Every Shade by Nora Phoenix

4

For a second, Forest thought Micah was joking, because surely he hadn’t just suggested they go back to the hotel and hook up? But then he caught the look of sheer panic on Micah’s face and realized that’s exactly what he had suggested, even if he was regretting it now. He squeezed his hand again.

“It’s okay, Micah. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want.”

He held Micah’s eyes, watching emotions flash over his face. “It would never work, you and me,” Micah said. “You’d grow frustrated with me just like all the others.”

“Sweetie, we’re not talking about a long-term commitment here. Let’s take it one step at a time. But like I said, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Micah shook his head. “But you didn’t want hookups anymore, so where does that leave us?”

The joke that he wasn’t ready to pick out rings just yet was on Forest’s tongue, until he realized that Micah was genuine in his concern. Micah needed more certainty, a definition maybe, before he could commit himself to this.

“I said I wasn’t happy with doing anonymous hookups anymore, but I feel we’ve gotten to know each other quite a bit today, haven’t we? I think we’ve connected on a far deeper level than just sexual chemistry, don’t you?”

Micah nodded. “Yeah, we have. And I’m sorry for nagging and making this far more complicated than it should be.”

Micah’s hints at failed hookups and attempted relationships made a lot more sense now. His need for clarity and managing expectations had clashed with romance and sexual lust, if Forest had to take a guess. Most guys weren’t willing to engage in a conversation like this with a guy they had just met.

“I’m starting to appreciate complicated,” he said, sending a warm smile in Micah’s direction.

The look on Micah’s face made his stomach do a happy little dance. “Yeah?” the guy asked, his face lit up with the sweetest smile.

“Yeah, I’m starting to appreciate complicated a lot. But the choice is yours. We’ll do whatever you’re comfortable with.”

He saw Micah take a deep breath and felt the tension in the hand he was still holding. “In that case, I would love to go back to the hotel.”

They didn’t speak much as they walked to the closest U-bahn station. Instead of holding his hand, Forest pulled Micah close to his side with his arm around his shoulder, and after a little gasp of surprise, Micah returned the gesture and held his waist. Their bodies were rubbing against each other, sending tingles of excitement through Forest’s body. No matter what happened tonight, he was already happy with this perfect day, with this man who he connected with so much deeper than purely physically.

When they got back to the hotel, he felt Micah’s body tremble next to his. “We do this at your pace,” he told him in the elevator up to their rooms.

Micah bit his lip. “I want this. I’m not scared of doing this with you. But I am scared of embarrassing myself because… It’s been so long, you know?”

If that was supposed to deter Forest, it wasn’t working. On the contrary, it affirmed his own fears. Ever since Micah had uttered those crazy words about going back to the hotel, Forest’s cock had been unrelenting, and he feared he was gonna come the second he took his clothes off. Or when Micah took his clothes off.

He cupped Micah’s cheek and gave him a quick kiss on his lips that left his own lips sizzling. “If that happens, I’ll probably be less than a second behind you. We’re in this together.”

They didn’t speak until they got to their rooms and since Micah was already holding his key card, they went into his. For a second, Forest wondered how they were going to do this, but then he spotted the insecurity on Micah’s face and knew he’d have to take the lead.

He let the door fall closed behind him and reached out for Micah’s hand. “I would really like to kiss you if that’s okay. I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I saw you.”

“Really?”

The disbelief in his voice warmed Forest’s heart almost as much as his cute smile. “Really,” he confirmed before slowly backing Micah into the wall. He waited for another second to see if he’d protest, but when Micah closed his eyes in anticipation, Forest moved in.

Micah’s lips were soft under his, moving hesitantly at first, until Forest coaxed him into deepening the kiss. Then Micah’s hands came around his neck, dragging him closer, as they both sank into the kiss. Sparks fired all over his body as he tasted Micah, so sweet and perfect for him. He stepped in a little closer, wanting to feel their bodies flush against each other. He loved that they were so close in height that he could gently rub their cocks together, both hard as iron.

