Page 36

He smiles and slips his hand into mine. I can’t believe how natural it is to be walking hand in hand with Harrison through Times Square.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” I say, staring at everything in wonder. “The whole world is here, all at once.”

Harrison nods, his eyes scanning the towering buildings and flashy advertisements. “It’s nothing like Bushwick, that’s for sure. Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.

“How would you feel about coming with me on another one of my nighttime excursions?”

I furrow my brow, not quite following. “Nighttime excursions? You mean, like a midnight stroll through Central Park?”

Harrison chuckles, shaking his head. “I’m talking about tagging another building.”

My eyes widen, and I nearly stumble over my own feet. “Wait. Just you and me? Not Daniel, too?”

He bites his lip and nods. “I get the feeling that while he enjoyed it, the fear of getting caught outweighed the thrill of being a rebel. But for you…”

I don’t even have to think about it. I love the thrill of being a rebel. I didn’t do all those dares from Olivia for nothing. “I’m so in.”

“Great,” he beams.

“How did you get into such a thing, tagging buildings?” I ask as we wait at a crosswalk.

Harrison’s expression softens, and he smiles wistfully.

“It started in high school. I was going through a lot of shit at the time, trying to figure out who I was and where I fit in. One night, I snuck out of the house with a backpack full of spray paint and a head full of anger. I poured all my frustrations onto the walls of an abandoned warehouse until the sun came up.”

I may not have grown up with the same pressures as Harrison, but I know what it’s like to be lost and alone, desperate for a way to make a mark on the world.

“After that first night, I was hooked,” he continues. “I sought out more places to paint, to hone my craft and find my voice.”

“Wow. H, that’s incredible. You found a way to turn your pain into something beautiful and meaningful.”

Harrison lowers his head, and even though it’s nighttime, I can see his cheeks tinge red. “I don’t know about beautiful,” he mumbles. “However, it did save me in many ways. It gave me an outlet. A purpose.”

The scent of roasted nuts and soft pretzels wafts from a nearby cart as we cross the street. Snippets of conversations in dozens of languages float past us, adding to the ambience of the Big Apple.

Suddenly, an idea pops into my head, and before I can second-guess myself, the words come tumbling out of my mouth.

“Hey, so, uh, I know this is kind of out of the blue, but my mom’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks.

We’re gonna have a big party for her, and I was thinking that maybe you could come with Daniel and me? Meet my family and all that?”

Harrison stops walking and turns to face me with wide eyes. “You want me to meet your family?”

I rub the back of my neck, suddenly sheepish. “Well, yeah. I mean, you’ve already met Daniel’s parents. I figured it’s only fair that you meet mine as well.”

“Charlie McManus, are you asking me to be your official plus-one to a family function?”

“Well, more of a plus-two, but yes, I believe I am.”

His laugh warms me from the inside out. “Then how could I possibly say no to such a dashing invitation? I can’t wait to see where you grew up and meet the people who made you, well, you.”

Before I can respond, he steps closer, cups my face in his hands, and presses his lips to mine.

Fireworks explode behind my eyelids as I melt into the kiss.

I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him flush against me.

His tongue glides along the seam of my lips, seeking permission, and I eagerly grant it.

Harrison groans into my mouth, the sound sending shivers racing down my spine. I can feel him, hard and insistent, pressing into my hip. My erection surges in response, straining against the confines of my tuxedo pants.

Suddenly, Harrison pulls back, his lips red and kiss-swollen.

His gaze drops to the obvious tent in my trousers.

Without a word, he grabs my hand and tugs me down a less crowded side street.

My heart pounds in anticipation as he leads me into a darkened alcove between two buildings, hidden from prying eyes.

Pushing me up against the rough brick, Harrison crashes his mouth back to mine in a bruising kiss. I whimper as his hands roam my body, sliding down my chest and abdomen before palming me through my pants.

“Need to feel you,” he pants against my lips.

Nimble fingers make quick work of my belt and zipper. Then he tugs my pants down to mid-thigh and wraps his hand around my aching cock. I gasp at the combined sensation of his slightly calloused palm dragging along my sensitive flesh and the cool night air.

Harrison sets a fast, almost punishing pace, stroking me from root to tip as he continues to kiss me. His thumb swipes over the weeping head on every upstroke, smearing the pearly drops of precome. I clutch his shoulders tightly as my legs threaten to give out.

The ministrations of his tight fist around my shaft and the teasing flicks to my slit have me hurtling toward release embarrassingly fast. And he knows it.

“That’s it, Charlie. Spill your load for me. ”

His filthy words are my undoing. With a choked cry, I do as he says, my release splattering all over my shiny black dress shoes.

Harrison works me through the aftershocks, wringing every last drop from my spent cock. I slump boneless against the wall, chest heaving. He brings his hand to his mouth, and while holding my gaze, he laps the pearly-white fluid off his fingers.

“I can’t believe we did that in public.” As I tuck myself back into my pants, I glance down at my shoes and frown. “You don’t happen to have a napkin or something, do you?”

Harrison stares at me, his expression unreadable. “You’re not cleaning off your shoes, McManus.”

“But they’re covered in my cum,” I protest.

“I want everyone to see what I did to you.”

I blink at him, my brain working overtime to comprehend his request. He holds out his hand, the one he licked clean, and I take it without question.

As he guides me back out onto the city streets, I realize something.

I’m okay with doing something that wild and obscene. In fact, it’s making me hard all over again.

And this time, I didn’t even have to be dared into doing it.