Go Your Own Way (24 page)

“Lennox! It’s Will! Let me—”

He heard the heavy scrape of the trunk and then the door flung open. Before Will could greet him or explain his midnight visit, he was yanked inside by his shirtfront. The door snapped shut behind him. Will half-expected to be pinned against the door by a fierce kiss, so much so that he parted his lips and took a deep breath. But Lennox kicked the trunk into place and stepped back. He scowled at Will in a way rather reminiscent of Karen.

“Do you have shit for brains?”

“What? Don’t look at me like that. I forgot my phone,” Will said, his hands settling on his hips.

“After what almost happened earlier? Is your damn phone more important than having brain function?” Lennox gritted his teeth and crossed his arms. He was shirtless and in his Batman pajama pants. “Or are you interested in a joint room rate with your dad?”

Will glanced around for his phone. Lennox scooped it up off the nightstand.

“Here, take your damn phone.”

Lennox tossed it to him and Will almost didn’t catch it. A pre-packaged single serving of pie was sitting on top of the little fridge with a lit candle poking out. Only one occasion called for those.

“Lennox, why do you—is that—” Will gestured toward the flickering candle and Lennox jumped and hurried to blow it out.

“It’s nothing. Just some pie.”

As Lennox moved to shove it into the mini-fridge, Will stopped him.

“It’s your birthday,” Will said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It doesn’t—it’s not important,” Lennox grumbled. He eased the little slice out of Lennox’s hand and they sat down on the bed. Nobody should think so little of their birthday, of a day Will had been celebrating for eighteen years. But Lennox was holed up alone in this dingy room with a tiny slice of pie and the uncertainty of what tonight would offer. Lennox didn’t think he was important enough for something as simple as this.

Will picked up Lennox’s lighter and the plastic fork from the nightstand, and then sat down beside him. He placed the pie back in Lennox’s hands and tried to light the candle. After several frustrated attempts, Lennox chuckled and took it from him. With a deft flick, he lit it.

“
Happy birthday to you…”

Will looped his arms around him and rested his cheek on his shoulder. He sat there, stiff and rigid in Will’s arms, as Will sang. A tender kiss on his cheek relaxed him when the song ended.

“Make a wish, Lennox.”

Pie trembling a little in his grasp, Lennox took a moment before blowing the candle out. Will handed him the plastic fork and kissed his cheek again. The first bite was offered to Will, and he accepted it with a smile. They were silent as they ate, alternating bites until the little cardboard container was empty.

“My mom used to do this with me.” Lennox’s voice slipped into the comfortable silence as he sat the container and fork aside. “I remember that, too. Every birthday, she’d wake me up right before midnight with a huge slice of her fancy ice-cream cake. She always sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me first. Dad never caught on to why a slice was always missing at dinner.”

Will could imagine that little boy from the picture, curled up in his Batman pajamas with a stuffed penguin hugged to him, being awakened by the bright smiling woman who had held him. He would rub his eyes, his curls a tangled, piled mess on his head as she scooped him up and set the plate before him. It was so easy to recall that smile from the picture. It burned brighter than the sun ever could.

Every time Lennox mentioned his mother, it made some strange part of Will ache as if a needle had punctured the still­ness around them. What was it like to be saturated with those memories at ran­dom? To have had a mother long enough to spend the rest of your life missing her?

Lennox was quiet after that, and his shoulders began to grow tense under Will’s arms draped around him as if he was working himself up to something. Will thought he had Lennox’s tension figured out. But he wasn’t leaving, no matter what Lennox said. He cupped Lennox’s cheek and turned his head until they were looking at each other. Slowly, Will leaned in, giving Lennox the chance to pull away.

“Do you, um, want a birthday present now?” Will’s face heated up as he shared a soft kiss with Lennox. For the first time, he felt ridiculous kissing him, felt absurd for trying to be seductive and sexy when he’d never been either.

A smile formed against his lips before Lennox pulled back. “If it’s anything like what you call singing, I’ll pass.”

Will smacked his chest. “Not all of us are virtuosos!”

Lennox laughed and shook his head. “It’s in my genes. My mom—” But he stopped there and cleared his throat. “You should go. Before Karen comes here with a battering ram to rescue you.”

“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to stay.”

“You want—” Lennox stared at him like he’d never seen him before. “Okay.”

