Husband Hunters Read online

  They both stopped, listening, and Matt thought the only sound he could hear was the beating of his own heart, which was doing double-time in his chest.

  Tre whispered, “It’s probably just an animal. Who knows what critters are out foraging around?” His smile, like the Cheshire Cat’s tattooed on his neck, glowed almost eerily in the darkness.

  They both stood still for a moment, waiting for more. When nothing came, they latched on to each other once again, kissing with a ferocity that spoke volumes about their pent-up hunger for one another. Matt didn’t think he’d realized just how starved he was for this connection. It had been so long!

  Soon they were ripping each other’s clothes off. They couldn’t stop to ask if it was okay, because their mouths were too busy kissing, or licking and biting various parts of each other’s anatomy as it was revealed.

  At last they stood naked, swords drawn, in the moonlight. Tre snickered. “I love making love in the outdoors.”

  “God, I hope we don’t get arrested.” Matt had a fleeting thought about his job as a shaper of young minds and wondered what his high school charges would think of him if they could see him now. Most of the boys, he realized, would probably high-five him.

  “Doubtful. In this silence and dark, we’d be able to hear anyone coming long before they spotted us.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure. And I’m sure about something else too.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m sure I want you to fuck me.” Tre whispered, then licked his ear.

  Matt wasn’t certain if it was the simple statement or the lick that caused a shiver to go through him, so powerful it made him spasm.

  Whatever. Tre didn’t wait for his response. In one fluid motion, he dropped to his knees and took Matt’s cock in his mouth, briefly swirling his tongue around the head before swallowing it all the way to the root. He squeezed the entire shaft with his throat muscles, making Matt groan and grab onto Tre’s hair. The spikes were surprisingly hard, lubed up with gel.

  Speaking of lube, Matt realized he had none with him. He didn’t have any condoms either. But the simply amazing things Tre was doing to him with his lips, tongue, and throat edged out those thoughts quickly. If the guy ever lost work as a cameraman, he could get a job with the circus as a sword swallower.

  “Oh my God, you keep that up and I’m gonna come.”

  Tre pulled away from his cock and balls long enough to gasp. “Don’t. Save it. I want that first load in my ass.”

  The dirty talk and the feel of warm mouth entrapping his dick just about sent him over the edge. Matt pulled out quickly, grabbing the base of his pulsing cock with one hand—and praying.

  The sensation passed. He laughed. “I just about lost it. Damn, you’re good.”

  “Wait ‘til you feel my ass, buddy. It’s even better.” Tre stood up, spit on his hand, and wiped it in the crack of his ass. He turned around, facing away, stooped, and gripped his knees.

  Matt realized he could just plow into the guy if he wanted to. If ever there was a position that screamed “hungry” it was this one, right before him. But Matt had always played safe.

  “Tre, I don’t have protection.”

  “We don’t need latex, man. I’m on Truvada.”

  Matt had heard about some gay men taking the AIDS medication as a preventative measure and that it worked pretty well. Still, he was scared. Truvada would protect Tre, maybe, but what about him? His cock drooped a bit.

  “Come on, man, shove it in. I want you to pound my ass. I want your come!”

  Oh man, was Matt tempted. It would be so easy to just say “Fuck it” and then fuck it, throwing caution to the wind. Every fiber of his being was doing just that. Tre rotated his ass, which caused Matt to stiffen back to his earlier hardness. When Tre moved his ass closer to the head of Matt’s dick, the first line of precome leaked out. “Fuck, I want you so bad.”

  “Just shove it in, man. I’ll take whatever you can give.”

  “Oh, I want to.” Matt had to force himself to listen to reason for just a second. “But I can’t take a chance.”

  Tre sighed, sounding a little irritated and, without standing back up, groped around on the ground. Matt watched as his hand lit on his jeans, and with relief, watched as Tre extracted a slim square from the front pocket. He reached behind him to offer it to Matt.

  Matt could just make out the brand in the soft moonlight. “Magnum. You’re an optimist.”

