Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

Colby

W hen they woke up in the morning, Vince went back into his room to shower, while Colby got ready in his own. They kept the connecting door open, and every time Colby noticed it, he smiled. It was strange to think about, the closeness he felt with Vince. The way Colby was more himself than he ever was with anyone else. Life was just easy with Vince, natural, like they fit in a way he didn't understand but didn't need to.

Vince was the best friend he ever had.

After tugging on his jeans, Colby went to the door between their rooms. He opened his mouth to ask Vince where he wanted to go for breakfast, and…froze. Vince was naked, with his back to Colby, what looked like miles of flawless brown skin on display. The curves of his ass were round—not a bubble butt, but perfect handfuls. Vince was looking through the suitcase on his bed. Colby knew he should look away. He was invading Vince's privacy, which was a terrible thing to do…only he didn't look away, and he didn't know why either. Shouldn't he want to shield his gaze from a naked man?

Heat snaked through his gut, spread toward his groin, and…holy fuck, he was getting hard, blood giving him a partial chub. It distracted him for a moment, which delayed his reaction when Vince glanced over his shoulder and saw him.

"Shit. I'm sorry." Colby lifted his hand like a visor over his eyes, looking down. "I was going to ask you where you want to go for breakfast, and then…" And then he'd seen Vince naked, stood there watching him, and started to get hard. Colby couldn't wrap his head around that. "Then I just…stared at you naked. I'm sorry. I had no right to do that. I invaded your privacy, which is really fucking gross of me. I don't know what I'm doing…or why I can't stop talking about it." His face flamed with heat.

"Babe…I had the door open between our rooms. I didn't get dressed in the bathroom and close the door there. If I wanted privacy, I could have done any of those things. It's fine."

"I looked at you naked without your consent." Why had he looked at him naked for so long? Why did part of him want to lower his hand and do it again? Was it just the closeness between them? The fact that Vince knew parts of him no one ever had? That Colby was closer to him than he'd ever let himself get to another human being? Or just because he was really hard up and hadn't had sex in a long time?

"Then you have my consent. You can look at me naked anytime. Remember what I was telling you last night? I don't have that same need to hide my body the way some people do. I don't feel like our bodies have to be overly sexual. I like being naked, and I feel just as comfortable naked with other people as I do by myself. But you have every right to tell me if something I do makes you uncomfortable. Maybe I should have closed the door and—"

"How is it that I walk in on you, watch you without you knowing, and yet, you've taken it upon yourself to be the one who did something inappropriate?" Colby asked, and it took him a moment to realize he'd lowered his hand, that he was looking at Vince, who was facing him now with a pair of underwear in his hand, and…yep, that was his dick—soft, but long and thick, hanging between his legs, over a big pair of balls. "You blame yourself for too many things." He forced his gaze up to meet Vince's. Forced? Huh. That shouldn't be the case. "You're too good to people." He was too good to Colby.

"I'm not sure that's possible."

"It is. You care a lot about others. It's my favorite thing about you, but don't take the blame for things that aren't your fault."

"Only if you don't feel bad for checking out my ass."

Colby couldn't hold back his grin. Leave it to Vince to somehow lessen Colby's embarrassment. "It's a nice ass," he found himself teasing back, wondering if it should feel weird to flirt with another man; it didn't. Probably because it was Vince, and Colby knew it was just playful. It was just them. How they were. And while Colby had sometimes questioned whether he could swing that way—and had clearly been turned on by Vince—the thought of it wasn't as scary as it should be because it was Vince. He wouldn't want nor expect Colby to fall in love with him.

"Only nice?" Vince asked, pulling his underwear on.

Colby didn't turn away.

Felt his cock stir again.

"Really fucking nice."

"Oh my God. You're the worst flirt ever," Vince teased. "Finish getting dressed, and we can go anywhere for breakfast. I'm starving. As long as you feed me, I don't care what it is."

