The Bogus Boyfriend Read online

  We’d agreed to meet Andi, Greg, Chad and Barry at 3:00.

  “I’d like to go with you if you really want me, but if not, I can—”

  “Why would I ask you if I didn’t want you to?” Damon asked.

  I shrugged, still wrapped in his arms. He kissed me again.

  “Meet you at the dining room at 8:30?”

  I nodded and watched him turn and walk down the hall.

  He had a great ass.

  Damon

  “Damon, you’re nuts,” my sister said. “You’re pretending to be the boyfriend of a complete stranger?”

  “I like him,” I said simply, putting the phone on speaker and setting it on the bed while I towel dried my hair.

  “He could be a murderer!”

  I couldn’t help laughing. “He is so not a murderer. If you saw him, you’d understand.”

  “That’s what they said about Ted Bundy.”

  “Elise, Collin’s a nice guy, and I like him. If you could have seen him, dreading going to go meet his old high school friends, you would have done the same thing.”

  Elise sighed. “I’ll have to take your word for it. Tell me about him.”

  “He’s straight laced and kind of nerdy, not as tall as I am, and slighter in build. He’s got this coal black hair that’s really soft and smells like lemons. He’s smart and has a dimple in his left cheek when he smiles.”

  Elise laughed. “You really do like him.”

  I frowned and tossed the towel in the corner. “I said I did. Now, I gotta go. We’re going to see Nana.”

  “He’s going to the hospital with you?”

  “Yep. We have plans with his friends afterward.”

  Elise sighed. “Okay. Be careful, and tell Nana I love her and will be there next week to see her.”

  I smiled as I finished getting ready. The thought of Collin being a serial killer was ridiculous. Once he’d settled down at the bar and let himself go a little, he’d been both funny and interesting.

  I’d been physically attracted to him the moment I saw him. I’d always liked the buttoned-up types, and helping him out had been a no-brainer. I’d been wanting to kiss him all evening, and the feel of his lips plus the look on his face when I finally had left me wanting more.

  I was looking forward to seeing him again.

  I pulled on a shirt that brought out the green in my hazel eyes and pushed my wallet and room key into the back pocket of my jeans. Catching sight of the lube I’d left out the night before when I’d jacked off thinking of Collin, I stashed it in my suitcase so the maid wouldn’t see it and left the room.

  I whistled while I walked down the hall to the elevator, then grinned when I spotted Collin waiting for it. The doors opened just as I got close, and we both stepped in together.

  “Good morning,” I said to him, looking him over with approval. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a light blue button-down shirt. I’d forgotten to mention his eyes to Elise—they were the color of dark chocolate, with long lashes. I found his glasses extremely sexy.

  “Good morning,” he said, smiling shyly. “I hope the elevator doesn’t decide to get stuck again.”

  I stepped closer to him, getting a whiff of his citrusy sent. “I wouldn’t mind if it did.” I tilted his chin and kissed him, loving the way he melted into me. Our tongues had just met when the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. We walked hand-in-hand to the dining room.

  “They have a buffet,” Collin said, as we entered. We headed for it, filling our plates and choosing a table away from the kitchen.

  “Did you have a good sleep?” I asked, adding cream to the coffee the waitress poured.

  “Yeah. The bed was comfortable. You?”

  “I did after I took care of something. You left me feeling a little restless.”

  When Collin realized what I was talking about, his face suffused with color, and he almost dropped his fork.

  I grinned at him devilishly.

  “I might have…had the same problem,” he said huskily, and my semi turned into a full-blown hard on.

  I adjusted myself as discreetly as I could.

  “I’ll have to watch out for you,” I told him when his lips curved upward.

  As we ate, we talked about ourselves. Collin was into fish. He had a saltwater tank in his apartment that it sounded like he took meticulous care of.

  “I’ve always loved to watch fish,” I said, “but I’ve never gotten any. I figure there’s a lot to it I don’t have time for. I’d probably kill them all within a week.”

