Like a Lover (3 page)

He curled
his fingers, probing and thrusting carefully until he found what he was looking
for. Josh gasped again, the muscles in his back going taut.

“You can
fuck me now, you know. I don’t need all this.”

“But you
like it.” Josh didn’t deny it, so Rupert stroked over that spot relentlessly.
“I like making you feel good.”

Josh was
breathing hard, rocking back onto his fingers. Rupert reached between Josh’s
legs with his other hand and found his cock, hard and leaking.

“Rupert,”
Josh groaned. It was the first time he’d said Rupert’s name. “I’m going to come
on your fingers if you don’t stop. Wouldn’t you rather be inside me?”

Josh’s
voice was hoarse, all trace of his earlier cockiness gone, and the desperate
edge finally stripped away the last of Rupert’s patience. He dragged his
fingers out, making Josh hiss at the loss, and ripped open a packet of lube.
Then he smeared it liberally over his sheathed cock and wiped his hand on the
sheets before gripping Josh’s hip firmly with one hand and lining himself up
with the other.

They moaned
in unison as Rupert slid into the tight, grasping heat of Josh’s body. He
wasn’t gentle or careful—he didn’t need to be. Josh was demanding right
from the start, pushing back against him and urging him on. “Yeah, come on.
Fuck me.”

“Are you
this pushy with all your clients?” Rupert slammed in hard, knocking a cry out
of Josh.

“Only if I
think they’ll like it. Fuck, yes. Do it like that.”

The bed
creaked and banged against the wall. Rupert wondered whether there was anyone
next door, listening to the sounds of their coupling. The thought of it turned
him on even more. He fucked Josh harder, leaning over him and trying to drag
over Josh’s prostate with every thrust. From the sounds Josh was making, he was
pretty sure he was managing it.

“You gonna
come for me?”

“I’m close,
but I can’t….”

Josh tried
to get a hand underneath himself, but the force of Rupert’s thrusts made him
lose his balance. Rupert was using his grip on Josh’s hips for leverage, so he
couldn’t help him out in this position. He pulled out and flipped Josh onto his
back. Now Josh had stopped teasing, Rupert wanted to see what he was doing to
him. Josh was a mess, face and neck flushed, and his lips bitten pink. His cock
was rock hard and leaking onto his belly. Rupert felt a mad urge to lean down
and suck it into his mouth, but he knew Josh would insist on a condom.

He held
Josh’s legs up and back, tilting his hips so he could push back into him.
Josh’s eyes flew wide as Rupert used the upward curve of his cock to
devastating effect. Rupert leaned down to kiss Josh again, a dirty, hungry kiss
that Josh returned enthusiastically. He felt the bump of Josh’s hand against
his stomach and realised Josh was stroking himself.

He kissed
down Josh’s neck, tasting his skin. “Yeah,” he said, “make yourself come.”

“Are you
close too?” Josh’s voice was tight and strained.

“Yeah.”
Rupert pushed himself up on his arms so that he could watch the frantic
movement of Josh’s hand. “I’ve been close ever since you sucked me.”

Josh made a
noise that sounded almost like a sob, and came all over himself, his arse
squeezing tight around Rupert as he painted his belly with sticky stripes.

“Fuck,”
Rupert moaned, finally letting go and fucking into Josh with a last few
desperate thrusts until he followed, dragged over the edge by the sight of Josh
arching beneath him.

Rupert fell
forward, and Josh made a small humming sound of satisfaction as he put his arms
around him. Josh traced his fingers lightly over Rupert’s back until Rupert’s
head stopped spinning and his heart rate was back to normal.

“Good?”
Josh asked quietly.

“Mmm.”
Rupert nodded, his face still pressed into the curve of Josh’s neck. Josh
smelled good, of clean sweat and man.

Josh
started to chuckle.

“What?”
Rupert lifted his head to see Josh’s grin.

“Your
shirt. It’s covered in spunk.”

“Bollocks.”

Rupert had
been so far gone, he’d forgotten he still had his shirt on. He peeled himself
off Josh, and sure enough, the pale blue material was sticky with Josh’s come.

“You’re
going to be wearing me for the rest of the evening. Eau de Josh.” The teasing
tone was back.