  “Just slap it on and stick it in me. Please!”

  Tre’s command was so urgent that Matt had no choice but to comply. He closed his eyes and grabbed Tre’s hips.

  * * * *

  They parted later that night at Matt’s front door with a chaste good-night kiss, which was Matt’s choice. Choice? It was all he could do to maintain control. He didn’t know he was going on a date with a wild man. Matt looked into Tre’s eyes. “I had an amazing time tonight. I hope we can do it again, soon.”

  “You want me to come up? We can do it again right now!”

  Matt laughed. “Down, boy! I can see I’m gonna have my hands full with this one.”

  “And I’m gonna have my ass full with this one!” Tre poked Matt’s chest. “I’m still sore.” He rubbed his ass.

  Matt shook his head. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “Insatiable is more like it.”

  “You got that right. But I think two times on our first date is good. I’m beat.”

  “Tomorrow? You wanna hook up tomorrow? We could do breakfast—in bed!” Tre winked. “And then go out for food. There’s this place called Dish on Leary Way that makes a great pancake.”

  Matt had to admit, if only to himself, that although he was flattered by Tre’s enthusiasm, he also felt a little pressured. Besides, he had told Cody in school on Friday that he would do breakfast with him, and then the two of them could take Ryder to the dog park at Woodland Park.

  Wait a minute. You’re going to forego a date with this hotter-than-hell little dynamo for Cody? Cody, the guy who just about ripped your heart to shreds because all he wants from you is friendship? Matt smiled winsomely, thinking of Cody. He gave Tre another kiss, and Tre reached down to grope Matt’s crotch.

  When they pulled apart, Tre said, “One more time? I’ll suck you off by those cars over there.”

  Matt laughed. “You are somethin’ else. Go get some sleep.” And he turned toward his building’s front door.

  “Tomorrow? Breakfast?”

  Matt was really tempted. It would give him a peculiar bit of pleasure to call Cody in the morning and tell him he’d have to miss out because he had a date. But Matt wasn’t that kind of guy—he honored his commitments, even if he was tempted by what definitely might be a more attractive offer.

  Sure. Tell yourself that. You know the truth. You’d just rather be with Cody. Loser.

  Matt shook his head for a moment at his own thought processes. “I can’t. I already have other plans.”

  “Another guy?”

  Matt nodded.

  “Cody?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re picking him over me?”

  Thank goodness Tre smiled big when he asked that. Otherwise, Matt would be nervous.

  “No. Never. It’s just that we already had some plans. And I’m not that kind of guy, the one who backs out when he has a better offer. But we could do something later. In the evening.” The latter was really what was preferable, and Matt questioned why he just didn’t say that.

  “I’ll swing by around noon.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll be back by then, Tre. Let’s do, uh, dinner. Say six-ish because it’s a school night?” He smiled. “I’ll make you my world-famous spaghetti with meat sauce. It’s world famous because it’s Prego with a pound of ground beef.” He laughed. “It’ll be a great way to start the week off.”

  Tre stuck out his lower lip. “Okay,” he said, sounding for all the world like a disappointed little boy.
/>   Matt watched as Tre got on his bike, revved it up, and roared away into the night. He turned to the door and wondered if Tre was a nice guy or a lunatic. Whatever. He was fun. And distracting.

  Chapter 17

  Cody and Matt came out of the movie they had just seen at Thornton Place, a thriller called IM, starring Macaulay Culkin as a twisted serial killer of gay men. It was being called his breakout role. Surprisingly, the star who’d been such a little-boy sensation in Home Alone, lo these many years ago, was quite chilling, his boyishness actually making the killer more believable—and terrifying.

  “That was bizarre. I don’t think I’ll ever cruise online again.”

  Matt snorted. “Yeah. Fat chance of that.”

  Cody sniffed. “I have my standards.”

  “Oh, don’t tempt me,” Matt shot back.

