Breakthrough (7 page)

They were in one of the more artsy, liberal pockets of the city, so Jack laced his fingers through Seth’s. He didn’t care where they went or what they did. It was too damn nice to be in the same space as Seth, and nothing else mattered. He grinned when he realized they were technically on their first date.

They walked around the bustling shopping district as the businesses hustled customers out, ready to close down for the night. Neither of them said much, but every now and then, Seth would look at Jack and smile. Jack wondered whether he was feeling the same heady joy over being together. The look in Seth’s eyes made him think so.

When they found a small coffeehouse that didn’t seem too crowded, Seth ducked inside, pulling Jack with him. They both ordered decaf and then locked eyes across the scarred wooden tabletop.

As first dates went, theirs was strange. They knew so much about each other, and yet there were gaps, subjects they’d never touched on.

Seth knew more intimate details about Jack than even Marie or Lacy did, but he didn’t know little things like Jack’s favorite color, or what he liked to eat for dinner. Jack knew a lot about Seth’s family, what his life was like growing up, even his childhood dog’s name, but he never knew that Seth had lived less than a mile down the road from him, or that Seth and Rick graduated from the same high school—eleven years apart.

The waiter dropped off their coffee and a slice of blackberry pie they were planning on sharing. “I still can’t believe you’re the guy Mindy wanted to set me up with. She’s never tried to throw me at someone before.”

Seth had just taken a bite, and he laughed before he swallowed. “You’re lucky.” He chased the pie with a sip of coffee before going on. “Shawn will introduce me to anyone, even if he thinks they might just get curious when they’re drunk. They don’t have to be gay.”

That got a laugh out of Jack. “How did you guys meet? Shawn said you’ve been friends since high school.”

Seth smiled as if the memory made him happy. “Yeah, we met at the end of our freshman year. Started hanging out when we both made the swim team. I hadn’t come out yet, but people still gave me shit, ya know?” Jack nodded as Seth told him the story, trying not to get caught up in the idea of Seth in Speedos. “Maybe they did it to all the new kids, and I only noticed when they called me homo because I was? I don’t know.” Jack knew from their earlier conversations that Seth had been born and raised in California. His parents moved them to the Seattle area when Seth’s older brother started to get into drugs. Unfortunately the grunge scene exploded the same year, and not long after that, black tar heroin started making the rounds on the street.

Jack thought Seth’s parents probably had an intimate relationship with the kind of guilt he had carried around for far too long.

“Anyway,” Seth continued. “One day this guy, Jeremy, started really going at me in the locker room. I took a swing—which was stupid since he outweighed me by a good thirty pounds and was four inches taller than me. He swung back, knocked me on my ass, and was about to really kick the shit outta me. Then all of a sudden, it was over. The yelling died down, the crowd cleared… I figured the coach had broken it up, but there was Shawn. He had his fist in Jeremy’s hair, had him down on his knees, holding his towel up with his other hand.” Seth paused with a laugh, grinning as he said, “My hero, right? It was insta-love. For my part, at least. Then Shawn said, ‘So what if he’s gay? He wouldn’t be into you even if he is.’ Then he made Jeremy apologize to me.”

Jack’s fondness for Shawn suddenly grew. He smiled as he asked, “Did you ever tell him you had a crush on him?”

With a tilt to his head and a dimple in his cheek, Seth answered, “Yeah, one night after a party. We were both a little drunk. That’s how I came out to him.” He paused for a sip of his coffee before going on. “He told me he had figured as much and was cool with it, but he didn’t swing that way. I told him I knew that already but thought he should know. That was it.”

Jack let that sink in for a moment. “Were things awkward after? When you were sober, in the light of day?”

Shrugging, Seth grinned and took a bite of pie before he answered. “Things are as awkward as you let them be. Shawn and I are both talkers. We like to get everything out in the open, ya know? We were fine, still are.”

“Do you still… I mean, just out of curiosity, do you still have… feelings for Shawn, or…?”

Seth let out a loud bark of laughter at the question. Then he decided to torture Jack. “Oh yeah. Big time feelings.”

A flush of heat crept up Jack’s neck. It prickled his ears and made him shift in his seat. Seth must have noticed because he added, “He’s my best friend, Jack. My very straight best friend. I got over my crush on him a long time ago.” Then he did something that had Jack’s skin flushing for a different reason. He reached across the table and laced his fingers with Jack’s. “My tastes have changed somewhat since high school.”

