Surprise Delivery Page 8

  “You fucking lunatic!” Eric shouted.

  Casper grinned up at him. “Come be crazy with me, Eric.”

  God help him. He couldn’t resist that siren call.

  ***

  To Casper’s pleasant surprise, Eric started ripping off his clothes with a sort of hurried force that spoke of irritation and nerves. He kept up a running commentary about Casper being certifiable, but Casper was too busy taking in the sights to pay much attention to his words.

  Eric was broad, a bit stocky but more in a solid way than an unhealthy one. He still had plenty of strength in his shoulders and arms, especially for an administrator, though he was a bit soft in the middle. Casper could find plenty to admire without a six-pack, however.

  Then Eric raised his arms, stretching out his form.

  “YOLO!” he bellowed, surprising a laugh out of Casper, and did a picture-perfect dive into the cold water. He cut into the water so cleanly there was hardly a splash.

  Casper felt a flicker of concern, but he’d scouted this spot himself and made sure it would be safe for jumping. He didn’t care to break Eric’s neck or his own.

  Eric surfaced beside him with a gasp. “Holy shit, it’s colder than I thought!”

  The water was always colder in deeper areas, and Casper had to ensure it was deep enough to be safe for jumping. Eric was right, it was fucking nippy, but Casper wouldn’t be the one to cry off first. Not when he’d finally gotten him to skinny dip, as he’d envisioned since that first night he’d impulsively suggested it at the hospital.

  He swam over to Eric. “That was an amazing dive. How do you know how to do that?”

  Eric shrugged, then winced, raising a hand to rub his shoulder. “Diving team in college.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  Eric pulled a face. “I remember the dives, but my body hasn’t performed one in ages. Muscle memory can be dangerous when you’re out of shape,” he said with a self-deprecating smile.

  “Here, let me.”

  Casper floated behind him, treading water, and dug his thumbs into in Eric’s trapezoid. His skin was chilled and wet but warmed quickly under the friction of Casper’s hands. Casper worked at the muscle as best he could while treading water, but soon the feel of Eric’s supple skin and his bare ass brushing Casper’s groin turned him on. Only the cold kept him from popping wood, but he could feel the heat of lust moving through his numb limbs.

  Despite that wild kiss in the nursery, they weren’t at a stage where Casper felt okay grinding against Eric’s ass without an invitation.

  “So, YOLO?” he asked, hoping to distract himself from thoughts of Eric’s naked body and how he’d have to watch him climb out of the water. He was looking forward to watching Eric panic a bit about getting back to the car before he showed him where he’d stashed towels. They’d have to hike up a heavily wooded trail to get back to the bank above. Trail might be a bit of an overstatement, in fact. Casper hadn’t lied when he said access to the water was virtually nonexistent.

  Eric turned in his arms, a sheepish expression on his face. “Olivia says it a lot. Guess it rubbed off on me.”

  Casper smiled. “Pretty appropriate.”

  “I figured you’d appreciate the sentiment.” Eric drifted closer, letting their legs tangle underwater. Then he said, “You only live once.”

  He tipped his head forward, brushing their lips together. His mouth was as chilled as the rest of his body, but when he deepened the kiss, his tongue was warm. Casper let himself be kissed, let Eric’s body skim against his underwater, before taking over.

  Eric had a demanding job, one that required him to be in control at all times. At home, he had a teenage girl who depended on him. But Casper had noticed, when they kissed before, how Eric had let go and given in to his passion. He was curious to see if he could replicate that experience, if Eric would want to give up a little of that starched reserve of his.

  He gripped Eric’s hair, angling his head, and plunged his tongue into Eric’s mouth. The kiss became instantly hotter, wetter, dirtier. Where Eric had tentatively skimmed the tip of his tongue over Casper’s lips to ask permission to enter, Casper broke down the door. He devoured Eric’s mouth, pulling a moan from him and swallowing it down.

  Eric’s body relaxed as he gave in.

  So much so, he started to sink.

  They parted with a laugh, aware they couldn’t make out and stay afloat. But Eric’s eyes were filled with lust, and Casper could only imagine his looked the same.