Micah let out a little moan into his mouth, and the sound shot straight to Forest’s balls. His hands found Micah’s T-shirt and he pulled it out of his waistband, teasing the soft skin of his back. He could feel the man break out in goosebumps at his touch, and that fired him on. He wanted nothing more than for Micah to feel good about himself. Really, really good.

He kept kissing him as his hands explored his back, creating soft, caressing trails, then finding their way to his stomach, between their bodies.

Micah suddenly pulled back. “Stop.”

Forest took a step back, releasing him instantly. Had he done something wrong? Was Micah regretting this already? The man’s face was tight with tension, so clearly something was the matter.

“I’m sorry,” Micah said, and Forest’s stomach sank. “I’m too close. If you keep touching me, I’ll come.”

Forest blinked. That was not what he had expected Micah to say. “Then we’d better take off our clothes so they don’t get dirty,” he said. “Because a minute more of that and I would’ve jizzed my pants as well.”

Micah looked at him in disbelief, but when Forest pointed to his dick to confirm the veracity of his statement, Micah’s face broke open in a sexy smile. “I’m down with that.”

In terms of elegance and grace, it wasn’t an award-winning show as they both got rid of their clothes as fast as possible, but Forest couldn’t care less. He watched with a warm feeling as Micah neatly put his clothes on a chair, whereas he dropped his carelessly on the floor.

He whistled as he took in Micah’s toned body. He wasn’t overly bulky, but he clearly worked out, his muscles defined and strong in all the right places. He had a nice dusting of dark chest hair, and the sexiest happy trail ever that lead downward to his perfect, hard cock.

“Holy moly, man, you were hiding something under that suit.”

Micah looked down at his own body, rubbing his right hand over his abs. “I work out when I get stressed. I guess it’s been quite a stressful year,” he said with the self-deprecating humor that Forest loved so much.

He stepped in closer, then put his index finger on Micah’s chest and let it slide down slowly. “You should teach me how to release my stress like that. I eat when I’m stressed. It’s not pretty.”

Micah blinked, then sent him a cheeky smile. “You must’ve had a relaxed year, then.”

Forest laughed and so did Micah, until Forest’s index finger found his happy trail and followed it down. Micah’s laugh transformed into a gasp as Forest’s finger caressed the velvety soft skin of his cock, all the way from the base to the very tip. Micah shivered under his touch, and it made Forest’s own dick harden even more in response.

He couldn’t wait to feel that gorgeous cock inside him. He halted in his own thoughts. He was vers, so it really didn’t matter much to him, but maybe Micah had strong preferences. Considering how Micah struggled with the unexpected, maybe with him this was a conversation they needed to have beforehand, even if it did take away some of the spontaneity.

“Do we need to talk about expectations and logistics?” he asked softly.

The look of sheer gratitude that filled Micah’s eyes let him know he’d pegged him correctly.

“That would really help me,” Micah said. “I know it’s not spontaneous, but—”

“How about you stop apologizing for something I suggested myself?” Forest interrupted him, then to soften the impact of his words, he stepped in and kissed him again until they were both panting.

He had to refrain from rutting against him, because that would end their sexual adventures all too soon. Then again, maybe that was exactly what they needed to take the edge off, considering they were both so excited.

“I could start by rubbing us off together?” he suggested, his voice low and soft.

He wrapped his hand around both their cocks and gently rubbed them together. To make it even better, he would need some kind of lubricant, but this would give Micah an idea of what he meant.

“I have lotion,” Micah said, thrusting slightly into Forest’s hand. Bingo.

“Get it, please?”

He let go of him and Micah shook his head as if to clear it, then hurried over to the suitcase on the luggage rack, opened it, and took out a small bottle of lotion that he handed to Forest. It only took seconds for Forest to squeeze something into his hand and get back to the delicious task of rubbing their cocks together, made so much easier by the slick lotion.