“Good thing
it’s dark outside.” Rupert flopped onto his back, pulled off the condom, and
knotted it before throwing it into the bin. “Anyway. We’re not done here yet.
It’ll dry.”

“Yeah? You
want more?” Josh rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow.
“Maybe you should take your shirt off for round two.”

Josh’s eyes
had dark shadows under them, Rupert noticed now. A flicker of tenderness took
him by surprise.

“Maybe in a
little while.” He put an arm around Josh and pulled him to lie with his head on
Rupert’s chest. “Is this okay?” he asked softly.

“Yeah. It’s
nice.” Josh relaxed into him.

Rupert
stroked his hair, holding him close until he felt Josh’s body relax completely.
He listened to his slow, steady breathing and realised Josh had fallen asleep.

Josh
stirred and mumbled as Rupert extricated himself, but didn’t wake. Rupert
pulled his clothes on silently, not wanting to disturb him. Josh obviously
needed the sleep. Once dressed, he scribbled a note on the hotel paper with the
pen provided, tore the sheet off, and left it on the bedside table. He stood
for a moment, watching Josh. Josh looked so vulnerable, so trusting. Feeling
foolish, but unable to stop himself, Rupert stooped and pressed a light kiss to
Josh’s cheek.

“Sweet
dreams.”

CHAPTER THREE

Josh woke
slowly from the heavy sleep of the truly exhausted. He stretched, eyes still
closed, and as the sheets slipped over bare skin, he realised he was naked. The
second thing he registered was that he wasn’t in his own bed.

What the hell?

He sat up,
staring around the hotel room. Grey light filtered around the edges of the
curtains, and the glowing red numbers on the digital clock by the bed told him
it was just after five in the morning. He flopped back on the bed and rubbed
his eyes as the events of the evening before took shape in his sleep-addled
mind.

Philip
hadn’t shown… and then he’d met that other bloke… Rupert.

Fuck.

He must
have fallen asleep on him. Bloody hell. Instinctively he rolled to grab his
jeans from the floor and checked the pockets. His phone was still there, and
the cash Rupert had given him. Then he spotted the note on the bedside table,
written on hotel paper in a dark scrawl of ink.

I didn’t get your number before you crashed
out. But I’d like to see you again. Text me?

Rupert had
signed his name and added his number at the bottom of the page.

Josh stared
at the paper. The wording was ambiguous. But surely by “see,” Rupert meant a
booking?

Josh’s body
flushed at the memory of the night before. Rupert had been good in the sack,
considerate and sexy as hell. Josh didn’t always get off with his clients; not
all of them cared whether he did or not. When Josh enjoyed the sex as much as
they did, it was a bonus. He was always up for taking on new clients who were a
good fuck, and he could always use more regulars to pay the bills.

He put
Rupert’s number into his phone and scrumpled up the note, chucking it in the
bin along with the condom from the night before.

Josh
couldn’t get back to sleep in the hotel room, so he dressed and left.

He almost
never spent a whole night with a client and it was unusual for him to do the walk
of shame. The streets were deserted at this time of the morning. A gaggle of
seagulls, all noisy squawks and flapping wings, fought over a discarded burger
in the gutter. Bold with hunger and intent on their battle, they didn’t react
as Josh passed by.

When he got
back to the house he shared with five other students, all was quiet. His
housemates wouldn’t be up for hours. Josh was wide awake now, so he made
himself some coffee and toast, showered, and then holed up in his room to catch
up on some studying. Maybe he’d manage to nap this afternoon. He had another
client scheduled for tonight, and he really didn’t want to fall asleep on two
guys in as many days.

Rupert
remained obstinately in Josh’s head throughout the day. Every time his mind
wandered from his books, he pictured red hair and clear blue eyes, and saw the
expression on Rupert’s face as he’d come.

Josh didn’t
usually daydream about his clients, but by lunchtime he gave up trying to push
the images away and jerked off to them instead. He fingered himself as he did
it, still sensitive from where Rupert’s cock had stretched him open. If he had
to bottom again tonight, Josh would still be feeling Rupert in his arse with
every thrust.