  “So, what’s wrong with your grandmother? Is it serious?”

  I told him about how Nana had broken her hip and was okay but needed care. My mother had been with her the week before and my sister would be later in the week. I was filling in the gap.

  “We’re all very close to her. She’s lived alone since my grandfather died, but she wears one of those emergency necklaces in case something like this happened. It saved her life.”

  “Good thing she’s got you guys to help out,” Collin said. He looked a little wistful when he added, “I don’t have any grandparents still alive.”

  Before I knew it, it was time to leave for the hospital. I’d booked an Uber, and within minutes of our exit to the street, it pulled up to the front of the hotel.

  I hated hospitals—had ever since I’d had my tonsils out when I was ten. Collin didn’t seem bothered by the place, though.

  “Does your grandmother know you’re gay?” he asked on our way up to the surgical floor.

  “Yep. She’s always been supportive.”

  That wistful look fell over Collin’s face again, but I didn’t have time to wonder about it.

  We entered the room. Nana was watching a game show on the television mounted to the wall. A vase of flowers sat on the window sill. When she saw me, she smiled widely and quickly muted the TV.

  “Damon!” She opened her arms, and I leaned down and hugged her. She felt frail, like a little bird, and I worried.

  “I’ve brought a friend, Nana. This is Collin.”

  Collin shook her hand. “Collin Ivester. Nice to meet you.”

  Nana beamed at him. “Nice to meet you, Collin. Both of you sit.”

  I let Collin take the vinyl recliner while I sat on the edge of Nana’s bed.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked her.

  “Much better. The doctors say I’m knitting up well. You didn’t have to come all the way here just to see me.”

  “I wanted to. Elise will be here in a few days.”

  She waved her hand. “Psht. All this to-do over nothing.”

  “You broke your hip, Nana. That’s something.”

  “But I’m on the mend. You children shouldn’t upset your lives over it. I told your mother that.”

  “She knows she wouldn’t have been able to stop us from coming.”

  Nana made a face, and Collin and I exchanged amused looks.

  “Collin, do you live in the city?” she asked.

  “No, ma’am. I live in Nashville. I’m here visiting old friends.”

  Nana glanced at me and said, “Such nice manners!” before turning back to Collin. “How long have you and Damon known one another, dear?”

  “Less than twenty-four hours,” I said. “But we became fast friends.” He grinned at me, and I grinned back. When I glanced at Nana, she was smirking at me.

  We chatted for a long time until the nurse came in with Nana’s lunch and medication. I kissed her and told her I’d be back tomorrow.

  At the door, Collin said, “Damon, you don’t have to go out again with me and my friends if you want to visit your grandmother tonight.”

  “Don’t you worry about that,” Nana said loudly around the pills in her mouth before she drank them down with water. “My friend Darla is coming tonight. You go out and have fun, Damon. Don’t you dare show your face here until tomorrow.”

  I waved to her. “All right, Nana. See you tomorrow.”

  Coll
in and I had lunch at a deli the Uber driver recommended before meeting the others. We’d bought tickets online for the double-decker bus the evening before and had a little trouble finding the place to board, but nothing major. Collin seemed overwhelmed by the city and deferred to me a lot, which if was honest with myself, I liked a lot.

  “I don’t know how I would have gotten around if I hadn’t met you,” he admitted to me once we’d met up with Andi, Chad, and their partners and had boarded the bus.

  I patted his leg. “You would have worked things out. I’m glad I’m here, though; I’m having a good time.”

  Collin didn’t look like he believed me, but he smiled, then pushed his glasses up his nose and turned his attention to the tour. We got off at several stops. In Chinatown, Andi wanted to do way more shopping than the rest of us did, so we sat in a coffee shop until he was finished and met us there.

  “Braden was being such an ass last night,” Chad said unexpectedly as we drank.

  I sipped my pumpkin latte and let Collin field that comment.

  “He hasn’t changed much,” Collin said.

