Metamorphosis, p.18
Metamorphosis, page 18
Ramsay didn’t realize that he was still standing there, riveted to the spot, until Douglas asked him if he were coming. “Ah, yes, sorry,” he muttered.
* * * *
“He hasn’t seen you yet,” Amanda said in a low voice next to his ear. “He saw me, though, and he didn’t look happy.” She laughed.
Hunter marveled at the food on his plate. It was nicely presented, but there was so little of it. “Can we go for pizza later?”
Amanda smiled. “It’s for charity.”
“May I ask how much they’re charging for each of these plates?”
“Two thousand dollars.”
Hunter’s eyes widened. “Holy shit,” he said, then looked around to see if anyone had heard him. They hadn’t. He began to eat, remembering which fork was for what. The people next to them were talking about the current government, and Hunter was able to make a few comments which appeared to impress them. Hunter was pretending to laugh at something the lady next to him was saying, when he saw Ramsay. He was sitting at the next table. He could only see him from a side view, but he knew it was him … blond, angelic, with that creamy white skin. He was with a middle-aged man, very handsome. Then Ramsay turned his head around and looked right at him. Hunter knew that Ramsay had spotted him. Something stirred in Hunter’s gut, a mix of anger and longing.
“Are you all right?” Amanda asked him. “You don’t look well. Your father didn’t see you. He’s way over there at that table with his wife.” She moved her head to the left.
“It’s not my father. It’s … Ramsay.”
“Ramsay,” she repeated softly. “Where?”
“Don’t, he’s looking right at us. He’s here with his … whoremaster,” he said between clenched teeth.
“Do you want to leave?” Amanda asked.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. Let’s just eat.”
Amanda nodded. Someone across from her said something, and Amanda pasted on a fake smile, leaning closer to hear.
The meal stretched on forever, and Hunter was getting impatient. He tried to appear interested in the conversation and to keep himself from looking over at Ramsay, but he couldn’t stop. Worse, every time he looked over there, Ramsay was looking back. “Excuse me,” he said, scraping back the chair. “I’m going to use the washroom,” he told Amanda, leaning into her ear.
“In the lobby,” she said.
He nodded and headed off, promising himself he wasn’t going to look at Ramsay again.
When he entered the bathroom, an attendant handed him a towel. He thanked him and walked into the other part where the urinals were. He unzipped and was just about to take a piss when he heard a voice say, “Small world, eh?”
Hunter zipped his pants without pissing. He stood there for a moment, his back to him. “What do you want?”
“Nothing,” Ramsay said. “I just wanted to say hello.”
Hunter took a breath and turned around.
“You look fantastic, by the way. It’s weird seeing you at a place like this. Have you seen your father yet?”
“I’ve seen him.”
“Did he see you?”
“I don’t think so … look…” He was about to say something else, scream at him, tell him to go away, but he couldn’t. Looking at him rendered him speechless. Hunter swallowed. When he spoke again, the words were barely audible. “Please, Ramsay,” he said. “Please.”
Ramsay bit his lip. “Okay.” He nodded. “He is … he gives me…”
“What? What does he give you?” Hunter met his gaze. Those incredible light blue eyes reflected only sadness.
“I have the life I’ve always wanted now.”
“Good. I’m happy that you…” Hunter stopped. Tears accumulated in his eyes.
“No.” Ramsay shook his head. “Don’t. Don’t you fucking … do this to me.”
One tear rolled down Hunter’s cheek. He didn’t bother to brush it away.
“You’ll ruin everything.”
“Go back to your … Get the fuck away from me.” Hunter turned his back again.
“I love you,” Ramsay said abruptly. “I always have. I just…”
“…Don’t love me enough.”
“Don’t ask me to give it all up, now that I’ve found it.”
“I’m not asking you to do anything except leave me alone.”
“But I can’t, you see.”
Hunter turned back around. “I don’t get you.”
“I would give him up,” Ramsay whispered. “If you said…”
“What?” Hunter croaked desperately. “You’d give him up if I said what? I’ll say anything. Jesus Christ, anything you want. What? What Ramsay? What in hell do you want me to say? Do you want me to get on my knees?”