Afterwards,
he held his phone for a long time, staring at Rupert’s contact details.
He’s just a client. Just another client. But
he’s hot, and he’ll pay you. What have you got to lose?

Something
in Josh was wary, but he sent the text anyway.

Sorry I fell asleep on you. Josh.

After he’d
showered and washed away all traces of Rupert, Josh went downstairs. He heard
two of his housemates, Shawn and Mike, arguing about something in the kitchen,
so he headed into the living room where it was quieter.

Jez, Mac,
and Dani were in there watching TV. They greeted him as he came in and he sat
next to Dani on the sofa. Mac and Jez were sprawled on the other one in a
tangle of limbs. Since they’d finally sorted their shit out and become a couple
a few months ago, they’d been inseparable. Josh didn’t begrudge them their
obvious happiness, but sometimes seeing them together made him lonely.

Dani tucked
up her feet to make room for him, and asked, “Are you okay? You were late last
night.”

She was the
only one of his housemates who knew what his job was. He normally told her if
he was planning on being out all night, so she wouldn’t worry.

“I’m fine.
Just stayed out longer than I’d planned. Sorry, Mum.”

She poked
him with her toes in protest, but the concern vanished from her features.

“Was he
good, then?” Jez asked. “You must have shagged every bloke in Plymouth by now.
You’re the king of hook-ups—or should that be the queen?” He chuckled at
his own joke.

As far as
his male housemates were aware, Josh was out in bars or clubs on the nights he
was working, and he was happy to let them believe that.

“Yeah, he
was awesome,” Josh said that to try and make Jez jealous. Although from the
noises that came out of Jez’s and Mac’s rooms on a regular basis, Jez wasn’t
missing out on good sex by being in a monogamous relationship. Quite the opposite,
in fact.

“You seeing
him again?” Jez seemed more interested in Josh’s non-existent love life than he
was in the TV.

“Maybe. I
got his number.”

Dani caught
Josh’s eye and looked at him questioningly. He flushed.

Jez let the
subject drop, and Josh was relieved. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of what he
did, but he didn’t want to have to justify it. He’d only told Dani because she
was his best friend and he trusted her completely. Plus she knew too much about
his family not to be suspicious when he wasn’t completely skint all the time.
Josh’s dad gave him nothing towards his living expenses, and Dani knew it.

Josh’s
client tonight was another regular, an older man who called himself Michael,
but Josh suspected that wasn’t his real name. Josh had been seeing him once a
month for about a year, and the sex was always perfunctory. He got the
impression that Michael’s internalised homophobia was so extreme that he hated
what they did as much as he got off on it. Michael turned up, fucked Josh in a
way that was almost clinical, and left. No conversation beyond what was
necessary, no connection, and no foreplay. Their appointments always left Josh
unsatisfied, yet relieved he wasn’t like Michael. Josh had never been ashamed
of who he was.

Josh’s
phone rang as he was getting ready in his room. A glance at the screen showed
Rupert’s name, and he accepted the call straight away. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi.”

There was a
pause.

“Did you
want something?”

“I… uh.
Yeah. Sorry. I wasn’t sure you’d pick up.”

“I sent you
my number, didn’t I?” Josh looked at his reflection in the mirror, combing his
dark hair into place with his fingers while he spoke.

“So, can I
see you again?”

The words
came out in a rush. Rupert sounded nervous and on edge. Josh guessed he’d taken
a while to work up to calling, and that made him smile.

“Sure. If
you can afford me.” Josh thought he’d make it clear that if he was seeing
Rupert again, it would be a business transaction.

“Oh.” A
pause. “The money’s not an issue. But I was hoping… never mind. Yeah. I can pay.
When are you free?”

Josh
mentally scanned his evening schedule. “Next Saturday?” He could have fitted
Rupert in much sooner, but he needed breathing space before he saw him again.
He didn’t want to think about why.

“Okay.”

“I’ll text
you about where and when nearer the time.”

There was
another pause, and Josh was about to bring the conversation to a close, when
Rupert asked, “Did you sleep well… sleeping beauty?” He added the nickname as
an afterthought, and Josh heard the gentle teasing in his tone. He flushed.

