Limelight (Vino and Veritas) Read online

  The breeze is actually a relief, and though it makes me shiver in discomfort, it helps me get a little bit of self-control again. As eager as I am to jump into bed with Caleb, I’m curious about the shift.

  Yesterday he was all about romance, but now he’s hinting at other desires, too. Did a few kisses change his mind about waiting until he gets to know me better?

  I really want to know what’s going on in Caleb’s head. Before I jump his bones, we have to talk.

  Better now than never.

  12

  Caleb

  “I’m not gonna lie,” Tag tells me frankly as we wander down Church Street hand-in-hand. “You’re sending me a lot of signals right now, and… I wanna make sure we’re on the same page.”

  For once, he looks nervous. His grip on my hand is tight and a little bit damp.

  “Oh?” I lick my lips, squeezing his hand. “About what we want?”

  “Yeah.” Tag’s voice is just a little bit hoarse, and I suddenly realize how much of an effect I’ve been having on him.

  Holy crap. Behind all those muscles is a whole shitload of pent-up desire, and I think I’m going to pop with how much I want to unleash it.

  “I want…” I swing our hands as I try to figure out what to say. “I want us to be comfortable with each other.”

  “Mmhmm.” His brows draw together as his gaze flickers away across the street.

  “I want to know that you aren’t just gonna use me and forget my number next week.”

  Tag catches his breath and gives me a look of concern.

  “It’s not—that hasn’t happened to me before. No traumatic Grindr stories here.” I blush and clear my throat. “But I guess… I’m struggling to figure out what you want.”

  “What I want? Or what I want from you specifically?” Tag asks, his gaze perceptive.

  My mouth goes dry. “Both, I guess? Like, what is it about me that you want, if it isn’t just sex.” Before he can answer, I quickly raise my other hand. “Honestly, I’m not looking for compliments.”

  Tag nods slowly, his brows pulling together. “You seem like you’re confident in who you are sometimes. But other times, not so much. I haven’t figured it out yet.”

  Really? It’s simple, in my mind. “I am who I am,” I tell him frankly. “I’m a giant nerd. A little bit flamboyant, and not ashamed of it. I’m not trying to tone myself down for other people’s sake. I’m not going to pretend to be someone I’m not just so that you’ll like me. I’m only ever going to be… me.”

  Something flickers through Tag’s eyes. Silence falls for a few long seconds as he catches his breath, like he wants to say something. Then he bites his lip as he squeezes my hand. Whatever it was, the moment passes and he just smiles. “I admire that.”

  “Thank you.” Then I grin sheepishly. “Although I have considered it, because I’m really into you.”

  He laughs softly. “I’m glad you didn’t. I’m into you because of who you are.”

  Oh, God. I want that to feel amazing, but we’re bumping up against that wall once again. “Which is…?”

  “Talented, sweet, smart, funny…” Tag trails off, shrugging. “I know you don’t want compliments, but it’s the truth.”

  My mouth dries up. “Who I am and what I do are like, different things.” I can tell I’m getting close to the truth, because there’s a strange lightness in my chest. Like the burden eases when I speak it aloud. “I know who I am. I just don’t… believe that person could be destined for greatness. Does that make sense?”

  A breath rushes out of Tag’s lungs, fog rising through the air. “Dude. You really don’t see it?”

  I blink at him. “See what?”

  He comes to a halt and takes my other hand as we stand under a streetlamp, and I feel for a moment like we’re in the big moment where he confesses his love for me.

  Too soon, I scold myself.

  But Tag startles me. “I think you have talent. You should do more with it. Don’t stop at one open mic. Submit your poetry different places, do more live readings. Let yourself grow.”

  Okay, in its own way, those three little words are even better than the ones I was picturing. “You really… believe in me that much?” My head is spinning again, and we haven’t touched a drop of booze.

  “Of course,” Tag murmurs, tilting his head as he gazes down at me. “Don’t you?”

  I don’t know how to answer that. I gaze at him for a good minute as I try to sort through the tangle of emotions in my chest.

