Barging In Page 11

Robin stared at him. “Why would you? It’s not like I go around broadcasting it.”

  “Sorry, I—”

  “I was twelve before my Mum managed to bully the school into getting me properly tested. Up until then, everyone told me I was thick. I used to get lippy with the teachers to hide the fact I couldn’t read properly. First time I got expelled, I was eight years old.”

  “Eight?” Jesus Christ, Dan had been a model pupil at eight. Not that it stopped the teasing from the other kids, but he didn’t think it politic to mention that right now. Robin’s brow was furrowed deeply, and he looked like he was trying to bore a hole in the floor of the boat with some kind of death-ray glower.

  “Do you know what that’s like, Dan? To have everyone ripping the piss out of you about something you can’t help?”

  “I’ve got an idea.” Yeah, those childhood bullies had sniffed out his homosexuality before he’d even realised it himself. “Is that why you don’t have any books? I did wonder.”

  Robin shot him a glare. “I can read. I’m not an idiot.”

  “I didn’t say you couldn’t.” Why did this man have to be so bloody complicated? “I just figured you probably wouldn’t enjoy it much.”

  “Yeah, well…” Robin seemed mollified, and his scowl softened. “It’s hard work, and it takes me a long time to get through a page. I can’t really read for pleasure.” His fingers still gripped the remote, and Dan began to unlace them slowly, slipping his own between them.

  “That’s a shame. I can’t imagine how I’d have survived my teens otherwise. I used to get picked on by Dad for always having my nose in a book. Reading wasn’t the most popular pastime in our house.”

  “You’d have fit in better with my family.” Robin gave a wry smile. “Mum sent me off to a fucking boarding school the first chance she got. Special place for those who were ‘differently abled’. What a right bloody waste of time that was.”

  “They couldn’t help you, then?”

  Robin sighed again, and Dan wondered if he was going to answer at all. When he spoke, the words came slowly, as if forcing them out was causing him pain.

  “I learnt a lot there, but not what they were teaching. It’s where I met Jamie.” The expression that darkened Robin’s face at the mention of that name was a curious one, mingling guilt, nostalgia and a deep sorrow. Dan wanted to wrap his arms around him and tell him it would all be okay, but as he didn’t even know what “it” was, the best he could do was to squeeze Robin’s hand and lean against him.

  “Do you want to talk about him?” What was he going and offering now? He didn’t do all this emotional-baggage shit. But as Robin shook his head, disappointment tightened Dan’s chest. Bugger; he actually wanted to know about Robin’s big dark secret. Stupid, really. He should steer well clear of those kinds of confidences. It would make it so much harder to leave if he knew this man deep down and inside out.

  Robin heaved a huge breath and visibly composed himself. “How about this movie, then? The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk, complete with cheesy American voice acting and half-naked Chinese men?”

  Dan snuggled closer, curling his legs up beneath him, wrapping an arm around Robin and resting his head on his shoulder. “Sounds good to me. I like a big dollop of cheese with my half-naked men.”

  Robin snorted. “You’ll get that all right.”

  “Ooh, is that a promise?” Dan nipped playfully at Robin’s shoulder. “I might have to take you up on that later.”

  “Piss off, you randy bugger.” Dan grinned as he felt Robin’s shoulders drop farther, the tension leaching out of his body.

  But though he laughed at the film and enjoyed the balletic fighting despite himself, there was a little part of his mind that couldn’t help dwelling on Robin’s confession and what the fuck this Jamie fellow had done to mess him up so badly.

  If Dan ever met the guy, he wouldn’t be held responsible for his actions.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As the end credits rolled, Robin pondered his next move. He’d somehow ended up with his head resting on Dan’s lap. What’s more, Dan had started stroking his hair, making it a real challenge to concentrate on the last few scenes. The heat of Dan’s thigh made Robin’s head sweat where they touched, and he was hyperaware of just how close he was to Dan’s groin. His breath came harder, and he stroked his hand up the denim-clad thigh, his callouses dragging at the fabric.

  Dan cleared his throat, and Robin looked up at him. There was a playful glint in his eyes, and he raised his eyebrows as if challenging Robin to do something.

