Winter Oranges (21 page)

“Your foreskin. Doesn’t it hurt?”

Jason laughed. “I suppose it did when it happened, but it’s all good now.”

“I don’t want to do anything wrong.” And as he said it, Ben moved his slim fingers with exquisite slowness up Jason’s length. Jason caught his breath and pulled Ben into a kiss.

“Not much chance of that.”

Ben’s erection didn’t make it past about half-mast, but he seemed to enjoy himself nonetheless as he stroked Jason, urging him toward his own climax. Jason wondered if his orgasm would be dry like Ben’s, or if he’d ejaculate like usual. He didn’t care either way. He just wanted it to happen here with Ben, the two of them both solid flesh and blood—or as close to it as they were likely to get. He was torn between wanting to kiss Ben and wanting to stare at him every second, taking him in like oxygen.

Finally, when his climax was so close he could barely stand it, he pulled back enough to see Ben’s face, and his full, red lips. Jason had one fleeting thought of what it would look and feel like to have those luscious lips around his cock, and then several things happened all at once.

The first wave of his orgasm hit.

He noted a distinct lack of semen.

A smile bloomed on Ben’s beautiful face.

And Jason started awake in the solitude of his bed, crying out in pleasure, thrusting into the mattress as he spent himself in his underwear. It was the most intense orgasm he’d had in ages.

And here on this side of the globe, it most definitely wasn’t the dry kind.

Jason’s first thought upon waking the next morning was that he’d had way too much to drink the night before. “Headache” didn’t even begin to describe the pain that consumed him. It began at the base of his neck and radiated up, through his jaw, past his temples, spiking over his eyes to culminate at some point on top of his skull. Even his teeth hurt. He didn’t dare try to open his eyes. He buried his face in the pillow and tried to remember what kind of party he’d been at. What kind of drugs he’d taken. Had Dylan given him something? Dylan always had a pocket full of pills.

But no.

No party. No Dylan.

It came back to him in pieces.

The globe. And Ben. Waking in the middle of his orgasm. And afterward, as he’d lain there still shuddering from the force of his climax, Ben had appeared. He’d climbed on top of the bed to straddle Jason and gazed down into his eyes.

“I’ll come back,” Jason had told him. “If I fall asleep with the globe—”

Ben had smiled and shaken his head.
Sleep
, he’d said, and it was as if Jason could hear him. The music box wasn’t running, but Jason knew Ben’s voice. He heard his laughter in his sleep and knew the cadence of his speech the way he knew the lyrics to his favorite song.
I’m tired too. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Jason had cleaned himself up and fallen asleep. He hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol, let alone anything harder, so why did it feel as if his head were an egg and whatever was growing inside had decided it was time to break free?

He risked cracking an eyelid. Sunlight filled his bedroom, but he could tell from the angle of the rays that it was way past the time of morning when he usually awoke. Ben stood at the side of his bed, his face creased with worry.

Now Jason was more confused than ever.

He glanced at the clock.

“One thirty?” He sat up quickly and regretted it immediately. He cradled his head in his hands and tried to think. How could he have slept so late? Granted he wasn’t exactly a morning person, but he never slept past noon. “What the fuck happened?”

Of course, even if Ben were answering, Jason couldn’t hear him. He reached for the globe and turned the key.

“Are you all right?” Ben asked immediately. “Are you sick?”

“I don’t know.”

Ben wrung his hands. “I was so worried, and all I could think was how there was nothing I could do. I started imagining the most horrible scenarios, and I can’t even call for help. All I could do was stand here and fret. I’m worthless!”

“It’s fine,” Jason said, massaging his temples. “You’re fine. I’m fine. We’re all fine.” It was even possible his head hurt marginally less than before. Maybe.

Maybe not.

“Just give me a minute.”

He stumbled downstairs and washed down a piece of toast with three Advil, a Tylenol, and a giant glass of water while his coffee brewed. He took the latter back upstairs with him to where Ben still waited in the bedroom.

“I need a shower. Do you want to wait here, or do you want me to take you downstairs and turn on
The Love Boat
or something?”

He meant the question to sound gentle, but his head was still pounding, and he knew by Ben’s distraught expression it hadn’t come out the way he’d intended. Or maybe it was only that Ben was beating himself up for making Jason wait on him again. Either way, he shook his head and sank slowly to the bed.
I’ll wait here.

“Okay. I won’t be long.”

He downed half the mug of coffee while he waited for the water to heat up, and finally, he climbed into the tub and pulled the little lever.

If there was any wrong in the world that couldn’t be righted by a hot shower, Jason had not yet encountered it and hoped he never did. He stood under the scalding spray, stretching his shoulders as his neck muscles relaxed. He breathed deep, imagining the caffeine and the drugs working their way from his stomach to his head. After only a few short minutes, he felt significantly better. But as his headache receded, his anger at himself grew.

He hated the way he’d treated Ben. No, he hadn’t meant to be abrupt or cold, and he suspected Ben would forgive him in a heartbeat. But Ben deserved better. After everything that had happened between them in the last forty-eight hours, Jason’s sudden near-rudeness was worse than not calling after a spectacular first date. And it really had been spectacular. Now that his brain wasn’t being short-circuited by the pain, Jason remembered exactly how good it had been—first their shared masturbation under the stars, and then that magical time in the globe. He remembered Ben’s smooth, pale skin. The feel of Ben’s frail body in his arms. The way he tasted and smelled. It was enough to stir Jason’s blood, and suddenly he wished he’d brought Ben into the bathroom with him. Then he pictured Ben standing in the tub, still wearing his white shirt and waistcoat and heavy leather boots, and he laughed.

