Hit by Love

Hit by Love

By Cassandra Gold

If I had known I was going to get screwed metaphorically rather than literally, I probably would have stayed home that night. Or maybe I would still have risked it. I’ve never been very lucky, but I hadn’t had a boyfriend in months, and the lack of sex can make a man do stupid things. As it was, I went about my preparations with blithe optimism, showering and dressing in my best A Torquere Press Sip - 1

jeans and button-up shirt. My friend Patrick had told me about a great new club that had opened last month, and I was determined to check it out. As I’d recently discovered, being the low man on the totem pole at a small ad agency meant long hours and not particularly stellar pay. The past few weeks had been nothing but work, work, work, and I figured I deserved a break. By ten-thirty, I had finished getting ready. A glance in the mirror showed I’d done the best I could with what I had. Although I couldn’t do much about the thin build no amount of working out ever seemed to bulk up, at least the rest of me looked good. The cobalt blue shirt I wore matched my eyes, and my blond hair was artfully spiky, exactly as I’d intended. After a final check of my pockets to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything, I headed downstairs. The cab I’d called twenty minutes earlier arrived when I reached the first floor of my apartment building. Anticipation rising, I hopped in and gave the driver my destination. Fifteen minutes later, the cabbie dropped me off at the edge of Laclede’s Landing. As was typical on a Friday night, the cobblestone streets were crowded. Not wanting to sit in the cab forever, I’d asked to be let off before we reached the club. Patrick had told me the club was on First Street, a couple of blocks from where the cabbie had dropped me off, so I had a little way to go yet. A short walk wouldn’t hurt me, and the scenery was interesting. The Landing’s restaurants and bars were packed. All kinds of people crowded the streets, from older couples to groups of college kids who barely looked old enough to drink. I walked along the sidewalk, watching the people and enjoying the sounds and scents from the various restaurants and other establishments. A huge group of tipsy, giggling girls dressed in sparkly shirts nearly knocked me into the path of an oncoming car. I stumbled but managed not to fall on my face. Unfortunately, I also managed to step into what appeared to be the only puddle in the vicinity, soaking one shoe and splashing the bottoms of my pant legs with cold, dirty water. A couple of attractive guys passing by snickered at my awkward maneuvering, which wasn’t an ideal way to start the night. Hot color spread up my face—not much of a surprise since I’ve always blushed more easily than a teenage girl. Inwardly I cursed my fair coloring. Rather than turning tail and running, I decided I wasn’t going to give up that easily. Surely somebody out there wouldn’t mind my complete lack of coolness. I shrugged off my embarrassment and walked on. The early spring chill made me wish I’d brought a jacket. Several guys passed me, laughing and shoving each other. I surreptitiously checked them out. Not bad. Maybe I would get lucky after all. Finally I reached First Street and turned left. Only a few businesses stood on this section of the street. The club, Red, was right next to a comedy club I’d never been to. According to Patrick, Red was not a gay club, but it was gay-friendly. Not having a whole lot of experience with clubbing in general, I had to take his word for it. Even from a short distance away I could see the line of people waiting to get into the club.

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Everyone was dressed nicely, and from my vantage point several of the guys in line looked pretty hot. They would probably be straight, but at least I’d have eye candy for the night. The evening seemed to be looking up. Of course, what goes up must come down, an old truth I have a bad habit of forgetting. I was passing an alley between a restaurant and the comedy club next to Red when something caught my eye. A slim guy dressed in dark colors stood in the alley, bent over, one hand resting against the brick wall. He didn’t look good. I moved to the mouth of the alley. “Hey, are you okay?” Hunching over even more, he muttered, “No. I think I need some help.” Trying to ignore the smells of rotting food, alcohol, and sweat permeating the alley, I went over to him. “Do you want me to call someone for you?” “Could you?” I reached for my cell phone. Before I could dial, pain exploded in the back of my head. The phone clattered to the ground, and I crumpled to my knees. The blow had stunned me so much I couldn’t resist when the guy I’d been trying to help put his hand in my back pocket. I could hear him muttering behind me, and my ID and the condom I’d optimistically stuck in there fell to the grimy asphalt next to me. Then the decoy’s buddy shoved me over with his foot. My head struck the ground. Pain flared anew and for a moment my vision clouded. When it cleared, the scruffy blond who’d hit me was sneering down at me. “Thanks, loser.” All I could do was lay there on my back helpless, head throbbing, heart racing. I couldn’t believe what had happened. Hell, I’d been only fifty feet from my destination. I’d been trying to help. How unlucky could one guy possibly be? Somebody shouted, and the men who’d attacked me ran off. Two couples dressed for clubbing entered the alley. One of the guys crouched down beside me. “Dude, are you all right?” The other guy gathered up my ID and phone while one of the girls made a call on her cell. The next few minutes were a blur. My head hurt so bad I didn’t want to move. When the guys helped me sit up, a wave of nausea made me wish I was still lying down. I was battling the urge to throw up when two police officers came. They asked me a bunch of questions. I answered them to the best of my ability, explaining why I’d come into the alley and what the two thieves had looked like. One of the officers took notes, but neither looked very optimistic about catching the men. “We’ll call you if we find out anything,” the note-taking cop told me.

