Chapter 22 - In my apartment
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"Ben?"
"Ben, love?"
I think we both heard him, but we were lost.
"Matt." A calm voice reached my ears.
"I am still here, Thomas," I smiled. This man was my sanity. He unleashed all my demons, yet he could also be the one who could tame them.
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Ben smiled also and turned to Peter and kissed him.
"I think we should go to Phil now," Ben smiled at me. "You take care, Matt."
I nodded in agreement and understanding. "You too, Ben."
This man was something else. I knew that the first moment he looked at me back in the kitchen, and I was genuinely curious about the hell the two of us could unleash. I wasn't even horny. It was not sexual. This was a different kind of attraction, and we both knew that.
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"I own a gym nearby. You are not welcome in my bed, but I can help you with that," Ben nodded meaningfully at me.
I also nodded. I didn't know why; it felt like the proper reaction.
"We should also go, Matt."
We got dressed and said our goodbyes.
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"Where are we going now?" I asked, breathing the cold fresh air with a satisfied smile. This night might turn out better than I could have expected.
"I am going home, and you should as well."
I turned to him. "Why?"
He looked like he wanted to be with me, but this eminent sadness was in his eyes. He then just sighed as if giving up. "Where do you want to go?"
"Your place?" I wanted to see his basement.
"No."
His sharp cold tone made me positive that we were not going there. Damn! I tried to think of something else. I would take him anywhere. I would sit on a cold bench with him if he would be up for that, but I still haven't cummed, and I hoped we could change it till the night ends.
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"Okay. Then come." I opened the passenger's door and held them for him. I stared at him with a resolute decision in my eyes. This night is not over yet!
"Where are we going?"
"To my place."
"Isn't Natasha there?"
"Not that house," I admitted.
"Then where?" Thomas frowned and put his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
"Just come, Thomas, please."
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We arrived at the building, and I parked in my spot. I thought about how I should explain why I owned this place to him. I didn't want to lie, yet I was sure he wouldn't like it. Fuck! Maybe I should have taken him to Brandon's place or some hotel...
We were greeted by Mike, the doorman, who smiled at us even though his look at Thomas couldn't hide a hint of surprise.
I led us to the elevator and pressed the button. Constantly trying to find words to explain this in a way that will be bearable for him.
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"What is this place?"
He looked around as we entered a spacious apartment with tall windows and a beautiful view of the city below. I had it designed here to my taste: a spacious living room with an oversized grey couch, very few decorations, and simple wooden furniture around the room. Next to that was a small open kitchen with chrome and marble counter, and plain wooden cabinets, matching the living room pieces. There was also a bathroom, office, server room, and of course, bedroom. But from the look of him, he didn't need the tour.
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"Well. It's my apartment."
"I guessed that, alright. So why did you then stay with Brandon instead of this place?"
"The company... I love Brandon, he is a dick sometimes, but I can be myself with him, and I didn't feel like spending the time alone."
Thomas nodded. "And why do you have an empty apartment in the first place?"
He wasn't beating around the bush at all. The look he was giving me was excruciating.
"I found it convenient."
"For what?"
"Okay, I think we both know the answer, Thomas."
He nodded. "Say it, please, so we are clear, Matt."
I exhaled. "I came here when I felt suffocated and needed space from Natasha."
Thomas just stared at me. We both knew what he wanted to hear.
"And I may have brought few women here with me from time to time."
"So you have been cheating on her the whole time."
"Occasionally."
"Can you even count how many?"
I stayed silent.
"Right," he turned away from me and looked at the place.
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I was worried he would turn and go away, but he just took off his jacket, threw it on the couch, and looked at me.
"Does this place at least get cleaned regularly?"
"Yes."
"Good," he went in and rolled up his sleeves.
I was shocked!
"You don't mind?"
"Part of me wants to scream, but it's making things easier. So no. I don't mind."
"What do you mean it's making things easier?"
He went to the kitchen, found two glasses, and filled them with water.
"You know I have a thing against lies."
"I didn't lie to you. We never talked about this."
"I don't mean this, Matt. What I mean is that I was going to tell you that I will not be in this relationship with you anyway."
"What do you mean? We just slept together!"
"Yes. I know. Consider that your Christmas present."
"Fuck you, Thomas!"
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He just smiled and shook his head.
"Do you know what would happen to any of my previous partners if they talked to me this way?"
"I suppose nothing good."
Thomas looked at me. "Matt, they would be scared to see me the next time."
"Then why are you not like that with me?"
Thomas turned around with a smile and looked into his glass with a smirk. "Beats me. Honestly. I kind of find it arousing."
I came to him and hugged him from behind, kissing his neck.
"Then why do you want to stop?"
"Because I liked my life before you, Matt Sanders."
"I liked my life before you as well, Thomas Birns, but I never felt like this."
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He smiled, turned to me, and handed me the second glass.
"And how do you expect this to work? How long would it take till some bimbo spreads her legs on that couch?"
"I don't know. I don't think that far ahead."
"I do, Matt."
"Then we both can have other partners," I shrugged my shoulders.
"Firstly, you should have seen yourself meeting Peter. And that is something that ended eight years ago. Secondly, I don't want something like that."
"He started." I may have felt some hostility towards Peter, but his staring me down escalated my antipathy towards him mostly.
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Thomas smirked at me and sat on that couch.
"Did you really break up with him cos he liked having a smooth body?"
"No..." Thomas shook his head and looked out the window. "He did something I deemed unforgivable."
"What?"
"That is between him and me," he looked sternly at me.
"So you would mind if I slept with other women, but what we did tonight was okay?"
"I was not thinking very rationally when you came to that shop in Brandon's shirt. I was myself shocked at the way I reacted. But even if I don't mind consensual sharing, it's different from cheating."
"Then how about we would consensually share from time to time."
"I suppose you mean with women."
"And men."
He looked hurt, yet his lips curved up. "Thank you, Matt. You are making this really easy now."
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"Thomas, fuck! What do you want?"
"For you to stop hitting on me, for starters."
"For real?"
"Yes."
I came to him. "Thomas, please, don't. I need you!"
"That's not enough for me."