  Cody liked the banter; this was the old Matt. It had been more than three months since their weekend together at Mt. Baker, fall was tapering into a wet and dreary winter, and he and his best friend were on firm footing once more. It felt good. There were no special guys on his own horizon, and, although he knew he wanted that to make his life complete, spending time with Matt, the old Matt, the real Matt, the funny Matt, the true Matt was sure as hell good enough for now.

  Three months ago, if you had asked Cody if he thought he had a future with Matt, he wouldn’t have known how to answer. Things had certainly looked grim.

  But gradually, through fits and starts, they had made it work and had gotten back to where they’d been before the whole Husband Hunters debacle.

  “Look at that sky,” Matt said, drawing Cody’s attention to the huge wall of windows in the movie theater’s lobby. Outside, it looked like night pressing in. Huge black clouds lumbered across the horizon, lit up briefly by the flashes of lightning that seemed buried within their blue-gray depths. Rain poured down, smearing the glass and obscuring the view of the Northgate neighborhood outside, turning it into an impressionist nightmare. “It’s only three, but it feels like midnight.”

  Cody agreed, “Yeah, after that movie, I just about want to go get in bed and pull the covers over my head. The weather outside is perfect.”

  “We’re gonna get drenched.”

  They had parked across the street, not a great distance, but with the way it was coming down, it wouldn’t take long for their clothes to be soaking. Cody wondered if the rain reminded Matt of their time on the mountain, that baring of the hearts in the forest when it had rained very much like this, but he didn’t mention it. They never talked about that time. And why should they? It would be like ripping the scab off a wound, something Cody had no desire to do.

  “You want me to get the car and pick you up?” Cody offered.

  “What am I? Your mom? I won’t melt.”

  “I’m not so sure. You can be pretty wicked.”

  They stepped off the escalator. “You ready?” Matt asked. Cody nodded, and they walked to the bank of doors and then ran like hell once they got outside, both laughing and yelling at the shock of the cold rain.

  Once inside Cody’s car, the rain drumming down on the roof, both of them took a moment to catch their breaths.

  “Phew!” Cody shouted. “I am soaked. Through to the skin!”

  Matt chuckled in agreement.

  Cody started up the car and, even though it wasn’t that cold outside, turned the heater to high. He wiped some of the rain off his face and smiled at Matt. “So what do you have on tap for the rest of the night? You want to do dinner or something?” Cody had noticed a new place had opened in Wallingford, a Korean-Vietnamese fusion restaurant near Gas Works Park. He forgot what it was called but had been eager to try it.

  Matt didn’t answer right away. “Can’t, man. Sorry,” he said quickly.

  Cody cocked his head. “What? You have a hot date or something?” He had put the car in reverse and was looking over his shoulder, just beginning to back out of the parking space, when he felt Matt’s hand on his arm.

  “Can we talk?” Matt asked.

  “Who are you? Joan Rivers?” Cody asked.

  “I’m serious, man. Pull back in the space. There’s something I want to tell you.”

  “Is everything okay?” Cody asked. His friend sounded so ominous, and he feared he was about to get bad news. Matt was young and fit, but that didn’t mean he was immune from all the usual perils of life, like bacteria, diseases, and myriad mishaps.

  “I’m better than okay,” Matt started and then fell silent once more, staring out the rain-smeared glass.

  “Well, that’s good.” Cody shut off the ignition, and the engine died with a pinging noise. The rain doing its tap dance on the roof seemed louder. “So what’s up?”

  “I can’t go out with you tonight because I have other plans.”

  Cody tsked. “Oh. Is that all? It’s cool.” He reached out to start up the car again, and again, Matt grabbed his hand to snatch it away.

  “You know when you asked if I had a hot date?”

  Cody snickered. “Yeah.”

  “See? You’re laughing, like it’s out of the realm of possibility, when the fact is I do have a hot date. Smokin’ hot, in fact.”

  “Good for you!” Cody said, putting as much enthusiasm as he could behind the words, even though, strangely, Matt’s admission had caused him a twinge and a flash of nausea deep in his gut. What was up with that?

