Guns n' Boys Book 1 Part 1 (8 page)

Chapter 4

Domenico was the only
good-looking object in the attic of a tiny studio in central Berlin. Each
ceiling was a slope, so it was almost impossible to walk without slouching, or
even bending, except in the middle. The main room was smaller than Seth and
Peter’s living room, with only one bed that wasn’t even meant for two people, a
clearly secondhand wardrobe, and a table with two chairs by the small window.
In the corner stood a portable gas stove and a cupboard with kitchen
necessities. Other than that, they had a restroom so tiny it didn’t have a
door, with a sink the size of a soup bowl and a dirty looking toilet.

Seth was sitting on the
bed and kept curling the fingers of his injured hand into a fist and then
stretching them again. “Classy place. Looks historical. I bet the mold has been
here since World War Two.” Seth watched Dom hang his suit in the closet.

“I can give you a tour.
The mold in the bathroom is even more epic,” answered Dom. He pulled out a
pre-packaged sandwich he got at the airport and threw it on the bed. “If you’re
hungry.”

“I’m not a dog.” Seth
rolled his eyes but never took his gaze off Dom. Just window-shopping. His
blood ran faster when Domenico pulled on the band in his hair, releasing the
ponytail. His hair looked impossibly strong and healthy. As much as Seth had
mocked Dom’s long hair as a kid, now he considered it yet another aspect of
Dom’s sex appeal.

“Well, you have to eat,
just like any other animal.”

Seth grabbed the
sandwich, since he didn’t know when the next time he would eat was going to
come. “Might as well. I’m tired. Can’t we go shopping?”

“No, not at this hour.
Wrong country,” chuckled Dom as he pulled his shirt over his head and
carelessly dropped it to the floor.

Seth inched away, as if
the rays of hotness would hit him, and he would succumb, falling to his knees
and revealing his own sexuality in the process. “Yeah, I… what?” He didn’t
really get what Dom was saying, focused on his fit body with quite a few scars
scattered all over his torso. “What about tomorrow?”

“
What
about
tomorrow?” repeated Domenico, pulling one chair away from the table and closer
to the bed. He sat on it, back to front, hugging the backrest with his firm
thighs.

“I mean… It’s Tuesday.
Is someone following us or something?” Seth bit into his sandwich, trying to
think unsexy thoughts.
Mold on the ceiling.
Nah, he still had the hots
for Dom.

Domenico crossed his
arms on top of the backrest, flexing the muscles that seemed packed impossibly
tight into the sleeve of his olive-colored skin. Raven black hair fell over one
of his shoulders, caressing one side of his face. “I don’t know yet. Better
keep your head low and let me know what you want from the store.”

“Why can’t I go?” Seth
inched back on the bed with his mouth full. He wanted back some control over
his life. He wasn’t a baby. The way Dom’s eyes followed his moves made Seth
feel like prey, and he hated enjoying it.

“No. I’m responsible for your safety, and for now
you aren’t to leave this place without me.”

Seth looked down at his
sandwich, feeling patronized. He was freaking twenty-six. He looked at the wall
to avoid ogling Dom’s stomach. “So this girl we’re gonna watch, Vera, she lives
close?”

Domenico smiled and
nodded at the window. “She will be returning home soon. You might take a look
if you like. Apparently, she often forgets to draw the curtains when she
changes.”

“Yeah?” Seth lay back on
the bed and looked at the window. “Free peep show?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Yeah, ’cause what do
you care about titties. Only chauffeurs for Domenico Acerbi.” Seth snorted and
licked the breadcrumbs off his fingers.

Domenico spread his
hands with a small smile. “You watch her, and I’ll take my time watching you. A
circle of energy. She can watch me if she wants.”

Seth frowned. Did Dom
just joke or was there something he didn’t get? “You can’t watch me like
that
.”

Domenico sighed. “What
do you mean ‘you can’t’?”

“It’s just… it’s wrong,”
Seth finished flatly, unsure how else to explain it without revealing his
newfound family knowledge. He looked out the window, though he couldn’t care
less.

