Always (With Bonus Material) (Always & Forever Book 1) Read online

  "Come home with me tonight," Avery whispered on the exhale, and then breathed Kane in on the inhale. Kane's scent coated his senses and ran rampant across his soul, settling squarely in his already hard cock. "You have to feel it. I can't be alone in this."

  When Kane didn't immediately move away, Avery took the step separating them until his chest was fully pressed against Kane's back. His dick got the brush it needed and twitched in excitement, begging for more.

  Kane's heart pounded against his chest, racing so badly he couldn't hear himself think. Avery's breath coated his skin, danced across his ear, neck, and jaw, soothing as it created havoc all at the same time. The length of Avery's body moved against his. He could feel the hard cock pressing into his ass and every one of his nerve endings exploded into overdrive. Goose bumps sprang up across his arms, his breath hitched, and Kane desperately needed perspective.

  Kane wanted Avery, wanted to do exactly what he suggested, but it was a bad idea. He fought emotions he shouldn't feel. Kane attempted to make his escape, sliding first to the right, only to find Avery had caged him in. Instinctively, he turned to the left. He had to get out from under this seductive assault or he was going to spontaneously combust.

  Avery blocked his escape with his left arm, keeping him right there—stuck between the bottles of wine and Avery's hard body with his brain too stunned to think.

  "Let me kiss you." The breath was back across his skin, this time from the left. The whisper-soft caress of air became his undoing. Avery slowly turned him around. The move proved to be all the incentive Kane needed, and he lifted his head. Avery's amber eyes held his. He was lost in a sea of turmoil at the emotion coursing through his veins. He swallowed before lifting his lips. Avery met him halfway.

  The kiss wasn't a sweet searching brush of the lips. They both immediately opened, creating a swirl of tongue and teeth as they desperately kissed one another. Avery backed him against the bottles, circling an arm around his waist, drawing him tightly against his body and kissed Kane like he had never been kissed before.

  Avery took complete control, dominating Kane in every way, and he let the man have his way. He lifted his hand to Kane's face. Avery's strong thumb stroked across his jawline then turned him to where he could delve deeper inside his mouth. The move caused nerves to explode again across Kane's skin and through his brain. His breath hitched, and he was forced to pull away, giving in to his need to breathe before passing out won in the end.

  Avery latched on to his neck and stayed on him. All Kane could do was lean his head back feeling the bottles shift behind him, giving Avery full access to his jaw and ear. Kane heard himself groan when Avery's teeth nipped the soft skin under his ear. Avery ground his hips forward and Kane involuntarily met him thrust for grinding thrust.

  "Come home with me. No, fuck home. I want you right here." Kane couldn't think with the sexy low voice whispering across his ear. Avery's hands were on him, seeking, and he pulled Kane's shirt from his slacks and unbuckled his belt. He was surprised to find his own hands working himself free, not Avery's. Loud beeps stopped Kane in his tracks as the security code to the wine cellar was entered.

  The door opened. Avery stayed right there, keeping his back to the room, covering Kane. Kane's eyes darted up to Avery's, they connected and held. Avery only stopped kissing him. He continued the gentle massage on his cock, staying right there in Kane's face. Those eyes pierced his with an intensity that somehow matched the pounding of his heart.

  "Sorry, boss, I need to get a bottle of red for a table," Rodney said, like it was the most natural thing in the world to walk in the wine room and catch Kane, or anyone for that matter, making out with someone. Kane started to speak, he opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, his eyes stayed glued to Avery's.

  "Don't worry, I'll cover for you." Rodney left almost as fast as he'd arrived.

  They continued gazing at one another. Neither spoke, neither moved, they just stared for several long moments. Avery's intensity never wavered. Helplessness settled in. Kane could feel his soul being extracted from his body. His heart followed, no longer his own, but given to this man he didn't even know. In a matter of a few short minutes, he had become one with this man in front of him. Confused, he looked closer at Avery, seeing only shameless intensity in his eyes. He had no idea if Avery experienced these same feelings, and he surely wasn't going to ask.

  Instead, he cleared his throat, removed himself from Avery's hold and tucked himself back inside his slacks, trying to find some control. It was a monumental experience to have finally given your heart away so freely, especially to someone you didn't know. The whole experience unnerved Kane.