Colby's pulse rapped a faster beat against his skin, his chest fluttery. "Okay. Feeding you is something I can definitely do."

He finished getting ready, wearing a smile the whole time.

They spent the day exploring Asheville and the surrounding area, before going out to a late dinner and then returning to the hotel to get ready for the gay bar.

It had been a really fun day, one of the best Colby could remember in a long time. Now, nervous butterflies danced around in his stomach, though he couldn't say why. It wasn't as if he'd never been to a gay bar before. Maybe because tonight there was a possibility that Vince would bring a man back to the hotel? Would it be weird being in the next room and knowing that Vince was having sex with someone so close by?

His mind flashed to what Vince had told him last night, about letting his old friend watch him have sex, and then to what he had seen today—Vince naked.

Vince's ass.

Vince's cock.

Oh yeah, and he couldn't forget the fact that he'd gotten hard.

"Here. I brought this shirt for you." Vince tossed him a blue shirt. It had three buttons on the top, but no collar and was short-sleeved. "It'll look good on you. You might end up fighting the boys off all night, but that's a nice boost to the ego, right?"

Colby chuckled but remained seated on the edge of the bed without putting it on.

"Are you good?" Vince asked, concern in the deep timbre of his voice.

"Yeah. For sure. Sorry." He stood and pulled the shirt on. "Jesus, why do you make me wear clothes that are so tight?" Colby moved his arms around. Never mind that Vince wasn't making him do a damn thing. He'd brought it for Colby, and Colby had put it on easily. If he didn't want to, he just had to say.

"Because tight is hot."

Vince always looked good in tight shirts, so he got it, and…there went that thought again. About how Vince looked.

"So, I look hot?" He didn't know why he asked that but didn't take it back. He didn't have to overthink things with Vince.

"Babe…if you were queer, I would want nothing more than a go at you."

A tremble ran down Colby's spine, one that filled his stomach with heat.

"Come on. Let's go," Vince said before Colby had a chance to answer. He grabbed his wallet and followed his friend out the door.

Vince used his phone to order a ride, and Colby tried not to obsess about, well, about everything—seeing Vince naked and their conversation. Their lives today and waking up in bed with Vince. About brewing beer with him and the mugs Vince had gotten for him. The laughs they always shared, and what it was like working with Vince, and just how good he made him feel. How normal. Vince didn't think there was anything wrong with living the simple life Colby did. He didn't wonder why he didn't want to get married and have kids. They were the same in that. Of course, Vince didn't know Colby's biggest secret, but even though Colby wasn't ready to share it, deep down he knew it would be okay with Vince. That he wouldn't look at Colby any differently.

Vince didn't think there was something wrong with Colby for being forty years old and unsure what he wanted in his life. Hell, he had taken it on himself to help Colby figure out what that was.

Those thoughts teased his brain the whole ride to the bar and as they went inside.

It was bigger than the gay bar in Chelsea and even more packed. As they worked their way through the crowd of mostly men, Colby took Vince's hand so they didn't get separated.

There were raised podiums with dancing men wearing Speedos, and one guy even had a jock on, his ass hanging out. People stuffed money into their clothes, men kissing and rubbing against each other as they danced to the music.

The slideshow in his head changed, this time to the night they'd gone to the bar with August and Clint, about dancing with Vince, the other man's hands on him and the two of them close. Another dose of heat shot through his body.

"You want a whiskey, right?" Vince asked close to his ear. If Colby was drinking alcohol and it wasn't beer, he usually got whiskey, something Vince clearly remembered. As strange as it sounded, little things like that made Colby feel important.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'll get the next round."

Vince nodded, and they stayed that way, close, hands clasped as they waited their turn at the bar.

When they finally reached the counter, Vince ordered two whiskeys. While they were waiting, an attractive man with dark hair and eyes held up his glass and asked, "How's it going?"

"Good. Our night is just getting started," Vince replied.

