Open Seating (27 page)

“Is that what you’re calling fucking nowadays?”

“Come here,” Bryce said, pressing him close. He leaned his forehead against Seth’s and whispered, “I thought we were making love.”

“Every time,” Seth said, settling on Bryce’s warm mouth with a satisfied moan. Bryce tasted like toothpaste and coffee, a strange combination Seth had come to recognize after sharing kisses with him every morning for the last three weeks. His craving for the unique flavor hadn’t diminished one iota; in fact, it had increased, as had his feelings. Although the words had never been exchanged, he was well and truly in love with Bryce.

What had started out as an incongruous friendship had blossomed into a shipboard romance. Their “love boat” had been a cruise liner that had traipsed the waters around the UK. Bryce’s decision to go on the trip had been a last-minute thing, a charitable undertaking when Seth’s partner of twenty years, Mark, committed suicide two weeks before the planned vacation. Now, just over a month later, they had begun a relationship of sorts, based on mutual respect and a solid friendship that had weathered several stormy days.

The physical attraction between them had begun almost immediately and hadn’t waned in the least. Seth had experienced new sensual highs he’d only written about in the past, and each encounter increased his desire. Bryce had become an addiction that had upended his orderly and predictable life. Writing habits he’d cultivated for years had been shoved aside due to their growing feelings, and participating in shipboard activities and taking advantage of as many land tours as possible seemed far more important than sticking to his schedule. Now it was time to hunker down and get on with the business of earning a living.

Toward the end of their trip, Seth had confided that he wanted to sell the house he’d shared with Mark. There were too many memories in the solid brick structure built in the eighties, and although most had been good, they’d been overshadowed by Mark’s suicide, which had taken place in their bedroom. Seth hadn’t slept there since, and the idea of selling had become more and more appealing—actually, he could think of nothing else. Not surprisingly, Bryce had insisted he move into his place and had even offered his own home office as Seth’s new writing cave.

Breaking their kiss, Bryce suggested, “Let’s pause while we can, or I’ll have to show you our bedroom first.”

Seth would have gladly skipped the apartment tour and gone straight to bed, but he knew Bryce was excited to show him his office so he gave in. “Okay, hot stuff. Let’s put this on the back burner.”

“I promise to make it up to you tenfold,” Bryce teased.

“Yeah? Care to elaborate?”

“We’ll get sidetracked if I tell you what I have in mind.”

Seth grinned and reached down to adjust himself. “As you can see, your words aren’t falling on deaf ears.”

Bryce laughed. “Tuck that chub away and concentrate on what I’m about to show you.”

“All right already,” Seth said, choking back a laugh. He followed Bryce into a room with a window facing the city to the west. It was also bright and cheerful like the rest of the apartment. Seth couldn’t help comparing his own depressing home office to this room. He’d been using it for years and didn’t see much beyond his desktop and IKEA bookcases crammed with reference material. His combination printer, scanner, and fax sat on a shelf above his monitor, along with a ream of paper and a cupful of pens and pencils. There were no windows in the room, and the only things hanging on the walls were his book covers in wooden frames. He collected them, and the cover artists he worked with routinely sent him a signed original.

In contrast, Bryce’s cheery home office had custom-made oak shelves lining one wall, and on the opposite side, there was a long wooden bureau with pullout drawers on the bottom and the usual small office equipment on top. The massive oak desk with a computer, phone, and calculator were directly in front of the bureau with a convenient rollaway chair, in case he needed to find something in the drawers or use the fax. The third wall had three large windows and a comfy two-seat leather sofa in buttery yellow with a narrow cocktail table in front. Seth assumed Bryce occasionally met with clients here at home, and the comfortable but practical room seemed like a great place to study blueprints and pricing while sharing a good cup of coffee.

“This is lovely,” Seth exclaimed. “But it’s yours. There’s really no room for me in here.”

“We’ll make room,” Bryce said. “I don’t use this as often as you might think, and most of the time when I need to get in here, it’s at night. Didn’t you tell me you like to write in the morning?”

“Very early in the morning,” Seth said. “Of course you’d never know it since I’ve been slacking off the last few weeks.”

“Do you use a laptop or desktop?” Bryce asked.

“Laptop but I like to write at my desk.”

“Have you seen the desk? It’s ginormous. We’ll push my monitor back to make room for you. You can sync to my printer and you’ll be good to go.”

Frowning, Seth turned to Bryce. “Are you sure? I hate to inconvenience you.”

“Inconvenient is worrying about you alone in your old house. I like the idea of leaving you here in the morning, looking adorably rumpled and thoroughly sated because of our morning lovemaking,” he said, making air quotes around his new synonym for fucking. “If you weren’t here, I’d have to stop at your place, and then one thing would lead to another, and neither of us would get anything done.”

“You’re very persuasive, Mr. McFarland.”

“I want you to be happy and productive, babe. Don’t you feel the good vibes in this room?” Bryce asked. “In the winter, you can sit on the sofa and watch the snow falling while enjoying a cup of warm cocoa.”

“With marshmallows?” Seth asked, looking hopeful.

“Anything you want.”

“Why are you so good to me?” Seth asked.

“I told you,” Bryce reminded him. “You bring out the gentleman in me, and making sure you’re comfortable and inspired is a top priority.”

“Why?” Seth asked again.

“Do I really have to say it?” Bryce asked, getting red in the face.

“It would go a long way to making me feel like I fit in your world.”

“How about I show you instead?” Bryce asked.

“I’ll never say no to good sex, but I’d like to hear what you have to say as well.”