STANDING BY
the car with his key in hand, Jack said, “I don’t know the way to Shawn’s. You’ll have to give me directions.” The evening had turned into a late night. They’d stayed at the café for over two hours, talking, laughing, and flirting. So many times Jack had wanted to lean over and kiss Seth. Even now, standing on the sidewalk, he found himself hesitating as he tried to find the best way to pull Seth into his arms.

“Is that really what you wanted to say?” Seth quirked his lips into a knowing smile as he stepped closer to Jack.

Clearing his throat, Jack answered honestly, “No.”

Seth’s smile turned into a grin, part predatory and part playful. “What did you want to ask me?” He took another step toward Jack, close enough now that their chests were touching, his hand smoothing down the sleeve of Jack’s sweater.

Jack’s heart thrummed in his chest so hard, he started to wonder whether it was a good idea to be so close to Seth. One kiss might kill him. “I wanted to ask you back to my place.”

Seth rose up on his toes. He was a few inches shorter than Jack, and Seth had to stretch, pressing against Jack’s body so he could whisper in Jack’s ear, “You should probably unlock your car, then.”

THE ENTIRE
drive took less than fifteen minutes, but Seth seemed determined to spend the time making Jack insane. Seth rested his hand on Jack’s thigh, fingers playing with the inseam of his jeans. At traffic lights he slid his hand higher, brushing close (though not close enough) to Jack’s ever-growing erection. By the time he parked, Jack was wondering what the fine would be if he got caught bending Seth over the hood of his car under the security lights.

They went inside instead.

On the stairs to Jack’s condo, Seth tucked his fingers inside the back pocket of Jack’s jeans. “You’ve got a great ass…,” he said quietly, as if musing to himself.

“Mindy keeps telling me that. Sounds better coming from you, though.”

On the doorstep, Jack fiddled with his keys, nearly dropping them twice as Seth plastered himself to Jack’s back, hands roaming over his chest and down his stomach. He could feel Seth’s rigid cock pressing against him, and his first instinct was to stop what he was doing just so he could grind back against Seth.

Stumbling inside, Jack barely got the door kicked shut before Seth kissed him. He played his strong fingers in the hair at the nape of Jack’s neck and brushed his lips against Jack’s.

Jack couldn’t help the small sound of want that escaped, unable to remember the last time he’d felt like this. Then he decided he probably never had felt like this. In all his life, he’d never been with anyone who managed to turn him on and scare him and challenge him and make him feel safe all at the same time. It was an overwhelming sensation. A sensation that, under any other circumstances lately, would probably have him reaching for a box of tissues. Thankfully Seth slid his overly eager tongue against Jack’s as they clumsily walked toward the hall. It was the perfect distraction.

As they stumbled into the bedroom, Seth spoke for the first time since they’d unlocked the door. “Please tell me you’ve got condoms.”

Nipping at Seth’s bottom lip, Jack ran his hands up Seth’s sides, finding warm skin, tracing his ribs. “Nightstand,” he muttered, breathless at the feel of Seth’s body moving with his own.

Seth nodded, rising up to kiss a warm trail against Jack’s jaw. “Good,” he whispered. “It’s been awhile. I wasn’t exactly prepared for this.”

Groaning as Seth pressed harder against him, their erections rubbing together through layers of clothes, Jack stripped off Seth’s shirt in one quick move, lifting it over his head and tossing it on the floor. They had already kicked their shoes off somewhere along the way, and Jack wanted nothing more than to get rid of everything else. He skimmed his palms down Seth’s bare skin and dipped his fingers inside the back of Seth’s jeans as Seth worked a hand between them, tugging the buttons and zippers open for both of them.

“God, you feel amazing.” Jack murmured against Seth’s shoulder, teeth scraping the sensitive skin. He breathed deeply against the scent of soap, something earthy and sweet. Seth nodded, groaning softly as he pulled Jack’s shirt loose from his jeans. He pushed the sweater up with it until Jack’s smooth chest was exposed to the moonlight spilling in through the window.

Jack was grateful now for the hours spent at the gym, the healthy meals he forced himself to eat, all the times he’d opted for water and extra sleep. It had served him well, because now he could stand in front of this incredibly attractive man and feel comfortable in his own skin.