The guy talked to Vince easily. Something about Vince attracted people to him. This wasn't the first time Colby had noticed it, and he doubted it would be the last. It made him think about Gregory, about how the man had Vince twice and had cheated on him. Colby was the last person to judge how someone felt—people probably wondered why he had broken up with all the women he did. But he could judge the fuck out of the man for cheating on Vince. Even though Vince had never shared all the details of the second time, Colby had a feeling it had been even worse than the first. He just…couldn't figure it out. How someone could have a man like Vince and cheat on him.

"Hey," Vince said, the sound of his voice making it clear he'd spoken to Colby, but he hadn't been paying attention.

"Sorry. What?"

Vince chuckled. "I introduced you to Ryder," he said, pointing to the man beside him.

Was this a guy Vince was going to hook up with? If so, that happened really fucking fast. "Colby. Nice to meet you." He let go of Vince's hand to shake Ryder's.

"Are you two together?"

"Just friends!" Colby rushed out.

Vince frowned, but he'd promised Colby he wouldn't let him cockblock him if he met a man, and Colby had meant that. The last thing he wanted was to ruin Vince's night.

Ryder snickered in a way Colby couldn't read. Their drinks came, and the three of them chatted for a while. Ryder was from Los Angeles, so he and Vince talked about how different it was living in a larger city compared to the area.

The two men were beautiful, would be beautiful together. The two of them in an embrace flashed in his head, and while the scene was sexy, it made his gut clench.

Colby lifted his glass to take another drink but realized he'd already finished it, when Ryder asked, "You two want to dance?"

Colby's heart sped up as Vince turned to him. "What do you think?"

"You can. Go." He nodded toward the dance floor, but damn, did his feet tingle to get out there and join them. He'd liked dancing with Vince the last time. Colby didn't typically dance when he went out, but like everything with Vince, he made Colby want to challenge himself; he made Colby want more.

"You don't want to go too?" Ryder asked.

Colby's gaze darted back and forth between them. When Vince smiled, Colby knew that Vince could tell he wanted to…what? Dance with two men? Who would ever think that Colby Covington would be on the dance floor in a gay bar, dancing with two men?

He'd wanted experience, hadn't he? The way Vince nodded at him said he was giving it to Colby, that it was there and Colby just had to grab it. And when Vince held out his hand, Colby knew he was saying he would be there the whole time.

Colby took his hand.

The three of them made their way to an open spot on the dance floor—as open as they could expect, at least.

Vince put his hands on Colby's waist and pulled him close, the hot, firm press of his body making mini fireworks go off inside Colby. "This okay?" Vince asked close to his ear.

"Yes."

"It's just a dance. I know that, okay?"

Colby nodded, and they started moving together. Ryder held on to Vince from behind, so Vince was squeezed between them. Ryder's hands went up and down Vince's chest, while Vince's held steady in one place on Colby's hips.

Did he want to do that with Colby too? Or did he wish Colby wasn't there? That it was just him and Ryder?

Colby grabbed Vince's waist, dug his fingertips in like he was afraid if he didn't, Vince would walk away. He pressed tighter against Vince, groins together in a way Colby should be second-guessing…or at least thinking about what the fuck this meant. Instead, he just…turned everything off except the way he felt. The way Vince always made him feel. How much fun he was having and how sexy he felt. He wasn't sure what it was about dancing with two men that made him feel sexy, but it did.

His hand slipped under Vince's shirt, and he savored the warmth of the man's skin, which made his fingers tingle.

He caught sight of Ryder over Vince's shoulder. He smiled at Colby, who returned it before another man put his hand on Ryder's cheek and pulled him in for a kiss. What the fuck?

"Thanks for the dance, you two. My boyfriend just got here. Have fun." Ryder turned to the other man, the two of them making out and grinding together on the dance floor.

"I feel like I missed a step." Colby could smell the light sweat and cologne on Vince's skin, closed his eyes at the feel of Vince's cheek pressed against his own.

"He was just making friends and dancing. Do you want to stop?"

