Page 10

“I have a better idea,” Dakota rasped as he surged to his feet, disrupting the surface of the water and making it splash out of the spa. “How about we find something closer?”

Gavin made a surprised noise but he followed on Dakota’s heels as he got out of the spa and strode across the pool deck.

Dakota’s heart beat fast as he ducked into one of the cabanas and fumbled for the ties holding back the heavy curtains that draped from the roof of the structure. He assumed they were designed for patrons wanting to get out of the sun and each one was separated by slatted wooden walls and greenery hedges on both sides.

Perfectly private, especially at this time of night, with no one around.

Dakota tugged the curtains closed, plunging the inside of the cabana into darkness. The far wall had windows built in, affording panoramic views of the city beyond. Below the windows there were L-shaped outdoor sectionals with plush cushions and all Dakota could think about was how much he wanted to be pressed between them and Gavin’s wet, hard body.

The moment Dakota turned back to face Gavin, he stepped forward. His mouth was hot and hungry as he kissed Dakota, sliding a hand into Dakota’s hair and getting a solid grip on it.

Dakota moaned softly.

“Yeah? You like that?”

Dakota responded by kissing him harder.

One hookup had been dangerous enough. Turning it into a regular thing was crazy and reckless and probably a terrible idea, but Gavin had been right. There had been a certain energy between them lately, a low thrum that sparked into something bright and sharp and hot every time they got close.

Last night had proven how explosive that could be.

Dakota reached out, gripping Gavin’s hip, his skin wet and cool beneath his fingers.

Dakota thumbed across one of Gavin’s prominent nipples, making him hiss. He smiled against Gavin’s mouth, and Gavin chuckled, low in his throat.

“You go right after what you want, don’t you?” There was something frank and admiring in his tone.

Dakota shrugged. He liked the idea of Gavin thinking that about him anyway, even if it felt like it had been years since he’d truly done that. Truly been wild.

“What do you want?” Dakota shot back.

“I want to know what you sound like when I make you come. It was too loud in the club to really hear.”

Those words, said in a low, raspy voice, made Dakota shiver, goosebumps breaking out across his skin. Despite the warm night air, he felt a little chilled everywhere Gavin wasn’t touching him, so he pulled him closer. “Do it,” he demanded huskily.

“Tell me how you want it,” Gavin countered.

But it had been so long since Dakota had been blatantly vocal about his needs with any man and his words suddenly failed him. It had been easier at the club when he’d relied more on his body than his words to say what he wanted.

So rather than speak aloud, Dakota turned their bodies, walking backward and falling onto the sectional, pulling Gavin down with him.

Gavin stumbled, there was the scrape of metal on tile, and then he let out a muffled oath, tumbling onto Dakota and knocking the air from his lungs. “Fuck, that’ll be a helluva bruise tomorrow,” he muttered.

“Sorry.” Dakota stared up at Gavin, his eyes finally adjusted to the dim light. “What happened?”

“Bashed my shin on the coffee table.” Gavin lowered his head, pressing his lips to Dakota’s throat. “Doesn’t matter. Where were we?”

“No idea,” Dakota admitted. “But don’t stop.”

Gavin huffed softly against his skin before he pressed his lips to that sensitive spot. He kissed it once, then again—a little higher —the brush of his short beard pleasantly abrasive as he worked his way up to Dakota’s ear.

Shit , Dakota couldn’t remember the last time someone had kissed him there and it made him shiver again. He clutched at Gavin’s shoulders, mapping out the broad musculature, thumb tracing across the swell of his biceps and the tautness of his triceps.

Dakota made a breathy noise as Gavin bit his earlobe, the shock of sharp teeth a thrilling counterpoint to the softness of his lips a moment before.

“The sounds you make …” Gavin’s voice turned raspy. “Fuck, they turn me on so much.”

“Yeah?”

Gavin shifted, his hips settling more firmly between Dakota’s splayed thighs. He hadn’t even realized he’d spread them, hadn’t noticed the feel of Gavin’s hair-roughened leg against his own.

Now he could feel the hot, hard press of Gavin’s cock against his inner thigh, and he groaned again. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the heft of it in his hand last night.