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I nodded, which turned out to be a huge mistake. A sharp stab of agony shot through my skull, making me gasp. Luckily two paramedics chose that moment to arrive. One was a short, stocky guy with a buzz cut. The other one was perfect. For a second I thought I must be hallucinating from getting whacked on the head, because I don’t meet guys that look like him. He was tall, with short black hair, a wide mouth made for smiling, and melting dark eyes. His complexion and finely chiseled features made me think he probably had some sort of Latino heritage. If I hadn’t been in so much pain, I would have at least attempted to be cool. As it was, I could only stare like a total moron when the paramedic crouched down beside me. The scents of antiseptic and something clean and fresh that might have been his shampoo washed over me, drawing my attention away from the unpleasant smell of the alley. He turned a sexy and surprisingly sweet smile on me. “So, you got knocked on the head?” His voice was as attractive as his smile. Maybe more so. Still dazed and now a bit dazzled by his looks, all I could manage was a pitiful, “Uh-huh.” Gentle fingers began to probe the knot on the back of my head, growing even more careful when I winced. When he wasn’t touching the knot itself, his hands actually felt good. I wanted to close my eyes and drift, to just lose myself in the sensation of his touch, but the shorter paramedic started shining a tiny flashlight into my eyes. Dizziness and irritation rose in equal measure. Squinting, I tried to keep them open against the unwelcome brightness. Probably to distract me, the cute one started talking. “My name’s Mateo. What’s yours?” “Scott.” Mateo finished his examination of the knot. To my disappointment, his hands fell away. Having him feel up the back of my head was the most action I’d had in a long time, which was kind of pathetic. “Well, Scott, you’ve got quite a bump on the back of your head. Everything seems to be okay, but you need to go to the hospital to be checked out, just in case.” He glanced at the two couples who’d helped me, then back at me. “Your friends can follow us to the hospital if you want them to.” That was the moment I finally realized my night was totally shot. Don’t ask me why I hadn’t figured it out before. I guess I’m a bit slow sometimes. The situation suddenly seemed funny in an awful sort of way. I’d left my apartment planning to dance, have a few drinks, and maybe even meet someone special. Instead I’d stepped in a puddle and been robbed. To look on the bright side, I had met a hot guy. Too bad the only bed he’d be taking me to was a hospital bed. Oh, the irony. I wanted to laugh, but I knew it would hurt so I didn’t. Instead, I sighed. “These guys aren’t my

