Tempting Meredith (20 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Charlie didn’t say much on the drive back to the ranch. Neither did Blaine. Talk radio and pornographic thoughts kept Charlie awake, not to mention his worries that he’d disappoint Blaine. A month ago, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of having sex with a man. Now he wasn’t just considering it, he got hard at the mere suggestion. Despite his cock’s optimism, he wasn’t sure he could go through with it. He’d planned on easing into sex with Blaine. Meredith between them had been a part of that plan. She’d surprised the hell out of him by taking herself out of it. He hoped this wasn’t her way of backing out permanently.
Nah
. She’d been game right up until he and Blaine had put the brakes on. Maybe they shouldn’t have insisted on waiting. He parked at the back of the house after midnight, switched off the engine and stared out the front of the truck. They sat in uncomfortable, uncertain silence.

“It’s late,” Blaine said, and although his voice was low and calm, Charlie tensed. “We need a good night’s sleep. We can tackle the rest of it tomorrow.”

The rest of it.
Some of the tension eased out of Charlie’s muscles. Over the last few days, he’d researched gay sex, had even searched out some gay porn on his laptop. But reading about it and watching porn flicks were different from doing it, whether his cock realized it or not.

Blaine reached across the front seat and placed his hand over Charlie’s on the steering wheel. “Okay?”

Charlie’s nod was jerky. “Yeah. That makes sense.” He’d give himself a hand job so he could sleep tonight.

Blaine pried Charlie’s grip from the leather wheel and linked their fingers together on the seat between them. They sat like that for a long time. It felt weird. Holding a man’s hand. But also kinda right. Charlie stared at the yellow porch light. The bugs flitting around it mirrored the fears, doubts and qualms darting around his brain. But they didn’t chase away the desire. Despite his concerns, he still wanted Blaine.

“Are you worried you won’t like it?” Blaine asked, his voice so soft that it blended with the night.

Charlie shrugged. “Maybe. A little. No, not really.” He paused. “I’m afraid you won’t.”

Blaine’s low chuckle burrowed inside him, warm and fuzzy. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“Sure it does. You’ve done it before. I haven’t.”

“Performance anxiety?”

Charlie didn’t answer. Blaine’s familiar scent, like sunshine and trees, hung in the truck cab. But there was a new aspect to it. Not just that Charlie was responding to it sexually. But something else. Something that hadn’t been there before. Or maybe he’d been too oblivious to notice.

“Come on. You’re not like this with Meredith.”

“I have more experience with women. Hell, what am I saying? I
only
have experience with women.”

Blaine squeezed his hand. “You’ve never masturbated?”

“Well, yeah, of course I have.” He squirmed. Especially over the last week with thoughts of Meredith
and
Blaine providing all the stimulation he needed.

“And I’m assuming you’ve had at least one woman go down on you.”

“Yeah.”

“You know what you like, right?”

He swallowed. Hell, yeah. “Uh-huh.”

“What makes you think I won’t like what you like?”

He had a point. In fact, Charlie felt head-smackingly dense for not realizing it himself. “But the other... I haven’t even done that with a woman.”

“You mean anal?”

“Yes.” It came out in a relieved whisper even as his ass clenched, not unpleasantly, at the thought. “Do you—” he stumbled, “—like it?”

“Fuckin’ love it.” The smile in his voice was contagious.

Charlie looked at Blaine for the first time since they’d parked. Blaine had slid closer to him on the bench seat. They were only a few inches apart. Close enough to...

Heart pounding, Charlie leaned in and touched his lips to Blaine’s. They were firm and immediately responsive, and he wanted more. Charlie deepened the kiss, and Blaine’s one-day growth rasped against his beard like two pieces of sandpaper. Their mouths parted, and Charlie tasted a hint of the beer his friend had drunk at Meredith’s. But mostly he tasted Blaine, honeyed and masculine, a surprising mixture.

Charlie unlaced their fingers and spread his hands on the worn cotton of Blaine’s T-shirt. He slid up and down the shirt, learning Blaine’s body. The V of his ribs leading to the flat stomach, the curves of his pecs capped with the stiff peaks of his nipples. Charlie’s breathing quickened, and the surge of blood to his cock left that part of his anatomy in charge.

Forget sleep. He didn’t need it. He needed Blaine.