Ramsay started to sob. Hunter reached out for him. He grabbed his shoulders, pulled him into his arms. He kissed the top of his head, rocked him back and forth. “I’m no prince. I have nothing Ramsay, except for my heart, my body, but they’re yours. They’ve been yours from the moment we met.”
Ramsay tightened his hold on him. “Don’t let me go, Hunter. Don’t let me go.”
* * * *
Amanda made her way into the ballroom, wondering where in the hell Hunter had gotten to. The senator was having a drink at the bar, speaking to a political lobbyist he’d known for years.
“Frank Foreman,” she exclaimed, walking over to him. “I haven’t seen you in a while. You haven’t aged a bit.”
Foreman’s eyes lit up with delight. “Amanda Martindale. You look stunning as ever. How are you, dear?”
“Wonderful,” she said.
“You know Senator Delany?”
“Senator.” She smiled at him.
He nodded curtly. “I think I see someone over there I know,” he said. “If you’ll please excuse me, I…” He stopped speaking.
Amanda turned around to see Hunter standing there behind her. “Oh Hunter,” she said. “There you are, darling. I’ve been lost without you.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, his gaze going to the senator.
“Hunter, I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine, Frank Foreman, and this is Senator Delany.”
Hunter shook Foreman’s hand, then glanced at the senator. “I believe we’ve met, haven’t we, Senator?” Hunter held out his hand.
The senator took Hunter’s hand briefly. Amanda would have given a fortune to have had a camera. Suddenly, the senator’s wife appeared. This couldn’t have gotten any better.
“Hello, dear. Introduce me,” she said.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said stiffly. “You know Mr. Foreman, and this is Amanda Martindale.”
“Frank, please,” Foreman said.
The senator’s wife nodded at him, then looked at Amanda. “The Amanda Martindale? My, you are well known for your charitable donations.”
“Thank you,” Amanda smiled.
“And who…” She paused, running her gaze over Hunter. “—is this extremely attractive young man here?” She looked at her husband.
Amanda saw him shift his weight. “Hunter … ah…?”
“Reese. It was my mother’s name.” He looked at the senator.
“Yes, well, Mr. Reese, this is my wife, Diane.” The senator looked around him.
Hunter took her hand and kissed it. “Charming. I hope you will permit me a dance.”
“Of course. How about now?” She took his arm. “I love the waltz.”
“Go ahead,” Amanda said to Hunter. “I don’t mind.”
Suddenly someone else captured Foreman’s attention, and Amanda was left standing there alone with Delany. As soon as he was sure no one else was listening, he said, between clenched teeth, “How dare you? Are you trying to destroy me?”
“Maybe I’m trying to save you.”
“Save me from what?”
“Yourself.” She turned around and watched as Hunter guided the senator’s wife gracefully around the floor. “He’s your son,” she said. “He’s a wonderful young man.”
“I already told you, I can’t tell my family about…”
“Why not?” Amanda asked, glancing at the dance floor. “Your wife seems enchanted with him. Have a nice evening, Senator. And remember, you have nothing to fear from Hunter. He doesn’t want or need anything from you. Only, one day you may come to regret it.”
* * * *
On the way home, in the back of the car, Hunter seemed to be on top of the world. He kept going on about his father, and the look on his face when he’d come face-to-face with him. “I swear his wife fell in love with me. I danced four times with her. It was killing him.”
“You did so well,” Amanda said. “I was so proud of you. I didn’t think this would make you so happy.”
“I think it did him well, but that’s not why I’m so happy.” He met her eyes.
“Tell me.” She’d sensed a change in him after he’d disappeared. “Does this have something to do with Ramsay?”
“He’s leaving that guy, the client he was with. He loves me, Amanda. Goddamn it, after all this time, after he got everything he wanted, he’s figured out that he loves me more.”
Amanda threw her arms around him. “Oh, Hunter, I’m so happy for you. You deserve it. You deserve it, baby.”
