16. Chapter 16

S itting at my desk, I had to adjust myself as I thought of Marley's length filling my mouth. The sight of him leaning on my desk coming undone was something I'd never forget. And something I'd never fantasized about doing at work. When I was in this chair, the job usually took my full attention. Only now, with Marley across the room from me, the taste of him still on my tongue, my focus was divided.

My eyes kept sliding between the budget I was reviewing and watching Marley as he arranged each blossom with care. He must have had a song in his head, because he swayed and bounced as he worked. I was tempted to ask, but didn't want to interrupt, enjoying the view of his ass jiggling in such an enticing way .

Marley looked over his shoulder and grinned when he caught me staring. He did a quick twerk, popping that juicy booty, ensuring he held my attention.

A knock sounded on my door, putting a stop to the show. Palming my hardening dick, I cleared my throat and tried not to look like I was sporting a semi. "Come in!"

Marley kept himself busy with his flowers as Paul entered. He took one glance at the suit I'd changed into and pressed his lips together to hold in his amusement. Maybe I hadn't exactly been subtle about what was happening in my office, but I would do it all over again if it meant repeating that insanely hot scene. Still, I was the boss and had a reputation to uphold, and didn't need it getting around the office.

Despite how Paul toed the line between professional and personal sometimes, I trusted him. Especially as a fellow gay man. This company was inclusive, and I was open about my sexuality, because I refused to work somewhere that I couldn't be myself, but it didn't mean there was an absence of risk. All it took was one person to start a rumor that could undercut you, making it hard to come back from.

"Should I wait and come back?" He asked with a teasing tone.

"No, it's fine. What do you have for me?"

Paul rattled through the agenda for the rest of the morning. Our little escapades may have put me slightly behind schedule, but it wasn't anything I couldn't catch up on. Marley offered me a sheepish look that I dismissed with a waved. I didn't want him feeling bad, especially not when I had been the one to insist that we seize the moment.

Where did we go from here, though? A taste of him wasn't enough, but what more did I have to offer? I sighed internally. I didn't know.

My assistant returned to his desk as Marley was finishing up. I hated for him to go, but I couldn't keep him any longer than I already had. At my computer, I opened the camera app to see if I could get a glimpse of O'Malley. Funny how attached I'd already gotten to him.

Several ‘ Motion Detected ' notifications were waiting for me, and I clicked on each to reveal a flash of orange fur racing across the living room, the bedroom, my workout room, and the kitchen. All within seconds of each other. I let out a laugh as I saw him zip by like a phantom, a wisp barely caught on video.

Marley snapped his head over to look at me. "What is it?"

I beckoned him over. Maybe I could keep him for another few minutes. "Come here."

He hurried to stand behind me. Another flash on the screen and Marley laughed. I loved his laugh. He used his whole body to laugh, much like he seemed to do everything: wholeheartedly. "Oh my God! He's got the zoomies! Look at him go! What did you feed him? "

"Just his kibble, and the cat grass. Well, he's really taken a liking to the catnip toys I got from your friend at the market, too. O'Malley was rolling all over them before I left."

"I'll tell Collin they're kitten-approved."

"He's an active little guy. I think that's a good sign, right?" I still worried that I wasn't doing enough for him.

Marley hung his arms over my shoulders, and I found myself loving how comfortable he felt with me and how easy his touches came. The casual touch was nice, something I hadn't realized I'd been missing.

"I think it's a great sign. He was so shaky and nervous when we found him, and now he seems really well-adjusted and happy. You've done an amazing job with him."

I tilted my head back to look at him. "I had some help."

He placed a soft kiss on my forehead, making me hum with contentment. I could easily get lost in him all over again. Instead, I returned my attention to the screen. Another notification went off in a different room.

"Has O'Malley been blowing up your phone, too?"

I felt Marley stiffen behind me. "I, uh, turned them all off after…what happened."

"That was a fun surprise." Understatement of the year.

"Mmm. Unintended. A little weird. But…fuck, wow!"

I brushed my lips against the top of his arm that draped over me. "Agreed. "

The memory of it was enough to derail my already poor productivity, and I did have work to do. I couldn't afford another detour. "I gave you access for a reason, feel free to use it. Besides, look at him! No regrets with the cameras."

Marley hugged my neck. "Yeah, we have a pretty cute baby. I would like to swing by and see him again."

"Anytime, Sunshine."

"Then you wouldn't mind if you come home to find me and O'Malley hanging out?"

"I can't think of anything better."

Marley stood up and patted my shoulder before walking back to his cart. "Good. Then come home with an appetite. I'm cooking dinner. Unless you have a dinner meeting?"

