Snowstorms and Second Chances Read online

  “You like that?” Seth asked. His voice was low and a little rough, and the reminder that this was a man in bed with Erik right now, a man bringing him more pleasure than he’d felt in years, sent heat through his body.

  “Yeah.” Erik realized he was lifting his hips, moving in tandem with the strokes of Seth’s hand, seeking more.

  Erik whimpered when Seth let go, but he moved purposefully to the waistband of Erik’s pants, hesitating only long enough for Erik to give him an eager nod of affirmation before he had them open, and he slipped his hand under the fabric of his boxer briefs. Erik groaned at the feel of a warm hand wrapped around his dick. A warm hand that belonged to someone other than himself. And shit if it didn’t feel amazing as Seth began to stroke. Erik arched his back, hips rising, seeking more. “Seth! I—” His belly tightened, and he shook a little as he fought off the orgasm. He wanted it. He needed it, desperately, but he didn’t want this to be over yet. He wanted it to go on and on. But it was almost too much. It had been too long since anyone had touched him like that, and he clutched at Seth’s shoulder. “I’m ... it’s too much.”

  Seth slowed his strokes, lightening the pressure, making it slow and easy again. He rested his forehead against Erik’s, and their breaths mingled as they kissed occasionally. Walls that Erik had built up over the years cracked and began to crumble, and he felt a surge of affection wash over him. He felt closer to this man whom he’d known for less than two days than to the woman he’d been married to for two decades. But he didn’t want to think of Robin now; he wanted to think of Seth. Of his warm, large hands and the soft prickle of his beard and the way his mouth tasted. It all felt so good Erik could hardly contain the feelings building up in his chest.

  “Do you want to come in my hand or in my mouth?” Seth whispered, and Erik let out another choked sound, nearly coming right then and there and making the question a moot point. But he gritted his teeth until the urge ebbed away. The thought of coming in someone’s mouth—in Seth’s mouth—was too good for him to resist.

  “Your mouth,” he managed, his voice raw.

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” Seth grinned like Erik was doing him a favor instead of the other way around.

  Erik was dimly aware of Christmas carols playing in the background as Seth slithered down his body and took Erik’s cock in his mouth. He moved slowly but surely, his mouth wet and hot as he sank down over and completely engulfed him. Erik let out a needy moan and threaded his fingers through Seth’s hair. It felt like Seth’s tongue was everywhere at once, teasing the underside of Erik’s cock as he bobbed up and down it.

  Erik dug his fingers into Seth’s hair to anchor himself as his balls tightened. “Seth!”

  He glanced up then, his gaze encouraging Erik to let go, and soon the heat and suction were too much for Erik to hold back any longer. He came with a strangled shout, his entire body bowing up as he closed his eyes and gave in to the pleasure. Everything went fuzzy and white in his head as he emptied into Seth’s mouth. It felt like he came forever, surge after surge of pleasure that kept going on and on. Seth’s mouth constricted, tightening around the head of his cock as he swallowed, and Erik let out a little gasping shudder of pleasure.

  “Oh fuck.” He panted heavily as he reached down to touch Seth’s face, forcing his eyes to focus on the man who still had his dick in his mouth. Seth slowly slid off with a lingering caress of his tongue, then smiled. “Wow. That was ... Mmm.” What felt like years of tension melted away, leaving him boneless and content. “You’re right,” he said sleepily, carding his fingers through Seth’s soft hair. “You were right. The massage wasn’t enough.”

  Seth chuckled against his hip, then pressed a kiss to the spot. “Somehow, I didn’t think so.”

  “Thank you.” Erik gently tugged him upward. “That was ... I don’t have words.”

  “You don’t need them.” Seth settled alongside him, and Erik held an arm out, tucking Seth closer to him. He liked the contact, and Seth snuggled right in, placing his head on Erik’s chest. Yeah, this was nice.

  Erik felt sex-drunk and sleepy as he continued to play with Seth’s hair, allowing himself the luxury of just lying in bed with someone in his arms.