“Shit, talk about big dick energy.” Dakota licked his lips. “That’ll be a mouthful.”

Gavin propped himself on his elbows, grinning down at him. “Help yourself.”

Dakota laughed.

But rather than scoot back or shift their positions, Gavin lowered his head and kissed Dakota again. It was a deep, needy kiss and Dakota let himself get lost in it. Let himself sink in and enjoy the rough tug of Gavin’s big hand in his hair, the tingling scrape of his stubble, and the expert way his tongue twined with Dakota’s.

His body was so big, so hard against Dakota’s, and every deliberate roll and grind of his hips wrung a soft little cry from Dakota’s mouth. Fuck, he almost regretted telling Gavin he didn’t want to bottom. Because while he didn’t do it often, he might make an exception for someone like this.

But that was the damn problem, that was what always got him into these messy situations, giving in when he should stand firm. So Dakota turned the tables, becoming the aggressor. He carefully scraped his teeth against Gavin’s lower lip, pressed his tongue into Gavin’s mouth, and took control of the kiss.

Gavin made a surprised sound, but he acquiesced, allowing Dakota to set the pace, to explore his mouth with the same deep thoroughness Gavin had shown him a few moments ago.

It wasn’t until they were both panting, hips rocking together, that Dakota had to push him away.

Gavin sat upright, frowning. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, need to change position.” Dakota shifted so he knelt beside Gavin’s hip.

“Sure, whatever you want,” Gavin said. His tone was easy as he settled himself more comfortably against the cushions, arm stretched out long across the throw pillows, skin glistening a little in the low light.

His cock tented the thin fabric of his still-damp shorts and Dakota once again mentally debated if he really wanted to stand on his principles quite so strongly and deny himself the pleasure of sinking down over that thick length, riding Gavin with the bright lights of LA spread out behind him.

But even if Dakota was tempted, they had no lube or condoms, and it had been far too long since anything had opened him up, not even fingers or a tongue, much less a dick like that.

“What do you want?” Dakota asked instead, reaching out to touch Gavin’s shoulder, trailing his fingers along his trapezius muscle, especially prominent because of the position of his arm.

“Anything you’ll give me.”

Dakota huffed in annoyance. This was exactly why he didn’t usually like to fuck around with guys who were tops. Especially the ones looking for no-strings attachments. They had a single script for how sex was supposed to go and rarely deviated from it. Some kissing, some touching, maybe a brief handjob. A little bit of dick sucking, if he was really lucky, and then they were slicking their cock and pushing inside.

“Why won’t you tell me?” Gavin countered.

“Because why should I always be the one doing all the work?” Dakota muttered.

Gavin snorted. “Sure. That’s it.”

Dakota opened his mouth to protest and ask what the fuck he meant, but Gavin rose to his feet, looming over him.

“Fine, I’ll tell you what I want. I want you to suck my cock …” Gavin pressed his thumb against Dakota’s lower lip, applying gentle pressure until it slipped inside Dakota’s mouth.

Dakota made a derisive sound, annoyed all over again, because for all of Gavin’s big talk earlier, clearly, he was like every other guy out there, but Gavin tightened his grip on his chin.

“And when my dick is all nice and wet, I want to put you on your knees, tug your shorts down, and fuck your thighs.”

Dakota managed a strangled noise because okay, maybe he’d been wrong about Gavin’s creativity, when Gavin bent down and whispered, “Then I’m going to spit in my hand and stroke you off while I fuck your thighs, twenty-six floors up, in front of the whole damn city of Los Angeles.”

“Oh fuck yes,” Dakota said before he could stop himself.

It might still be Gavin in charge, but Dakota could hardly complain when that sounded incredibly hot.

Grinning, Gavin stepped back, pushing his shorts down to mid-thigh. His dick sprang out, hard and thick. Eager .

Dakota knew the feeling. He touched his own cock, through the fabric, and Gavin’s gaze was heated, lingering for a moment on Dakota’s movements before he shuffled forward. Dakota was too tall to reach from here, and he had no desire to kneel on the hard tile below, so he slid down, half-propped against the pillows, and opened his mouth wide.

Gavin fed his cock to him, inch by inch while Dakota’s nose filled with the scent of chlorine and musk until he was dizzy with it.

