Endings and Beginnings Read online

  Pietro nodded. He had loved what she’d done with the house. Despite two teenage boys, it had been very clean, nothing worn or dated. She’d kept the house with love, and it showed. He sighed. Melissa was so much like the sister he’d always wanted, and now she was back in their lives, he found he liked the idea of spending more time with her, maybe doing some bonding. While it was nice messing around with Alex, Scott, and Peter, sometimes he wanted a quiet tea, or to do some shopping somewhere other than the boutique they kept trying to drag him to.

  “Yeah, of course. What are you looking for?”

  “Something with at least four bedrooms. One for me and Tony, one for each of the boys, who complain that they’re too old to share a room, and one for an office so Tony can do his work. I’d like a fireplace too, if that’s possible. Oh, and a garden. We need a nice-sized one for the boys to play in.”

  “What price range are you looking for?”

  She bit her lip. “I’d have to talk finances with Tony before I give you a ballpark figure. The thing is, we want to move quickly if possible.” She grimaced. “For obvious reasons.”

  Pietro chuckled.

  “So what I’m asking is that you go with Miles when he visits these properties. Be my eyes? Make sure he’s not looking at something I wouldn’t be seen dead living in?”

  He laughed. “Sure, I can do that. Sounds like it might be fun. But you have to promise I get to visit on occasion once you do find a place.”

  Melissa gave him a warm smile. “You’re like a brother to me. You’re welcome at our home anytime.”

  And with that, Pietro’s heart swelled. He’d never been close to his own siblings. The whole gay thing was bad enough, but when he got together with Miles, whom they thought was too… what? Old? Too demanding? Too poor? A litany of excuses, but none of them held water. Yeah, a lot of bridges had been burned.

  “Okay, it’s a deal. I’ll keep Miles under budget and on the right track.” He grinned. “That is, as soon as I know what the budget is.”

  She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re a lifesaver. You know that, right?”

  He wasn’t sure about the lifesaver part, but Pietro was feeling pretty good.

  JJ EYED the surface of the ice, his stomach churning. He had visions of falling over, landing hard, someone skating over his hand with those sharp silvery blades…. He winced just thinking about it. “I’m not sure about this.” What made it worse was all the families around them: little kids whizzing past as though it was nothing in the world to be balancing on two thin blades, parents holding on to their children’s hands while disco music played in the background. JJ glared at Darren. “Did you know it was family time?” They were standing on the ice, JJ clutching the wall that ran around the rink. There was no way he was letting go. Not yet, anyway.

  Darren bit his lip. “I might have.” He sighed. “To tell the truth, I only found out last night when I checked the Silver Blades website.” He regarded JJ, his brow furrowed. “Is that a problem?”

  “Well, that depends on whether your intention was for there to be all these witnesses when I made a fool of myself.”

  He’d intended it as a half joke, but one look at Darren’s pained reaction had him regretting his words.

  “Do you honestly think that?”

  In an instant JJ backpedaled. “No, not now.” That was the truth.

  “I’m here with you,” Darren reminded him. “I will do my best not to let you fall, but I can make you a promise.”

  “Oh?”

  Darren got close and peered into JJ’s eyes. “If you fall, I’m going to fall with you.”

  Something deep in JJ’s belly fluttered, and he turned away. He knew what Darren meant, but to JJ it had been something else. A promise.

  He took a deep breath. “Okay, so how do we do this?”

  The look of pride on Darren’s face made him glow inside.

  “Good boy. Let’s start out by just making our way around the perimeter, holding on to the wall, until you feel more comfortable on the skates.”

  JJ could work with that.

  He edged his way around the rink, Darren offering words of advice on his posture now and again.

  “Are you comfortable enough to let go of the wall?” Darren’s gaze was focused on his face.

  “I don’t know. Maybe?”

  Darren smiled. “Okay, hold your arms out if it helps with your balance, and move slowly. You can stick close to the wall if you like.” His smile widened. “Or I could hold your hand.”

