Chapter Nine

*mature content ahead*

"Wow. This is a really nice rental," Raven remarked as he stepped through the door. "I haven't been to a place this nice since Laurel got us some comped rooms in Vegas."

"Comped rooms in Vegas? How'd he swing that?" I was trying to make conversation as I followed Raven into the apartment.

"Just Laurel being Laurel," he said with a smile. "He's always been good when it comes to that sort of thing. Getting backstage at concerts. Hanging out in VIP lounges on opening nights at different clubs. Getting rooms comped."

"Sounds like an interesting guy," I said, closing the door behind me.

Raven seemed to jump a little from the noise, but quickly returned to normal. "He is pretty interesting. You'd like him."

As Raven spoke, he folded his arms in front of him, his eyes conspicuously scanning around the room.

He was nervous, wasn't he?

I didn't know why I hadn't considered that he would've ever been the nervous one. It wasn't like he hadn't hooked up with guys before, so maybe I'd just figured that this was going to be par for the course for him.

But instead of being a steamy, burst-through-the-front-door-and-make-out hookup session, things between Raven and I were starting to feel more like an awkward end to a prom night date.

"Do you want a drink?" I asked, already walking toward the fridge in my kitchen. "I have straight vodka, and I have some pre-mixed margaritas."

"I'll take a pre-mixed marg, please," he answered. "The sweeter, the better."

I sucked in a deep breath as I pulled two drinks out of the fridge, pausing for a brief moment to collect myself.

I headed back toward Raven and offered him one of the bottles. "Here."

"Thanks." His face was stoic as he took the drink from me.

After a few seconds or so, he eventually opened the bottle and swallowed a huge sip.

I quietly watched his mouth the whole time, wondering what it would feel like to press my lips against his.

When he brought the drink down to rest against his side, I decided that I was done wondering when it came to him.

I took a step forward, pulling Raven into my embrace, kissing him, softly and slowly. He seemed to appreciate the gesture, his low moan registering as a tremble against my lips. Feeling emboldened by his response, I decided to push my tongue against his, wanting our mouths to connect on a much deeper level.

But as soon as my tongue reached between his lips, Raven pushed me away.

"Shit. I'm sorry," I apologized. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Irene." His words came out rushed. "Fuck! I forgot about Irene."

"What about Irene?"

"What about Irene..." Raven looked unnerved. "I thought she was your fiancée?"

"I don't have a fiancée," I replied.

"Does she know that?" he pressed. "Or is she going to end up calling you halfway through our hook-up and I'll have to pretend like I'm not here? Fuck, what if she shows up later tonight?"

"Well, the good news is that all my windows are unlocked, so if worse comes to worst, at least you'll be able to get out of this place without too much trouble," I joked.

Raven gave me a dead-eyed stare in response.

"Sorry," I apologized. "But Irene isn't my fiancée. We're not engaged. Hell, we're not even dating. She's just the woman my dad wants me to marry, at least if I want anything to do with Easton's Exchange. It's like a trade-off."

"Costing you your freedom..." Raven muttered. "So, what? Is that the deal, then? You have to marry that girl and then you get the keys to the company?"

"Basically, yeah." I shrugged. "But I'm not interested in her in that way, so I wouldn't ever go through with it."

"And what about Irene? Is she somewhere pining over you?"

"Well, that would be extremely odd, considering that she has a girlfriend and they've happily been together for a few years," I answered with a grin. "Any more questions about Irene? I'm happy to tell you more about her, whatever you want. For example, did you know that she played the violin growing up, but she got bored, so she started demanding that her violin teacher focus on giving her piano lessons instead--"

"I don't really care about Irene," Raven interrupted. "I mean, of course I care that you're not engaged or anything, but I just... I just want to make sure that we're not going to regret each other in the morning."

"Raven, look at me," I said as I placed a finger beneath his chin, tilting his gaze up toward mine. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah. I am," he replied, his voice low and soft.

"There's absolutely no possibility that I'm going to regret you in the morning," I assured him.

"I don't think I'm going to regret you, either," he admitted.