Because of Blaine’s experience, Charlie had figured his friend would take the lead as he had when they’d kissed two days ago. Wasn’t happening. Blaine didn’t move, didn’t touch him. Charlie broke the kiss and pulled back to make sure they were on the same page. Blaine’s mouth was parted, his normally blue-green eyes dark and unfocused.

“You up for this?” Charlie asked before he got in too deep.

“Have been for four years,” Blaine answered, his voice rough with desire.

Charlie bunched handfuls of the man’s shirt in his hands and inched it up, skimming Blaine’s bared flesh. His palms itched for more. He swept the T-shirt over Blaine’s head and dropped it on the floor of the cab. The temptation of all that skin was too much. His hands traced every sweaty inch of it. His parted lips kissed Blaine’s shoulder. But he wanted to taste him, too, so he flicked his tongue then sucked at the damp flesh. Blaine’s muscles twitched beneath Charlie’s exploration.

And then Blaine’s hands were learning Charlie. Big, rough hands that teased and caressed and kneaded. Blaine kissed and licked and sucked at his neck. As if there were a direct flight from his neck to his cock, Charlie’s erection twitched and grew. When Blaine caught the tight nubs of Charlie’s nipples between his teeth and tugged, Charlie thought he was gonna lose it. He shoved Blaine back and grasped the waistband of the man’s jeans. Their gazes caught and held as he unbuttoned and slowly released the zipper. He made sure the back of his hand slid along Blaine’s cock as he worked because that was what Charlie liked—a seemingly inadvertent touch while accomplishing another task. Blaine’s hips undulated, the motion all sex. Charlie wanted his bare cock in his hand. He yanked down Blaine’s briefs and wrapped his fingers around the long, hot erection. It pulsed against his palm.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Blaine moaned.

Charlie wanted to fuck him, but he didn’t have lube or condoms in the cab of the truck. And he sure as hell wasn’t breaking this off now to take it to his room.

He fumbled with his own jeans and jerked them down over his hips until his cock sprang free then pressed Blaine’s shoulders to the bench seat. When Blaine’s head landed at an awkward angle on the passenger door, Charlie yanked his hips toward him until Blaine was flat on the narrow bench seat with one booted foot on the floor of the cab and the other on the seat. Charlie crawled between Blaine’s thighs, one knee on the bench and one leg bent and braced on the floor. He placed his hands on the seat above Blaine’s shoulder, bracketing the man’s head. It was awkward. Blaine’s hips were half on, half off the cloth bench. Charlie held himself half on, half off. Apparently Ford truck cabs weren’t designed for two grown-assed men having sex. Go figure.

He imagined Meredith watching them, licking her lips in anticipation, her sex-heavy gaze fastened on their cocks. He didn’t finish removing Blaine’s jeans, didn’t even consider removing his own. They could do slow and naked later, when they had more room to maneuver. Right this second, he couldn’t wait to feel the tight, hot flesh of Blaine’s cock against his own. Clenching his jaw in anticipation, he lowered his hips. The moment their plump heads bumped, a hiss escaped. Their smooth, satiny flesh slid together, the gentle friction like a stream of warm water. The musky scent of sex rose between them, more intoxicating than tequila. He stopped and drew in deep breaths. He didn’t want to come yet, wanted to enjoy this, savor it like a snifter of Don Julio.

With the windows rolled up, it was hot and muggy. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, his arms, his chest. When he had his impending orgasm under control, he thrust his hips and sent his cock and balls in a sensuous glide along Blaine’s. That tight coil of pleasure in his groin became a knot of need desperate to burst free. Blaine’s hand slipped between them, his knuckles grazing the sensitive hairs on the belly beneath Charlie’s cock. Blaine wrapped his hands around both of their cocks and sandwiched them together.

Charlie sucked in his breath and held it. He buried his face in Blaine’s neck and began to rock his hips—slowly at first, fucking the tight fist and sweat-slickened erection. The bench seat was no longer too small, the position of their bodies no longer awkward.

“Are you thinking about her?” Charlie asked. “Are you thinking about Meredith watching us?”

“Ah, God, Charlie. Don’t—I can’t last. Fuck, I’ve wanted this so—” Blaine stopped, jerked, and splashes of his hot come spurted against Charlie’s belly and coated their dicks, making everything so slippery that Charlie couldn’t hold back. He wanted to feel that release, wanted his seed mixed with Blaine’s. He pressed his mouth to Blaine’s shoulder, and suddenly tasting wasn’t enough. He wanted to eat him. He bit, filling his mouth with the salty flavor of his friend’s flesh. The knot at the base of his balls grew, his thrusts became fast and then erratic, jerky and finally, the knot released, unfurled and shot out to mingle with Blaine’s.

