Page 15 of Over and Above (Mount Hope #4)

Chapter Fifteen

Magnus

We were short a server, the cash drawer didn’t reconcile with the paper receipts on the first count, the vacuum had a clog, and by the time I reached Eric’s, I was almost a full hour behind where I’d hoped to be as the clock crept toward midnight. At least it was a weeknight. And surprisingly, Eric was back in the wooden deck chair outside the kitchen as I parked at his house.

“You stayed up?” I offered him a smile as I loped toward the deck. “I was hoping to be done earlier, but…”

“Life happens.” Eric saluted me with a bottle of beer. “And I told you, my sleep schedule is beyond wonky. I napped earlier, so I’m wide awake. Saved you a beer.”

He offered me a twin to his bottle from the table beside him. Pale ale, a decent local brand, bottle still frosty to the touch. He wasn’t merely out here enjoying the relative cool. He’d waited for me. My chest went full and tight.

“Brought you some smashed potatoes to go with it.” I held out the paper box with a plastic fork on top I’d been holding. “Still warm.”

“Excellent.” He saluted me with the beer again before accepting the box. “Cheers.”

I settled into the chair next to him, dogs sacked out between us, letting the cool breeze work its magic while he ate the snack I’d brought. I had no doubt we were both still interested in some sneaky sex, but neither of us seemed in any rush. Whatever this was had a maturity my past flings had decidedly lacked, and I liked it.

Stretching, I took a long sip of beer. Eric made companionable silence an art form, expression intent like he’d be happy to talk but body language relaxed like he didn’t require conversation either.

“I drove by my house. The scene.” I waved my free hand. Apparently, my brain had chosen to talk about the thing that had been on my mind all day. “Whatever. I swear it looks more forlorn by the day. I managed to get my safe and important documents a few days ago, but the insurance is taking forever to value the loss.”

“Typical. Are you looking to rebuild? Buy somewhere else? Move on?” Eric sounded curious yet nonjudgmental, unlike the other folks bugging me for answers.

“My business is here. My kid is here. That much I know.” I rolled my feet from side to side, taking my time to reason out my current thinking. “Saving as much as possible and using the money to travel more is tempting, but I’m getting old. Solo travel has less appeal these days. And I have the dogs. Rebuilding the house seems daunting. I’m leaning toward buying something different, but the way the insurance process is grinding along, you’re stuck with me for a bit.”

“I don’t mind.” Eric leaned over and patted my leg. “And late summer is a terrible time to buy real estate. Take your time. And if you need a trip to clear your head, the kids and I could watch the dogs.”

“Thanks.” Clear my head. I hadn’t considered a getaway until he said it, but now I wanted even a short trip in the worst way. And I wanted to ask Eric to come with me. I could find another dog sitter, but there weren’t many people whose company I enjoyed more. But a trip together would be a step too far in this friendship and would likely set the gossip mill churning. “Funny how right now, somewhere cooler sounds wonderful, but another few months, and I’ll be wishing for some place warmer.”

Eric nodded thoughtfully. “Guess the lesson is to stay in the moment, be happy with what we’ve got.”

“Yep.” I flipped over my left forearm to reveal my carpe diem tattoo. “Live for today.”

“I like the lettering on that one. You certainly have quite the collection of ink.” His cheeks darkened like he’d noticed more than the average tattoo enthusiast, which I liked. I wanted him to notice me. And like when he ate, the way he could pick out small details and nuances made me feel truly seen. “Love the shading on that koi fish one of yours.”

“I like getting new tats in cities I visit, but it’s also another form of stress relief. I should get in the chair soon, clear the clutter from my brain like you suggested. Where did you go for yours?” I asked the question lightly, but next to me, Eric stiffened.

“Place in Portland. Not that I don’t trust anyone local, but I didn’t want gossip or to discuss it with someone I know socially or professionally.”

“I can see that.” I went with a more soothing tone, but he stayed tense. “Some things are private. Personal.”

“It’s silly, actually.” Potatoes abandoned, Eric leaned forward, hands on knees. “The whole first year after he passed, I thought about getting a memorial tattoo for Montgomery, but he was never a fan of ink. Not exactly the tribute he would choose.”

“Tattoos are also about the person wearing them,” I said gently. “Or even the experience of getting it.”

“Yeah. It took me a while to get there in my thinking. I still feel silly having done it largely for myself.” Eric rolled back up to sitting, a feline stretch. “But after Montgomery died, I kept dreaming about being in a big maze. So that’s what I got. A maze. A labyrinth. Not to find him again, but a path forward to finding myself.”