  JJ blinked. He thought that might prove to be a distraction, but then again….

  “Would you?”

  “Would I what?” Darren’s brows knitted.

  “What you said.”

  Darren fixed him with a firm stare. “JJ, if you want something, ask for it.”

  A shiver ran through JJ at the sound of Darren’s voice, demanding, commanding. They’d spoken a few times, and already that voice had an effect on him.

  “Would you hold my hand?”

  Darren reached out and took JJ’s hand in his. “I would be delighted,” he assured JJ.

  Darren threaded their fingers together and smiled at him. They stayed near the wall, allowing JJ to have two things that gave him… what? Strength? Balance? He’d heard Thomas talking to Leo, something about Darren seeming like a natural Dom, but JJ had dismissed it. The man he spoke with at the bar a Dom? No. But now he had to rethink Thomas’s words.

  Darren gripped his hand tightly and led him farther out over the ice, JJ doing his best to keep his ankles straight. What made it more difficult to concentrate on not falling over was that his attention was being constantly drawn to Darren.

  JJ had always been attracted to men’s bodies. He loved to watch them as they worked, played, or just interacted. As a teenager he’d longed to touch them, to have them hold him, but schoolkids were always hurling words like poof and fag, so JJ had kept his desires hidden. It had been an easy enough thing to do.

  With Darren it was different. He had a presence about him that seemed to envelop JJ. Darren wasn’t larger than him, but he radiated strength. It was that, combined with that bloody voice of his, that drove JJ crazy. He’d never thought of a man’s voice as being particularly sexy, but when Darren’s dropped into that deep, demanding range? Holy fuck. Since that first conversation in the bar, he’d liked the way it made him feel. But after their first date, everything seemed to have shifted up a gear. God, JJ couldn’t count the number of times he’d wanked while thinking about Darren whispering in his ear, talking low and dirty. In his bed, in the shower, it didn’t matter—he’d close his eyes, tune in to that voice, and let his hand take over. Hearing it in his head never failed to make JJ hard, and hell, that was something new, especially when he found himself thinking about more than jerking off. He hadn’t even considered being with a guy since he’d met Neil and they’d—

  No. Don’t think about him. Not now. You’re on a date with a man you really like.

  “Hey, pay attention,” Darren whispered harshly, drawing JJ’s attention immediately. “Where were you?”

  That sexy growl sent shivers down JJ’s spine.

  “Sorry, lost in my own little world, I guess.” The disco music infiltrated his thoughts, along with the chatter, squeals, and laughter of those skating past them.

  “You’re forgiven if you tell me you were thinking about me,” Darren teased.

  Heat surged through JJ. Yes. I was thinking about you standing over me while you had me on my knees, ordering me to suck your dick. He resisted the urge to lick his lips.

  “I might have been,” he admitted, his face warm.

  “Good,” Darren said with a smile. “I like that. I want your thoughts to be about me.”

  JJ liked that too. The thought of spending time with Darren both excited and startled him. They’d known each other a few days, but it seemed so much longer. Darren had been in sync with him since he’d sat at the bar. Even when
he’d been untruthful and JJ had called him on it, Darren had somehow taken the sting of it away. When he promised JJ he wouldn’t lie to him again, it eased all the tension that had built up and allowed JJ to breathe again. He’d heard of love at first sight but always dismissed the idea. But he wasn’t in love with Darren… was he? A really healthy dose of lust, maybe, and it had been a while since he’d felt such urgent desire.

  He glanced out of the corner of his eye, and naturally Darren caught him and smiled.

  “So you are thinking about me, huh?”

  “What if I am?” JJ asked, a wave of boldness overwhelming him before he felt the urge to lower his eyes.

  Darren pulled them off the ice and over to the side. He cupped JJ’s chin and lifted it up so their gazes met. “I told you. I like it when you think about me, because I think about you too. A lot.”

  JJ held his breath as Darren leaned forward and brushed their lips together.

  “Mum, why are those two men kissing?”

  “Because they’re in love. And don’t point. It’s rude.”