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friends. They’re very kind bystanders.” The guy who’d picked up my phone and ID handed them to me. I thanked him and his friends for helping me, and they left. For a moment I looked forlornly at the condom the thieves had tossed on the ground. I definitely wouldn’t need it now, since I’d be spending my evening at the ER. How depressing. Before I could dwell on that too much, Mateo and his partner got me onto a stretcher and loaded me into the ambulance. *** At two in the morning, the ER doctor discharged me from the hospital. They’d wanted to keep me overnight, but since they’d run tests and determined there shouldn’t be any permanent damage from my injury, I insisted on leaving. Other than a hell of a headache and a big lump, I was fine. A nurse handed me a little plastic bag containing my license, my slightly damaged cell phone, and a bottle of pain pills. The key to my apartment rattled around in the bottom of the bag. Luckily I’d put it in my front pocket earlier, or it could have ended up lost in the alley. Giving me a sympathetic smile, she asked, “Is there anyone I can call to come and get you?” Even feeling as crappy as I did, I didn’t want her calling anyone. Patrick was out of town or he would probably have been with me tonight. The thought of calling anyone in my family made me feel nauseous all over again. Only my brother might actually come, but I’d end up wishing he hadn’t. Joe had a real talent for making me feel like I was about two inches tall. I could almost hear him now: If you would give up this ridiculous lifestyle of yours and get married, this sort of thing wouldn’t happen to you. “No, um, I’ll call a cab.” She frowned but didn’t argue. Wearily, I headed toward the lobby, planning to sit down and call a cab with my cell. Everything I’d been through in the past couple of hours hit me then and I began to shake. I had to stop and lean against the wall once, gasping and trembling for at least ten minutes, because I couldn’t get my legs to work right. Finally I pushed away from the wall and continued on. Moving helped me focus enough to shove down my mini panic attack. Everything had happened too quickly for me to react to things earlier. Now that I was alone, I had plenty of time to freak out over being attacked and robbed, which was not a pleasant prospect. I was grateful to reach the lobby a few minutes later. By that point I wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up in bed so I could fall apart in private. And maybe, after my meltdown, I’d spend a little time fantasizing about a certain sexy paramedic. New fantasy material seemed to be the only positive thing to have come out of my ordeal. To say I was surprised to see Mateo sitting in one of the blue plastic chairs would be an

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understatement. My feelings ran more along the lines of pure astonishment. I gaped like a fish out of water. “Hey, Scott.” Mateo grinned at me, obviously undeterred by my expression. The paramedic looked better than anyone had a right to in jeans and a cream-colored sweater. “My shift ended after I dropped you off, so I came back to make sure you were okay.” Though my mouth didn’t want to work, I finally got some words out. “The doctor says I’ll be fine in a few days.” His smile widened, and I could tell he was genuinely pleased. “That’s great. Are you heading home?” The man was hot and he cared about his patients enough to go out of his way to check on me. He really was perfect. Why couldn’t I have met him under different circumstances? Say, at a party, where we’d talk and he would realize I was his soul mate? Hey, if I was going to dream, I might as well dream big. Forcing a weak grin to my lips, I said, “I was about to call a cab.” Dark eyebrows drawing together, he gave me a concerned look. “A cab? There isn’t anyone you can call?” Though I wanted to mutter, “Thanks for rubbing it in,” I held back and kept the strained smile on my face. “It’s no big deal.” Of course, then I remembered my money had been stolen. I’d left my wallet at home and only carried cash and my ID, so at least my credit cards hadn’t been taken, but that also meant I had no way to pay for a cab. He must have seen the realization on my face. Rather than pointing out the idiocy of trying to get a cab without money, however, he appeared to consider something. After a moment, he smiled again. “Why don’t you let me give you a ride home?” Right away I started protesting. “I can’t let you do that. You’ve got to be tired, and—” Mateo cut me off. “I want to. Please.” As if I could say no to that smile. I caved. “Okay.” At least I’d have an interesting story to tell Patrick when he got home from his trip. *** A silence fell over us as Mateo led me to his car. I was still sort of shell-shocked by everything that had happened, and my head hurt like a bitch, so I followed him meekly.

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When we reached a silver Civic, Mateo opened the passenger door for me. “Your chariot awaits, sir.” I couldn’t help smiling. “Thank you.” While I was getting in to the car, I caught sight of a blue sticker with a yellow equal sign on the car’s side window. That got me thinking. I knew a lot of straight people had the stickers, but having one signified a pro-gay mentality at the very least. The mere possibility of Mateo being gay or bi made me nervous. He hadn’t seen me in a flattering light tonight. I know I’m not exactly Mr. Wonderful. If someone were describing me on my best day, they’d probably say skinny, blond, hardworking, snappy dresser, and a bit on the geeky side. This was not my best day. To Mateo, I was probably a charity case. Right now, I was acting like a head case. The sticker probably didn’t mean anything more than he was a compassionate guy who believed in equal rights. On top of everything else I’d been through, I could now add anxiety at being around a super-hot and possibly gay guy. Uncertainty tied my tongue. I sat there in mute misery, wishing I could think of something to say that wouldn’t make me look like an even bigger loser than I actually was. After starting the car, Mateo turned toward me. “So, where to?” In my distraction, I hadn’t even thought to give him my address. Duh. I stuttered out the location of my apartment, blushing furiously. Never in my life had I been so grateful to be in a dark car. Luckily, he chose to ignore my bizarre behavior. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward my place. The drive from the hospital would take at least ten minutes, so I settled back into my seat and tried to get comfortable. The back of my head brushed the seat, and I hissed. “You okay?” The concern in his voice warmed me. “Yeah, but it’s hard to get comfortable.” A fierce frown suddenly appeared on his face. “I hope they catch the bastards that hit you.” I was a little surprised by his vehemence, but it was kind of sweet. “Me too. Right now I’ll settle for my head feeling better, though.” “Didn’t the doc give you something for it?” Fingering the knot gingerly, I leaned against the door. “Yeah, but I didn’t want to take anything until I got home. I’ve made enough stupid mistakes tonight without being under the influence of pain pills.”

