Open Seating (20 page)

Seth’s face mirrored his internal shock as he recognized the quote. “Did you just quote Ayn Rand?”

“Yup.”

“Wow… I had no idea….” Seth trailed off, looking at Bryce as if he’d materialized out of thin air. “Who
are
you?”

“Just another single guy trying to stay afloat.”

“Maybe this is the sign I was looking for.”

“Whatever works for you, babe.”

“Did Mark realize there was more to you than bulging biceps?”

“We didn’t have philosophical discussions if that’s what you’re asking. Mark knew me on a cursory level.”

“And yet you were friends for years.”

Bryce nodded. “Yeah, we were, but our relationship was gym-based. I wasn’t in a committed relationship and made no bones about it. Mark probably assumed I’d rather spend my free time hooking up instead of hanging out with an old married couple like you.”

“I guess. Is that why our contact—yours and mine—was limited to breakfasts?” Seth asked.

Bryce chuckled. “I was tired of waiting for an invitation to meet you, so I staged that chance meeting at Ann Sather’s. Remember?”

Seth smiled. “You planned that?”

“I practically begged Mark for an introduction to the famous Seth Wilder but nothing was forthcoming.”

“I wonder why he wasn’t too keen on us meeting.”

“He probably figured you’d hate me on the spot. Who knows? Mark was hard to read sometimes, and I’ll admit, I didn’t really push. I figured he had his reasons to keep me at arm’s length.”

“Huh.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“He sure missed out.”

“Thank you,” Bryce said, accepting the inferred praise.

“I’m starting to think I didn’t know Mark at all,” Seth mused. “There’s so much he left out of our day-to-day conversations.”

“Look, Seth. I’m not defending or condemning Mark, but it’s kind of a moot point with him being gone and unable to offer any kind of rebuttal. What I can say is that I would have done things differently if the roles were reversed.”

“Such as?”

“Been more honest about my medical condition,” Bryce responded.

“Didn’t you say he was only trying to shelter me?”

“Yes, but I didn’t say I agreed with his decision.”

“That’s true. I suppose we’ll never know what was going through his head when he decided to check out,” Seth concluded. “Too bad we don’t have a Ouija board so I can pick his brain.”

“Now you’re being ridiculous,” Bryce scolded.

“He did say it was the best choice for him in the suicide note.”

“I think we’ve spent enough time rehashing this tonight,” Bryce said softy. “We’ll be trashed in the morning if we don’t get some shut-eye.”

“We can always pass on the tour and sleep in,” Seth suggested.

Raising an eyebrow, Bryce said, “I thought you were a stickler for schedules.”

“Normally, I am, but being around you has made me a little less anal.”

Bryce smiled. “Good to know.”

“Bryce?”

“Yeah?”

“While we’re on the subject of anal….” Seth hesitated. “I was wondering….”

“Go on,” Bryce prompted.

“Would you consider—?”

“Popping your cherry?”

Seth shut his eyes, but Bryce could tell he was mortified. His cheeks were flaming and his breathing erratic. At this rate he’d be facing a full-blown panic attack, so Bryce did the only thing he could think of. He kissed Seth.

Seth whined as he opened up, clutching Bryce’s shirt and pulling him closer, responding in such a way that left little doubt in Bryce’s mind that he had carte blanche if he chose to move forward with Seth’s request. His body sprang to life, spurred on by ravenous kisses and arms and legs twisting around him greedily. Unfortunately, doubt snuck through the lusty haze, putting a damper on his natural inclination to yield to Seth’s unguarded plea. The picture of Seth spread out and wanton on the bed, waiting to be plowed until he screamed, was a powerful force Bryce was having difficulty letting go of. But his rational side warned him to stop. This was a bad idea, regardless of their needs.

Seth was tipsy, and although the alcohol would dull the pain and provide the liquid courage, Bryce wanted their first time to be memorable. Seth had implied that penetration hadn’t played a role in his and Mark’s relationship. Bryce was aware it wasn’t for everyone, and Seth hadn’t gone into details, which was fine with him. Trying to picture Seth and Mark in bed was uncomfortable and unnecessary. What did it matter who liked what? The guy was gone, and Bryce and Seth were very much alive. And with that brilliant deduction came another thought. Why in the hell did Bryce want to make this gigantic leap—and it was game-changing—when Seth was too inebriated to enjoy it, let alone remember? Call him an egotist, but Bryce took pride in his work, and he wanted this first time with Bryce at the helm to surpass anything Seth had ever experienced.