  I’m grateful for his faith in me, even if I’m kind of puzzled. All he’s seen is me stumble my way through a reading—largely thanks to his help—and then a one-on-one reading when we were both too drunk to care how good my words were.

  “I’d like to,” I finally whisper.

  Then we turn and keep walking. The silence between us is comfortable, like Tag is just giving me space to think about everything. Which is a good thing, because boy, do I have a lot on my mind now.

  “And for the record,” I finally say once we’re on the landing of my apartment, at the top of a narrow staircase. I fumble for my keys, blushing as I slide them into the lock. Then I look at him. “I want you. I just don’t know what’s supposed to come next.”

  Tag smiles, brushes his fingers along my cheek, and rests his hand gently on the back of my neck. “Screw what’s supposed to happen. Whatever you want, that’s what we’ll do.”

  I swallow hard, push open the door, and turn around so my back is pressed against it. Then I reach for his hip and pull him against me, and his weight presses against me.

  “I want you.”

  13

  Caleb

  I’m going to die of happiness.

  Heat floods me from head to toe, and my head spins as Tag’s hard body presses me up against the door. The air in my puffy jacket slowly deflates under the pressure of his body, making me giggle.

  He grins at me in that confident way—maybe a little cocky, but in the fucking hot way and not the irritating way. Then he grabs both of my hands, dragging them over my head as he laces our fingers together.

  Pinned here by him, my knees melt. If not for his body anchoring me where I am, I’d start sliding down the door.

  “Hello,” Tag whispers, his breath a hot maple gust across my cheek. Then he kisses me and I forget my own name. His lips are a hard, hot crush. I just want to yield and let him sweep me off my feet.

  “Nnf!” I finally squeak when he pulls away and lets me catch my breath. My lungs don’t seem to work, and my cheeks are burning.

  Tag’s breath is warm on my kiss-swollen lips. His eyes are gorgeous pools that I could just lose myself in.

  “Now, shall we lower your heating bill?”

  I blush furiously. “By getting under the covers?”

  Tag’s lips twitch into a mischievous smile. “I was thinking of closing your front door.” He lets go of my hands, and they slide down until they rest on the top of my head.

  “Oh.” I snort sheepishly as Tag winks at me. “Yeah. That’s not a bad idea.”

  It takes a moment to peel myself off the door and step inside after him. The door swings closed on its own, which is good because I can’t quite remember what I’m supposed to be doing.

  Tag stops me from fumbling with my jacket and pockets by stepping closer. He gently pulls the zipper down, sliding the coat from my arms. Then he turns to look for somewhere to put it.

  “That’s the closet,” I point to it. “Allegedly. I’ve never been there.”

  Tag tips his head back and laughs, and I grin at the bare, smooth curve of his throat. God, every little thing about him is beautiful.

  As he hangs up my jacket and his own, I twist my hands together, trying to get a grip. “I should offer you a drink or something. But I really just want to make out right now. I’m a terrible host.”

  Tag closes the closet door and turns to lean against the hallway wall. “Then I’m a terrible guest, because I agree.” He slides his h
and along my shoulder and down to my hand, pulling me close.

  I try to dig in my heels, but he’s too strong. I stumble into his chest with a laugh, and he wraps his arms around my waist. “Gotcha.”

  “Yeah, you do,” I mumble into his chest, pressing my forehead against his shoulder.

  “Hmm?”

  “Nothing.” I clear my throat as I find my balance. He’s doing that thing where he gazes at me from a few inches away, his eyes flickering across my face and landing on my lips like he’s planning what to do to me. “I might just turn into jelly if you kiss me like that again,” I warn.

  “Can’t have you fainting on me.”

  In one swift move, Tag flips us around and I hit the wall with a gasp. Then he leans in, capturing my lips in another fierce kiss that makes heat burst in my cheeks. He slides his teeth along my lower lip as sparks flash through my veins, and then the tip of his tongue seeks mine, firm and insistent.

  He explores my mouth recklessly. There’s no gentleness and precision—only the uncontrollable passion swelling between us.

  “Yes,” I gasp when he lets me catch my breath, his eyes dragging up and down my body. Then he pushes his knee between mine to hold me in place. One hand glides over my curls, scrunching them as he cups the back of my head. The other glides over my chest.

