Guarding His Heart Read online

  Christian left on tour the next day. If he could just get Mark out of his head before then, he might be able to actually enjoy it. To think about anyone but Mark.

  So he walked through the chilly night air, then hesitated at the door. This was his last chance to back out, he supposed, only he didn’t want to back out. So he knocked.

  * * *

  Christian waited. Moments passed, feeling like much longer than they were. He felt suddenly exposed, standing barefoot in the back yard, the rays of the motion sensor lights shining on him but blackness everywhere else.

  This was the sort of thing that Mark would be very annoyed with him for doing, he knew. He should give up. Go back to bed. Miserably jerk off as he thought of Mark’s face, his body, one more time.

  But he didn’t. Instead, he knocked again. And he waited, as patiently as he could.

  This time, though, he didn’t have to wait long. The door opened and Mark was standing there, wearing nothing but a pair of soft sweats that clung precariously to his hips, like they might fall down any second.

  Christian had never seen Mark in anything but the very proper black suit that seemed to be some sort of bodyguard uniform, and in it, he looked dangerous enough. But with that broad expanse of bare chest, those brown nipples, strong arms and abs, Christian found himself wondering if he would remember how to breathe sometime soon.

  “What is it?” Mark asked, but Christian couldn’t answer. Not at first. He was too busy staring at the other man, trying to deal with the very confusing and intense surges of desire he was feeling.

  Mark sighed softly, then pulled the door fully open.

  “Come in. You can’t just stand around in your backyard at night.” Mark’s huge body shifted out of the way, and Christian, feeling a little bit in a daze, walked past him and into the warm guesthouse. Mark’s place now, he supposed.

  “Are you trying to give me a heart attack, kid? What were you thinking, coming out here? Are you even aware of the security risk?”

  Christian shook his head. Even now, Mark was thinking about Christian’s safety. It seemed like that was pretty much all he ever thought about, and Christian even knew that Mark was being paid for it, but that didn’t make much of a difference to how he felt.

  This man really was his protector. Christian had never had one of those before, not since his parents, he supposed. It felt like a big deal.

  If felt like, if he could trust anyone in the world, it would be this man.

  So he turned to him, boldly facing him, his eyes tracing over those gorgeous, full lips.

  “I’m here to make you keep a promise,” Christian said, and he walked over to Mark, even being brave enough to reach out and touch those glorious, strong arms, to feel the muscles bunched under them.

  “Oh?” Mark asked, and he sounded amused, and slightly wary. But Christian could also almost swear that he heard something under that, something that made him think that Mark was highly intrigued. “What promise was that?”

  Christian shook his head. He decided, on the spot, that he wasn’t going to answer in words. Instead, he slipped his arms around Mark’s waist, pulled his body close against his own, and stood on his tiptoes so that he could press his lips against Mark’s.

  The first time, he’d been drunk, and he had wondered if he remembered it right. The rush of exhilaration, the heat of arousal gathering through his body, centered on his throbbing cock, the other man’s body hot and tight against his …

  No. He hadn’t misremembered. It was even better than it had been the first time, because this time, Christian was completely sober. With his eyes closed and his lips pressed tightly to Mark’s, he felt everything.

  At first, Mark didn’t really seem to respond much. He stood there, his arms at his sides, his body tense, and Christian wondered if he should let go. If he should stop kissing the man, and really, just give the whole thing up. If Mark rejected him again, that would be a pretty clear sign that this was hopeless.

  And then Mark moved. He reached around Christian’s body, and his huge, firm, strong hands settled on the round curve of Christian’s ass, pulling him tight against him so that nothing separated them other than their clothes.

  Mark bent down a little, which was very thoughtful of him because it meant that Christian didn’t have to stand on his tiptoes. Then Mark was kissing Christian back, and the way he did it made Christian shiver.

  It was different than kissing a girl. Way different. Girls tended to keep their mouths soft, but there was nothing soft about the way that Mark plunged his tongue into Christian’s mouth, exploring every inch of it, his hands still claimingly on Christian’s ass.

  Christian moaned, and then gave a soft noise of dismay and disbelief when Mark, just when they were getting started, pulled away from him and even released his grip on him.

  “ … What?” Christian said, looking at Mark, wondering if he’d done something wrong. If he wasn’t good enough at kissing guys, if he’d somehow turned the older man off.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Mark said, and Christian was reassured by his appearance, at least. The man was obviously desperately hard, and the front of his sweats jutted out in a way that Christian thought was pure sex. “It’s not safe here.”

  Christian looked around, confused. They were inside. He didn’t get it. What could happen to them …

  And then Mark pointed, directing his attention toward the large windows that were all over the place. They were on the ground floor. Anyone who was in the back yard would easily be able to see them. The guest house, like the house itself, had been built with many windows to take advantage of the sunlight.

  Of course, Christian wasn’t sure who would be in his backyard, especially with all of the security features that had now been crammed into his home, but then he’d never expected it when his house had been broken into by a crazed fan in the first place.

  “Shit,” Christian said quietly, finally understanding. It wasn’t safe here, because he was famous. If he was any normal, regular person, who would even care if he made out with a gorgeous guy? Not as many people, he was sure.