“I mean, I
do
have a birthday present for you, like I said,” Will said, but Lennox still didn’t believe him.

“Bullshit. You didn’t get anything. You didn’t know it was my birthday.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have time to share with you. That’s something, right?”

Lennox was still looking at him, but a new light was in his eyes that Will considered a promise.

“Does this, uh, time involve shirts on or off?”

“You’re such a pervert,” Will said, but he smiled as he pushed Lennox’s shoulders back until he took the hint.

Lennox grinned as he slid back and propped himself up against his pillows. “Lights?” he asked.

“If you want to attract the neighbors,” Will said. For the first time since he’d arrived, his voice wavered. He didn’t want to deal with those men again. “Off.”

The bulb flickered out, leaving a glowing orange ring in Will’s vision. Even in the sudden darkness, Will could see Lennox’s hand stretched out to him, eager to pull him closer.

It was a moment before Will accepted the hand. He couldn’t predict what would happen now, but regardless of where they ended or began, Will trusted Lennox. Will slipped his hand into his and let Lennox pull him closer, where he overbalanced and tumbled right into Lennox’s chest. They both laughed and, for a while, Will couldn’t stop. It was so easy to have these gentle moments alone with Lennox, so easy to relax into whatever they were becoming.

Will pushed himself upright and kneeled over Lennox’s lap, his knees digging into the hard mattress springs. He brushed the thick curls hanging over Lennox’s forehead and nuzzled his nose against his skin. Lennox shivered a little, his hands clasping Will’s thighs, rubbing and pulling.

“Will, come
on
.” Lennox growled in exasperation. His hands moved to Will’s ass as his hips arched, but Will kept himself a few inches above Lennox. “Friction is
good
.”

“In a bit. I want to try something.” He pressed one hand against Lennox’s stomach until his hips dropped back to the bed. “Please, just relax and t—just relax, baby.”

He almost said
trust me
. Yet if he said it aloud, Lennox would end this night now. As Will settled back in Lennox’s lap, he mas­saged Lennox’s temples with his thumbs and brushed his lips over Lennox’s eyebrow ring. He’d never seen one up close, had always thought them pointless, but as he popped the ring between his lips and gave a gentle tug, Lennox sighed. Will smiled, the eyebrow ring twisting a little until a shaky groan washed over his neck and Lennox shifted beneath him.

Hesitation and wonder lit up Lennox’s eyes in the dark. This moment was just as unfamiliar to Lennox as it was to Will. This was not about being rough or quick the way Lennox was comfortable with, and it wasn’t about any past experiences Will didn’t have to draw from. Tonight was about them and a new moment collapsing in on itself and becoming something greater.

“Please,” Will said again, his fingertips trailing over Lennox’s neck. “I want to make you feel good, too.”

Will met Lennox’s unsure gaze, his skin tingling under Lennox’s hands caressing his thighs. If Lennox couldn’t let him in right now, couldn’t allow himself to trust with this intimacy, Will didn’t think he ever would.

Slowly, Lennox’s head bobbed up and down.

Will beamed. “Close your eyes,” he whispered, his pulse sud­denly racing. Being trusted shouldn’t make him feel so alive, no more than did the brush of their skin together or Lennox’s lips all over him. Yet it did. A rush unlike the lust that had poured out of them last time surged through Will.
This
was what he kept hoping to find, the trust to experience intimacy comfortably.

Lennox shivered as Will kissed each of his cheekbones, his lips skimming instead of pressing. It was like a tickle, and Len­nox’s hands tightened. Will’s lips and hands moved as soft as a ghost’s over Lennox’s neck, cheeks, chin, and down his chest. A shiver ran through him as Will shifted in his lap, his ass brush­ing Lennox’s hardening cock. He continued his soft, fluttering kisses, dotting Lennox’s eyelids and his cheeks, but he kept away from his lips. If he kissed Lennox on the mouth right now, this explora­tion would shift. They would both become so lost in each other, so desperate for body heat that this simple moment would disap­pear.

Fascination crept onto Lennox’s face as his eyes fluttered open. He looked as mesmerized as Will felt, with his cheeks flushed and his breathing shallow. Lennox grabbed at Will’s waist to bring him closer. Will resisted. He sat back, purposely pressing his ass down until Lennox whined.

“It feels nice, doesn’t it?”

