The Light in Your Eyes

By Tinnean

Chapter 15

 

 

Wills booked our stay for the second week in August at Davis House, a clothing optional hotel on gay 'Guesthouse Row' in Key West.

 

I'd told him to use one of the credit cards I'd given him to charge the whole trip.

 

"I got us a great deal, babe. Because it's off season," he told me as we were getting ready for bed.

 

"And what does that include?" I knew what the rates at Davis House were, even off season, but he was worth it.

 

"A deluxe room with a king bed, seating area with a plasma TV, and a fully stocked wet bar." The bed dipped as he knelt up behind me. I relaxed against him, enjoying the feel of his torso against my back. "Small problem, though." He nuzzled my ear. "Our flight leaves at 7:45."

 

"In the morning?" I straightened abruptly. "Wills… "

"I know it's kind of early for you, but… "

 

"Kind of early?" I shivered as his tongue dipped into my ear, but I was determined not to let him distract me. "How long does the flight take?"

 

"Two and a half hours… "

 

"Geez, Wills… "

 

"… but that's just to Miami. It's another four hours to Key West."

 

"What, are we rowing the whole way?"

 

"Ass. The hotel is sending a shuttle." He rolled me over and settle himself on top of me. "You don't want to spend the whole day traveling, do you? Especially when we could be doing other things?" He humped against me lightly, giving me an idea of what those 'other things' might be.

 

"Well, no."

 

"There you go. So we'll get to Miami just after 10, and the shuttle should be there around 10:30. We'll miss rush hour traffic, and barring anything unexpected cropping up, get to Davis House between 2 and 3."

 

"Okay. Uh… "

 

"Something else, Theo?"

 

I rocked my hips up, nudging his groin with my erection.

 

"Ah. If we're done with this discussion, then?"

 

I grabbed his ass and pulled him down hard.

 

He grinned at me. "I'll just see to that, shall I?"

 

And he wriggled his way down my body and did.

 

****

 

The summer drifted along, and although Wills had to go out of town again on numerous trips, none lasted longer than a day or two, nor did he come home as exhausted.

 

And then it was the second week in August, and we were on our way to Reagan National to catch our flight to Miami.

 

The shuttle picked us up at Miami International Airport, and four hours later, we arrived on Key West.

 

Wills' eyes widened when we entered Davis House to check in, and a couple strolled by, hand in hand. What surprised him was that they were completely naked.

 

"Did you think 'clothing optional' meant only by the pool?" I couldn't help laughing as he blushed.

 

"Your suite is ready now, Mr. Matheson." The desk clerk smiled and handed us our key cards. "It has a lovely view. It overlooks the pool and the Jacuzzi. You can go right on up if you like, and get unpacked. Here are some brochures about the attractions of our little island."

 

"Thanks. Ready, babe?"

 

"You bet." I smirked at the desk clerk. Wills had completely missed the way the man'd been checking him out.

 

It had been warm in DC, but not as warm as here. We went up to our room and took a shower. It was supposed to be quick and it was supposed to help us cool down, but Wills grinned and ran his palms up and down my chest, toyed with my nipple, then touched my ear.

 

"Next time I go out of town, I think I'll bring you back a nipple ring to match your stud."

 

"You don't have to… "

 

"Shut up, Theo." He kissed me, kissed a path down my body, and nuzzled my cock. I was already hard – his kisses alone tended to do that to me – and he swallowed me down. In a matter of minutes I was coming.

 

He was still kneeling at my feet when I caught my breath. I blinked the water out of my eyes, stroked his cheek, and smiled down at him.

 

"Come up here, you." I pulled him up and licked at his mouth, tasting myself, while I reached for his cock. A few quick strokes, and it was his turn to come. He gasped and shuddered and filled my hand. I pressed my lips against the side of his neck.

 

We held each other and let the water pour down on us for a few minutes more.

 

"God, that feels good." He sighed in repletion.

 

"It does, doesn't it?"

 

"I suppose we have to get out?"

 

"Unless you want to wind up looking like a prune?"

 

"God forbid." He turned the handle, shutting off the water, and we stepped out of the shower.

 

"The towel bar is heated!"

 

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Davis House was voted Editor's Choice by Travelin' Man Magazine in this past winter's 'Frolic in the Sun' issue."

 

"Don't tell me. You bought it for the articles, right?"