  The blowjob had been phenomenal, but this? This was what he’d missed most. Despite his desire to stay awake and soak in the feeling, he felt his eyes grow heavy, and he slipped into sleep before he could stop himself.

  Erik awoke to Seth touching his shoulder. “Wha-?” He squinted at Seth, reaching out for him. The room was dark except for the glow of the television. How long had he been out?

  “Hey there.” Seth smiled down at him, clasping his hand.

  “Was I that bad in bed that you’re running away?” Erik joked.

  Seth’s smile widened before he leaned in to brush their lips together. “Oh, no. Definitely not. I ordered Chinese takeout for dinner, and I’m going to go pick it up. I figured we should refuel before round two.” He squeezed Erik’s hand before letting go.

  Round two. Erik liked the sound of that. He guiltily realized he hadn’t done a thing to please Seth yet. The least he could do was get out of bed and help him get dinner. “I can go with you.” He raised up on his elbows, but Seth pressed a warm palm to his chest.

  “I’ve got this. You just lay there and think about all the things I’m going to do to you after I get back.”

  Erik grinned. “That doesn’t seem like a fair trade.”

  “Thinking about it will keep me warm on the walk there and back.”

  Erik wasn’t used to being told what to do—or being taken care of—he usually did that for everyone else. “This could get addictive though, you know? Being spoiled like this.”

  “I can think of worse things.” Seth smiled before he braced his arm on the bed and leaned in to kiss Erik again. “You’ll stay here?”

  “If you insist.”

  “I do.” Seth pretended to look stern, but he didn’t pull it off very well. “It’s all part of my plan to turn you into a hedonist.”

  Erik settled back against the pillows with a contented sigh as Seth disappeared into the bathroom. Just thinking about the blowjob made his body thrum with pleasure. He was still thinking about it when Seth emerged a few minutes later and shrugged on his coat.

  “You look content,” Seth said.

  “I feel content,” he admitted. “I needed that more than I knew.”

  Seth grinned at him, looking very pleased with himself. “And to think, we’ve only just begun.”

  He grabbed a scarf and hat, blew Erik a kiss, and was out the door before Erik could reply.

  Erik retrieved his phone from the nightstand and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the dark screen. His face was illuminated by the television and he looked ... well, happy. Happier than he had in years. In fact, he couldn’t seem to contain the smile that kept appearing on his face.

  How ridiculous. It had only been a blowjob.

  And yet ... it had felt like a lot more. It was the way Seth treated him. He’d spent years cramming every little part of himself that needed touch and affection from a lover into a tiny little box and Seth had opened the lid and let it all out. Erik felt like he could breathe now. But it seemed a little silly to assign that much importance to a single sexual encounter. Then again, Seth had said this was only the beginning.

  Erik unlocked his phone and was unsurprised to see that he had no messages waiting for him. Emails, yes. Lots of companies trying to get him to go out and buy things, but no personal messages. He was suddenly grateful for the snowstorm and stupid mix-up that had led to him sharing a room with Seth. He imagined how he would have spent the holiday otherwise. Alone in this hotel room? Feeling sorry for himself as he ate takeout and tried to ignore that it was Christmas at all? That was sad. Seth had been right about that.

  Instead, his whole body felt warm and content from the orgasm Seth had given him, and he had plenty more to look forward to. Which reminded him there was a reason he’d g
rabbed his phone. He didn’t really know what Seth had planned but if it included some of the things he thought it might, he was woefully unprepared for them. Which was why he needed to do a little research.

  He felt vaguely ridiculous as he read informational articles, but they led him to the same conclusion. It would be more pleasant for him and Seth if he hopped in the shower and made sure he was squeaky clean before they moved any further forward with things. A glance at the clock showed him he should have time before Seth was back, so he flung off the covers and stood. Seth had removed all of their winter gear from the bathroom, so Erik was able to hop into the shower immediately. He left the bathroom door open in case Seth got back before he was out.

  After judicious use of body wash and some odd contortions later, Erik was as clean as he thought he’d ever get. He was just about to turn off the water when he heard the sound of the hotel room door opening and the crinkle of a plastic bag.