Imagining coming home to him had me wishing it was already the end of the day. "No meetings; that sounds perfect."

"You say that now, but I should warn you, I'm not much of a cook."

"We can order in," I offered.

"Nope. If we are going to see where this goes, then you have to know what you're in for, and that it's not gourmet." Marley collected everything he needed.

My lips tugged up in amusement. "I'm as happy eating mac and cheese as I am filet mignon, so whatever you make will be great."

"See you at home, Derek." He waved, offering me that gorgeous smile of his.

Hearing him call my place home had emotions clogging my throat. "See you at home, Sunshine."

My condo was so opposite to his style and what he liked, but I loved the casual way he'd said it, and pictured what a home with him might look like. Which I could admit was entirely too soon to think about. We were only just starting, and after spending some time with me, Marley would probably see he was better off with someone else. Someone who had time to give and who lived out loud like he did.

He left and took all of his radiance with him, with the exception of the lovely orange blossoms he'd arranged in the wooden vases that gave my office a pop of color. That's what Marley was, a pop of color in my gray life. The more I thought of how lifeless the place was without him, the more I dropped after the high I'd been in with him.

After a mind-blowing start, the day had taken a turn for the worse. One problem after another until a headache throbbed behind my eyes, and my mood soured. I'd barely made it through the day; I certainly wasn't in a state to play host to a guest. Though Marley hardly felt like a guest. Even so, I sent him a text.

Me: I think we should reschedule.

Marley responded almost immediately, and it made my stomach sink, knowing he would be disappointed .

Marley: Oh? Why? Did something come up at work?

Me: No. It's just been a hell of a day.

The dots hung there for a moment and my guts churned with anxiety.

Marley: Do you want to reschedule because you don't want me here? Or because you think I won't want to be here?

Me: The second one. I want you, Marley, I do. But I'm going to be rotten company.

Marley: Ok, then I'm staying. And I don't need you to entertain me, I just want to spend time with you. Besides, I've made a rotten meal to go with your rotten company, so it's a perfect match.

I let out a laugh, surprised I even had any in me after the shitshow of a day, and found myself more pleased than I could say that I hadn't pushed him away.

Me: Okay. You've been warned. See you soon.

Marley: So scary. (screaming face emoji)

The exchange had given me a little burst of energy, enough that I didn't feel as weighed down as I had moments before. The flutter of hope had my feet moving more swiftly through the office and out to the parking garage.

The burst of energy faded when I got stuck behind a car going twenty miles below the speed limit. My knuckles turned white from how tightly I gripped the steering wheel, feeling the pulse of pain behind my eyes as I clenched my jaw.

When I parked in my designated spot in front of my condo, I took several deep breaths and flexed my hands, trying to shake off the latest frustration. Through it all, my heart thumped with anticipation at knowing Marley was inside my house, waiting for me, like a partner or a spouse. And that thought had me climbing out of my car before I could even think about it. It was a strange idea to have someone there. When I found Marley asleep in my bed, it'd been a surprise, but this time, the awareness of him only feet away had me closing the distance between us more quickly.

The door opened right before I could put in my code and there he was, holding O'Malley, and greeting me with a smile that could melt away the clouds— almost . There were still several hanging over me, but a ray of light was starting to break through.

"Welcome home, babe."

I leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his inviting lips, but didn't have the energy for much more than that. " You are a welcome sight."

"See? And you didn't want me to be here." Marley playfully rolled his eyes.

"I do. I'm just not feeling very warm and fuzzy."

He held up the kitten and looked between us. "I think between the two of us, we've got warm and fuzzy covered. Why don't you go get comfortable? I promised you dinner."

With the way he'd described his cooking, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it smelled good in my condo. Strange, but good. Odd to walk in and have an aroma coming from my kitchen. I cooked for myself sometimes, but I was always here when I did it. It was an entirely new sensation to walk into my home and already have the scents of food wafting through it.

I kissed his cheek as I walked by and scratched O'Malley's chin, who meowed in protest at being held, before walking to my bedroom. Stripping from my suit, I lacked the energy or the will to hang it up, so I tossed it onto the armchair in my room. A part of me wanted to dress nicely for Marley, but the rest of me… couldn't, I was too mentally spent. I put on a pair of running shorts and a tank top and headed back out to the living room, following the scents like a cartoon character.

When I came around the corner, Marley looked up from the pot on the stove and his eyes rounded when he saw me. He let out a whistle. "Dayuuum!"

"What?" I looked down at myself. I wasn't wearing anything special.

"You look so hot right now."

"Really? It's just shorts."