Though Gavin’s grip on his head was firm, he let Dakota set the pace, stroking the spot in front of Dakota’s ears in a surprisingly tender gesture. The careful control Gavin used made it even hotter and Dakota had a dim thought that he already trusted Gavin more than he had any other recent hookup, but the thought quickly got swept away, something to consider later when he didn’t have a mouth full of dick.

That press of Gavin’s cock was so perfect, forcing Dakota’s mouth wide and his mind to focus on the task at hand. He let his mouth get as wet as possible and the noises Gavin’s cock made as he thrust in and out sounded obscene in the otherwise quiet space.

If anyone came to check out the pool, if they walked by …

Dakota shivered at the thought, but it only egged him on. He sucked harder, closing his eyes and bobbing his head, getting into the perfect rhythm of it before Gavin released a strangled sound.

“Fuck, stop.” Gavin pulled away and Dakota looked up at him, worried he’d done something wrong.

“Not gonna last if you keep that up,” Gavin said, his voice low and intense. He ran a thumb across Dakota’s lower lip.

It still had that tingly-numb feeling from the pressure and friction of the blowjob and Dakota suddenly went lightheaded, staring up at Gavin.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Don’t want to come until I get you off too. Get me wet again and I’ll make that happen.”

Dakota swiped his tongue across his lips, then grasped Gavin’s cock in one hand. He steadied it at the base, bobbing his mouth over him with a few sloppy thrusts before he pulled back.

“Shorts off and get on your knees,” Gavin whispered, stepping back to give Dakota room.

Dakota laughed and cocked an eyebrow at Gavin’s big dick energy coming through again, but when Gavin smirked at him, he dropped his shorts, kicked them away, then turned to face the wall of windows.

Damn it, he wanted this too much to put up a good fight.

Gavin arranged him the way he wanted him, warm palms skimming over his cooling skin until Dakota knelt on the cushions, rested his elbows on the back of the sectional, face inches from the glass.

“You look so fucking good like this.” Gavin ran his hands up and down Dakota’s back. “ Fuck .”

Gavin spat in his hand, the sound almost jarringly loud in the quiet night air and then a moment later, he nudged the head of his cock into the juncture of Dakota’s thighs.

Dakota tensed.

He was trusting Gavin to do what he said, to not push this further than Dakota wanted, but there was still a little frisson of worry, a moment of doubt … and then he remembered Gavin’s careful control during the blowjob.

“Everything okay?” Gavin kissed the side of his neck, running his hands up and down Dakota’s sides.

“Yeah,” Dakota said, relaxing. “C’mon, do it.”

The first gentle glide of Gavin’s cock was exactly what he’d promised, nudging between Dakota’s thighs, and when he spat in his hand again, it was to wrap it around Dakota’s cock and balls, gently lifting them out of the way.

Dakota shifted, pressing his thighs more tightly together, and Gavin groaned low and long. “Fuck you feel good,” he said. “So hot and tight around my dick.”

“Keep going,” Dakota urged, not entirely sure if he was talking about Gavin fucking his thighs or the dirty talk. Maybe both.

“I wonder what people would think,” Gavin said with a little chuckle as he rocked in and out. A little faster and harder now. “If they knew what we were doing up here.”

It would be better for both of them with lube, but Dakota’s body was warm and a little sweaty, skin still wet from the hot tub and spit, and he loved the rough friction of Gavin’s dick rubbing against his taint.

“Probably be jealous,” Dakota answered, a little breathless.

“Yeah?” Gavin gripped his hip tighter, speeding up, sliding his hand up and down Dakota’s cock a little more firmly. “I bet they’d want to be in my place with a gorgeous man like you underneath me.”

Dakota bit back a whimper.

“Or maybe they’d like the thought of being on display like this,” Gavin rasped.

Dakota shivered.

“It’s almost a shame we’re so far up,” Gavin continued, rubbing his thumb across the leaking slit at the head of Dakota’s cock. “No one can watch us.”

Dakota moaned, feeling a pulse low in his belly.

“Yeah? You like that thought, don’t you? You like the idea of everyone knowing what we’re getting up to here?”

