel Levi’s erection, hard against his own, and he gasped.

“Fuck.” Levi dragged his tongue along Caleb’s slightly parted lips. “Open your mouth, Cally,” he whispered.

Caleb did, and Levi ploughed his tongue inside, deep, wet, and demanding. Caleb’s knees buckled, and only Levi’s hands on his ass, his arms tight around his hips, kept him on his feet. He gripped Levi’s shoulders hard, melting into every probe, every brush of lips, knowing he was losing any chance he might have had of controlling the direction of the rest of the encounter.

Eventually, Levi drifted back from the kiss, and Caleb struggled out of the haze.

“You still want to come inside?” Levi asked.

Caleb nodded.

“Okay, then.” Levi took his hand and they wandered down the hallway to Levi’s room. “One condition,” he said, stopping with his hand on the door.

“Anything,” Caleb agreed, not worrying about what the condition might be. He had Levi in his grasp again. He wasn’t letting go.

“No fucking with your boots on.” Levi pecked his cheek. “Not tonight.”

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