A Midnight Thanksgiving (Gay Romance) Read online

  In no time the kiss was heating up, going from soft and yearning to fiery as Vaughn's repressed passion took over. While Alex's fingers clawed over his back, Vaughn's hands moved from rubbing his back to groping his ass. God knows how far he would have gone if the elevator didn't stop.

  But even when the elevator doors opened, Vaughn didn't let him go. Pulling back only a little, Vaughn held him and stared at him. As Alex eyed him with an amused and questioning look, Vaughn didn't want to find him disarming or attractive or irresistible. He wanted to run from his feelings, not wallow in them clutching Alex like his life depended on it. Vaughn stayed like that even as the doors closed again, cutting off his escape.

  It was Alex who snapped him out of it. "If you aren't careful, you'll end up with an elevator fetish. Unless you already have one," he said with a smirk.

  "Move it or we'll end up on the wrong floor," Vaughn told him gruffly as he got the doors to open again.

  "Was that another impulse?" Alex asked.

  "Just relieving some tension," Vaughn said.

  "Have any left?"

  "Plenty," Vaughn told him as he wondered what he might do the next time they were alone. He had no idea where this might lead. He had never been so afraid of something while he rushed headlong into it.

  Chapter 6

  As Vaughn rushed him off the elevator, Alex just couldn't stop smiling to himself. Vaughn was a revelation – the way he kissed, the way he held him and gazed at him. Alex felt like he never knew him at all, and now he wanted to find out everything there was to know about him. Maybe after they found Zack, he could do that.

  They went down the hall and followed the sound of a party in full swing. Vaughn's touch was still making his body tingle and the heat of that kiss still flowed through his veins. Waiting in front of the door where the party was, Alex shook himself all over. It didn't do any good, he was still buzzing from the way Vaughn had kissed him.

  A girl opened the door and greeted them with a raised red plastic cup. Alex recognized her right away.

  "Charlie!" he exclaimed and hugged her while she kept her cup out of spilling range.

  "You know her too," Vaughn said.

  "I didn't know it was your party. Rea from Joker's called you Charlotte," Alex said to her.

  "She only knows me from class and that's what the professors call me."

  "This is Vaughn, newspaper nerd and an uptight guy all around," Alex said and threw an arm over his shoulder possessively. Not that he had any kind of claim on Vaughn. But suddenly he felt the need to send out a signal to all the partygoers to look but not touch.

  "I guess you're popular," Vaughn said to Charlie on seeing the number of people who had crowded into the smallish apartment.

  Charlie disagreed. "No. Beer is popular." Reaching for a short stack of red cups, she handed them two plastic cups with a turkey cartoon, which had been crossed out with a thick, black marker. "You get these at the door and then line up at the keg in an orderly fashion, no shoving." She motioned toward a card table where the keg was the star attraction. A crowd had clustered around it, but Alex saw no sign of any orderly line.

  "What's with these cups? Why is the turkey crossed out?" Alex asked Charlie.

  "This is an anti-turkey party," she said and pointed out some other crossed out turkey paraphernalia decorating the apartment.

  "Don't tell me. You have a bird phobia," Alex said, taking a wild guess.

  "No. Turkey Day is just hellish, and I'm warning you, don't even get me started on the stereotypical gender roles. Mom freaking out in the kitchen. My dad and uncle yelling at some sport on TV. Cousins kicking me under the table. That cousin part has nothing to do with gender roles. They are equal opportunity little shits. Everyone in range had bruised shins," she rambled.

  "OK," Alex said when she was done. "Is Wayne Manchez around? We heard he was here."

  She frowned and looked around, craning her neck. "I saw him earlier, but I don't know if he's still here. You'll have to comb through this bunch and see for yourself," she told them.

  "Oh, by any chance have you seen Zack Lieber?" Alex asked.

  Charlie shook her head uncertainly. "I don't think I know him."

  Vaughn pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of Zack. "This guy."

  She shook her head. "Sorry. Haven't seen him."

  As Charlie left them to fend for themselves, Alex looked at Vaughn suspiciously. "You have a picture of Zack? That's interesting," Alex said with a note of accusation in his voice.

