Page 98 of Syncopation
Ray’s smile had returned. “You aren’t romantic. I mean—you justaren’t. But you like me and you care—”
“I’m yourfriend, you asshole, of course I care.”He didn’t know how many times he’d have to say that to get it into Ray’s skull.
“Iknow. Point is, you’re not pining after the one true love of your life who broke your heart or some such shit I couldn’t ever compete with.” Ray shrugged. “I’ve dated guys like that. Don’t want to do it again. I wasnevergood enough for them. They always wanted the one that got away—and that wasn’t me.”
Zavier struggled to wrap his brain around what he thought Ray was saying. He ought to get up and make coffee, but his skin was still in that weird prickly stage after surprise and fear. “So what now?”
Ray pulled his knees up to his chest, tenting the sheet. “I likethis. Being in bed with you. The kink. Being your friend. You’ve helped me so much, and I don’t know if you know that.” He restedhis head on his knees. His eyes were soft, and so was his smile. “I just needed to understand what was going on. Best friends with benefits is fine.”
A second wash of pinpricks cascaded over Zavier, and he scrubbed his arms. They were remaining friends. They weren’t changing anything. Holy fuck. “Best friend? I thought that was Dominic.”
“Yeah, and Mish, too. I can have more than one bestfriend, you know.” A little snarky smile with that.
“Yes, but you’re not fucking them.” Zavier paused. “Whyaren’tyou fucking Dominic?” They were obviously close and had been since high school. That was a hell of a lot longer than Zavier had known Ray—reallyknown Ray.
Ray barked out a laugh. “You know, I’d been wondering when you’d ask me that.” He sobered. “Dom was the first personI came out to. And when I did, he came out to me.” A little shake of the head. “We were like fourteen at the time, I think? Anyway, we tried kissing and it washorrible.”
Zavier chewed on his tongue to keep from laughing. “Horrible?” Kissing Ray was nearly as good as being inside him.
“Yeah. Felt like we were siblings. Which in some ways we were. And are. Neither of us has a brother, so...wekind of filled that role. Including driving each other nuts.”
Zavier had seen that enough times on tour. Both of them irritated the other, but in a way that was kind of like siblings did. “Makes sense.”
Ray had his serious look on again.
“Please don’t tell me you have another personal question.” Zavier couldn’t cope with being out of his element a second time this morning.
“No,it’s just that all the aromantic people I’ve ever met or talked to were asexual, too.”
“And I’m very much sexually attracted to people.”
“Understatement of the year.”
Okay, that was enough snark from Ray. Zavier pulled him over, exposing his bruised ass, and slapped him hard. Ray’s yelp was rich and hot and tinged with a moan. So very good, that. He landed several more blows, enoughto make Ray’s cheeks red and his body tremble.
“So, business as usual, then?” Zavier said. Ray was as hard as he.
“Ohgodyes,” Ray said. “Please.”
How could he refuse when Ray asked so nicely? “Condom,” he said. “And lube.” Another swat to that lovely ass sent Ray scrambling.
Ray’s whole body was flush by the time he returned. “Cuffs again?” A little hope in that voice.
“No,I think this time we’ll try something a little different.” He wanted to be the ropes and cuffs that held Ray. Be his pleasure and punishment. “Here’s what I want you to do.”
* * *
Ray’d fucked plenty of times before, been on both the giving and receiving ends, but never like this.
“I wish there were mirrors so you could see yourself.” Zavier’s words were hot in his ear and his cockdeep inside Ray.
The thrusting, the movement, wasn’t what brought him close to breaking, it was that thought, that image, the one he could nearly see against the white ceiling. The decadence of him splayed on top of Zavier, held tightly, one hand gripping his hip, the other on his shoulder. Arms like ropes, those muscles corded. Ray’s own hands gripped Zavier’s limbs, body writhing with eachhard thrust. Open mouth, loud moans, wide eyes. “Fuck, Zav.”
Incessant and hard, Zavier drove into him as if they could be one person, one soul. Ray’s ass burned from the flogging, the spanking, and now this. The sharpness was like fire, driving him out of his mind. He arched as much as he could against Zavier, wanting more, needing the bliss and light that came when Zav slid deeper into him.
“Don’t you ever think that I don’t want you.” A whisper of air and a caress of lips. Zavier pumped Ray’s dick, stroking and pulling in time with his relentless fucking.
Ray shuddered, that peak too close, too near. “Can’t. I’m gonna—”