The sensation was incredible, those two, hard, now slick cocks sliding together. Shivers of desire danced down his spine, and his ass cheeks clenched in anticipation. Oh, they wanted that cock as much as he did. Micah’s dick had that perfect curve that would hit his prostate spot on and damn, it was thick. Forest swallowed, biting down on his body’s urge to speed things up.

“God, that feels good,” Micah moaned, thrusting into Forest’s hand.

Forest clenched his teeth, already dangerously close to coming. “I can’t hold out much longer,” he said. “You’re so fucking hard in my hand. You feel so good.”

Micah moaned again, then thrusted faster. “I can’t… Forest, I’m… Oh, fuck!”

Forest felt it coming, Micah’s cock twitching in his hand a millisecond before it erupted, and he let go of his own orgasm, jerking in his hand. They were both thrusting as much against each other as against his hand, cum flying everywhere, hitting him on the chest, the stomach, and even some on his cheek. He moaned loudly, his vision going white for a second with the sheer intensity of his release.

Before he’d even let go of their cocks, Micah had pulled his head in for a deep, sloppy kiss. It was anything but coordinated, the way their frantic mouths found each other, their tongues everywhere, but it was hot as fuck. He let go of their cocks, allowing them to rub wet and spent against each other between them, smearing their cum everywhere.

They kissed until their pace slowed down, and their kisses became more sensual, teasing and seducing and coaxing each other in a delicious game. God, this man could kiss. They kissed for minutes, unhurried now, their most desperate need staved off. Still, Forest wanted more.

“Do we need to clean up?” he asked softly, his forehead leaning against Micah’s.

“I’d love to do more,” Micah said to his delight.

He had to kiss him for that answer, and he plunged his tongue in all over again, unable to get enough of the man’s sweet taste, and the perfect way his mouth fit against Forest’s own.

“I would love for you to top me,” he said after at least another three, four minutes of kissing. “But if you prefer to bottom, that’s all fine with me.”

“I’m vers as well,” Micah said. “And I would love to fuck you. I have condoms.”

There were advantages to being a control freak, Forest thought. He had condoms in his wallet as well, but he couldn’t vouch for them not being way past the expiration date.

“See? You and me, we’re a match made in heaven, baby.”

His heart jumped up as he felt those words in his soul, then clenched painfully at the thought that tomorrow, this would all be over.

* * *

Micah had never feltlike this. Every date he’d ever had, every hookup he’d ever attempted, he’d always been completely stressed out. His fear of being rejected had grown so deep that he’d tried to be someone else. Anything and anyone but the tight-ass who couldn’t be spontaneous and fun, as one date had described him. He never dared to be himself. Until now.

For some reason, Forest didn’t seem to have an issue with Micah’s need for control at all. He had accommodated him throughout the day and that hadn’t changed now that they were here, doing this. And oh my god, this was epic, wonderful, defying every description Micah could come up with.

Forest was right. They were a match made in heaven. Too bad it would only be for one night. But he wouldn’t let that ruin it. He refused to let his anxiety and sadness over their impending departure take over this glorious experience of being with this man.

He allowed Forest to slowly move them toward the bed as they kissed, and they tumbled down, scooting up until they were plastered together, the remnants of their previous releases still smeared between them. He loved it. He loved this sensation of being utterly taken over by lust, of feeling debauched and filthy. He might have control issues, but he didn’t have a problem with being dirty like this. On the contrary, he loved it.

Forest’s body fit perfectly against his own, lean muscles with soft skin, a round ass that begged to be used, lines and curves and dips that needed to be explored. He let go of Forest’s mouth and rolled on top of him, then started a slow exploration downward.

He nuzzled his neck, licking a single drop of sweat that tasted perfectly salty on his tongue. He gently bit Forest’s earlobe, then teased that sensitive spot behind his ear with the tip of his tongue, eliciting a delicious sound from Forest’s lips. His hands touched, wandered, followed by his lips and his tongue. If this was his one lucky chance at the perfect hookup, he would enjoy every second of it.

