Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 1

could feel fingers stroking his hands, probably making sure his circulation still worked properly. And since Casey left the ropes un-touched, there was probably nothing wrong with the temperature of Jared's skin. He opened his eyes, blinking, and focused his vision on Casey.
    "I'd take either one. That was… wow," Jared breathed and felt very pleased with himself when he saw Casey blushing.
    "Glad you liked it… 'Cos I'm not done with you," Casey said and sat up again. His weight on Jared's hips was a little too much for his softened and tender manhood to bear, but Jared didn't complain; seeing Casey like he was now, happy and smiling, was worth every slightly uncomfortable touch on his hips. Casey reached his hand for the ice cream box and glanced at Jared.
    "So…" he said and stirred the melted white mess in the box with his spoon. "Think you're up for round two anytime soon?"
    ****
    When Casey woke up, he immediately knew he was alone in his bed. There was a wave of disappointment washing through him before he heard muffled sounds from the living room. A low bang and then some rustling and then it went quiet again. He turned on his back and sat up, pushing aside the blankets and slowly eyeing the room; Jared's shirt was tossed on the bed, his keys and wallet and phone on the nightstand on the other side of the bed. Casey rubbed his face, smiling and placed his feet on the floor. His throat was sore, like he'd had sandpaper for dinner, but he really had no one else to blame for it but himself. He quickly glanced at the knobs on both ends of the headboard; the ropes were still there. He'd hardly had enough time to untie Jared's other wrist before the man had yanked open the other rope and flipped Casey on his back. And though there had been force in that movement, everything that had followed, had been sweet and gentle and so inconceivable good, Casey felt like he was walking on clouds when he stood up and went to his closet to get a pair of pajama pants to cover his nakedness before he joined the man lounging in his living room.
    Jared reclined on the couch, his back against the armrest and an open bag of chocolate candies on top of his stomach, and the smile he wore when he saw Casey was enough to flush Casey from head to toes.
    "Hey you…" Jared murmured and followed Casey with his eyes as Casey went closer, quickly glancing at the TV before he sat on the couch next to Jared. "Did I wake you?"
    "No… I didn't hear you at first," Casey said. He frowned while looking at the TV screen. Jared had one of those 'film noir'-movies on, ones Casey couldn't stand watching without getting sleepy.
    "You thought I'd left, didn't you?"
    Casey looked at Jared but there was no accusation in that face or in that voice. And wasn't that exactly what he'd thought?
    "Yeah… I guess I did," he shrugged. Jared was quiet for a while before he picked a couple of chocolate covered peanuts from the bag and tossed the rest on the coffee table.
    "Come here," Jared said and spread his long legs to make room for Casey. And Casey went with it, curling against Jared and enjoying the warmth of Jared's body.
    "I guess I can't exactly blame you… I haven't stayed over much, have I?"
    "No."
    "Right… Well, I'll promise to shake off the bad habit, okay?" Jared said and Casey could hear him crunching the candies. Jared always whined about Casey's fixation for ice cream, the fact that he ate too much of it and spent too much money on it, but at least he didn't live off on chocolate like Jared did. Which was why Casey had stocked his kitchen cabinets with candies he'd never eat himself. All there just for Jared. And now that he thought about it, the few times he'd actually been over to Jared's, spent the night there, the freezer had been stacked with ice cream boxes just like his shelves were filled with chocolate bars and bags of candy.
    "Okay," Casey nodded and turned to look at the TV. The woman in the scene looked like a zombie. Honestly. Her hair was blacker than black and her skin looked as white as snow. Casey did in fact realize it was a black and white movie, but how the hell did they manage to make them all look like they were corpses?
    "I don't know how you can watch this…"
    "Kinda like I don't know how you can watch some sitcom over and over again. Makes no sense."
    "At least while watching stupid jokes through the TV I don't have to expand my brain just to understand what I'm watching," Casey said and tucked tighter against Jared.