7. Paul

Why the hellwere exes allowed to just show up out of the blue?

There should be some sort of ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend/husband/wife alarm system like they had for tornadoes that were bearing down on you unexpectedly in the night. A siren would be handy, just to let you know that something that could twist you up was incoming.

Oddly, and this was indeed incredibly odd, that wretched tightening of my guts whenever I saw Marshall wasn't ratcheting my innards into a knot. Gazing up at him and Maxim, I felt…well, not a whole hell of a lot to be honest. Surely not hatred or loathing. He'd left me because I'd been a boring crab apple in the orchard of his life.

Wow, I really was waxing poetic of late. Not sure why. I glanced at Roth. A flutter of tiny moth wings erupted in my chest. Oh okay, maybe he was the reason why. Roth seemed concerned, which sucked because two minutes ago he was laughing and vibrant in his pretty geometric outfit, those hazel eyes warm as the soft sands we'd walked earlier today.

"I just wanted to stop by and say hi. We just arrived for the awards. Maxim had something to tend to in Russia that took a bit longer than we had thought it would," Marshall explained, his sight flitting from me to Roth, who still had a possessive hold on my upper thigh. I left my arm draped around Roth, my fingertips still toying with the fine hairs on the nape of his neck.

Marcus, Kris, Dee, and Laura all sat there expectantly as if they were waiting for that twister to rip the roof off.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Roth offered, wiggling closer to my side and patting the sofa. "We have room for two more. I'm Roth, I'm Paul's date for the weekend. Don't you just love West Palm? I've only been here for a day and I'm seriously considering moving here for good if Paul stays here." He gave me a sassy wink that was in no way subtle.

Marshall gaped openly for a second before shaking free of the shock. "Oh, thanks, but we do have a table reserved downstairs. We're meeting some friends of Maxim's. Marcus, Kim, Dee, Laura, you all look good."

Everyone made awkward thanks and small talk until Maxim begged off to use the men's room. Dee, Laura, Marcus, and Kris decided that was a fine time to rush to the bathrooms en masse. Everyone rose. I glanced at Roth, who had also stood.

"I need to make a call to check on Amadeus and then powder my nose." He bent down to kiss me and walked off with the others, my gaze on his tiny ass as he wove through the crowds.

"So, he seems nice," Marshall said as he took a seat beside me, his smile lightly friendly but curious.

"He's very nice," I replied, licking my lips to pick up the sweet taste of a pineapple mojito.

"Yes, and totally your kind of boy." He sat back, watching me with a small little quirk on his lips. "Please, don't try to deny it."

"I wasn't going to," I snapped back.

"Paul, I know you pretty well. You spent years trying to deny that you have a thing for feminine men. I've seen your porn history, remember? We used to share passwords." I began to argue but stopped. Why? Why should I deny it? "It's okay to be into guys like Roth. Really, it's fine."

"I know it is," I fired back, feeling rather testy all of a sudden. "He's everything that I've secretly wanted." He nodded, some of the teasing levity leaving his face. "I'm sorry, that was shitty. I wanted you when we were together."

"No, hey, it's fine." He held up a hand, his brown eyes warming some. "I knew for a long time that you weren't really into me as much as you professed, and hey, with the happy horseshit your asshole father beat into your head, I totally understood why you were burying things. I'm incredibly glad to see that you've finally embraced the whole you. Hand to God, he seems really nice, and he is super cute. I hope you two are happy."

He pushed up and offered me his hand. I took it, gave it a firm shake, and then let go of him and what he represented.

"Thanks. I think we might be. Congrats on your nomination."

"You too. I'm going to get going." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the stairs leading down to the ground floor. "See if our friends have arrived. Be happy, Paul."

He walked off, stopping to talk to a goalie from the Seattle team that I'd nodded to earlier. A sprightly little pixie with pink hair scrambled over the arm of the sofa and settled his pert behind right on my lap. Roth's cheeks were sparkling from his powder, I assumed, and his hair was freshly slicked back from his face. I smiled at him, taking his face between my hands so I could rub my thumbs over his cheekbones.

