Page 58 of Rat

Rory bit his lip. “No. I…I like men.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Problem?”

“You’re avoiding looking me in the eye again.”

“No, I’m not.”

Sebastian smirked, then Rory felt the bed jolt as he climbed out. He stood up. “You don’t have to worry. I told you, I’m not going to force myself on you.”

“I know you won’t.”

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. “Do you really know that?”

“Fine, Ihopethat you won’t.”

“How many times have you jerked off since you’ve been here?”

Heat flooded Rory’s face. It didn’t matter that the lights were off; he imagined Sebastian could feel his embarrassment radiating from his cheeks.

“I haven’t.”

“God, you must befrustrated.”

Rory swallowed hard.

“Why haven’t you?” Sebastian asked softly.

“I…I don’t know, it’s weird…when you’re not alone.”

“It’s your cell too.”

“I know, but…”

Sebastian pursed his lips, ducked under the bed, then returned with the pot of Vaseline in his hand. “Tell you what, I’ll do it at the same time, and then you won’t feel weird.”

Rory’s cheeks caught fire. “What?”

Sebastian unscrewed the lid and held out the pot. “Take some, get your cock nice and slippery, that’s how I like it, it’ll feel better.”

His eyes glinted, challenging, smug, confident. Rory couldn’t work out what was going on in Sebastian’s head, but he held the pot out for a few minutes and neither of them spoke. The way Sebastian stared at him reminded Rory of their games of chess. The intense eye contact and the mounting tension between them as they tried to anticipate the other’s next move.

“You want me to…” The words got stuck in Rory’s throat, but he managed to force them out. “To jerk off?”

“Yes. I do.”

Rory reached hesitantly, and Sebastian gave him an encouraging nod. He chuckled when Rory finally scooped out some Vaseline with his fingers.

“That’s it,” Sebastian mumbled. “Enjoy.”

He disappeared under the bed, leaving Rory to stare at the ceiling with sticky fingers and a hard-on in his boxers. He didn’t touch himself but stayed perfectly still and listened.

He heard the pot of Vaseline again, Sebastian screwing the lid back on. Then Sebastian groaned, and Rory bit his lip when he heard the wet sound, the slip and slide of a hand on a cock. Sebastian was touching himself, andJesus, the headrush that fizzled through Rory’s brain left him blinking back black spots as all his blood rushed to his cock.

A whimper clawed its way from Rory’s throat, and Sebastian laughed breathlessly.

“What are you waiting for?” Sebastian asked.

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