37. The Message

Grayson

Grayson browsed through his phone on Hunter’s bed when Hunter’s phone lit up on the nightstand. A few seconds later, it lit up again.

The shower turned on and Grayson glanced at the screen. It was from Logan. He opened it immediately.

Hunter? Is this you?Logan asked in a message to Hunter’s dummy social media account. Grayson, too tempted not to find out more, replied as Hunter. Yeah. How did you know?

Who else would make their profile name LaXBoi007? You must’ve known I would know. You made that username in sixth grade,Logan wrote.

Lol, Grayson typed—unsure of what to say.

Listen, I’ve thought a lot about what we talked about last time I was in town. I keep wondering how things would’ve turned out. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for ending it. I’m sorry for cutting contact. I’m sorry for not being brave enough to stay with you when you asked me to. I want you to know that I love you and I always will.

Logan’s words made Grayson queasy. Having just met Hunter, he didn’t want to lose him to a memory of a failed relationship.

Unsure how to answer, he wrote, That’s in the past now and I’ve moved on. I’m happy and I hope you are, too. I added you by mistake. I’ve gotten on with my life and you should get on with yours. Please, don’t contact me again.

I understand. I’m sorry, again. Goodbye, was Logan’s response.

Grayson heard the shower stop and quickly deleted the conversation, blocked Logan’s account, and closed the app.

“You’re not going to find anything interesting in there,” Hunter laughed, standing at the door of his bedroom with a towel around his waist.

Grayson watched as Hunter stood in front of his dresser and dropped his towel, his full, tight ass in view. Hunter pulled boxer-briefs out of the drawer and bent over to slip them on. Mmhh, turn around. “I found some dick pics.” Grayson giggled.

“Right,” Hunter said with a chuckle. “My penis is exclusive, in person only.”

“Mind if I have a look?”

“No, I’m shy,” Hunter said, climbing into bed and hovering over Grayson before giving him a kiss.

“When’s the last time you were tested?” Grayson asked him.

“Couple of years ago. My friend, Neil, had a scare so he dragged me along. Squeaky clean. Why? You?”

“Last month. But I’ll go again with you, if you’d like. I know a place that does it the same day.”

“I’m sure I’m fine.” Hunter shrugged.

“You’re not sure of shit. You should get tested more often, especially between partners and if you’re going unprotected—with both men and women,” Grayson said, lecturing him sternly. “I’m not taking the risk.”

“Alright, we’ll go then. Whatever you want.”

God, Hunter was perfect. Although afraid he’d been falling too fast, too soon, Hunter made him feel safe and desired. He didn’t want to lose him, not now or ever. “Who’s Neil?”

After staying up all night engrossed in conversation, Hunter and Grayson allowed the morning to pass in blissful sleep. Hunter made a protein-packed breakfast when they woke up and then took Grayson to the gym for the first time. They even went to the grocery store together to get ingredients for a dinner Grayson planned on making. They hadn’t done more than kiss the entire day, and Grayson felt the sexual tension growing with each secret glance or innocent touch.

You’re still there?! You get fucked yet?Benji texted Grayson after dinner that evening.

No!!

Maybe he IS straight LOL, Benji said.

I’m nervous around him or something. He’s so nice. I dunno if I can get into that.

Shut up. Don’t self-sabotage. You deserve nice.

What if his dick is small? What if he can’t fuck?

Well, find out! Shit!

“What’s so funny?” Hunter asked, lying at the other end of the couch.

Grayson grinned, suppressing a laugh. “Nothing. It’s just Benji.”

“What’s he saying?”

“Uhm, he thinks you have a small dick.”

Hunter scoffed, shook his head, and looked back at the television. “Tell him I’m tiny.” Grayson didn’t respond; he looked ahead at the show on TV. “It’s you, isn’t it?” Hunter asked. “You’re the one that thinks I’m small.”

“I … I haven’t thought about it,” he lied.

Hunter lifted the throw blanket off of himself revealing his basketball shorts. “Come see for yourself … But if you get it out you have to suck on it until I come down your throat.”

Hunter’s confidence got him hard. “No deal,” Grayson said and covered Hunter back up with a laugh. Hunter shrugged and continued watching TV.

“I’ve been here pretty long,” Grayson said after a long period of silence. “I should head out so that you don’t get tired of me.”

“Or, you can stay and go in the morning. I’m going to shower and get ready for bed.”

“You actually get ready for bed? I pass out in jeans on the couch most nights.” Grayson laughed.

About an hour later Grayson snuggled up on Hunter’s shoulder in bed as he stroked his chest.

“You know, this is the longest I’ve spent with a guy who didn’t try to fuck me,” Grayson said.

“We can if you want,” Hunter proposed, running his hand down Grayson’s back.

“No, I like this. It’s nice—like the movies or something.”

Hunter leaned his head forward and kissed the top of Grayson’s head. “Goodnight.”

Hunter

Hunter woke up a couple of hours later on his side, aroused and with Grayson’s butt pressed against his dick.

Fuck. He had been devoid of sexual release for days. He felt Grayson pushing back against him followed by shuffling from underneath the sheets. Grayson’s arm shook in short, sudden movements—stroking himself.