 

He opened his eyes wide. "Did you doubt it?" Then spoiled the effect by laughing.

 

"Fascinating." But what was fascinating was the way stray drops ran down his torso. I took a towel and began to dry him carefully, using my lips and tongue as often as the soft, thick cotton, and he groaned and arched into my touch. "Like that, do you?"

 

"You know I do." He reached for a towel. "My turn now." He stroked it all over my body.

 

"I think we need one of these at home."

 

"A heated towel rack?"

 

"Yeah." I hummed in pleasure as he ran the warm towel over my spine and ass cheeks. "I can get in touch with a handyman… "

 

"You don't have to do that. I can install one."

 

"My own handy man."

 

"I am, aren't I?" He tossed the towel aside, turned me around, and kissed me. "Do you want to see what the hotel has to offer for today? We had a really early start this morning."

 

I smiled at him through the hair that was in my eyes. I liked how our thoughts ran in sync. "Maybe make an early night of it? I'd like that."

 

"Great. Uh… you don't mind if I don't do the clothing optional thing just yet, do you, Theo?"

 

I thought of the scars on his body. He hadn't seemed self-conscious about them when we'd been with his family, but maybe having strangers see them made him uncomfortable. "That's fine, Wills. I'd like to at least have dinner before I have to start beating off all the guys who take one look at your fine frame and decide they want to replace me."

 

"As if." He blushed. "I don't know why you gave me a second glance, but I'm… "

 

"Wills, are you nuts?" I knew he wasn't fishing for compliments. What did he see when he looked in the mirror?

 

"Huh?"

 

"Any man with half a brain would want you. You've got a great personality and you're good looking. Your face, your body… " His blush deepened. "Although I wish I could talk you into letting me take you to my hair stylist."

 

That made him laugh. For some reason he insisted on keeping that ordinary haircut.

 

We dressed, and while I wore a deep bronze tank top, Wills pulled on a pale blue tee shirt that went well with his coloring. I thought about his scars again.

 

"Ready, babe?" He slipped his keycard into the pocket of his shorts. Since we'd be staying on the premises, we could use them to charge everything to the room.

 

I settled a pair of Ray Bans over my eyes. "Ready when you are, light of my life."

 

He blushed. "Am I, Theo? Am I really?" He sounded so hopeful.

 

I realized I never used flowery endearments for him. "Never doubt it, babe." And I kissed him.

 

****

 

The next morning we changed into tee shirts, board shorts, and huaraches, and went down to the café for breakfast. While I finished the last of my fruit salad, Wills leafed through the brochures.

 

"I've never been to Key West. There's so much to see."

 

"It's all new to me too." Poppa had taken us to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay once, but that had been as far from home as I'd gotten before he'd told me to get out. "What would you like to do, babe?"

 

"The Conch Tour Train sounds good. Then I thought we could see Truman's Little White House and the Hemingway house. Did you know his cats had six toes? According to the brochure, the descendants are still on the property. Remind me to bring my camera. I'll have to take pictures for Jill. I want to see the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square too. That's supposed to be one of those 'must sees'. And we can go snorkeling and kayaking, and… "

 

So we did all that, although not in one day, as well as visiting Mel Fisher's Maritime Heritage Museum to see what had been salvaged from the Spanish wreck, Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which had gone down in a hurricane in 1622. We even stopped in Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum.

 

He stopped in front of each exhibit, read the placard, and examined the display carefully. A little bored by the albino buffalo, I wandered off.

 

"Hey, look! An iron maiden!"

 

Oddly, he had no desire to look at that.

 

"Wills?"

 

He shrugged. "I… I'll skip it, if you don't mind?"

 

"Okay. Are we done here?"

 

"Yeah. I think we are. Hey!" I caught his hand and pulled him along after me. "Where are we going?"

 

"You'll see." The Museum had a small elevator, but there was also a stairwell for people who preferred not to wait or who were claustrophobic. No one was around. I opened the door to the stairs, swung him around and pushed his back against the door, and braced my arms on either side of his head. "It's been too long since I've kissed you," I whispered against his mouth.

 

His lips parted, and I slid my tongue past them to tease his tongue. His cock hardened.

 

"We've done a lot of sightseeing, babe. What do you say we go back to our suite and rest up a bit?"

 

"I say that sounds like a great idea!"

 

We didn't actually get any rest. Davis House offered complimentary porn. We watched some of it, but then Wills decided we could do it much better.