  “Erik?” Seth’s voice echoed a little in the bathroom.

  “Yeah, in the shower,” he called back. “I’ll be out in a sec.”

  “Would you rather have some company?” Seth’s voice sounded louder. Closer. But Erik still jumped when Seth pulled back the curtain.

  “Company?”

  “Me, specifically.”

  Erik slicked his hair back. “I wouldn’t mind you specifically.”

  Seth grinned and reached for the button on his shirt. “Good because I’m freezing.”

  He stripped off his clothes quickly and piled them on the sink. When Seth ducked into the shower, Erik stepped aside so he could let the warm water wash over him.

  “Mmm.” Seth let out a little moan of pleasure that went straight to Erik’s cock. “That’s nice.”

  Erik pulled him closer and rubbed his hands up and down Seth’s arms. “How’s this?”

  “Even better.” Seth grinned at him.

  “I take it thoughts of me didn’t quite keep you as warm as you’d hoped?”

  “Not quite. The snow’s still really coming down, and the wind’s picked up again. But I did bring back a massive amount of food.” Seth shot him a quizzical glance. “Why’d you decide to shower?”

  Erik flushed, grateful that the heat from the water covered it. “I wasn’t sure what you might want to do later, and I thought ... well, the internet said it was important to be clean.”

  Seth’s gaze softened. “You googled gay sex?”

  “I can’t believe I’m admitting that to you, but yes.”

  “You are adorable.” Seth leaned in and kissed him. “Ridiculously adorable.”

  “I have never been called that in my life,” Erik muttered.

  “Well, you have been now.”

  “I just ... wanted to be prepared.”

  “Preparation is good,” Seth said. “I also like to be prepared.”

  “Yeah, I saw your bag of toys, remember?”

  “What do you think about me trying them out on you later?”

  Erik had to swallow before he could speak. “I think I’d like that. I think I’d like that a lot.”

  Seth washed up quickly, and they left the bathroom wearing nothing but towels. The room was warm enough that they didn’t bother to get dressed, so a short while later, they were seated on Erik’s old bed with the food spread out around them.

  “Did you buy every dish on the menu?” Erik asked as he opened a container of broccoli with beef. His favorite.

  Seth licked his lips. “I thought maybe we wouldn’t want to get out of bed tomorrow ...”

  Erik blinked at him, his chopsticks poised in mid-air. “You mean, stay in bed all day and have sex?”

  “I mean, only if you want.” Seth looked amused.

  “Yeah, I really do.” Erik felt a little stunned. “I’ve never done that before.”

  “Oh, you have missed out then.” Seth bit into a dumpling, and the juices gushed down his chin. He wiped them up with a napkin as he chewed, then gave Erik a grin. “You start with morning sex. And you take breaks for water and food and showers, but you go until you can’t manage another orgasm.”

  “Merry Christmas to me,” Erik muttered.

  Seth grinned. “We have fifteen years to make up for. We can’t do it all in one night.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Laughing, Seth leaned forward and kissed him, his mouth tasting of soy sauce. “We can certainly try.”

  Chapter Eight

  Despite the enormous amount of food, they both ate relatively lightly. Erik because he was a little nervous about what the rest of the night would entail. And Seth because ... well, Erik didn’t know why. Maybe Seth was too? Although he didn’t look nervous. He looked completely at ease as he sat, cross-legged, deftly maneuvering shrimp and peapods into his mouth and making small noises of appreciation.

  “Is it just me or is this really good takeout?” Erik asked.

  “No, it’s not just you. This is good.” Seth popped another shrimp in his mouth and chewed with a smile on his face. “It’s not like what I can get in Chinatown but it’s seriously good for Americanized Chinese food.”

  “Oh, I can’t remember the last time I was in Chinatown,” Erik said. “I should go the next time I’m in New York.”

  “I’d love to take you to this dim sum place I know.” Seth grinned. “It would blow your mind. But I’m a whore for dumplings.”