  They made idle chit-chat while they swam. They discussed food — Eric loved Italian, and Casper loved anything that wasn’t beige, bland American — as well as movies, television and books. Eric admitted he worked too much to have many favorites, although he enjoyed spy thrillers and used to read mysteries. He confessed he hadn’t read anything other than a medical journal in years. Casper went for the lighter side, enjoying comedy in his movies, and science fiction for reading, mainly because he read for escape from the world and what better way than to read about worlds and times that didn’t exist?

  Their skin grew pruny, and eventually they grew too cold for even another round of kissing to warm them. Casper swam toward the shore.

  “Come on, we’ve got a long hike to the car,” he called over a shoulder.

  “What?” Eric gasped, looking up at the spot where they’d jumped, a horrified expression on his face.

  Casper laughed all the way to the shore, through Eric’s curses and stumbling steps, right to the very moment he pulled out the beach towels and handed Eric a blue print with lime green monkeys and purple bananas on it.

  Eric held it up to his chest like a shy maiden, blushing.

  “You planned this out,” he said with dawning realization.

  Casper rubbed his skin, drying off as quickly as he could with his own towel. He was more concerned with warming up than hiding himself, and he couldn’t deny he enjoyed the way Eric watched him.

  “I scouted the jump spot,” Casper admitted. “Couldn’t kill you while teaching you to live, could I?”

  Eric shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. Casper felt the memory of his kiss like a visceral touch, and he couldn’t help himself. He threw his towel to the ground, then put his hands on Eric’s shoulders and nudged him back against the tree.

  “No one is around,” he murmured.

  “I noticed.” Eric’s voice was husky, his breathing speeding up. Casper took that as a good sign and leaned in to kiss him.

  Eric melted beneath his touch, tense muscles relaxing as Casper pressed his naked body against him. Only the terrycloth of Eric’s towel was between them, and when Casper reached down to tug it away, Eric didn’t fight it.

  Their bare skin came together, still damp and chilled. Eric shivered, pulling Casper tighter against him, at least partly for warmth. His cock was half-hard, fighting the cold, and Casper reached down and fisted it.

  Eric gasped against his mouth.

  “This okay?” he murmured, as he slowly stroked from base to tip.

  “Mm-hmm,” Eric managed, rocking his hips forward. “Your hand is so warm.”

  Casper chuckled. “You just want me for my heat,” he teased.

  “You’re hot,” Eric agreed fervently.

  So was he. Eric surrendered beautifully to his desire when Casper touched him. He stroked Eric, kissing him, and it shouldn’t have been so sexy. It was just a hand job for fuck’s sake. In the woods, which was different even for Casper. He hadn’t had a lot of outdoor sexcapades, but he could see now why they appealed.

  Birds chirped overhead, reminding him they were in public. Someone could stumble upon them. As unlikely as it was, it still sent a thrill of excitement through Casper, and he rocked his own hips forward, grinding his cock on Eric’s hip.

  Eric clumsily reached for him, and Casper withdrew from the kiss long enough to guide Eric’s hand to his cock and find a rhythm for them both. Then they fell back to kissing as they rutted against each other.

/>   “Love your cock,” Casper murmured, when he lifted his head to catch a breath. “So thick.”

  Eric smiled uncertainly, looking shy. “Thanks?”

  Casper laughed, charmed by Eric’s bashfulness rather than offended he didn’t return the compliment. He suspected Eric had an easier time letting down his guard physically than mentally. He tilted Eric’s head, pressing sucking kisses to the column of his neck.

  Eric moaned, thrusting hard into his fist. His body tensed momentarily, giving away the moment of climax, and Casper bit down on the tendon in his neck, giving his orgasm an extra boost. Eric cried out sharply, loudly, and Casper hoped they really were alone. Then he didn’t give it another thought as he watched Eric’s body bow and tremble with the force of his release.

  Casper rolled his own hips slowly and used the hot cum in his hand to stroke Eric a few more times, drawing out his pleasure until he shuddered and grabbed Casper’s wrist.

  “No more,” he said hoarsely.

