Guns n' Boys Book 1 Part 2 (25 page)

Rob stared at him.

Seth bit his lip. “What? I know…”

“Did you think I was ‘serving you’ when we
fucked?” Rob pinched his chin.

Seth frowned. How did he always get himself
into situations like this? “No, I thought that about me bottoming.
You seemed into it, so... yeah.”

Rob shook his head. “You’re gay, and you
never bothered to read about it? Or, I don’t know, talk to your
boyfriend about how it feels for him?”

Seth felt like an idiot. He shuffled his feet
against the floor and sipped the coffee, which seemed more bitter
than usual. “I kinda… I was more into actually doing stuff.”

“So, now you’re a converted bottom?”

“You don’t have to be mean.” Seth looked up
at him grimly. He wouldn’t describe himself that way. “Let’s just
say the way Dom does it blows my mind, okay?”

Rob’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he closed his
hands around his cup, slightly tense as he lowered his gaze to
Seth’s chest. “He does look good.”

The side of Seth’s lips lifted in a smile he
couldn’t help. That was definitely a constant. Dom always looked so
fucking good. And the way he smelled had Seth going in no time. His
hands knew exactly what to do to Seth’s body. Where to pinch, where
to press. Seth loved Domenico’s weight on him after they fucked,
with Dom’s cock still in him. “It’s not about looks.”

“What makes him so special then?” asked Rob,
starting to eat his cake.

Seth looked to the people walking outside.
“He’s so… he just goes
there
, you know? Like a human
equivalent of a bungee jump.”

“Won’t it be too much at some point? He’s
more like a corporate shark than an antique dealer.”

“You could say he’s an ‘antiques shark’.”
Seth chuckled. “I take it one day at a time. When we fight, I don’t
have to worry I’d break him, I can let loose.”

Rob blinked. “Are you saying you actually use
violence?”

“I…” he paused, unsure of how to answer. What
would a normal person say? “Not much. We’re Italian, we talk with
our hands.” He laughed it off.

“So he’s pretty much the perfect guy then?
Rich, handsome, good enough of a fuck to get Seth Villani on his
knees...”

Seth cleared his throat. “He’s definitely not
perfect. And he’s on his knees a lot as well.”

Rob stuffed his face with cake. “I hope you
won’t disappear on me again.”

“No, we’ll keep in touch. You’ve got my
e-mail and all. I’ll actually start checking it again now. I’m
just… I deleted my Facebook and stuff after the kidnapping.”

Rob reached out and put his hand on Seth’s.
“Things got a bit mental when everyone realized no one get in touch
with you.”

Seth wasn’t sure what to do. Dom would
definitely not like it, but wasn’t it just normal? Gay friends
touching? Nothing out of the norm. “Oh, man, I’m so sorry. I didn’t
have much contact with the world for a while.”

His phone buzzed so hard he jerked in his
chair, snatching the hand away.

“Were you in witness protection?” asked
Rob.

“Yeah, until they caught the guys. Just a
sec,” Seth said and picked up the phone. “Yeah?”

“Are you going to fuck him?” growled
Domenico, his voice crawling down Seth’s ear canal like a
viper.

Seth rolled his eyes. “Sure, on the freaking
coffee table.”

Rob crooked his head and fed himself more
cake.

“You actually thought about your answer!”
hissed Domenico.

“Because it’s absurd. Let’s just talk when I
come back, huh?” Seth wasn’t looking forward to that chat.

“
If
you come back,” replied Dom before
cutting the connection.

Seth frowned. The fuck was that supposed to
mean? “What were you saying?”

“Was it him?” Rob hid his face behind the
coffee cup.

“Yeah, he’s… You know, scared for me after
the kidnapping.”

“Yeah, that’s what was sort of bothering me.”
Rob pointed his finger at Seth. “He’s an antique dealer. How could
he have dealt with the Mob?”

“Oh, lucky thing. He grew up in a small
village, knows how to use a gun.”