“I’d like to watch you.
I showed you some of my skin, why don’t you reciprocate?” said Domenico in a
conversational tone.

Seth groaned and tucked
his T-shirt into his jeans. He liked them tight, but now he regretted how short
the garment was. “No.”

“Aw, that’s so cute. Are
you shy, Villani?” chuckled Domenico, resting his chin on top of his forearms,
which he folded on the chair’s backrest.

Was Dom flirting with
him? Seth swallowed, uncomfortable with his new roommate’s confidence. How
could the bastard be flirting with a straight guy? “It’s not ‘cute’. I don’t
wanna be ogled.”

Domenico grinned,
leaning back, which showcased his hard torso and stomach. The guy wasn’t bulky,
but he was all muscle, like a wild cat. “News flash, Villani, you’re always
gonna be ogled.”

Uncomfortable was Seth’s
new middle name, but being as big as he was, there was nowhere to hide. “Not by
guys.”

“Yeah? You think your
round ass somehow deflects their attention?”

Seth pulled a blanket
over himself, heat rushing up his neck. “Here. Better?” he groaned, confused
and unsure how he felt about Domenico Acerbi liking his ass.

Domenico let out a laugh
and slapped himself on the thigh. “Are you gonna buy a burqa next?”

“Ah, fuck you.” Seth
rolled to his side, but then realization dawned on him, and he glared back at
Dom. “Hey. Where will
you
sleep?”

“On the bed.”

“Where’s the other bed?”

Domenico took another
sandwich out of the bag and smelled it with a grimace of distaste. “There is no
other bed.”

“We’re sleeping in
one
bed?” Seth was dying with anxiety. He would
so
get a boner. “Maybe add a
chauffeur on top of that.”

“What?” Domenico bit into
the sandwich. “A three-way in a single bed? That’s fucking dreadful.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“I’m not the one who
dragged poor Tony into this.”

“Listen, can we stop
talking gay stuff? I’m really done with it.”

“Of course you are.”
Domenico chewed another bite off the sandwich.

“So… do you think it’s
dangerous for me to go out?” Seth curled under the blanket.

Domenico gave him a
shrug, his skin had a warm tint in the glow of the naked lightbulb that hung
from the ceiling. “Not sure, but better safe than sorry.” Slowly, Domenico
looked up at Seth. “So better don’t try anything funny. Next time, you might
lose more than a finger.”

“I have a gun, you
know.” Seth slid off the bed and started looking for his sleepwear. Domenico
had picked out some weapons on the way from the airport.

“A gun you don’t even
know how to use safely.” There was no mocking in Domenico’s voice this time. It
was contempt.

“I forgot,” Seth
mumbled, quickly changing into the tank top he’d packed for sleeping, but he
would go to the restroom to change his pants. Even if it didn’t have a door.

“That’s the thing. Next
time you ‘forget’, you might lose your balls,” said Domenico with his mouth
full.

Seth rolled his eyes and
went into the dark bathroom, almost hitting his head on the slope of the
ceiling. He quickly took off his pants, staying behind the wall. He was so glad
they’d had a shower on the plane, because the apartment had no facilities for a
proper bath.

“Don’t take too long, we
need to get up early tomorrow,” said Domenico from the bedroom.

Seth changed into
jogging bottoms and looked into the crooked little mirror above the sink, which
had more spots than clean space. It still let him have a look at Dom, finishing
his sandwich in the room. “Would you want to be the boss?” he asked all of a
sudden. Dom certainly looked like one.

“Huh?” Dom dumped the
plastic container into a disposable bag and glanced toward the bathroom. “What
kind of question is that?”

“Just asking. Would you?
You know, be in charge of… human resources.”

A flicker of light
accompanied the bittersweet smell of tobacco. Domenico leaned on the backrest
of his chair and looked at the window. “You know I’ll never be one.”

“What if I wasn’t
there?” Seth swallowed and looked back, feeling the atmosphere thicken with
every second. He could use a cigarette, but he wasn’t gonna ask for one.

“You
are
here.”