  "Why wouldn't I?" Vaughn asked.

  "No reason, and I don't have any reason to suspect that you have a thing for him, right? I mean you're pissed off at him for picking the wrong guy. Maybe that's because you want him to pick you." Alex jabbed a finger at him, but Vaughn only looked amused at his jealousy.

  "Stop being paranoid. I'm not into Zack. I just don't like to see friends making bad choices. And how many pictures of Zack do you have on your phone?" Vaughn asked him.

  "That's different. I'm naturally friendly," Alex claimed. "So blond and cute isn't your type. Convince me," he challenged Vaughn, crowding into his personal space.

  "Maybe later. Is your natural friendliness the reason you seem to know everyone we run into?" Vaughn asked.

  "You would know them too if you weren't borderline antisocial," Alex told him.

  "I know plenty of people. I knew that girl at Joker's, didn't I?"

  "Did you? You just called her that girl? Are you saying you don't know her name? It's Rea," Alex informed him.

  "I know. You just said it when you were talking to Charlie. But it did slip my mind," Vaughn admitted. "I don't know her that well."

  "She knew you well enough to declare that you weren't good enough for me," Alex reminded him gleefully.

  "That is not what she said."

  After filling up their cups, they asked around for Wayne and let drunk people stare at Zack's picture on Vaughn's phone. No one had seen Zack, but they got some info on Wayne from a girl who kept snapping her rubber bracelet. "His roommate ate some bad stuffing. She didn't know anyone else here so Wayne took her home."

  "Wayne sounded drunk when I was texting with him. How is he escorting anyone home?" Alex said, disappointed that they missed him.

  She shrugged. "Wayne said he was coming right back though. He has his eye on that muscly cutie," she said and pointed to a black guy who was dancing with two girls. He did have some serious muscle so his moves were limited. With that body, he didn't need to move. He could just stand there like a statue and still look amazing.

  "Don't let your eyes fall out of your head," Vaughn said sharply, his tone laced with blatant jealousy.

  Alex turned to him slowly, then he just stared. Jealousy looked really good on him. His eyes turned fiery while his voice took on a growly depth.

  "Don't worry. You're cute too. In your own way," Alex teased him, and enjoyed how pissed off and sexy Vaughn looked.

  With plastic cups of beer in their hands, Alex and Vaughn parked themselves well away from the crowd clustered around the keg. Alex texted Wayne and got some nonsense back. He was pretty sure it meant he was on his way back there. Alex was already swaying to the music while Vaughn was standing stock still, of course.

  After a sip of the barely tolerable beer, he nudged Vaughn. "Look alive. Paul didn't say that we couldn't drink just that we couldn't eat, so drink up."

  "This beer is terrible and parties aren't my thing anyway," Vaughn said.

  Alex shook his head. "One sip of beer and you already don't make any sense. I might have to cut you off."

  "Noise and bad beer aren't everyone's idea of a good time."

  "Put that beer down. You're crazy drunk. And you're disparaging every party I ever went to. What do you want? Wine and a discussion of foreign policy? Is that more your speed?"

  "You don't know anything about me." Vaughn shook his head and looked kind of sad.

  "Like what? Come on, what don't I know?" Alex said urging him
to talk.

  Vaughn seemed to consider it for a moment then he gave Alex a wry grin. "OK. I'll paint you a picture. Growing up, I watched every single one of my brothers and cousins crush a beer can against his forehead. I tried it when I was five and damn nearly gave myself a concussion. I didn't cry though. That wasn't allowed."

  Hearing that, Alex put an arm around him and gave him a squeeze.

  Glancing at him sideways, Vaughn continued. "When my mom caught my brother, Slade, puking his guts out because he had accidentally swallowed some chewing tobacco, she was livid. She threatened my dad with divorce if he didn't stop chewing and setting a bad example for us boys. He still didn't give it up. He just said Slade needed to toughen up. Slade did, but I didn't."

  "You seem plenty tough to me," Alex told him.