I smiled down at him and leaned in for another kiss. This time, it wasn't soft and slow, but frantic and frenetic, as I felt Raven kiss me back as if his life depended on it. Trying to match the energy of the moment, I grabbed for the lower part of his thighs, picking him up into my hold.

He shouted in surprise as I pressed his back up against the nearest wall. I didn't stop what I was doing, though, not even when I saw the margarita bottle in his hand roll down past my feet. The bottle continued to spill its contents onto the carpeted floor, but the growing stain meant nothing to me.

The only thing I cared about was making Raven feel good. The only thing I cared about in the world was him.

It was an all-encompassing feeling, making it seem like every part of me had come alive. I'd never felt that kind of delicious fire in my veins before, one that encouraged a sense of urgency, one that made me press my hips against Raven's, grinding into him as he groaned near my ear.

"Sky..." he moaned my name as I pressed my mouth against his neck. "I want you... inside..."

Responding to his words, I let him down by his thighs. As soon as his feet were on the floor again, I turned his chest toward the wall, now shamelessly grinding my hips against his ass. "Like this? You want me inside you like this?"

"Yes," he moaned again. "Fuck. Please. Yes."

I smiled to myself, pleased that I was the cause of Raven in this state. Since it was my first time with a guy, I was in uncharted territory, so I wanted to make sure it was perfect.

I had an idea, although I wasn't sure how Raven was going to respond. I hastily pulled off my shirt and my pants, leaving nothing on except my boxers. I reached for his sweater, easily pulling it over his head. Then, I pulled his pants down, making sure the only thing left on him were his boxers.

At that same moment, Raven looked back at me, his mouth open as if he was about to speak.

But it seemed like I'd turned whatever words he was about to say into another low moan as I reached down in front of him and began to rub my hand over his bulge through the fabric of his boxers. I kept up the same pace with my palm as I started to push my hips against his ass again, my erection sliding up and down his still clothed skin.

"Sky... fuck..." he moaned, and I felt him getting harder and harder in my hand. "Why are you doing this to me..."

"Hmm. You deserve it." I pressed a kiss into his shoulder as I continued to faux fuck him against the wall. "You deserve this and so much more."

"Why are you so..." His words came out breathless.

"So what?"

"Nothing." He shook his head.

Instead of asking him to tell me what was going on in his head, I opted to move my hand up from the crotch of his boxers and gently slide my palm down inside the fabric. When my fingers reached his cock, I began to softly stroke him with my fist, wanting to make sure that he'd be comfortable with the motion.

Raven whimpered as he pressed his face against the wall, trying, and failing, to stifle his growing moans.

And then, I started to pump again, this time my hand moving much faster than before.

"Sky! Sky..." he whined. "I'm going to... I'm..."

"Good." It was all I said to him as I steadily stroked him and Raven started to shiver beneath my frame. His breaths came quick as he finished, his warm come landing against my palm. I pulled my hand away from him, taking a moment to appreciate my handiwork.

Raven was panting against the wall, his face looking more flushed than usual, and there was even a light sheen of sweat on his skin.

He looked like he'd just been fucked, and I hadn't even been inside him yet. At the realization, I felt my cock strain against my boxers.

I needed to be inside him. I needed to fuck him, hard, against that same wall. I needed to hear him moaning my name again. I needed to hear him beg for more.

But as I pulled my boxers down toward the floor, I was suddenly hit with one, huge, glaring problem.

"Shit! I don't have any lube," I remarked, as I smacked myself against the forehead. "Do you mind if I run out and get some?"

"You don't have to run out," Raven sheepishly replied. "I... have some in my pocket. I brought a few condoms, too."

"Oh." I struggled to hide my surprise. "Were you... Did you think that you and I were going to go home together?"

"I don't know. After what happened at the bakery..." His words trailed off. "It just made me think that I needed to be ready for anything, and not just with you, with anyone."

"With anyone?" I grinned as I reached for his pants. I quickly found the small bottle of lube and a condom, and proceeded to open the condom, before sliding it down over my cock. "You know just what to say to make a guy feel really special."

