Page 8 of Refraction

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Right, likeTucker couldn’t jog up two flights. “No worries.”

How do folks live in boxes like this?The building was like a dorm, with less signage on the doors and no RA.

Calvin headed up the stairs at a trot, then stopped on the second floor landing to pull out his keys. “Number twenty-one,” he said, opening the door.

They stepped into the kitchen, which was small but clean. It had dark wood cabinets, and the plaster walls were painted a bright yellow. Calvin took off his coat and hung it over a kitchen chair. “Mm. Warm in here. Can I take your coat?”

“Thank you.” He shoved his gimme cap in his pocket and shrugged off his jacket. “You have a neat place.”

“Thank you.” Calvin took Tucker’s jacket and hung it on another chair. “Timmy likes color, so he painted the walls all kinds of ways and did the trim and everything. It’s bright, but it’s ours!” Calvin laughed, leading him by the hand out of the kitchen and into the living room, which was steel blue with white trim and had a couple of tall windows on one wall and a high ceiling. There was a huge leather couch against one wall and a giant TV against the other. “If you want more coffee, there’s the Keurig thing. You wanna warm up while I change for dinner?”

“I’m good, honey.” Lord have mercy, he sure hoped Timmy was a roommate and not a lover. He wasn’t a prude, but cheating made him itch.

“I just bet you are.” Calvin turned to face him and flattened his hands on Tucker’s chest. The touch was light, but Calvin’s palms were hot. “If you kiss me, will you still want to take me out?”

“I can’t promise that I won’t want to take you out later, but I will be happy to take you to supper.” He found Calvin a smile. “Your Timmy, he ain’t your lover, is he?”

Calvin stared at him a second, one eyebrow arching indignantly. He was calm, but Tucker didn’t miss the brief flash of outrage in his eyes. “I don’t know whether to be insulted or flattered.” He pushed away from Tucker. “I understand that you’ve known me for all of an afternoon, so I’m not going to hold that against you. I may seem easy, but if Timmy were indeed mine, I would be faithfully his.”

“Good deal.” Tucker wasn’t going to apologize. He knew folks that did the open relationship thing. He knew lots of them. It wasn’t his thing, even for a weird meeting in a city in a snowstorm. “I just had to know. I got friends that have agreements.”

“Oh, I know. Lots of people have agreements.” Calvin stepped close again, that flirty smile back on his lips. “Not me. I won’t give a lover cause to be jealous.”

“Does this mean I get to kiss you now, honey?”

“Please.” Calvin licked his lips.

He stepped right up, cupping the back of Calvin’s head and tilting it just so.

Calvin didn’t wait for Tucker. With a soft, urgent sound, he went up on his toes and pressed their lips together.

Oh, now that was sweet as sugar. He’d known they had chemistry, but the little jolt of electricity? That was fine as fuck.

Trembling fingers tangled in Tucker’s hair and bunched in his shirt. Calvin ran a wet tongue along the length of his lower lip before drawing it in and pinching it between careful teeth.

Fuck him raw, that was pure fire. He eased one thigh between Calvin’s legs, giving that sweet little bastard something to feel.

“Mm. That feels… like a promise.” Calvin pulled away just enough to catch his eyes.

“Does it?” He had zero problems with that.

“Yes. And one I’m going to hold you to.” Calvin held his eyes and rocked his hips, answering with pressure and friction.

“Fair enough.” He took another one of those kisses, moaning deep in his chest when Calvin met him more than halfway.

“I don’t… fuck men I’ve only known for… three hours,” Calvin told him around their kiss, his fingers going after the buttons on Tucker’s shirt.

“I won’t tell. Promise.” He managed to get his hand wrapped around Calvin’s asscheek, testing the firm muscles.

Calvin finished with the buttons and pushed the shirt off Tucker’s shoulders, moving his lips to Tucker’s neck.

“Mmm….” Tucker lifted his chin, vibrating, he wanted that hot little buzz and burn so bad.

Calvin turned Tucker’s shirt inside out, working to get the cuffs over his hands, and tossed it on the couch. That green sweater landed right alongside, and then Calvin started untucking Tucker’s T-shirt, tugging it out of his belt, and slid warm hands up underneath. Tucker sure as shit hoped Calvin didn’t expect waxed like a surfboard, because he wasn’t.

“Oh my God.” Calvin lifted the shirt up to Tucker’s armpits and ducked a little, sticking his face right into the thick curls that covered Tucker’s sternum. “Look at you.”

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