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A thoughtful look crossed his face. “What do you mean?” I couldn’t hold back a bitter little laugh. “The only reason those guys were able to rob me was because I fell for their scam. One of them acted like he was hurt, or sick, and I went to help him. Then the other guy hit me. I feel like an idiot.” The light we were approaching turned red. Mateo stopped the car and turned to me, expression serious. “You’re not an idiot. You’re just a very good person.” I started to protest, but he continued before I could. “You’re the kind of guy who will put off his own plans to help someone else.” Well if that wasn’t the pot calling the kettle black…I grinned despite myself. “Look who’s talking. You came to the hospital to check on me instead of going home or whatever. And now you’re going out of your way to give me a ride home.” The light turned green and Mateo turned his attention back to driving. He drummed his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, suddenly seeming ill at ease. I thought he wasn’t going to respond, but finally he said, “Yeah, well, I had an ulterior motive.” Okay. That was certainly cryptic. Puzzled, I tried to think what ulterior motive he could possibly have. Nothing came to mind. “I think I can safely rule out money, and paramedics don’t have much need for advertising. I give up. What are you talking about?” Smile returning, he gave me a quick, amused look. “You really don’t know, do you?” After the night I’d had, his amusement irritated me. Was he making fun of me? I bristled. “No, I don’t. I don’t have a clue, as usual.” And thank you for pointing that out. Sighing, he raked a hand through his hair. “I’m screwing this up.” Now I was really confused. Normally I’m a bit quicker on the uptake, but the whole night had been strange. Mateo pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building and put the car into park. For a few long, awkward moments, we were both silent. Then he turned to me, tense. “I usually don’t do this. In fact, I’ve never hit on a patient before.” Once again I gaped like a fish. My brain could not wrap itself around such an unexpected development. Mobile mouth quirking up into a wry smile, Mateo laughed softly. “Apparently I’m not doing a very good job, either. Is that an ‘I’m surprised’ look or a ‘get lost weirdo’ look you’re giving me?”

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“I’m very surprised,” I managed. Those dark eyes watched me in the dim light of the car. “You shouldn’t be. From the first minute I saw you I wanted you.” What? Licking my suddenly dry lips, I tried to think of something to say. Mateo’s gaze focused on my mouth, and anything I might have come up with flew away. He leaned forward slowly. “If you’re going to tell me to fuck off, or slug me, now’s your chance.” Yeah right. Instead of taking him up on his offer, I met him halfway. For a first kiss, it went surprisingly smoothly, with none of the usual teeth-clicking or awkwardness. His lips were warm and softer than I’d expected. Rather than attacking my mouth, he seduced. At first his lips moved almost tenderly against mine, coaxing them apart. When his tongue touched mine, I couldn’t hold back a moan of delight as the taste of mint and Mateo overwhelmed me. He smiled against my lips, enjoying my pleasure. The initial softness didn’t last long. The kiss grew deeper and harder as our tongues tangled. Slipping a hand into my hair, Mateo took control. Though I could barely think myself, Mateo had the presence of mind to avoid my injury, something I really appreciated. The contrast between his careful, gentle hand and the hot urgency of his mouth was an incredible turn-on. Each stroke of his tongue sent flickers of heat through me, adding to my arousal. I don’t know how long we made out in the car like teenagers. It could have been only a few minutes. Time slipped by unnoticed. I was only aware of how much I wanted him. Normally, I was more of a third-, fourth-, or fifth-date kind of guy, but the recent drought in my sex life combined with the incredibly strong attraction I felt for Mateo caused me to change my normal modus operandi. I pulled back to peer into his eyes. Taking a deep breath, I asked, “Would you like to come upstairs?” *** As usual, I started over-thinking the second we left Mateo’s car. Sure, things had been getting hot in the car, but I worried that when he saw my lame apartment and talked to me a bit more, he might change his mind. I darted a glance over at him while he held the lobby door for me and was struck anew by how attractive he was. None of the guys I’d dated in my limited experience had ever come close to Mateo. He seemed so out of my league. By the time we reached my apartment, I had myself all tied up in knots. My hands weren’t very steady, so it took a couple of tries before I could get the door unlocked. He followed me into the

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small living room.