  Robin gulped. He’d had some nerves the previous night, but nothing like this. It felt like his insides were fluttering so hard they’d break out and fly away. He wanted. God, how he wanted. He slipped down to the floor and settled on his knees between Dan’s legs. Dan’s lips parted with a sharp-drawn breath, and Robin found it hard to tear his gaze away from them. He wanted to bite and suck and taste but held himself back. Who knew what a kiss would mean on top of all the cosy intimacy and the confession he’d made earlier? Better to stick to purely sexual contact.

  And so he lowered his head, nuzzling into Dan’s groin and feeling the swell of that cock grow stiffer against his cheek and lips. The musky scent was overwhelming, and his fingers seemed to be working on autopilot, scrabbling at the button and zip while he rubbed his face against Dan’s erection. A moan welled up inside him, all needy and turned on and bloody embarrassing.

  “Fuck, yeah.” Dan’s voice was husky, and he placed a hand on the back of Robin’s head, the touch gentle but firm enough to let him know that this was exactly what he wanted.

  Dan’s jeans were off in moments, and then there was just that skimpy little thong preventing access. Under any other circumstances, Robin would have found the scrap of red cotton amusing—it was too small to contain Dan’s erection, and his cockhead poked out the top. But right now it was in his way and had to go.

  Dan’s dick sprang free, and Robin froze. There was no way he was going to fit all of that into his mouth. Dan was longer than Jamie had been, and other than him, Robin had never sucked another guy’s dick before. But he wanted this so badly. His chest grew tight with anticipation, and the whole world narrowed to the idea of his lips around Dan’s shaft. Of taking him deep and forcing some of those absurdly sexy noises out of him.

  “Robin? You there?”

  God, how long had Dan been trying to get his attention?

  “There you are! Thought you’d gone into a trance for a minute. Here, let’s get your shirt off.” Dan’s hands began tugging at the fabric. “I want to see your gorgeous body while you’re sucking me off. I’ve been thinking about it all day. I’ve been draining my camera battery looking at those pictures of you at the bridge.”

  When Dan’s voice went low and sultry, Robin’s body responded with a delicious tingling. He let Dan pull off his T-shirt, then returned the favour. He pulled the fabric over Dan’s head and watched the way those pupils flared as Dan caught sight of his inked skin.

  Beautiful, Dan mouthed. Was he really? Robin looked down at the patterned skin with its trail of dark hair, then over at Dan’s smooth body, honey-coloured and suspiciously free from tan lines. Indeed, the only lines there were some livid scratches on Dan’s chest.

  “That wasn’t me, was it?” Robin asked, running a fingertip over the marks, his stomach clenching. God, he hadn’t really been that rough, had he?

  “Nah, it was that cat of yours. This one was you.” Dan pointed to a bruise on his neck. “And these. Pretty sexy, huh?”

  Robin was about to apologise for the bruises on Dan’s hips when he felt himself being pulled up and in, closer and closer towards the haven of Dan’s mouth.

  Robin gasped as Dan’s lips brushed hot against his own. He had to kiss him, had to—his tongue pushing in to taste that sweetness before his teeth closed to tug on Dan’s lower lip. The moan Dan gave started a chain reaction in Robin’s body, his pulse racing as the blood rushed to his groin and made him
harder than ever. He dragged his lips down Dan’s neck and chest, pausing to nip in places, the pressure of his teeth causing Dan to groan and buck his hips. But that reaction was nothing compared to when Robin sucked at Dan’s perked nipple, baring his teeth just enough to graze over the skin. Jesus! Robin thought his were pretty sensitive what with the piercings, but that was nothing compared to Dan’s reaction: writhing and whimpering and begging Robin, “Please, God, please, fuck, please!”

  Robin couldn’t help himself. He sucked hard at the skin just below Dan’s nipple. He needed to mark him again but couldn’t think why. He just needed. Robin sat back on his heels to admire his work. The dark red bruise stirred something deep inside. Something wild and dangerous. Something primal.

  Dan took a while to calm down, his body stilling and breathing returning to normal. A flush had spread over his chest and up to his cheeks, his eyes shining bright and liquid.

  Robin couldn’t remember anyone ever having this sort of response to his touch; no recollection of ever having this level of power over a lover. It made his heart pound, and he had no idea if that was from fear or arousal or a heady mixture of both.