Seth turned and fell back on the bed, pulling Jack down on top of him. They tangled their legs together, pushed at clothes, and explored each other with their warm hands. The air filled with small, hungry moans and incoherent whispers as they kissed and shifted against each other.

Jack wasn’t sure how it happened, how they had moved so much, how they had shed their clothes so fast, but before he knew it, Seth was sliding against him, their skin feeling like fire between them as they tried to get closer.

“Tell me what you need, Jack.” Seth’s whispered command rustled through the night with the tender sweep of his hand as his fingers found Jack’s aching cock, thumb slicking over the head with precome.

It was hard to think when he did that. Jack panted for breath, his hips rocking up against Seth’s touch. “I want… to be inside you,” he rasped, his words catching in his throat on another groan.

Shifting higher on the bed, Seth pressed his lips to Jack’s ear, Jack’s skin sparking at every point of contact. “You read my mind.”

Within seconds Seth was pulling back, his gaze raking down Jack’s frame as Jack reached into the nightstand and pulled out a foil packet with a small bottle of lube.

Seth fell back on his heels and slid his hands restlessly over Jack’s body. “Let me,” he whispered, pushing Jack against the pillows and taking the lube from him. He crawled over Jack’s legs, straddling him and lifting up on his knees. “Wanna ride you….”

The words alone were enough to send a tremor of heat through him, but as Jack watched Seth pour the clear liquid into his hand, coating his fingers and reaching behind himself, he felt a desperate surge of desire pound through his body, sweeping every other thought aside. He had to swallow a groan, looking at Seth, their erections brushing together as Seth readied them both.

Seth had the condom open and unrolled it down Jack’s shaft as Jack tried to still himself, unable to stop his hips from rocking. He slid his hands down Seth’s arms and shoulders, then worked them up again into that shaggy blond hair. “Come here,” he whispered, pulling Seth down into a long, hot kiss where their tongues met and moved together, breath mingling between them.

Seth shifted on the bed again, keeping himself over Jack before he pulled back entirely, breaking the kiss as he took Jack’s hand and guided it lower. Jack wrapped his fingers around his own cock, holding steady as Seth slowly lowered himself and took Jack in. They were both panting by the time Seth had sunk down over him, Jack’s erection buried deep inside him.

“Oh God,” Seth’s voice sounded like a prayer, pained and hopeful at the same time as he began to grind his hips, his hands on Jack’s chest, as he started a slow rhythm.

Jack watched. Seth was silhouetted in the silvery shadows left by the moon. He moved like a wounded angel, grinding and moaning into the night. Jack responded without meaning to, thrusting his hips up as tenderly as possible, meeting Seth’s motions, each movement punctuated by a choked sound from each of them. “There,” Jack whispered roughly, tracing every inch of skin he could reach with his hands, finding Seth’s hair and curling his fingers through it, thumb brushing a cheek and then Seth’s lips.

Seth turned his face away as if it was too much for him, and pressed his mouth against Jack’s palm. They started to move harder, the release already building in Jack, too fast but too strong to keep hold of any longer.

He finally let his hand fall, drifting lower over Seth’s body until he found Seth’s erection, heavy and slick, eager for each powerful stroke Jack offered him.

It set off a chain reaction that pushed them both over the edge, Seth crying out as he spilled hot and wet between Jack’s fingers, his body still moving in small, quick thrusts as he pressed back against Jack, taking him as deep as possible while Jack’s body rushed to release, neither of them saying a word.

RESTING WITH
his arm around Seth’s waist, the two of them wrapped around each other, Jack kissed a bare shoulder and pressed closer. “Not bad for a first date,” he whispered teasingly.

Seth slid his bare feet between Jack’s, turning to face him better, his smile barely visible in the darkened room. “Well, tonight was really two dates in one.” Seth kissed him again and smiled against Jack’s mouth as he added in a whisper, “And if we count the first time we met, that makes three….”

Jack dipped his head to catch Seth’s mouth in a kiss. “I’m not sure we can count group therapy as a date,” he teased as he let his hand drift lower, trailing over Seth’s ass, pulling them more tightly together. After a few more kisses and playful gropes, Jack asked, “Did you really wanna jump me in the woods?”