"How fares Amadeus?" I asked, the throbbing bass of a new dance song starting and fading into nothingness as I gazed into tender hazel eyes.

"He's been very good," he replied, pressing his chest into mine as his hands came up to sit on my shoulders. "They asked if he wanted to sleep over. His pug friend is there overnight and they're napping together. The cost is?—"

"The cost is not an issue, but why do you want him to stay all night when we'll be home in a few hours?" I asked, making small circles on his cheeks. His lashes fluttered and then lifted as he searched my face quizzically. It took me a minute. Again I cite the concussions. "Oh. Are you sure you want to have him sleep over?"

"I'm sure I want us to go to your room." He wiggled his ass slowly this way and that. My cock leapt to attention, lengthening quickly. I wanted more friction and thought to grab his hips to keep his body moving on mine, but a high-pitched giggle to our left burst into the sensual haze. We couldn't do this here. I did have a reputation. The league frowned on the captain of the recent Stanley Cup champs getting lap dances from his date in dance clubs. "I'm sure I want you to make love to me without a puppo sitting on the floor whining to get into bed."

"Amadeus will be mad at us," I warned, leading his mouth closer to mine.

"He'll get over it. I'll give him an extra biscuit when I pick him up." Roth slanted his mouth over mine, licking in deep, seeking and then sucking on my tongue. That kiss could have set snow on fire…it was so fucking hot.

"You want to leave now?" I asked when we came up for air.

"God yes," Roth panted, leaping to his little sandals to try his best to yank me up from the sofa. I got to my feet, kissed him once more, and then took his hand. I called for a ride that was only three minutes away. We hurried through the dancing mobs, waving at our friends at the bar while we made our escape. Marcus made a rude gesture with his hips while Kris held a cocktail in the air. Dee and Laura wiggled their fingers at us. We dashed outside, gasping at the humidity slapping us in the face, and dove into the back seat of our ride.

We managed to behave ourselves, aside from some kissing, until we got to the hotel. Then it was a full-on pay the driver and sprint to my room. He was a touchy man, something that I had convinced myself I did not like—PDAs were tacky and not cool for gay men—until I felt his hands on me as we made our way to my suite. Roth was opening me up to so many things about myself. Christ, no wonder Marshall left me. I was one uptight motherfucker.

"I'm so glad we got matched," I told him as we fell through the door to my room, his arms around my neck, which made walking tricky but erotically amazing.

"Me too," he replied, climbing up me like a squirrel scaling an oak tree. His mouth crashed over mine, his sweet tongue slipping between my lips. I spun, resting his spine against the wall, hands cradling his ass, deepening the kiss. My lips roamed from his mouth to his ear and then down the slim column of his throat.

"Mm, will you fuck me?" he asked with a raspy exhalation, his breath hot and moist on my cheek.

"Yes, fuck yes," I huffed, then nipped at his earlobe and gently moved away from the wall, him clinging to me, toting him carefully to my big bed. He found my mouth again, kissed me with such fire I was amazed we hadn't burst into flames, and slid to the floor. I stood back to watch him shed his clothing in record time. When he was nude, he gave me a slow little spin as if he were modeling that beautiful pale skin of his. "I want you to make me squeal."

"I can do that," I said, wrenching off my shirt while he climbed atop the bed and spread himself over the covers, his lithe legs tumbling open to give me a peek at the buffet. My mouth watered at the sight of his lean prick, the head slick, and dangling balls. "You're so perfect."

"You're too kind," he replied as he reached down to lift his balls. His little pucker was exposed. My cock throbbed as I ripped at my zipper. "Will you dick me off the bed?"

"I'll dick you off it and across the room and out onto the patio if that's what you want," I panted, jerking my pants and briefs down and kicking them aside. My dick sprang free, slapping my belly soundly, then pointing true north right at Roth.

He laughed, the sound soft and throaty, as he began toying with his hole. "Oh yeah, I so want that."