  "That's not the way my dad would see it," Vaughn said, his eyes looking somewhere far away. "When my dad wanted to take me hunting for the first time, I got up extra early, but not because I was dying to join him and my brothers. I climbed out of my bedroom window and sneaked away from the house. It was still dark when I crawled under the neighbor's porch to hide. A while later I heard my dad and my brothers calling for me. I stayed put until I heard the truck drive away and I was sure they were gone. Every time after that, I did the same thing until my dad gave up on me. But I can still see every dead animal my dad and brothers brought home from their hunting trips in the back of the truck and skinned in the back yard."

  "Fuck. Now I'm going to have nightmares," Alex said and put both arms around him, trying to cut him off from the ugly memories and anchor him in the present. After a moment of silence for the poor, dead animals, Alex turned to stare at Vaughn. "Not to stereotype, but this doesn't sound like a gay-friendly environment to grow up in."

  Vaughn confirmed it. "It wasn't and it still isn't. If I went back there now, I would have to watch my back. My mom did divorce my dad, not over chewing tobacco though. She remarried and took me away from there. I was the youngest, so I went to live with her and my stepdad. They weren't happy when I came out, but they didn't curse or anything like Dad did. My dad went so red in the face, I thought he might hit me. But he dented the door of the pickup with his fist instead. He still won't talk to me. My brothers send Christmas cards and answer my calls most of the time, but we aren't close."

  "Damn. I'm sorry," Alex said and leaned his head on Vaughn's shoulder. Around them the party was still going on, but the two of them were in their own little world.

  "And you? How does your family treat you?" Vaughn asked him though Alex suspected it was mainly so he wouldn't have to dwell on his own family situation.

  "Annabelle, my sister, is all thumbs up, go to it. My mom and dad worry but they don't give me flack over it. My grandparents are a mixed bag. But my great-grandmother keeps trying to set me up with girls."

  "That sounds kind of gruesome," Vaughn said just as Alex heard his phone ring.

  As soon as he picked up, Paul's voice came through with an accusing tone. "It sounds like you're at a party, Alex. Care to explain?"

  "It wouldn't sound like I was at a party if you texted instead of calling," Alex mumbled. "We're doing reconnaissance," he said louder so Paul could hear.

  "It still sounds like a party to me. Have you completely forgotten about your mission?" Paul asked him.

  "We're waiting for a guy who might know a guy," Alex told him.

  "If you are out there partying your ass off instead of looking for poor, stupid Zack, I will kick your ass," Paul threatened.

  "We are looking. I promise. Jeez," Alex said and hung up. "Damn. I forgot to ask about dinner. I've given up on making it back on time anyway and resigned myself to leftovers."

  "That guy is waving at you," Vaughn pointed out.

  "Wayne!" Alex called out as they went over to meet him half way. "You look more sober than you sounded in your texts," he said on seeing him up close.

  "I had to walk to my place and back. A touch of sobriety is the unfortunate side effect. I'll fix that soon enough," Wayne said and eyed the keg eagerly.

  Alex didn't let him go over there yet. "First things first." He introduced him and Vaughn then he asked, "You know Zack's ex, right?"

  "What about him?"

  "Where can we find him? We think Zack might be with him," Alex told him.

  Wayne shot down that theory. "Unlikely. He's been out of town. Some kind of business majors' motivational retreat. Sounds like a living nightmare."

  "You're sure he isn't back," Vaughn said.

  "Haven't seen him, but I did see Zack earlier today. He was bummed so I told him to come here to unwind. He said he would go with Trudy instead. She wanted to take him somewhere for a good time," Wayne told them. "Let me see where she ended up." After a little bit, Wayne shook his head. "No reply. You can hang out or I'll text you when she texts me."

  "Why can't we just have her number?" Vaughn asked. He probably didn't trust Wayne to relay the message once he became texting impaired.

  "Without her permission? Nah. Trudy isn't the kind of girl you cross. She had to take an anger management class. Then she had to take it again," Wayne said.

  "And this is the person that has taken Zack under her wing?" Vaughn asked.

  Wayne only shrugged and started heading for the keg.

  "One more thing. Why in hell did you introduce Zack to someone like Brad?" Vaughn wanted to know.

