Top Shelf: A Seacroft Novel Page 21

  “When I heard there was a party, I wasn’t sure if this was the kind of shindig that involved gifts. But the other thing my grandmother taught me was to never come to a party empty handed. So I brought you something.”

  Behind the chair where Dinah sat was a small end table, probably meant to sit next to the chair, but moved out of the way to make more room for the afternoon. Seb pulled it out and set it in front of her. He turned, and Oliver started forward, but Seb spoke directly to Martin. “Can you help me?”

  The box, the one they’d hauled in from the rental car, sat on another table by the door. It was just as heavy as the day before, but now Martin had an idea what was inside, and it felt even more precious.

  They set it on the little table, barely big enough to hold it. Oliver joined them and helped Dinah to stand and pull the bright wrapping paper off the package. Inside was a heavy pressboard container, which explained a lot of the weight. Seb released a latch on the bottom with a snap. He gestured to Martin again, and together they lifted the top off, leaving the contents on the base.

  A gasp sounded in the room, and Martin had a moment of disappointment that he couldn’t see whatever was inside at the same time as everyone else. He was setting the box down, but when he stood, it didn’t matter because everyone around him was enchanted, and there was lots of time to catch up.

  On the little table was a square case with glass panels on all four sides. A small peaked top was finished with a wooden knob, and the same warm wood made up the base. The first thing he noticed was the little frowning man standing at the corner, back to the glass. He looked like a beach ball in a jockey’s cap, and the frown made Martin recognize Tweedledee.

  Inside the glass, a black and white illustrated Alice looked up at the Cheshire Cat in his tree. Seb had split the image out, so the cat was set deeper into the case than Alice. Enhancing the depth was a forest of cut-out trees, each one made from faded yellow pages of text. It was a diorama, but under Seb’s skillful blade, it had life.

  The crowd murmured again as Seb grasped the knob at the top, and then the whole creation turned slowly. The square case had been divided, wooden panels running from the corners, into four compartments, each one triangular. Each compartment showed another cut-out scene from Alice’s adventures. The Cheshire Cat. Alice playing croquet with a flamingo. The caterpillar on his mushroom. The white rabbit disappearing down a hall of increasingly small doors. All made from black-and-white illustrations and Lewis Carroll’s printed words.

  “It’s Alice for Alice,” Seb said. He kissed his grandmother’s cheek and turned his creation again.

  The room broke into applause. Oliver shook Seb’s hand and then helped their grandmother back into her chair. Seb slipped his arm through Martin’s and squeezed.

  “It’s beautiful,” Martin said into his ear.

  Seb grinned and kissed his cheek. “I think she liked it.”

  “Everybody liked it. You did good.” They moved back into the crowd.

  “I did, huh? Kenneth’s going to be pissed though.”

  Martin frowned at the mention of Seb’s agent. “What do you mean?”

  “That was supposed to be the last piece for the Schiller show, and I just gave it to my grandmother.”

  20

  After his speech, there was a certain amount of glad-handing as people came up to Seb to talk about the Alice piece and ask about his work. It was gratifying, and he managed to bite back most of the snappy answers about how they’d never had an interest in his art before. Maybe they just needed to see it up close. He wore the battery out on his phone sending texts with information on the Schiller exhibit and contacts for the representative at the Diving Bell Gallery.

  Gillian took Dinah home as the last of the guests trailed out. Parker made noises about dinner, but the extended finger foods in the afternoon had most of them groaning and begging off.

  Oliver, Seb, and Martin found themselves in the family den. The TV was on, but the food coma meant Seb wasn’t sure what they were watching. He was pressed against Martin’s side, head on his shoulder. Oliver laughed at the screen from time to time, but none of them were really watching.

  “When did you make that?” Martin whispered.

  “It took a few weeks.”

  “A few weeks? That’s all?”

  Seb grinned and burrowed a little closer. Martin’s jacket was off, and the stiff cotton of his shirt crinkled under Seb’s cheek.

