Page 52 of Hearts Colliding
“I’m… Ry…” His climax overwhelmed and burst from him, pumping his release, flooding their hot, sweat soaked skin, crying out as Ryan sucked hard on his neck, stretching the thin, nervy flesh. He clamped his eyes closed, witness to a million galaxies exploding in the darkness, as Ryan’s hips shuddered, his ragged cry wild and feral, Alex’s, name on his lips as his orgasm burst from him.
* * *
Alex surfaced to the soft brush of fingers moving through his hair. He resisted the impulse to open his eyes, to force himself into alert wakefulness and, instead, allowed himself to sink into the sensation of the rhythmic regularity of the touch. More than soothing and calming, it was hypnotic.
When had he last been so loose and relaxed? The last time Ryan had kissed or touched him was the easy, flippant answer. But this was more, so much more, because it wasn’t just skin but molecule deep. He felt it in every atom of his body.
"I know you're awake." The words were accompanied by a quick tug on his hair.
“No, I'm not." Alex smiled at Ryan's rumbling laugh, as he shifted and opened his eyes. Propping himself up on one elbow, he gazed down at Ryan, lying next to him on the floor in front of the fireplace. At some point, they had abandoned the sofa, and dumped a heap of bedding on the rug, making a deep and comfortable bed.
"Did you get everything sorted out? In London, I mean? I didn't ask you earlier, because I was a little distracted.”
“Hmm?” Alex pulled his attention away from the swirling lines of ink trailing across Ryan's broad chest, and the pulsing memory of the welcome home he’d received as soon as he’d pulled Ryan through the door and banged it closed. His cheeks throbbed, and another part of his anatomy threatened the same. “Sorry? What did you say?”
Ryan tutted and shook his head. “Whatever it was you had to sort out?”
“Oh. Yes, I did. A few heads needed knocking together, that was all.” Alex didn’t elaborate, and Ryan didn’t ask. Knocking heads and smoothing feathers — and the threat of legal action. But that was London, another world and a life away.
Low light from one solitary lamp cast its weak glow, competing with the moonlight streaming through the window. The clock on the mantle piece over the fire chimed twice for the hour.
The air was heavy with the scent of sex. The tidal wave of desperate need they’d had for one another in the hallway had been the first but not the last time they'd coated each other's bodies in warm stickiness. Scratching his belly, Alex’s nails scraped at patches of dried cum. “Should have had a shower, but—”
“Yeah,but.”Ryan laughed. “Our legs had turned to jelly, in case you’ve forgotten. Should have, though. I'm starting to itch.”
“Me too. A shower sounds good.”
“It does.”
Neither moved.
“Can’t be arsed at the moment. What’s a bit of dried on cum between friends?”
Ryan turned on his side, his face half in shadow as he drew his nail over the crusted mess on Alex's stomach. Like the drift of Ryan’s fingers through his hair minutes before, it was soothingly hypnotic.
“Love is... scraping away the dried jizz off your man's stomach." Ryan's finger stilled as Alex’s breath stopped in his throat. The clock ticked away the seconds, the only sound filling the silence.
“You’ve a funny idea about what love means." Alex’s voice was too loud in the silent room. He should laugh, make a joke, and push Ryan’s hand away, because it was a word that had no place in who and what they were. He did none of those, as Ryan resumed his gentle scratch.
“Oh, I don't know. I think it's about giving the other person what they need, even if they don’t know it. That's what I heard somewhere, or read. Actually, it sounds like the kind of thing my friend Joss would say. But he's a romantic. He sees signs of love everywhere, a bit like people who see Jesus in the bottom of their tea cup, or on a piece of toast. Or he has done since he got together with his grumpy vet." Ryan snorted out a short laugh. “Not that Oliver's grumpy, or not anymore."
"You've mentioned this Joss before.” Alex began to breathe again. Yes, talk about Ryan’s friend, talk about anything else…
"Hmm. So I have. He's a sweetheart, totally gorgeous, and was the first boy I kissed. And kissed again. All in the name of teenage experimentation, of course.”
Alex pushed Ryan's hand away — and was promptly shoved over onto his back.
"Don't have a hissy fit on me.”
"I'm not having a hissy fit.”
“It’s exactly what you’re doing. And don’t try and wriggle away.”
In one quick move, Ryan was on top of him, straddling him before he could say a word.
“Get off of me, you big lump.” He pushed at Ryan in the vain hope of dislodging him, but he may as well have tried to move a mountain.
“But you like my lumps.” Ryan leaned over him, bringing his face so close Alex could feel his warm breath flutter across his lips. “If you’re not having a hissy fit, let me put it another way. Don't be jealous. You’ve no need to be. Joss is a friend, a good one, and totally head over heels with his vet fiancé.”