Chapter Sixteen
Ramsay stood outside Amanda’s large house, gazing up at Hunter’s bedroom window, or at least, what used to be his bedroom window. Maybe he’d changed rooms. He sure hoped not. He put down his suitcase and searched the grass for a small rock. He found one that he thought was big enough to make a noise, but not too big. He didn’t want to break the window, although he was so giddy that he really didn’t care that much.
He threw the rock. It hit, then bounced back down to the ground, missing his head by inches. When he heard the window open, he breathed a sigh of relief. Hunter stuck his head out. He laughed. “Ramsay. What in hell are you doing?”
“Let me in, will ya? It’s cold out here.”
“I’ll be right down.”
It was cold out, but Ramsay knew it was warm in Hunter’s bed … in Hunter’s arms. It was true he thought, as he picked up his suitcase and headed around to the front door. He’d lost his mind. He’d given up everything he ever wanted—or everything he ever thought he wanted—for Hunter. He smiled. It had been a losing battle from the moment he’d set eyes on him. If only he’d accepted that from the beginning, they wouldn’t have wasted this much time.
The door opened. Hunter stood there, naked from the waist up, an oversized pair of navy blue pajama pants the only material saving him from being naked. Ramsay sucked in some breath. Beautiful. That dark brown hair with the slightest of curl to it, those beautiful brown eyes, that skin, looking as if it was permanently kissed by the sun … emotionally, he was already on his knees.
Hunter smiled softly at him. “Are you going to come in, or are you going to stand there staring at me all night?”
“Night? Hell,” Ramsay said, walking in and closing the door. “It’s almost morning.” He leaned back against the front door, sucking in some breath.
Hunter came closer. “What happened?” He touched Ramsay’s cheek. Ramsay closed his eyes, ran his tongue over his bottom lip.
“I told him.”
“You told him what?” Hunter whispered, bending his head, brushing Ramsay’s cheek with his.
“I told him that…” He stopped. Hunter’s fingers were undoing his shirt.
“I told him that … ah … Hunter,” he moaned, as Hunter’s lips caressed his left nipple. He spread his shirt open and pushed it off his shoulders.
“Go on,” Hunter urged, licking Ramsay’s nipple now, beginning to undo his pants.
“God,” he hissed, grabbing the band of Hunter’s pajama bottoms and pushing them down over his erection. “You’re hard,” he moaned.
“Yes,” Hunter replied. “I’m hard.”
Ramsay wrapped his hand around the base of Hunter’s cock, as Hunter pushed his pants down around his ankles.
“Suck it,” Hunter urged, placing a hand on Ramsay’s shoulder, pushing him to his knees. “Oh God, suck it … Ramsay. I need you. I love you so much. God, I love you,” he gasped as Ramsay took the head of Hunter’s cock in his mouth. He licked the pre-cum, tasting him, taking him deeper into his mouth. Hunter’s hands were in his hair, pulling. One of Ramsay’s hands moved up Hunter’s thigh and massaged his ass cheek. He had the greatest ass.
“Stop, stop,” he begged, pulling back. “I’ll come. I want to come inside of you.”
Ramsay felt himself being pulled to his feet.
“Come on, leave the suitcase. Come to my room.” Hunter’s voice was low, hoarse, so damn sexy. Ramsay would have followed him anywhere.
Seconds after they were in the room, Hunter closed the door with his foot, and Ramsay was pressed flat against the wall. Hunter held his wrists together over his head and began to lubricate his hole. Ramsay moaned with pleasure. “Yes, yes, um, keep doing that,” he urged. Two fingers entered him. He grunted, crying out as Hunter began to furiously fuck Ramsay’s ass with his fingers.
Hunter released his wrists. Ramsay placed his hands on the wall, palms down, pushing his hips in and out, trying to keep pace with Hunter’s maneuvers. Suddenly, he felt Hunter’s hands on his thighs. He pulled them wide apart. The fingers withdrew, and Hunter’s cock took their place.
Ramsay closed his eyes and sighed, his mouth opening wide as he threw his head back and groaned. Hunter had gripped his hips and was plunging into him like a torpedo. No mercy. Ramsay was completely his. Hunter slowed his pace now, working his ass with his rock-hard cock, moving his hips from side to side.