  “It only takes a few weeks, provided things like sleeping and eating aren’t much of a priority.” Seb wrapped an arm around Martin’s body. “Thanks for coming this weekend. I’m not sure we could have escaped homicide without your moderating influence.”

  Martin smiled down at him. “Weekend’s not over yet.”

  “Hey.” Oliver growled as he paused whatever movie they were watching. “If you’re going to talk through the whole thing, go somewhere else.”

  Seb bared his teeth, and Ollie flipped them off. Martin pulled Seb close again, and he settled, dozing for a while. The movie was one of those loud exploding ones Oliver had always liked. Seb thought they were boring and had long ago learned to sleep through most of them. When he woke, his head was in Martin’s lap, and Martin’s fingers played in his hair.

  “Hey.” Martin’s voice was soft.

  “Hi.” Seb curled and stretched like a cat. He rolled until he could kiss Martin’s palm.

  “Jesus, go find a room before you set the couch on fire with the eye fucking.” Oliver’s disgust didn’t carry much bite.

  “Are you sure you have to move to Seacroft? It’s a nice place. I’d hate for your attitude to corrupt it.”

  “You’re moving to Seacroft?” Martin’s hands stopped moving, and Seb nuzzled against him.

  “Did you miss that detail?”

  “When was I supposed to get it?”

  “During the yelling match otherwise known as dinner last night.” Oliver turned the movie off.

  “Yeah,” Martin said. “I must have missed that.”

  “I still don’t understand why it has to be Seacroft.” Seb ran a hand underneath Martin’s untucked shirt, rewarded by a sharp inhale as Seb skimmed over his belly.

  Oliver looked pointedly away and rolled his eyes. “We—I did the research. The town has the right demographics to support the kind of business I want to run, and the revenue from tourists in the summer will support it through the quieter off season. Plus, it’s a little farther away from here, and by here I mean Dad, which, as you’ve proven all these years, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

  “That last part is the most honest thing you’ve said in days.”

  Oliver grinned at him.

  The house was quiet. Parker and her family had gone home, taking Gillian, Julian and their brood with them, and Seb’s parents had never been night owls. Oliver made noises about going out in search of more entertainment on a Saturday night, but Seb threw a glance at Martin, and the sleepy flicker in his eye said staying in was the better choice. Seb wrapped his hand around Martin’s and wished his brother a good night.

  It was different, the second time. Seb followed Martin into the guest room, instead of sneaking in through the open patio door. Their kisses were slow and lazy, where the night before Seb had been a ball of frenzied energy in search for an outlet. As they undressed each other, Seb took the time to taste Martin’s mouth.

  “I love the way you look in this suit,” Seb breathed as he pulled the belt from Martin’s waist.

  “I could leave it on?”

  “I like the way you look out of it even more.” He ran his hands over the wiry hair on Martin’s chest, gratified with a soft laugh as Martin’s hands explored his body.

  When they were naked, they fell into bed together. Seb was hard, but the ache from the night before was absent. Tonight would be easier.

  Martin groaned as Seb thrust against his hip until Martin bent a knee to settle them more closely against each other. The ease that Martin showed like this, the
way he wasn’t shy about making noise or showing Seb what he wanted, had been unexpected yesterday. Tonight, it was dazzling. Seb wanted to make Martin feel safe with him for a very long time.

  And he wanted Martin to come his brains out. But those two things didn’t have to be mutually exclusive.

  “This has, without a doubt, been the most interesting weekend of my life,” Martin said.

  “I’m just getting started.” Seb flicked his tongue of the edge of Martin’s teeth, then hissed when Martin’s thumb brushed against his piercing.

  “You think you have something to add?”

  Seb ground against him, shifting until their cocks lined up. He slid a hand between them, grasping at them both. Lube was by the bed—he’d made sure it was there hours ago—but he didn’t reach for it. They had lots of time.

  His grasp wasn’t tight as he stroked them together, but Martin rolled underneath him, thrusting into Seb’s fist.

  “Good?” Seb asked.

  Martin wrapped his hand around Seb’s. “Very.”

  “You’re full of surprises, you know that?”