 

And we did.

 

****

 

Although Davis House itself had a fine restaurant, we dined each evening in a different restaurant in Old Town.

 

We saw drag shows, nearly naked boys dancing on the bars, comedians who weren't half-bad.

 

Afterwards we'd go bar hopping, trying various brightly-colored drinks that were garnished with fruit or paper umbrellas.

 

"I think I'm gonna start collecting these," Wills said, and he sucked off the cherry that was speared on the end.

 

I ran my hand up his thigh. "Do that again, and I can't vouch for my behavior."

 

"Do wh… Oh." His tongue peeked out to touch his upper lip, and he looked down, but not before I'd seen the pleasure in his eyes.

 

How was it that none of the women he'd dated, or even that idiot friend of his, Michael, hadn't seen what I saw when I looked at him? I shook my head. He was mine now, and no one else was going to get a chance at him.

 

He slid off his stool. "My back teeth are floating. I'll be right back."

 

"Cute," said a voice at my shoulder, and I turned to face a tanned, muscled redhead. His eyes were on my lover.

 

"I think so." I made no attempt to conceal the hostility I felt. Wills had a weakness for redheads. His cousin Harry had told me so.

 

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "No harm in admiring."

 

"Just do it from a distance. I don't share." The last thing I wanted was this guy, with his red hair, getting close to Wills.

 

He shrugged and sauntered off, and I started worrying my thumbnail.

 

Wills came back from the men's room with a little smile on his face.

 

"Okay, I know you're not smiling just because your back teeth aren't floating any more."

 

"Someone tried to pick me up."

 

"What?" I stared around the room, furious and a little scared. "Who was it? I'll… " If Wills realized there were men out there who wanted him, men who weren't as used as I was…

 

"Theo. It's okay."

 

"It's not okay. You're mine, and I don't want anyone else thinking he can just hit on you and… You're smiling again. Why?"

 

He took my hand and led me out onto the dance floor. How did 'Isn't It Romantic' come to be played in a bar like this?

 

"I like you being all possessive." He put my hands on his ass, slid his arms around my neck, and rested his cheek against my hair. We began to move to the music. "I'll never give you a reason to be jealous, but I like that you care that much."

 

"Ass." We continued to dance until the music ended. "Are you ready to go back to the suite?"

 

"Sure."

 

I rode him hard that night, desperate to remind him that I was the one who had seen what was beneath the nothing special suits he wore, that I had shown him this side of his personality.

 

Wills didn't seem to notice my desperation. He took everything I gave him and demanded more.

 

"Pushy bottom," I growled in his ear as he came apart under me for the third time.

 

"And you love me anyway." He sounded happy and certain.

 

"Yeah. I do." I eased out of him and rose to dispose of the condom. He was sound asleep by the time I returned. I looked down at his face, almost boyish in his sleep, at the lashes that fanned over his cheeks, at the parted lips that I'd kissed pouty. "God help me, but I do."

 

Friday was our last evening on Key West. Wills asked, "Would you mind if we stayed here at Davis House for dinner?"

 

"Not at all. Breakfast has been really good here. Let's see what they do with dinner."

 

They did great with dinner, which consisted of conch chowder, twin lobster tails, twice baked potatoes, and an oven-roasted vegetable medley, washed down with a sauvignon blanc Rick, our knowledgeable waiter, had recommended.

 

"Know something, babe?" Wills pushed away his dessert plate. All that was left of the chocolate heart cake the management had given us with their compliments when they'd learned this was our first vacation together were a few stray crumbs. "As good as this dinner was, it can't hold a candle to your cooking."

 

"Yeah?" I couldn't help preening. "I guess the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

 

"Not necessarily. You had… "

 

"If you say I had you at hello… "

 

He grinned. "You did, if you remember, but what I was going to say was you had my heart even before I knew you could cook."

 

Rick had come up to refill the coffee cups, and he sighed. "That's so romantic. You don't have a brother, do you?"

 

"As a matter of fact, I do, but he's fifteen, and he's straight."

 

"You send him down here in three years, sugar. We'll see how straight he is when I get through with him."

 

"I'll be sure to pass on your invitation. No, thanks, no more coffee for me."

 

"I'm good too." I folded my napkin and placed it on my plate. "What do you feel like doing tonight?"