  “It is good for me,” Matt said quietly. “I’ve been meaning to tell you about him for the past several weeks. For some reason, I just never got around to it.”

  “So you’ve been seeing him on a regular basis?”

  “Yeah, pretty much. As often as we can make it happen, which is pretty often.”

  “How did I not know this?”

  “I don’t know. It just never came up. But I thought you should know because, well, it’s getting kind of serious. We’re thinking about being exclusive, and I wouldn’t be all that surprised—” Matt drew in a deep breath. “I wouldn’t be all that surprised if we moved in together.”

  Cody snorted. “Already? You said it’s only been a few weeks.”

  “Sometimes that’s enough to know.”

  They fell silent. Cody didn’t understand his emotions. He knew what he was feeling, physically: sick to his stomach, like all he wanted to do was open his door, lean over, and puke up his popcorn and cherry Coke. Yet his head wondered why he should care and why he wasn’t feeling what one should be when your best friend tells you, essentially, that he had met someone and fallen in love.

  Happy.

  Cody turned to Matt in the darkness. “Who is he? Do I know him?”

  Matt laughed. “You do, in fact.”

  “Not the new football coach at school!” The rumors that the strapping, sandy-haired hunk played for his and Matt’s team had been making the rounds but had yet to be officially confirmed.

  “No. He’s all yours, honey. If he swings that way. And I think he does, because he was reading the latest Tales of the City book in the teacher’s lounge last week. Remember that one? I bought you a copy. It’s something about Anna Madrigal. I forget the title. But then you’d have an in with him. You could strike up a conversation.”

  “I don’t want to strike up a conversation!” Cody spat, then caught himself. He hadn’t intended to snap, to sound as angry as he knew he did. Why should he be mad? That made no sense.

  Matt held up both hands defensively. “It was just a suggestion.”

  Cody tried to swallow but discovered there was no spit in his mouth. If he’d had any kind of choice, he would have opted to act on the flee part of his fight or flee instincts right then. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he reminded Matt, “You said I knew the guy. Who is it?”

  “His name is Tre.”

  “I don’t know any Tre.”

  “Yes, you do.” Matt explained about Tre’s freelance stint as a cameraman the summer before.

  “Oh my God. That guy was gay? I had no idea.”

 
; “Right? Me neither, until he called me up out of the blue and asked me out. Until he begged me to fuck him up the butt!” Matt laughed.

  Cody didn’t. The thought caused a wave of nausea so intense to roil through him that beads of sweat popped out on his forehead. “TMI,” he said.

  “Sorry. You didn’t need to hear that.”

  “No, I did not.” Cody glanced out the window. The rain was letting up a bit. “So you really like him?”

  Matt didn’t say anything for a moment and then came back with, “He’s a lot of fun. Very, um, natural.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  Matt sighed. “I don’t know, Cody. I thought you’d be happy for me.”

  Cody shook his head. What was with him? He was lying through his teeth and knew it was obvious, but he forced himself to say, “I am. If that’s what you want. Fun.” Cody found he couldn’t look at Matt. “I don’t know if he’s good enough for you. If I remember right, the guy looks like some pretty-boy gangster, a poor man’s Billy Idol.” Cody knew he didn’t really think that; the guy was a little stud.

  “Well, I think he’s cute.”

  “Then I guess that’s all that matters!” Cody said, faux cheerfully but with an air of finality. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” He started the car up, pressing down too hard on the gas so the engine revved into the red. His hands were trembling.

  “Are you okay, man?”

  “Fine. Just fine,” Cody said through clenched teeth, backing out and almost hitting a pedestrian, a young woman who flipped him the bird.

  “Are you sure?”

  Cody waited to turn right out of the parking lot. “That’s what I said.”

  They rode in silence back to Ballard. When they pulled up in front of Matt’s place, he asked Cody if he wanted to come up. “I have a little time. Tre’s not coming around until seven. We could have a beer.”