"If you want that guy…well, him and his boyfriend, I don't want to ruin your night."

"You let me be the judge of that. I'll have more fun dancing with my friend, seeing you let go like this, than I would with any of the men here tonight."

Colby couldn't imagine how that could be true, but then, Vince had never given him a reason not to trust him. "I don't want to stop," he admitted. He felt…electrified, for a reason he couldn't quite understand. The energy around him, the people enjoying themselves and just letting go, the feel of Vince so close, the warmth of his body and how happy he made Colby. It was almost too much, like it would cause Colby to short-circuit somehow.

He wrapped his arms around Vince's shoulders, pushed a thigh between his legs, and let himself melt against Vince. Any last hesitance slipped away, and he was fully in this moment, smiling and dancing with his best friend.

Vince's hands ran up and down his back. Colby felt Vince's cock press against his thigh and wondered if that should bother him, if it should feel weird. Different, yes, and it did, but not weird, not even when Vince's dick grew against him, hardened and thickened, Colby's following suit. Was it Vince getting him hard right now, or the friction of their bodies as they moved together? Colby didn't know and didn't care. He just…he just wanted more.

The vision of Vince naked earlier flashed through his thoughts—the curves of his ass, the way Colby had studied his cock, had wanted to do it more. All the times he'd seen Vince in his underwear and when they had fallen asleep together, the times they'd ended up in each other's arms. Vince, who made him feel more comfortable than anyone else. Vince, who liked to find ways to make him happy. Vince, who knew Colby wanted to soak up more experiences, to figure out who he was, and what he wanted, and…Christ, right now he was pretty sure he wanted Vince.

Maybe it was because of the connection between them.

Maybe it was because he knew he and Vince would want the same things. Vince would never fall in love with him, would never expect Colby to love him back. It would be simply release, an extension of the pleasure they already fulfilled in each other.

Colby pulled back just enough that he and Vince could look each other in the eyes and didn't let himself think before he pressed his lips to Vince's. There was about a second delay where Vince didn't move, and just as Colby was about to pull away and apologize, Vince's lips moved against his. When Colby's tongue sought entrance, Vince opened his mouth and gave it to him. Their tongues moved together, danced and touched the way their bodies did. Vince's grip on his hips tightened, the hair on his face rubbed against Colby in a way that was totally new and exciting, making his body come alive with sparks and crackles of electricity.

His cock throbbed harder, and deep-throated, greedy sounds pulled from Vince as one of Vince's hands slid up, wrapped around the back of Colby's head, and tangled in his hair.

The world could crumble around Colby, and he wouldn't care. He just wanted this moment to fill him up, to continue making him feel like he was flying, like for one of the first times in his life he was untethered to just be and do whatever felt good to him, whatever was right.

And kissing Vince felt good.

It felt right.

He didn't want to be locked in by the bounds he'd put on himself, the ones he'd allowed others to put on him. He wanted to be that guy who had all the stories, like Vince had, of experiences and things he'd done.

He let his hands glide down Vince's body until they landed on his ass. Colby squeezed it, swallowed down the growl Vince made in response as they continued to feed on each other's mouths.

Pressing his forehead to Vince's, he admitted, "I want you…want…something," his cock painfully hard beneath his fly.

"Are you—"

"Don't ask me that. Don't ask me if I'm sure, Vince. Trust that I know what I want. What matters is if you want the same."

Vince answered with his mouth slamming down on Colby's again, his tongue pushing into Colby's mouth, strong, large hands going to his ass, right there with hundreds of people around them.

More, more, more kept circling through his head.

"Let's go back to the hotel." Vince's mouth trailed rough kisses down his throat.

"Can't wait," rushed from Colby's mouth, his body feeling like there was too much of…hell, everything shooting off inside him, and he needed to release it now.

He grabbed Vince's hand and began working his way through the crowded bar toward the bathroom. He'd never done something like this before, but the need inside him was too much, too overpowering, and the thought of losing himself in Vince, whatever it was they did, right there in the bar, was exciting too.