“Gray?” he whispered into his ear and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Grayson laughed with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m so horny.”

“Here, I’ll help you.” Hunter reached around his body and softly stroked Grayson’s firmness, pressing himself against his ass as he did. Grayson moaned softly, shuddering at Hunter’s touch. Hunter kissed his neck and up to his jawline, his pressure intensifying as their legs tangled. “Do you like that?” Hunter whispered, nibbling on his ear.

“Mhh, yes, Daddy,” Grayson breathed.

Hunter had never been called Daddy before, maybe here and there by a woman over the years, but this time it turned him on. “You like it when Daddy strokes your cock?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Yeah? What else do you want Daddy to do to you?”

“Fuck me.”

“Daddy is going to fuck you real soon.”

“No, fuck me now,” Grayson begged, pulling down his tight briefs in a hurry and pressing his bare ass up against Hunter.

“Are you sure?” Hunter asked, hesitantly. Grayson turned over and planted a long, wet kiss on Hunter’s lips, digging his tongue inside his mouth. He tasted of sweet, strawberry vape. He nodded and turned back on his side, pushing his ass back toward Hunter. Hunter’s heart pounded in his chest. He hadn’t been with a man in so long.

He actually liked Grayson, and he wasn’t sure if what he did with Logan was what most men would like—real gay men. With trembling hands, he reached into his nightstand and pulled out a condom and a bottle of lube. Hunter’s fingers worked the lube all around and inside of him.

Grayson laughed and pushed his ass back toward Hunter. “I’m not a virgin.”

“Sorry,” Hunter said, fumbling in the dark as he coated his own dick in lube.

“You’re so cute. Are you sure you’ve done this bef—oh, shit.” Grayson groaned. Hunter slid his head well into Grayson’s warm flesh, stretching him until his hips touched Grayson’s cheeks. With a hard slap he drove himself deeper inside of him. The sounds of moans echoed through the night until the sun came out.

Ibet you’ve stolen all of my shit by now , Hunter texted Grayson while in a meeting the next morning, his head in the clouds from the last forty-eight hours.

In the process of it as we speak.

“Hunter?” one of the senior associates interrupted their morning meeting and Hunter’s texting at the door. Hunter had never spoken to the man before, but he had seen him around the office.

“Come with me,” he said to Hunter. The man was tall, redheaded, and looked to be in his mid-thirties.

“What’s going on?” Hunter asked.

“No clue. Lawrence wants to see you.”

Oh, fuck.

“Thank you, Jeremy,” Lawrence said as soon as they walked through the door. Jeremy lingered. “I’ll see you later, Jeremy,” he dismissed him, again. Jeremy nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

“You can sit down, you know,” Lawrence said.

Part of Hunter hated Lawrence, he couldn’t get the images of him and Grayson together out of his head and it made his stomach churn.

“How was your holiday weekend?” Lawrence asked.

“Good, and yours?” Hunter responded, almost on autopilot.

“Look, I uh—How would you like to be put on a special project for me?”

“Project? I don’t know,” Hunter said with a shrug.

“I’d have you working on Atlas, our highest-grossing project right now. You’d be side-by-side with our most important clients, working alongside our most senior associates, putting in long hours to ensure executive success and excellence,” Lawrence said, as if reading a mission statement off their website.

“Nah, I’m good.”

“You’re good?” Lawrence stared at him, a blank expression on his face. “This is a great opportunity. Any one of your peers and some senior associates would jump at the chance to gain the exposure and experience. This could launch your career.”

“I dunno, I’m not looking to work extra hours. The forty hours I do is plenty,” Hunter said. He knew what Lawrence was doing, wanting to bury him in work so that he’d have no time to see Grayson.

“Alright, no problem. You don’t have to work long hours. I ask for one thing in return.” Lawrence sighed. “Gray, let him go.”

Hunter laughed and shook his head. “You’re trying to bribe me with more work?”

“I don’t want you to have a hard time here.”

“I wouldn’t want you to have a hard time, either,” Hunter retorted with a raised brow.

Lawrence leaned back in his chair and looked around the office as if deep in thought before leaning forward again. “Look, what do you want? More money? Another promotion?”

Hunter paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. “Let’s let Gray decide for himself. I don’t need anything. I’m not telling anyone.”

Lawrence checked his phone and placed it back on his desk. “Fine.”

“Is that all?”

“The senior project, I’m putting you on it anyway. I think it’ll be good to get some fresh blood in there. If not, scare the shit out of the senior associates at the very least.” Hunter got up to leave, eager to end the conversation. “Look, I’m not a bad person,” Lawrence started. “I couldn’t be who I was my entire life. I thought I would be happy one day, but then I got married, had kids, and now my kids are having kids and I’m still hiding in dive bars and hotel rooms.”

Hunter felt his chest tighten. He couldn’t care an ounce about the man’s life; they were nothing alike. Besides, Hunter wasn’t gay. Not the way Lawrence Turner was gay, at least.

“Hunter,” Lawrence stopped him before he could leave the office. “If you hear from Gray, could you tell him to call me? Please? I need to speak with him.” Hunter nodded and walked out the door.