Burning Honey Ch. 04

Aspen sat in the front seat this time, feeling bizarre enough as it was without sitting alone in the back with his thoughts. Nelson remained silent, but he turned on the radio, and the slightly staticky rock n roll music seemed to settle Aspen's nerves somewhat.

They didn't have very far to go - within fifteen minutes Nelson had turned onto one of the ritzier neighborhoods in town, and then he was pulling up into the driveway of a massive brick townhouse. Within moments of parking the car, Nelson had unfolded himself and somehow managed to get around to open the door for Aspen. Nelson led him to the door, pressing the intercom.

"Yes?" Even distant and crackling through the speaker, Cary's voice sent a hot charge through Aspen.

"Mr. Marsters, I have Mr. Altier here for you. If you won't be needing me tonight, I'll be off and pick you up at noon tomorrow for the airport." Aspen had completely forgotten about the trip to Ryder's plants. It suddenly did not seem like a great idea.

"Thanks, Nelson. Tell Abby I'm sorry to keep you out so late on date night. Send Aspen on up." A moment later the door buzzed, and Nelson pulled it open, gesturing Aspen inside. Aspen waved rather miserably goodbye. He was a nice, if quiet guy, despite the stalking gig Cary seemed to have set him on.

He blinked as he walked into the foyer. It was a dramatic entryway, two storied marble with a massive chandelier. It wasn't what he'd pictured for Cary--too sleek, somehow.

And then he saw Cary coming down the stairs and he wouldn't have noticed if they were atop the Eiffel Tower. Cary had clearly been in bed--he was shirtless, all perfect golden muscle, wearing only a pair of drawstring pants that hung dangerously low on his cut hips. He was very obviously not wearing anything underneath them. Aspen's mouth went dry. He wanted to look at Cary for hours and at the same time felt it'd be safest to avert his eyes.

Cary didn't speak as he approached him. When they were face to face, Aspen opened his mouth to speak, not entirely sure what he was going to say--but Cary shook his head, took Aspen's face in his large hands.

"No, wait," he whispered, and the sound, like dark velvet on his skin, made Aspen shiver pleasurably. "Before you say anything..."

And as if in a trance, slowly, blue eyes drowning in gold, Cary brought their lips together. The moment they touched Cary let out a sigh of something like relief, and all pretense of slow and gentle fell away. Cary's lips were insistent, his tongue determined to map every inch of Aspen's mouth, and Aspen was letting his lips be plundered, his hands clutching Cary's smooth gold shoulders, hot to the touch like a fever dream.

Both men were almost panting when Cary finally pulled away, hands dropping from Aspen's face only to snake around his waist. "I needed that," he said, and Aspen knew what he meant, felt suddenly lighter than he had in days, until Cary continued, "Now you can tell me what happened," and Aspen remembered what he'd come to say and the weight dropped back onto his shoulders.

"How'd you know something happened?" Aspen said, his heart beating too fast in his chest. He thought of Nelson in the shadows waiting for him and wondered what the hell he had gotten himself into.

But Cary just laughed. "Are you kidding? I can read it all over your face. Come on, we can sit in my den."

Cary led him past the grand marble staircase to a front room that looked impossibly large, an effect enhanced by the sparse furniture. There were a number of very ugly, too-ornate chairs and a Victorian style sofa around a dark wood coffee table, and that was pretty much it--except for the massive fireplace that was clearly the centerpiece of the room. Aspen looked at Cary, who shrugged.

"I don't spend much time here. But I thought it might be a bit too distracting to invite you directly into my bedroom." Aspen shivered at his hot look.

"Now," Cary said, sitting on the sofa and gesturing for Aspen to do the same, "tell me what has you so freaked out."

Aspen sat and for a moment didn't speak. He thought of everything Cary had said and done up until now. He thought of the bizarre binder with too many details and the stolen kisses and being stretched over his kitchen table, Cary atop him, and he decided, for once, to stop thinking and go with his instinct. Remember where that got you last time, Aspen thought wryly, and yet - he wasn't going to fight it, maybe couldn't fight it. He was going to have to trust Cary.

Taking a deep breath, he told Cary what he'd seen and heard that evening of Ruby and Larry Tish. Cary didn't try to touch him or interrupt, just watched him closely. When Aspen was done, Cary let out a low whistle.

"I thought there was something strange with Tish," he said, "but I admit, I hadn't considered Ruby." He gave Aspen a sidelong glance and Aspen suddenly wondered if he was having the same doubts: that this was all too neat, that maybe Aspen wasn't on his side.