  Dan rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes. “If you’re gonna suck me off, you’d better do it quick or I’m going to embarrass myself.”

  “Right.” Robin eyed Dan’s cock, watching as a bead of pre-come formed and then broke, trickling down. He salivated, desperate to taste but not daring to. Not when he knew the sort of man Dan was. He’d put the condoms in his pocket earlier and pulled one out. Strawberry flavour—well, it seemed unlikely. As far as he could remember they all tasted of rubber, despite the packet’s claims.

  “What are you doing?” Dan asked, a trace of annoyance in his tone.

  “What does it look like?” Robin found the tip and pinched it closed, taking hold of Dan’s cock with his other hand and trying not to notice how silky smooth it was, because otherwise he wouldn’t be able to bear covering it up. He tore open the packet and began rolling.

  “You don’t need one. I’m negative, and even if I wasn’t, the risk from oral is tiny.”

  Dan definitely sounded pissed off now. Robin looked up to see him frowning.

  “How many men have you fucked?”

  “What, since my last test? I dunno, a few. Not that many. It was only a couple of months ago. I’m careful, though. I’m always safe. Come on, Robin, I want to feel you properly.”

  Dan’s pout was adorable, but Robin wasn’t about to be swayed that easily. “You shouldn’t ask me to do something I’m not comfortable with.”

  Dan glared at him. “What about you last night? Fucking me so hard I’ve been sore all day. That wasn’t very comfortable for me, was it?”

  Robin’s face grew hot. “I’d have stopped if you’d asked me to.” The words came out louder than he’d intended. Regret twisted sharp in his guts as he watched Dan wince.

  But then the fight drained out of Dan, his shoulders slumping, even his cock starting to droop. “No, you’re right. Sorry. You have every right to want to be safe.” Dan closed his eyes and fell back against the sofa cushions. “Way to kill the mood, eh?”

  The sight of Dan, defeated, pierced Robin through. He knew he was being pigheaded, but he wasn’t about to apologise, so he leant in and licked along the seam of Dan’s lips instead. It took a moment for Dan to react, but then those arms snaked around Robin and pulled him closer as the kiss deepened. When they eventually broke apart, Dan was panting again, his erection pushing hard into Robin’s belly.

  Dan gave a half smile. “I’m sure I’ll be able to feel things just fine with that tongue stud of yours.”

  Robin ran the stud along his teeth so that Dan could see it, gratified by the lust that darkened Dan’s eyes. His own was still high, stoked rather than quenched by the heat of his anger. He lowered his head straight to Dan’s crotch this time, wanting nothing more than to slide that length into his mouth and wipe out the memory of their argument. But first he took a moment to explore Dan’s balls, filling his mouth with the flavour of him in the hope of combating the artificial strawberry scent that was already invading his nostrils.

  He couldn’t put it off forever, though. If he wanted to do this, he’d have to brave the condom. He took a firm grip of Dan’s shaft with his hand while sucking gently at the tip, and when Dan’s moans grew fevered, he plunged his mouth down as far as it would go.

  Robin almost gagged on cloying strawberry when Dan hit the back of his throat, but he pulled back, working his tongue stud against the head and relaxing his jaw. The next time was easier, and by the third plunge he was confident enough to increase the suction and even try swallowing, wriggling his tongue with every pull to give Dan the full benefit of his piercing. He had to brace his hands on Dan’s hips to stop him thrusting, digging in his fingers and setting his own pace. Dan complained, pushing down on the back of Robin’s head but too far gone for the words to make any sense.

  The sounds Dan was making and the sensation of him filling Robin’s mouth were so intense that even without the taste and texture of him on his tongue, Robin’s balls started to draw up. He held Dan down with one hand as the other tore at his fly, releasing his aching cock.

  “Shit, Robin, coming, please!”