His eyes widened when he spotted my desk. “Wow, that’s some computer.”

Another blush heated my cheeks. Everyone who came to my place always noticed the computer.

The thing had cost more than anything else in the apartment, and it showed. My decorating style

could kindly be termed “shabby chic,” except for the insanely expensive computer.

“Uh, yeah,” I muttered, not sure what to say.

Mateo’s gaze returned to me. “You should take something for your head now.”

“I guess you’re right.” Though I gave him a quick smile, I was disappointed. If he wanted me to

take pain pills, we probably wouldn’t be continuing what we’d started in the car.

I went into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of cherry Kool-aid. Popping two of the pills, I

took a couple of swallows of my drink to wash them down.

“Is that Kool-aid?”

I looked up to find Mateo standing in the doorway. Earlier, when I’d thought we might end up in

bed together, getting caught drinking a kid’s drink would have embarrassed the hell out of me.

Now I decided I didn’t care. “What can I say? I like Kool-aid.”

To my surprise, Mateo crossed the tiny kitchen in three steps and leaned down to kiss me. A

moment later, he pulled back, gazing down into my wide eyes. “I do too. Or maybe it’s just you I

like.”

“But—” I began.

“But what?”

Flustered, I tried to explain. “I thought. I mean, when you told me to take my medicine, I

figured…”

“What? You thought I was going to tuck you into bed and leave, didn’t you?”

That pretty much summed it up. “Well, yeah.”

The look he gave me then left no doubt as to his intentions. I’d never really known what

bedroom eyes were until that moment. He gave me a slow smile. “I’ll tuck you in, if you want.

But I’d rather come to bed with you. I didn’t want your head hurting and distracting you.”

Head? What head? With him looking at me like that I could barely remember my name, let alone

the lump on my head. I grinned back at him. “What do you say you do both? I kind of had my

heart set on being tucked in, but maybe you could tuck yourself in with me.”

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Huh. Was that me, flirting? Apparently so, and Mateo didn’t seem to notice how corny my line was. He reached down and took my hand. Reveling in his strong hand clasping mine, I led him down the hall to my bedroom. *** I didn’t bother with the light once we reached the bedroom. Enough illumination streamed in from the hallway to keep us from hurting ourselves in the dark. The only thing I was concerned with was Mateo. As soon as we got through the door, I pulled him to me. All night I’d been passive, either because someone had forced me to or because I’d allowed myself to be that way. Suddenly, I wanted to be bold. When I drew him down for a kiss, he groaned low in his throat and kissed me back. The combination of cherry Kool-aid and Mateo was more arousing than I would have guessed. While we kissed, I slipped my hands under his sweater and let them roam over his body. He shivered when I stroked my fingertips over his nipples and twitched when I drew them down his sides. It made me smile to think of him being ticklish. Wanting to touch more of his hot, smooth skin, I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and started tugging. At first we got tangled up because neither of us wanted to break the kiss, but finally I drew back and managed to yank the sweater over his head. Shirtless, he looked even better than I’d imagined, his body hard and sleekly muscled without being too bulky. I indulged myself with a moment of ogling before taking advantage of his half-naked state. First, I only ran my hands teasingly over his shoulders and down his arms. Then, tired of playing, I sank to my knees in front of him. He looked down at me, those deep brown eyes hot with anticipation. I kept my eyes locked on his as I unfastened his jeans. Not bothering to take them off all the way, I reached inside. He sucked in a sharp breath as I grasped the thick, hard column of his cock. It was everything I could have asked for, and more, definitely more than proportionate and already leaking tiny drops of precome. I could have taken the opportunity to tease Mateo at that point. Some guys like to draw out a blow job, make you wait for the good stuff. Not me. I’m all about the main event. If there’s one thing I’m confident about, it’s my ability to suck cock. Most of the time I don’t get that far, unfortunately, but when I do I get no complaints. For that very reason, I got straight to the point. Leaning forward, I took him into my mouth, not stopping until my nose hit his pubic hair. I lingered there for a moment, savoring the taste and scent of him, hot and spicy and male. The tangy, bittersweet hint of precome only made it better.

