for him, and only when Arjen finally whispered the truth to him—“Nobody, Max, God, there was nobody”—did Max allow them both sweet, blessed release.
Arjen came for him wonderfully, clutching him so tight, while Max spilled himself so fucking hard it was like fireworks lighting him up. He could only grip Arjen hard as he pumped pulse after pulse into his body.
Afterward they lay together on top of the table, gasping for breath. Max turned his face into Arjen’s shoulder, and for a pitiful moment he could have wept. He had thought that fucking Arjen again might get it out of his system, but it hadn’t. If anything, his longing was worse. He wanted Arjen in his life so badly he could hardly stand it.
Just let him stay here a while longer. He was exhausted, filled with that glow of satisfaction, Arjen warm in his arms. He could feel Arjen’s heartbeat against his own. He craved this closeness with every fibre of his being.
Arjen ran his fingers through his hair. Max held his breath, caught by surprise by the unexpected tenderness of that gesture. For a moment the entire world trembled on the edge.
“Get out,” Arjen whispered in his ear.
Max flinched. It was such a kick in the teeth. He had everything he wanted right here in his arms and it was being taken away. “Arjen—”
“We’ve fucked,” said Arjen, deliberately mimicking every cruel word Max had said to him. “We’re done. Out.”
The crack in Max’s heart told him exactly how much he must have hurt Arjen that morning. Because if Arjen had felt even a tenth of this, it must have been devastating.
Please, he wanted to say. Let me stay. But he unwrapped himself painfully from around Arjen, seeing the bruises he had left on him, and stood up.
Arjen got to his feet and began dressing without a second glance. “You can let yourself out.”
Max had never felt so low. And the worst part was that he deserved it.
“Fine,” Max muttered. “I don’t care.”
MOMENT OF TRUTH
Arjen stopped when he was still a dozen feet away. “No,” he said. “Absolutely not.”
Max stretched out on the park bench, his fingers laced behind his head, and ran his eyes lazily up and down Arjen’s lean frame. “You look good.” Good enough to eat. Arjen glowed in the sunshine, with his sharply chiselled features, his dark hair ruffled by the breeze, a leaf or two catching in the collar of his coat. The chill had brought out the colour in his face.
“Why the hell did you want me to meet you in a park?”
“It’s sunny.” Max pointed out the obvious. Autumn was truly setting in now, a crisp bite in the air, the leaves starting to turn colours. Families strolled through the huge sweep of the park with their puppies and children scampering around them. Away down the tumbling slope, woodland gathered in a hollow, filling it with shadow.
Max crooked a finger. “Come here.”
Arjen folded his arms, staying right where he was. He was particularly handsome when he was smouldering like this, his dark eyes narrow. “I don’t think so, Max. This is just sex, nothing more. So I don’t see the need to hold hands in a park like we’re teenage sweethearts.”
Max’s jaw set. One day he was going to get through a conversation without Arjen coldly reminding him that Arjen had no interest in him whatsoever outside of bed. “You’re trying my patience, Arjen.”
“ Your patience?” Arjen was getting steadily louder. Heads turned. “You wanted it like this. You kicked me out of bed the first time we slept together. You told me that this was nothing, it was meaningless to you. So we’re meeting to fuck. That’s all.”
That was it. Max jumped to his feet and stalked toward him.
Arjen held his ground, his chin coming up; he was four inches shorter than Max but rarely shrank like most people did when Max was looming over them. “You’re not going to—”
Max caught his face in both hands and kissed him. Hard. The fire of that first touch ignited in
Arjen came for him wonderfully, clutching him so tight, while Max spilled himself so fucking hard it was like fireworks lighting him up. He could only grip Arjen hard as he pumped pulse after pulse into his body.
Afterward they lay together on top of the table, gasping for breath. Max turned his face into Arjen’s shoulder, and for a pitiful moment he could have wept. He had thought that fucking Arjen again might get it out of his system, but it hadn’t. If anything, his longing was worse. He wanted Arjen in his life so badly he could hardly stand it.
Just let him stay here a while longer. He was exhausted, filled with that glow of satisfaction, Arjen warm in his arms. He could feel Arjen’s heartbeat against his own. He craved this closeness with every fibre of his being.
Arjen ran his fingers through his hair. Max held his breath, caught by surprise by the unexpected tenderness of that gesture. For a moment the entire world trembled on the edge.
“Get out,” Arjen whispered in his ear.
Max flinched. It was such a kick in the teeth. He had everything he wanted right here in his arms and it was being taken away. “Arjen—”
“We’ve fucked,” said Arjen, deliberately mimicking every cruel word Max had said to him. “We’re done. Out.”
The crack in Max’s heart told him exactly how much he must have hurt Arjen that morning. Because if Arjen had felt even a tenth of this, it must have been devastating.
Please, he wanted to say. Let me stay. But he unwrapped himself painfully from around Arjen, seeing the bruises he had left on him, and stood up.
Arjen got to his feet and began dressing without a second glance. “You can let yourself out.”
Max had never felt so low. And the worst part was that he deserved it.
“Fine,” Max muttered. “I don’t care.”
MOMENT OF TRUTH
Arjen stopped when he was still a dozen feet away. “No,” he said. “Absolutely not.”
Max stretched out on the park bench, his fingers laced behind his head, and ran his eyes lazily up and down Arjen’s lean frame. “You look good.” Good enough to eat. Arjen glowed in the sunshine, with his sharply chiselled features, his dark hair ruffled by the breeze, a leaf or two catching in the collar of his coat. The chill had brought out the colour in his face.
“Why the hell did you want me to meet you in a park?”
“It’s sunny.” Max pointed out the obvious. Autumn was truly setting in now, a crisp bite in the air, the leaves starting to turn colours. Families strolled through the huge sweep of the park with their puppies and children scampering around them. Away down the tumbling slope, woodland gathered in a hollow, filling it with shadow.
Max crooked a finger. “Come here.”
Arjen folded his arms, staying right where he was. He was particularly handsome when he was smouldering like this, his dark eyes narrow. “I don’t think so, Max. This is just sex, nothing more. So I don’t see the need to hold hands in a park like we’re teenage sweethearts.”
Max’s jaw set. One day he was going to get through a conversation without Arjen coldly reminding him that Arjen had no interest in him whatsoever outside of bed. “You’re trying my patience, Arjen.”
“ Your patience?” Arjen was getting steadily louder. Heads turned. “You wanted it like this. You kicked me out of bed the first time we slept together. You told me that this was nothing, it was meaningless to you. So we’re meeting to fuck. That’s all.”
That was it. Max jumped to his feet and stalked toward him.
Arjen held his ground, his chin coming up; he was four inches shorter than Max but rarely shrank like most people did when Max was looming over them. “You’re not going to—”
Max caught his face in both hands and kissed him. Hard. The fire of that first touch ignited in
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