  "Meet me tonight. I can come to you," Avery said. He didn't stop Kane from adjusting himself, but he didn't move away either.

  "It'll be late before I get off," Kane said, to his own surprise. He absolutely didn't do casual sex. That was one hundred percent against his beliefs, but here he was taking whatever Avery offered.

  "It doesn't matter the time," Avery said, and Kane nodded. This time Avery let him sidestep away. The distance helped with his perspective as he looked down his body, making sure his clothing lay right. He buttoned his suit jacket to hide his erection.

  "I messed up your hair," Avery said from behind him. He was close again, not as near as before, but close. "Kiss me again before you go."

  "Not here," Kane said, afraid of his own lack of control.

  "A small kiss, something to tide me over until tonight." Avery leaned in, and Kane obliged. He forced himself to keep it small, to end the connection after a couple of swipes of the tongue. "I live a few buildings over, but I can come to you after you're off."

  "Your house is fine," Kane said and ventured a look up into Avery's eyes. The intensity was still there. Just like before, those eyes had a way of robbing him of any sensible thought he might have, so he forced his gaze away and his body forward, moving them from the wine room.

  "I'm completely open to wherever if it changes. What time do you get off?" Avery asked.

  "Around two. Is that too late?" Kane never looked back as he moved them down the hall.

  "No, whenever, even if it's later. I'll write the address down for you. Please don't stand me up," Avery whispered, sliding a hand back around Kane's waist, tugging him back against his body, before he took the first step up the stairs. Kane only nodded and closed his eyes, allowing the embrace. After a full minute, Avery let him go with a warm press of lips on the back of his neck before they walked back upstairs.

  "I need to brush my hair," Kane said, pushing the dining room door open for Avery.

  "Don't stand me up," Avery repeated. Kane never looked back, only nodded as he retreated to his office. He needed time. Avery Adams had gone from being the guest from hell, to kissing him like he'd never been kissed before. A kiss that extracted his soul and had him agreeing to a one-night stand. He was going to need lots of time to figure all this out.

  Chapter 7

  The time ticked by, and energy Avery didn't know he possessed coursed through him. It was already a little past two in the morning. As he watched the minutes pass, Avery wondered about the wisdom of the way he left the restaurant tonight. He had written his address and phone number down on an order ticket at the bar and waited to hand it to Kane personally. The later it got, the more convinced he became that hadn't been the best decision. Maybe he should have stayed until Kane got off for the evening, just to ensure the man didn't change his mind.

  Avery had wanted time to prepare for Kane coming over. He changed his clothes several times before finally deciding on a pair of worn Levi's and an old sweatshirt from his years at Yale. He was barefoot and underwear free. He paced his strategically darkened living room. Candles were lit, music played softly in the background, and a bottle of wine sat chilling in an ice bucket.

  Much like with that devastating kiss in the wine cellar, Avery had no idea where his need to romance Kane came from. He couldn't remember ever requestin
g a kiss, let alone stopping at just a kiss. Not really a kisser to begin with, he certainly never lit candles and played romantic tunes waiting for someone to arrive. But with Kane, he wanted things different. What those were, he wasn't entirely sure yet.

  All he knew was he wanted Kane more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life and this waiting only caused an uneasy desperation to build that he couldn't even understand how to process.

  As the clock hit two twenty, Avery's internal panic began. He pulled the phone book from the drawer and searched for the restaurant's telephone number. He picked up the phone, but changed his mind. He decided to go there. When he put his address in Kane's hand, he made him promise again not to stand him up. He kept telling himself that Kane must have felt the draw between them. How could he not? But that didn't help his frantic heart. Avery grabbed his jacket, planning to go find Kane. He jerked open the door and came to an abrupt halt. Kane stood there, his fist in the air as if he was about to knock. Instant relief flooded Avery, and he reached out, grabbing Kane by his coat lapels, dragging him inside the condo.

  "I didn't think you were coming," Avery said, and Kane looked down at his watch.

  "I told you I got off at two," Kane said with that same sound of confusion in his voice he'd had at the table earlier.