Marley turned off the burner before crossing the room and stopping in front of me. "Maybe so. But I've never seen you this casual. Don't get me wrong, you look pretty damn sexy all dressed up, but this…this feels intimate, like a side of you nobody gets to see. Plus, those shorts show off your legs and the shirt gives me a little tease of your chest. It makes me want to run my fingers through all that yummy hair. This is a good look on you."

At the mention of his hands in my chest hair, my body warmed as blood rushed through me. He was right, though. No one ever saw me like this, and it felt nice not to have to put on a front. No armor, no masks, just me. "You don't mind, then? That I didn't dress for dinner with you?"

He shook his head. "Not one bit. I'd rather get to have you like this. It's just us."

"Thanks. I don't know how great I'll be for conversation, but it is nice to have you here."

Marley grinned. "Seems like you're doing just fine with the conversation. I found a bottle of whiskey and you seemed like you could use something a little stronger, so I poured you a glass. Sit wherever you like and I'll fix you a plate, too."

"What did you make? It smells delicious."

"Ahh, but smells can be deceiving. Add enough garlic and herbs and anything can smell good, so you may want to hold judgment. It's spaghetti. I know it sounds foolproof, at least that was why I picked it to make, but you have an electric stovetop, and I'm not used to it. I did bring some of my veggies from my garden, so if nothing else, those will be good."

I let out a chuckle as I took the glass of whiskey he had waiting for me on the counter and headed to the couch. In truth, I didn't often sit at my table unless I had company. But with Marley being so accommodating and my bandwidth shot, the couch was calling to me. I tucked a leg under me and leaned against the arm of the sofa, sipping whiskey, and trying to decompress. The alcohol warmed my chest as it went down. Though, it might have been from the simple, sweet gesture of Marley preparing it for me.

Marley shuffled around behind me. "I hope you don't mind; I might have done a little snooping while I was waiting. O'Malley helped. He's a curious little guy."

"I don't mind." The man had already seen me jacking off with a stroker on camera, so there was nothing else he might find that needed to remain hidden.

"Good. Because I found a fascinating collection."

I turned my head to see him open the lid of the record player I had on the credenza in my living room. He carefully placed a record onto the platter and set the needle, and Boz Scaggs started playing.

My eyes closed instinctively. The special sound that came from playing a vinyl record was always comforting to me .

"I had no idea you had such a great collection of music, especially not on record. I've thought about getting a record player, but I listen to so much music, I would be changing them constantly. So it's easier for me to use playlists. But I gotta admit, this is pretty sexy."

" Mmhm ," I mumbled my agreement before opening my eyes. Marley swayed back and forth with his arms above his head, letting the music capture him. The position had his shirt lifting to reveal a tantalizing stretch of skin. His round belly looked soft and inviting, making me itch to reach out and touch him, to push his shirt up and run my hands over him. "Very sexy."

He opened his eyes and smiled when he caught me watching. "Care to join me?"

"Nope." With another sip, I shifted my position until one leg rested over the other, in a display that declared I was staying put.

"Fine. Guess you'll just have to watch then." He winked before continuing to dance and move to the mellow vibes of the music. He was hypnotizing to watch, much like the snake in the Jungle Book movie. If I watched him long enough, would I be so entranced that I wouldn't notice him trying to swallow me? Although, if I were to die, that didn't sound like a bad way to go.

Sadly, he danced right out of my field of vision, back to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with two bowls and sat beside me. "Is it okay if we eat here, or would you rather move to the table?"

‘Here's fine. I'm not feeling formal tonight."

"Okay. Here you go. Set your expectations low," Marley said as he handed me a plate.

I half-heartedly laughed. "I'm sure it will be delicious."

Marley lifted his free hand, holding it eye-level, and moved it down, to indicate the lowering of the bar.

"It looks like spaghetti, at least."

"There you go; that's the bar right there. Cheers!" Marley held his plate out, and I tapped mine against his.

On the side of the plate were a few cherry tomatoes and a couple of raw sweet peppers. I popped a tomato in my mouth and let out a moan as it burst in my mouth. "That's so good."

Marley beamed. "Nothing beats fresh tomatoes. And I'm hoping it will help you forgive the rest of the meal."

"I'm sure it's fine." I twirled my fork in the spaghetti. The first bite gave me pause halfway through. It wasn't terrible, but something was off. "It's a little, uh, crunchy?"

"Like I said, different stove." That was all he said as his explanation. It did have a combination of some kind of ground meat, tomato-based sauce, and pasta. It had all the makings of spaghetti, in theory. Still, it was edible, and it satisfied the hunger that had been building since I'd been too busy to eat at work.

