Commencement; Calendar Boys: June, Book 6

CALENDAR BOYS JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

…“You must have gotten caught up in the parking mess, too,” Andrew said. “When I walked back to my apartment, it was backed up for blocks.” “Yeah. It was awful,” Levi answered. “Have you been waiting for long?” “Not too long.” The graduate glanced up at the deep blue sky. “The day’s too nice not to want to be out in it as much as possible.” “Did you leave your family and friends waiting for you at your apartment?” “Oh, no, they took off. They’re going to have a little party this weekend instead of something tonight.” His smile softened. “Which means I’m completely and utterly free.” Levi almost expected Andrew to add a lewd suggestion. When he didn’t, Levi pulled open the screen door and unlocked the deadbolt. “You sure you want to come inside?” Andrew grabbed the edge of the screen to hold it open for him. To anybody else, it might have simply looked like he was being helpful. For Levi, it made him all too aware of how it caged him between the lean young man and his unopened front door. “I’ve never been more sure of anything else,” Andrew said.

The T-shirt pulled tight across Andrew’s chest and shoulders, giving Levi a damned good idea of just how muscled and fine his body was. How many times had Andrew strolled into Levi’s class, all easy grace and fluid lines? The thought made Levi’s stomach twist. He’s not your student now. You can let him in…

ALSO BY JAMIE CRAIG At The Advent Of Dusk Double Down Fortune’s Honor Keeping Time A Little Bit Bewitched Calendar Boys, Vol. I: January-March The Master Chronicles Book I: Master Of Obsidian Book II: Unveiled Book III: Mosaic Moon Book IV: Seduction In Black And White Book V: Chaos & Communion Book VI: Dominion Calendar Boys January: Miami’s Perfect Weekend February: Mine March: Kiss Me April: Out Of The Storm May: Corazón June: Commencement July: Vintage

CALENDAR BOYS

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT BY JAMIE CRAIG

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

CALENDAR BOYS JUNE: COMMENCEMENT AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2008 by Pepper Espinoza & Vivien Dean ISBN 978-1-60272-280-4 Cover Art © 2008 Trace Edward Zaber

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

CHAPTER 1 In the four years he’d known Dr. Levi McCrea, Andrew had never once been to his home. Not for lack of trying. Oh, no, Andrew would have cut off his left nut to get an invitation into the inner sanctum. But not even McCrea’s grad assistant had that privilege. Andrew knew that for a fact. It had taken a night plying him with beer and talking his friend Charlotte into sleeping with the jerk for Andrew to find out that particular road was a dead end. He knew the address, though. He’d hoarded it since his sophomore year at Berkeley. Dr. McCrea would probably shit if he knew Andrew had had it that long. In spite of how much he loved to wind the professor up in class, he’d never had 1

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

quite enough nerve to try a visit around his house. Until now. Tomorrow was graduation. After tomorrow, Andrew Parish would be a graduate from UC-Berkeley with High Honors in Political Science, and Levi McCrea would just be one of the professors that had helped him excel. Nobody could say it was inappropriate for Andrew to seek him out beyond the university’s campus. Especially the good Dr. McCrea. He might try other arguments, but they were going to have to be damn good ones to stop Andrew now. He stood on the doorstep of the modest bungalow and took a deep breath. He’d taken extra care with his appearance tonight, though in all honesty, he always took extra care when he knew he was going to see Levi. He wore low-riding jeans that highlighted his long legs and lean hips. His white shirt was open at the collar, the sleeves rolled up nearly to his elbow, exposing his tanned skin. A cut that morning had gotten rid of most of the blond tips in his hair, but enough remained to still give him the surfer look McCrea had razzed him about all year. When he’d checked the mirror before leaving, Andrew thought he looked good enough to pick up any guy he wanted. Too bad the one that drove him craziest refused to acknowledge the chemistry between them. That was Andrew’s goal for the night. He hadn’t spent the last four years taking every course Levi taught, picking every possible fight in class with him that he could find, to have him deny the spark they had now. 2

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

The door opened before Andrew had the chance to ring the bell. Levi stood on the other side of the screen, a cup in one hand, a book in the other. His salt-and-pepper hair stood on end, as though he had spent most of the night running his fingers through it, and his hazel eyes were more brown than green in the fading June light. He always wore a tie and a jacket in class, but now he had on brown shorts and a blue Bruins T-shirt. “The party isn’t here tonight, Mr. Parish.” Andrew gave him a lazy smile. “That might be a matter of opinion.” Tilting his head, he deliberately swept his gaze downward, over the broad chest, along the flat stomach, lingering a few extra seconds on his hips before crawling back up again. The man might be close to forty, but he was more delicious than most men twenty years his junior. Every time Andrew saw him, he had to stifle the natural instinct to drop to his knees and dive for Levi’s cock. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” “Just eating dinner and watching Nick at Nite. If I don’t invite you in, are you going to linger on my porch and disturb the peace?” “Now would I do something like that?” They both knew he would. Andrew had once instigated a strike on campus over budget cuts that had resulted in more than one poli-sci major getting arrested. He’d only escaped the same fate when Levi had stepped in and defended him. Yet another reason Andrew was convinced there was something more there than Levi let on. “You don’t have to feed me if you let me in. Well. Not 3

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

dinner anyway.” Levi pushed the screen door open, allowing Andrew to enter. “I’m not going to feed you anything, but you can watch Cheers with me, if you want. I would ask you how you found my address, but I don’t think I want to know.” He held back his triumphant smile as he followed Levi into the cool house. One obstacle gone. The rest would be easy. The décor was bachelor chic with a side of absentminded professor. Books lined two of the four walls of the room Levi led him into, with a third dominated by a massive entertainment center. Widescreen television, DVD player, stereo, rows upon rows of CDs, with Bose speakers strategically placed in the various corners. Andrew whistled. “Nice set-up. No wonder you don’t want any of your students coming around. All you need is a game system, and you’d never get any of us to go.” Levi snorted. “That’s not why I don’t want any of my students coming around. Haven’t you figured out yet that I don’t like any of you people?” He gestured at the couch, indicating Andrew should sit down. “Plus, I suspected if I ever let you come around, you’d take that to mean you had an open invitation.” Andrew deliberately sat in the middle. “Nothing wrong with wanting some privacy. Personally, I’m very glad I don’t have to worry about you getting any more visitors tonight. It means I finally get you all to myself.” “You had me all to yourself every week when you monopolized my office hours,” Levi said, perching on the arm 4

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

of the couch. “What else do you want?” “Oh, I can think of one or two things.” He crossed his legs, resting his ankle on his knee. “We can start with you saying yes to a date.” Levi laughed, though not unkindly. “With who? You? You know I was married, right? To a woman?” “And do you know how many married guys I know who wish they had the balls to just come out and admit they like other guys?” Andrew shrugged. “It just means you knew the truth all along.” “Knew what truth all along?” “That there’s nothing wrong in being gay. Or bi maybe. Though frankly, I’m leaning toward gay. You don’t have nearly the same spark with any of the girls in your classes that you do with me.” “What makes you think that’s a sexual spark? Maybe I respect you for your mind.” Andrew pretended to contemplate that possibility, then shook his head. “You wouldn’t have invited me in if you didn’t want me physically close. You would have asked me on the porch what I wanted, and if you really didn’t wonder what it would be like to bend me over your desk, you would have turned down my date offer and sent me on my way.” Levi tilted his head and studied Andrew for a long beat. “Or maybe I invited you in because I wanted a chance to say goodbye to my favorite pain in the neck.” “Goodbye? I’m graduating, I’m not dying. If anything, it’s finally a chance for us to throw the door open on a new 5

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

beginning.” Levi took a swallow from his cup, and his knowing hazel eyes were still fixed on Andrew. He had the tendency to do that in class, too. He would just watch patiently until Andrew finally twigged on the answer or the concept Levi was trying to make him understand. “You’re going to law school and moving on with your life. Now is as good a time as any to say goodbye.” “Except law school’s just a jaunt down the road to Stanford.” He stretched his arm along the back of the couch, letting his fingertips graze over the elbow Levi leaned upon. “Did I tell you that it was your recommendation letter that got their attention? I’m not sure I would have gotten in without you.” Levi glanced down, his gaze falling briefly on Andrew’s fingers, before refocusing on his face. “That’s not true, Andy. You probably could have waltzed in to any law school in the country.” His throat tightened. Levi didn’t use his first name very often; nine times out of ten, it was Mr. Parish this, or Mr. Parish that. Every time Andrew heard it, the sound of it rolling in his smooth baritone made him sizzle. “Only because you pushed me.” In long, languid strokes, he let his fingers glide over Levi’s skin, never pushing too hard, always within easy control to retreat should Levi make noises about wanting him to back off. Each caress electrified his veins, until it felt like there wasn’t any piece of him not scorched by just that careful contact. “I’ve never known 6

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

anyone like you before.” Levi allowed the contact to continue for a few more seconds before straightening, moving just out of Andrew’s reach. “Flattery isn’t going to get you anywhere. I’m not going to agree to a…” He shook his head, like he couldn’t quite believe what he was about to say. “A date. Or anything else.” “Why? What are you afraid of?” “I’m not afraid of anything, Mr. Parish. I just don’t want to go on a date with you. I don’t date students or former students.” Another man might have taken the refusal at face value. Andrew had spent four years falling in love with him. He wasn’t about to give up at the first sign of opposition. “So who do you date? What does the untouchable Levi McCrea do when he’s not inviting would-be suitors in for notdinner?” “Suitors?” Levi’s mouth pulled into a smile. “Have you come here to woo me?” “If that’s what it takes to get you to say yes.” “I’m probably going to regret asking this, but I’m curious. How would you woo me into saying yes?” Andrew hid his excitement by rising slowly to his feet. There was always the chance that Levi might mock him afterward, but somehow, he didn’t think he would. Even at the worst of their debates, there’d been an undercurrent of respect. Levi would never have allowed it to progress this far, just to rip into him later. “Since you’ve already made it clear flattery doesn’t work, 7

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

I’d have to show you a little of what you’d be missing.” He circled around until he stood behind Levi, glad when the man didn’t turn around. Leaning down, he breathed in the scent of his skin, taking as much time to exhale after. With his mouth at Levi’s ear, he said softly, “When was the last time you got to bury yourself in a wet, willing throat, Dr. McCrea?” Andrew didn’t miss the way Levi shivered. It was slight, barely anything at all, but unmistakable. “You’ve been accused of many things over the years, Andy, but never subtlety. Two weeks ago.” His gut clenched. That wasn’t the answer he’d expected, nor the one he wanted. “And was he good?” he said, maintaining his low tone. He’d gotten a reaction; he was going to hold onto that with all he had. “When you came, did he swallow every last drop? Or did you pull out so that you shot on his face? Personally, I like it both ways.” He let the tip of his tongue just barely flick over the outer curve of Levi’s ear. “There’s something to be said about a guy marking you as his. Then again, nothing feels as good as a hot, thick cock throbbing in my mouth. Well. Unless it’s in my ass.” Levi ducked his head, moving out of the reach of Andrew’s tongue, but he didn’t stand up or put any real space between them. “She was just fine. And I think you need to add a little bit of finesse to your technique. Or maybe a touch of mystery.” He looked over his shoulder now. “Why are you here anyway, Andy? You could have gone out to one of the hundreds of parties and gotten laid.” Andrew smiled. “Mystery? I’ve been trying to get your 8

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

attention for four years now. Mystery got me squat.” But he did move away a little, as much as he didn’t want to. “The fact that I came here instead of any of the parties should tell you I’m not looking to get laid. But you turned down my offer of something else, remember?” Levi stood and rubbed the back of his neck. He seemed more rattled by Andrew’s honesty than his earlier explicit language. “Who says you never got my attention? And what are you after? Dinner and then getting laid?” “Company,” he said without pause. “I wasn’t blowing smoke when I said I’ve never known anyone like you.” “You’re too young for me.” Another roadblock he’d considered. Except using that as an argument meant… “Well, at least we’re over the ‘I’m a guy’ thing.” “You’re a guy and you’re too young for me. When you’re a thirty-five year old woman with a nice rack, we can have this conversation again.” Andrew shook his head. “That would’ve been a lot more believable if you’d pushed me away earlier.” He ventured a step closer, though he didn’t try to touch him again. “Is it really so hard to admit being attracted to me?” “Yes. Because for the past four years, if I admitted being attracted to you on any level, my professional reputation would have been at stake. You can’t be anything to me except a student, and a friend.” “You don’t have to admit it to anyone outside this room.” Another step. This time Andrew smiled softly. “And after 9