  "I know, but it's almost two thirty." They stood together in the entryway with Avery peeling off Kane's jacket as he spoke. The desperation of a couple of moments ago made him fumble with his task, but his most urgent goal in the world seemed to be to get Kane naked as quickly as possible. If he were naked, he couldn't leave.

  Avery didn't think, he just reacted and worked at undressing Kane.

  "I had to walk over," Kane started, but Avery was past the point.

  "You look good in regular clothes. I wondered how you'd look in jeans. You're hot as hell in those suits you wear." Avery tugged Kane's T-shirt up and over his head, smiling at the well-defined chest and arms now within his grasp. Kane didn't respond to the praise and Avery worked his jean buttons open.

  "Button fly is only cool in commercials," Avery said with a small chuckle as he peeled back the layers of buttons until he pushed Kane's jeans down his ass, getting stuck on his thick thighs. For the first time since Kane entered, Avery looked up at his face. He saw uncertainty there, and Avery mentally counted backward, trying to remember the last thing Kane had said. He'd been so wrapped up in himself, he'd failed to do what he intended—romance Kane into his life.

  "You're a boxers guy. I figured you would be," Avery said, biting his bottom lip. He kept his eyes on Kane's, his hands roaming the swells of the chest in front of him. Kane stayed silent, with his jeans pushed down to his upper thighs. Damn.

  "Don't look at me like that. Be in this with me. Be right here with me," Avery said, pulling his own shirt over his head, tossing it aside with Kane's. "Take off your shoes…"

  Avery leaned forward, threaded his fingers through Kane's hair and drew him forward for a kiss. He forced himself to slow down some. He pulled Kane against his body, wrapped him in his arms, and kissed him like they'd kissed in the wine room. Avery was already so turned on. His body's need for this man crushed every other thought coursing through his brain.

  He could feel Kane slowly loosening up. Kane followed Avery's lead, wrapping his arms around him, running his fingertips and palms over the skin of his back. Damn, that was such a turn on. Avery didn't want to rush Kane, but after what he hoped was a sufficient amount of time, he turned up the heat on the kiss, working his way along Kane's jaw to his ear. He licked and nipped as he went, until he plunged his tongue in the inner depths of the shell. Kane's small moans and the grip on his body encouraged Avery to continue. He could definitely feel Kane's hardening arousal pressing against his.

  "Take your shoes off. The bedroom's ready for us," Avery whispered. It cost him, but he stopped the flow of his lips and ran his nose along the length of Kane's neck until his face was buried in Kane's hair. He closed his eyes, breathing Kane in as the man worked his shoes off and then tugged at his jeans. God, he loved Kane's masculine, spicy scent. Finally Kane put his hands on Avery's waistband, pulled open the buttons on his jeans.

  "You don't wear underwear," Kane stated. He pulled his head back a little. Only as far as Avery would let him, and he felt denied when Kane's scent wasn't the only thing he could breathe in.

  "I do, just not tonight. I'm a briefs guy." Avery grinned at Kane's hesitant smile. "I didn't plan to do this in my doorway. I planned to have you come in, have a drink, unwind from the night. I just feel something in this. Something I need, if that makes any sense. I can't seem to control myself when you're within reach," Avery said, drawing Kane's head back to his shoulder so he could nibble on his ear.

  "I don't need romance," Kane said, his voice hoarse. Avery prayed that was need speaking.

  "Make no mistake, I will romance you, Kane Dalton, just not now. Right now I need to fuck you. Fuck you hard, and soft, and then do it all over again." Avery ran his nose over Kane's ear and back into his hair, breathing him in as if Kane were his only life source. "Take off my jeans. Touch me. I need to feel your hands on me. I crave your touch. Please."

  Avery seemed genuine, not like the player playing his game. Somehow the thought helped Kane justify this one-night stand. Kane mustered his nerve, forced himself not to consider the repercussions, and pushed Avery's jeans down his long legs until he kicked them off. Kane followed the pants to the floor, dropping to his knees, and looked up, his eyes landing on Avery's as he wrapped his fingers around the base of his shaft and directed the broad tip of Avery's cock to his mouth. He hoped the action came off as a bold move. Kane opened, sliding Avery deep into his mouth. A small taste of pre-come hit his tongue. Kane closed his eyes as Avery tangled both hands in his hair, guiding Kane in the rhythm he'd created.

