9. Hudson

9

HUDSON

M oody’s room could have doubled as an annex to his bookstore. It was filled to the brim with books…on the floor, on the nightstand. Somehow, the controlled chaos and competing colors on bindings made the space seem cozy and inviting. Like its owner.

It was neat and tidy, too. His queen-sized bed was made, the duvet folded to reveal crisp white sheets. There were no discarded clothes lying about, no trash bin filled with used tissues. If I hadn’t seen the mess over the past week, I wouldn’t have known he’d been under the weather.

But I had.

I’d been here every day, playing nurse in some convoluted quest to shimmy my way into Moody’s orbit. The man fascinated the hell out of me. He was sassy and rude one minute and unbearably sweet the next. At first, I’d mistakenly thought he was easy to read. I’d been wrong.

Moody was an extremely intelligent guy who led a simple life in a small town and probably felt a little disconnected and lonely being one of the only out gay men under forty in the area. But he’d given up a lucrative career in law for a level of solitude most people didn’t crave until they were ready to retire.

Was he hiding? Was he doing penance? Was he really going to let me fuck him? Right here, right now?

My head was a jumble of contradictions—noble intentions warring with a very base need to pin him down and devour him. Moody had been sick for a week, and this couldn’t be good for him. But Christ, look at him, wiggling his ass as he shed clothing like a second skin.

I lingered in the doorway, dick out, jeans riding my waist as I watched the show. A T-shirt flew over his shoulder, and his sweats and boxer briefs dropped in a puddle on the floor beside his bed. He opened the nightstand drawer, mumbling what sounded like a prayer.

“Please don’t have an expiration date, please don’t have an expiration date.”

I grinned. This was why I liked him. Moody was guileless. He was incapable of being untrue to himself or anyone else. That didn’t mean he was an open book, but it meant I could trust him. And after a year of wondering why I hadn’t realized my previous relationship was a sham, it was nice to be with someone painfully honest.

Not that this was going anywhere serious. Don’t be ridiculous. This was just…fun. ’Cause sex was fun, and Moody was fun and…did I mention that he was hot as fuck?

“I like my handprint on your ass,” I hummed.

His hand flew to his rear end as he craned his neck to get a glimpse, his cheeks turning pink. “It stings, but I like it too.”

“Good.”

Moody tossed a condom and a bottle of lube to the bed, then fiddled with his glasses. “Uh…so, how do you want me? All fours, on my back, or on top? As previously stated, it’s been a while for me. I trust you know what you’re doing. If you have any reservations, speak now. Otherwise, take your darn clothes off and let’s get to it.”

My lips twitched. “On your knees.”

I pursed my lips in amusement when he scrambled madly to the center of the mattress. Any trace of humor disappeared a moment later at the sight of his pert little ass in the air, cock swaying between his legs. Fuck, I wanted him.

I set my hat at the end of his bed and kicked off my boots, my eyes glued on Moody. I took off my shirt and draped it on the striped chair wedged in the corner in front of a wall of bookshelves before sauntering to the bed. He released a soft sigh of relief as I reached for the lube.

“Thank goodness. I’m ready. No more dillydallying. Please,” he moaned.

I wanted to laugh or at least smile, but my dick and my brain had one focus…Moody’s hole. I needed that.

Now.

I climbed onto the bed, and yeah, I should have taken off my jeans. I didn’t. I grazed my fingers from the top of his spine to his crease, dipping along the curve of his ass to his low-hanging balls. I gripped his cock, smearing precum at the tip as I stroked him. My dick pulsed and jerked against the elastic band of my boxer briefs as if begging to join the party. But this was more important. I wanted Moody so greedy for me, he’d never second-guess letting me in.

I uncapped the lube, coated my fingers, and glided a slick digit along his crack. He hung his head and lowered his weight onto his elbows. I opened his cheeks, grazing the sensitized skin at his entrance…over and over. His pucker contracted and released at the light touch.

“One finger, Moody,” I warned, pushing inside him.

“Finally,” he grumbled. “Ohhhh…yes. Yes, yes, yes.”

I remembered a thing or two about having your prostate stimulated. If done properly it felt very fucking good, and feeling good was the name of the game here. I wanted him writhing and desperate. He was almost there.

Two fingers later, Moody was trembling for me, chanting my name. Three…well, he was incoherent.

I pulled away and got off the bed, losing my jeans and boxer briefs in a flash. “On your back.”

He obeyed, though his brow was creased with confusion. “Missionary? Okay. We can do that. What about the lights?”