Ramsay lowered his forehead on the wall, the muscles in his calves working. His breathing was hard and shallow. Hunter’s hand was on his cock. He was squeezing the length of it, tightening his hold as it pulsed in his fist. Ramsay felt it thunder with orgasm. “Oh God. Oh God…” he whimpered, and Hunter milked the last bit of cum out of it as he exploded inside Ramsay’s ass.
Ramsay tried to recover his breath. He reached around for Hunter’s hand and found it. Hunter pressed his chest against Ramsay’s back, waiting for his breathing to come back to normal, bestowing tiny, butterfly kisses on Ramsay’s shoulder.
Ramsay squeezed his hand. “I’m so happy,” he whispered, blinking away the tears as he turned around. He reached up to brush back some of Hunter’s disarrayed hair. His forehead was hot. A single roll of sweat was making its way down the side of his face.
Hunter smiled at him. “Me too,” he said. He lowered his mouth to Ramsay’s and kissed him, a sweet, warm kiss which touched the very core of him. Then he walked over to the bed and lay down. He patted the place beside him. “Come over here.”
Ramsay lay down beside him.
“So, how did you tell him you were leaving?” Hunter asked him, meeting his gaze.
“I told him the truth. I told him that I was in love and that I had thought I’d get over it, but that I saw you and … my heart was breaking.”
Hunter touched his cheek.
“Will Amanda mind, me being here?” Ramsay asked suddenly.
“Why should she mind? It’s only for a short time.”
“What do you mean?”
Hunter sat up. “I hope you didn’t think we were going to live here together.”
“It’s perfect,” Ramsay said.
“No,” Hunter replied. “It’s not perfect. I’m planning on leaving here, getting a proper job. Amanda offered me a loan to go to school. I finished high school at home.”
Ramsay was speechless. He sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. How would they live? They’d live in a dump, eat out of cans. They’d be poor. At least here, they could live in a nice house.
“Ramsay, listen to me,” Hunter said, walking around in front of him. “Do you love me?”
“Do you have to ask me that? You know I do. Look what I gave up.”
“That’s not the right answer,” Hunter grumbled. “I don’t want to go through life with you telling me what you gave up. Either I’m worth more, or I’m not. Make up your mind.”
“You’re angry.”
“Yes I’m angry. You haven’t changed at all.”
“Yes I have.” He reached out and took Hunter’s hand. “I trust you. I love you. I want to be with you.”
“Then we have to take what comes, do it on our own, make our own happiness.”
Ramsay nodded. He pulled Hunter down beside him. “Now calm down. I’m here. Hold me, and let’s get some sleep, okay? We’ll talk about it more in the morning.” He kissed him, laid his head on Hunter’s chest and closed his eyes. Peace. For the first time in a long time, he felt peace.
* * * *
Ciel sat listening in horror as Scott talked, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands. Scott was recounting the abuse he had endured in the last foster home he’d stayed in before he went to the streets. The husband, the wife, the husband’s sick friends … the abuse was ongoing and brutal.
Scott sobbed like a baby when he came to the end. Ciel held out his hand, and Scott went into his arms. The therapist left them alone for a few minutes. Ciel wiped Scott’s tears, Scott wiped his. “Let’s go home,” Scott suggested. Ciel smiled. “Oh, yeah,” he replied.
Ciel had been out of the hospital now for a few weeks, and the nightmare of what he’d lived in that bedroom was starting to subside. He was engrossed in Scott’s past now, and it was actually helping him. He knew that he’d never felt so close to Scott as he did now. Scott had finally let him in, and that’s all he’d ever wanted.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Ciel called out. They’d have an early supper, and then Ciel would go to work at the restaurant. He’d only done a few shifts and was finding it hard getting back into routine. Scott loved his new job in the office complex, and Ciel knew that it made him feel proud.
Ciel turned on the shower and stripped off his clothes. He’d put on a few pounds, thanks to Scott, since he’d been home, and physically he was beginning to feel a hell of a lot stronger.
He didn’t hear Scott come into the bathroom. He only turned his head when the shower door slid open, and Scott stepped in behind him.
