Dating Rules And Pretty Fools Ch. 14

That declaration earned him a sideways glance that conveyed little besides confusion. "Good how?"

"Like this," Hudson said and tipped his chin gently so that they could angle their heads for a kiss.

A small sigh came with the parting of soft lips, and it sent a breeze through him that raised goose bumps in its wake. When was the last time he'd felt like this for a man? Maybe it had happened in the beginning, when all sex was new, and every experience was a first.

He brought Otis closer until he had him between his legs. His hands traveled down the smooth back resting above the underwear. "You are so beautiful," he said and kissed him harder.

Otis was inviting him to take over, to become someone better. Was this the right thing to choose? Maybe not now, but in the long run Hudson knew in his gut, the same one that never lied, that it would be good for him, it would be so good that even his priorities might change.

Through slow coaxing, he had him on his back, legs spread, and Hudson liked how well he fit between those slender limbs. He caressed the smooth skin everywhere, deepening each kiss and drinking from it like his entire life hinged on it. His right hand cupped a knee and then traveled down the well-defined calf. Even his ankles were so delicate, yet strong; no wonder the first thing Hudson had thought of Otis was that his neighbor was a runway model in hiding. Everything about him was proportioned just right, on the light side, but beautiful in a diaphanous way that inspired the onlooker, making him feel things he'd never felt before.

And all that beauty lay in his hands, at his mercy, showing no desire to push him away. Hudson stopped a slow growl growing in his chest right in time. He was being offered ownership, he had known it since Otis had demanded, in that innocent way of his, to be collared. And he was more than willing to take it. No, that wasn't even half-right. An imperious feeling pushed him to accept it.

He let his hands roam over the beautiful body under him, over the chest and nipples, the lean abdomen muscles rising and falling with each deep breath. But, before he ended up doing something that might scare Otis off or create room for too much misunderstanding between them, he needed to ask.

"Why did you put these on?" he asked and fingered the little bow of string that had enticed him just earlier.

"To make sure you'd want to sleep in my bed," Otis replied. His breathing hitched a little, and his chest continued to rise and fall, while his pretty lips remained parted and alluring.

"So, let me understand this," Hudson said and propped himself on one elbow, still keeping a possessive leg over Otis, but keeping just enough distance so that he could endure this self-inflicted torture. "You're really worried that I'm sleeping on that sofa."

Otis nodded eagerly. In his earlier ministrations, Hudson had pushed his hair away from his hidden eye, so now he could admire the young man in all his beauty. "You could really hurt your spine if you sleep badly."

That was the kind of answer he'd come to expect from his eccentric neighbor. Hudson sighed and pressed his forehead against Otis's for a moment. "All right. Then I suppose I should grant your wish of helping me. I will sleep here tonight."

Otis's face lit up. "I've never had a sleepover," he confessed, "but others made a big deal out of it. So I've always wanted to know what it would be like."

Another bit of the foggy past revealed to him. Hudson willed his investigative mind to take a break. Needling Otis for answers about everything that had happened in his prior life shouldn't be high on his list. It was there, because he couldn't help it, and he wanted to learn about this pretty man's life, but it couldn't be now.

First things first, he needed to put even more distance between them -- only a few inches more -- so that he could clear his head. "I came in a rush," he said. "I actually wanted to take you out for a bite."

Otis made a very disappointed face. "All right."

Hudson grinned. "Well, you can always make me a sandwich." That reminded him of the day when Otis had stared at him so sternly and made him feel like a bit of a douchebag. "I promise that, this time, my gratitude will be genuine and heartfelt."

***

This was pretty exciting, Otis thought as he rushed to the small kitchenette and fired up his sandwich maker. It pleased him so much to do things for Hudson, and the only downside was that it was starting to feel a little breezy wearing nothing but those skimpy shorts. However, Hudson had been quite adamant about not letting him put anything else on and even smiled in a way that made Otis's insides do somersaults. That wasn't really possible, and he was quite certain that all his organs were in their proper places, but the expression was funny and he could imagine little people doing all sorts of gymnastics inside his stomach and entertaining themselves while at it. He preferred that to thinking that he had butterflies in his stomach; he wasn't terribly fond of that expression. It made him believe that those butterflies were caged in there, and that was bad.

His hands trembled as a memory came uninvited. Alone, in the dark, the door locked. Shouting for help, shouting for anyone, had never worked. The more he dared to do that, the more time he'd be left there, alone in the dark.

It had taken him many years to stop sleeping with the lights on every night. It wasn't good if you didn't get proper rest, and if you didn't spend enough time with your eyes closed and sleeping without any source of light present. Humans were like animals and had their circadian rhythms. They needed the dark to sleep, and blue light in particular could interrupt the production of melatonin, making people sleep badly. As he thought about that, the trembling in his hands abated.

He picked up the plate with the sandwiches on it to take to Hudson. It was a bit ridiculous to serve a customer while being dressed like this, and also amusing. His body was shaking with laughter when he handed his guest the plate along with a paper napkin.

"What's so funny?" Hudson took a bite out of his sandwich and eyed him with a glint in his eyes.

"This," Otis said and pointed at himself. "If I were to start serving customers while dressed like this, everybody would laugh. It would be really amusing."

"Hmm, your customers' reaction might be different than you think."

Otis pondered for a bit. "Yes, you're right. They might get mad and think that the restaurant management lacked decency."

Hudson shook his head and smiled. "This particular customer doesn't think either."

"What does he think?" Otis asked, willing to take part in this game of talking about one of them in the third person.

"He thinks he's a damn lucky guy," Hudson replied and took another bite.

Otis felt his skin getting hot again, like earlier, when Hudson had kissed him and run his hands all over him. "Okay," he whispered, "okay."

***

They were lying on the bed, their hands so close he only had to lift his pinky and he would touch Hudson. "I should turn off the light," he said and moved to do that.

Soon, they were engulfed in darkness. Otis knew he wasn't afraid. There was someone in the same room, breathing and warm. And then, he felt a pull at the string keeping his shorts together on the side facing Hudson. "What?" he stammered, not even knowing what he wanted to ask.

"Tell me you want to go to sleep right now, and I'll let you be, Otis. I will stop."

No. "No, don't stop." He took a deep breath as he felt Hudson's calloused fingers pushing down the fabric and inching slowly along his hip.

This darkness was different. It was deep and silent, so silent that he could hear his own breath and Hudson's, but it was gentle, too.

TBC