Black Heart (SoulScape #2)

Chapter 3

A dim lamp in the living room and small fluorescent light under the cupboard in the kitchen supplied the only visibility in the otherwise dark apartment. Not much conversation had passed between Frank and the young man on the walk from the club to the apartment building. Frank didn't know what to say, really. They were together tonight for one reason and one reason only –why make chit-chat?

About time they were a block from the club, Frank's doubts had set in. It was easy to get jacked up in a place like that, with so much sexual energy in one room. But back out in the "real" world, his boldness waned a bit. This wasn't his style. Fuck, he didn't even have a style anymore.

Once inside the apartment, with the door closed behind them and it being too late to back out of it all, Frank actually felt a little more relaxed. He was only tense and on edge when there was a decision to make, options available. The boy was inside his home. They were going to have sex –no getting around it now.

"Would you, uh..." Frank cleared his throat and moved to the kitchen doorway. "...like a drink?"

The boy's hand caught his wrist as he went to switch on the overhead light. "No need for preliminaries," he whispered. "We both know what we want. You can take me straight to your bedroom, it won't be rude or presumptuous."

Frank stared at him. The young man was at least a half a foot shorter than him, and gazed up at Frank, the faint light from the kitchen barely touching his face. Something inside Frank shifted and the urgency he'd felt back at the club to fuck this boy morphed into something else...a different need.

He didn't realize he was just standing there, staring at the young man, until the boy touched him, palms flat against Frank's chest. He pushed closer and kissed Frank's throat.

Don't do that, he wanted to plea with the boy. Don't kiss me there...like that. Don't make me remember things that should have been forgotten years ago. Better yet –should have never taken place.

"Do you still want me?" the boy murmured against the swell of his throat. "Or have you changed your mind?"

Frank swallowed hard, his breath unsteady. "No...I-I haven't changed my mind."

"That's good." The boy opened Frank's shirt a second time and kissed the center of his chest. "Show me your bedroom." He lifted his eyes and smiled. "Or do you want to take me right here?"

Frank covered the boy's hands and squeezed gently. "I want you in my bed."

His eyes drifting down to linger on Frank's hands, the kid whispered. "I like your hands...the way you touch me."

Frank had yet to truly touch him, but he was suddenly very anxious to feel the boy's naked skin beneath his fingertips...beneath his lips...beneath his body.

Keeping hold of one of the boy's hands, Frank walked him down the dark hall to the bedroom. The city lights poured through the window between the open drapes and illuminated the room with sufficient visibility, still Frank reached for the light switch –and was again halted by the boy.

"I like this," the boy said softly. "Just the lights of the city."

Frank nodded slowly and lowered his hand as the boy led him across the room to the bed. It occurred to him about time the young man began unfastening Frank's pants that he didn't even know the kid's name. No introductions had been made. Frank touched the boy's chin and lifted his face. "What's your name?"

"Tell me yours first," he whispered.

"Frank."

The boy smiled. "I like Frank." He lowered his head and commenced to open Frank's fly.