  He blinked his eyes open, gazing at Casper with foggy pleasure, before tightening his grip and renewing his strokes to Casper’s own throbbing shaft. He was worked up from watching Eric’s release, and it didn’t take more than two strokes before he spilled with a groan.

  He dropped his head to Eric’s shoulder, leaning against him and breathing hard.

  “Well,” Eric said, “that was fun.”

  Casper laughed breathlessly. “You’re getting the hang of it.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Eric, can you spare a minute?” Paul asked as Eric stepped out of his office the following Friday. He’d finally gotten the balls to leave on time every day this week, so of course, Paul needed something. Well, he’d have to wait.

  “Sorry, no. I’m headed out.”

  Paul visibly did a double-take. “What do you mean, headed out?”

  “It’s a common enough phrase. It generally means leaving the building,” Eric said dryly.

  He had perfected his neutral expression through years of management, but his insides were fluttering. Casper had suggested Eric be the architect of their fun again that evening, and he was going to sideswipe him with dinner. He vacillated between thinking this was brilliant outside-the-box thinking and worrying he was about to scare him off. Casper kept making their interactions all about the fun — yes, sex happened, but only in the heat of the moment — and Eric wasn’t sure how he’d react to the evening’s plans. Just like with Eric’s initial drink invitation, he might reject a conventional date.

  “What the heck’s gotten into you lately?” Paul asked.

  “Hmm?”

  Eric was hardly listening. He turned to lock his office, then started down the hall, knowing Paul would follow along to the elevator.

  “You’ve been taking weekends off.”

  “They are weekends,” Eric pointed out.

  “Have you considered those ER budget requests,” Paul asked. He’d been promoted to the director of emergency medicine the year before, a glorified title for an ER doctor who also had paperwork. “You never responded.”

  Eric punched the elevator down button. “I wanted to report good news.”

  “And?”

  The doors opened with a ding, and they stepped inside. Eric avoided Paul’s gaze. “I have nothing to report.”

  He caught a glimpse of his grim expression in the small circular mirror in the top corner of the elevator. It gave him a strong feeling of déjà vu. The last time he and Paul shared an elevator ride, Paul had been suspended pending an investigation into allegations of impropriety and was pleading with Eric for a meeting. He was damn glad that had all worked out as it had, with Paul being cleared of wrongdoing and remaining the ER’s dedicated physician. That Paul had met his boyfriend and settled into a contentment Eric often envied was icing on the cake. If the hospital lost Paul now, it would be a shame.

  “They’re gonna leave us up the creek without a paddle, aren’t they?”

  “It’s not over,” Eric said. But he was getting tired of fighting these battles. He had Olivia to think about. A baby on the way. Casper ... and possibly a love life. He hadn’t appreciated what he had with his ex, but he wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  “What’s up with you, though? You’re usually a total workaholic.”

  “That was before I had a niece living with me,” Eric said, not ready to share the details of his newfound love life. “Olivia needs to see me at home more. She needs support.”

  “That’s fair.”

  “Plus, I need to break these habits now, don’t you think? A baby won’t allow for sixty-hour workweeks.”

  “So, you’re really doing this? Getting yourself a family?”

  Eric chuckled. “Crazy, huh?”

  “It’s great if you can make it work,” Paul said, sounding dubious. “Your job doesn’t exactly allow for human hours, though.”

  “Well, it’ll have to,” he said. “I’m determined to do right by Livvie and her child.”

  And by me ... and Casper, if he’ll let me.

  He added, “I haven’t forgotten about what you said, Paul. I’m working on the budget with all your concerns in mind.”

  “I appreciate that,” Paul said, but he looked just as skeptical as he had when Eric said he wasn’t going to work the crazy hours he’d let become routine.

  ***

  The doorbell rang, and Eric wiped his hands on a towel and hurried to the door. Casper stepped inside looking ten kinds of hot in faded blue jeans and a plain aqua T-shirt that brought out his eyes. He wore flip-flops on his feet.

  “Hey man,” he said casually as he stepped in, “hope you didn’t have big hiking plans tonight. You said to dress however I wanted, so I took you at your word.”

