you don’t have to…”
“I do. Because it should have taken a lot less than two attempts on my life for me to see just how grateful I should be to have you in my life. How blessed I am that you want to be my friend, let alone anything else,” Nate said, eyes boring into Tyler’s.
Tyler swallowed. “Look. I don’t expect anything, okay? I know things aren’t easy for you, and I shouldn’t have expected you to just drop everything and do what I think is best.”
“Would you have me?” Nate asked, fingers shaking slightly against Tyler’s hand.
Tyler blinked slowly. “Have you?”
“In your life. Would you have me?”
Tyler closed his hand around Nate’s, still shaking. “Always, Nate, I will always have you, if you’ll have me.”
Nate smiled, sliding out of the chair and standing between Tyler’s legs. Removing his hand from Tyler’s, he gripped onto his face and leaned forward into a kiss. Tyler bent his head back, letting his hands rest on Nate’s hips as the kiss deepened.
“Just the two of us tonight?” Nate asked.
While not technically true, Tyler knew what he was asking. “Yes.”
He let himself fall back, bringing Nate with him. Careful not to jostle Nate too much, he reached down, grabbing the hem of his shirt. He paused when he realized that Nate was wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing on the beach.
“Did you do laundry?” Tyler asked softly.
Nate chuckled. “No offense, but your clothes were far too big on me. I wanted my clothes back, so Elliot washed them for me.”
“I’m sure he was happy about that,” Tyler said with a snort.
Nate’s lip curled. “I think you might be happier.”
Tyler blinked as Nate pushed himself upright, kneeling between Tyler’s legs. Still smirking, he reached down and took hold of the waistband of his shorts and pulled down. Tyler wasn’t sure when Nate had suddenly found the courage for a little striptease, but he wasn’t going to argue either. Especially when the band of the man’s underwear came into view, and with another push, the top of Nate’s thigh.
Tyler’s eyes widened, mouth going dry. Surging forward, he pushed Nate onto his back, earning a soft laugh from him. Taking hold of his shorts, he pulled them free and tossed them aside. Sure enough, there was Nate, lower half clad only in a jockstrap. Tyler sucked in a breath, running his hand over the pouch at the front and letting it out as he felt Nate stiffen under his touch.
“Am I allowed to take my shirt off first, or are you just going to ravish me as is?” Nate asked, amusement in his voice.
Taking Nate’s shirt off also happened to involve him having to roll over and toss the shirt away. For a moment, Tyler’s gaze slipped over the man’s back, broad in the shoulders but lithe in muscles. And then it dropped to his exposed ass, cupped by the bands of the jockstrap and put on full display.
Tyler bent down, gripping onto Nate’s thighs and holding him in place. Bending forward, he kissed one of his inner thighs, spreading the man’s legs wider. That earned him a soft shudder, and when he gently bit the sensitive inner flesh, Nate let out a low moan. Taking his time, Tyler slowly inched up Nate’s thigh, nipping and licking as he went, each step bringing a soft noise of approval from the other man.
Reaching the base of his exposed ass, Tyler grabbed each globe in his hands, kneading. Once more, he found that a kiss and a lick on each brought a little shiver from Nate, but his teeth, applied carefully, drew forth a moan.
“Ty,” Nate breathed, beginning to squirm.
It had only been a few minutes of teasing, but Tyler could feel his heart thundering in his chest. He knew exactly what he wanted, but he wanted it to be good for Nate, to make it count. Taking a steadying breath, he moved away long enough to grab supplies from the bedside desk and return to where Nate was still sprawled, looking over his shoulder at him as he was on full display.
Tyler opened the bottle of lube, bending forward to place a gentle kiss on Nate’s lower back. “You are...gorgeous.”
“It’s been a while,” Nate managed to get out.
“I know,” Tyler whispered. “Don’t worry.”
“I won’t.”
With a little coaxing, he managed to get Nate to pick himself up enough that his ass was in the air, stuck out toward him as he kept his face on the mattress. Tyler