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

tomorrow, I’m no longer your student.” “Then maybe you should try to have this conversation again after tomorrow.” Everything in the room tunneled down to Levi. It was more than the intelligent warmth in his eyes, or the small laugh lines that Andrew wanted to kiss, or the broad sweep of his shoulders. It was an ounce of hope that there was a chance something real could blossom there. Andrew had always believed it could, but he wasn’t so blind not to know Levi would fight it as long as possible. “So…” A third step brought them abreast again, and he glanced down to see Levi’s hands fidgeting at his sides. “If I come back tomorrow after graduation, and I asked you again to go out with me, you’ll say yes?” “If you come back tomorrow night, I might consider having dinner or a drink with you.” Andrew quelled the rush of triumph through his veins. “See, I kind of suspected you’d stick to your guns on the student issue.” It was too tempting to resist any more. He lifted his hand to lightly touch Levi’s mouth. “But I got impatient. It feels like I’ve already been waiting forever for what I want.” Levi caught his wrist, but didn’t pull him away. “Forever? Four years is not forever.” “I only said it felt like that. When something’s important to you, and you can’t have it, it doesn’t matter if it’s four days, four years, or four decades. You know what that feels like, don’t you?” He lowered his voice and leaned close enough to 10

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

feel the other man’s breath across his skin. “There’s nothing worse than having what you want right within reach, within touching distance, and not being able to have it.” Levi’s nostrils flared as he exhaled, and he tilted his head until their mouths almost touched. Andrew automatically braced himself for the kiss that didn’t happen. “And you think you’re what I want?” “I think if you didn’t, you never would have let me walk through your front door.” “I told you. I let you come in so we could say our farewells and part ways.” “And maybe if you say that enough, you’ll eventually believe it. Because I sure as hell don’t.” He couldn’t hold back any longer. The proximity to Levi made his head spin and his skin tingle. Without waiting for another rebuttal, Andrew closed the last few inches and sealed their mouths together in a long, slow, searching kiss. Levi could have easily pushed Andrew away—the only points of contact between them were their mouths and where Levi held Andrew’s wrist. But Levi didn’t push him away. He opened to the caress, allowing Andrew to taste the faint sweetness of cola on his breath, and test the heat of his skin, and search the corners of his mouth. Levi’s stubble scraped against his chin, and his mouth was firm but not domineering. The kiss unfolded between them gradually, neither of them in any sort of hurry to end it. Fantasizing about kissing Levi had filled many of Andrew’s hours. The script always varied; sometimes it 11

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

happened in Levi’s office, others in an empty lecture hall. Once Andrew had imagined the two of them stretched out on a blanket in the park, a flawless sky above, a brilliant sun warming their skin. He wouldn’t—couldn’t—have thought their first kiss would come with Carla mocking Diane in the background, but right then, right there, he wouldn’t have changed a single detail. It was too perfect. He didn’t push for more contact. In spite of his ribald descriptions earlier, he was grateful just for this. Moving things to a more physical level would be great, of course, if that was all he was interested in. But he’d been honest with Levi. Sex was easy enough to get somewhere else. He wanted more. The kiss ended far too soon, and not because of Andrew. Levi lifted his head, and took a step back, moving out of touching distance. “You’re better at that than I expected.” Andrew swept his tongue over his lower lip, noting how Levi watched him. “You’re not. I knew kissing you would be amazing.” “I think you should probably go before you’re tempted to do that a second time.” “I’m not sorry. Are you?” Levi’s mouth set in a thin line that wasn’t quite a frown. “You know, the very first time you strolled into my classroom, acting like you owned the place even though you had no business being there as a freshman, I knew I’d eventually be sorry if I let you stay. It hasn’t happened yet.” Warmth suffused his flesh. His gamble had paid off, and 12

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

even better, he knew for certain now that Levi didn’t see him just as some annoying kid. There was potential for everything he had wanted. As long as he played it smart. “That’s all I ask for,” he said with a smile. “At least, until I come back after graduation. Then, well…we’ll see.” “Yeah, I suppose we will.” Levi smiled a little. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Don’t forget that you need to be there to line up by eight.” Andrew retreated for the front door, aware of every step Levi took behind him. When he reached the porch, he paused and glanced back. “I suppose asking for a goodbye kiss would be pushing my luck,” he teased. Levi stepped forward and took Andrew by the shoulder. He brushed his lips over Andrew’s forehead—a soft, deliberate caress. “There’s your goodbye kiss.” He breathed in Levi’s clean scent one more time before breaking the contact. With a wave he prayed didn’t betray the tremor in his fingers, he headed back to his car. “See you tomorrow.” And if he had any luck at all, every day after that.

13

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

CHAPTER 2 Andrew Parish had found his way under Levi’s skin as a freshman, and he’d never left. He was stubborn, and arrogant, and far too confident in his own abilities. Andrew Parish never asked anybody for anything, because he had complete faith in himself. When he did ask for a favor, like a recommendation letter, he always did so with a royal air, as though he was granting the favor, not requesting one. As though everybody was merely waiting for their chance to finally serve Andrew Parish and his needs. Despite his attitude, he was a goodnatured boy. Remarkably kind-hearted. Pleasant. Levi had understood quickly that if he ever let himself think about Andrew as anything more than a student, he’d be 14

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

too tempted to keep crossing lines. He didn’t even consider Andrew a friend, though he saw Andrew more often than most of his colleagues and lovers. He couldn’t think about what it might be like to see Andrew out of class. He couldn’t pretend Andrew was a peer. He couldn’t even acknowledge Andrew’s birthdays, though Andrew always had the curious tendency to invite Levi to his celebrations. Andrew was first, last, and always a student, and Levi never let himself forget that fact. And now after shepherding Andrew through four long, short years, he was finally graduating. He was going to move on to the rest of his life—he was going to take the world by storm. He was going to take whatever he wanted. Levi couldn’t stop him. He didn’t even know how. The kiss had been surprising, and surprisingly unexpected. The whole, strange meeting had been surprisingly unexpected. Levi didn’t think in terms of destiny, but did he ever really doubt that Andrew would show up at his door one night? Did he ever really think Andrew would quietly allow things to end between them before things could get started? The meeting was inevitable. More inevitable than anything else in Levi’s life. Thousands of men and women were graduating, and Levi shouldn’t have been able to pick out a single face in the crowd. His eyes shouldn’t have gone directly to Andrew’s face. But there wasn’t anybody else in the stadium. There was just Andrew, and Andrew was watching him, and the whole world could have ended, Andrew wouldn’t have looked away from him. 15

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Andrew was a very focused young man. Levi eventually did lose sight of his former student. When the ceremony finally ended, and the crowd devolved into chaos, he lost sight of Andrew. A part of him hoped that would be a permanent situation. Andrew had his family there, and his friends. Even if he wanted to leave them to seek out Levi, would they really let him? He was tight with nerves. Could he really give Andrew what he wanted? After four years of denying that he wanted to give anything to Andrew? After four years of pretending he wasn’t aware of the way Andrew always watched him? Levi knew he should send Andrew home. And when he pulled into his driveway to discover Andrew was already waiting for him, his mortarboard and robe discarded in favor of a pair of dark blue jeans and a black Tshirt, he knew he should send the younger man home. He rose from where he sat on the porch, long limbs unfolding as he stretched to his full height. He had a smile ready. He always had a smile ready. Levi had witnessed it disarm even the most stalwart of debate opponents, mostly because Andrew had some innate sense about knowing when best to wield it. The fact that he knew that at all was further proof Andrew needed to leave. “You must have gotten caught up in the parking mess, too,” Andrew said. “When I walked back to my apartment, it was backed up for blocks.” 16

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

“Yeah. It was awful. Have you been waiting for long?” “Not too long.” He glanced up at the deep blue sky. “The day’s too nice not to want to be out in it as much as possible.” “Did you leave your family and friends waiting for you at your apartment?” “Oh, no, they took off. They’re going to have a little party this weekend instead of something tonight.” His smile softened. “Which means I’m completely and utterly free.” Levi almost expected Andrew to add a lewd suggestion. When he didn’t, Levi pulled open the screen door and unlocked the deadbolt. “You sure you want to come inside?” Andrew grabbed the edge of the screen to hold it open for him. To anybody else, it might have simply looked like he was being helpful. For Levi, it made him all too aware of how it caged him between the lean young man and his unopened front door. “I’ve never been more sure of anything else,” Andrew said. The T-shirt pulled tight across Andrew’s chest and shoulders, giving Levi a damned good idea of just how muscled and fine his body was. How many times had Andrew strolled into Levi’s class, all easy grace and fluid lines? The thought made Levi’s stomach twist. He’s not your student now. You can let him in. Levi slid the key into place, turned the lock, and pushed the door open. He didn’t look behind him to make sure Andrew followed, but he heard the screen door slam against the frame. “Do you want a drink?” 17

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

“Are you going to let me stick around long enough this time to finish it?” When Levi glanced back, there was no mistaking the twinkle in Andrew’s eye. “I’d love one. Thank you.” Levi moved through the small living room to the kitchen. He was too old to feel this damned nervous. But he had spent the whole night dreaming about the kiss they’d shared, and Andrew was not going to leave until he had more than just a kiss. He pulled two beers out of the fridge, opened one, and handed it to Andrew. “I’ll let you stay long enough to finish it. I don’t make any promises past that.” His long fingers loosely held the longneck bottle as Andrew leaned against the edge of the counter. “If you don’t want me around, all you have to do is say so. I don’t force myself on anybody.” His mouth twitched. “I might strenuously suggest they want me around, but force? Never. Even when it’s somebody who means as much to me as you do.” Levi grimaced. “I don’t know. I do want you around, Andy. That’s the problem.” “How is that a problem?” “Because I spent four years convincing myself I didn’t.” “Well, by your own admission, you had to. I’m hardly going to hold it against you for sticking to your principles.” He smiled before lifting his beer to his mouth. “Though I could hold other things against you, if you want.” Levi put his beer down without interest. He braced himself 18

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

against the counter, his hand on either side of Andrew’s hips, creating a cage around his body. “If I want? What do you want?” “You.” The amusement had faded from his dark brown eyes. Now they glowed from some inner emotion. “I thought I made that perfectly clear yesterday. But I’ve worked for four years to get to this moment and I’m not going to fuck it up now.” “What do you want with me? Not just sex, I guess. I remember that part from last night. But I’m still not sure I quite understand.” “No, not just sex,” Andrew agreed. “What does anybody want when they ask somebody out? Company. Someone who knows how to stimulate with more than just his hands. Someone you can spend hours with, without getting bored.” He set his beer on the counter, then let his ice-cold fingers caress Levi’s wrist, all without looking away. “I want the fire you put in our debates in class all the time. I want to prove to you just how good we could be together. I want…well, I want a lot of stuff. Including that date you turned down last night.” The chill from Andrew’s fingers raced up his arm, creating a rash of goose bumps across his skin. But he didn’t pull away from the touch. He wanted Andrew to keep touching him, until his fingers warmed and sent fire through his veins. It wouldn’t take much more than the gentle caress to make Levi hard—and it wouldn’t be the first time Andrew made him hard. “Do you mind if we go on that date later?” 19

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

“Later tonight? Or later in general?” His thumb joined in the play, running along the heel of Levi’s hand. “Because I don’t mind if the date doesn’t leave the house. This time.” “Later tonight. After I’ve had a chance to work up a bit of an appetite.” He ghosted his fingers over Andrew’s shoulder. His flesh was unbelievably warm beneath the material of his T-shirt. “I want to know how good you think we can be together.” The smile reappeared, this time wise and wicked. “You thought about it, didn’t you? After I left yesterday. Do I lose cred if I tell you I jerked off as soon as I got home?” His gaze ducked to Levi’s mouth. “Nobody’s ever got me as worked up without even touching me as you have. Ever.” “No, you don’t lose cred.” Because Levi had done the same thing. He hadn’t intended to, but he’d still been hard almost an hour after he sent Andrew home. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt Andrew’s mouth, and tasted his lips, and imagined his hard body flexing against him. Levi brushed his fingers through the tips of Andrew’s hair, then cupped the back of his head. “I thought about it all night.” Andrew didn’t wait for Levi to pull him closer. He closed the gap himself, letting go of Levi’s wrist to fist his shirt as he sealed their mouths together. Their first kiss had been cautious; this one threw that to the wind. His hot tongue traced over the seam, not begging but coaxing his lips to part. When Levi opened to him, Andrew made a sound in the back of his throat that was pure hunger. Levi’s fingers curled against his scalp, and he let Andrew 20