“You could easily kill
me…” Seth bit his lip. He needed to see what Dom would say to that. He didn’t
expect a laugh.

“Those aren’t the orders
I got. I’m to protect you and train you to protect yourself.”

Seth looked back at the
yellowing sink. Not the orders he got. What if he got a different kind of
order? Would he at least hesitate? Seth doubted that. He ran his fingers
through his hair, happy that at least his face was looking better. His hand
still hurt now and then, but it was time to man up and brush his teeth. A new
day awaited tomorrow.

In the mirror, he
watched Domenico get up and kick the chair into place with unexpected
precision. He stretched, bending his body backward and to the side. His chest
hair wasn’t too thick, but oddly organized, growing sideways, as if Domenico
combed it into perfection. Seth’s gaze followed Dom’s hands, all the way down
to the belt, which he opened, along with the slacks, revealing a flash of white
underwear.

Seth watched him in the
mirror as he cleaned his teeth. There was nothing left of the skinny boy Seth
had known when they were kids. Then again, if Dom really was his protector,
then it was for the better that he was such a scary man. Seth’s skin prickled
when the catlike silhouette moved toward him, all Dom’s moves relaxed yet
somehow calculated, controlled. His bare feet were silent even on the old
wooden floor, as if he knew where to step to avoid unpleasant creaks.

Seth gave him a
surprised look in the mirror, with his mouth full of toothpaste when Domenico
stopped behind him, clear amber eyes meeting his in the mirror. Even through
his top, Seth could feel the body heat radiating from the man.

“Don’t stand so close,
you gay molester,” Seth said with his mouth full, actually enjoying
cock-teasing Dom.

“Why, are you afraid of
me, big boy?” asked Dom and leaned forward, placing his palm next to the
mirror, his skin brushing Seth’s, as if by accident. Seth knew it couldn’t have
been so. Dom knew how to control his moves.

Seth spat out the last
of the toothpaste and flinched away, even though he’d gladly melt into Dom’s
chest with his back. “We need some kind of bowl here, for washing. There’s no
fucking shower.”

“I’ll get one tomorrow.”

Seth changed places with
Domenico, who also wanted to use the meager facilities, but eventually, he
headed to bed. He couldn’t help but watch Dom from the bed though, the white
briefs peeking out like an invitation to pull them down. They were Calvin Kleins,
too.

Domenico eventually
returned to the bedroom and turned around to pull down his slacks, letting Seth
see the gloriousness that was his tight ass under the layer of prime quality
cotton. Ogling wasn’t below Seth, so he enjoyed the view. All he needed was
some popcorn. He didn’t understand how Dom could be so calm about being gay and
caught red-handed. It wasn’t just looked down upon in the Family, it was a
death sentence. Seth already imagined a lonely life for himself in the future.

His train of thought
muted when Domenico pushed down his briefs, presenting a firm ass with dimples
at the sides. Seth’s eyes went wide when he realized there was nothing around
for Dom to change into. When Domenico turned around to face him, the world
seemed to slow down. Seth’s eyes went straight for the prize that was the
heavy, uncut cock, presented to him on a plate of incredible abs and thighs of
a panther, with a side order of a gorgeous set of balls. Domenico clearly
trimmed his dark pubes, but he didn’t look overly manicured.

“That’s how you’re going
to sleep?” Seth choked out and unconsciously inched away on the bed, already
under the comforter. His heart pounded and every inch of his skin screamed for
contact with the dangerously hot man in front of him. It was as if he hadn’t
had a drink for a year and Dom was the best smelling rum.

“I need to let my cock
loose once in a while,” said Domenico, dropping his ass on the mattress. “You
should try it. Good for male virility.”

“Wear something loose
then! You’re not alone here. Or with some fuck-boy of yours!” Seth could not
tear his gaze away from Dom if they paid him.

“Afraid you’d be
tempted?” Domenico rolled to his back so hastily that some of his hair grazed
Seth’s cheek. Their eyes met, and having all his flesh and skin within reaching
distance, Seth found himself throbbing for touch.