  My heart thunders at the dull touch of his fingertips and the pressure of the heel of his hand. I need more already.

  “Good?” Tag purrs, that confident little smile on his lips again. He leans in, nipping my earlobe, which makes me cry out and quiver. The sting shouldn’t feel so good, yet it shoots straight to my core as all my muscles go taut.

  “Mmmph,” I moan. “Please…” I don’t know what I’m begging for, but my body sure does.

  Tag’s hand slides down my chest toward my stomach, and the most ferocious need thunders through my brain, drowning out all thoughts.

  Now, I beg him silently, arching away from the wall and grinding against him.

  The hard line of my cock is trapped between my hip and his thigh, and the heat through my jeans is a whole new kind of friction. It’s a dizzying high I never knew about until this moment.

  I need more, now.

  My pants are suddenly so tight. My cock is trapped inside, straining against them, twitching and aching like crazy. My head is spinning with the full force of years of fantasies suddenly playing out in real life.

  Another man is about to touch me for the first time in my life, and I want it now. I’ve craved this forever, and my body approves of the risk my heart has finally taken.

  I playfully tip my head back to brush the tips of our noses together. “Like what you feel?” I murmur.

  “Love it,” Tag corrects me, his voice a sensual growl. He presses a string of tiny, teasing kisses against my lips, pulling back every time I try to deepen it.

  Oh, fuck. I couldn’t be happier that he’s in charge. This is a hundred times better than I’d hoped for.

  The heel of Tag’s palm presses against my waistband. My shirt has risen, and his fingertips rest on my bare belly. I giggle and squirm, but he just presses firmly and grins.

  The tentative, nervous excitement floods my body with a hot, tight energy. We’re tumbling forward, pushing toward an edge I’ve never experienced, but I’m ready to take the plunge.

  There’s no second-guessing it. It’s happening.

  “Can I?”

  “Duh.” I flush with pleasure. I’m glad he’s asking. It’s sweet and caring of him, and it makes me feel like I’m in safe hands. It’s also a way of teasing me, and it’s working.

  “Hmm. Not sure I heard you.” Tag grins, sweeping his hand up over my belly.

  I grunt. “Nnnnnh-no,” I mumble, pouting up at him. “Please.” Sure, it feels incredible to feel the heat of his palm against my bare skin. But it’s impossible to ignore throbbing heat trembling through my shaft. It’s going to hurt soon if he doesn’t do something.

  “Yeah? We can take it slowly if you want.” His fingertips find my nipple, and just one flick across the sensitive nub makes me cry out as my knees buckle. I desperately loop my arms around his shoulders and press close to him.

  It takes me a minute to catch my breath. “B-Better not,” I gasp. “Or I’ll really embarrass myself and jizz in my pants.”

  Tag relents and glides his palm down again, and all of a sudden the pressure of his palm cups the line of my hard cock. “Well, that wasn’t hard to find.” He pinches the shaft between his thumb and fingers, tracing the outline in my trousers.

  “Fuck,” I grunt, my eyes squeezing shut. I’m already wet at the tip, leaking precum in my excitement. The dull pressure isn’t enough. I need these layers of clothing off.

  That means moving somewhere it’s easier to get undressed. “Couch?” I gasp, pushing forward into his hand. I force my eyes open, licking my lips as I shiver in pleasure.

  It’s hard to think about anything that isn’t crazily grinding against his palm. Suddenly, the idea of dry-humping is really fucking appealing. Anything to keep my body in contact with his.

  Tag winks. “Right here was fine with me, but if you want to be classy… you’ll smarten me up.”

  He gently steps back, taking hold of my hips.

  “Wh-What—” I stutter, adrenaline leaping into my throat. He’s walking me backward all of a sudden. I try to turn to see over my shoulder, but he won’t let me. He leans in to catch my lips, giving me a playful little kiss with every step.

  “Fuck,” I gasp and give in at last, letting go of my worries and letting him steer me.

  It’s worked so far, hasn’t it?