  Eric brushed away the slight unease at Casper greeting him like a drinking buddy. He hoped he hadn’t pushed the bounds too far with the night’s plans, but he was ready for the next step. That being sex indoors.

  He smiled. “No worries. You look good.”

  He took the time to look Casper up and down slowly, doing nothing to hide his interest. Ever since the lake, he’d been craving more intimacy with Casper. He’d had to wait a week, so that he could ensure Olivia would be out of the house and he could have Casper to himself.

  “Great, so what’s the plan?”

  Eric didn’t know how Casper would react to the answer “seduction,” so he nodded toward the kitchen.

  “I cooked for you. It should be just about done.”

  Casper was quiet as he followed Eric to the kitchen, then he inhaled deeply. “Smells delicious. Is Olivia here?”

  Aha. He’d unsettled Casper. At least he wasn’t the only one thrown off-balance this time. He was aware that he fell apart in Casper’s hands, and while it felt incredible and he wanted to experience it again, it also made him feel vulnerable to see Casper’s unwavering confidence. Eric wasn’t sure Casper was as affected by him, but he didn’t shy away from spending time together. So, he could only hope he wasn’t the only one feeling that special spark. It almost made him feel guilty, that spark of attraction. He’d never felt anything like it — not even with his ex-husband.

  “She went out with some friends. I expect she’ll be out late,” Eric said. “She’s still a kid until she has her own. I thought she should act like it.”

  “You both need to enjoy your freedom while you have it.”

  Eric smiled. That’s exactly what he wanted to do tonight. Enjoy his freedom.

  He checked the oven, and finding the lasagna was bubbling nicely, he turned off the stove and grabbed a pair of oven mitts.

  “I know I’m the one who loves Italian, but I don’t know how to make Indian or Thai,” he said apologetically. “If we ever go out—”

  “I’m not complaining,” Casper said.

  He leaned forward and inhaled the lasagna as Eric pulled out the pan. Something about the appreciative look on his face made Eric want him even more. God, getting through dinner was going to be difficult. He
could feel his body responding and Casper hadn’t even touched him.

  “There’s wine on the bar,” he said, nodding to the bottle he’d opened to breathe. “Or if you’d rather, there’s beer in the refrigerator.”

  Casper gave him a faintly puzzled smile. “You bought beer for me?”

  Eric laughed self-consciously. “Not just for you,” he said. “But, well, you mentioned that one time …” he trailed off with a shrug and hastily carried the baking dish to the dinner table before he could embarrass himself further. He sat it down on a hot pad in the center of a small round table. He had a large dining room with a more formal table with seating for six, but that didn’t scream romantic dinner.

  He’d set the table with his forest green dishes — they weren’t fine china, but they weren’t paper plates — and wine glasses.

  Casper followed him with the wine bottle, which he poured into each glass while Eric used a spatula to serve a large square of lasagna onto each plate.

  “Your home is nice,” Casper said once they were seated. “I pictured you in a little apartment or maybe a condo with no art on the walls and very few personal belongings. Much less stylish decor.”

  Eric grimaced. “Is that a way of saying I have no personality?”

  Casper choked on a sip of his wine. He shook his head, face reddening as he coughed.

  “God, no. I’m sorry,” Casper said once he caught his breath. “That was shitty of me.”

  Eric waved a hand while he chewed. After he swallowed, he said, “You’re not so far off, but you overlooked the fact that I haven’t always lived alone.”

  Casper’s brow creased. “Olivia?”

  “Before Olivia. I was in a relationship for years,” he said. “Perry did the decorating.”

  Casper’s nose wrinkled. “You dated a guy named Perry?”

  Eric barked out a laugh. “Try married. Not legally, but we had a ceremony. There was cake and everything.”

  “Shit, Eric. I had no idea.”

  Eric looked down, focusing on forking up another bite of pasta. He’d forgotten to put bread on the table. He jumped up. “One more thing,” he said, before hurrying to grab bread and butter. It wasn’t garlic bread or breadsticks, but it was better than nothing, and it gave him a minute to settle his nerves.