  “He was so sure you’d be the same mousy guy you were in high school, Collin. I’m glad you’ve come out of your shell. You never seemed to realize how cute you are.”

  Collin looked surprised at that. He obviously didn’t know what to say, so I leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I like that about him.”

  Collin turned dark eyes to me. “You do?”

  I nodded. “You’re not the least bit egotistical. It’s refreshing.”

  The smile I got in return had my heart speeding up. I wasn’t sure why he elicited such strong responses in me. I’d dated a lot since I came out at twenty-one—had three long-term boyfriends and a lot of one-night stands—but I’d never gotten all silly about them. Never felt the butterflies rising in my stomach that I did every time Collin looked at me a certain way.

  I wanted more of him and hoped he’d allow it.

  Collin

  When Damon looked at me, I got weak all over. Part of it was because he was gorgeous, but it was also the way he looked at me. Like I was special somehow. I told myself it was all part of the act. The kiss on the cheek and the compliments were just so the guys would believe we were boyfriends. I told myself to stop romanticizing what was happening, but it was so difficult when Damon was being so nice to me and initiating all the physical contact.

  And what about the kisses at the hotel? None of my friends had been there then. Well, duh, he wants to fuck you, I told myself, but even the thought of that was flattering. Damon was so hot, he could have anyone he wanted. The fact he wanted to have sex with me made me hot all over.

  “I’m back!” Andi breezed in with four bags in his hands.

  “Oh my God, did you buy out the stores?” I asked.

  “There was this little shop with all these cute Buddhas, and I got one for my aunt. They also had tea pots, and a stall outside had knock-off handbags.” He pulled one out that looked like Gucci but evidently wasn’t.

  Andi rested a while and then we all got on the next double decker and by the time we’d climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and gotten our fill, it was time to head to the Thai restaurant to meet Braden and Max.

  Things were easy among us by that time, and I was having a great time. I might have even felt the same if I hadn’t had Damon with me. Of course, Braden would be with us the rest of the evening, but now that I felt comfortable with Andi, Chad, and their partners, I wasn’t worried.

  The restaurant had a patio strung with fairy lights, and we decided to sit out there to eat. The sun had gone down, and the temperature was perfect. Our chairs were so close together, I was practically in Damon’s lap, but I didn’t mind that a bit. Braden whooshed in late, taking over the conversation, telling us about his day and all the annoying customers he’d had to work on while Max sat quietly. I couldn’t help thinking about what Damon had said about Max and Braden being in a Daddy/boy type of relationship. Somehow that made Braden less intimidating.

  “How about we go to a club?” Braden suggested after we’d eaten and were paying the bill.

  Damon looked at me. “Want to?”

  I shrugged. “Sure.” I noticed Braden seemed surprised. I guessed he was expecting me not to want to do something so—I don’t know—fun. I normally wouldn’t, but being with Damon made me feel daring.

  “Are we going to a gay club?” I asked Braden as we set out walking.

  “Well, duh. Who wants to be ogled by straight people?”

  Damon was holding my hand again. It was going to be depressing when I didn’t have anyone to hold hands with anymore.

  As our group crossed a street and settled back into stride, Braden wound up on the other side of me and Damon. He was talking to Damon, but I couldn’t catch the conversation. When Braden shot me a look that held a mixture of shock and something else, I wondered what they were saying.

  The club was called Flawless and appeared to be packed. I held onto Damon, afraid to lose him in the crowd. Braden and Max bought a round of drinks, and after we’d gone through them, we headed two-by-two onto the dance floor. The flashing lights and loud bass drowned out conversation, so I let myself go and danced, enjoying the view of Damon’s hot body moving to the beat. I used to love to dance when I was younger, before the high school scene made me so hyper aware of my sexuality that I became too self-conscious. I remembered Braden boldly going to the prom alone in a flashy outfit that got him kicked out by the administration. Later, a bunch of guys on the football team beat him up and left him bloody behind the gym.