  JJ’s body grew hot all over. He tried to draw away, flushed with embarrassment, but Darren slid his hand around the back of his neck and held him in place, that kiss never faltering. Eventually JJ forgot the child, the music, the noise, as Darren’s kiss pushed him higher and higher, until it was only them.

  When Darren drew back, JJ huffed, wanting a few moments more of the blissful sensations that rocketed through his body.

  “Are you ready to solo?”

  The shift in conversation wreaked havoc with JJ’s fried synapses. “What?”

  Darren smirked. “Skating. Do you think you’re ready to try it on your own?”

  JJ chewed his lip. “Honestly? No.”

  Darren laughed, the sound rich and warm. “Good. I wasn’t ready to let you go just yet anyway.” He wrapped an arm around JJ’s shoulder and led him toward the exit.

  JJ halted. “Hang on, though. I’ve got this far. I have to try, right?”

  Darren regarded him with shining eyes. “I didn’t think you were a quitter. Go for it.”

  JJ took a deep breath and let go.

  THOUGH JJ would probably deny it, he was quite graceful out on the ice. He laughed and pulled his hand away, gliding over the slick surface. Darren felt an immediate loss when they stopped touching.

  What is it about this man? I’m more comfortable with him in a week than I was with Michael after six months. Life with Michael had been okay, but they were never really connected. They each had their own friends, their own aspirations, and it had been fine, but with JJ it seemed more like grabbing on to an electric wire and hanging on for dear life. He energized Darren, made him want something. Suddenly the club didn’t seem as intriguing. The thought of doing anything without JJ being at his side left Darren with a hollow pit in his stomach.

  “Did you see?” JJ shouted as he drew nearer, grinning hugely.

  “I did. You’re doing really well.”

  JJ skidded to a stop right in front of Darren, as if asking to be hugged. Darren reached out, wrapped his arms around his companion, and smiled. It felt so right, holding him.

  “Can I buy you a cup of hot chocolate?” JJ asked, breaking Darren out of his reveries.

  “With whipped cream and marshmallows?”

  JJ rolled his eyes. “You’re such a big kid. And yes, of course. It’s not hot chocolate without those.” JJ took Darren’s hand, and they skated to the exit. Once they’d removed their skates, they walked over to the café where JJ ordered them two large cups of hot chocolate. They sat at a table and sipped their sweet treats. Darren grinned when JJ took a drink and put the cup down. He had whipped cream covering his top lip. Darren reached out and brushed it off with his finger, then popped it into his mouth.

  “Hm. I think you made it even sweeter,” he said with a smile. JJ’s glance shifted away, and Darren could see his ears pinking. “Are you almost ready to go? We’ll go to dinner after we’re done with the drinks.”

  JJ chewed on his bottom lip. “Can we…?” His voice trailed off.

  “Can we what?” Darren thought JJ looked adorable when he was flustered.

  “I really don’t feel like going out anymore. I thought maybe we could pick up something and… um… take it back to your place.” Then he added quickly, “If that’s okay?”

  As far as Darren was concerned, okay didn’t even begin to cover it. “You’re on. I vote for pizza.”

  The way JJ’s eyes lit up, he knew he was onto a winner.

  DARREN HAD grimaced when JJ suggested a barbecue chicken and spinach pizza, but he had to admit it had been damned tasty. Or maybe it had been more that JJ enjoyed it. He’d given JJ a lightning quick tour of the house while they waited for the pizza to arrive, but once that doorbell had rung, they’d both attacked the food with gusto.

  Pizza box empty, wine bottle nearly empty, they stretched out on the sofa and watched one of JJ’s favorite films on Netflix. Darren had never seen Aladdin and couldn’t quite believe he was actually watching it, but JJ knew all the songs and sang along with them, much to Darren’s delight. JJ’s pensive mood evaporated, and he appeared more at ease, as though the film was a catalyst for some inward change. It was reminiscent of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

  What brought this about? Darren had no idea, but he welcomed it.