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

plunder his mouth. He closed his eyes and turned himself over to the hunger, allowing it to carry him away. Levi tapped into all of the desire he’d left unacknowledged, all of the hunger he’d tried to repress, and forgot about the years when neither could let this happen. He pushed Andrew against the counter, pinning him there as the kiss deepened. Andrew opened his hand to smooth his palm over Levi’s chest. With every caress of his long fingers, the length pressing into Levi’s hip hardened a little more. Andrew undid a single button and slid beneath the fabric, tangling in the hair for the few seconds before he found a nipple. When he traced it in ever maddening circles, Levi groaned, wishing the boy would stop his teasing and just get on with it. A hand molded over his cock. Levi gasped. He’d been so focused on the kiss and Andrew’s other hand that he hadn’t paid attention to what else he was doing. “I used to have this daydream.” Andrew nibbled on his lower lip, not pulling away. “Every time I was in your office. I used to imagine we’d be making out, then somebody would knock on the door. You’d make me hide under your desk while they came in, and when you sat down, I’d suck you off with them sitting in the other chair.” Levi moaned softly at the image. God knew Andrew had spent enough time in his office, and Levi couldn’t honestly say the thought had never occurred to him. On one memorable occasion the summer before, Andrew had stopped by, wearing nothing but shorts, and looking unbelievably delicious. He shifted his weight, grinding against Andrew’s hand. 21

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

“I used to wonder…if you would ever do anything like that.” “You mean we could have been having fantastic sex before now?” Andrew pretended to pout, but he pushed his fingers lower, cupping Levi’s balls. “I think we should make that up to each other somehow.” As long as Andrew continued to touch him like that, Levi suspected he would agree to anything. “Do you have any suggestions?” “Well…” He dragged his tongue across his lower lip, wetting its full curve. “If I got to call you Dr. McCrea just once, I’d agree to just about anything you might want in return.” Levi caught his breath, his attention riveted on Andrew’s mouth. “You can call me anything you want to, Mr. Parish.” He smiled, sin incarnate. “Do you know how many people would die to be in my shoes right now, Dr. McCrea? That’s not even counting the girls who would do anything to get a passing grade from you. You walk into class, and we all want the same thing.” He leaned in and licked a path down the side of Levi’s neck. “To know what you taste like.” The muscles in Levi’s legs felt weak, and he dropped his head back, silently encouraging more. His knees even began to shake a little as Andrew ran his tongue over Levi’s neck again. He pulled Andrew’s shirt up his back, seeking out his warm, taut skin. “The feeling is mutual, Mr. Parish.” His chuckle warmed him through. “You want to know what your whole class tastes like?” Sharp teeth caught at the 22

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

curve of his shoulder for the split second before he ducked his head to allow Levi the room to pull his T-shirt off. It trapped his arms, but when Andrew started to let him go in order to strip it off the rest of the way, Levi caught his wrist and forced it to remain on his covered cock. “I think you’re exaggerating about the entire class.” He pressed his mouth against Andrew’s neck, shivering at the taste and pressure of his salty skin. He was moments away from pushing Andrew to his knees. “Everybody else just thinks I’m the jerk who ruins lives.” “Oh, but what a way to go.” Andrew moaned when Levi kissed him again, pulling his hand free in order to start undoing the buttons on his shirt. He chased after his lips when Levi bent to his muscled shoulder this time, and when it became obvious Levi wasn’t done tasting him, buried his face in his scorched skin in order to get a sample for himself. Andrew’s mouth was as hungry against his neck as it had been on his lips. His hand smoothed over Levi’s chest, his fingers skimming through the rough hair as he sought out Levi’s hard nipple. “I’m glad you waited until last night to make your move. I’m not sure I could have withstood your…enthusiasm for years.” He traced the nipple until it tightened, then caught it between his fingers. The sharp ache shot straight to Levi’s cock, and Andrew squeezed the shaft even harder. “Did you know before last night?” Andrew lifted his head. His lips were delectably swollen. “Or wasn’t I obvious enough 23

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

that I would have crawled on my hands and knees for you, Dr. McCrea?” Levi smoothed the pad of his thumb over Andrew’s lips. “I ignored it when you were being obvious. It would have been too…dangerous otherwise.” Andrew turned his head to catch the tip of his thumb between his teeth for a split second. “Because you don’t get involved with students. Even when they think you hung the moon.” “Especially then. Because it would have been far too easy to drag you out of the classroom a few times and into my office. Or a dark corner. Or the bathroom. Or the cleaning closet.” “Or under your desk?” “Absolutely under my desk.” Levi looked around the small room. “Do you want to move this out of the kitchen?” He finally let Andrew go enough for him to shrug the rest of the way out of his T-shirt. The smooth muscles rippled, begging to be touched, but Andrew pressed to him one more time, his strong arm going around Levi’s back, to murmur against his mouth, “I’ll move anywhere, anyhow you want me to.” “Come with me then.” Andrew nodded, and Levi took his hand and led him out of the kitchen. The hallway was short and narrow, and Levi didn’t pause to think about how crazy it was to bring Andrew into his bedroom. He kicked the door behind them, and then their mouths came together again. The kiss was as hungry as 24

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

before, with a desperate, greedy edge. As though Andrew was emboldened by their new surroundings. He shoved Levi’s shirt off, nails scratching along his skin. As soon as it was free, he pushed him back to the door, using it as leverage to rub against him. Each scrape of their chests brought a new sound from Andrew’s throat, until they were a continuous stream that vibrated between them. “Let me suck you, Dr. McCrea. You want to know what else I can do with my mouth, don’t you?” “Yes,” Levi hissed. Andrew’s hands went back to Levi’s cock, but this time, he fumbled with the zipper until he pulled it free. The first brush of Andrew’s fingers against his smooth shaft made him hiss again. Andrew’s words from the night before drifted through his mind, and the thought of coming on Andrew’s handsome face made his cock jerk. “Get on your knees.” He sank to the floor without pause, letting go momentarily to yank Levi’s pants down. His cock bobbed free. The air was cooler in the bedroom, but he didn’t feel it. There was too much heat running through his flesh, not to mention Andrew’s hot breath fanning across his skin. Andrew grasped his length again, pumping once. When he licked his lips, Levi’s mouth went dry, imagining what it would be like to finally sink into his willing throat. Except Andrew didn’t go for his cock. Gripping it lightly, he angled it up, tilting his head in order drag his tongue across Levi’s balls. “Oh…” Levi dropped his head back, his breath coming 25

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

faster with each swipe of Andrew’s tongue. He smoothed his fingers through Andrew’s hair, letting his palm come to a stop on the back of Andrew’s skull, but he didn’t try to take control. His tongue was rough and smooth at the same time, and hot enough to send a wave of chills down his spine. “That’s it, Andy. That’s it. Show me how much you want it.” Andrew grunted, but didn’t stop. His free hand slipped between Levi’s thighs, spurring him to spread his legs a little wider, while the other started to pull at Levi’s cock. They were long, languorous strokes, nothing at all like the quickening flicks of Andrew’s tongue, or the tiny nibbles he started to take at the sensitive sac. More than once he pulled up enough to rub the shaft over his flushed cheek, but then he returned to Levi’s balls, his hungry mouth sucking them hard past his lips. Andrew’s mouth was unlike anything Levi had ever experienced. Hard and soft at the same time, demanding and giving. He seemed happy to focus on Levi’s balls, and Levi couldn’t think of a single reason to distract him from his task. Each scrape of Andrew’s teeth across his sac made him whimper. His cock and groin throbbed . “God, Andy…now I’m sorry…you didn’t do this sooner.” Looking up at him through his lashes, Andrew released his balls with an audible pop. “That just means we have to make up for lost time.” He sat farther back on his heels. With his hand taking the place of his mouth, he tilted Levi’s cock down, aiming the wet tip straight at his lips. He leaned in. Inhaled. Moaned as his eyes closed. “Fuck, but you smell good.” 26

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Levi watched, heavy-lidded, as Andrew’s lips moved closer to his cock. He had wonderful lips. And a perfect mouth. Levi had always thought it was perfect, even when it ran away from Andrew in class, dominating the entire debate. He wanted this. Wanted Andrew’s perfect mouth. He finally parted his lips and guided the tip of Levi’s cock into his mouth. Levi sucked his breath in sharply as Andrew’s warm, soft mouth closed around his head. Andrew moaned. His eyes fluttered shut, and his breathing quickened, like he was struggling to contain himself. He didn’t break the seal of his lips, though. If anything, he sucked even harder, his grip tightening to painful proportions around Levi’s shaft while his fingers caressed the sac. The edge of his teeth settled behind the crown while his tongue swirled around and around. It seemed forever before it finally pulled back, only to push gently into the slit to chase the pre-come. Levi’s hand flexed against Andrew’s scalp, his fingernails sinking into Andrew’s skin. When he closed his eyes, he was transported out of his dark bedroom and into his brightly-lit office, his back against the locked door while Andrew lavished his head with attention. He knew he shouldn’t think of Andrew like that, shouldn’t let his mind drift that direction, but Andrew was the one who’d put the thought in his head. Who insisted on calling him Dr. McCrea. Andrew abandoned the tip to run his lips down the shaft, parting his fingers enough to clear the pathway all the way to the root. There, he paused, burying his nose in the dark hair for a long moment until his breathing had heated even that 27

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

skin. Tightening his hold on the young man’s head was the only impetus he needed to lick back up to the head, moaning the whole way. “This is so much better than I ever imagined, Dr. McCrea,” he murmured. In the next second, he sucked the tip back into his mouth, only this time, he didn’t stop at the head. Andrew’s lips stretched around his shaft, and his tongue rasped over Levi’s skin. The tips of his teeth briefly brushed against his tight flesh, and then Andrew’s moan vibrated through his shaft and into his balls. Each discrete sensation was exquisite and sharp, and unlike anything Levi had ever imagined. The boundaries between the sensations disappeared by the time Andrew closed his lips around the base of Levi’s cock. He swallowed, his hot throat constricting around his head, and they groaned in unison. Reaching around, Andrew cupped Levi’s ass, pulling him even harder into his mouth. Shudders wracked through him, forcing Levi to dig his fingers even harder into Andrew. He suspected the boy would swallow him whole if he could, which only intensified the shivers going through him. When Andrew slid back up the shaft, he did it so slowly there was no mistaking his reluctance. Levi wasn’t going to be the one to disappoint him. As soon as Andrew reached the crown, Levi began thrusting, meeting him halfway to set up a long, lazy rhythm of in and out. Levi gripped Andrew’s head with both hands, holding him steady as he continued the rhythm. Each exhale carried a word of encouragement. Yes. More. Good. So good. Orange and 28

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

yellow light fell into the bedroom from the window, illuminating Andrew’s face and his dark, hungry eyes. He kept staring up at Levi through his lashes, the adoration obvious in his gaze. When Andrew slipped his fingers back behind his sac to start caressing his crack, Levi jerked. It slammed his cock harder into Andrew’s throat, drawing a moan that vibrated through him. He did it again. And again. And again. And each time, Andrew whimpered, soft little sounds that shouldn’t have gone straight to Levi’s head. But they did. They made him clutch with slick fingers, watch with fascination, want with more desire than he’d felt for anything in a very long time. Andrew continued to play with his ass, and when he pressed carefully into the hole, Levi slammed back against the door and his hand. “Do it, Dr. McCrea.” He grabbed Levi’s hand and folded it over his own on Levi’s cock. Licking his swollen lips, he urged Levi to start pumping. “Shoot all over me.” The desire to do just that was the most primal thing Levi had ever felt. He had fucked a lot of people over the years— men and women—but he had never wanted to mark anybody like he wanted to mark this brilliant, beautiful boy. He jerked his wrist faster, building the friction between Andrew’s palm and in his slick shaft. His cock pulsed in Andrew’s hand, and he erupted with a hoarse cry. His come splashed against Andrew’s face, string after string coating Andrew’s cheek, the corner of his mouth, his chin. Andrew tilted his head back to watch Levi the entire time. 29