Forest’s nipples were hard, pleading to be licked and sucked, so he did, loving how Forest’s whole body responded to that simple touch. He found some remnants of cum here and there, his or Forest’s, he didn’t know and he didn’t care. He cleaned them up with his tongue, creating a wet trail all over Forest’s body. His stomach was perfect, not as hard and defined as Micah’s own was but so responsive to his touch.

Forest’s fingers laced through his hair as he continued his journey farther south. He kneeled between his legs, and Forest pulled them up and opened for him without any shame. He was so beautiful, so perfect. There was none of the awkwardness he always had in encounters like this, none of the nerves or stress. It just felt right, more right than he’d ever felt before.

He used the lotion to create a slick trail behind Forest’s balls, rubbing him and teasing him until he reached his hole, tapping and caressing until it softened under his fingers.

“Please, sweetie. I’m so ready for more,” Forest begged, rolling his head from left to right and back.

“Do you need a lot of prep?” Micah asked. He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but he wanted to make sure he did it the way Forest would get the most pleasure out of it.

“I love a little burn,” Forest moaned as Micah slipped his middle finger in. “So don’t take too much time prepping, please. I’d love to be stretched by your cock.”

After just a few moves, Micah added a second finger, hoping for another one of those low, sexy sounds from Forest. He wasn’t disappointed, and he smiled. He stretched him a little further, and then Forest’s hand found his wrist.

“I’m ready,” he said.

Micah pulled his fingers out and quickly got up to get a condom. He fumbled a little with rolling it on, clearly out of practice, but it didn’t seem to bother Forest who was watching him with heavy eyes.

“You’re gonna feel so good inside me,” he said.

Micah hesitated for a second about their positions, but he figured that if Forest had wanted to be fucked in a different position, he would’ve moved while Micah got the condom. Instead, Forest pulled his legs wide and up, opening for him, and he lowered himself on top of him, his cock almost immediately finding the right spot. He pressed in slowly, his eyes completely focused on Forest’s.

“Oh my god,” Forest said, then again, “oh my god. Oh, you feel so good. Keep going, please. It burns in the best way.”

And so Micah kept going, pressing inside him until he was balls deep. A shiver tore through him at the sensation of his body so flush against Forest’s, completely joined, and he lowered his upper body on top of Forest’s, wrapped his arms around his neck, and started moving.

It felt like an out-of-body experience, like he was rising above himself, watching himself taking this wonderful, gorgeous man, both with an expression of complete bliss on their face. How was this him? How had he gotten so lucky to meet this man?

He thrust in deep and steady, snapping only his hips while keeping his upper body mostly still, flush against Forest’s. Their heartbeats thumped through him, one even faster than the other, and he felt one with him.

“I wish I could keep doing this for hours,” he said wistfully, nuzzling Forest’s neck.

Forest scraped his ear with his teeth, and Micah shivered. “Do you hear me objecting?”

Micah smiled as a strange excitement rushed through him. He wanted more time with him. More time to explore him, more time to get to know him, more time to be together. He’d have to make every hour they had last.

And no, Forest didn’t object when Micah made them both come hard, Forest coming all over him. He also didn’t object when Micah told him he wanted to bottom for him. They took a shower together afterward, still not able to let each other go. When they woke up after a few restless hours of sleep, they did it all over again.

The objections didn’t come until they had to go back to the airport, first sitting hand-in-hand in the hotel shuttle to their gate, neither one of them speaking. Then when they checked in, begging the ground crew for two seats together, which they magically managed. They were inseparable for the entire flight to New York, never once letting go of each other.

Cold, hard reality hit after landing, when Micah picked up his luggage and had to walk outside to go home…and Forest had to catch his connecting flight to Portland. They stood staring at each other. Micah didn’t want to accept this was the end, and he saw his own emotions mirrored on Forest’s face.

But what could they do? They had jobs to get back to, lives to get back to, and they lived on opposite sides of the country.

And so they left after one last kiss, Micah fighting to keep his tears at bay until he’d caught a cab home. Only then did he let go, and his heart broke into a million pieces.