  “Remember what your agent said. No scandals,” Mark said, and Christian shook his head. Damn it! This was ridiculous. It was his property and he was desperately horny and so was Mark. They should be able to do something about it, if they wanted to.

  “What about your room? Or we could go to mine. Or anywhere. Is there anywhere safe?”

  His voice came out far more despairing than he would have expected. It was just that he’d never quite realized just how much celebrities had to give up their lives in order to be rich and famous. It had been his dream since he was a child, but he hadn’t known what it meant before.

  Mark nodded, then reached out briefly, as if to take Christian’s hand. He didn’t, though. Of course he didn’t. Those damn windows were still there.

  “Calm down, beautiful. My room is safe,” he assured him. Somehow, when he said it, Christian believed him. He didn’t doubt him at all, because he knew that Mark wouldn’t stand for anything else. “But are you sure …?”

  Christian growled and interrupted him, shaking his head.

  “Yeah. I’m sure. I can handle it, whatever you want to do to me. I just need … I need to get you out of my system.” He looked into Mark’s eyes. “Can’t we just do this? Just once? So I can forget about you?”

  Mark smiled, then gave a soft, very sexy, low and deep little chuckle.

  “Yeah. Let’s see if we can’t screw each other out of our systems,” he agreed.

  With that, the older man turned and walked up the stairs.

  The relief was overwhelming. Mark wasn’t going to send him away. Mark seemed to want Christian just as badly as Christian wanted him. This was all going to work out somehow.

  The moment they were in the bedroom, Mark had his arms around Christian, and he was kissing him fiercely again. All Christian had time to see was that there were blinds drawn over the windows, and there was no
way anyone could see in. With that, he could finally give himself over to this.

  “If I go too fast, you have to tell me,” Mark said. “It’s been awhile.”

  Christian shook his head. Mark was sex. Pure sex. How could it have been awhile since the gorgeous man had last been with someone, like he’d said? But he couldn’t think straight, not when Mark was kissing down the line of his neck, not when Mark was pulling Christian’s shirt over his head and baring his chest, then tweaking and rubbing at his nipples.

  This was another guy, and Christian had always been straight, but somehow, in that moment, it didn’t matter. This was Mark. It was Mark touching him, Mark working his body up into a feverish arousal like no one else ever had. That was what mattered.

  Tentatively, he reached out and gripped Mark’s cock through his sweats. He felt him throb under his touch, even felt some slick wetness seep into his palm, and heard the little groan of pleasure that the other man gave.

  It was like a drug. The best, most addictive drug in the world, and Christian couldn’t get enough.

  Part of it was strange. Touching another man’s cock? He’d only ever touched his own. But Mark made it good. Mark’s reactions, the look in his intense dark eyes, it turned it into something deeply erotic.

  Meanwhile, Mark stripped Christian, every last bit of his clothing hitting the bedroom floor quickly. Soon he was naked, and maybe he should have felt vulnerable, but he knew that Mark would never hurt him.

  Christian drew Mark’s pants down, and they came off of him just as easily as Christian had been sure they would when the older man had answered the door. They kissed again, and this time, they were both completely bare, and when they rubbed against each other, it was a whole new experience.

  Mark must have felt something similar, because he growled, then gripped Christian once more by his ass. He used that grip on him to push him down onto the bed, and then Christian was trapped between the softness of the mattress and the hardness of the man who eased himself down on top of him.

  “Mark,” Christian gasped, gazing up at him, rubbing his hips upward so that his cock moved against Mark’s skin. “Mark, baby, more, please!”

  What exactly he wanted, Christian wasn’t sure. But he knew it was more. So when Mark eased off of him and slid down so that he was kneeling on the floor, when he tugged on Christian’s hips and made him scoot forward, Christian propped himself up on his elbows and watched.

  What Mark did was nothing sure of miraculous.

  He lowered his head and his full, sexy lips wrapped around Christian’s cock, taking him deep.

  It wasn’t that Christian had never had a blowjob before. It wasn’t that he hadn’t even had really good blowjobs before. It was just that Mark seemed to know exactly the right way to touch him, to caress him with his mouth, to make it so that Christian couldn’t think about anything other than the building pleasure.

  It was so filthy, so deeply sexual, to see his own cock disappearing between those full lips. To feel the lash of a talented tongue over his most sensitive areas, to see the look in Mark’s eyes.

  Far sooner than Christian would normally expect, that pleasure washed over him in a wave that swept him completely away. He poured come into Mark’s mouth, crying out as he did, clutching at Mark’s head.

  And that was just the first time that Mark made him come that night. The first of many.

  Chapter Seven

  Mark

  Christian was a dream come true.

  Somehow, Mark had known that the gorgeous young man would be hedonistic and open about his pleasure. He’d known that he would be even prettier when his face was contorted with pleasure, and he’d even suspected that he would taste good.

  All of those things were true. Mark knew that now, and now that he did, he sort of had to wonder how he was ever going to be able to let the man go.

  And that was just from Christian’s reactions, because Mark hadn’t been touched at all. He’d been far too focused on Christian’s pleasure, and had only stopped giving it to him when the younger man had finally passed out. Only then did Mark jerk himself off, and then fall into a deep sleep of his own.