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

His tongue darted to catch what gathered below his lower lip, and he groaned when it hit his taste buds. “Oh, God…” He straightened suddenly and pressed Levi to the door. Their mouths slammed together, heedless of the come on his skin, and he ground his hips into Levi, clutching at his ass as the tremors went through him. Levi wormed his hand between them in order to find his fly, but within seconds after fisting Andrew’s throbbing cock, the boy shouted into their kisses, his shaft jerking as he shot against their stomachs. Levi continued stroking his cock, milking the orgasm from him, until Andrew slumped against him, gasping for breath. Levi turned his head to brush his mouth against Andrew’s temple. “I guess you were a bit on edge?” Andrew snorted. “Just a bit.” He was surprised to see a flush creeping up Andrew’s neck. Was he embarrassed? His tone and the way he kept his eyes averted suggested yes. “Four years of foreplay will do that to a fella.” “I guess so.” Levi dragged his mouth down Andrew’s jaw, collecting the strings of come that still lingered there. He gently shoved Andrew back, toward the bed, but kept his arm around Andrew’s back. “We should lay down before I fall down.” Andrew turned his head, meeting his gaze with dark, shining eyes. He didn’t fight Levi’s intention, didn’t even speak until they were both sprawled on the bed and Levi was on his side next to him. “What about our date?” For whatever reason, the question seemed far more innocent than he had ever given Andrew 30

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

credit for. “I really would like to take you out.” Levi nuzzled his face against Andrew’s hair. It was surprisingly soft, and it smelled like something spicy. “We’ll go out tonight. But it’s been a long time since I had a blow job like that, and I’m an old guy. I need to rest.” Andrew caressed Levi’s chest. He seemed fascinated with the hair there for some reason. “A long time? What happened to the girl two weeks ago?” “I lied. Do you hate me now?” “Yes. Terribly.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “You’ll have to kiss me to make it up to me.” Levi cupped Andrew’s cheek, then touched their lips together. The caress was light, almost chaste, but Levi realized he could happily kiss Andrew like that for the rest of the night. Especially when Andrew parted his lips with a soft sigh and allowed their tongues to tangle together.

31

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

CHAPTER 3 One week. Seven days. One hundred sixty-eight hours. Andrew felt like he’d been high for every single one of them. Though he and Levi had yet to have their date, they’d spent more than enough time together. Andrew would show up on his doorstep, Levi would invite him in, chatting would lead to touching which led to kissing which led to sex, and invariably they opted to just stay in rather than waste more energy going out. Andrew wasn’t complaining. His primary objective was to get to spend time with Levi. Where that happened wasn’t as high a priority. He jogged up to the poli-sci building in a cheery mood. After some finagling, he had finally convinced his parents it 32

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

was pointless to go to the expense of moving down to Palo Alto. It was just a short hop down 101 anyway, and he didn’t need to waste time and money moving, especially since he could get more for his money in Berkeley. He left out the detail that it kept him closer to Levi; they didn’t know yet about this shift in their relationship. Soon, though. He had every intention of making Levi go with him to his dad’s annual Fourth of July barbecue. The building was cool and abandoned. This time between spring and summer sessions was always dead, with only the faculty sticking around to get ready for their next round of classes. Andrew knew for a fact that Levi would be in his office. He’d learned his freshman year that Levi rarely took work home with him. Even if it meant staying until midnight, Levi kept the separation between the two as clear as he possibly could. Though nobody else was around, the door was closed. For a moment, Andrew debated just walking in, but chose not to. It was still the man’s office, after all. “Come in,” Levi called, almost as soon as Andrew knocked. He pushed the door open to reveal Levi leaning back in his chair, wearing his standard cream shirt, gray tie, and slacks. He had a pencil behind his ear, one hand resting on the keyboard of his laptop, and the other holding a book open beside it. “Fancy seeing you here.” “The culprit always returns to the scene of the crime.” He let the door drift shut behind him and perched on the corner of the desk. “You hard at work, or hardly working?” 33

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

“I’m hard at work.” Despite Levi’s words, he never looked away from Andrew. “We had plans to meet tonight, didn’t we?” “We did. I was hoping I might get to distract you earlier.” He nodded toward the window, though with as small as it was and the huge tree on the other side, it wasn’t going to help him make his point. “It’s gorgeous outside. I thought I’d see about getting the one man I know more gorgeous than that out in it.” “You’re a bad influence, Mr. Parish. A very bad influence.” He nodded at the computer, though his attention was still locked on Andrew. “I don’t have time to go outside and play.” Andrew glanced at the screen. “What’re you working on? You don’t even have any classes right now.” Levi chuckled. “Teaching is the least of my responsibilities. This is a publish or perish profession, Andy. I’m doing some research and trying to start this article. It’s easier to do that when you’re not sitting on my desk.” Andrew shifted his gaze downward. He was barely on the desk. Half an ass cheek at most. But his leg dangled next to Levi’s, and if he moved just a little bit to the left… He smiled as he ran his foot up and down the side of Levi’s calf. “That’s not exactly encouraging me to get off it, you know.” Levi’s hand moved from his book to Andrew’s knee. “Is there anything I can do to encourage you to get off my desk?” “Come out with me.” Levi shook his head. “I can’t. I’ve got work to do. And if I 34

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

don’t finish it now, I’ll have to finish it tonight.” That wasn’t an option. “How much longer is it going to take? Is it something I can help you with?” Andrew leaned over as he spoke, and he didn’t miss the way Levi’s nostrils flared as he inhaled. “You can help. You can go through this book and find some information for me.” He plucked the book from Levi’s hand and pretended to page through it. In reality, he was too distracted by the way Levi kept caressing his knee, his thumb moving in lazy circles along the inside. “Looks boring.” He snapped it shut and tossed it out of reach, onto the small table next to the door. Levi would have to stand up to get it now, which was half the battle in getting him out of the office. “What else do you have?” Levi’s lips twisted, like he was fighting a smile. “You’re such a brat. I should have given you an F when I had the chance.” “Probably. Except then you would’ve gotten stuck with me while I took your class over and over again, trying to pass, which kind of defeats the purpose in getting rid of me, now doesn’t it?” “Who says I would have been trying to get rid of you? I just would have had the satisfaction of failing you.” Andrew leaned in again, aware of Levi tracking him the entire way. He stopped just inches from his face and reached forward to take the pencil out from behind his ear. “Do you have any idea what a waste that would have been?” he teased in a low, husky voice. “Think of all the other ways you get 35

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

satisfaction from me instead.” Levi took his wrist and gave it a hard tug, pulling Andrew off balance and against Levi’s chest. “I’ve been thinking about the other ways all day. That’s why I haven’t gotten any work done.” The chair wasn’t big enough for both of them, but that didn’t stop Andrew from squirming against Levi’s lap. He felt the hard length of his cock immediately and smiled. “I’m guessing your paper can’t be a dissection of which room in your house is most conducive to fucking me, huh?” “No, unfortunately.” Levi ran his fingers over the back of Andrew’s thighs. “Though at least now when thoughts of you drive me to distraction, I can do something about it.” Andrew ran the tip of his tongue over Levi’s lower lip, breathing in his scent. “So you finally admit you wanted to fuck me all along. It’s about time.” “You never really doubted it, did you?” “No, but it’s always good to hear.” He kissed him, slow and almost sweet. It shouldn’t have felt like the first time, but somehow, whenever they came back together after being apart for a day or two, kissing Levi always felt like the first time. Levi opened to the kiss, his hand going to the back of Andrew’s neck. They kissed until Andrew was breathless, and even then, Levi didn’t release him. His lips were pliant and warm, his breath warm and a little sour. When Andrew finally lifted his head, Levi’s eyes were dark. “We shouldn’t be doing this in my office.” 36

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Andrew’s mouth tilted. “Shouldn’t isn’t the same as won’t. Or don’t want to.” His fingertips roamed over Levi’s face as he drank him in. He loved being this close to him. He saw the history of the man’s life in every line. “The building’s deserted. No students. No faculty. No interruptions. It’s the perfect time to indulge in one or two of our fantasies.” Levi skimmed his mouth over Andrew’s lips, and then his jaw. “Not that I’m making any promises about indulging, but which fantasies, exactly?” He closed his eyes, drowning in the soft assault. “Oh, there’s the blowing you under the desk fantasy. And the blowing you on top of the desk fantasy. And the you fucking me on your desk fantasy.” He chuckled. “Maybe it’s not you I’m interested in. Clearly, it’s your desk I’m obsessed with.” “It’s a good, solid desk. Worth being obsessed with.” He pulled at Andrew’s shirt, then caressed the exposed band of skin. “Tell me more about fucking you on my desk.” “There’s not much to tell.” Tilting his head back gave Levi more room to taste. Andrew gripped his arms as each bite sent a new frisson down his spine. “You. Me. Pounding. Once, I dreamt that you had me cuffed to it to use as your fucktoy whenever the mood took you. Which, luckily for me, was often.” Levi moaned, his breath fanning across Andrew’s throat. “And me without my cuffs. Do you have a condom?” “Don’t leave home without it.” “I always knew you were a smart boy.” Levi’s tongue moved up the column of his throat, and then he sought out 37

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Andrew’s mouth again. This kiss was much harder, his lips demanding, his teeth scraping against Andrew’s mouth. “I’ve got to admit. I’ve thought about bending you over the edge of my desk and fucking you until you can’t even remember my name.” Andrew slipped a hand between their bodies to grip Levi’s erection. “I’d like to see you try. It would take a lot to make me forget anything about you.” Levi gripped Andrew’s waist, lifting him to the desk as he stood from the chair. “I think I’d like to try that right now. Unless you have any objection to that?” “Object to you in my ass?” He wriggled against his arousal, grinning when Levi groaned. “I might be a brat, but I’m not stupid.” “Good.” Levi’s mouth worked over Andrew’s neck again, but this time, he didn’t stop at Andrew’s throat. He scraped his teeth down Andrew’s chest, catching his nipple through his Tshirt. He tugged at Andrew’s fly, working the zipper free while he teased the nipple into a hard point. Leaning back on his hands, Andrew closed his eyes as shivers ran through him. This felt like one of those times he thought of as Levi’s feral mood. It had happened a couple times over the past week, minutes where the older man grew rougher, more demanding, and more possessive. He bit at Andrew’s body then, gripped him a little harder, looked at him with a hunger vast and wide. All Andrew wanted when he saw Levi’s desire-blackened eyes was to get on his knees and give him anything he wanted. 38

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

He lifted his hips when Levi tugged at his shorts. The desk was cool beneath his bare ass, but it warmed quickly, even more so when Levi fisted his aching shaft. “Fuck,” he muttered. “I’m starting to think I needed to come to your office earlier this week now.” “I should make you get dressed,” Levi murmured against Andrew’s body. “And stop encouraging this sort of thing.” His words were already weak, and weakened further when Levi pushed Andrew’s shirt out of the way and licked his flat stomach. “You should.” Andrew cried out when teeth raked higher, finding a taut nipple. “But you won’t. You love this as much as I do.” Levi took Andrew’s hand and dragged it to his erection. Andrew squeezed his hard shaft through the material, but when Levi only tightened his grip on Andrew’s wrist, he began to work on the zipper. It felt like Levi’s mouth was everywhere, tasting and nibbling his chest and stomach and neck—it felt like Levi wasn’t going to be satisfied until he covered every inch of Andrew’s body. As soon as Andrew unzipped his fly, Levi stepped back and pushed his pants down his hips. They pooled at his feet, and his cock rose from beneath his shirt, long and firm. Andrew’s ass clenched at the sight of it. “Put the condom on me.” He couldn’t tear his eyes away. Twisting to the side, he fumbled for his shorts, trying to find his wallet. His mouth kept watering. Would Levi let him suck first? He didn’t have 39

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

any lube; it would be an excellent alternative. Except once he got that cock past his lips, he didn’t know how he could let it go again. And he wanted to get fucked. That was all there was to it. Somehow, he pulled the condom out. Sliding off the edge of the desk, he knelt in front of Levi and grasped his cock at the base. He flicked his tongue across the wet tip. His taste buds exploded, drawing a groan from his throat. Levi rested his hand on the top of his head, but Andrew ignored the prompting to run his mouth down the length of the shaft. The condom rolled down after him, but he kept it slow, not letting the rubber snap into place until after he’d sucked Levi’s balls into his mouth. Levi’s hand tightened on Andrew’s head, holding him in place so he could continue to suck on Levi’s sac. He held Levi’s shaft against his stomach, giving him room to nuzzle and bite his heavy balls, and the seam of his thigh. Andrew thought he could stay there for the rest of the afternoon, even though he was tight and aching to be fucked. Levi brushed Andrew’s hair away from his forehead and forced him to look up. “We don’t have any lube. I’ll need to stretch you.” Reluctantly, Andrew sat back, then stood. Whipping his shirt off over his head, he shoved the books away from the side of the desk and bent over. His new position pushed his erection down, the hard wooden edge cutting into the base of his cock. The slight pain sharpened his arousal, made his head spin. He had to take a deep breath before looking over his 40