  When the film ended, JJ leaned against Darren, his head resting on Darren’s shoulder. The rightness of the situation, the way JJ felt, relaxed, more confident….

  “So what did you think of the movie?”

  Darren was learning fast. “To be honest, I think I had fun watching you enjoy yourself.”

  JJ let out a sigh of sheer contentment. “I did. It’s nice sharing something with someone and not having them laugh because I like animated films. Growing up, it was just me and Mum. She thought it was cute when I’d sing along to Disney as a little kid, but as I got older? Yeah, not so much, especially when my voice changed.” He huffed. “She thought it was weird that a teenage boy liked Disney films.”

  Darren wrapped an arm around JJ’s shoulder. “I’ll never laugh at something you like.”

  JJ snuggled in closer, and Darren bent over and kissed the top of his head. They were quiet for a few moments, the silence comfortable, JJ’s body warm against his. Darren could have stayed there like that for hours.

  Until he caught the hitch in JJ’s breathing.

  “Darren?”

  Darren couldn’t speak, for fear of breaking the spell.

  “Do you remember sitting down and having juice at the bar?”

  “Of course. It’s where I got to meet you.”

  “And then we went to dinner, right?”

  “Yes. Are you going somewhere with this?” Darren sensed something coming at him, something huge.

  JJ sighed deeply. “You know, technically this is our third date.”

  Everything in Darren froze. He’s not suggesting what I think he’s…?

  “Darren.” JJ lifted his chin so Darren got to see those gray eyes, large and round, the lamplight catching in them. “Take me to bed? Please?”

  Chapter Nine

  IT TOOK every ounce of Darren’s willpower not to react instantly to JJ’s words.

  He held himself still, acutely aware of JJ’s gaze fixed on him, watching him, a slight tremor rippling through his slim body. Darren caressed JJ’s cheek. “You sure about this?”

  JJ nodded. “Sure. Unless….” A brief flare of panic crossed that sweet face.

  Darren didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what JJ was thinking. “Relax. I want you too.” He sat up, taking JJ with him. “Come with me.”

  JJ was quiet while Darren led him by the hand up the stairs to his bedroom. He’d have taken the silence as something to concern him, except for the fact that one glance told him JJ was hard. Once inside the room, he took JJ in his arms.

  “Come here, sexy boy.”

  JJ’s face lit up. “You think
I’m sexy?”

  Darren chuckled, and grasping JJ’s hand, he brought it down to his crotch, where his dick was already pressing against his zipper. “Does that answer your question?” His voice sounded husky to his own ears, but he wasn’t about to hide his desire. He pushed JJ until he was sitting at the foot of the bed, his chest rising and falling. Darren smiled as he pressed JJ’s shoulders, lowering him onto his back. He crawled up over JJ’s firm body until his face was inches from JJ’s, his hips rocking gently as he ground against JJ’s stiff length.

  JJ shuddered and grabbed hold of Darren’s head, pulling him down into a heated kiss, pushing up to meet Darren’s thrusts. He brought his legs up around Darren’s waist, crossing his ankles and holding on tight while Darren gave as good as he got.

  “Love the way you kiss,” he murmured against JJ’s warm lips.

  JJ moaned softly and sucked on Darren’s bottom lip, teasing it with his teeth. Darren groaned and deepened the kiss, JJ opening for him without hesitation. They moved together, a slow undulation of bodies writhing gently. Darren reached down and rubbed over JJ’s denim-encased arse, feeling the muscle beneath his fingertips. He shifted until he was lying beside JJ, hands stroking his chest, tweaking his nipples through the soft cotton. Judging from JJ’s reaction, it was something Darren was going to do again when they were both naked, because the tiny nubs were undoubtedly a hotspot.

  JJ’s breathing sped up as Darren slid his hand lower to cup his bulge. He trailed his fingers along the rigid shaft until he reached the waistband. After popping the button, Darren eased his fingers under the denim, into JJ’s briefs, until he could feel the heat from JJ’s dick, the head right there, waiting for him….