  Christian was still in his bed when he woke up, as dangerous as that was. Still, who would ever know? It was early enough in the morning that the rest of Christian’s band wouldn’t even be awake yet, and they were really the only ones who would be likely to come by.

  Even just looking at the sleeping young man made his cock stir. He was so damn beautiful, but not only that, he was deeply sensual in a way that thrilled Mark. So shameless, once he’d given himself over to the pleasure that Mark could give him.

  There was so much more that Mark would have liked to take from the young man, but he was far too aware that Christian had never been with a guy before. That much was very clear. It wouldn’t do to push him too much.

  Maybe he dozed off again. After all, he could, if he wanted to. The young man whom he was supposed to guard was right here, safe in his arms.

  The next thing he knew, a strong, firm, hot hand was wrapped right against his cock, which was already achingly hard.

  “I hope you don’t think I’m going to let you get away with that,” Christian’s voice was right in his ear, seductive and purring. His fingers, strong and calloused from playing the guitar, were locked around him, stroking him demandingly.

  “Get away with what?” Mark asked, still a bit befuddled with sleep. But he was so hard, and that hand felt so good. How long had it been since it had been anyone else’s hand around his cock? Far, far too long, his body informed him.

  “You made me come until I passed out. But there were things I wanted to try with you,” Christian said, and his hand continued its magic on Mark’s dick. “I never got to make you come. I’m going to fix that right now.”

  Technically, it was the next day, right? They really shouldn’t keep on touching each other. Their one time together, it should have been over. Mark stirred uneasily, wondering if he should stop this, despite how badly he needed it.

  “Don’t you dare. You’re not getting away from me.” Christian’s voice was full of mischief in a way that only made Mark want him more. “Once we leave this bed, then our time is over. Not until then.”

  Huh. Christian was pretty good at reading him, which was saying something. Most people found Mark pretty impenetrable. After just a month, Christian seemed to be able to tell what he was thinking, at least sometimes.

  Mark was impressed.

  Also impressed by the skill that the gorgeous young man was showing in stroking Mark’s dick. The guy was a fast learner. Mark’s body was soon trembling as he felt pleasure gathering inside him.

  That’s when Christian stopped.

  Mark growled softly, far too close, his cock throbbing and heavy and aching. He looked at Christian disbelievingly, but the young man just gave him a smug little smirk.

  “I’m not over you yet,” Christian told him firmly. “But I think I know what I need to fix that.”

  Mark gritted his teeth, trying to reason himself back away from the edge. He was going crazy, he was convinced of it, and this little brat was only encouraging that.

  “Oh?” Mark asked, trying for his voice to be mild, but it didn’t come out that way. More as a low, frustrated growl, and from the way the smirk on Christian’s face widened, that was exactly what the younger man wanted.

  “Yeah. You need to fuck me.”

  Even last night, when Christian had appeared on Mark’s front doorstep, Mark never would have expected those five words to come out of his mouth. Just like that, he thought he might come.

  It was the hottest thing he’d ever heard.

  “You sure, babe?” Mark asked. He wanted it, he did, but he also wanted to be very sure that Christian also wanted it.

  “You act like I can’t handle it. I can.” Christian gave him a determined look that Mark couldn’t help but find adorable. “I know you’ll make it good for me. So just do it.”

 
Well. That was pretty clear. Christian wanted it, and God knew that Mark wanted it. All of the reasons for not doing it, or at least most of them, were still there.

  But Mark thought that Christian might just be right. This might be the only way for them to get it out of their systems. So Mark took a deep breath, then nodded slowly.

  “Okay,” he agreed. He reached for the bedside table, for the drawer where he still kept condoms and lube, just in case. It had been a long time since he’d needed them, but he was glad that he had them.

  Conscious of Christian’s eyes on him, Mark opened the lube and squirted the slippery stuff over his fingers until they glistened.

  Was this really happening?

  “Stop teasing me,” Christian murmured, and then he lay back and spread his legs. He seemed brave, fearless, even, but Mark saw some nerves in the way that the young man looked at him.

  “I’m going to make this good for you,” Mark murmured, and then moved between Christian’s spread legs and slid his slick fingers between those full, beautiful asscheeks.

  Carefully, he started to spread the lube. He made sure that the younger man was nice and slick before he even started trying to enter him, and even then, Christian was tight. So very tight.

  Mark paused when Christian groaned softly, wondering if he was pushing too fast, even with his care. When he saw the young man, though, he immediately realized that it was pleasure, not pain, that was causing that reaction. The young man’s flushed cheeks and bright eyes betrayed that.

  “Mark, don’t stop,” Christian whispered, and if there were any doubt left, it was gone. Mark smirked, then eased his finger all the way in until it was buried inside that tight ass, spreading lube as he did.

  Slowly, he fucked him, just with that one finger. He crooked it to find Christian’s prostate, too, and was rewarded by the young man convulsing and a series of curse words coming out of his perfect lips.

  “Mark, more, Mark,” it didn’t take long until Christian was panting, pressing his hips up, taking Mark’s finger deeper inside him.