  “That I like a hand on my dick? Not very surprising.” It wasn’t, but admitting it so openly—when talking about himself always seemed to be such a challenge—was the nicest surprise Seb had experienced all weekend.

  He grinned and kissed Martin as he thrust, reveling in the press of their bodies together.

  “Not everyone could have survived this weekend. Even fewer of them would let me take them to bed afterward. Most would have shown me the door.”

  “I need someone to drive me home tomorrow.”

  Laughing, Seb pumped their cocks at the edge of too hard as he nipped at Martin’s lip. Martin chuckled, but then came back with a kiss that made Seb’s toes curl and his dick start to leak against his fingers. Teasing gave way to heat in his chest and limbs.

  “How do you want this?” He sucked Martin’s earlobe into his mouth, which made Martin shake under him. Seb filed that away for future reference.

  “I believe there was talk of riding.” Martin squeezed Seb’s ass. The motion slid their cocks together again. With some more kissing and little lube for good measure, Seb would be able to come like that. It would be slow and messy, which was okay with him. But the way “riding” had curled around Martin’s tongue made him want to play that idea out first. They could go for slow and messy back at Seb’s apartment. In fact, Seb would pencil hours of that into his schedule as soon as they were home.

  He jolted out of that fantasy at the sensation of Martin’s finger circling his rim. Oh. He clenched and bit at Martin’s lip, letting him explore.

  “What do you like?” Martin’s breath was warm against Seb’s throat.

  “Is this more research?” Seb laughed and then grunted as the finger against his ass pressed in the tiniest amount.

  “Last night was more of a review. This will be primary research. Hands on.”

  Seb bit back the joke about naughty teachers and extra credit, because Martin wouldn’t like it.

  “I like hands on.” He rocked as Martin squeezed his cheeks again, kneading the muscle there. “And mouths. I like mouths. I’m—” Martin kissed him. “Not fussy.”

  Martin pushed him around, laying Seb out the way he wanted to. He wasn’t rough, just focused, reminding Seb of how he laid out all his tools before tackling a new project at his work table. Make sure everything was just so, before he started in.

  He found himself lying on his back, head resting on his crossed arms. Martin had him lift his hips and put a pillow underneath, changing the angle for better access. Martin brushed a hand across Seb’s hip. The gesture was slow, fond, and it made him feel cared for, especially when Martin followed the same path with his mouth. His lips trailed over Seb’s thigh and across the sensitive skin of his groin.

  “Are we sure this is a good idea? In your parents’ house, I mean?” It was a question, but the little puffs of his breath as he spoke tickled over Seb’s balls, making it hard for him to object, even if he wanted to.

  Seb reached down, found the hand that rested on his stomach, and squeezed. “How loud are you going to make me scream?”

  Martin glanced up, gray eyes sparkling as he smiled his crooked smile. “There’s another pillow there, just in case.”

  The words made Seb’s stomach flip. In someone else, even from himself, it might have sounded cocky. A dare. From Martin, it sounded like a promise.

  Seb’s head rolled back as he felt the slide of Martin’s tongue down the seam of his balls, over his taint, and then lower. Seb moaned in the back of his throat. Martin pushed his thighs apart, holding him exposed.

  “You want this?” Martin said. “My mouth on you?”

  “Yes please.” Seb’s thighs trembled, and they had barely even started. He used his hands to hold his legs open so Martin could explore more, which turned out to be a really good idea. Martin slipped a finger into his mouth and then pressed it gently against Seb’s hole, watching him the entire time. Gasping, Seb had to close his eyes as Martin’s head ducked lower and the gentle pressure of one finger was replaced by the warm flat of Martin’s tongue.

  It was good. Martin’s tongue flicked over his ass, wet strokes and gentle stabs as Martin used the tip to curl against him and slip inside. Seb gritted his teeth and growled encouragement, especially when Martin’s hand circled around Seb’s cock and jerked him slowly. Seb let one hand slip, the thigh resting over the back of Martin’s shoulder, so he could reach up and flick at the piercing in one nipple. The little twist of pain made him clench as Martin continued to work him up with his hand and his mouth.

