thigh. Nick froze, not daring to even take a breath.
Guilt over not knowing if Joe was awake or asleep brushed Nick's conscience, only to be washed away by a rush of white hot lust when Joe turned onto his belly and buried his face against Nick's groin. Joe took a deep breath and then another. His entire body shuddered.
"Goddamn you," Joe groaned, nosing Nick's cock that stood only at half-mast but was quickly rising to the occasion.
Nick moved his hands to cup Joe's head; they hovered there barely brushing his hair. "Joe?"
"Shut up." Joe's tortured growl snapped Nick's lips closed on whatever he'd been about to say. Even he wasn't sure what it would have been. Joe's mouth closed over the head of Nick's cock and Nick's world spun out of control . Stop him . His conscience tried to flare to life. Nick couldn't move. Stop him! Joe sucked. White light flashed behind Nick's eyelids and he gasped. When Joe palmed Nick's balls all was lost. Nick fell backwards into the moss. Nothing had ever felt more natural than lying there under the moon with Joe's mouth devouring him. The eager, hungry noise Joe made swallowing Nick's cock curled his toes. Nick's fingers slid into Joe's hair, the texture was very much like he remembered—like silk.
Joe tongued the underside of Nick's cock, suckling the head as he slid down the full length and buried his nose in the coarse curls at the base. Nick cried out, and his fingers tightened against Joe's scalp as his hips lifted from the ground, pushing his dick deeper. Joe didn't choke, instead he relaxed, humming slightly, and Nick felt the vibration resonate to his core. He whimpered and squirmed under the torture of Joe's mouth, pumping his hips, desperately chasing his orgasm. When Nick's movements made reaching his cock awkward, Joe rose up on his hands and knees and crouched over Nick. Making no attempt to hold him down, Joe let Nick fuck his mouth as hard and fast as he needed it.
When he came, Nick's howl of Joe's name split the night. Joe didn't back off, taking Nick deep and sucking hard, swallowing the thick strands of cum as it pumped from Nick's body. Joe eased him down, sucking more gently, caressing Nick with long strokes of his tongue as Nick slowly relaxed back onto the ground. His fingers threaded through Joe's hair in a gentle caress but Joe pulled away, collapsing to sit cross-legged on the ground beside Nick's hip. Not looking at Nick, he stared off into the dark stand of trees at the edge of the clearing. Nick lay still, barely daring to breathe, terrified Joe would bolt.
"I hate you."
The softly spoken words barely broke the air between them. They would have crushed Nick, torn his heart asunder, except Joe's tone said something else entirely.
"I hate you. You're here and she's gone." Joe crouched over Nick again; he leaned and pressed his face into Nick's abdomen. He breathed and licked his way up Nick's torso. The moment, as heartbreaking as it was erotic, held Nick frozen in place, waiting to see what Joe would do. Joe buried his face in the hollow of Nick's throat. "You're here, always here. Never asking. Taking up space. Stealing my air. Smelling." Joe moved his mouth and nose along the underside of Nick's jaw, behind his ear, finally burying his face in Nick's hair. "Do you have any fucking idea how good you smell?" Joe inhaled again, deeply. The full weight of his body pressed Nick into the ground. Joe's hands clutched Nick's biceps, fingers pressing deep into the muscle. Bruising.
Nick realized Joe was crying the same moment the first sob escaped. Nick wrapped his arms around his best friend, holding him close and feeling the frantic beat of Joe's heart against his chest. "I'm sorry."
"Just shut up." Joe clutched Nick tighter. "There's nothing to say. I hate you. I hate you so goddamn much."
Pressing a kiss into Joe's hair, just behind his ear, Nick didn't say a word, simply held Joe close and let him cry.
Chapter 5
The silence in the car was telling. Joe stared out