Dizzyingly, Dakota did. From last night until now, everything about what they did felt wild and reckless. Fucking the man who was his de facto boss, doing it out in the open, even if there was a curtain hiding them from view at the moment … it lit up something in Dakota’s brain, sizzled up his spine, seemed worlds away from the careful life he’d been leading since the breakup with Bryce.

The zingy thrill of adrenaline rushing through him, the hot, hungry need growing in his belly … they swirled together in a head spinning rush of need.

“Look out at the city, Dakota,” Gavin urged.

He did, hit by another hot, heady rush of desire.

“Imagine all of those people, wishing they were us right now. Imagine them watching hungrily, wanting their hands on your body, touching themselves while they watch us.”

Gavin’s thrusts were short and hard now, his hand moving faster and faster over Dakota’s cock, toying with the foreskin in ways that made Dakota whimper. Gavin used his free hand to haul Dakota upright, kissing the side of his neck, making these low, rough sounds in Dakota’s ear that sent heat rushing through Dakota’s body when his thrusts turned erratic.

Gavin was getting close and so was Dakota, his head spinning with need.

“Give them what they want,” Gavin coaxed. “Give me what I want. Come all over my hand, show them how much you like their attention …”

Dakota let out a choked little moan, the bright lights of the city so far below swimming when everything in his groin tightened and spilled out, cum gushing into Gavin’s hand in a heady rush that made Dakota sag forward.

But Gavin’s grip was strong, holding Dakota up while he fucked faster and harder between his thighs.

“So close,” he gritted out, getting his teeth into Dakota’s shoulder. Dakota had the presence of mind to press his thighs even more tightly together, dazedly aware of the slippery friction of Gavin’s hand on his cock, milking him through the remainder of his orgasm.

Gavin’s thrusts turned staccato, his breath noisy and uneven while he sucked at Dakota’s shoulder, the tender spot where he’d bitten throbbing a little.

Shakily, Dakota braced his hands against the back of the sectional as Gavin’s release suddenly spread across the underside of his balls, slick and shockingly warm. Gavin chanted the word fuck against his skin, over and over in a desperate murmur, his body quaking, then suddenly heavy against Dakota’s.

A sharp little ache in Dakota’s cock made him bat away Gavin’s hand, stopping his mindless strokes, too sensitive to be touched there now.

“Sorry.” Gavin’s voice was soft and a little raspy.

For a few moments, they remained there, Gavin’s body pressed tightly against his back, skin damp with sweat. They were filthy, sweaty, and covered in cum, still reeking of chlorine and Dakota let out a sudden, breathless laugh.

He felt oddly giddy, flying high, and either Gavin was feeling it too or it was infectious because he lifted his head, chuckling softly in Dakota’s ear.

“Well, that was …”

“Yeah,” Dakota agreed, smiling. Both times they’d hooked up had been incredible. “Didn’t see that coming when I asked about the spa hours, but damn .”

Gavin squeezed his hip, pressed a kiss to Dakota’s stinging shoulder, then pulled away gently.

Dakota shivered.

“Stay there. I’ll help you get cleaned up.” Gavin sounded as dazed as Dakota felt, and truthfully, Dakota wasn’t sure his legs would even hold him up, so he continued to kneel there, staring out at the city. Despite the sweat drying on his back, his face flushed from what they’d done.

After Gavin grabbed one of the towels stacked on the nearby side table, he carefully wiped Dakota clean.

“Wider,” Gavin coaxed at one point and Dakota’s face went hotter as he spread his legs and let Gavin dab at the space between.

The soft friction of the cotton terrycloth against his taint sent another shudder through Dakota. “I’ve got it from here,” he protested, and Gavin handed over the towel without complaint.

When they were both as clean as they were going to get and re-dressed, Dakota dropped onto the sectional, his legs still a little shaky, their feet tangled together on the tiles below.

Gavin settled a hand on his thigh and shot him a lazy smile. “So …”

“So,” Dakota echoed because he didn’t know what else to say.

“Worth some repeat performances?”

“Want me to stroke your ego, huh?”

Gavin held up his hands in protest. “Hey. No. Checking in to make sure we’re on the same page. Didn’t want to assume anything.”

Dakota forced himself to take a deep breath and soften the tension rising in his shoulders. Last night and tonight had been good. Insane , but good.

