Page 125 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
“But we keep him up every night,” Joe protested. “What if someone comes into the bar for a drink? We should let you close.” He got up off his chair unsteadily. “This’ll be fun. We never entertain.”
“Joe,” Percy said quietly, staying the hand that pulled out a room key for Giordano, “I think Giordano is suggesting he might like tostay.”
“Then he can stay.” Joe shrugged, then redirected his speech to a bemused Giordano. “Have you seen that bed? It’s big enough for three.”
Giordano grinned back at him. “That sounds perfect.”
“No,” said Percy.
“I’ll be up in five,” said Giordano, accepting the key which Joe tore back from Percy and shoved across.
“Giordano…” Percy began. But damn. He wasbeautiful. Still so beautiful. But it was almost definitely a very bad idea. Giordano had feelings. And Percy had… a seemingly everlasting fondness. And Joe couldn’t have understood what was going on at all right now. Or could he have? It was unlike him, but then, how often did an opportunity like Giordano come along?
Joe was already halfway out of the bar, so Percy, following,threw back to Giordano, “I need to talk to him. This is almost definitely a no.”
“You talk,” said Giordano, quite sure he had heard Joe suggest only seconds prior that they should all share the bed, and quite sure he knew Percy well enough to know he wouldn't object. Not unless he’d changed even more than Luca suggested he had. Yet something in that notion made him throw the key back to Percy. “I’ll knock.”
Percy caught up with Joe at the elevator, sidled in next to him, and let the doors close before he commenced, “You know he wants to sleep with you, don’t you?”
“What?” Joe squinted over at him. “No, he wants a drink. He said he’s bringing something up.”
“He’s bringing something, all right,” Percy mumbled. Gorgeous, naïve Joe. “You must know that’s code. No one ever just says, ‘can I come up for sex, please?’”
Joe blushed pleasantly. “You did.”
“Okay, that’s true,” Percy conceded. “A few times. But Giordano wants to have sex with you. And with me. Just so we’re clear.” Joe’s brow darkened slowly, but thoroughly, as the news settled in, so Percy said, “I’ll call down when we get in and let him know it’s off.”
Unexpectedly, Joe placed a soft, stalling hand on Percy’s arm. “But is that what you want?”
The doors opened. “I’m sorry, what?” said Percy with a half glance at Joe. “WhatIwant?”
“Yeah.” They proceeded slowly down the hall. “What you said at the beach about sexual exploration and?—”
“No. I want you and only you,” Percy rushed out. “And I want you to be happy. And I very much don’t want you to do this because you think it would makemehappy.” Percy shoved his key into the door and pulled it open.
Joe followed, mulling things over, as Percy crossed to the replacement phone that was installed after he broke the lastone. “But do you think it would be bad for us? For our relationship, I mean.”
“Honestly?” Percy had the receiver at his ear, but he stopped to give Joe what he thought was the frank truth of the matter. “I think it would be bad for you. You have a jealous personality, and I love that about you, but I’m not convinced you could ever see this as just sex. You’re too sweet and too sensitive. And if we did this, I worry you would mistake physical attraction for more than it is.”
Percy began a search down the index for the number of the bar, pausing again when Joe said softly, “Would you like to see it, though?”
Stupid dick making itself known. “No,” said Percy firmly. “I don’t need to see that.”
Joe slid between Percy and the desk and kissed his cheek, wrapping his fingers around the top of Percy’s belt. “I didn’t ask if you need to.” He nipped his neck. “I asked if youwantto.”
Such weak flesh as Percy was a slave to. “No.”
Joe palmed Percy’s trousers. “Then why is your dick so hard?”
“Because you’re doing things!” Percy dodged away from him around the edge of the desk. Joe was in fast pursuit, making Percy ditch the telephone in favour of catching Joe’s hands and forcing them behind his back, from where he pushed him into the wall, and held him there with his chest, one leg sliding between Joe’s thighs. “There isn’t a night I don’t want to see you fucked every which way, crying in ecstasy as I invade every hole in a radically debauched orgy of pleasure.”
Joe licked his chin, and Percy’s resolve all but disappeared, yet he still ground out, “But we’re in a good place.” And he kissed Joe’s cheek gently. “I’ve never been this happy in my entire life. And though I will almost definitely regret this, eventually, I don’t want to jeopardise that. So…” He sighed out a very long breath, preparing to say words he never thought he’d say. “I don’t want to have a threesome tonight.”
It was a relatively long and perplexed silence until Joe narrowed his eyes and said, “What have you done with Percy?”
Rarely bashful, but obsessively enticing when he was, Percy lowered his head with a laugh. “I wish I knew.”
“Seriously,” said Joe, his lips on Percy’s cheek. “You don’t want to sleep with two handsome Italian men?”