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He made a strangled, gasping sound. “Holy fuck!” I would have smiled, if my mouth wasn’t so busy. Instead, I pulled back and deep-throated him again. One of his large hands curled around the back of my neck, but otherwise he didn’t move. Knowing how much I could take, I gripped his hips, encouraging him to thrust. With another inarticulate sound, Mateo began to fuck my mouth with quick, shallow thrusts. Though he was clearly still holding back, not wanting to hurt me, I could tell he was enjoying it. When I added quick flicks of my tongue and occasional hard suction, he grabbed my shoulders. “Stop, Scott. I don’t want to come yet.” He reached down and took my hand, pulling me up into a quick, hard kiss. “That was incredible. Your mouth should be registered as a weapon.” His expression, awed and aroused, made me grin. “Who says it’s not?” Laughing, he began to push me toward the bed. “You’ll have to save any demonstrations for later. Right now it’s time for you to go to bed.” I pouted. “But I’m not tired.” Another one of those smoldering looks told me Mateo wasn’t tired either. “You will be, when we’re finished,” he promised. I definitely liked the sound of that. Since I’d been in charge for a while, I let him herd me the rest of the way to the bed and climbed onto it meekly, taking off my shoes as I did so. Before getting into bed himself, he slid his jeans and boxers off, toeing off his shoes and socks as well. Completely naked, he stood beside the bed and let me look my fill for a minute. I admit it—I was impressed as hell, and not only with his body. His confidence was incredibly sexy. Quickly growing impatient, Mateo got into the bed and straddled me. “This is a nice shirt, but I think it’s time you took it off.” Who was I to argue with a good idea? I lay back and let him unbutton my shirt, only moving to help when he pushed the garment down my shoulders. I leaned up, and he pushed it all the way off. Next, he attacked my jeans. One quick tug released the button fly, much to his amusement. I lifted my hips, and in moments he had me stripped bare. The first time I’m naked in front of a new guy is always kind of intimidating, especially with a guy who looked like Mateo. I’m not emaciated or anything, but I’m definitely not built. My never-goes-in-the-sun, pasty-white skin definitely didn’t help my appearance. As Mateo gazed down at me, I could feel myself tensing up, dreading his reaction. For several long, tortuous seconds, he stared down at me silently. One of my ever-present blushes started working its way across my face, neck, and chest, much to my embarrassment. Then, as I was seriously considering whether it was possible to die of mortification, Mateo ran

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his hands up over my chest. “It’s like unwrapping a present.” His odd comment distracted me from my anxiety. “What?” “Undressing you. I liked the way you looked with clothes on, but now. Wow.” The admiring expression in his eyes threw me for a loop. After a night of unexpected events, I guess I shouldn’t have been all that surprised by his response, but I was. All I could do was stammer out, “But I’m so pale.” Smiling, he looked down at his dark hands touching my pale chest. “I think we look good together.” Even though I knew he would probably turn out to have annoying little habits and drive me crazy later on, if there was a later on, I decided right then and there he was perfect. Perfect for me, anyway—the only kind of perfection that mattered. Arousal and tenderness rose up in equal measure. Not sure what to do with the latter, I immersed myself in the arousal. We could get to the mushy stuff later. Eager to get back to where we’d left off, I reached down to grasp his cock. Eyes falling shut, he ground out, “Condoms? Lube?” “Bedside table.” Teasingly, I ran my thumb over the head, spreading the droplet of precome I found there. He leaned over and opened the drawer of the bedside table, managing to find the supplies we needed despite my continued teasing. Still, I could tell my hand was distracting him. I was getting pretty hot myself, imagining his thick cock in my ass. When he finally got the condom open, however, I got yet another surprise. Instead of sheathing himself, he shimmied down my thighs a little and put the condom on me. I must have looked startled, because he grinned down at me. “I hope you don’t mind. I’ve been dying to ride you all night.” He winked at me. “You’re injured, so I’ll save fucking you through the mattress for next time.” He’d been dying to ride me? Next time? My brain instantly started trying to over-think things again, but Mateo had other ideas. With one hand, he quickly slicked my ever-hardening erection. I couldn’t see what his other hand was doing, but I had a pretty good idea, especially when he rose up over me and then lowered himself onto my cock. All I could do was whimper as Mateo’s body enveloped me, drawing me into his tight, slick heat. Not giving me much time to adjust, he set a punishing pace, raising and lowering himself in quick bursts. The tightness and friction drove me insane. Almost instinctively, I grabbed his hips and began to thrust up, wanting to be deeper, closer. Each stroke made my cock throb, aching for

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release.