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

shoulder and saying, “Do it.” Levi crouched behind him and pulled his cheeks apart. Andrew caught his breath, but he didn’t have to wait long to feel Levi’s hot tongue tracing his pucker. He moved in hard circles, wetting the muscle thoroughly before pushing the tip past the tight ring. Levi thrust his tongue into Andrew’s body until he writhed against the desk, and then his hot mouth was moving away, sliding to his balls. Andrew almost protested until he felt the pressure of Levi’s fingers, slowly stretching his hole. His first reaction was to clench, but when Levi thrust his fingers harder past the tightness, Andrew relaxed again. “Oh, God…” he moaned. He reached back and tried to caress Levi’s face, but he’d moved lower again, running down Andrew’s length with the tip of his tongue. Andrew settled for pushing back to meet Levi’s finger, sighing in satisfaction when one became two, two became three. “Enough, enough,” he begged. “Fuck me. Please, I need you to fuck me.” Levi let him moan and beg for several more seconds before he finally straightened. The loss of Levi’s fingers made him gasp, and his ass clenched as the other man pressed against his thighs, pushing him harder into the sharp edge of the desk. Heat radiated off Levi’s body, made his skin flush and tingle. He dragged the tip of his cock down Andrew’s cheeks, seeking out his stretched hole. Levi caressed his flexed thigh, then smoothed his palm over his ass. He gripped Andrew’s hip with his other hand, holding him in place as he 41

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

thrust into Andrew’s body. He arched away from the desk, welcoming the intrusion, only to have Levi grip the back of his neck and force him back down again. He turned his head, but he couldn’t go far. The best he could manage was pressing his cheek to the smooth wood and watching the bliss roll over Levi’s handsome face out of the corner of his eye. “Is this what you imagined?” His voice was hoarse, breath stolen by the exquisite burn seeping through his body. “Because I’m still waiting for you to pound into me, professor. Teach me a lesson for all those times you wished I’d just shut up.” Levi leaned over his body, pressing his chest to Andrew’s back. Levi caught his earlobe in his mouth, and bit gently before murmuring, “I never wished you’d just shut up.” Before Andrew could respond, Levi straightened and slammed into Andrew’s ass. The word he formed turned into a sharp cry, and he barely had the chance to catch his breath before Levi began a hard, pulsing rhythm. Every stroke seared. He had known it was going to be rough, but Levi’s tender declaration had caught him off-guard. A deliberate ploy, perhaps, to make what followed all that much richer. Andrew didn’t know. Didn’t care. He was lost in the bruising grip of ten fingers digging into his hips, holding him still as Levi drove into him again and again. His fingers scrambled to clutch at the edge of the desk, trying to keep steady, but his knees already trembled. Any moment now, he expected them to give out completely, but 42

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

somehow, some way, they never followed through on that threat. Sweat trickled down his ass, making the slap of skin against skin sting even more, and nothing he did could make his breath come in any reliable pattern. He gulped at air, grappled for purchase. He couldn’t even figure out whether it was better to have his eyes open or shut. Every time he closed them, the room spun, but when they reopened, it was impossible to focus on anything. Levi’s hands were busy, roaming over Andrew’s slick back, and his neck, and his sharp hips. He finally returned to Andrew’s head, burying his fingers in his hair, and holding him down with just a little too much force. He tried to focus on Levi’s face, watching as it twisted in passion. He wondered if Levi was trying to break him in two, trying to snap him in half against the edge of the desk. His muscles flexed and tensed each time Levi pushed into him. “God…Andy…you feel so good…” All he could do was surrender to the sensations. The slams into his body pushed his aching cock against the desk, pulling him away from the abyss Levi quickly hurtled toward. Then he would go rushing forward again, burning and fighting for breath when the pressure would ease, a little bit closer, a little bit shakier. Back and forth. In and out. Until he had no idea where he ended and Levi began. The begging started when Levi shifted his angle, his cock driving into Andrew deeper than it had before. It missed his prostate, but now his balls were getting slapped with each stroke. It was enough to drive the rest of his control far, far 43

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

away. Levi pulled him backward, yanking him away from the desk, and giving Levi enough room to grip Andrew’s cock. His fingers had a steel grip on Andrew’s shaft, and he stripped his length with each forward thrust of his hips. When Levi spoke, Andrew was shocked he could still form words. “Want you to come, Andy.” Every time they were together, Andrew found something new to love about the man. The sound of his name on Levi’s tongue. The wry cant of his mouth when Andrew crawled up his body after giving him a blow job. The touch of his hand across Andrew’s flank when they fell asleep, spooned against each other, watching Letterman. This time, it was the soft determination in his voice. The special care he took to make sure Andrew received as much— if not more—pleasure as he did. He didn’t have to let him come first; it probably would have been much easier for him to shoot, then finish Andrew off afterward. But he knew from just the time they’d spent together that week how much better it was for Andrew to come with Levi inside him. Nothing compared. One stroke, two, and on the third, spasms ripped through his body. His ass clamped down around Levi’s length, and his cock jerked in Levi’s hand. He might have shouted his name, but he couldn’t be sure. He didn’t really care, one way or the other. None of it changed how the fire arced along his veins, or how he clung desperately to the desk as he came. Levi didn’t loosen his grip, even when Andrew stopped 44

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

shooting and began to soften against his palm. The room was still spinning and dipping around him when he felt Levi’s cock jerk against Andrew’s walls. Levi shouted hoarsely, his other hand pressing into the center of Andrew’s back as his cock twitched, filling the condom. Levi fell forward, pinning Andrew with the bulk of his body, and sought out his mouth. The kiss was slow and sensual, a sharp contrast to the rough fucking. Andrew let it continue for as long as he could, licking over Levi’s lips one last time when he finally pulled back. “For the record,” he said, “that was far better than any fantasy I ever had.” Levi smiled and slowly eased his body away. “I think so, too.” He pulled the condom off, knotted it, then eyed the garbage can and grimaced. “The last thing I need is somebody finding a used condom in my waste basket.” Andrew snorted. “You do know you’re probably the only professor here who isn’t having sex in his office, right?” Levi glanced through his eyelashes as he pulled his pants up. “As long as I’m the only professor here who is having sex with you in his office.” A pleased flush spread down Andrew’s neck. He hid it by gathering up his clothes and slipping them back on. “Give me the condom,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’ll run it down to the bathroom and bring back some paper towels to clean my mess up.” He gestured toward wet spot on the hardwood floor. Levi handed the condom to him. “Are you going to stick around after you’re done cleaning up?” 45

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

“Am I going to be able to talk you into playing hooky for the rest of the day if I do?” Levi checked his watch. “You help me for an hour, and I’ll play hooky after that.” “Deal.” With a wide grin, Andrew left the office and half-jogged down the hall to the bathroom. He worked quickly, tossing the used condom and then washing his hands. By the time he grabbed some paper towels to take back, he whistled under his breath. He stopped short when he heard the voices coming from Levi’s office. Levi was no longer alone. Andrew quietly stepped through the doorway, trying to catch Levi’s eye over the interloper’s shoulder. Andrew recognized her—she was another professor in the department—but he’d never had a class with her. Levi finally looked over, but his face was closed. Professional. “Oh, Mr. Parish. Do you mind waiting out in the hall while I finish talking to Dr. Black?” He frowned. “I thought…” But Levi didn’t even blink. He didn’t even seem to acknowledge that they’d just had some pretty mind-blowing sex right there on his desk just moments before. Andrew tried again. “What about our plans?” he asked with a small smile. Levi looked over to where Dr. Black was sitting and offered a small, apologetic smile before focusing on Andrew again. “I’m in the middle of something right now. You can wait and come back when we’re done.” 46

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

He didn’t really have much of a choice but to mumble an apology for interrupting and back out of the room. When he shut the door, he stared at it for long seconds as his initial confusion and embarrassment shifted to something harder, something darker. Levi had called him by his last name. Dismissed him like an unfortunate freshman who didn’t know enough to respect a professor’s office hours. He’d acted like they weren’t seeing each other in any other way than as student and teacher, and a lowly, insignificant student at that. Andrew leaned heavily against the wall. Maybe it wasn’t such an oversight that they had yet to go out in public together. Levi clearly appreciated the physical attraction between them, but not anything more. He squeezed his eyes shut. It was a little surprising how much that knowledge hurt. He had no desire to be anybody’s boytoy, especially not for the man he’d admired and loved for four years. He wanted to be Levi’s equal, or at least have Levi regard him like one. But, apparently, all he was good for was a good fuck. Levi either didn’t respect him enough for more, or had no desire to break out of the untouchable, heterosexual mold in which he’d cast himself. With a shake of his head, he pushed away and tossed the paper towels into a nearby garbage can. He didn’t need to stick around. Levi had work to do anyway. And Andrew didn’t want him to see just how much the rejection hurt. 47

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

CHAPTER 4 The week passed quickly. Levi didn’t have time to think about Andrew. He prepared for the beginning of the summer term. He wrote two articles, and began researching a third. He even took a day off and spent it in Napa, trying new wines. He came home with three bottles that he intended to save for a special occasion to be named later. All in all, it was better that Andrew had disappeared from his office. He didn’t have to deal with the distraction, or try to figure out what the hell was going on because he was becoming more and more attached to a boy who was damned near half his age. Except, he did have time to think about Andrew. Levi had plenty of time to think about the fact that Andrew would have 48

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

liked Napa. And when he finished writing, he would have liked to get Andrew’s opinion. And it was kind of lonely at night, when he expected to see Andrew’s eager face on the other side of the door, but nobody visited at all. He had called Andrew the day after the sex in his office. Andrew had answered the phone, and been polite enough, but he had refused Levi’s invitation to dinner. Levi hadn’t called again. He didn’t think he should. If Andrew was going to pull this sort of attitude just because Levi was busy with a colleague, then maybe it was best if things ended now. He certainly didn’t have the time or the inclination to put up with that sort of childish behavior. Childish behavior he hadn’t expected from Andrew, even when Andrew had just been a student. But Andrew wasn’t his student anymore. That thought, more than any other, haunted his week. Andrew wasn’t childish. He wasn’t a student. He was an adult, and he was smart, and funny, and Levi enjoyed his company. He missed him. Missed him enough to make reservations at Masa’s Restaurant. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make them for that night because he was a lowly poli-sci professor, and didn’t know anybody. He just hoped Andrew would be impressed when Levi went by his apartment to extend the invitation. He had been to Andrew’s apartment once before. But it was different this time, because when he knocked on the door, he had no idea what would greet him. Would Andrew be happy to see him? Or was this thing between them—whatever 49

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

it was—over? Music pounded from the neighbor, but it didn’t block out the, “Coming!” from inside Andrew’s. The knob twitched, as if somebody had grasped it on the inside, but the door didn’t swing open right away. Levi looked straight at the peephole. He might not know what to expect, but he wasn’t going to look like a coward about it. “Hey,” Andrew said when he’d answered. He wore a threadbare T-shirt with baggy long shorts, his feet bare, his hair tousled. “What’s up?” “Just wondering if you were free for dinner in two weeks.” Levi smiled. “That’s the earliest I could get reservations at Masa’s.” His dark brows shot up at mention of the prestigious San Francisco restaurant. “Masa’s? What’s the special occasion?” “Dinner with you, I hope.” The hope that flared in Andrew’s eyes was enough to ignite Levi’s, too. Almost as quickly, though, he saw Andrew tamp it down again. “People could see us together,” he said carefully. “Is that what you want?” Levi frowned, confused. “Yeah, people will see us together. It’s a pretty public restaurant, after all.” Andrew’s mouth opened, then shut. He stepped back, holding the door open wider. “Do you have time to come in and talk for a little bit?” Levi stepped through the open door with relief. “Yeah, 50