  "Damn, that feels good." Avery breathed out the last word on a groan.

  Kane opened wider, willing himself to let Avery go as deep as he could. He slid his hands up Avery's thighs, then to his sac, cupping and starting a slow massage on his already retracting balls. His reward was the sound of a deep sensual moan from above. He cast his gaze up, meeting that intense amber stare yet again. He slid his hand around to grip the firm globe of Avery's ass. His fingers breached the crevice, sliding down to the rim. Avery tensed slightly at the contact, telling him everything he needed to know. Avery wasn't a regular bottom…and neither was he.

  "Fuck, I'm already gonna come." Avery jerked himself away, ripping from the hold seconds after Kane slid his finger past the rim and massaged the gland inside. He took several steps backward and, for the first time tonight, created distance from Kane. Avery gripped himself tight with both hands, trying to stop the orgasm from overtaking him. "Not in my entryway. Not this way."

  Kane stayed there on his knees, his eyes glued to Avery. At this point, he was completely unsure what to do. He couldn't ever remember being stopped in the middle of a blow job. He wasn't an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but in his experience, sex was a take what you could get kind of deal. No one ever worried whether Kane got what he needed. The release was the only important outcome to achieve. But apparently not with Avery, he seemed intent on making tonight special.

  "Get up. Come with me, but don't touch me. It'll be my undoing. We're doing this right if it kills me," Avery said. He stayed a distance from Kane, but kept his eyes on him as he stood.

  "You have to tell me where to go. I don't know your condo," Kane finally said as he got to his feet and picked up their clothes.

  "I'm afraid you'll vanish if I turn away," Avery said, that intense expression returning.

  "You don't have to say things like that," Kane said, his arms full of their clothes. He took a step inside the living room, draping the items across the closest chair, marveling that he'd still only made it a few feet inside the condo.

  "I'm not doing it for your benefit. I'm saying how I feel. I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable," Avery said, track
ing every step Kane made. He still had a death grip on his cock.

  "This whole thing has me a little uncomfortable," Kane finally said. Between the kind words, and the way it looked like Avery still tried to hold off his release, Kane was being drawn in deeper. He had tried to talk himself out of what he'd felt in the wine cellar with Avery. He'd justified his decision to come here tonight as the one-night stand rebound from Brian. Now, Avery's every word increased his battle to keep this night impersonal.

  "I can see that. How do I stop it?" Avery asked, finally letting go of his cock. He was so beautiful, standing there naked, his gorgeous cock bobbing in front of him as he waited for a reply. Kane realized Avery kept his distance on purpose to make him feel more comfortable. Dang, he couldn't help his heart connecting a little more in this moment.

  "You can't. I don't do this," Kane said, waving his hands between their bodies. "This whole one-night stand thing. It's against my beliefs."

  "Good…but never?" Avery asked, his usual intensity clouded by confusion. Kane got it. He was the odd one, not Avery.

  "No, never," Kane simply responded. His own nakedness finally sank in, and he could feel his cock slightly deflating as he became more uncomfortable with the conversation.

  "Are you in a relationship?" Avery asked.

  "Not anymore."

  "Since when?" Avery wasn't taking the subtle two word hints that he didn't really want to talk about this. Kane weighed his options, trying to decide what was best to say. In his mind, nothing appeared appropriate and he decided to answer honestly.

  "Today," Kane finally said in little more than a whisper.

  "Why today?" Avery asked, and Kane swallowed the answer down. He absolutely couldn't tell Avery he was unable to hang on to his man. "Was it because of me?"

  "No." Kane shook his head, still not admitting the truth.

  "You could have lied. I'd like to believe it was me," Avery said and smiled. He still kept his distance from Kane, but his cock was deflating, hanging freely between his legs. Great. Not only could he not hang on to Brian, he couldn't keep Avery hard. This so wasn't going the way he'd expected, and he took a step behind the chair. He still had a partial arousal going. It wasn't cool to be the only one.