 

Wills seemed thoughtful for a moment. "How about a last dip in the pool?"

 

"Sounds like a plan." Truthfully, I wasn't keen on going out and risking the possibility of someone coming on to him again.

 

"The pool is usually fairly empty until after midnight on Friday nights. Everyone is in Old Town partying." Rick leaned down. "There's a switch near the Jacuzzi to turn out the lights if you'd like a little privacy. And there's one right next to it to turn on the underwater lights."

 

"Thanks. We'll keep that in mind."

 

We went up to our suite, changed into our suits – I had brought along a red boxcut of perforated lycra with an unlined front and a rear vertical seam. Wills traced the shape of my cock and its flared head through the material.

 

"Maybe I should have brought my gun."

 

"You don't have to be jealous, babe." But I liked that he was.

 

Davis House provided pool towels in each room and rubber sandals. We grabbed up the towels, stepped into the sandals, and took the outside stairs down to the pool.

 

"Rick had a good idea. If I turn off the lights… " The corner of his mouth curled in that half-grin that drove me wild. "… no one will see if we go skinny dipping."

 

"You want to go skinny dipping?" I hadn't thought he'd feel comfortable enough with the clothing optional aspect of the hotel to try it.

 

Wills nodded slowly, his eyes on mine.

 

"What are we waiting for?"

 

He found the switches and threw them. The area was plunged into darkness except for the underwater blue lights that illuminated the interior of the pool.

 

"Pretty." But he was looking at me. He raised his arms to yank off the tee shirt he'd worn, and I could see his silky underarm hair.

 

My mouth went dry.

 

He slid his thumbs into the waistband of his swimsuit, a bright yellow square cut that I'd bought for him in the gift shop – the suit he'd brought with him had… somehow… gotten misplaced. He eased it down off his hips.

 

His cock was hard and pointing directly at me. I reached for him, but he turned on his heel and entered the water in a smooth, flat dive. I stripped off my suit and dove in after him.

 

It was like trying to catch a sleek, slippery seal. Each time I thought I had him, he always managed to slip away.

 

Finally I caught him.

 

Or maybe it was just that he let me catch him. I could see his eyes glinting in the subdued lighting.

 

"Whatcha gonna do with me now?"

 

I growled and crowded him into a corner. We were both hard and oozing precome. His legs came up and wrapped around my waist, and my cock slid past his balls to lodge against his hole.

 

Just one tiny, flexing movement, and I'd be inside him.

 

I shuddered and came.

 

Wills tipped my head back and took my mouth in hot, voracious kisses. "Touch… touch me, please. Theo!"

 

I barely got a finger up his ass and a hand around his cock. His shudder matched mine, he moaned into my mouth, and my hand was filled with hot semen.

 

He raised his head. His eyes were dazed. "It… "

 

"Shhh." I brushed my lips against his.

 

We stayed like that for a while, my lover with his legs around me, me stroking his chest, face, and hair.

 

"Hey! The pool lights are out!" Some late night revelers had returned. "C'mon and hurry! Maybe we'll catch someone fooling around!"

 

Wills chuckled. "Not likely. They've given us too much advance notice."

 

"Yeah. We'd better put our suits back on."

 

We swam to the side, and I hung back, watching as Wills hoisted himself out of the pool with an economy of movement. God, the man was gorgeous.

 

"Theo?"

 

"I'm right behind you, babe."

 

Later, in bed, Wills whispered against my neck, "I wanted it, Theo."

 

I didn't pretend not to understand him. "I did too. The thought alone… I haven't gone off like that since… Well, let's just say not in a very long time."

 

It had been twelve years since I'd had sex without a condom. Not only did they keep me safe physically, they kept me safe emotionally, putting a barrier between me and the many men who'd fucked me.

 

"But it was just the culmination of a really fun week, Wills. We've had a really good time."

 

"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" He brushed his lips across mine.

 

I'd come so close to taking him bareback. If I hadn't come, I would have, and the consequences be damned. "We'd better get some sleep now. We have an early start in the morning."

 

"Okay." He turned over and snuggled back against me, his ass against my groin, then pulled my arm around him, mumbled something I couldn't make out but was no doubt 'I love you,' and fell asleep.

 

The next morning we packed, had a last breakfast at Davis House, and took the shuttle to the airport. We checked our luggage and were able to grab a burger for lunch before we flew home.

