Gray's Shadow (Kings of Hell MC 4)

With renewed determination, he stepped back into the room, and sure enough—he saw Gray and Pete talking as if their happiness hadn't been paved with Shadow’s misery. Their joy struck Shadow like an arrow, but despite the invisible pool of blood growing at his feet, he looked the other way, seeking a potential partner who could teach him all he needed to know.

The obvious choice was still there, flexing his tattooed body as he slithered around the elevated pole. The red lamps caressing the man’s flesh took Shadow right back to the moment when he’d witnessed sex for the first time, not yet knowing what it meant but already realizing he wanted it to be him and Gray. With an invisible wound in his heart, he headed straight for the dancer.

Their eyes met again across the room, and the guy pulled his feet off the stage, rubbing his crotch against the thick rod as he spiraled down. Were this Gray, Shadow would have adored the visuals, but Gray would never do anything like that in public, because he was… too pure to express his sexuality in this wanton way. Would the stranger fist-bump Shadow after a job well done, too?

Shadow smiled when he remembered Gray’s eyes twinkling at him, and the man must have thought it was aimed at him, because he smiled back.

Shadow held out his hand and introduced himself to the man whose pants were so tight they might as well have been painted-on.

“Jared,” the guy said in a melodic tone, moving like an eel as he sat on the edge of the stage, knees wide to accommodate Shadow’s hips. “You like my dancing?”

Shadow nodded, but time was ticking, and his brain was suddenly empty. “Yes, you have very good control over your body.” Did that make sense?

Jared chuckled and teased the sides of Shadow’s knees with his feet, leaning closer until the scent of his cologne penetrated Shadow’s nostrils, weirdly intrusive in its muskiness. Jared’s eyes peered at him from beneath lowered lids, and the slightly open mouth shone as if it had been smeared with something glossy. “You’re so serious. I like it. Is this your first time here?”

“No, I’ve lived here for a while. But it’s the first time I’m at a party like this. Do you want to go to the room with the blue light with me?”

Jared chuckled, and this time his arms slid up Shadow’s until their noses were only an inch apart.

“Forward, aren’t you? What do you want to do to me?”

Shadow swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the question already. “I want to fill you. In all the ways.”

Jared’s lips quirked into an even wider smile, and he tickled the back of Shadow’s neck with his fingers. “Oh, so that’s the game we’re playing? Okay, tell me how big it is first.”

Shadow took one of Jared’s hands and guided it to his crotch, desperate to keep the attention of this stranger who was likely experienced and could give Shadow an opportunity to learn. “I’ve been told it’s a good size.”

Jared slid off the stage, practically melding to the front of Shadow’s body. He was slightly taller than Gray, not that it mattered. “I’ll need to see for myself then. Lead the way,” he said, entwining their fingers.

It felt strange to touch someone else than Gray, but also… fine. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, just a bit underwhelming. Jared’s hand was dry and dusted with something powdery that felt a bit like chalk.

He smiled at Jared before entering the dim corridor. “Have you done this many times? Do you come to the club parties often?” he asked, needing to quickly collect all the information he needed.

Jared slid his arm across Shadow’s back as they walked, his hips moving to the loud music playing in the background. “I’m from Portland, but I come here whenever I can. This is so real and raw. You can just fuck whoever you like, and there’s this relaxed atmosphere, with testosterone buzzing in the air.”

“I like it here too.”

Jared cocked his head, moving Shadow’s hand to his buttock without ever breaking eye contact. “Are you shy?”

Shadow squeezed the meaty flesh, wondering if this was how Gray’s would feel to the touch. “No. I’m just… new to this.”

“Maybe let’s take one of the private rooms then. Might be less crazy.”

Shadow gently squeezed Jared’s ass once more, since it was his understanding people liked that during sex, and he needed to put Jared into the right mood. As they left the party behind, his gaze briefly passed over Gray, who was so entranced by Pete’s presence that he didn’t even notice Shadow leaving. Bitterness exploded in his mouth as if he’d just accidentally chewed through candy, but he tried to rein in his emotions, and followed Jared down a corridor with identical doors. Behind some of them he could sense movement, sweat, hear noises that he associated with sex, but Jared found one that was not in use and locked them inside.