  I’d completely forgotten about that. I was ashamed to recall that at the time I’d thought Braden deserved it. What had he been thinking, going to the prom looking as gay as gay could get? Of course they would throw him out, and of course he would attract the wrong kind of attention from his peers. But looking back on it as an adult, I had to admire Braden for what he’d done. He was certainly more courageous than I was.

  I searched the dance floor for him, but I couldn’t find him in the crowd. Then a warm body pressing up to my back made me forget all about Braden and everything else. Arms I already recognized encircled me, and I smiled as we moved together to the music.

  “You are so damn sexy,” Damon said in my ear, sending an electric current down my back. “I want to devour you.”

  I turned in his arms. “That sounds really good to me,” I said, wrapping my arms around him.

  He kissed me, and just like before, I lit up from the inside out.

  “Not here, though,” I joked when we’d parted.

  He leaned near my ear. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”

  The music turned slow. “Let’s dance this one first.”

  Swaying to the song, bodies touching from head to toe, I pressed my cheek to Damon’s shoulder and closed my eyes. I couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy. Every moment with Damon felt like a dream.

  When the song ended, I looked around again but didn’t see any of the guys. “I’ll text them to tell them we’re heading out,” I said loudly so Damon could hear me over the din.

  Damon grinned, grabbed my hand, and we snaked our way through the crowd. Outside in the open air, he pushed me up against the wall and took control of my mouth. I relaxed under his touch, opening to welcome his tongue, fingers skating up his torso to thumb his nipples through his shirt. My confidence soared when Damon groaned into my mouth.

  “Cab,” I breathed, and he nodded.

  The ride back to the hotel was a blur. All I could think about was Damon sitting beside me and how hard I was in my jeans while my mind played a porno starring the two of us and a hotel bed. Or shower. Or even floor. I didn’t give a damn, as long as I got to have him. We attacked each other in the elevator, but then a family of four got on at the next floor, and we had to stop. I stared at my shoes until the elevator doors opened onto our floor, and we hurried out.

  “Who’s room?” I asked at the point w
here the halls met, poised to stride off in either direction.

  “You have lube?” he asked. When I shook my head, he said, “Mine, then.” I followed him, heart beating fast. Doubts started to crowd in. Was I really going to do this? Sleep with a guy I’d only met the day before?

  I only had minutes to consider.

  I liked Damon. If he had lube, he probably had a condom. I was a grown man who never had any fun. Hell, yeah, I was going to do it.

  When we entered his hotel room, Damon was immediately on me again, kissing me and touching me until I was breathing like I’d run a marathon and hard as stone in my jeans.

  “Shirt off,” I said to him, tugging at it. I wanted him naked. When he took it off, I gazed at the expanse of smooth skin and ran my hands over the ripples of muscle. Damon had unbuttoned my shirt and was tugging at it, and I let him slip it off my arms before going back to touching him. I wasn’t built like he was, but I was toned and tanned from swimming in the pool at my apartment complex.

  “You are so hot,” Damon said, his voice a growl.

  I shook my head. “You don’t have to say that.”

  “What do you mean? You are. Every time I see you, I just want to take you apart.”

  I looked up into his face. “I want you to,” I whispered, and then his mouth plundered mine, taking everything I had and then some. I wrapped my arms around him and clutched his back as he thrust against me, my back to the wall. The friction felt awesome, but I knew it would be better without all the material between us. I reached for the button of his jeans, and he moaned when I got my hand around his cock. He was thick, hot, and so hard.

  “Fuck me,” I said, overcome. I’d never said that to anyone in my life. I was usually pretty passive in bed, but right then, I wanted to do and say so many raunchy things. I thought of something and stilled, looking up at him. “God, tell me you’re a top.”

  “I’m a top,” he said, and we both smiled stupidly at one another before tearing the rest of our clothes off and falling onto the bed.

  The comforter was cool against my back while Damon’s body was hot on top of it. I spread my legs, looping them around his waist, and he groaned. Our hard cocks sliding together felt so good, I knew I could come from that alone.