"Really?" Aspen said, striving for a light tone. "Now that I know she's involved, I can't believe I didn't see it from the start. I feel...well I feel like an idiot, that's what," he finished, rather lamely. He looked down at the sofa upholstery, picked at a loose thread.

Cary's hand closed over his. "You're not an idiot," he said gently. "You just have really terrible taste in women." Aspen laughed, but quickly sobered.

"Cary, what do we do?" He asked. "Do we confront them, or--"

"Aspen," Cary said, and his face had gone calm and assured, "I'll tell you what we're going to do. We're going to stick to the plan. Tomorrow we fly out to Indianapolis - I've arranged that tomorrow night we'll have dinner with the head foreman there, no one on the corporate ladder. I know him, trust him as much as I can trust anyone at Ryder these days. Monday when the plant opens we'll hold a surprise inspection."

"But we already know it's Ruby and Tish behind all this," Aspen objected. "Shouldn't we, I don't know, tell someone?"

Cary shook his head slowly. "We don't know enough. We have a who, but not a why or how. Hell, there might be other people in on this, too. And we have no proof." He sighed deeply and Aspen ached with it, wanted to smooth out his furrowed brow, kiss the line of his neck until his shoulders lost some of their tension.... "Aspen, I have the feeling that what you overheard tonight is just the tip of the iceberg. I need you to promise me you'll be careful. We don't know their full plan or what lengths they'll go to for it."

Aspen looked at him in some surprise. "They have no idea I even know you."

"Yes, and that's our best defense right now. We have the element of surprise on our side, but who knows how long that'll last? I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you because I got you involved in this mess."

Aspen scoffed. "They would've dragged me into it anyway."

"And you'd have been safely ignorant and would've painted me as a corporate asshole who hates the environment." Cary smirked at him.

"I wouldn't have believed it," Aspen said, but his tone had softened. Cary gave him a skeptical look. "Fine, maybe I would have."

"Well," Cary said. "Lucky I got to you first." His eyes were at once intent on Aspen.

"Yeah," he answered softly this time, and Cary leant further in to kiss him, light but lingering, and Aspen let his hands run over and across that bare broad torso. When Cary pulled away Aspen groaned, leaning back to recline invitingly on the sofa. "Come here," he said breathlessly.

But Cary shook his head smiling and stood, extending a golden hand to Aspen. "Come on," he said lowly. "I'll give you the tour."

---

It was clear almost immediately that the 'tour' was going to be cursory at best. With one thick arm trapping Aspen to his chest, Cary gestured with his free hand to indicate the sights. "The kitchen," he said, and Aspen got a vague impression of stainless steel and granite. "The dining room," bare but for a giant table surrounded by at least ten chairs. "The gym," a blur of equipment.

And then Cary was leading him up the stairs. When they reached the top Cary paused. "The bathroom," he said, pointing to a door slightly ajar. "That's the guest bedroom, another one, another, and that's my office. And this," he said, pulling Aspen to the furthest door down the hall and pushing it open, "is my bedroom."

It was the only room so far that felt as though it was lived in. The walls were, to Aspen's surprise, a deep, warm yellow, contrasting with the bland palette of the rest of the house. A dark wood wardrobe stood tall and imposing against one wall; a door cracked ajar revealed a sliver of the master bath. But Aspen's focus was on the massive bed, dove grey silk covers slightly rumpled. He could picture Cary in that bed, Cary sleeping, Cary sitting up reading over his notes, Cary naked and stretched out...

"Are you just going to stare at my bed," came Cary's voice, smooth as honey in his ear, "or are you going to get in it?" Aspen might have laughed if one of Cary's strong hands hadn't at that moment begun to travel down his chest, tracing a pattern on his hip, and suddenly all he could focus on was the hot presence behind him, Cary's arms around his body, his back pressed to the firm chest and the unmistakable searing ridge of his erection against Aspen's ass.

"Cary," he breathed, barely, and it was enough: impatient, Cary spun him around, locking his hands behind Aspen's neck but keeping him at arm's length, walking him backwards until his knees hit the edge of the bed and gave out, blue and golden eyes blazing together the whole way. Cary, already shirtless, let go of Aspen just long enough to shuck his drawstring pants, and then he was gloriously, completely nude, a vision of gold skin and sleek muscle. Aspen's mouth was open for a moment and then he scrambled forward, needing to touch the smooth heat in front of him, needing to latch his mouth onto every ridge and taste every inch of him.