Trying to distract myself, I watched Mateo. His eyes were closed, face creased in concentration.

Suddenly I wanted—no, needed—to see his expression when he came. I reached down and gripped his dick, stroking it in time to my thrusts. My own body screamed with the need to come. Hoping to make him come first, I squeezed the head of his cock, pressing my thumb into his slit lightly. His eyes flew open.

“Scott!”

He choked out my name, breathless, startled, and then his body clamped down on me like a vise.

Ropes of semen burst from him and onto my stomach, painting me with hot white stripes. It was too much. I came, letting out a wordless cry as pleasure poured through me. Ripples of my orgasm continued after Mateo collapsed onto my chest. Except for our labored breathing, silence reigned for a few minutes. Then Mateo muttered, “Holy fuck, where did you learn that thing you did with your thumb?”

Satisfied, pleasantly worn out, and just plain happy, I laughed. “I don’t know. It seemed like a

good idea at the time.”

Those sexy brown eyes met mine. “Oh yeah, definitely a good idea.” He hesitated for a moment,

suddenly looking almost shy. “Maybe you could try it again sometime?”

He wanted to see me again! Though I wanted to dance around like an idiot, I managed to restrain

myself, mainly because he was still lying on top of me. “Anytime,” I agreed.

The way his eyes lit up gave me a warm feeling I didn’t try to identify. Instead, I pulled him down and kissed that sexy smile. Several soft, open-mouthed kisses later, he eased off me and rolled over onto his side next to me. I got rid of the condom as quickly as possible, tossing it into the little trash can by the bed, and wiped off the cooling semen on my stomach and his chest with a tissue. We lay there silently, smiling at each other. The pain meds really started to kick in then, and I yawned.

Laughing, Mateo reached out to stroke his fingertips down my cheek. “Am I boring you?”

Though I knew he was kidding, I said, “The meds are making me sleepy.”

“How’s your head?”

I caught his hand and kissed the palm. “Great. I forgot I was hurt there for a while.”

He gave me a smug smile. “See? We paramedics know how to make you feel better.”

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I yawned again, my eyelids feeling heavier. Whatever the doctor had given me had taken a while to take effect, but now that the pills were working I could barely keep my eyes open. Mateo helped me under the covers and snuggled up beside me, tucking us both into the blankets as I’d requested earlier. “G’night Mateo,” I mumbled. “Good night, Scott.” The soft kiss he pressed to my forehead was the last thing I felt before sleep pulled me under. *** Bright light streaming onto my face woke me the next day. A dull, throbbing ache in my head reminded me what a long, strange, wonderful night I’d had. Prying my eyes open, I peered at my alarm clock. Eleven-thirty. I’d gone to sleep sometime after three in the morning, so my sleeping in wasn’t all that surprising. When I thought about going to sleep, I remembered Mateo tucking me in. Smiling, I turned over, only to be confronted with an empty bed. Even though he hadn’t promised to stay, I felt a sharp stab of disappointment. There had been something special between us last night, at least on my end. “Good morning.” Surprised, I turned toward the unexpected voice. Mateo stood in the doorway, dressed in only his boxers. All the disappointment I’d felt moments earlier melted away. “Hey.” He walked into the room and came around to my side of the bed, sitting down beside me. “How’s your head this morning?” I considered. “Compared to last night, great. I’ve still got a headache, though.” “Yeah, you probably will for a while.” He gave me a sympathetic smile, brushing my wild hair back from my face. “I don’t have to go to work for a few hours yet. You want me to make you some breakfast?” Just when I thought the man couldn’t get any better, he offered to cook for me. The warm feeling rose up again, but this time I didn’t try to hold it down. Meeting his eyes, I spoke, half-joking, half-serious. “You cook, too? I might have to keep you.” I expected him to laugh off my remark. Instead, he gave me another one of those hot looks. “I think I’d like that.” I’m sure I was grinning like an idiot, but I didn’t care. “I think I would too.” The End

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Hit by Love Copyright © 2008 by Cassandra Gold All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680 Printed in the United States of America. Torquere Press, Inc.: Sips electronic edition / July 2008 Torquere Press eBooks are published by Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680

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