Naturally modest, Seth shied away from nudity. The one time he’d been completely naked in front of Bryce, he’d been covered in filth and there was no time to admire his form. Since then, Bryce had enjoyed bits and pieces of the man, but he’d never actually had the pleasure of admiring Seth’s entire body without the other man getting squeamish.

Bryce watched in anticipation as Seth began to remove his clothes without compunction. The booze was obviously helping him get over his natural inclination to dive under the covers and shut the lights off like he’d done the night before.

Seth was on the lean side and could use a few sessions under a tanning lamp, but his muscles were well-defined in his arms and chest, and his legs were long and well-formed. Surrounded by curly light brown pubic hair was a gorgeous cock that was primed and ready for action.

“Has anyone ever mentioned your cock is perfect?”

Seth smiled shyly. “No.”

“Well, I’m telling you now. It is.”

“It’s smaller than yours,” Seth pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter unless you’re a size queen, and I’m not.”

Owlishly, Seth blinked a few times before asking, “How many men have you slept with?”

“I don’t know,” Bryce said. “Why?”

“Describing my cock as perfect means a lot more coming from a man who’s seen his fair share,” Seth explained. “I, on the other hand, have only had a few sightings, but research plays a large part in my erotic writing, and I can promise you no one has ever measured up to yours.”

“You’re just saying that because I’m in your face.”

“At the moment, you’re in my hand,” Seth said, reaching for Bryce and clutching him possessively. “I want a taste.”

“Let’s go to bed, babe.”

“No one has ever called me that.”

“Babe?”

“Yeah. I’m so not a babe.”

“That’s a matter of opinion.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Bryce was done with the chitchat and eager to get on to the main event. He had distracted Seth enough, and the subject of penetration didn’t come up again. Lying in the middle of the bed, he drew Seth toward him, and soon he was splayed on top of Bryce. They kissed until they were breathless, and when they parted to breathe, Bryce urged Seth up on his knees. He took handfuls of Seth’s luscious asscheeks and drew him closer, making him knee-walk until Bryce was lying in between Seth’s spread legs with the “perfect” cock inches away from being consumed.

“Fuck me in the mouth,” Bryce commanded in a growly voice.

Seth paused. “Are you sure? Shouldn’t we switch spots?”

“Do it!”

Slowly, moving closer and closer, Seth cried out when Bryce opened up and sucked him down with ferocious strength. His lips clamped tight, and he gave Seth a guiding hand by clutching his hips and rocking him in and out of the sweet heat. He loved giving head, and he hadn’t lied when he’d told Seth he was the perfect size. Not enough girth to choke him or length to gag him, but beautifully and deliciously proportioned. Bryce lost himself in the moment, loving the idea of being used by Seth to get off. He smelled like bath gel and was so fucking eager, responding instinctively and without guile. Like an explorer on his first voyage to outer space, Seth fucked his mouth with fierce concentration. A small line appeared between his eyebrows and he bit his lower lip, now covered in tiny beads of sweat, both visible signs Bryce had come to recognize whenever Seth was concentrating on anything momentous.

“I need to come,” Seth said desperately.

Bryce nodded and clutched the bony hips as they picked up speed. His own orgasm wasn’t far off, and he reached down with one hand while the other remained on Seth’s hip, guiding him home.

Seth’s shout and the warm flood of cum filling his mouth sent Bryce over the edge, and he shuddered to completion while Seth quaked above him.

SETH WINCED
when he opened his eyes, and rays of sunlight peeking through the parted curtains revealed the arrival of a new day. The familiar rocking of the boat had changed in force and pitch, which could account for the rude awakening. They were either in port or close to it. Bryce was already dressed and sitting by the small table for two, sipping coffee and reading something off his laptop.

“I can’t believe you’re awake and ready to go,” Seth grumbled.

Bryce looked up and smiled. “Good morning, sunshine.”

“Ugh,” Seth retorted and shut his eyes again. He grabbed a pillow and covered his face, hoping it would hide his shame as well. He’d pushed his limits last night, drinking more than he could handle, and now he was paying the price. There was a marching band in his brain, and his eyes were hot and itchy. He would have killed for some aspirin but was too embarrassed to ask.