He lifted the edge of his shirt, revealing the tattoo I’d only glimpsed in our prior encounter.

“That’s far from silly.” I traced the edge of the labyrinth with my index finger. “It’s profound. And gorgeous.”

“Thanks.” He abruptly dropped his T-shirt and stood. “Another beer?”

“Nah.” I stood as well, glancing at the house behind us. The kitchen was the only light on. “House seems quiet.”

I wasn’t sure if the tattoo talk had ruined the chance for sex or not, so I didn’t walk to the door. Instead, I bent to pet the dogs, trying for casually hopeful vibes.

“Yeah, Diesel’s working a night shift. Maren went to sleep hours ago. John is camping again because it’s one of the last weekends before football camp starts. Wren’s light flipped off a little before you came in.” He gestured at the kitchen door. “If you’re still interested in showering here…”

“Oh, I’m interested.” I couldn’t follow him fast enough, but I tried to be mindful of the sleeping household as we crept toward the guestroom where I’d spent the first few nights after the fire.

To my surprise, the bed was made with entirely different linens and a blue comforter. The boxes of winter clothes were gone, and one of Eric’s uniform shirts hung on a hanger on the bathroom door.

“Have you been sleeping in here?” I didn’t want to make too big a deal out of this, but it kind of was a big deal, another step forward out of that maze he’d been in. “You finally made the move?”

Blushing, he mumbled something I couldn’t quite make out.

“What?” I prompted, giving him a teasing poke to the arm. “Fess up.”

“Bed smelled like you. The room no longer looks like a memory either. It was time.” His eyes asked me not to keep teasing, so I simply nodded.

“I’m glad.” I headed toward the attached bathroom. “Gives us more plausible deniability for being in here.”

“I’m not sure any of our kids would buy water conservation or any other tall tale. But we can be fast. And quiet.” He locked the bathroom door behind us and flipped on the fan.

“I like a man who plans ahead.” I pulled him in for a kiss. “And not too fast. I’ve waited all damn week for this.”

“Me too.” Smiling softly, Eric flipped on the shower as I shucked my clothing. He did the same, giving me another glimpse of his labyrinth tattoo. I was no prize at the end of the maze, and I doubted I was in a position to be a guide either, but I was grateful to play some small role along his path.

My unusually sentimental mood continued as we climbed into the shower far larger than the one in the carriage house with room for us, a flip-down accessible seat, dual showerhead-sprayer combo, and an impressive array of bath products, undoubtedly owing to the room’s many guests. I grabbed the closest bottle of body wash, which promised a minty burst of energy.

Eric was in front of me. He angled himself so I could get wet as well, but I was more concerned with the opportunity to soap his long, lean back. I used my thumbs to search for knots and tight muscles. However, instead of leaning into my caresses, Eric tensed further.

“Do you not like massage? You’re a tricky person to do nice things for.” I kept my tone light, but it was true that he always seemed much more comfortable giving help than receiving it. However, the memory of how he’d looked when he’d let go and climaxed on the floor of the carriage house made me want to give him all the pleasure I could.

“I like you touching me. And the massage feels nice.” Looking over his shoulder, Eric quirked his lips. “I’m just not used to it.”

“Well, get used to it.” I poked him lightly right between his stiff shoulders. “I like being nice to you. And touching you is a present to me too.”

“Well, as long as you’re enjoying yourself.” Chuckling, he made a visible effort to relax, so I returned to washing his back, adding more rubbing until he was arching into my hands and making encouraging noises.

Good. I had him right where I wanted him, pliant and needy, and I steered him to sit on the shower seat.

“Now what are you doing?” His voice was way looser and more husky, matching his evident arousal. His cock bobbed in front of him, more appetizing than any snack.

“I believe that was you complaining about your ancient knees last time.” I sank down in front of him. Not the most graceful, but I arrived where I wanted to be—between his parted legs. “Luckily, mine still work.”

The warm water felt wonderful on my back and shoulders, but I was more concerned with Eric’s cock than anything to do with showering. Not that I was an expert at blowing another guy, but I knew enough to start with a firm grip and a lot of teasing with licks and open-mouth kisses before adding some shallow sucking on his oval cockhead.

“Oh. Ah. Wow.” A shudder raced through Eric.

“What’s that? No protests or critiques?” I chuckled at how receptive he was to my efforts. “I’m relatively new to this, so feel free to offer pointers.”