"It's not bad," I offered, around a mouthful .

Marley's lips twitched with amusement. "Liar. But like I said, this is what you're going to get with me. So, if we're going to be exclusive, I'm laying all my cards out on the table."

"Fair. And now you can see what a rotten date I am, so if you're having any second thoughts about this, I'd understand." I choked on the words, or maybe it was on the pasta, but either way, it hurt to think that he might walk away, even if it was the right thing to do.

"Do you feel any differently about me now that you've had my cooking?" Marley asked.

My head swung from side to side, as I turned toward him, needing him to see my sincerity. "No. Marley, this doesn't change how I feel."

"Same, same, Derek." He winked before eating another bite.

He was such a vibrant person. What could he possibly like about spending time with me while I sat moping? "You're too good for me. How is it that you're not taken?"

"Ah, but I am." He tipped his fork at me.

"I meant, before I came along. How did I get lucky enough to find you single?" Marley let out a heavy sigh, making me instantly regret my question. "You don't need to answer that."

"It's fine. In truth, I haven't dated for a while. I'd pretty much stopped, even though I fantasized about finding someone. But it's not always easy. The guys I've dated have always been obsessed with my weight, one way or another."

My brow furrowed, and I set my crunchy pasta down on the coffee table. "What do you mean by that?"

"You have the ones that make it their mission to help me ‘ get in shape .' They watch what I eat or insist on whatever fad diet is popular at the time. The thing is…I've done that. I've gone through periods of my life where I tried to do what society said I should, unable to enjoy my food and I was miserable. It was much better for my mental health to let that go. And mental health is just as important as the physical, more so even. And the other ones…they fetishized me. Paid more attention to my fat than to me, tried to make me eat more than I was comfortable, and it left me feeling icky. I just want someone who sees me for me, and not for my belt size. And even more, I'm happy with who I am. It took a lot of work to get here, and I won't have someone undoing that, which made dating and opening myself up to someone new vulnerable and hard."

Just hearing how others had treated him made my heart feel like it was gripped in a vise. He was such a beautiful, amazing person who didn't deserve that. After all those experiences, he had opened himself up to me, of all people. "Why me?"

Marley's eyes crinkled with joy. "A couple of reasons. One, I've learned to see the calculations behind people's eyes when they look at my body. Did they see a problem to fix? Did they make my skin crawl? I never felt that way with you. You always looked at me with admiration, which was refreshing and nice."

"And the other reason?"

"Because you stalked me."

I let out a surprised laugh. "Wait. Really?"

"When I realized you kept purchasing from me just to see me, it made me feel…special. You were pursuing me, and I don't normally get pursued. It was flattering and exciting, and it felt like it was a risk worth taking."

I held out my hand, and Marley placed his in mine. "Thank you for taking that risk. I don't deserve you or the trust you've put in me, but I'm going to try to show you it was well-placed. I only want you to be happy."

"I am happy with you, Derek. You make me feel beautiful and adored."

"You are both."

Marley's fingers twined with mine. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course! Anything."

"I don't doubt you at all, but experience makes me curious. Am I your typical type? What you look for in someone?"

Shifting closer to him, until our knees pressed together, I looked him square in the eye. "You are one hundred percent my type. Does that mean the men I've been interested in before have had the same build? No. They've been all over the board as far as physicality. I've always been drawn to confidence; to me, that's the sexiest feature of a person. Someone who owns who they are unapologetically gets me every time. When I saw you dancing at Carmen's wedding, you beamed. Not only with the light that flows from you, but you seemed so comfortable and so sure of yourself, not in a bad way, but in a way that showed you knew who you were and what you wanted. Fuck , you were so captivating.

"It wasn't your shape that caught my attention, but the way you used it. The body is simply a vessel for the soul it contains. Your soul called out to me that day and illuminated from within, creating the most beautiful vessel I've ever seen. So, yes, I admire you. Yes, I find you attractive, and yes, I want to touch you. But it was never because of what you look like, and not in spite of what you look like, but because of who you are. I want to know all of you, Marley. Inside and out."

Marley set his bowl down before crashing into me, pushing me back on the couch. He smashed his mouth into mine in a searing kiss. His tongue tangled with mine, his taste far more tantalizing than the forgotten pasta. When he groaned into me, it rumbled through my body, sending ripples of pleasure to my cock that was now pressed between us.

My hands went to his back, drawing him closer to me. His body half-covered mine and the weight of him on me was sexy as hell. Marley pushed into me, rubbing his erection against mine and I was suddenly a lot more glad that I had the light slinky material of my running shorts, allowing me to feel him even more. For as long as I had gone on my own, relying on my hands or the wonders of silicone and lube, nothing could compare to the feeling of another body on top of mine.