Holy hell. I went in search of my pants, pulled out a packet of lube and a condom from my wallet, and then dove onto the bed. Roth giggled when the headboard slammed into the wall. Good thing I was in an end room because anyone who would have been on the other side of the wall would have had to listen to that noise for a good, long while. I had some serious dicking to do. I moved over Roth, pinning him gently on the mattress with my hips. Arms locked, I rolled my pelvis into his, our pricks bumping.

He pulled my mouth down to his, my elbows buckling. The kiss was hot, wet, and peppered with grunts as our cocks rubbed and leaked onto the other.

"I'm too close," I growled, easing back just far enough to put some space between my dick and his. He was having none of that, though.

"Then get this glorious cock inside me," he purred, reaching down to stroke my dick. It took all I had to not bust a nut right then and there. His slim fingers were magical. "Hurry, Paul, get inside me."

Who was I to argue with the man? Easing back to rest my ass on my heels, I rolled on a condom as Roth moved to his hands and knees, then stuck that sweet hole into the air, giving it a winsome wiggle. I patted his tiny cheeks, tore open the lube and coated my fingers. He moaned and cooed, egging me to go faster, but I wanted to at least get him soft and ready. I ran a finger down his crack and pushed gently at his opening, my index finger easing in. His body trembled as his brow dropped to the edge of the bed.

"More, more, give me more," he demanded, so I did. I worked another finger in, stretching him open, prodding at his prostate, and fondling his bare balls. "Cock, now, put your cock in me before I shoot!"

I loved his bossiness. Popping those two digits out, I then lined up my cockhead with his glistening hole and thrust, softly, pushing into hot, tight flesh that grabbed me tight.

"Oh fuck," I moaned, easing back and then rocking in again. His body clamped around my cock as he dug at the mattress for purchase. When his arms were locked, he threw me a wanton look over his shoulder, strands of pink hair stuck to his sweaty cheeks.

"I want to feel you for days," he panted. "I want to know you were in me when I leave this fantasy."

Something plucked at me, pulling at emotions that I couldn't control. With my dick inside him, I wasn't sure I even wanted to try to tamp those feelings down.

"You won't have to worry about forgetting me," I assured him, driving into him with a grunt. He yelped in pleasure, his fingers flexing as he grasped the bed.

"Yes, make sure I…don't ever forget."

I went balls deep. He asked for more. Faster, deeper, harder. Roth was vocal, demanding…utterly perfect. We rocked and fucked to the edge of the bed, his upper half slipping over so that he was now doing a bit of a handstand as I thrust in and out of him over and over. His cock was pinned to the bed now, and the friction must have been divine because he came without a hand on his dick. His body convulsed, he shouted my name, and his body squeezed my cock. An orgasm so powerful it momentarily blinded me hit me broadside, rocking me so hard I had to hold on to my little sewist to stay upright as my balls emptied into the condom.

My final act before I collapsed into a smoldering heap of satisfaction was to ease out of Roth and tug him back onto the bed. He fell into my arms, his face pinkened, his eyes glassy, and his lips parted. We tumbled to our sides, my mouth finding his after we hit the bed with a soft little thwump. My hunger for him was abated for the moment, but I wasn't ready to let go of him. He seemed quite content to stay in my arms as well for his eyes drifted shut within seconds of our last kiss.

"That was incredible," I whispered, inhaling the aroma of his hair gel, sex, and the flowery touch of fabric softener.

"You're incredible," he replied as he pawed downward for a cover. They came up with a toss of his hand, billowing out like a parachute before covering our cooling skin. "I won't ever forget this weekend."

"Me either."

That was the truth. I had no idea where to go from here, but I was pretty sure my future was not going to be complete without him in it. I had a thought to tell him that, but the soft sounds of him sleeping so serenely beside me turned my insides into tapioca. How touching that he trusted me so much. We'd talk about what happened next later. We still had time. There was a day of activities tomorrow, then the awards ceremony/dinner tomorrow evening.

Nosing into the gelled pink mess of his hair, I drew in a long breath as I let my eyes close, just for a second, to revel in the beauty of us. That tiny moment of rest turned into a long night with Roth cuddled close to my side. Waking up with him sprawled over me wasn't the worst thing in the world. To be honest, it was one of the best things. Ever.