But Cary kept him at arm's length for just a moment more, hands on his shoulders, eyes on his, silently slowing him. Finally, deliberately, he pulled Aspen to him until their faces almost touched. Aspen could feel the heat from all that bare skin and his hand slipped up to trace the line of Cary's jaw and then Cary closed the centimeter of space to kiss him fervently, slow but deep, and Aspen was sinking into him, lost and happy to stay that way, content to live in the feeling of Cary's stubble against his cheek and tongue entwined with his.

Cary broke away panting, pushing Aspen gently back against the bed so he was half-reclining. Aspen was so hard it hurt. "Fuck," Cary swore. "As hot as you are in that suit, I need you naked. Now." Aspen lifted trembling hands to start on the knot of his tie, fumbling, until Cary brushed them away to help. As soon as the tie was loosened it was off, followed by his shirt so quickly that he hardly noticed what Cary was doing. He gathered both of Aspen's wrists in one large hand, raising them over Aspen's head where they rested on the bed. "Keep them like that." Cary was smirking.

"Cary--" But he didn't answer - instead he dove into the juncture of Aspen's neck, biting and kissing him, stroking along the sides of Aspen's torso until he came to the waist of his trousers. He curled his fingers underneath the waistband, just brushing Aspen's hardness, and a groan was ripped from his throat.

"Cary," he was aware that he was nearly whining, "can't I--"

"In a minute," Cary said, but he was distracted, his expression avid with lust as he unbuttoned Aspen's pants and worked them down his legs, smoothing along every inch of skin uncovered. Aspen never had found anything about the backs of his knees remotely sexual until Cary was crouched between them, letting his fingertips play against the skin, and he felt like he was on fire. When the trousers were off he put his hands to the waistband of Aspen's briefs but didn't remove them, eye level with the growing wet patch that marked the tip of Aspen's aching cock.

He gasped as the man's scorching mouth closed over the spot. He could feel the hot wetness of his tongue though the cotton and thought he might die if Cary didn't give him more, soon.

Apparently Cary felt the same because almost instantly he had shucked the briefs from Aspen's body and without giving him even a moment to feel exposed in front of him, completely nude with his wrists still held shakily above his head, back flat on the bed, he swallowed Aspen down to the root.

Aspen howled. It was - it felt so fucking perfect and he had to fight to keep his eyes from closing with pleasure because fuck if the hottest part wasn't seeing that full red mouth wrapped around the base of his cock, gold eyes flashing with intensity. Or maybe it was the little growl he could feel in the back of Cary's throat, or maybe just the velvet heat surrounding him, he wasn't sure but he was sure that if Cary kept it up for one - more - minute - he bucked up his hips wanting to bury himself in that perfect mouth -and yet just as he was he was sure he could not hold on another moment he felt Cary back off, then circle thumb and finger around the base of his cock and squeeze just gently until climax receded. "Oh come on," Aspen groaned.

"Sorry, baby." Cary didn't look sorry. He looked pleased as the cat who ate the canary. "Soon." Aspen felt a little tremor of something between thrill and trepidation, but only for a second, because then Cary was pushing his legs apart, nuzzling into his crotch. His wet open mouth traced Aspen's balls and he groaned, but too soon Cary pulled back.

"Flip over." Cary was nearly whispering, his voice was so low, and he moved to help Aspen into his belly, hard cock rubbing into the silk bedclothes below. For just a moment he felt ungainly laying there, arms still stretched out, but then Cary had gripped his hips, pulled his ass up to his face and buried it there, inhaling a scent that was entirely Aspen. He let out a muffled curse but Aspen barely processed it because next moment Cary's tongue had flicked out, spiraling over Aspen's tightly furled pink hole, kissing it, sucking at it, darting out to punch through that ring of muscle. It felt incredible, alien and so perfectly right, as Cary coaxed him open, dug his tongue deep inside Aspen, and yet it wasn't enough, he wanted more, he needed--

Aspen wasn't sure if he spoke out loud of Cary was just so in tune with his body that he heard his plea that way, but almost regretfully he withdrew his questing lips and slid a hand between Aspen's spread cheeks, just pressing lightly between them. "Damn, you're delicious," Cary sounded almost as desperate as Aspen felt. The words felt like they were burning on his skin, and Aspen groaned and pressed back into Cary. He heard him flick open a bottle distantly. Teasing, Cary tapped his finger against Aspen's wet hole, circling it, pressing just the tip inside just to pull it back out seconds later. He was driving Aspen mad.

