Chapter Ten

Austin

Austin was exhausted when they got home. He wasn't sure if it was the mental stress of his breakdown the night before or the culmination of the last week of worry since Rupert's accident. Either way, he thought he could sleep for a week. Without company.

At the door, he let Rupert in, then lingered, making it clear Lynton wasn't invited.

Lynton took the hint and remained outside. "Want to come over to mine later? Get takeout?" His face was hopeful, openly honest. It was all too much for Austin.

"Are you trying to fatten me up?"

Lynton grinned, showing his perfect teeth. "I might be."

Austin shook his head. "I need to sleep."

"You can sleep at mine. Bring Rupert. You have no electricity, remember?"

He was right of course, but Austin had leaned on him once already. Enough was enough. "No."

Lynton looked disappointed but tried to hide it. "Can I give you my number in case you change your mind?"

Austin bit his lip. He fished his battered piece-of-shit cell out of his pocket and pressed a couple of buttons. "Go on."

Lynton recited his number and Austin saved it.

"Bye then," Lynton said.

"Bye. Thanks for the breakfast."

"My pleasure." Lynton stepped forward, cupped Austin's head and kissed him.

Austin stared up into his violet eyes for a moment, with his heart beating furiously. Lynton gave him a gentle smile. He turned away and Austin closed the door.

He went upstairs, stripped off his clothes, and crawled beneath the covers of his bed. He didn't care that it was still early afternoon. The pillow smelled of Lynton, of his expensive cologne and the stuff he used in his hair. A fierce yearning overtook Austin. No, he wouldn't do this. He and Lynton was something that could never work, not just because of how it had started out, but because they were from different sides of the tracks. They had nothing in common but great sex. How would the vet with the BMW and nice house deal with having a boyfriend who couldn't pay his way on a night out, who lived in such a shithole that Lynton would be afraid to leave his nice car outside?

Pointless, all of it. He'd sold himself. It had turned into something unexpectedly more for a brief time but now it was time to move on. Back to reality.

Austin woke with a start from a nightmare at seven o'clock that evening. He could hear the car hitting Rupert, his dog's squeal and anguished howling as Austin scooped him up and put him on the back seat of his car. He lay trembling in bed. Oh God, the blood on his hands and the noises Rupert made…the ice in the pit of his stomach as Austin thought that this was the end.

And then the door opening, those calm violet eyes taking in him and Rupert at a glance, and that reassuring manner, before he said, Good morning, I'm Doctor Brooke. And Austin had known in that moment that here was a man who could be trusted, despite what came later, how Lynton had betrayed that trust by taking what Austin had freely offered. I'm only a man, he'd said. And Austin had despised him in that moment. How can you despise him when you offered?

Austin shifted restlessly beneath the covers. He ached with regret. He ached with need and desperation. He wanted to take that hand that Lynton had offered, hold onto it, and never let go. He dug his fingers into the pillow. He couldn't. It was all too risky. He could never be the man Lynton wanted. Not in a million years.

But after another few minutes, he dragged himself from the bed and took a cold wash in the bathroom before dressing in fresh clothes—his good shirt, his nice boxer briefs—and styling his hair with gel. A bottle of cologne a few years old hid at the back of the cabinet, a splurge from when Austin had once found himself with a few spare bucks, probably from when Rupert was a puppy and didn't eat as much.

It still smelled good. He patted some on his face and neck and looked at himself in the mirror. What a fool he was. He pushed his toothbrush into his pocket and went back to the bedroom. He put his shoes on—his best and only going-out pair, usually reserved for funerals and job interviews—and went into the kitchen. Rupert lifted his head from where he lay curled up in his bed and regarded Austin with interest.

"Come on, boy, we're going out." Austin took a can of dog food from the cupboard and held it under his arm while he attached Rupert's leash. "Let's go." Rupert jumped up, trotting obediently down the hall.

Austin pulled on his coat and led Rupert out, locking the door behind him. He loaded his dog into the car and waited patiently, without shouting, for the three times it took the engine to start, before he drove away.

At Lynton's house he let Rupert out and led him up the drive. He kept hold of Rupert's leash with an iron grip even though they were at the front door, on a driveway at the end of a quiet cul de sac. It had been his fault Rupert got knocked down. He'd thought coming back from the park that Rupert didn't need to be kept to heel. His dog was so good, seemed to have such road sense, and then, playing and in high spirits, jumping up at Austin, he'd gone and run into the road. Austin squeezed his eyes shut, tears welling in his eyes, trembling, remembering the squeal of brakes and the sound of metal hitting living flesh.