Rob frowned. “Even if he was hunting from a
young age, it’s still one businessman versus the mafia. How exactly
did that happen?”

“I can’t talk details, Rob.” The less story,
the easier to stick to it, Dom had taught him that.

Rob leaned back in his chair. “Sorry, you
probably don’t even want to remember it. I’m such an ass.”

“I do want to forget it. It was horrific.
What about you though?” When Seth felt the vibration in his pocket,
he reached in and turned off the phone.

Seth looked at the steel door of the elevator
as he went up to their apartment. When he finished talking with
Rob, his cell phone had seven missed calls from Domenico, but when
Seth tried to call him back, all he got was voice mail.

When he got to the door though, he frowned at
the black lock in place of the golden one that they had there
before. He was getting a weird gut feeling that maybe something
happened, maybe he missed an important call. Seth put his key in
the lock and as he was beginning to expect, it didn’t turn. All the
hairs on his body bristled.

Seth whacked the door with his fist, uncaring
of what the neighbors would think. He didn’t even know who lived
next door. “Domenico, you prick! Open up!”

After several seconds, all he got was a bang
from the other side, and Seth’s phone vibrated again.

He picked it up with a groan. “What the fuck
is this?” He punched the door again, relieved that it didn’t seem
to be anything else than Domenico going mental.

“Did you honestly think you can meet other
guys behind my back?” growled Domenico.

Seth took a deep breath. He couldn’t believe
this shit. “Of course I can meet with a friend! What is wrong with
you?”

“No, you cannot!” The yell was accompanied by
an aggressive banging on the other side of the door.

“Why not?” Seth put his forehead against the
steel. Was this the man he fell in love with?

“Because I won’t allow you to make a cuckold
out of me again!”

“We talked about this already. Stop bringing
it up. Nothing happened! It was actually quite… weird.” Seth looked
away from the door. Who was he supposed to talk to about his
problems? “Why am I still standing here? Dom! Open up!”

Dom sighed, making the line croak. “Because I
want you to think about what you’ve done. I’m not going to tolerate
this.”

“Okay, whatever.” Seth hung up and made his
way back to the elevator. He couldn’t believe Dom would lock him
out like that. What a fucking brat of a boyfriend. How old was he
to throw such tantrums? Seth hadn’t even reached his goal yet when
Domenico called again.

“What?” Seth yelled into the speaker, his
hand shaking as he pushed the button for the elevator. When
Domenico spoke, his voice was a tone quieter.

“Where are you...?”

“Going on another date. Since my
ex
-boyfriend clearly doesn’t want me at home.”

“Don’t you dare!” Domenico yelled so loudly
Seth had to move his phone away from his ear. “Come home right
now!”

“My keys don’t fit the lock.” Seth stepped
into the elevator as soon as it opened.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ve got a new key for you.”
Domenico cleared his throat. “You can come back, I won’t be
angry.”

“I don’t want to. You’re crazy! I’ll come
back tomorrow when I cool down. I’m gonna stay in a hotel. I’ve had
a bad day, and you only give me shit!” Seth slammed the elevator
door as it was going down.

“Come back, or I won’t let you in at
all!”

“Then don’t!” Seth hung up and banged the
back of his head against the metal wall. He was happy no one joined
him on the way to the underground parking lot. He didn’t even know
why he went there instead of to the first floor. Must have been a
reflex from a life long gone. Seth didn’t even manage to put the
phone back into his pocket before it rang again.

“What do you want from me?” Seth yelled and
put his hand over his face when his voice echoed between the
concrete walls. At least there didn’t seem to be anyone there to
witness his meltdown.

There was a moment of silence, but then, Dom
spoke again. “Come on... come back home.” It didn’t sound
threatening anymore. Could the softer tone be a sign of Seth having
tamed the mad Domenico Acerbi?

Seth took a deep breath and leaned against
the wall. “You come out and meet me.”

“All right, tell me where you are.” Domenico
didn’t hang up, and Seth could hear rustling in the background.

