Racing the Sky Read online

  Gray turned and studied him. “You look like you’re about to pull a rabbit,” he commented softly. “Have you changed your mind?”

  Nicky swallowed twice before he could find his words. “No, I just... Terry was the only one I was ever with.”

  Gray nodded in understanding. “Ahh, I see. You know, we can just hang out and talk if you want. I’m a good listener.”

  “I just want to forget Terry!” Nicky blurted out.

  Gray gave him a knowing smile. “Orgasmic oblivion; been there, done that too. I can promise you one thing, Nicky: you won’t be thinking of Terry while you’re with me.”

  Nicky moved forward until he was face to neck with Gray, who was a full head taller than him. Gray reached out and ran his fingertips lightly along Nicky’s jaw, lifting his head so he could slant a slow, lingering kiss on Nicky’s lips. Nicky inched a little closer and deepened the kiss, sliding his hand up to Gray’s shoulders as Gray’s arms locked around his waist and tugged him forward until they were pressed together tightly.

  Nicky moaned as Gray’s kiss intensified, his fingers sliding into Gray’s hair. Gray’s hands were stroking his back as they kissed, and by the time they pulled back from one another, they were both breathing heavy. Smiling, Gray caressed Nicky’s face and slid a hand to the back of his neck until Nicky closed his eyes and shivered. Closing the distance between them, Nicky initiated the kiss this time, feeling Gray’s hand slide down his back before playing with the edge of his T-shirt, occasionally touching skin. Nicky broke the kiss and chuckled, then laughed as Gray did it again. Soon he had Nicky writhing with laughter.

  “Ticklish, huh?”

  Nicky just nodded, a grin plastered across his face.

  “You’re extremely handsome,” Gray murmured as he leaned in to capture Nicky’s lips with a kiss.

  There was no longer any hesitation on Nicky’s part. He returned the kisses and ran his hands up the back of Gray’s shirt, encouraged when he heard Gray groan in response. Letting his hands fall to the hem of Gray’s T-shirt, Nicky tugged it upward. Gray broke the kiss to raise his arms and help Nicky get his shirt off, being careful of the bandage on Nicky’s hand as he quickly removed his shirt, tickling him for good measure. Nicky collapsed on the bed, with Gray landing right beside him.

  Nicky moaned as Gray caressed his chest and sides, reaching his own hands to pull Gray close, kissing him again. His jeans felt tight, and he rubbed his lower body against Gray’s, eliciting a groan from both of them. One of Gray’s hands slid down to cup Nicky’s ass, pulling Nicky against him more firmly. Gray gave a careful thrust of his hips, and they both moaned in response to the friction as their kisses became wilder and hands grasped along each other’s backs and sides until Nicky writhed, causing even more wonderful friction between them.

  “Damn,” Gray groaned, then nipped Nicky’s throat.

  Nicky made a low, garbled sound, and then gasped as Gray lightly bit his shoulder. “More skin,” Nicky pleaded, almost desperate now.

  “Oh yeah,” Gray moaned, their hands getting in each other’s way as they fumbled with the buttons on their jeans, finally managing to get them open. Wiggling, they rid themselves of the restrictive fabric, Gray grinning when he realized that Nicky went commando.

  “Nice,” Gray told him, his voice rough as he palmed Nicky’s erection, causing Nicky to cry out with desire.

  Nicky pushed at Gray’s boxers until the older man helped him get them off; then Nicky was back to kissing him again, his own hand having closed lightly around Gray, stroking as Gray gasped. With his tongue, Nicky traced the rearing mustang tattoo on Gray’s hip, then moved up to glide over the soaring eagle on his side.

  After a minute or two, Gray’s hand stilled Nicky’s. “It’s been a while, kid, and I’m not ready for this to end.”

  Gray was still fondling him, and Nicky writhed, moaning, which turned to swearing when Gray stopped. Seconds later, Gray slid down and took Nicky in his mouth.

  “Fuck,” Nicky groaned.

  “Soon,” Gray promised, then took him a bit deeper.

  “Fuck. Mmm. Fuck!”