  “Just for dumplings? Or do you put out for other types of food?” Erik nudged Seth’s shin with his foot.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Seth offered him the carton of shrimp and peapods, but Erik shook his head.

  “I’ve had enough.”

  Seth set the container aside, then reached for the fortune cookies, tossing one to Erik. “You do know how this works, right?”

  “You have to eat both parts of the fortune cookie before you read the fortune, then add ‘in bed’ on the end,” Erik said, ripping the package open. “Just because I don’t listen to a lot of pop music and this is my first foray into gay sex doesn’t mean I’m completely out of touch with the world.”

  Seth held up his hands in mock apology. “Just checking.”

  Erik dutifully crunched his way through his cookie before he inspected the fortune. “Every exit is an entrance to new experiences ... in bed,” he read aloud. He snorted quietly. “Well, that’s ... um, apt in this situation.”

  Seth grinned at him. “Indeed.”

  “What’s yours?”

  “Your tongue is your ambassador ... in bed.”

  “Seriously?” Erik grabbed the slip of paper from Seth’s hand and inspected it. “Wow. That’s uh ... huh.”

  “Are they wrong?” Seth leaned forward, coming up on his knees as he pressed a kiss to Erik’s lips. “I did sweet talk you into bed.”

  “Oh, did you now?” Erik curled his hands around Seth’s biceps, holding him in place. “I don’t remember it taking a whole lot of persuading.”

  “Nah, just fiddling with the heater controls to make it so cold you had to get in bed with me.”

  Erik pulled away, letting go of Seth’s arms. “Seriously?”

  “What? No!” Seth scoffed, sitting back. “It’s just wonky as hell. I was teasing.”

  “Just checking.”

  Seth flashed him a little smile. “C’mon. Let’s clean up the food and get in bed. I vote we watch a movie before we make these fortunes come true.”

  “What kind of movie?” Erik asked, gathering up as many containers as he could manage.

  “A Christmas movie, of course.”

  “Of course. I should have known.”

  Seth ripped off his towel and winked. “Hey, by the time I’m done with you here, you’ll be an avid devotee of gay sex and the holidays.”

  Somehow, Erik didn’t doubt that. He had a feeling Seth could convince him to like nearly anything.

  Ten minutes later, they were curled up in Seth’s bed while another sappy Christmas movie played on the TV. Erik only half paid attention. He was too absorbed
by the feel of bare skin against his own. He flipped onto his side to look at Seth, examining him from the riot of dark hair that had curled a little as it dried, down over the upturned slope of his nose, to his full lips and over his bearded chin.

  Erik let out a little sigh, and Seth turned his head, giving him a soft quizzical look. “Are you watching me rather than the movie?”

  “Yes. Better view.”

  Seth gave him a crooked little smile, pressed his lips against Erik’s, then looked back at the TV. Erik resumed watching him, but Seth didn’t seem at all self-conscious about the scrutiny. After a while, Seth shifted onto his side, so Erik flipped onto his back. When he was comfortable, Seth settled his head on Erik’s shoulder, throwing a leg over Erik’s thigh. Their bodies fit together nicely. Erik was a few inches taller, but not enough for it to make a huge difference. Erik played with Seth’s hair, sorting through the slightly damp strands with his fingertips and making Seth hum with pleasure.

  Absently, Seth dragged his fingertips across Erik’s chest through the scant hair between his pecs, leaving warm little trails of pleasure in their wake. It soothed some of the aching loneliness Erik had felt over the years, like salve to a wound, softening it, allowing it heal.

  “This is nice,” he whispered, his voice thicker than it should be.

  Seth’s gaze flicked up to meet his. “Yeah, it is.”

  Seth continued to explore his torso, skimming his fingers down Erik’s stomach, teasing around his navel until Erik let out a little shuddering laugh. His breath caught in his throat as Seth worked his way down from there.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just exploring.”

  “Exploring, huh?”

  “Mmhmm.” Seth slipped a hand over Erik’s cock, dragging his palm slowly up its length.

  Erik let out a little gasp. “Shouldn’t I be the one doing the exploring? I am new to all this.”