“I’m coming up in the elevator.” Seth walked
back into the elevator and pushed the button again.

“All right.” There was a hint of defeat in
Domenico’s voice. Seth wasn’t sure whether he liked it or not.

He had been looking forward to seeing Dom in
the afternoon, but he wasn’t so sure of it anymore when the
elevator door opened. Though the white wife beater Dom was wearing
exposed his tan arms in a way that had Seth reconsider yet again.
Domenico pulled him out of the elevator, his jaw set, eyes dark and
wild. “I just don’t want you to go gallivanting with other people
all the time,” he said as if the conversation never stopped.

“All the time? It’s the first time I went
anywhere,” Seth hissed, already regretting that he came back. Dom’s
pleading voice had fooled him.

Domenico sighed, and for a brief moment there
was a hint of guilt on that handsome face before he pulled Seth
close. The moment his scent enveloped Seth, it was a lost game.
“Isn’t your place by my side?”

“I just wanted to speak to him.” Seth sighed
and slowly hugged Dom, closing his eyes. There was nothing as
comforting as the addictive smell of his hair and skin. Why were
his arms so strong and hard?

“You don’t seem happy.” Domenico rested his
arm across Seth’s shoulders and pulled him close. “Did he say nasty
stuff about me?”

“No, only the truth.” Seth looked into his
eyes.

Dom frowned and pulled him to the apartment.
“What does that mean?”

Seth followed, holding on to Dom’s hand. “He
says you seem dangerous. He’s not right though. You don’t just seem
so. You are dangerous.”

Any other person would be insulted, but
Domenico grinned at him and closed the door behind them, spinning
Seth into his arms again. He was so warm, so inviting. “Not to you
though. I’m your protector, aren’t I?”

The way he was proud at being called
‘dangerous’, stirred something in Seth and it wasn’t anger. There
was a thrill to this joyride Seth was taking, and he couldn’t help
loving that self-satisfied smile. He’d go into the arms of that
predator willingly. “I suppose.”

“Do I hear doubt?”

Seth ran his hands up Dom’s arms. “He can’t
understand what’s between us.”

Dom’s amber gaze became even more intense.
Holding Seth close, he pulled his hand up to his lips and kissed
each finger. “No. I suppose he can’t. No one can understand people
like us.”

“I can never go back to who I was.” Seth
watched Dom, lowering his voice. “You’re happy that he doesn’t get
me. Me? I don’t know. It was like… I talked to him, but I couldn’t
explain how I felt.”

Domenico’s nostrils flared. “Would you like
me the way you do if I wasn’t the only one to understand?”

“I’d like you… differently. But this meetup
today. It sobered me. You’ll be satisfied to hear I won’t see him
again.” Seth looked away, but didn’t move away from the touch.

“So you don’t like him anymore?” inquired
Dom, all serious.

“I like him a lot. But I can never be honest
with him. It’s just… It sucks.” He pulled away from the hug and
took off his leather jacket.

“So you won’t be meeting any other guys?”

“Is that all you care about?” Seth threw the
jacket at Domenico, so he wouldn’t have to see his handsome face.
“I’m trying to tell you I feel like shit!”

“Sorry.” Dom sighed and put the jacket down
on a chair. “Can I do something to make you feel better?”

Seth ran his fingers through his hair and
walked off farther into the living room. “Tell me it’s gonna be
fine? Please… I don’t even know what will happen. We could be
leaving New York at any point, and what then?”

“Why wouldn’t it be fine?”

Seth was certain he could only hear
Domenico’s cat-like steps because Dom wanted him to. He walked up
to the window and looked through the wooden shades at his former
apartment building.

“Because as soon as we’re back, there will be
no more playing house. This is all an illusion, and it won’t
last.”

The warmth of Domenico’s body behind him gave
Seth a sense of comfort. Arms hard like those of a marble statue
snaked around him, pulling him into the cocoon of illusive
safety.

“Before that happens, we could go to Paris. I
wanted to tell you in the last moment, but I booked us a stay over
Christmas.”