Chapter Ten

Nick

We hadn’t had dinner at Bobby’s apartment yet, but with the number of hours he was working, there was no way I would agree to him going to all the trouble I knew he’d go to for such an event. Instead, I suggested something he’d mentioned in passing that he’d loved to do when he was a child.

A boat parade on the river outside the city. I’d never been to it, but Bobby was so excited that when I picked him up, he flung his arms around my neck and kissed me, making all the arrangements I’d managed worth every minute. I had a big surprise ready for a certain boy, and I hoped he’d be as thrilled about it as I was.

When we got down to the marina, I walked him right past the seating area where people were getting ready to watch boats decorated with lights and ornaments go by. “Nick,” he said. “Aren’t we going to sit in the stands?”

“Not tonight, we’re not.” I looped an arm around his waist and guided him down to the dock where a friend from Chained’s boat was tied up. It was a forty-foot motor-sailboat, decked out from bow to stern with more decorations than were probably legal. As we approached, I saw a dozen or so people on deck, all from the club.

“We get to see one of the boats up close?” he marveled. “Wow.”

“Are you two coming aboard, or do we have to leave without you?” called Ernie, the boat owner. “It’s time to get in line.”

“Sorry, there was traffic,” I said. “Well? Bobby? Would you like to ride in the parade?”

“Hey!” Hudson hung over the side, waving, his daddy holding onto the back of his shirt. “It’s the Little Drummer Boy from the club. I didn’t know you were coming. This is going to be so much fun.”

We boarded and soon were waiting downriver from the parade route. People were shouting back and forth from boat to boat, exchanging holiday greetings and already having a great time. There were snacks and drinks available on our boat, and the excitement level from all aboard was high.

Then, at some signal from the front of the line, the lights strung over every deck and sail blazed to light and Christmas carols began to play. Bobby and most of the littles were standing by the rails, waving to the people lining our path. In addition to the stands we’d seen at the marina, there were people outside houses and along the banks, all waving back.

“Here.” Bridger handed me a mug of hot cider. “There’s stronger stuff if you want.”

“I’ll be driving, so I think this is perfect.” I took a sip, breathing in the scent of apples and cinnamon. “Delicious.”

“How’s it going with our Little Drummer Boy?” he asked. “You look positively cheerful.”

“Thank you for the pep talk that night. Things are going well. We’re just getting to know one another, but I’m really enjoying that.”

“I can see.” He smiled in the direction of Hudson. “What a great way to celebrate the season, isn’t it?”

“It’s the very best.”

It was also cold, but thinking we’d be outside just watching, Bobby wore a couple of extra layers, and on the way back to the dock, we all squeezed into the cabin and got warm again. There weren’t quite enough seats to go around, giving me the opportunity to have Bobby on my lap, snuggling close while everyone laughed and talked and Ernie bragged about the Most Spirited award he and his vessel had won.

As we drove away, Bobby leaned back in the seat and sighed. “I don’t want the evening to end.”

“Want to stop at my house for a nightcap?” I suggested. “We have to drive right back on the way to your apartment.”

“Okay, sounds perfect. You really surprised me back there. I would have been very happy just to watch, but to be on the boat? When my parents took me, I used to pretend I was on board one of them, riding along with the lights and music and waving at all the people on shore. How did you know?”

“I didn’t, really. I just thought if you enjoyed seeing the boats, you might like this even better.” I parked and climbed out, going around to open his door. “Right this way.”

Once inside, I led the way into the kitchen. “Would you like coffee or tea? I think I also have sparkling water,” I said. “Are you hungry?”

“Water is great, sparkling or flat, either way, and I stuffed myself on the boat. There were so many things to eat. All the chips and dips and cold cuts. Oh, and that delicious curried butternut squash soup. I had two bowls.”

“It was good.” I poured us each a glass of sparkling water, added a couple of ice cubes, and handed Bobby his. “Then let’s go sit on the couch and talk.” I couldn’t resist kissing him, though, and when his body melted into mine, I couldn’t help whispering, “Or the bedroom?”

He nodded. “Bedroom.”

Kissing all the way, we eventually ended up beside my bed. I helped him out of his layers of clothes, glad they’d kept him warm but frustrated at how long I was taking. Finally, I tucked him under the covers to be cozy and warm while I undressed as well. Seeing him there, his head on my pillow, brought a lump to my throat. I had it bad for Bobby, not just physically. But that too.

Joining him, I folded him into my arms and kissed him, his lips warm and firm under mine. We lay facing one another with nothing between us, cocks brushing together, both hard as steel. Our kisses grew more frantic as we explored one another’s bodies, growing more frantic with each stroke. When I didn’t think I could wait any longer, I fumbled in the nightstand drawer for some lube and a condom.

Bobby rolled onto his back and reached for me. “I’m clean. I haven’t been with anyone since…well you know. And I took a test in case…well, in case of us.”

“I did the same.” I kissed him again and tossed the condom back into the drawer, keeping the lube in my hand. “Because of us.”

Kneeling between his legs, I squeezed lube on my fingertips and worked one into his hole. My other hand I wrapped around his cock, rubbing my palm over the head and down the shaft. I didn’t want to hurry him, although all I could think about was being inside him. A second finger joined the first, gliding in and out, preparing him for me. Bending, I closed my lips around the head of his cock and sucked, tasting him and growing harder. Taking my time, wanting him to feel how much I needed him. I bobbed up and down, sucking, licking, and nibbling, taking him into my throat until…

“I’m going to…ohhhh,” he groaned, gripping my hair and bucking his hips. “Yes!”

I drank him down, salty and hot and sexier than anything.

“Please,” he gasped, panting, “I need you inside me.”

He didn’t have to ask me twice. I reared up and, pulling my fingers out replaced them with my cock. His body welcomed me in, tight as a glove but much hotter. In and out, faster and faster. I was already so close before I even entered him that it took all I had not to spurt before I fully impaled him. He was magnificent, and all too soon I reached my own peak, his muscles milking me of every drop.

We cuddled up together for a while, and I was just enjoying his company, his warmth, and the kisses we kept exchanging. “You can stay over, can’t you?” I asked finally. “We can wake up early enough for me to take you home to get dressed for work.”

“I wish I could,” he said, yawning. “But…”

“But?” I encouraged. “You can tell me. If you just like your bed better, that’s fine.”

“No, this bed is so much nicer, but I-I always sleep with my raccoon stuffie.”

“Oh, in that case we’d better go get him.” I rolled out of bed and to my feet. “We don’t want him to be all alone all night. He might worry about you.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

I reached down and pulled him up. “Get dressed and we’ll be back in bed together in no time. I miss you already.” Which was silly since we were kissing again on the way out the door. And when we got to his apartment, we ended up right back in bed again. Rooney had to wait a while before he could join us.