“Lights stay on. I want to see you.” I tore open the condom. “Just so you know, I’m happy to suit up, but I got tested after we fooled around and?—”

“Me too. No condom…just you.” Moody propped his head higher on the pillow and lifted his legs. “Now, will you please hurry? My penis is engorged to the point of pain, and I’m perilously close to expiring.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” The mattress dipped under my weight as I scooted between his open thighs. I lined my cock at his hole and pushed. “Relax. That’s it, baby. I got you.”

I entered him slowly, our gazes locked. He was so tight, so responsive, and so unbelievably hot. I wanted to thrust, drive deep, and lose myself in him, but I kept my composure. Within seconds, I was the one trembling, my cock buried to the hilt, sweat glistening on my forehead. I bent to kiss him.

Moody lifted his hips. “I’m ready now. You can move.”

I did. I pulled almost all the way out and slid all the way in.

Holy shit, this was perfect. He fit me like a fucking glove. My nerve endings zinged to life, igniting a flame that rocked me to my core. So hot, so intense. I bent to capture his mouth in a searing kiss, twisting our tongues as I fucked him…a little faster, a little harder.

The headboard hit the wall with a steady thump that matched the slap of skin and desperate groans for more as Moody clutched my ass, arching into every thrust. This man knew what he wanted. He threw his arms around my neck, shifting his weight in a wordless request to switch positions.

I rolled us over, smiling as I glanced up at him. “Ride me, baby.”

“One moment, please.” Moody leaned backward to grab my hat from the edge of the bed and set it on his head. And without further ado, he proceeded to ride me like a seasoned cowboy.

A skinny guy with glasses, wearing a hat that was far too big for his head, bouncing on my cock like a wannabe rodeo hero shouldn’t have been sexy, but my God, he sent me flying. I dug my heels into the mattress, jacking him to a rhythm we had no chance of sustaining.

“I’m gonna fucking come,” I growled.

I did…and Moody was right there with me.

We heaved, staring at each other in wonder. We were a mess of sweat and cum, wearing big-ass grins and not much else. Well…the hat.

“Looks good on you.” I tipped the brim, chuckling when he batted my hand away.

“I’ve never worn a cowboy hat and, shocker…I’ve never engaged in sexual activity with a cowboy. You’re my first.”

“Oh, so you were using me to fulfill some weird fantasy?” I teased, tweaking his nipples.

“Yes.” He smacked my hand again and wiggled his ass on my spent dick. “Two for one—a cowboy and his hat. This is a most excellent way to recuperate after a daunting illness.”

“Most excellent,” I agreed.

“Thank you.”

I snickered. “Thank you . I can feel my cum dripping from your hole, by the way. That’s fucking incredible.”

Moody blushed, just as I thought he might. He shifted off me, mumbling something about a cleanup on aisle Hudson. Silly and goofy, but I was still grinning like a fool when he returned with a wet cloth.

“Here you go,” he said, wiping the mess we’d made. “I am grateful, you know. I’m not thanking you for sex—that would be weird. But…thank you for coming by every day this week. It was above and beyond, and I appreciate it.”

I captured his wrist and waited for him to meet my gaze. “It was my pleasure.”

He nodded and yes, blushed again. “Nonetheless, if I can do anything to repay your kindness, let me know.”

I reclaimed my hat as I sat up. “Help me buy a Christmas tree.”

Moody frowned. “You were serious.”

“Yep. It’s just a tree, Moody.”

“Think of something else…or better yet, get back to me in January.” He fixed his glasses and put his hands on his hips.

I rescued my boxer briefs and jeans. “Nope, that’s the favor I’m collecting for soup duty. I’m open pretty much every day next week. Check your schedule and?—”

“I’m busy! It’s that dreaded mistletoe and holly and ho-ho-ho time of year. People buy books and gifts and…stuff.”

“Make time for me, Moody.” I planted a rough kiss on his mouth and squeezed his bare ass. “I promise to make it worth your while.”

I plucked my shirt from the chair, grabbed my socks and boots, and redressed on my way to the front door. I heard muffled grumbling and groaning, and then?—

“Fine, but I’m not going to like it. Not one bit.”

I froze, my hand on the doorknob and a big ol’ grin on my face. “Don’t be so sure about that,” I called out.

He probably had a snarky reply, but I got the hell out of there, pulling my socks on and stuffing my feet into my boots in the foyer on the way to my truck. Hey, I was playing with fire and possibly asking more of the grumpiest elf in town than I should have dared. That was a chance I was willing to take.

Don’t get me wrong—I wouldn’t force him to go anywhere with me.

All I wanted was a reason to be with Moody. If a damn tree was my ticket, I’d happily buy two.