“Yeah…
about that—”

“It’s all
right. You already apologised. I couldn’t resist taking the piss a little. Do
you do that with all your clients? I guess as long as it’s after rather than
during, then they wouldn’t mind too much.”

“Ha-ha,”
Josh said dryly. “But no. I’ve never done that before.”

“Should I
be insulted?” Rupert sounded more amused than annoyed.

“You should
probably be flattered,” Josh replied honestly. “Means I don’t have you pegged
as an axe murderer.”

There was a
soft chuckle on the other end of the line. “Okay. Flattered it is, then.”
Another pause. “Are you sure I can’t just take you out for dinner on Saturday?
Buy you a few drinks? You don’t have to put out.”

Rupert’s
voice was a little too casual for it to sound convincing. Josh’s heart beat a
little faster. Damn, he was tempted. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d
been on a date. It was easier not to bother. “Saturday’s a work night for me,”
he hedged.

“A
different night, then?”

Josh drew
in a breath and let it out slowly. Could he? Could it work? At least Rupert
already knew about his job and seemed okay with it…. But no. They’d started
their relationship as escort and client. It was better to keep things simple.

“No, sorry.
But I don’t date. It’s easier that way.”

Rupert didn’t
seem surprised by Josh’s answer. “Well, if you change your mind, I’m free most
nights this week. Otherwise I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Okay. I’ll
text you. I have to go.”

“Don’t want
to keep him waiting, huh?”

And the
jealous edge to Rupert’s tone was exactly why Josh knew he’d made the right
decision. He could handle possessive clients, but the last thing he needed was
a possessive boyfriend. That would make his life way too complicated.

“Yep. Bye,
Rupert.”

“Bye. Oh,
and Josh?”

“Yeah?”

“Be
careful.”

“I always
am.”

Josh ended
the call, not sure whether to feel irritated or touched by Rupert’s concern.

With a
sigh, Rupert put his phone down on the black leather arm of his sofa and ran a
hand through his hair.

He hadn’t
expected Josh to agree to go on a date with him, but he could tell Josh had at
least considered it. Rupert took that as a good sign. But mainly he was glad he
was going to see Josh again, even if he had to pay for it. He’d been thinking
about Josh all day. Perhaps another fuck would get Josh out of his system?

He
considered going out for a drink, maybe even going out to a club and trying to
pull, or getting online for another attempt at hooking up after his failure the
night before—although it had worked out in his favour in the end, of
course. It might be a good thing to remind himself that he could get sex
without paying for it, but Rupert hated trying to pick up strangers. A natural
introvert, the whole going out and charming people thing didn’t come naturally
to him. Also, the imprint of Josh still lingered in his memory. Rupert didn’t
think it would be easy to find someone who could erase that. He wasn’t sure
what it was about Josh that was so alluring. Was it a previously undiscovered
kink for literally buying someone’s body for a few hours, or was it more about
Josh himself?

Sighing,
Rupert reached for his laptop where it lay on the coffee table.

He groaned
when he saw another email from his mother with “Wedding” in the subject line.
The woman was relentless. She’d talked his ear off about her wedding plans last
night, surely there couldn’t be much else to say?

He started
to read, and his blood pressure rose as he stared in disbelief at the words. He
went back and reread. She couldn’t seriously be suggesting….

She was.

“For fuck’s
sake!”

He
considered his options. It wasn’t as though he had a significant male other he
wanted to bring. He’d been single for over a year now and wasn’t going to take
some random bloke to his mother’s wedding. But was he really prepared to let
his mother shove him back in the closet just to keep the peace with his
homophobic soon-to-be stepfather?

Rupert had
come out to his closest friends and family when he was sixteen. His mother had
been outwardly accepting at the time, but mostly because of his dad’s
influence. Old sorrow tugged at Rupert’s chest as he remembered how his dad had
hugged him after Rupert got the words out. He’d told him he was proud of him
and that he loved him. Then a few short months later, he was gone, taken from
them in a waterskiing accident while on holiday in Cyprus.

Rupert had
never explicitly told his mother’s new partner, Charles, that he was gay. He
assumed his mother must have told him, but it wasn’t something that had ever
come up in conversation on the few occasions he’d met Charles.