A hum sounded in the back of my throat as he rolled his hips again and our lips continued to say all the things that words couldn't. It was fast, this thing with Marley, only it wasn't. It had been almost a month since the wedding, and yet, I felt like I'd been waiting for him for years.

I opened my legs wider to allow him more room, and he took it, planting himself between them so that his body covered me. His mouth left mine, looking deliciously dazed with swollen lips, and his cheeks had a hint of red from scratching against my stubble. I reached up and brushed his pink hair back. "You are so gorgeous, Marley. Always, anytime, but especially like this."

"Mmm. You are too. But I gotta know—" his hand trailed up my chest and circled my right nipple, sending shivers of excitement through me, "—what is this?"

I knew what he was getting at, and my dick twitched at him discovering it. My hand had been the only one to touch me for far too long and I was desperate to have his hands on me. "It's a nipple, Marley. Novel concept, I know, though a lot of folks have them. "

He laughed and gave me a light slap on the chest. "Shut up. You know that's not what I meant."

"Then maybe you should see for yourself."

"Great idea." Marley pushed off me, making me miss the feel of his body on mine, but the anticipation of what was coming made it worth it. He sat between my widespread legs and slid his hands under my tank top. The warmth of them as they roamed over my torso had me practically purring. Instead of reaching for my nipples beneath the shirt, he pushed the tank top up. I leaned forward to let him pull it off of me and when I sat back, shirtless, his eyes rounded, and he gasped.

"Oh my God!" He licked his lips as he stared transfixed at the titanium ring through my right nipple. The hungry way he looked at me had my cock leaking.

"What do you think?"

"You have a nipple piercing!" Marley exclaimed, his eyes still locked on it.

"I do," I replied, enjoying his attention. I reached down and gripped my cock through my shorts, needing some kind of touch to relieve the ache that was building.

"But you? I just never expected it from how professional you always seem."

Releasing my dick, I slid my palm up his leg. "I wasn't always. Remember, I was in college."

"You got this done in college?" His hand rested on my belly, fingers looking like they wanted to climb higher. Fuck , I wanted him to touch me more. Everywhere. Immediately.

"Yup. Before my injury. We went out as a team and dared each other to get tattooed or pierced. And since I didn't have anything I wanted inked into my skin, I opted for a piercing. It was meant to be temporary, a lark, just doing ridiculous shit, but doing it as a team. But it grew on me, so I kept it."

Marley's hand inched higher. "I want to touch it."

My hips bucked at the thought, seeking friction. "Fuck, yes. Please!"

His hand moved until his finger brushed against the seamless ring—my preference, since it offered a smaller profile and wasn't as obvious through the layers I wore. It had been far too long since anyone besides me had played with it and the sensation had me humming. And when he gave it a light tug, I drew in a sharp gasp.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" A flash of fear appeared in his eyes.

"No. God, Marley, do it again."

Marley hesitated before giving it another gentle pull, sending pleasure through me. His eyes still focused on the small ring, he drew forward and flicked it with his tongue. The image of his mouth on me combined with the sensation had me arching my back, chasing the feeling. Marley covered my nipple with his mouth and sucked it in, his tongue tangling with the ring. The slightest pinch of pain accompanied the pleasure, making it ten times more intense.

My hands went to his hair. "Fuuuck! Marley, that feels so good."

He laved and sucked at my pierced nipple, making me feel like I was about to explode. God, it felt amazing having his mouth on me, and I couldn't wait for him to explore everywhere else with how attentive he was.

A clatter on the coffee table made us both jump, pulling us out of the moment. We both looked over to see O'Malley standing on a plate, chowing down on a noodle.

Marley laughed and said, "At least he likes my cooking."

I snorted, partially thankful for the break, because if Marley had kept working his mouth on my piercing, I was going to come in my shorts, and as good as it felt, that wasn't how I wanted things to happen tonight. I'd already done that at work when I sucked him off.

Marley scooted back and sat up, flashing a look over my exposed chest, before picking up our plates and heading toward the kitchen. "That's enough for you, little mister. We don't want you to get sick."

I adjusted my raging hard-on and followed him. As he dumped out the spaghetti, I came up behind him and held his hips, pressing a kiss to his neck, my dick brushing between his cheeks.

His head tilted to the side, and I closed my mouth over the curve to his shoulder. Marley pressed his ass back, rubbing against me, and let out a moan. "Take me to bed, Derek."

"Absolutely."