  "Ease off. It's not like I pushed them together. I just said, ‘This is Brad. This is Zack.' They took it from there," Wayne said reasonably.

  "OK. OK. Let's go," Alex said and started pushing Vaughn out the door.

  Out of the corner of his eye Alex saw Wayne grab a cup of bad beer and sidle on over to the muscly cutie.

  "Jealous?" Vaughn accused Alex. He was so crazy, but his jealousy wasn't mistrust. It was some kind of teasing possessiveness. It was the kind of jealousy Alex could get behind.

  Chapter 7

  After waving goodbye to Charlie, they went out into the hallway. They should have been heading toward the elevator, but suddenly Vaughn grabbed him and pushed him up against the wall. His blue eyes glowed with an incredible intensity. Pausing close to him, teasing him with possibilities, he made Alex's heart race in anticipation.

  Alex's gaze naturally fell to his mouth, and he parted his lips, waiting, hoping. He managed to take one quick breath before Vaughn was on him. His eyes fiery, his mouth suddenly hard against Alex's, he took his breath away. As they kissed, Alex clutched at him like he would drown if he didn't hang on.

  He could have kissed him forever, but then a noise down the hall startled them. Vaughn straightened and let him breathe. The noise was the elevator coming up, but it stopped on the floor below. Alex was afraid that the mood was broken, but Vaughn wasn't done with him yet. He looked around then pointed up the stairs.

  "Let's see what's up there."

  "Nothing. This is the top floor," Alex reminded him.

  "Those stairs go somewhere," Vaughn said and led the way up.

  At the top of the stairs, he waited for Alex to catch up and eyed him hungrily. The stairs dead-ended at a small landing with one door leading up to the roof. It was locked, of course. But Vaughn had a use for that door anyway. He pushed Alex up against it and started to unzip his fly.

  Alex cursed. This was getting serious. He panted as Vaughn's lips grazed over his throat, sending shivers down his spine. Vaughn kissed his way to the open collar of his shirt while his hands were busy with his own fly.

  While Alex tried to pull him closer and called his name, Vaughn slid down his body wordlessly. He dropped to his knees in front of him. His hands skimmed down Alex's body and came to rest firmly on his thighs.

  When Vaughn freed his hard cock, all Alex could do was stare at him with desperate need and pant in anticipation. Vaughn's hand wrapped around the base of his cock firmly and his tongue swirled the head. A low moan escaped his throat and Vaughn moved down to his balls. He mouthed each one while Alex gasped and shuddered.<
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  Next he licked his way up the shaft and let Alex's cock slide between his lips. Watching Vaughn's mouth swallow him down, Alex braced himself against the cold metal of the door so he wouldn't tumble down.

  With Vaughn's mouth on his cock, Alex forgot how to breathe. Seeing that Vaughn had his own cock in his fist, Alex warned him, "Save that for me. Don't deprive a hungry man."

  In response Vaughn grunted and let go of his beautiful, hard cock. Alex moaned at the thought of what he would be doing as soon as Vaughn was done with him. It wouldn't take long either. Vaughn was sucking him hard and fast.

  Unfortunately, this wasn't a place where they could take their time or make too much noise. As Vaughn worked him over, Alex did his best not to get too loud. It wasn't easy.

  Vaughn's mouth was heaven and his eyes were gorgeous as he stared up at Alex. Just looking at him as he sucked him off made Alex want to come. Then he did. Alex climaxed with his eyes locked on Vaughn's as he swallowed and licked his lips.

  "I don't think I hate you any more," Alex panted.

  "You think?" Vaughn said as he staggered to his feet.

  As soon as he was standing up, Alex grabbed him around the waist and made him stagger again. Now Alex was groping his way down his body and going to his knees in front of him. Leaning against the railing for support, Vaughn called his name and let out a rumbling moan.

  *

  With Alex kneeling at his feet, Vaughn was in his power completely, helpless to him. Throwing his head back, he hung on to the railing for dear life and surrendered. Feeling Alex's breath, he bit his lower lip. A swipe of his tongue over the head, and in the next instant Alex was taking him deep down into wetness, heat and bliss.