"Cary," he gritted out, and he couldn't see Cary's face but he felt the smirk there. He felt him lean forward and press a kiss to his lower back, and then - slowly - he drove a slick finger deep into Aspen.

Aspen gasped. It felt - well, it didn't hurt, not exactly, just felt like a stretch and a bit of a burn. No one had ever put anything inside him before. It didn't feel good exactly, but Aspen liked the way Cary caught his own breath.

And then Cary began to move his hand, at first carefully and then faster, and Aspen only noticed a little more burn when Cary slipped a second finger alongside the first. It was starting to feel nice, really, if a bit odd, when Cary curved his fingers in some way deep inside him and -- shit. Aspen's vision went white for a second and he knew he let out a sound but he couldn't even hear it because that felt fucking--

"Cary," he found himself saying, "now. Please now."

Cary slid a third finger inside him but Aspen hardly noticed. He had bigger things on his mind. Specifically, the bigger thing he knew was jutting proudly from between Cary's legs. He needed it.

"Hmm?" Cary asked, striving for an innocent tone. "What, now?"

"Come on," Aspen moaned, pushing his ass back onto Cary's fingers. Shit, that felt good. "Please. I need..."

"Need what? Say it."

"I need your cock in my ass now!" The words shot out of Aspen before he could think them, loud and wanton.

Cary didn't waste time responding. He was already sheathing himself in a condom one handed, the fingers of his other still sunk deep into Aspen's opening. Only when he'd snapped the rubber into place did he hesitate.

"This will be easier on you if you get on top," he murmured, pulling Aspen up to him.

"No." Again, the words burst out of Aspen before he had even considered them. Cary looked surprised. "Please. I want...I need you on top of me." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he realized they were true. He wanted that muscular, shining gold skin covering him, pressing him down, taking him. Aspen bit his lip and wriggled his ass back slightly on Cary's fingers.

The lust was blazing in Cary's eyes, and damn him if that sexy smirk didn't flash across his face before he was crushing Aspen's lips under his own in a blazing kiss, easing him back onto the bed. There was no more hesitation.

Aspen couldn't help the tiny noise that escaped him as Cary withdrew his fingers; he felt oddly empty for the scant seconds it took for Cary to press the blunt head of his cock to his opening. For a moment he was afraid, terrified like he had just taken a step out over an abyss and was waiting to fall, but then Cary cupped one large hand at his hip and pressed forward, slow but deliberate.

At first all Aspen was aware of was the pain. He knew his face was screwed up, knew every muscle in his body was tense with some archaic flight instinct, was aware of the pressure at his opening--could almost see the white-hot stretch there--and yet it was almost distant, as if it were happening to some other body and he was simply watching from afar.

Then Cary pulled his face close, breath hot on his cheek. "Relax, baby," Aspen couldn't even tell if he was speaking out loud or if he was reading it all in those impossible golden eyes, "open up for me. Push down. Let me in, Aspen." All of a sudden Aspen was hyperaware of every sensation--the pain roared back, yes, but every inch of his skin touching Cary's came alive at the same time, golden heat flooding into him, and he gasped in one deep breath and--it was the most incredible sensation, feeling Cary slide inside him, Cary, inside him.

"That's it, baby," Cary said so quiet Aspen almost missed it, but his face was etched with something between pleasure and agony. It was that look that did it, and Aspen's hands flew from where they'd still been pinned to the bed, and he was bracketing that gorgeous face with them, awestruck. The deep breath he'd taken whooshed out of his lungs, the last resistance of his body yielded, and Aspen felt Cary slide all the way inside him, felt the stretch and an indescribable fullness that he'd never before felt or even dreamed was possible.

"Aspen," Cary groaned, then they were kissing, long and deep, and Aspen could feel that every inch of himself had been consumed, taken over by sensation. There was nothing but this. His mouth on Cary's became frantic and he let his legs wrap around Cary's waist, trying to pull him deeper, moaning into his mouth at the mingled pain and pleasure of it.

Cary pulled away just enough to murmur, "Good? You okay?" and nip at Aspen's earlobe.

"Cary," Aspen managed, pulling him down to bite at his tempting bottom lip, "fuck me." His arms wove themselves around his neck and slowly, so damn slowly, Cary pulled back, let Aspen feel every inch and ridge of his thick cock slip out of his own body's firm grip. When Aspen felt almost empty, Cary locked that golden gaze with Aspen's, and slammed back in, the length of his cock scraping against that delicious spot inside him.