Free Chasing Death Metal Dreams by Kaje Harper

body. This once, he was going to pretend his past never happened, and start new.
    It took more like ten minutes to get everyone out of the garage and into their assorted vehicles. Nate heaved a sigh of relief as the last held-together-with-string beater vanished down the street. He turned toward the lawn, to see Carlos already strolling toward him.
    “So.” Carlos’s grin was a flash of white teeth. “You think we can fuck now?”
    Just like that, Nate was hard and out of breath again. “Yeah. For sure. Come on.”
    The stairs to his place went up the south side of the garage. He led the way, vividly aware of Carlos following close behind him. The lock on the door stuck, but he gave it a practiced jiggle and it opened for him. He led the way in, and fumbled over to the floor lamp rather than hit the bright ceiling fixture. He took a quick glance up, but Ghost was hiding somewhere, silent and out of sight.
    When the light came on, Carlos took a step inside and shut the door behind them, flipping the bolt over. Nate’s breathing hitched in anticipation.
    Carlos took another slow, controlled step forward, looking around. “Nice place. Weird overhead sculpture.”
    Nate swallowed against the dryness in his mouth. “Thanks. And it’s cat furniture. Walkways, perches.”
    “You have a cat?”
    “Yeah.” He waved vaguely upward and hoped Ghost wasn’t lurking up there thinking about dropping down on Carlos’s head. She’d done it to Eli once.
    Carlos glanced up and around but then shrugged. “Got a bed?”
    “Um. Through there.” He gestured to the bedroom door, still trying to spot the half-grown cat in the shadows overhead.
    Carlos raised a dark brow. “Second thoughts?”
    “No.” Nate turned and led the way, already hard and eager, with Carlos close behind him. He shut the bedroom door behind Carlos, but didn’t turn on the light. Enough moonlight filtered through the blinds to see the outlines of the desk and bed. Carlos brushed past him and without asking, reached for the bedside lamp. It came on in a wash of warm light that picked up the fine dark hair of Carlos’s forearms, the colorful tattoos, and the lean smoothness of his hands. Nate shivered and sat on the edge of the bed.
    “So.” Carlos reached out to touch Nate’s neck, resting a hot palm against the angle of his shoulder. “You can tell me what you like. Or I can tell you what I want.”
    “You.” Nate couldn’t remember being this turned on, or this unsure, in a long time. “Tell me.”
    Carlos’s grin held a touch of feral pleasure. “Oh, yeah. I want you naked first, then.”
    “What about you?” Nate asked, even as he obediently tugged up the hem of his shirt.
    “Maybe. Later.”
    Nate pulled off his shirt, kicked away his sneakers, and reached for the button of his jeans. “I liked what I saw of you so far. I want more.”
    “Mm. Okay.” Carlos mirrored his move, yanking his cotton tank off quickly. The long hair on top of his head came out mussed and disheveled, and the bedhead look matched the heat in his eyes.
    Nate let his gaze trail up and down, from the edge of battered jeans up the toned stomach with a dark treasure trail, to Carlos’s flat brown nipples and the black elegance of the tattoo across his collarbones, looking at the scars, but not lingering there. “Love the ink. Can I see closer?”
    Carlos crossed his arms. “Get naked first.”
    “Such a romantic.” Nate lifted his ass off the bed to drag his jeans down. His dick sprang free, bouncing happily.
    “If you want romance you’ve come to the wrong guy.” Carlos stared at Nate’s erection and licked his lips.
    Nate kicked his jeans across the room, toed off his socks and leaned back. “I’m not looking for that. Come here.”
    “I’m calling the shots, remember?”
    Nate didn’t remember exactly agreeing to that, but at this point, if it got some of Carlos’s skin touching his, he didn’t care. “Lube and condoms in the top drawer.” He