  “Wait,” I gasp when the familiar surroundings of my living room come into the periphery of my vision. “The coffee table.”

  “No problem.” Tag scoops me up in his arms like I weigh nothing, and then tosses me onto the couch.

  I hit the soft surface and bounce, laughing in mock-outrage. “Like a sack of potatoes!”

  “No,” Tag growls and swings his knee over me, straddling me sideways on the couch. “Of sugar.”

  “I don’t know if I’m all that sweet.” I try to play it cool, but Tag’s hands are roaming up my shirt, and every drag of his skin on mine makes me gasp.

  “Let’s find out.”

  I groan my agreement and grab the front of his shirt, fumbling with the buttons as he does exactly the same with me. Our wrists clash against each other’s as we playfully fight to be the first to undress each other.

  “There,” Tag growls when he reaches the last button just before I do. His shirt hanging open above me, I can better admire his body.

  “So fucking hot,” I gasp. My bare palms touch his chest, and it’s just as firm and hot as it looks. I run my hands down his chest and belly until I hook my thumbs into his belt loops. “Kiss me.”

  He fulfills my request instantly, shifting his weight forward and crushing me with his weight so that his lips can touch mine. I gasp in delight, quivering as the line of his hard shaft meets mine. Every shift of our bodies makes us grind together.

  Holy fuck, it feels incredible. I wasn’t kidding about not lasting long. This is entirely different from me and my hand—or, for a treat, me and a pillow. No, this is a thousand times more sensation, even with all our clothes in the way.

  “Nnngh,” I grunt when he bites my lower lip and plucks at it. I try the same move on him, and I’m rewarded with a delicious, deep groan.

  My hands can’t stop wandering, exploring the heat of his chest. My fingertips against his nipples make him shudder against me, thrusting his hips to grind our arousals together.

  When Tag pulls away from my lips, he nips my jaw, licking his way over to my earlobe. I don’t expect the degree of pleasure that strikes when he reaches it and wraps his lips around it, flickering his tongue rapidly across it.

  “Fuck!” I arch clean off the couch, my thighs shaking as I struggle to breathe. Somehow, a line of hot fire seems to shoot straight down to my dick, and I can
imagine the tip of his tongue on me…

  “Touch me,” I gasp. “Please.”

  I don’t have long, and I can’t wait anymore.

  “Yes, boss,” Tag murmurs playfully. He kisses the side of my neck and then my collarbones. Everywhere his lips touch flares to life, sending more pulsating bursts of heat through my body.

  Especially through my cock, painfully hard and tight.

  One of his hands fumbles with my trousers, unfastening and unzipping. Then he slides his fingers through the opening at the front of my briefs, and his fingertips make contact with the oversensitive skin.

  A senseless cry leaves my lips. My feet press against the couch as I push myself against him. “Fuckfuckfuck…”

  Tag pushes all the layers of clothing down so that my cock can stand straight between us, and at the same moment, his lips close around my nipple.

  I can’t even manage words anymore. I cry out hoarsely, scrabbling at his shoulders as heat pumps through my body. The wet heat of his lips and tongue drag around the little nubs of my nipples, back and forth between them.

  His big, firm fingers wrap around my cock, and my breath comes in little panting cries. I try to thrust into the tight circle of his fingers, but he’s doing all the work for me. His hand twists around my shaft, dragging and gathering all the sparks until they pool there, then pulling back up to the tip.

  Every stroke of his hand drags me closer to the edge, and I’m already fighting to hold on. I gasp his name—or something close to it—as my nails dig into his back.

  The grunt of pleasure he gives makes me grin and do it again, deliberately scratching from his shoulder blades down to the small of his back. That’s all I can manage, though. Even words are still off the table.

  My whole body is too tight and hot. The blackness is sweeping closer like never before, and all I can do is choke out a whimper of warning.

  Then I’m lost.

  I throw my head back and buck against Tag’s hard body as he pulls me apart at the seams and wrings out every drop of ecstasy from my depths. My balls draw tight and then heat floods through my shaft and the rest of me, right to the fingers and toes. My mess splatters between us with every stroke of his hand.