“I appreciate that. And yeah. I think this is kind of … risky for us to get involved, especially because we seem to have a thing for semi-public places, but …”

But despite all of the protests in his head, the logical reasons why he knew it was a bad choice, it was thrilling too. That risk of getting caught. And, as they most definitely established earlier, they were both into that.

And Gavin—despite his big dick energy, which was certainly warranted—had proven himself trustworthy. He hadn’t pushed, hadn’t tried to get Dakota to do anything he hadn’t wanted. He’d shown he could be a creative, unselfish lover.

Was he demanding, did he like to be in charge? Sure. Obviously, he did.

But Gavin didn’t make Dakota feel like if he didn’t keep up his guard, he’d push and push until Dakota finally caved and let him take over.

Perhaps they could even switch off a bit in the future, which was really what Dakota wanted.

He liked Gavin’s control. It felt empowering rather than demeaning, and if he was willing to switch it up a little, let Dakota take charge at times, that would be ideal.

Though Dakota did have one question. He reached out, fingering the tender spot at the top of his shoulder. “What was this about?” he asked with a lift of his eyebrows.

“I wasn’t trying to stake my claim, though I know that’s probably how it seems.”

“Whether that was your intention or not, it is going to leave a hell of a mark,” Dakota pointed out.

“I apologize.”

Though Dakota’s eyes had adjusted to the dimmer light a while ago, half of Gavin’s face was still in shadow. What Dakota could see, however, was filled with earnest sincerity.

“I was trying to hold off on my orgasm,” Gavin said, running a hand up his own neck and over his short hair in a gesture that seemed oddly bashful. “But I should have asked if it was okay.”

“You should have,” Dakota agreed. “But if you promise not to push your luck there in the future, yeah, let’s do this again.”

“Shit, really?” Gavin looked so pleased it almost made Dakota smile. “That would be great. Last night and tonight were …”

“They were,” Dakota agreed, and though he might not have had words for exactly what it was or why it had hit him so hard, there was some undeniable chemistry here. “And hey, it’ll be convenient for us both, right? No more worrying about the apps. Or our crazy schedules.”

Gavin’s half-smile stretched into a grin. “That’s hardly the only selling point here.” He settled a hand on Dakota’s thigh, below where his cock lay soft and spent, and squeezed.

Despite the recent orgasm, Dakota’s dick twitched, like he was already interested in another round.

“It’s not,” Dakota agreed.

“So, as long as you understand there are times I’m going to bail on you. My schedule is erratic and frustrating and plans will fall through at the last minute, we’ll keep hooking up until one or the other of us feels like we should end it?”

Dakota smiled at the clear parameters. Honestly, it was reassuring. Despite his teasing about how cold-blooded Gavin had been earlier, he appreciated it. No reason to not be on the same page from the beginning or leave space for communication mishaps as they went.

“Yes, so long as you understand I’m not interested in negotiating the bottoming thing and you don’t get any say over my personal life or career,” Dakota countered.

Gavin nodded. “Seems fair. We’re in agreement.”

Dakota stuck out a hand. “Then we have another deal.”

Gavin laughed, shaking firmly, before he gently tugged.

It wasn’t hard enough to pull Dakota in without him coming willingly, but he let himself fall forward, bracing his palms against Gavin’s broad chest. His nose filled with the scent of chlorine and something much more pleasant—the natural musk of Gavin’s body.

“We should probably get going soon,” Gavin said, but he was staring at Dakota’s lips and he sounded reluctant.

Dakota licked them. “We should.”

“Kiss me first?”

Dakota slid a hand up Gavin’s body, skating over his collarbone before wrapping around the back of his neck. “Okay.”

The kiss was a little slower and lazier than earlier, less of a fight for dominance than an easy give and take. Dakota let out a pleased hum and Gavin ran a hand down his bare spine, fingers dipping into the waistband of Dakota’s shorts but going no farther.

Dakota shifted forward, deepening the kiss, as a woman called out, “Is someone still out here?”

Dakota reared back, wide-eyed, and Gavin looked equally startled, his arm clamping tightly around Dakota for a moment before he let go.

Gavin brushed his fingers across his lips, clearing his throat before he called back, “Yes. We’ll be right out!”