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

I’ve got time. The whole evening, in fact.” The apartment was tiny and almost meticulously clean. The Beatles played softly in the background, while on the coffee table, a dog-eared copy of Lonesome Dove was opened up to a page toward the end. Andrew hovered at the end of the couch, glancing toward the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?” “No, thanks. I’m fine. Why are you worried about people seeing us?” “Me?” Andrew looked surprised. “You’re the one who called me Mr. Parish in front of that other professor and then kicked me out like I was the one who wasn’t there first. That says pretty clearly you’re not comfortable about us. Which is fine. I liked the sex, too. But that was never what it was about for me.” “No, it was pretty clear that I was in the middle of a meeting. Julian wanted to talk about the fall schedule, because we’ve had to rearrange the graduate classes. I shouldn’t have talked to you the way I did, but I was at work.” “You were at work when you fucked me, too. You can’t have it both ways.” “Julian wasn’t in the room trying to talk about the schedule.” Frowning, Andrew shoved his hands into his pockets. “So it comes down to an audience again. Look, Levi, I appreciate the effort, and the sex really was phenomenal, but I don’t really want to go down this road. All I’ve ever wanted is your respect. Well. Maybe not all, but that rates pretty damn high 51

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

on the list.” “I said I was sorry for the tone I took with you. What else do you want from me?” “Tell me what you think we are. Tell me if I’m being ridiculous, thinking we could have something special here.” “If I didn’t think we had something…special…I wouldn’t be here. I would have just written off the week we had as a bit of fun and moved on with my life.” The first sign of Andrew bending came with the pull of his hands out of his pockets. “I don’t want to be hidden away like some dirty little secret,” he said quietly. “I know we joked about the whole student/teacher thing, but it hurt, getting treated like a kid again. I don’t want you to think of me that way.” He sighed and sat on the arm of the couch. “You mean a lot to me. And I just…it felt like I didn’t matter to you.” Levi still wasn’t sure what Andrew wanted from him. He understood that he shouldn’t have talked to Andrew like he would have spoken to a freshman, even if he was annoyed to be roped into a stupid problem that actually had very little to do with him and everything to do with department politics. But he still didn’t understand how Andrew had made the leap from what he said to dirty little secret. “Andy, honestly, I don’t understand why you think that. Or why you’d think I wouldn’t want to be seen with you.” The corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile. “Well, we never actually were, were we? Which is just as much my fault, I know.” “No, I guess we weren’t ever seen together. But that 52

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

wasn’t by design, Andy. It just sort of…happened that way.” “I know. I know that now.” He stared at his hands. It was the most somber Levi had ever seen him. “It just all piled on top of each other, and you know how crazy my brain gets with conspiracy theories, and…I am trying way too hard at this, aren’t I?” Levi couldn’t tolerate the distance between them any longer. He moved close enough to put a tentative hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “Maybe one of us has to try way too hard. I’m not very good at this sort of thing. I never seem to do it right.” He was grateful when Andrew didn’t shrug him off. “Well, I’m not exactly bursting with experience either.” He glanced up at Levi through thick lashes. “If that offer for dinner at Masa’s still stands, I’d like to accept. Since I haven’t actually done that yet." “It still stands. I just wish I could have made the reservations for tonight.” Levi positioned himself directly in front of Andrew and took his other shoulder. “I’m not ashamed of you, Andy. Yeah, people will gossip a little. ‘I didn’t know he was gay. They were probably fucking before graduation, and that’s why Andrew was always favored in class. Blah blah blah.’ I don’t care about that.” The change came over his face halfway through Levi’s speech. By the time he was done, Andrew was almost smiling. “You didn’t favor me. You gave me a harder time than anybody else.” “No, I favored you. I always gave you more attention than 53

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

anybody else in the room.” “Because I never shut up.” Now there was a twinkle in his eye. “It was the best way to get your attention. Nobody gives better debate than you do.” Levi smiled. “In the future, you don’t have to pick a fight to get my attention.” He ducked his head to inhale the familiar scent of Andrew’s skin. “I rather enjoy giving you attention.” Andrew turned into the caress, their cheeks grazing. For several seconds, they simply stayed like that, warm and close and oddly more intimate than the entire afternoon in his office. Then Andrew cupped the back of Levi’s neck and held him still as he brushed a kiss along his jaw. “So can you hang out here tonight? No strings. Just so we can spend some time together.” Levi smiled. “Do you usually have strings attached?” He chuckled and let him go. “It’s been too quiet this past week without having you to talk to. I’ve missed it.” Levi settled on the couch, resting his hand on Andrew’s thigh. “I missed you, too. Even though I ended up getting a lot of work done. I like it better when you’re around to distract me.” “But you finished your paper?” “I actually finished two of them. Which means all I have to do is worry about teaching my class this summer.” Andrew grinned. “I don’t suppose you need an assistant? Someone to keep the perspective balanced when you’re stuck in the eighties and the rest of us are charging through the twenty-first century.” 54

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Levi looked at him with mock-rage. “Are you calling me old-fashioned?” With a half-shrug, he rose and headed into the kitchen. “Well. Old, at least.” “Old?” Levi rose and followed him. “Maybe I’m too old for you then?” Andrew stood in front of the refrigerator, pulling out two bottles of beer. His cocky grin was still in place when he popped the caps and handed one over. “Nah. The way I see it, you need me to keep you young.” Leaning against the counter, he took a long swig, his eyes dancing. “And I just need you.” “I…” Levi’s eyes darted away. “You don’t need me.” At least Andrew didn’t come closer. “Well, if it makes it easier for you to think that, go right ahead. Except you’d be wrong.” Andrew’s tone was still light, but at the same time, Levi had never seen him so serious. It unsettled him. “Why do you think you need me?” “Why do you think I don’t?” Levi shrugged and sipped from his beer. “I’m just not sure what you would need from me. That’s all.” “No,” Andrew said softly. “You really don’t.” With a shake of his head, he set his bottle on the counter and turned away to open a drawer and rummage around inside. “So what are you in the mood for? There’s Mexican, pizza, Chinese. Well. Except the Chinese is always late.” He tossed a pink menu aside and proceeded to pull more out of the drawer. 55

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

“Almost everyplace delivers, but if you want to go out, we can do that, too.” Levi moved close enough to look over Andrew’s shoulder, studying the menus he held loosely in his fingers. He felt like he had said something wrong again. Like there was some sort of short circuit between them, and it was definitely his fault. “I feel like Mexican. But we can go out and pick up dinner, if you want. There’s a nice little restaurant a few blocks away.” Andrew glanced back at him, an unfamiliar burn in his dark eyes. “Mexican it is then. I’d rather stay in. I don’t really feel like sharing you tonight.” Levi swallowed. His first impulse was still to resist. He’d had the walls up for too long to simply ignore the habit. But almost as soon as the impulse hit him, it disappeared. Being able to smile at Andrew was one of the best feelings he’d ever experienced. “I’d rather stay in, too. It’ll be easier to kiss you when the urge overtakes me.” He bent his head and brushed his lips across Andrew’s. Before he could pull back, Andrew’s hand had returned to his nape, holding him close as he returned the kiss. He didn’t attempt to deepen the caress, but his mouth lingered, soft and willing, longer than Levi anticipated. “You make me feel like I can do anything,” Andrew murmured. “You push me to try harder, work harder, be better than what I am. I wake up and I think about you. I go to bed and I wonder when I’m going to see you the next day.” He 56

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

sighed as he finally released Levi, turning back to the stack of menus in his hand to sort out the Mexican one. “This week has been hell. I know you don’t get why I need you, but…” His words trailed off, his hands stilling. Several seconds passed, and then he set the menus down and faced Levi again. “I’m happiest when I’m around you. Maybe I’m just a competitive bastard, or maybe I’m just horny as hell, or maybe I just love the way your mind works, but that’s the way it is. There. Does that answer your earlier question any better?” “It definitely helps. I think you just caught me off guard because being argumentative and combative usually doesn’t make my partners happy. Usually, those are negatives.” Levi touched his cheek briefly. “But you make me happy, too. You always have. I’ll admit, at first it was just because it was exciting having somebody as smart as you in my courses.” Some of the tension melted from the square set of Andrew’s shoulders. “So you didn’t think I was hot from the start? Damn. I knew I should’ve started offering blow jobs that first semester.” “You were bright, but you still had some growing up to do. I started thinking you were hot your junior year. Come on. Let’s go back to the couch where it’s a bit more comfortable.” Andrew didn’t argue, taking Levi’s offered hand with ease and following him back to the living room. Levi didn’t let him sit on the opposite end. He took the corner of the couch and pulled Andrew down so that he lay back against his chest. The first thing Andrew did when he leaned his head back was exhale, long and low. “God, this feels good,” he said 57

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

softly. “Yeah,” Levi murmured, smoothing his fingers down Andrew’s arm, “it does.” His gaze darted around the room, taking in the small details of Andrew’s life. “When are you moving for school?” His eyes drifted shut. “I’m not. I’m commuting. It’s cheaper.” “It is not. How could it possibly be cheaper to stay in Berkeley and drive all the way to Stanford? You must be paying a grand for this place.” “And moving costs money. And Palo Alto is expensive. I’d pay more for the same size apartment. If I paid less, I’d have to take a roommate, and that’s not happening.” “There are worse things than having a roommate, you know? Well, if you’re not going through the chaos of moving, what are you going to do this summer?” “Bug you. Help you with your classes. If you get too busy, I’ll just put in more hours at work.” “Sounds like a pretty busy schedule. Will you have time to go to Monterey with me?” Andrew twisted slightly, mild surprise in his eyes. “When are you going to Monterey?” “In about a month. For the Fourth.” “Oh.” He paused, clearly debating something before adding, “Oh, what the hell. Dad’s just going to lecture me if I go to his stupid barbecue anyway. I’d love to go.” “Trust me, you’ll have more fun in Monterey than you will at anybody’s barbecue.” Levi studied Andrew’s prone body. 58

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Even fully dressed, he was completely gorgeous. It seemed strange to him that he could be perfectly happy to just lay there with Andrew. His hands didn’t even drift below Andrew’s waist. “Why would your dad lecture you?” “Because that’s what he does. There’s always something I could do just a little bit better.” He tossed back a grin. “Apparently, I’m not even gay enough. If I was, I’d be a lot more active in gay causes. He actually gave me a list of them.” “Well, that’s certainly different, isn’t it? But I imagine you must be active in some causes. You couldn’t have saved all that energy for my class.” “I have a few. But believe it or not, they’re not all about being gay. I just threw that in your face whenever I could to rattle your cage.” “Just because you could?” “And to see if I could get you to admit you liked guys.” He caressed the back of Levi’s hand almost absently. “That one might have been a lot more about wishful thinking in the beginning.” “I’d say it was wishful thinking. I don’t think I ever gave you any reason to think I liked guys. When did you become sure I liked guys?” “Sophomore year. It wasn’t any one thing. I just thought there was no way you’d put up with my shit if you didn’t get something out of it in return.” Levi laughed. “And that had to be some sort of homosexual satisfaction?” “Foreplay starts with the mind.” He laced their fingers 59

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

together and brought Levi’s hand up to his mouth to run the tip of his tongue along the palm. “And we had four years of it. I was pretty sure something had to give.” Levi bit back a soft moan as Andrew’s mouth moved to his pulse. “And that something had to be my willpower. I’m glad you’re not moving to Palo Alto, by the way.” “So am I.” He sucked lightly at the sensitive skin. “Because all that driving back up here to see you would have killed my schedule.” Levi closed his eyes, chills racing up his arm. “Now the truth comes out. I was actually a little worried about how all that driving down to Palo Alto would kill my schedule.” He felt Andrew’s smile the moment before he felt his teeth nip down on the heel of his thumb. His tongue danced over the tip before gliding back up to his arm again, this time moving a little bit higher. “You’re always welcome here. Though I should warn you. I almost always have music playing.” “Why would I need a warning about music? I’m not so old I’m going to shout at you to turn down that racket.” Andrew stilled and shifted slightly, glancing back at Levi over his shoulder. “I know I tease you, but honestly, I have never thought about your age being something bad. You know how hot you are, right? Half the school would like to be where I am right now.” “I think you’re exaggerating. Half of the entire school?” “Between the students and the teachers? Oh, hell yeah.” “I suppose I should warn you that flattery will get you 60

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

everywhere.” Smiling softly, Andrew nestled further into his body, his cheek warm against Levi’s chest. It was a little unsettling how well they fit together, how naturally Andrew moved to occupy the space Levi gave him. The more time they spent together, though, the easier it came to accept. “A guy could get used to this,” Andrew said, echoing his unspoken thoughts. “I’m sorry I took everything so personally. We lost a whole week together.” “That’s fine.” Levi toyed with the hair growing over Andrew’s ear. “It…it was probably for the best. I had to think about some things.” “Like whether or not it was worth getting involved with a brat like me?” “I wouldn’t put it in those terms, no. More like whether or not I wanted to get involved with anybody. Or if there’s more between us than good sex.” “Great sex,” Andrew corrected. “Fantastic, mind-blowing, unbelievable sex.” “And the fact that you showed up on my doorstep with an invitation to dinner at an amazing restaurant means you might be ready for something more?” “Yeah,” Levi said softly. “That’s what it means. I think I’m ready to have something more with you. As long as you stop being a brat.” Andrew chuckled. “Right. Because you don’t like it when I’m a brat at all.” Levi tightened his hold on Andrew. “Nope. Not in the 61

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

least. It’s maddening.” “Good to know.” He pressed a kiss to Levi’s chest. “For future reference.” Levi smiled. He still didn’t quite know how this thing could work out between them, but he was willing to take a chance. If only because Andrew was pretty cute when he was acting like a brat.