"Hey! That part isn't my fault. I thought you were straight," he explained.

"I am straight. Mostly," I replied as I squeezed a bit of lube onto my fingertips. I walked back over to Raven, pressing those same fingers against his hole, wanting to get him ready to take me. "Just not when it comes to you."

"Right..." he hummed. "I wonder how many guys have heard that line before."

"Just you," I emphasized my words by pressing soft kisses into his back as I spoke. "I. Just. Want. You."

He gasped as I slowly slid a finger inside of him, and it was one of the sweetest sounds I'd ever heard. I repeated the motion, wanting to make sure that he was prepped for taking something much bigger.

"How does that feel?" I asked, my finger still sliding in and out.

"Sky..." he whimpered in response.

"You didn't answer my question." I smiled, pressing my chest further into his back. "Does this feel okay to you?"

"I'm ready," he replied, his voice sounding strained. "Please, Sky. Please."

"Okay, if you're ready..." I moved my hand away from his ass, bringing my other hand to my cock. I cautiously guided myself inside of him, keeping him steady against the wall.

Raven felt perfect. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that he was made just for me. The way his ass gripped my cock nearly caused me to see stars, as the room around me threatened to swirl.

Forcing myself to concentrate, I pushed even deeper inside him. I stayed inside him for a moment or two, waiting to get the official green light from him. "Does that feel okay, Raven? Do you want me to keep--"

"Don't stop!" he shouted, his frame trembling underneath mine. "Don't you dare stop!"

I couldn't help but grin to myself as I started to thrust my hips against his ass. Raven screaming at me to keep going was such a huge ego boost, and it definitely made me want to keep up my end of the deal.

I rested my hands right above his shoulders, pressing them against the wall as I used my legs for leverage. I sped up my pace, sliding into him and then almost pulling out, although I never broke full contact. I kept going as Raven's moans grew louder and louder, as I began to feel like I was on the verge of exploding inside him.

And then, my thrusts came to a full stop as I felt an orgasm rip through me. I shuddered as it coursed through my veins, lighting me on fire and blowing me out simultaneously. I slowly pulled out of Raven and pressed yet another kiss against his shoulder.

"Fuck," I murmured into his ear. "Do you know how amazing you are?"

"Yeah. I have some idea," he laughed. "And you're pretty amazing yourself, Sky Easton."

"That's a big compliment, coming from such a perfect person," I replied, with a playful tone to my voice.

Raven turned over to look at me, his back against the wall. "So, I guess it's time for me to head out then? Are you going to be a modern gentleman and pay for my Uber or what?"

"Your Uber?"

"I know I could probably get home since I only had a few sips of that margarita, but I don't like to take any chances," he explained. "So, Uber? Do you mind?"

"You don't need to call an Uber," I answered. "You can just stay over, if you want."

"Stay over?" His face nearly went pale. "Uh, Sky, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not gay," he said. "And because it's going to be hard to explain why you let a guy spend the night, especially since it's not like we're friends or anything--"

"You don't think we're friends?" I was hurt by the revelation.

"No, I mean, of course we're friends," he went on. "But if you're still in the closet, you probably want to keep it that way, don't you?"

"I don't care." I shrugged. "I've never been ashamed of who I am, Raven, and I'm not going to start now."

"Well, in that case... If you need me, I'll be sleeping in the main bedroom tonight. You can have the couch if you want."

"I can have the couch if I want? Why are you talking like you're the one who's letting me spend the night?" I chuckled. "And the couch will be fine. Goodnight, Raven."

"Goodnight, Sky." He smiled and moved away from the wall.

I watched as he started to collect his clothes that were strewn across the room, and in what seemed like only a few moments, he was back in his outfit from the car show.

He offered me a small wave and disappeared down the hall.

And in that moment, I realized that I was fucked.

Because I still wanted Raven. Because he was still on my mind, even though I'd just been inside him.

Because a part of me wanted to follow him down the hall, and crawl into bed right beside him.

Because right now it seemed like I only wanted him more.