Page 124 of Familiar Things New

God, Andrew was handsome. Edwin rose up onto the balls of his feet and caught Andrew’s mouth in another kiss. Heat rushed to his prick when their tongues brushed each other’s. Seized with fiery desire, Edwin grabbed hold of Andrew’s tie and started back over to the stairwell, pulling Andrew along with him.

Together, they raced up the rest of the way, and the moment they were alone in Andrew’s bedroom, their mouths crashed together and they began kissing frantically. On the way to the bed, both men disrobed, tossing their clothing this way and that as they removed it. Midway through, Andrew lit some candles and set the candelabras on the nightstand since the last bits of sunlight were now leaving the room.

Edwin finished stripping off everything except for his binding. He reached for the knot to untie it.

But then paused.

“You can leave it on,” Andrew reassured him, his voice slightly breathless as he shrugged out of his shirt. “Or I can find a bed shirt for you. Whichever you prefer.”

Edwin furrowed his brow. He’d been choosing one of those options since the blizzard. But perhaps he finally felt ready for something else.

“Andrew,” Edwin began, his voice tentative as he touched the cloth with his fingertips, “I think I want to take it off.”

“No problem.” Andrew turned to face his armoire. “I’ll fetch you one of my nightshirts.”

“No, I, uhm, I think I want you to . . . see me,” Edwin said. Andrew whirled back around. Edwin’s face flushed when their eyes connected. “If that’s . . . something you want, too, that is.”

Andrew’s eyebrows lifted.

“Of course it is,” he said. “But only if you really want it.”

“I do,” Edwin confirmed. He inhaled a shaky breath. “I’m nervous, but I want it.”

He walked over to Andrew and took Andrew’s hand. Then, he led Andrew over to the bed. Andrew scrambled up onto the mattress and lay down. He piled a couple of pillows on top of each other, the second on a bit of an angle, and then lay back, resting his head on them. Edwin climbed up next and settled on his knees. Andrew’s cock was still hard, a bead of pre-ejaculate sitting on the tip. Edwin fought the urge to lick it. Instead, he scooted backward and reached for the knot of his binding.

When he finished untying it, he looked back up and saw Andrew stroking himself. Gathering the ends of the binding in one of his hands, he reached out with the other one and smacked Andrew’s wrist.

“Don’t you know the rules by now?” he asked playfully.

Andrew chuckled and released himself. “Sorry. I’m excited.”

With an impish smile, Edwin took Andrew’s hand and brought it to his crotch. He moved Andrew’s fingers over his wetness and then dragged them over his prick. Andrew’s mouth fell agape.

“Oh God, Edwin,” Andrew breathed.

“See, my Andrew? I’m excited, too.” He released Andrew’s hand and then rolled his bottom lip between his teeth as he eyed Andrew’s moistened fingertips. “Would you like to taste me?”

“Yes. Please.”

“Go ahead.”

Andrew took his fingers into his mouth and hummed.

“Do you like it?” Edwin asked. Andrew nodded, and Edwin grinned. “Good. Now, I’d like you to refrain from touching yourself while I finish taking off my binding cloth. Otherwise, I’m afraid I won’t be able to let you come later.”

Andrew chuckled, his cheeks reddening. He folded his arms across his chest to show that he’d comply. Satisfied (and a little smug, too), Edwin began to remove his binding. After two revolutions of the cloth, his heart began to pound, and then, when his nipples were one more revolution away from becoming visible, his hands started to tremble. He nearly abandoned the idea right then. But when he looked up and saw Andrew—his small smile so warm and kind, his eyes filled with unmistakable desire and unbridled love—he found the courage to continue.

Edwin removed the cloth the rest of the way. Once he caught sight of his bare chest, his eyes filled with tears, a mixture of fear and excitement and pride rushing through him so powerfully, it stole the breath from his lungs. Before he managed to muster the courage to meet Andrew’s eyes, Andrew sat up and cupped his chin.

“Handsome,” he whispered. “You’re so handsome, Edwin.”

“Still?” Edwin asked, finally looking up at him.

“Still.”

Andrew leaned in and captured Edwin’s mouth with his. One tear trickled from Edwin’s eye, and they began to kiss. As their lips moved together, Edwin felt some of his fear waning, and with it, the nervous excitement he’d been feeling before became more tempered, too, leaving Edwin only with his ever-burgeoning pride and still-simmering want. Andrew began to lower himself back onto the bed, and Edwin followed him. Settling on top of Andrew, Edwin’s stomach swooped, and his heart seemed to warm the moment their bare chests connected, the intimacy of it nothing short of sublime.

Never had Edwin felt so vulnerable. And yet still so free and so loved.