62

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

CHAPTER 5 Masa’s was a restaurant Andrew knew by reputation only. French cuisine wasn’t exactly de rigueur for college students, especially ones who finished double majors in four years and worked two jobs in order not to have to rely too heavily on parents who’d never let you forget you owed them. Andrew was more than happy to follow Levi’s lead during the six course tasting menu. He’d been willingly following Levi ever since he’d shown up on Andrew’s doorstep. In his impeccably tailored dark suit, he was easily the most gorgeous man Andrew had ever seen. When the waiter placed their desserts in front of them, his eyes widened. The entire experience had been unbelievable, 63

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

but this was nothing like he expected. “When he said apple crisp, I was expecting something like my Aunt Jean’s.” He sank his spoon into the sorbet that came with the apple-fig crisp, moaning in delight at the explosion of pineapple on his tongue when he tasted it. “You’re going to have to wheel me out of here, I think.” “I think they actually have special wheelchairs for people who are incapable of walking on their own after eating here.” Through his lashes, he watched Levi’s mouth curl over the spoon. His cock had been hard ever since seeing Levi sink his teeth into a piece of squab. He had never considered himself a food fetishist before, but after tonight, he was going to have to reconsider that stance. “Well, in case I’ve lost the power of speech when I’m done, this was the most amazing date ever.” Andrew smiled. “It was definitely worth waiting two weeks for.” Levi licked a bit of sherbet from the corner of his mouth. “I’m glad you had a good time. I had a feeling you’d love it.” He turned back to his dessert, a pleased flush countering the ice on his tongue. They had seen each other often since the night Levi had shown up at his apartment, every night that first week, then five of the last seven. While the sense of companionship swelled with each encounter, they had been casual and mostly private. Evenings curled up together in front of Levi’s TV watching Nick at Nite. An occasional afternoon at the park near Levi’s office. Two breakfasts Levi surprised him with when he stopped by with bagels and coffee. This was the most traditional, out there date they’d had yet. 64

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

He was loving every single second of it. He pushed away his empty plate with a small groan. “So do we have to special order that wheelchair in advance, or can I just ask you to carry me out of here instead?” “I don’t think I could carry you.” Levi sighed and leaned back. “You’re all young and strapping. I think you should carry me.” “Maybe they’d let us move in.” Levi chuckled. “That would never work. They’d frown on us having sex in the kitchen.” “We’ll put blindfolds on them.” He grinned. “Though then we wouldn’t be able to use them for ourselves. So maybe that’s a bad plan.” “I should get a blindfold for you. And a gag. Maybe some cuffs.” Levi licked the back of his spoon. “Do you mind if we make a quick stop on the way home?” Andrew snorted. “Right. Because any time we start talking about sex, it’s always quick.” “It would be quick if I knew I was on my way to cuffing you to my bed. Speaking of which, have I mentioned how nice you look tonight?” No, he hadn’t, but Andrew had seen the flare of admiration the moment he’d opened the door. Levi wasn’t the only one to take special pains with his appearance tonight. The waiter returned to their table, and after a brief exchange, brought the check. Andrew watched how comfortable Levi was in the setting with a small smile, unable to take his eyes away from him. He’d never known anyone to 65

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

command such presence without even trying. He hadn’t thought it possible, but he was crazier about the man now than he’d been a month earlier when he’d first knocked on his front door. He waited until they stood outside in the cool night air, waiting for the valet to bring around the car, to slip his hand into Levi’s. “So how are you going to let me thank you for such a wonderful night?” Levi smiled and brought Andrew’s hand up to his lips. The contact was brief, but it made Andrew shiver. For a moment, the two of them were the only people in the world. Then Levi glanced away and the illusion was broken. “Just agreeing to the date was thanks enough. But you could agree to come home with me.” “You don’t even have to ask.” The car pulled up in front of them, and he was forced to let go long enough for both of them to get in. He waited until Levi had rounded the corner before adding, “Would it be presumptuous to ask if I can spend the night?” “Not at all.” Levi slammed his door closed and started the engine. “In fact, you could even stay for breakfast if you’d like.” The invitation warmed him. Though they’d spent a lot of time together, neither had stayed the entire night, let alone for breakfast the following morning. It was a step forward. A huge one. “I’d most definitely like. I can make you my Spanish omelet then.” 66

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Levi glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “I meant that I would cook you breakfast. Isn’t that the hospitable thing to do?” “You say that only because you’ve never had my Spanish omelet.” He reached across and rested a hand on Levi’s thigh. “Why don’t we do it together? That’ll be more fun anyway.” Levi looked down to Andrew’s hand and snorted. “That’s fine, but it’ll take longer. I have a feeling that you’ll look more delicious than the food.” The thigh muscle twitched beneath the expensive fabric, making his cock throb. “So should I not admit I got hard watching you eat? Every bite made me wish I was the one you were eating instead.” “You shouldn’t admit that if you don’t want me to pull off the side of the road and give you exactly what you want.” His hand slipped from the wheel to cover Andrew’s, and he squeezed his fingers gently. “I was more interested in you than the food.” It was enough to ride along with Levi’s fingers curled around his. “I’ll just keep my mouth shut until we get to your place then. Because I don’t want to have to stop once we start.” “Do you have anything in particular in mind to start?” He looked away from the road and grinned. “I promise, I won’t pull over.” “Liar.” But he said it with a smile, because he’d learned that if there was anything Levi loved, it was listening to Andrew talk dirty. “Anything would have to start with 67

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

stripping bare first. And actually, we don’t need cuffs tonight. We’ve got ties. Those work even better.” “How do you know? Who’s tied you to the bed before?” “Who said I was the one who was tied down?” “You’re the one tied down in this scenario.” Andrew glanced out the window in order to hide his smile. “You tie me down and then I can’t grab onto your ass when you fuck me.” “I can’t imagine agreeing to any scenario that would stop me from stroking that pretty cock of yours while you ride me.” “And I’m supposed to ride you how if I’m tied to the bed?” Levi’s lips twitched. “Then I guess nobody is getting tied up tonight. Unless you deserve it.” “Oh, well, if we’re going to talk about deserving something, all you have to do is give me a good spank or two. That shuts me right up. Though stuffing your cock down my throat does the exact same thing, so I guess it’s up to you.” “It doesn’t have to be one or the other. I’ll make your ass red, then you can swallow my cock. But we keep talking like this and we won’t get much farther than the front door.” Andrew squeezed his thigh before releasing it, though it was the hardest thing he’d done all night. “You’re the one who said he could deal with it. I was just obeying orders.” “You should know better than to trust me on that,” Levi said dryly. “At least for now. Maybe in a few months, when you don’t drive me so crazy.” “In a few months, I’m going to be balls deep in law school.” He stopped, the import of Levi’s words finally 68

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

sinking in. A few months. That implied some longevity to their relationship. His night just got a little bit brighter. Though not as bright as it would be once they got home. The rest of the drive passed in the same light banter, though Andrew tried to keep it from getting too sexual. Any other time, and it would have been fun to convince Levi to pull over, but tonight, he wanted them in bed. Warm and wrapped around each other. That was his favorite place to be. Andrew half-expected Levi to slam him against the closed door and claim his mouth like he had threatened in the car. But he didn’t. He kept an almost chaste distance between them as he unlocked the door and ushered Andrew inside. But he didn’t bother turning on the light, or go through the charade of offering Andrew a drink. Levi wrapped his fingers around his and gently tugged him toward the bedroom. One of the things he loved about Levi’s bedroom was how much it smelled like him. When Andrew had asked about it, Levi had admitted he didn’t like getting ready in the bathroom. That meant the scents of his aftershave or his deodorant always hung in the air. Andrew always wanted to pause as soon as he crossed the threshold and breathe it in. The only thing that stopped him now was knowing he’d get to have the real thing within seconds. “Tonight was amazing,” he murmured, stepping into Levi’s arms. He nuzzled into his neck and rained slow, warm kisses along his jaw. “Thank you so much for it.” Levi tilted his head back, encouraging Andrew to continue the kisses along the column of his throat. His pulse pounded 69

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

beneath Andrew’s lips, a sure indication of his growing excitement. “It was my pleasure, Andy.” Levi drew his fingers down Andrew’s spine, pausing once he reached his waistband. He pulled at the shirt, exposing a strip of Andrew’s skin to his warm fingers. Andrew pushed his hands beneath Levi’s jacket, along his shoulders in order to slide it down his arms. He nibbled along his collar, then licked along the trail he bit, each inch making his head spin. By the time he tugged at the knot in Levi’s tie, he trembled in anticipation. He hadn’t been this aroused since the beginning. In many ways, it felt like the very first time. Levi guided him toward the bed without breaking the contact. Once the back of Andrew’s knees hit the edge of the mattress, Levi shifted his attention. He began unbuttoning Andrew’s shirt, slowly revealing more and more skin. Andrew wanted to touch Levi, too, but for the moment, he was entranced by the way Levi deliberately worked the buttons free. Like he had all night. He held onto the ends of Levi’s tie, the shaking now spreading up his arms. Did Levi know? Could he possibly understand just what this meant to him? Andrew had been very careful about not uttering any sentiment that might push him away, but with each moment like this, it got harder not to betray the truth. When his shirt hung open, he pulled back to gaze up at him. Blood roared in his ears, and he tilted his mouth to brush a kiss across Levi’s. 70

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Levi cupped the back of Andrew’s head, holding him tightly as he deepened the kiss. His tongue moved against Andrew’s, searching the curves of his mouth. The caress was surprisingly gentle. More gentle than Andrew was used to, especially from Levi. His free hand slid down Andrew’s taut stomach, coming to a rest on his waistband. He moaned. But for as much as he throbbed, he loved this softer side Levi displayed. He would let the other man play for as long as he wanted, just to keep this tenderness a little bit longer. Swaying forward, he molded into his broader body, savoring the thick line of his erection pressing into Andrew’s hip. “You make my head spin,” he breathed when Levi slid his mouth along Andrew’s jaw. “Are you sure that’s me?” Levi licked his collarbone. “You had quite a bit to drink.” “It’s always you.” When Levi sucked at his pulse point, Andrew gasped. “I would’ve thought you’d figured that out by now.” “I’m starting to.” Levi tugged his belt free. “If your head is spinning, you better sit down.” Sitting meant peeling away from Levi, but as his talented hands opened Andrew’s pants, his knees decided for him. He sank back into the bed, hooking his fingers into one of Levi’s belt loops and pulling him off-balance as well. As soon as Levi fell on the bed, his mouth connected with Andrew’s. Their bodies were a tangle of arms and legs, and Levi felt solid and unmoving against him. He rolled onto his 71

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

back, pulling Andrew on top of him without breaking the kiss. Levi pushed Andrew’s pants over his hips, and then down his thighs. Andrew lifted himself from Levi’s body long enough to kick the garment away, and then ground his cock against Levi’s thigh. “I can’t ride you if you’ve got all these clothes on,” he rasped. Though it took everything he had, Andrew sat up and went straight for Levi’s fly. His hungry gaze was heavy on Andrew as he worked the garment down his legs, his fingertips skimming up and down Andrew’s arm. The goose bumps that erupted were as much from the touch as it was from anticipation, and as soon as Levi was naked as well, Andrew crawled back up his body, lining his erection alongside his lover’s. “Maybe tomorrow morning, we can shower together,” he said against Levi’s mouth. “I’d love to blow you when you’re all wet like that.” Levi moaned at the suggestion, his cock jerking against Andrew’s. He reached between their bodies and fisted their cocks together, stroking both their shafts with a jerk of his wrist. They both shuddered at the friction. “Get the lube,” Levi rasped. Andrew reached across to the nightstand and yanked the drawer open. The bottle fell from his grasp, forcing him to twist to the side in order to pick it up. When he had it again, he sat up and squirted some onto his fingers. His mouth canted into a sly smile. “Let’s just do me,” he 72