He pushed the door open, went past the line of urinals, some open and some occupied, and to the last stall on the end. From some of the sounds he heard, they wouldn't be the only people enjoying each other in the bathroom.

Colby led Vince into the stall, the other man closing and locking the door behind them. Colby's back was pressed against the side wall, Vince standing in front of him, hesitating. For a moment, Colby was afraid Vince would change his mind, or that he would ask Colby again, but instead he reached up and cupped Colby's face. "Let me make you feel good."

Vince peppered soft kisses on Colby's other cheek, making his toes curl. "You do," he said, before he acknowledged that's not what Vince meant. "Yes."

Vince's gaze held his while his fingers worked to open Colby's pants—button, then zipper. He wasn't asking, trusting Colby like he'd asked, but Colby knew he was also giving him the chance to change his mind.

He pushed his hand down Colby's pants, wrapping his hand around his swollen shaft, and gave it a stroke.

"Fuck." Colby's head dropped back, banging against the stall wall.

"That feel good?" Vince asked, voice raspy.

"Hell yes."

"Let's see what you brought me." Vince smirked, tugging Colby's jeans and underwear down his thighs. His cock sprang free, hard and red and leaking. "I tried not to wonder what this would look like…what it would feel like, but I couldn't help it. I knew you would have a pretty cock, babe." With a slow, skilled hand, Vince stroked him.

Colby's whole body prickled with pleasure. "You too," he said breathlessly. "Today when I saw you…I just wanted to sit back and stare. First at your ass and then at your cock. I thought about it all day." Maybe the admission should be embarrassing, but it wasn't. Colby didn't know exactly what that meant for him, but in this moment, he didn't care.

"Do you want to see it now? I'm so fucking hard for you." Still stroking him, Vince pressed his groin against Colby's thigh, rubbing his thick erection against him, sparking a welcome shiver the length of him.

"Yes. Fuck yes. Hurry." He was jittery, like there was too much want, too much need pinging around inside him. He felt like he could burst apart at any moment.

Vince cursed and let go of him enough to open his own pants, pulling them and his underwear down. His cock was thick and heavy, even more impressive than it had been when Colby saw him earlier.

"Make me come, Vince. We can go slow next time." He hardly got the words out before their mouths crashed together again. Vince thrust against him, running their hard cocks together. He pulled back enough to spit on their erections, and then they were kissing again, rutting like animals, tongues invading each other's mouths, while Vince's large hand wrapped around their shafts, holding them together as best he could.

They fucked into Vince's fist, thrusts and needy sounds all around them. Vince tasted like whiskey, smelled like fresh-cut trees and musk, all of it making Colby dizzy with how fucking incredible it felt.

Vince kissed harder than what Colby was used to, and the roughness of his stubble was different too, but in a good way. He liked the new experience, liked knowing it was Vince making him feel like they were sucking up all the pleasure in the world for the two of them.

He didn't care that there were people in the restroom with them, didn't try to be quiet when their lips parted and he said, "Fuck, Vince. So good. I'm gonna come."

He looked down at their dicks together, the precum giving them extra lube, and how beautifully sexy it was to see two cocks together—their two cocks.

"Let me see it, babe. Empty those big balls for me." He used his other hand to play with Colby's nuts—Colby's gaze still riveted on the two of them, getting off on seeing their bodies so close, and the feel of Vince, and maybe even the fact that he was doing this in a public place. That his need for Vince felt bigger than anything else in that moment.

His balls drew up, every good sensation he'd ever felt exploding out of him as the first spurt of cum flew out between them. It landed on his stomach, followed by another and another, his load making Vince's hold on them slicker as he still fucked his body against Colby's.

Colby's fingers twitched to touch him too, so he reached around, grabbed Vince's muscular, naked ass, and pulled their bodies even closer together.

"Let me see you come too," he begged just before Vince let go, his thick release joining Colby's in powerful spurt after spurt.