“Fuck!” Dakota swore under his breath as he stumbled to his feet.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Gavin stood too, settling a heavy hand on Dakota’s shoulder, his voice pitched so low, Dakota had to strain to hear him. “We’ll clean up in here best we can, and then we’ll walk out like we did nothing wrong.”

“We got off in front of the city of LA on a public roof deck,” Dakota hissed. He was pretty sure they’d violated some public indecency laws, or, if not, at least some hotel policies.

They’d definitely violated their employment contracts.

Gavin shrugged. “ Your idea, may I remind you. I was planning to go back to your room.”

Dakota huffed but nodded. That was fair. And well, he certainly didn’t have a better plan.

Dakota ran a hand through his disheveled hair, patting it into place before he got to work on the cushions they’d scattered around the cabana. Gavin carefully wrapped their filthy towel in another one, then set it on the floor.

After a quick glance at each other to be sure everything was properly tucked away, Gavin whispered, “Ready?”

Dakota nodded and pushed back the heavy curtains. It seemed bright out here on the deck after the dim, shadowy cabana, and Dakota would swear he could feel the throb of the bite from Gavin on his shoulder with every step he took. His heart hammered against his ribs as he glanced around, sure whoever the woman was, she’d know exactly what they’d done.

Dakota spotted her near the pool, wiping down the tables, a little cart of cleaning supplies nearby.

“Sorry to keep you. I know we’re running a little behind, but it was a lovely evening for a dip,” Gavin called out to the housekeeper, reaching for his shirt on the lounger where they’d left their belongings.

She was an older woman, with graying hair tucked into a neat bun. She raised an eyebrow at them but nodded. “Yes, lovely weather we’re having,” she agreed, like it wasn’t always pretty much like this in LA.

“We’ll get out of your way in a moment,” Dakota said as he hastily tugged on his own shirt.

They dressed quickly and after a quick glance to be sure they had their clothing, key cards, phones, and wallets, Gavin pulled money out of the leather trifold.

“I apologize for any inconvenience we caused you tonight,” he said, approaching the woman with his hand out, deftly slipping the cash into her palm.

Her expression was wary as she took the money, nodding. “It’s still a few minutes until closing. I wanted to get a head start on my work.”

“Totally understandable,” Gavin said with an engaging smile. “We won’t keep you.”

“I hope you have a good evening,” Dakota said as they passed by.

They were silent on the way to the doors leading into the hallway and when the door had closed and they waited for the elevator, Dakota burst into nervous laughter.

“Shit, that was not how I saw tonight going,” he admitted.

Gavin laughed too. “No. Me either. That poor woman.”

“How much did you give her?” Dakota asked.

The elevator pinged, the doors opening to reveal an empty car.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Whatever the hell was in my wallet,” Gavin admitted with a chuckle. He held the doors open, gesturing for Dakota to step inside. “A few hundred, maybe. And I wish I had more. She has to deal with our jizz towel .”

Dakota released another startled burst of laughter. Gavin could be so polished and pulled together, but occasionally he sounded exactly like the guys on the team.

“Oh God. She does .” Dakota covered his face with his hands. His body shaking with helpless laugher, he choked out, “Hopefully we didn’t absolutely reek of sex too.”

Gavin groaned, tipping his head back to rest it against the wall of the elevator. “Oh, don’t even say that. The chlorine should cover it up, right?”

The elevator pinged and it set them off onto another round of laughter. Neither of them could seem to stop and Dakota’s abs ached faintly as they stepped out onto their floor, wiping away a few stray tears.

He wasn’t prepared for Gavin’s low, indrawn hiss and the abrupt sound of him going silent. He glanced behind him frowning at Gavin in confusion before he spotted a man coming out of the elevator next to theirs.

Thad.

Dakota immediately sobered, pulling away from Gavin and falling silent as he studied him.

Thad Racine was every bit as good-looking as Gavin, but less gray. There were only a few sprinkles of silver peeping out from his thick brown hair and stubble, and he had a tighter build. Still muscular, but a little taller and not as broad.

His gaze flicked between them, assessing, before a slow grin crossed his face. “Well, well, well … it looks like someone had a great evening.”