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

said, rising to his knees. Without taking his eyes off Levi, Andrew reached behind and sank his slick fingers into his hole. Levi kept his hand on Andrew’s cock, stroking him steadily as he continued to move his wrist. He skimmed his palm over the slick tip, and then brought it up his mouth, licking away the salty liquid. Andrew clenched around his fingers, aching for more than just his own hand. Levi seemed to savor the fluid on his hand before going back for more. He tossed the lube away as soon as he could, reaching to grab a condom from the open drawer. As Andrew tore open the foil, though, Levi reached between his legs to fondle his balls, pulling gently on the taut sac. Andrew shuddered. “That’s cheating.” “No, I never cheat.” He tugged gently as he flexed his fingers. “Come up here. I want to get a better taste.” He was ready to be fucked, but hell if he’d pass up the chance to feel Levi’s mouth on him. Inching up Levi’s torso, he watched the hunger reflect in the man’s eyes, a soft glow that came with a tilt of his mouth. His chest tightened. He dreamt of that look often, but witnessing it while he was awake undid him more than any fantasy. He caressed the side of Levi’s face as his hips came level with Levi’s mouth. “This isn’t helping my head clear, you know?” “Who said I wanted to clear it?” Levi murmured, pushing Andrew’s cock against his stomach. He held it there, then guided Andrew forward with his other hand, until his balls 73

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

brushed against Levi’s lips. Andrew thought Levi would suck his sac into his mouth, but he licked the velvety skin instead, lavishing it with his tongue. Icy heat wrapped around his thighs with each reverent caress. Andrew fought the need to grind against Levi’s face, but he wasn’t sure just how long his quivering legs would hold him up. Besides, grinding seemed inappropriate under the circumstances. The care Levi was taking deserved better than more primal reactions. But Andrew wasn’t entirely sure what more he could do, or how he could show Levi just what it meant to him. So he told him instead. Whispered encouragement he prayed Levi heard. It wasn’t just a plea for more. It was gratitude for everything he’d already given. Levi was as thorough and purposeful with his mouth as he had been when he unbuttoned Andrew’s shirt. He didn’t miss a single inch of skin. He found every spot that made Andrew suck in his breath, every point that made his cock ache. His fingers were strong around Andrew’s shaft, squeezing but not stroking him. His breath fanned across Andrew’s damp skin, warming and cooling him at the same time. “I can’t…I’m going to…” He jerked back when the tip of Levi’s tongue circled the base of his cock, the sudden stripping down the length making him lose his balance. He fell forward and slid down, only catching himself from thudding onto Levi’s chest by dropping his knuckles to the bed. “You push me too close to the edge when you do that,” he panted against Levi’s mouth. “I don’t want to come like that.” 74

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Levi responded by deepening the kiss, his palms gliding down Andrew’s back. Levi rested one hand on his ass, and his fingers moved up and down his crack. Andrew caught his breath, but Levi didn’t let him break away. He circled Andrew’s slick hole, and then pushed past the tight muscles with two fingers, burying them in the channel all the way to the third knuckle. Andrew had already stretched himself when he’d lubed his opening, but this was different. Thicker, harder, hotter. Better. Not as good as Levi’s cock was going to be, though. He rocked against Levi’s hand, taking him in as deep as he could. They only parted from the kisses after he ran the sharp edge of the condom wrapper up Levi’s arm. “I want you in me.” Scratching a fresh path along Levi’s shoulder, Andrew pushed up and sat back to expose his throbbing cock. He tore open the foil, only half-watching as he rolled it down the length. “I’ve been waiting for this all night.” “Me, too,” Levi murmured. “I can’t wait to bury my cock in you.” Andrew straddled Levi’s hips and flattened himself against Levi’s chest. He reached behind him and grasped Levi’s cock, guiding the blunt tip to his ass. His breath echoed Levi’s, coming in faster and faster gasps as the head stretched Andrew’s tight ring of muscle, working into his body. Andrew wanted to rock back and let Levi’s shaft fill him completely, but Levi wouldn’t let him. He kept a firm grip on Andrew’s hip, easing into his channel. A thin sheen of sweat covered his upper lip by the time 75

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Levi was fully sheathed. Everything in him burned, from his ass to his heart to his head. He wanted to move, or curl into Levi’s chest, or do anything but simply rest there, but Levi refused him the freedom. He maintained his hold while his other arm wrapped around Andrew’s back. “I think it gets better every time we’re together,” Andrew panted. He dropped open-mouthed kisses along Levi’s neck, savoring the salty skin. “You’re going to kill me before I’m twenty-three. I know it.” “I hope not. I’ll miss you too much.” He braced his heels against the bed and rotated his hips, grinding into Andrew’s body without pulling out. “But it’s a hell of a way to go.” Andrew moaned in agreement. Every thud of his heart echoed from Levi’s. Did Levi feel it? He didn’t know how he couldn’t. Maybe he heard it instead. After all, the roar of desire, caged within his rushing blood, deafened Andrew. He nipped at Levi’s lip, clinging to his shoulders. “Please let me ride you,” he begged. “I need this—you.” Levi groaned, and the steel band disappeared from around Andrew’s back. When he spoke, his voice was thick. “I need you, too, Andy.” With the cage now unlocked, Andrew sealed his mouth over Levi’s, sucking him in as he slowly slid off his cock. The exodus shook everything he was. The effect was strong enough, he could only maintain it for half the length before slamming back down the thick shaft, Levi’s balls slapping against the slick skin. “God.” Levi’s teeth sunk briefly into his bottom lip. 76

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

“Don’t stop now, Andy. Don’t stop.” Andrew shook his head. He wasn’t going to stop, no matter what. He couldn’t stop. His skin felt tight and hot, and his muscles itched, like his body was waiting to be unlocked. He slid forward, until just an inch of Levi’s shaft remained inside him. He could feel Levi shaking beneath him, tiny tremors racing beneath his heated skin. The languid rhythm he found did nothing to stifle the shaking, but Andrew had no desire to drive this any faster. Every kiss lured him closer to a brink he knew would shatter him or even both of them; every caress promised to break him before he ever reached it. It felt as if all he had to do was hold on, to ride the length of Levi’s thick cock until the sun peeked over the horizon, and maybe then, that might be enough to satisfy his need for the other man. But probably not. Andrew was pretty sure this was an unquenchable thirst. He would want this man until he couldn’t want any man. Andrew’s cock was trapped between their stomachs, dragging against the heated skin and hard muscles with each thrust. Levi barely allowed him to breathe. Each time Andrew tried to catch his breath, Levi claimed his mouth again. He let Andrew control the rhythm, but every touch and caress was demanding. “I think…if anything…” Levi’s head dropped back and he moaned. “You’re going to be the end of me.” Andrew drank in the glowing eyes, the flush of skin. His mouth slanted. “But it’s a hell of a way to go, isn’t it?” 77

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Levi lifted his head, his eyes shining. “It’s the best way to go.” “I’ll just have to be careful.” He gasped when a slight shift in angle drove Levi in even deeper. “I can’t go losing you yet. I’m nowhere near done.” “I’m not going anywhere. Not ’til you say you’re done.” The kisses resumed, hotter, harder than before. For all his good intentions, each thrust stoked the fire in his flesh even higher, each rub against his cock sensitized it even further. He wanted to come, to explode against and around Levi. Then he wanted to roll onto his back and do it all over again, this time sinking into the bed as Levi held him close. Levi scratched down Andrew’s spine and over his ass, curving around to slip between their bodies. He avoided touching his cock but instead went straight for Andrew’s balls, tugging on them lightly just as he’d done before licking them earlier. Andrew slammed back onto his shaft. “I’m going to come if you keep doing that.” “Good.” Levi applied more pressure. “I want you to come right now, Andy.” His fingertips caressed the skin behind his balls, and Levi’s thighs tensed. “I want to feel you.” He scraped his teeth across Andrew’s jaw. “Want to hear you.” Shudders wracked through him at the need in Levi’s voice. Any doubts he might have had about his import to the man he loved were long gone. Just since coming to bed, Levi had told him in so many ways how much he needed Andrew. He took that knowledge and held it tight to his chest, losing himself to 78

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

the pleasure rocketing through him. Without relinquishing his hold on Andrew’s sac, Levi let his thumb stray upward, running along the length of Andrew’s shaft. The simple contact compounded with everything else, and he cried out, clenching around the cock impaling him as his own jerked between their bodies. Somewhere in the midst of it, he heard Levi’s name. He might have even uttered something as crazy as, “Love you.” Levi buried his face in Andrew’s neck, muffling his shout as his cock twitched in Andrew’s ass. He continued to rock his hips, pushing deep into Andrew’s body with short, jerking motions. The small tremors Andrew noticed before still didn’t stop—in fact, they seemed to intensify. Levi shuddered, his arms going around Andrew in a hard embrace. He smoothed his hands over Levi’s body, trying to massage away the trembling. His voice was lost against the other man’s skin, but he didn’t care. Everything he’d wanted to say had already come out. Levi hadn’t kicked him out of bed. If anything, it felt like Levi was holding him even closer. Contentment radiated through him long after both of their bodies ceased moving. “Is it too early to make plans for tomorrow night?” Levi murmured. Andrew lifted his head. Levi’s hair was disheveled, and his skin glowed, but he had never seen him look so relaxed. “Only if you’re going to tell me you have other stuff to do and I have to fend for myself,” he teased. “Then, you can just keep that to yourself until tomorrow.” 79

JUNE: COMMENCEMENT

Levi smiled, a gesture that reached his eyes. “You’re definitely not going to have to fend for yourself. I think I want to be greedy with your time for the rest of the summer.” “That makes two of us then.” He brushed a kiss across Levi’s swollen mouth before nestling into his chest. They’d have to get up soon to take care of the condom. Until then, he’d steal every second he could. “And maybe a little bit after that.” “I don’t want to be greedy with your time in the fall. The first semester of law school is difficult enough without this type of distraction.” He’d give it up in a second for Levi, but refrained from saying so aloud. “With you in my corner? Stanford doesn’t stand a chance.” Levi was quiet for so long, Andrew wondered if he had fallen asleep. He was about to nudge him to find out when Levi said softly, “I am, you know. In your corner.” Andrew hid his pleased smile by pressing a kiss to the pulse point nearest his lips. “I know.”

80

JAMIE CRAIG

Jamie Craig is the collaborative efforts of Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. Both successful authors on their own, they began working together in early 2006. Pepper lives with her husband and cats in Utah, where she attends graduate school, and Vivien resides in northern California with her husband and two children. *

*

*

Don’t miss the next Calendar Boys— July: Vintage Available at Amber-Allure.com! For more than a decade, renowned chef Alain Tiessart has been married to his restaurant, driven to make it one of the finest in Paris. But time is slipping away. Lonely and ready for a change, he packs up his bags on one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year and drives into the French countryside. Retired Brit Simon Hastings is prepared to spend Bastille Day as he always does—quietly and alone. When his oldest friend arrives on his doorstep prepared to spend the next few days together, Simon is surprised, but welcomes him in. He’s even more surprised when Alain suggests they move their

relationship to a deeper one. Unwilling to jeopardize their friendship, Simon turns him down, a decision Alain gracefully accepts. Until a friendly bet and an eager young man cast Alain in a new light. Now, Simon doesn’t know what he wants. Or who…

AMBER QUILL PRESS, LLC HOME OF AMBER ALLURE! QUALITY GLBT FICTION IN BOTH PRINT AND ELECTRONIC FORMATS

ACTION/ADVENTURE

SUSPENSE/THRILLER

SCIENCE FICTION

PARANORMAL

EROTICA

MYSTERY

ROMANCE

HORROR

DARK FANTASY

FANTASY

CONTEMPORARY

HISTORICAL AND MORE…

B UY D IRECT AND S AVE http://www.Amber-Allure.com WHERE LOVE IS B LIND TO G ENDER…