  This time Gray chuckled around him, and Nicky gave a long, low groan, threading his hands through Gray’s hair. Gray knew exactly what to do with his mouth, keeping Nicky on the edge until he was muttering unintelligible words. He cupped Nicky’s balls and swallowed him all the way down, wrenching a high-pitched noise from Nicky’s throat. White spots erupted behind Nicky’s eyes as he came, crying out wordlessly.

  By the time Nicky could focus, Gray had moved up to lie next to him and was stroking his face.

  “God, that was awesome,” Nicky sighed as he sprawled languidly beside Gray.

  Gray kissed and nipped Nicky’s abs, making him growl. “So not done yet, kid,” Gray told him as he reached for the lube, lightly coating his fingers and dribbling some down Nicky’s crack as well. Nicky wiggled at the cold sensation, then gasped as the first finger breached him.

  “You like that?” Gray asked, and Nicky all but purred out a yes as Gray slid his finger in deeper and curled it down. It wasn’t long before he added a second digit, stretching Nicky slowly while Nicky tossed his head and begged for more.

  “Oh, I’ll give you more. I promise you that.” Gray added a third finger and hit Nicky’s sweet spot dead-on, making him cry out and grip the sheets. “Nice and tight, huh?”

  Nicky couldn’t find words to answer. All he could do was moan and babble as Gray nipped his abs, causing him to arch up, taking the invading digits deeper.

  “Tell me what you want,” Gray murmured low.

  “Please,” Nicky whined, bucking and trying to drive the fingers deeper inside of him.

  “Please what?” Gray prompted, scissoring his fingers apart as Nicky continued to writhe.

  “Please,” Nicky gasped. “Please fuck me.”

  Gray growled; then those fingers were gone and Nicky was whining in protest. He heard the condom wrapper tear, and then Gray pressed him back onto the bed. Nicky’s legs came up to wrap around him, his eyes bright with lust. Gray stared down into his eyes and pushed in slow and careful. Nicky’s body trembled as he panted and groaned.

  “Big,” Nicky gasped, and Gray stilled, giving him time to adjust.

  It must have been hard to keep still, but he didn’t move until Nicky wiggled and arched his hips, pushing Gray deeper. Both moaned loudly as Nicky’s arms slid over Gray’s shoulders. Gray took that as a sign to begin moving, gentle at first, but as Nicky continued to move with him, rocking to meet each of his thrusts, he increased the pace until he was pounding into Nicky, who gripped his shoulders and begged for more.

  Nicky arched up hard, shouting as he came again, and Gray pumped into him several more times, then came with a hoarse yell. With a groan, Gray collapsed on Nicky, pulled out carefully, and then rolled to the side, taking Nicky with him. Nicky instinctively curled against him. They remained like that until their breathing returned to normal and their bodies began to cool. Gray ran a gentle hand though Nicky’s hair, caressing him.

  “We should clean up. Do you want to use the shower?” Gray asked.

  “Yes, please,” Nicky said shakily, still burrowed tight to Gray’s chest.

  Gray chuckled and brushed Nicky’s hair to the side so he could run his fingers along Nicky’s nape. “Come on then.”

  Nicky shivered and finally drew away from Gray so they could both get up. Gray led him to the shower and turned it on, making sure it was warm before they climbed in. Nicky tipped his head back and let the water run over him. Gray reached out and caressed the side of Nicky’s face. Nicky sighed and pressed his cheek more firmly against Gray’s palm, humming.

  Grey finally moved his hand away, and Nicky’s eyes opened. He caught Gray’s gaze for just a moment before he blushed and looked away, shoulders slumping a little. Gray soaped up a washcloth and rubbed it over Nicky’s arm and down his chest. With a small smile, Nicky lifted his head.

  “I, um, I can do it,” N
icky muttered, moving his good hand to take the rag from Gray.

  “I’d rather do it. Unless you don’t want me to,” Gray said, and continued to wash him. “Besides, you gotta keep that hand dry; right?”

  “Yeah.” Nicky found the other cloth and began washing Gray. With the water running over their soapy bodies, Gray tipped Nicky’s head back and kissed him. Nicky broke away and pressed his head to Gray’s chest. Together they just stood beneath the spray, hugging until the water grew cold and Gray turned it off.

  Nicky’s traced Gray’s tattoos. “I’ve always wanted a tattoo. Did they hurt?”