Lennox hummed softly. Will felt the sound rumbling against his fingers as he placed his hands on Lennox’s chest and dipped his head. This time, he let his lips linger over, nip and suck Len­nox’s neck. His own heart thudded in his ears, his cock growing hard as Lennox’s hips rocked against him. Will squirmed and bit his lip. He wanted to keep going, to continue teasing, but his stomach was tight with need.

“Fuck, let me kiss you,” Lennox rasped. Will shook his head even as Lennox tried to kiss his mouth.

Will shoved him down and held Lennox in place until he stopped.

“Not yet,” Will said. He kept his hands in place and a little force on Lennox until he could catch his breath. It was so easy to get lost in the taste of him, to start spiraling out of control and ruin something he didn’t want to end in his jeans.

Will’s lips quirked at the frustrated frown glaring up at him. “What? Don’t tell me you aren’t enjoying yourself.”

“Shut up and take this damn shirt off,” Lennox said.

With a short laugh, Will ducked as Lennox’s hands grappled with his ass and rocked them together. He sucked a path down Lennox’s chest and let his tongue dip and trace over his ribs.

“Oh, fuck, fuck,
fuck
.” Lennox gave a shout as his head tilted back and he arched into Will’s mouth. As Will laughed, Lennox took several deep breaths and squeezed his eyes shut.

Will sat back on the bed and pulled his own shirt off. Len­nox pushed his pajama pants and boxers down and tossed them across the room. It was the first time Will had seen Lennox fully naked, but he wasn’t given much chance to take it all in. As his shirt hit the floor, Lennox pounced and pinned him on the bed.

Will’s head bounced once before Lennox’s mouth met his. Their kiss was hard, full of sharp inhalations and clinking teeth. Lennox nibbled his lower lip, and then sucked on it until Will gasped. A thrill shot through Will as their tongues met. While they’d kissed a lot before, most of it had been messy and rushed. Now, they took their time. Lennox slid his tongue in, the bead of his tongue ring catching, and Will followed tentatively, trying to mimic the firm little flicks and brushes until they were both sweating and panting.

Their hips pressed together then and Will’s head swam. He’d left his pants on, but at some point while they were kiss­ing, Lennox had worked them open and down so that only his boxers separated them. Lennox shifted once, and then twice. On the third roll of his hips, their cocks pressed together. An earthquake rattled Will’s body. His fingers dug into Lennox’s back as his mouth broke away on a sharp gasp.

“Why aren’t you naked?” Lennox demanded. He thrust his hips forward once more, kissed his neck, and then slid down Will’s body. Will groaned as the chilled air of the room hit his skin. He hoped he wasn’t bright red under his freckles. That would be his luck, to be glowing so red that he looked like a human night-light.

Lennox tossed his pajama pants and shoes to the floor, and then moved up to hover over him. He plucked at the waistband of Will’s boxers. Will couldn’t see any reason not to remove them. His cock jutted through the fly.

“Can I?”

Oh. Will saw the slight hesitation that still lingered from ear­lier. This was different. Lennox had never requested permission before. This moment was for them together, not either of them individually.

Will nodded and raised his hips as Lennox helped him remove his boxers. His whole body ached, every pore and nerve desper­ate for Lennox’s body heat as Lennox draped himself over him again. Lennox angled their hips together and thrust. Will gave an embarrassing gurgle that he almost choked on, but Lennox continued to roll his hips. It was a gentle movement at first, then more forceful. Lennox met his mouth for a hungry kiss, his hands fumbling.

“Fuck, c-can I finger you?”

Will froze, his body tensing and his lips going slack against Lennox’s. His head felt woolly and numb. Above him, Lennox stopped. Their eyes met for a second, and Lennox yanked himself away and sat on the edge of the bed. He’d thought about it before. He’d almost explored it himself in his early days of high school to see if he liked it, but he’d never gotten up the guts to walk into one of the few local stores that sold lubricant. It was an exciting suggestion, but frightening, too. Wasn’t he supposed to shave everything back there first? What if it hurt and they had to stop and it became awkward?

He sat up. Lennox’s jaw was clenched, his shoulders hunched in as his left forearm covered his lap. Will slid up behind him and tucked his chin over his shoulder. It didn’t seem possible for that confident boy to melt away into the one he kept finding himself with.