Page 31 of Deep Waters

“Sorry.” Christian raised his hands. “That’s the journalist in me. I’m so used to asking questions that I don’t know when to stop. Ignore me. I withdraw it.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just so rare to talk to someone like this. I’m not used to it.” He took another sip. “Antoni was my last boyfriend. I told you about him yesterday—the Polish guy who got abuse from our local fuckwits. We were together for nearly three years. He’s a lovely man, but we just didn’t make it to the next level. Know what I mean? We’re still good friends and I hope we always will be, but the romance hadn’t been there for a long time when we split up. If anything, things are better between us now, because we get to be friends without the problems that come with being a couple.”

Christian couldn’t imagine anyone involved with Harry being so dumb as to let the sexual side of the relationship fizzle out. “And there’s been no one since?”

He shook his head. “What about you? Manchester has a massive gay scene, doesn’t it? You must see plenty of action.”

He almost choked on his gin. As he recovered, he said, “You know all those things you said you hate about Newcastle? Well, imagine that multiplied by a hundred. That’s what it’s like. All the guys I’ve met these last few years have been the same. They don’t want to commit to anything meaningful. They want to keep their options open, hoping there’s someone better around the corner—or rather, one DM away. I can’t be bothered with all that shit.”

Harry grimaced. “That sounds horrendous. So, there’s been no one for you, either?”

“I met a guy last Christmas. Dan, he’s called—a TV researcher, the same age as me. We had a lot of things in common. We liked the same movies, music, food. I thought I had finally met somebody serious. But after five months, I found out Dan had been sleeping around and using apps the whole time we were seeing each other. So, that was the end of Dan. I’d had enough of shallow, superficial men.” He laughed uncontrollably.

“What’s so funny? It doesn’t sound amusing to me.”

He recovered his composure. “I’m laughing at the irony. Here I am slagging off those superficial guys, when just this afternoon I gave a blow job on a boat to a sexy man I met for the first time on Monday.”

Now Harry laughed. He put his elbows on the table, leaned forward, and lowered his voice. “I’m not going to complain about that. It was the best.”

Christian leaned in, too, breathing in the fresh, soapy scent of his skin and hair. “I can’t take all the credit. I had the very best material to work with.” Beneath the table, he pressed his knee between Harry’s thighs.

“It’s not really fair, though,” Harry said.

“In what way?”

“Well, you made me come harder than I ever have in my life. But I didn’t get a chance to return the favour.”

Christian shifted in the seat. His dick was uncomfortably hard in his pants. If they weren’t in a busy pub, he’d have crawled under the table and taken his fill of that beautiful cock all over again.

“If you’re not hungry yet, how about we go up to my room for a while?”

Harry’s eyes shone with delight and hunger. He knocked off the rest of his beer. “Show me the way.”

Chapter Eleven

Christian’s fingers trembled as he pulled his room card from his wallet and swiped the lock. It was strange, at his age, to feel the butterflies of young passion flutter through him. He stepped inside and clicked the switch for the table and bedside lights, bathing the room in their warm glow. Harry followed, shutting the door.

“Nice,” Harry said. “I’ve always wondered what the bedrooms were like in this place.”

Christian crossed to the windows and closed the curtains. The nearest properties were across the river and there was no direct line of sight, but a lifetime of close city dwelling had conditioned him to privacy.

Before he turned around, Harry was right behind him. He gripped Christian’s butt in both hands and put his chin on his shoulder. His breath was hot against Christian’s ear when he spoke.

“I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this all day.” He flicked Christian’s earlobe with his tongue.

Christian shivered, pressing his arse into Harry’s palms. “What took you so long?”

Harry nuzzled the hollow of his neck. His beard was soft and glossy against his skin. “I’m a little reserved about things like that.”

“I’m glad you’ve overcome that problem,” Christian said, tipping his head back to give unrestricted access to this throat.

Harry moved his hands around Christian’s waist and pressed his hips against his buttocks. The bulge of his cock fit into the cleft, and Christian swayed gently, relishing the heat and hardness of Harry’s erection. He knew what to expect, having already had the pleasure of Harry’s cock in his mouth, but Christian wanted him in many more ways than that.

He raised a hand behind him, stroking the side of Harry’s face. “I want you to fuck me,” he drawled.

“Mm-m,” Harry pressed kisses against his cheek. His cock jerked against Christian’s buttocks. “Guess what? I want that, too.”

He got his fingers to work, unbuckling Christian’s belt and unfastening his trousers. He shoved Christian’s chinos to mid-thigh. Christian’s cock strained against his underpants. Slowly, Harry drew the tips of his fingers over the bulge, brushing the underside, before focusing on the ultra-sensitive tip with the lightest, most sensual touch.

---