  “That one there hurt like a bitch,” Gray said as he trapped Nicky’s hand on top of it. “Ribs always hurt more.”

  “I don’t like needles,” Nicky admitted. “But I want a dirt bike on my shoulder, if I can ever get over being chicken and get one.”

  “Maybe you need someone to go with you, hold your hand,” Gray joked.

  Nicky just grinned at that and resumed tracing the tattoo. He paused, chewing on his lower lip while he looked up at Gray. “Would it… Could I stay the night? I mean, if that’s okay. If not, it’s okay, I’ll go.”

  Gray’s eyes widened. “Yeah, sure you can stay.” Gray handed him a towel.

  Nicky dried off quickly and followed Gray back to bed, curling against his side and laying his arm across Gray’s abs. Nicky sighed contently at the feel of Gray’s hand resting on the back of his head.

  “Never in my wildest dreams did I expect the night to end like this,” Gray murmured as he stroked Nicky’s hair.

  “How did you think it would end,” Nicky replied sleepily.

  “You leaving,” Gray admitted. “It’s not like there’s been many opportunities for hook ups being way up here, and when it does happen, they’re in and out as fast as I can get the condom off.”

  “Fuck, that would suck.”

  “Yeah, it does. I’m glad you’re not like them.”

  “I’m glad you let me stay. I hate sleeping alone.”

  “So do I, kid. So do I.”

  Nicky sighed as he felt Gray’s arm tighten around him, and he snuggled closer and gave in to the lull of sleep.

  Morning brought a moment of disorientation as Nicky opened his eyes and looked around. Gray snored softly beside him, and it all came back. Maybe he should have felt embarrassed, but he didn’t. Instead, he slid from the bed to use the bathroom before returning to curl up beside Gray. At some point, he must have fallen back asleep because when he woke again Gray was shaking him.

  “I gotta be in the diner in an hour,” Gray told him.

  “Oh, okay.” Nicky blinked sleepy eyes at him. It was the best sleep he’d had since Terry left. Reluctantly, Nicky moved to get up, only to have Gray hug him close.

  “You’re welcome to come back whenever you want,” Gray told him.

  Nicky looked up and smiled. “I definitely want.”

  Gray grinned and held him for a moment, running his fingers though Nicky’s long hair. Nicky hugged him back before they finally broke apart. After getting dressed, Nicky headed to his truck, a part of him still unable to believe what he’d done, while a bigger part of him was happy he had. A fling with a gorgeous guy like Gray might be exactly what he needed to get over Terry.

  Chapter Three

  It was an odd feeling, spending a day at home that wasn’t a holiday or weekend. At first, Nicky had looked around for something to do, but the floors had been swept and mopped and vacuumed, the wood had been dusted and polished, and the kitchen was clean. Sighing, he even checked the bathrooms to find that Vic had cleaned those too.

  There was still the broken mirror on the medicine cabinet and the cracked plaster from where Terry had slammed him against the wall. Those he could deal with and he headed to the hardware store to get supplies. He spent half his time there in the patio section, checking out new grills and contemplating a smoker, finally choosing one that would fit perfectly out on the patio.

  Impulse buying, that had to be a new one for him, but he justified it with a reminder that he and Vic both loved cooking outdoors. This would just be a new addition to their grilling family. Sliding behind the wheel, he closed his eyes against the memory of the morning driving down from the mountains relaxed and a little achy. It was a good ache though, and his body stirred at the reminder.

  God, he’d never imagined sex with anyone could be so intense. Hell, he’d never wanted to have sex with anyone but Terry and it had never been that way between them. The way Gray had touched and stroked and caressed him had only been heightened by the whispered words of praise and admiration. Usually it was Nicky who was the one praising and admiring, or at least it had been when he was with Terry. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d gotten a blow job before Gray had eagerly driven him to mindless bliss.

  With a groan, Nicky realized that the parking lot of the hardware store was the last place he needed to be sitting while remembering how awesome things had gone the night before. Wiggling in his seat, he adjusted himself, put the keys in the ignition, and drove home.

  Trying to decide what to tackle first was easy; he’d focus on the smoker, of course. He got it put together and started seasoning the grates, then headed inside to let the heat do its work while he tackled the mirror.