  Robin relaxed his hold on Dan’s hip, allowing him to fuck his mouth while coming. It was so good, being used like that. So good to hear Dan’s uninhibited howls of pleasure ringing in his ears. To feel Dan pulsing in his mouth, twitching and stuttering. Once Dan had finished, Robin crawled up and straddled him, pumping his cock hard until the fire flashed through his veins and he drenched Dan’s body with his seed. The sight of creamy jizz dripping down that smooth skin and over the bite mark he’d left earlier sent another surge of heat sweeping through Robin, and he convulsed with a sound he wasn’t proud of. Seemed his body wanted to keep on going. He rode out the racking spasms, burying his face in Dan’s neck and letting the world around dissolve into a haze of overwhelming sensation.

  When things started to make sense again, Robin collapsed in a loose-limbed sprawl, hooking a leg over Dan’s. He closed his eyes, content to drift in a post-orgasmic haze, until he felt Dan’s weight shift and a gentle touch on his shoulder.

  “What do they mean?” Dan asked.

  “Huh? Who?”

  “Your tattoos. They look tribal. Do they have a particular meaning?”

  “Umm, not sure. I was only eighteen when I got them done. Spent all my birthday money on them. Mum went ballistic when she found out.” Robin chuckled at the memory. Baiting his mother had been a full-time hobby when he was a teenager. “She wanted to pay for laser removal.”

  “You mean you had your body covered in patterns and they don’t mean anything to you?” Dan sounded appalled, and Robin opened his eyes to check on him. Dan was staring at him, wide eyes glittering gold in the dim light.

  “Does it matter? Why d’you get yourself waxed? And I don’t reckon that tan’s from the sun, either.”

  “Just a little aid to my natural beauty.” Dan’s lips curled in a smile as he ran a hand over his own chest, smearing Robin’s come around before reaching down to pick up a T-shirt and wipe himself clean. “We’re not all gorgeous hunks of masculinity like you. Some of us have to work at it.”

  Robin’s face grew hot at the compliment. “I reckon you’d look pretty good without the sunbed tan.” His voice came out gruff, surprising them both.

  “Pretty good?” Dan pouted, his eyes creasing at the corners. “Baby, you’re going to spoil me. My head will swell so large I won’t be able to ever leave your boat.”

  Despite the weirdness of being called “baby” by another man, Robin found himself chuckling as Dan mimed getting his head stuck in the door. Funny, he didn’t mind the odd camp affectation on Dan. It was kind of cute.

  Dan grinned at him and began stroking over Robin’s tattoos again, tracing around an armband and up over his shoulder, following the sweep of an inked line over Robin’s back. “So
why d’you have them done, then?”

  “Not sure. Lots of reasons, probably.” Robin waited for Dan to lose interest in his line of questioning, but he continued to trace over the inked patterns and made no comment. Eventually, Robin sighed. “Jamie dared me to get the first one done. This armband.” He held up his right arm so Dan could get a good look at the armband, now partly subsumed by the surrounding whorls. “He thought I’d look hot with tattoos and piercings.”

  Robin watched Dan’s brow crease as he examined the armband. “And what did you think about it all?”

  The memories threatened to flood back, and Robin did his best to resist them. “It was fine. I wanted to be a rebel, so it all fit.”

  Dan’s hand stroked up to Robin’s cheek, cupping his jaw and moving it so that he found himself staring into those hazel eyes. He couldn’t hold the gaze, preferring to focus on Dan’s lips, which were slightly parted and still swollen from their kisses.

  “You kept them all, though. You could have had them removed. They must mean something to you,” Dan said.

  “Reminders.” Of all the things he didn’t want to think about. Reminders not to trust. Not to lose himself in someone else like that ever again. Not to be a fool.

  But as he felt Dan’s tongue moving on his skin, following the curve of an inked line , Robin remembered that there were other reasons for keeping them. Maybe he could overlay old betrayals with new associations. He gasped as Dan sucked on his skin, the sweet pain stirring something deep within him. Maybe things could get better. If he let them.

  Maybe it was time to try something new.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dan finished up his second shoot of the day—an old geezer called Rusty who owned a traditionally painted narrowboat that fit his name perfectly, listing to one side with moss growing on the windows. The inside had been as dark as a crypt, but with clever use of reflectors and his able assistant, Mel, Dan had taken some atmospheric shots of Rusty’s grizzled face looming out of the darkness. He’d been alarmed by Rusty’s cough, though, and they’d had to stop several times while they waited for him to hack his lungs up.