The door swung open. Austin stepped in and put an arm around Lynton's neck, holding him hard, the can of dog food rolling to the floor as he kept a hold on Rupert's leash. He buried his face against Lynton's neck, forcing back the sobs that wanted to rip from his chest. Lynton pulled him close, arms tight around him, one hand holding Austin's head. "It's all right," he said. "It's all right."

Austin gulped in breath. "I'm sorry."

"Hush." Lynton held him harder, lips pressed to Austin's hair. "You don't have to be sorry. I'm sorry. For everything."

Austin sought his mouth with his eyes shut. Lynton groaned as they kissed. He pulled Austin inside, making sure Rupert was in too before he closed the door, then after Austin had stooped to remove Rupert's leash, they danced their way to the stairs, stripping off each other's shirts as they climbed, kissing all the way.

Lynton breathed heavily. He pulled Austin into the bedroom by his belt, pushed him down on the mattress, and attacked his jeans.

Austin kicked off his shoes. He wriggled free of jeans and boxers as Lynton stripped him, then he gasped as Lynton sank his mouth down his hard cock. "Fuck." Austin gripped his hair. The warm, wet slide of Lynton's mouth curled his toes. Drawing back, Lynton ran his tongue around Austin's cockhead and dipped into the slit, flicking back and forth before licking down Austin's shaft all the way to his balls.

Austin arched, amazed once again at how Lynton could draw him so close to the edge in so short a time. He tightened his hold on Lynton's hair as Lynton sucked on his balls, then licked at the delicate skin behind them. Holy fuck, it was too much. Austin writhed, trying to push him away.

Lynton lifted his head. "What's the matter?"

"You know what's the matter. It's too fucking hot. I'm going to come."

"So? I swallow, you know."

Austin whimpered. He was torn between wanting to come down Lynton's throat and wanting to be fucked by him. The latter won. Never had he been this needy before. He pulled Lynton up his body. "I need you to fuck me. Please." He needed that blissful sting of Lynton stretching him open, that feeling of being so completely filled and taken.

Lynton kissed him hard. Then he reached over to the nightstand and rooted around in the drawer, taking out a condom and some lube. He knelt up and unfastened his pants, shoving them and his underwear down to mid thighs. Uncapping the lube, he squeezed some on his fingers and felt between Austin's legs, smearing it over his entrance. Austin flinched and caught his breath, but Lynton took his hand away without touching him further and Austin understood. Lynton wasn't going to prepare him with that glorious fingering of the other night. He was just going to penetrate Austin with no preparation. Something about the idea made Austin's stomach clench and his dick seep pre-cum. He watched Lynton roll the rubber on, his face a study in serious concentration and desperation, before he lifted Austin's legs.

Austin bit his lip as he felt Lynton's erection pressing against his hole before he pushed forward, taking him as deeply as he could go.

"Oh Christ." Austin grasped him around the back, nails clawing. "Don't stop, don't ever stop, Lynton."

Lynton caught his mouth fiercely. "I don't intend to." He set up a slow but sure pace, sliding deep every time, nailing Austin to the bed, making his cock jump with every slide into his depths. Austin's dick was rigid against his belly in a pool of pre-cum and Lynton reached between their bodies to fist it, jerking firmly, making the ache rise from Austin's balls and ass and spread over him like liquid fire.

He arched and bucked, wrapping himself hard around his lover, clinging onto Lynton like a life raft. "Please, please. God, Lynton, please." Never had he heard himself sound like this wanton whore before, begging to come, begging Lynton to take him harder and deeper.

Lynton smothered his cries with a kiss. He shuddered a couple of times, hissing in pleasure, and Austin guessed he was done, but his lover carried on, his cock still hard, taking Austin to the precipice and beyond.

The orgasm wracked his body as he spurted over his belly and Lynton's fingers, sending him spinning away from that man on the bed and into another world. A brave new world, with someone as solid and dependable as Rupert by his side.

He rode it out before he finally came back to his senses, lying beneath Lynton with hot tears on his face and his body trembling.

Lynton smiled. He wiped his fingertips with care over Austin's wet cheeks. "I think I love you," he said. "Just so you know."

Austin stared at him, then pulled Lynton down and kissed him.