  Along the way, he checked on the ribs he’d grabbed on the way home, turned them in the container in which they were marinating, and added some more seasonings. There were containers of potato salad and coleslaw from the deli on the top shelf of the fridge, along with the six-pack of hard lemonade he’d picked up. If all went well, he could have everything fixed and cooked before Vic got home.

  Nicky was shocked at how easy it was to pull out the old medicine cabinet and install a new one, and spackling over the broken plaster hadn’t taken him very long at all. He grabbed a hard lemonade and parked himself in front of the television, watching cartoons and occasionally checking on the food.

  God it smelled good. All the spices were making him drool as he brushed on the sauce. A little more time on the grill, some rotating, a few more layers of sauce, and he was carrying a platter of ribs to an empty kitchen, faced with the prospect of eating alone.

  Still, maybe a quick text to Vic would get his roomie moving, so he dropped him a line to let him know he’d made BBQ ribs, and that Vic should come home and get them while they were hot.

  Thirty minutes later, however, there was still no answer and Nicky gave in to the fact that he was just going to have to eat alone. He wrapped the rest of the ribs and stuck them in the oven for whenever Vic made it home.

  Moaning around the first bite, he took his time eating then cleaning up his plate and the grill, before flopping back in the chair, bored that there was nothing left to do. Supermoto was on, though, and it was always fun to watch the pros race, so he settled into his chair again as he checked the time. Ten thirty. The library on campus didn’t close until eleven. Vic must have decided to stay and study until the bitter end.

  Eleven made him think of Gray again, and the night before, and Nicky found himself lifting his phone off the coffee table, studying the newest number programmed in.

  “Call me, if you want,” Gray said as he slipped the phone back into Nicky’s hand.

  “I-I….”

  Gray chuckled and kissed him on the top of the head before opening the door for him. “Only if you want to.”

  Man, did he want to. If only to hear the deep timber of Gray’s voice again and remember what it was like to have him growling encouragement in his ear. He’d have to wait a little longer, though, and hope that Gray wasn’t too tired after such a long day.

  Nicky could hardly keep his mind on the races as he waited for the slow tick of the clock to hit eleven, then tick a little more to give Gray time to punch out and get back to his trailer. At five past he scribbled a note telling Vic where to find the food and left it on the stand by the door, where he was sure to see it. Switching off the television, Nicky practically bound
ed up the steps to his room, eager to talk to Gray.

  One ring, two rings, three and four. Nicky began to get a little antsy when Gray didn’t pick up by the fifth and was about to hang up after number seven when that deep voice answered, sending shivers down Nicky’s spine.

  “Hello, Nicky. I have to admit, this is a pleasant surprise.”

  Sprawled on his back in the dark, Nicky couldn’t help but smile. “I hope it isn’t too late to call.”

  “Not at all, I would have answered sooner, but I was in the shower.”

  Nicky had to stifle a moan at the thought of the shower and the image of water cascading over Gray’s shoulders and sliding through his hair. The way his eyes had shimmered as he’d leaned beneath the spray to capture Nicky’s lips, the gentle kiss and soapy slide of hands skimming along his ribs.

  “… Hey, you still there?”

  Gray’s voice jarred Nicky out of the memory. “Umm, yeah, sorry, must be the connection or something.”

  Gray chuckled, and if Nicky didn’t know better he’d have guessed that Gray saw right through his lies. “I was asking about your day.”

  “It was better than yesterday,” Nicky said, then froze when he realized how Gray might take it.

  “Not better than all of yesterday I hope.”

  Laughing nervously, Nicky rolled on his side. “No, not better than the end of yesterday, but way better than the rest of it. I really had a lot of fun last night.”

  “So did I. You intrigue me, Nicky.”

  Frowning in the dark, Nicky wasn’t completely sure he knew what that was. “Intrigue?”

  “Yes, it means that I’m curious about you and want to get to know you better.”

  “Oh…umm, okay.”

  “So how about you tell me some things about you?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like what you do when you aren’t driving up into the mountains in search of the world’s best pie?”

  They shared a laugh at that. “I’m a mechanic, or I was, I kinda quit my job yesterday, so right now I’m just racing dirt bikes. I’m good at it though; I’ve even got a sponsor. If I do well in the next few races I’ll be eligible to ride in the big ones.”