No, maybe not in the shower.

But the bedroom . . .

Jason was still mostly wet when he emerged from the bathroom, a towel tied around his waist. Ben hadn’t moved from the edge of the bed.

Do you feel better?

“Yes.”

I’m glad.

It was so unfair to not be able to touch Ben. “Will you lie back on the bed for me?”

Ben’s eyebrows rose fractionally, but he did as Jason asked, and Jason straddled him, looming over him to meet his eyes as Ben had done to him the night before. “I’m sorry I was an ass.”

Ben shook his head.
You weren’t.

“I was. Last night was amazing. And the night before that too. That should have been the first thing I said to you this morning.”

Ben smiled.
I don’t mind.

Jason eyed Ben’s perfect lips. He studied the line of his neck. His cock stirred against the towel. “I wish I could kiss you.”

Me too.

“I can’t wait to fall asleep again and do all those things to you I promised to do.”

Ben’s image flickered and a smile spread across his face. His gaze moved down Jason’s body to the very obvious tent between his legs. Ben’s hand moved toward it, and Jason moaned, imaging he could feel Ben’s touch. Imaging how it would feel to have Ben remove his towel.

Take it off.

Jason obeyed, letting it fall aside. “Now what?” he asked.

Ben traced the length of Jason’s erection with his weightless, intangible hand. He smiled flirtatiously at Jason.
Practice?
His raised eyebrows and the curve of his lips made the word a question.

Jason’s only response was a low sigh—almost a whimper—and Ben smiled. He pointed at Jason, then jammed his finger pointedly into the mattress.

“You want to be on top?”

Ben nodded.

Jason moved off of him, reaching first for the globe so he could give Ben his voice. He wound it up before lying down on his back facing Ben. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Nothing yet,” Ben said, moving closer. “I just want to look at you for a minute. Is that okay?”

“I suppose.” Although he squirmed a bit, partly because he was suddenly more self-conscious than usual, partly from sheer arousal. The sensual heat in Ben’s eyes was enough to drive him crazy. Ben leaned toward Jason’s naked groin. He stopped with his face only an inch from his erection. He parted his lips, as if he could breathe on Jason’s bare flesh, and Jason wished more than anything that he could feel the warmth of Ben’s breath washing over his aching cock.

“You’re killing me here.”

Ben smiled up at him—the most wickedly flirtatious smile Jason had ever seen grace those gorgeous lips. “I wish I could taste you.”

“Surprisingly enough, I was thinking the exact same thing.”

Ben laughed and straddled Jason’s hips. “You definitely seem to be feeling better.”

“I am. The headache’s mostly gone. It was brutal, though.”

“You’re still awfully pale. And your eyes are bloodshot. Are you sick?”

“I don’t know.” He eyed Ben’s slender body, still perched across his hips. “I’m feeling fine at the moment though. You’re one hell of a distraction.”

Ben smiled and leaned closer, as if they could kiss. His hand moved slowly in the vicinity of their overlapping groins, and Jason matched his movements, running his fingers slowly up the length of his cock, shuddering at the simple pleasure. But he was torn about how he wanted this to go, and Ben seemed to sense it.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want you to use up all your energy. Not if it means spending another day with you trapped in that globe where I can’t see you. I’d rather have you here with me all afternoon and save the sex for another time.”

Ben froze, his eyes wide.

“What?” Jason asked. “Does that surprise you?”

“A little.”

“It shouldn’t. I love being with you. I love hearing you prattle on about
Fantasy Island
. I love the way you laugh. And I really love seeing you smile. I think I could stare at those lips of yours all day.” He put his fingers against Ben’s translucent cheek. He brushed his thumb over Ben’s lips. “I’ll take all those things over the few minutes we’ll have here.”

Ben’s smile widened, his cheeks noticeably flushing at the flattery. He glanced pointedly at Jason’s still erect penis, which hadn’t quite gotten the message.

“On the other hand,” Jason conceded, “if you think there’s a chance we can do both, I’m all in favor.”

Ben tilted his head, as if weighing the odds.

Ding-dong
.

“Oh shit,” Jason groaned.

Was that the doorbell?
The music box had run out, but Jason was able to read the words on Ben’s lips.

“It was.” Jason sighed. “I suppose it would be bad form to answer the door without my pants.”

Ben laughed silently and said something that might have been,
I dare you.

It was a dare Jason chose not to accept.

He pulled on sweats and a T-shirt, grabbed the snow globe, winding the key on the music box out of habit as he took the stairs two at a time. Still, the doorbell rang a second time before he made it to the entryway.

“I’m coming!”

He glanced down at the tent in his pants. He wasn’t fully erect anymore, but he wasn’t flaccid either. If he’d taken the extra few seconds to put on underwear first, it would have been fine. But going freestyle in his sweatpants, he was still making a bit of a show. He pulled his T-shirt down, hoping to keep things out of view until his anatomy returned to its full “at ease” position, and cracked the door open just enough to peer out.

“What the hell took you so long?” Dylan asked, laughing. “Are you going to let me in or what?”