 

It was just about 3 when our flight touched down. Wills had left his car in the long term parking lot. We retrieved our suitcases from baggage claim, walked to the car, and stowed them in the trunk.

 

On the drive home from the airport, Wills' cell phone rang. With one hand on the steering wheel, he flipped open the phone.

 

"Matheson." He almost snapped to attention. "I'm just on my way home now, sir. Very well. I'll drop Theo off and come right in." He flipped the phone shut. "That was Mr. Vincent."

 

"And you have to work."

 

"Yeah."

 

I sighed, but didn't object, didn't tell him he was supposed to be on vacation. This job mattered a lot to him. "Will you be home for dinner?"

 

"I don't know yet what's going on. I'll call and let you know, okay?"

 

"Okay. I'll unpack and get the laundry started, then do some grocery shopping." I'd been looking forward to doing that with him. We so rarely had the chance. "Unless I hear otherwise, I'll see about making something for dinner. Lamb chops, maybe."

 

"You don't need to cook, babe. Why don't I bring home some takeout?"

 

"That sounds good."

 

"What do you " He turned the corner into our street. "Goddammit!" The Mazda was parked in what he considered 'his' spot again.

 

"It's okay." I laughed. He was so cute when he was frustrated.

 

"If I ever get my hands on this asshole… " He double-parked his Dodge.

 

"Pop the trunk." I would have slid out, but he stopped me with a hand on my thigh.

 

"Hey. Don't I get a kiss?"

 

I hadn't been sure how he'd feel about a public display of affection. Some guys, no matter how free they were behind closed doors, became the epitome of uptight when other people could see them. It seemed Wills wasn't one of them.

 

I smiled and kissed him. "Now pop the trunk before you get a ticket."

 

"Theo." His hand tightened on my arm. "Thank you for going to Key West with me. I had the best time."

 

"You're welcome. So did I. Let's have Thai tonight, okay? I'm in the mood for something spicy." He grinned at that. "I'll see you later, babe. Drive carefully."

 

"You bet." He waited until I removed the suitcases from the trunk and slammed the lid down before giving a final wave and driving off.

 

****

 

Wills' birthday was at the end of August, and I was making plans to celebrate it – dinner, a cake, presents, the whole ball of wax.

 

Cards began arriving, mostly from New York, but a couple from Florida, and I was pleased to see that one of those was from my family.

 

A huge box had arrived from Cambridge earlier in the week, and he'd opened it and the cards in it, from his Dad and Jill, from Jar and Marti, from Alice, but refused to open the presents it contained until the 31st.

 

"Aren't you curious?"

 

"Sure, but my family trusts me to wait until it's actually my birthday to open the presents."

 

His actual birthday. Which fell on a Saturday. And for a change, he had the weekend off. Shit. I wanted to have the apartment decorated and cook something special for him. How was I supposed to do that with him home?

 

I called Vince.

 

"What's up, Theo? I'm in a rush here."

 

"This won't take long, Vince. I need a favor."

 

"Oh?" His voice grew cool, and if this hadn't been so important, I would have told him never mind.

 

"Saturday is Wills' birthday."

 

"He's already got the weekend off, Bascopolis."

 

"Yeah, I know, and that's the problem. I need him out of the house for a few hours. Can you maybe arrange something?"

 

"Jesus. Is that all? Okay. I'll talk to Matheson when I see him."

 

"Thanks, Vince. Uh… just for a few hours, okay? Just until I bake the cake and put up the decorations. Then I want him home."

 

"Cake. Decorations. Right. I gotta go."

 

"Okay. Bye, Vince, and thanks again." I hung up, then dialed the house in Cambridge. Jill was out, but Alice was there.

 

"Well, hello, Theo. How is everything in Washington?"

 

"Good, thanks. Everyone okay in Cambridge?"

 

"Yes, we're all good. Now, what can I do for you?"

 

"You know Saturday is Wills' birthday? I want to make him something special for dinner."

 

"What a sweet idea. Hmmm. I have his grandmother's recipe for pot roast. It's his father's favorite, and Wills has always loved it too."

 

"That sounds good."

 

"Let me find it, and I'll call you right back."

 

"Okay, thanks." While I waited I made a list of what I'd need to pick up. Party hats, noise makers, crepe paper, balloons, candles…

 

Before the list got too out of hand, the phone rang.

 

"Do you have a pen and paper?"