“A-plus. No notes. Keep going.” He pushed lightly on my shoulder. Emboldened, I went for more suction, staying shallow but using my hand to jack the shaft. I liked the warm weight of his cock in my mouth, the subtle stretch to my jaw, and gradually, I experimented with going deeper. Eric was an easy test subject because he moaned and cursed softly no matter what I tried, and also, he was good at holding still, not thrusting deeper than I could handle. He let me set the pace, so much so that his increased panting took me by surprise. “Close. God. You’re a natural.”

He’d tipped his head back against the tile wall, letting the water hit his chest, the picture of erotic bliss. The temptation to finish him off quickly was strong, but I wasn’t done playing. I pulled his hips forward, making his legs spread wider and enabling me to tease his rim with my index finger when I returned to sucking his cock.

“Oh. That. That.” He’d said he liked to bottom, so I’d hoped he’d enjoy play of this nature. However, his expressive reaction far exceeded my hopes, the hungry sounds he made and the way his muscles strained. I reached for a bottle of conditioner, some sort of coconut concoction. All I cared about was that it was slippery on my fingers. I rubbed slick circles around his rim, gradually adding shallow penetration. Eric released a low, needy moan as I delved deeper. “Two. Use two fingers.”

“Demanding.” I laughed, but I also wouldn’t turn down the request. I pulled back from sucking his cock so I could focus on reading Eric’s reactions as I pressed two fingers in, searching?—

“There.” Eric shuddered as I rubbed against his prostate. His thighs tensed and his face scrunched. If he was about to come, I wanted to taste it, so I resumed sucking, figuring out how to coordinate my hand and mouth on the fly. Apparently, I wasn’t half bad at that either because Eric moaned. He rocked his hips once before slamming his body back down like I’d issued an invisible order.

“You can move.” As much as I’d been cautious earlier about choking, I had an intense desire to see him let go that defied any worry about gag reflexes or stray teeth. My cock was harder than ever, and if I’d had a free hand, I likely could have beaten Eric to the orgasm punch. But I could wait. “Let go, baby. I’ve got you.”

“Yes.” He rocked again, a tentative, trusting motion that made my heart swell and my pulse quicken. Together, we found a new rhythm where I pushed deep with my fingers, working his spot, while I sucked hard on his cockhead, waiting for him to thrust forward before retreating and repeating. Not that it required too many repeats before Eric tensed again. “Close. God. If you don’t swall?—”

“Gimme.” I cut off whatever noble offer he’d been about to make with a single word before finger-fucking him harder and sucking with the raw intensity of a shop vac. I wanted to get him off, wanted to see him come undone again, and he didn’t disappoint as his abs rippled, arms flexing, head tipping farther back, whole body bowing before invisible lightening seemed to strike.

“Fuck.” He came down my throat, all the tension leaving his body in one big whoosh. Forget multiple volleys, his first spurt felt like a solid twenty-ounce soda, and I worked to swallow everything he had. His eyes fluttered open, an unexpected tenderness to his expression. “Magnus.”

And that, the simple, sweet, come-drunk uttering of my name, had me finally reaching for my own cock. He ran a hand over my wet head, rubbing my neck, and the affection undid me. It wasn’t simply gratitude for the orgasm. There was a fondness to his expression and actions, and my body reacted to this newfound turn-on, cock pulsing in my hand, already ultrasensitive.

“Get up here, and I’ll finish you.” He licked his lips, meaning clear, and I went from close to coming at a single flick of his tongue.

“Fuck.” The stealth orgasm swept over me, a surprise but not lacking in intensity. My thighs quaked, and my vision blurred, and I rode the pleasure out as long as I could. As it retreated, I sucked in big lungfuls of air. “Next time. Next time, you can do that.”

“Okay.” He gave me a goofy grin as he offered me a hand up. “Next time.”

We rinsed off with the last of the hot water, finishing right before it went tepid.

“And next time better involve a mattress.” I handed him a towel.

“So we’re making a thing of this? Is it wise to be planning for a repeat?” Eric pursed his full lips, blasted brain clearly back online faster than mine.

“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” I countered. “Like tonight. We sneak it when we can, no expectations or obligations.”

“Huh.” He made a thoughtful noise. “I’ve never had a no-strings-attached secret fling.”

“Well, here’s to rectifying that oversight.” I gave him a hard kiss before he could come up with more reasons we shouldn’t keep this going. My body hummed with everything I wanted to do to and with him. No way was I anywhere close to done.