Some of last night’s events were a little fuzzy, but he did remember being shocked when Bryce quoted Ayn Rand. He would have never pegged him as being an objectivist. There was obviously more to the guy than he was willing to share, but now that he’d given Seth a glimpse of the intellect beneath the burly exterior, Seth planned to peck away at him until he got to the interesting core.

Another thing that stood out, as clear as the ship’s horn blaring their arrival, was last night’s sex scene. He’d begged Bryce to fuck him, but he’d ended up fucking Bryce’s mouth instead. Sheesh… that was a turnaround. Mutual blowjobs had been a part of his and Mark’s repertoire, but last night had been totally different. Bryce had handed over control, something Mark never allowed, and the psychological effect of the power exchange had been exhilarating. He could feel his cock plumping up again, and he reached down to try to tamp down the desire.

“Feel free to rub one off if that’ll put you in a better mood,” Bryce suggested. “I wouldn’t mind watching.”

“Oh God,” Seth moaned, flipping over so Bryce couldn’t see his chubby. “Do you have to be so crass?”

“I didn’t hear any complaints last night,” Bryce reminded him.

Seth felt the bed dip when Bryce perched at his side and began kneading his neck. “Do you feel like going on this tour, or would you rather stay in bed?”

“Will you kill me if I choose sleep?”

“Of course not,” Bryce said agreeably. “I’ll go work out and come back in a couple of hours.”

“How can you be so cheerful?” Seth asked, rolling back around. He opened one eye and saw that Bryce was smiling down at him indulgently.

“I didn’t have that much to drink.”

“Tell me about it. I drank your portion and more.”

“Give yourself a break, babe. You had quite a shock.”

“Remind me to give Jeannie a piece of my mind the next time I see her.”

“She had no idea,” Bryce said. “You’ll have to give her a pass.”

“I know,” Seth admitted. “I’m being bitchier than normal because my head is pounding.”

“How about some aspirin?”

“God, yes.”

Bryce went to their bathroom and came back out with a glass of water in one hand and two pills in the other. “Here you go.”

Seth sat up gingerly, reached for the pills, and swallowed them with the proffered water. “I must look like shit.”

“You’re adorably messed up.”

Seth scowled. “You’re such an accomplished liar.”

“I never lie.”

“Ever?”

“Nope.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“Get some sleep, Seth. We’ll talk some more when you wake up.”

Bryce kissed him on the forehead when he flopped back down, and Seth drifted off before Bryce left the room.

The next time Seth woke, his headache was gone and he felt almost human again. He picked up the phone and asked room service for a pot of coffee and some chocolate croissants. Back home, he’d have had something healthy for breakfast like yogurt or cereal with fruit, but he was on vacation and decided to indulge in some baked goods. Once he was in his own environment, he’d have to fend for himself, and his track record as far as meal preparations went was lousy, especially when he was in writing mode. If Mark hadn’t been around to cook healthy evening meals, he’d probably look like a stick figure or a blimp if pizza delivery was an option.

He felt a sudden pang as he realized he’d never have that again. And just as quickly, a surge of anger and resentment rushed through him as he relived that morning he woke up and found Mark still lying in bed. He should have known something was off. They normally woke up at the same time, crack of dawn or thereabout. He’d go off to write while Mark showered and got ready for work. Before leaving the house, he’d drag Seth out of his writing cave and into the kitchen. Coffee would be made and his breakfast of choice already plated in his usual spot. That morning, Mark was lying on his stomach, facing him, with one arm outstretched, almost like he’d been reaching for him before he passed. Seth knew the minute his eyes locked in on Mark’s face that he was gone. He’d never seen a dead person before, unless he counted his mother, but she’d been in a coffin. After the morticians had prepared her for the public viewing, she had looked nothing like the woman who’d raised him, so he was able to distance himself from the whole scene. But a corpse up close and personal? Not so much. Murder mysteries and thrillers weren’t his genre, so he’d had no reason to research whatever occurred when a body and soul separated. However, one thing was clear; you could tell at a glance when a life had been snuffed out and the crucial element that made us human, be it soul or brain, was gone. Just thinking about it gave Seth the chills.