  “More.” Seb was rewarded with a wet stroke as Martin licked him one last time and sat up, looking sheepishly pleased with himself.

  “You’ve got hidden talents,” Seb said, and Martin grinned as he reached toward the nightstand and the lube there.

  “I was a poor student for a long time,” he said, flicking the cap open. “When there wasn’t money for condoms, we had to satisfy ourselves with other activities.”

  “Like ping pong?” Seb waggled his eyebrows, then hissed as one lube-slicked finger slid down the crease of his ass.

  “Just like ping pong.” Martin circled his hole again. After Martin’s previous attention, Seb was loose enough that the first finger slid in without much of a fuss, and the second stretched just enough to make him hum as he shifted against the bed. His concentration was focused on the sensation of Martin’s fingers sliding in and out of him, working him open, and Seb couldn’t find the right place for his limbs. He grasped at the sheets and slid his heels restlessly. Martin shushed him gently, running his free hand up and down the inside of Seb’s thigh while his other hand continued to move back and forth, the fingers twisting. Seb rolled with it, chewing on his lip, still conscious of the fact that this wasn’t his house and someone could hear. Yesterday, he would have been okay with that. Today, he wanted this, him and Martin. He didn’t want to share it with anyone else.

  Martin added a third finger, and the pressure made Seb curl up on himself. His cock was hard and flushed against his stomach.

  “More,” he said again. The fingers twisted and flexed and found his prostate, and a gasp punched out of him. He pulled Martin up, pressing their mouths together, and Martin fell forward until both his hands were planted on either side of Seb’s head, leaving him empty where Martin had been so diligently prepping him.

  “More than that,” he said against Martin’s lips, and was rewarded with a soft moan.

  “Show me.”

  It was Seb’s chance to be bossy. He positioned Martin exactly as he wanted him, sitting upright against the bed’s headboard. Martin was hard too, his cock bobbing eagerly as Seb found the condom he’d stashed underneath one of the pillows.

  “May I?” he said as he held the wrapper between two fingers.

  “You’re never this polite with anyone else,” Martin said.

  Seb pouted, even as he pulled the foil apar
t. “It seems like the best plan before I stick your dick in my ass.”

  “You really aren’t much for sweet talk, though, are you?” Martin laughed, then sucked in his breath as Seb grasped his cock and stroked him.

  “I am an artist, but subtlety escapes me in most other media, yes.”

  “The silent b, I remember.”

  Seb unrolled the condom and slicked on more lube. Fumbling, they both laughed as he positioned himself, facing away from Martin, who tried to help. Somehow they wound up with four hands and one cock and generally too much going on down there, so Seb distracted Martin with a long kiss over his shoulder while he slowly pressed down.

  The stinging stretch as Martin entered him had him throwing his head back. He shifted, retreating a fraction of an inch before sliding down farther. Martin’s hands were on his ribs now, roaming, as he kissed along the ridges of Seb’s shoulder blades.

  “Oh, yes. Don’t stop,” Martin said.

  “So good.” Seb rocked his hips, trying to take more of him. Martin’s hands tightened around him. “Just give me a minute.”

  “Take your time. I’m enjoying the view.”

  Seb bet he was. Martin’s cock disappeared inch by inch inside of him. The pressure and the heat were amazing. To see his hole, stretched tight and taking Martin in . . .

  He seated himself, cradled between Martin’s knees. They both groaned as Seb clenched and rocked, trying to adjust to the last demanding inch.

  Beneath, tentatively at first, Martin rolled his hips, and Seb shuddered. “Do that again.”

  Martin kissed him and obliged, and yes, that was good. They could do that for a while. Martin didn’t seem to have any problems getting on board with that plan either.

  They kissed, slow and heavy, like when they’d first come to bed. Martin’s hand was on Seb’s cock, but like before, without urgency. They moved against each other, Seb raising himself up and then sliding back down to feel every inch of Martin’s length. He bottomed out again with a twist and made needy whimpers as Martin stroked against his prostate. Heat spread up his spine and across his chest.