* * *

Meredith was eating a salad at her desk when her cell rang the next day. She checked the display, and giddiness tingled through her. “Good afternoon, Charlie,” she said cheerfully.

“Good afternoon, Angel.”

After a heartbeat, she clued in and couldn’t contain her giggle. “Funny.
Charlie’s Angels
, right?”

“Yeah. Whew, for a second there I thought I was in trouble.”

“Close,” she joked, not really bothered if he
had
meant it as an endearment. “What’s up?”

“Blaine’s here, too. You’re on speaker.”

“Hi, Blaine. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. Did you come up with more conditions?”

“We did it,” Charlie said, the pride spilling from his voice.

It took her a moment to figure out what he meant. When she did she was stunned. She looked at her watch. That hadn’t taken long. About twelve hours. Charlie hadn’t been as reluctant as she’d thought. That was good. So why had her heart just done a belly flop? It was what she wanted. They could be together now without any awkwardness. Well, not much. No one would be freaking out about touches or kisses or whatever happened.

“Uh, are you still there?”

She snapped back to the man on the other end. “Yeah, I’m here. That was quick.”

“We aim to please.”

“You—um—liked it?”

Their voices formed a chorus. “Yeah.”

Stupid question. Of course they had. “Great.” That sounded lame, jealous even. She shoved her plastic salad bowl away from her and tried to work up some authentic enthusiasm. “That’s great.”

“Is something wrong?” Charlie asked.

“No. I’m fine. I just didn’t expect to hear from you today. I didn’t think—I mean, you got back to the ranch late—I’m just surprised,” she finished lamely.

“Meredith, honey—and don’t yell at me for calling you honey.”

She couldn’t help but smile.

“We still want you. Is that what’s worrying you?”

The knots in her stomach loosened. “Are you sure? It’s fine if you don’t.” She was such a liar. The truth was she would be crushed if they didn’t want her. And not just because she’d miss the sex.

Blaine spoke for the first time. “Last night, when we were together, you were there with us. Maybe not physically, but your spirit. This doesn’t work without you.”

She was too choked up to speak. For a second she wished he were Cassandra’s dad. She could tell him all about her, and he’d be the one person besides her who would truly understand her love for her daughter and the sacrifice she’d made. But if she told him and he did the DNA test and he was her dad, he might try to take Cassandra from her family. He might insist on his rights as her biological father. She couldn’t risk that. He’d probably be a great father, but it wouldn’t be fair to Cassandra to take her from the dads who loved her, the only dads—the only family—she’d ever known.

Blaine must’ve taken her silence for disbelief. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m not expressing myself clearly. But I don’t know how to explain.”

“No, that was beautiful. I just wish I was there. I want to hug you.” Not wanting Charlie to feel left out, she added, “Both of you.”

“Meredith, are you listening?” Charlie asked.

“Yes.” Of course, she was. She was listening for the hidden meaning, the words they couldn’t bring themselves to say.

“He’s right. This doesn’t work without you. I can feel your brain working overtime. Don’t get me wrong. I love your brain. But sometimes you gotta go with your heart. Your intuition. Don’t question it. Don’t think about it. Just accept it.”

He knew her so well. Better than her sister. Better than anyone except maybe Blaine. It still astounded her that Blaine had seen beyond the ditz all those years ago.

“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

* * *

Meredith and two WoSTEM campers sat around a table at a midscale chain restaurant across the street from TIMT. The girls were enthusiastically discussing the physics lab Meredith had led that morning. Variations of the discussion were going on in small groups around the restaurant—two girls matched with a grad student, an industry professional or a college professor. All of the mentors were women. And the groups were small to encourage even the shiest girls to participate in the conversation. Every day, the girls rotated time among different mentors to increase their exposure to careers in science, technology, engineering and math. In her opinion, this networking was the most valuable part of camp.

Meredith was grateful for the discussion and the girls’ questions. It kept her mind off tomorrow. She’d talked to Charlie and Blaine every day over the last two weeks. Sometimes just a short phone call late at night to check in. But more often a nice long chat.