“Okay,” Bryce said, drawing out the word. “We’ve just come back from a magical vacation. We were sort of living in our own little bubble, and now the real world is going to crash down on us with a thud. According to the boyfriend handbook—”

“Which you’re making up as we go,” Seth interrupted.

“Babe, listen to me. We need to live together to figure out if this thing we’ve got going is the real deal.”

“I’m not arguing that part.”

“Then what do you want to know?” Bryce asked.

“What are your feelings toward me? On a scale from one to ten, how do I rate?” Seth asked.

“You go first,” Bryce said.

“A ten,” Seth said without flinching.

Bryce flushed even brighter. “That high?”

“Yes.”

“Thank God,” Bryce said, letting out a huge breath. He wrapped Seth in a tight embrace and whispered, “I thought it was all me wanting to do the U-Haul thing.”

“No,” Seth said. “I’m just as eager to find out if we’re compatible on the daily, even if we
are
acting like a couple of lesbians.”

“Right? We’re moving at lightning speed.”

“You haven’t answered me, Bryce.”

“You’re way up there, babe. Ten all the way.”

“Have we graduated from the juvenile
I like you
?”

“Yes,” Bryce conceded. “I care about you much more than I thought I would when we started the trip. You’re constantly on my mind.”

“Is that Bryce-speak for
I might actually be falling in love
?”

Bryce grinned. “You do that so well.”

“What?” Seth asked, bemused.

“Read my mind.”

Seth smiled. “You can show me your bedroom now.”

“Our bedroom,” Bryce corrected.

“Whatever you say.”

Like the rest of the apartment, Bryce’s bedroom didn’t disappoint. It had the best view of Lake Michigan with a small balcony one could access through a sliding glass door. Seth was instantly reminded of their balcony on board the cruise ship. They’d spent many pleasant hours entwined on a chaise lounge, enjoying the sea breeze and listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves as the ship plowed through the waters of the North Sea, English Channel, and Atlantic. It was easy to envision sitting on one of the two Adirondack chairs outside, typing away on his laptop. Unfortunately, winter was just around the corner, and he doubted they’d be using this lovely spot for much longer.

“How often do you sit out here?” Seth asked, pulling the slider open.

“On the weekends, weather permitting.”

There were a few die-hard sailors out on the lake, determined to enjoy the last of the good weather before dry-docking for the winter. The strong wind coming in from the east penetrated Seth’s cotton tee, and he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to stay warm.

“It’ll be six months or more before we can enjoy the full benefits of this balcony,” Bryce commented. “Come back inside, babe.”

“Okay,” Seth said.

Bryce shut and locked the slider once Seth was in the room. With Bryce steering him toward the bed, Seth barely had time to take in the rest of the tasteful appointments. He caught the corner fireplace with a faux fur rug directly in front and a glimpse of the en suite bathroom gleaming with bronze fixtures, but his main focus was the king-sized bed draped with a similar fur. The entire room was a study in black and gray with splashes of fuchsia to break up the severity.

“Your designer did a nice job in this room,” Seth said. They were at the foot of the bed, and Bryce was methodically unwrapping him. First his shirt, then his belt, pants, and boxer briefs. While Seth toed off his shoes and socks, Bryce ditched his own clothes.

“I’ve been saving the best for last,” he said huskily, guiding Seth gently onto the mattress. Lying on his back, Seth felt Bryce’s full weight as he settled on top of Seth. His eyes closed when Bryce began kissing him, and he lost himself in the familiar sensation.

“Open your eyes,” Bryce ordered softly.

Seth’s lids fluttered open.

“Look up.”

He sucked in a shocked breath when he saw the reflection of Bryce’s sculpted back hovering over his torso. The erotic vision of naked limbs wrapped around each other flooded him with desire, coalescing in a hot ball of need deep in his groin.

“Bryce,” Seth exclaimed faintly. “Oh my God. Who thought of the mirror?”

“It’s hot, isn’t it?”

“I’ve never watched myself fucking.”

“Making love,” Bryce corrected him.

“That,” Seth said, then began to roll his hips sensuously.

“Grier Dilorio has a kinky streak,” Bryce said.

“I’ve got to meet this guy.”

“Eventually,” Bryce replied. He reached for the condom and lube he kept close by and got them both ready. “Open up, babe. I want in.”

Seth held his knees and drew them up to his chest, never taking his eyes off the image reflecting down on him. He grunted slightly when Bryce entered him, then relaxed and wrapped his arms and legs around Bryce as he began to move. It was like watching his very own porn flick with the two of them featured in the lead role. It added a whole new dimension to the act, one he could get used to with hardly any persuasion.

In June of 1978, Grady Ormond, eighteen-year-old son of diplomat Peter Ormond, accompanies his father to his new posting as US Ambassador to Pakistan. Neighboring Iran is on the brink of a civil war, with the monarchy in danger of being overthrown.

Grady will be leaving for New York City in late August to study cinematography and has been warned to keep his homosexual orientation tightly under wraps while on vacation. Repercussions in the predominantly Islamic region could be severe.

On their first night in Karachi, his father hosts a cocktail party to meet the local dignitaries. Grady is introduced to His Highness Prince Kamran Izadi, nephew of the shah of Iran. Twenty-three-year-old Kamran has recently returned from the UK, where he spent eleven years, first as a student, and then as a financial analyst.

The attraction is immediate—unforeseen and dangerously powerful—but neither one dares to make a move. Odds are so stacked against them it’s futile to even entertain a friendship, but they do, and their world tilts precariously.

With his country in turmoil and Grady about to leave for college, Kamran makes a decision that will change their lives forever.