| Sample
Chapter For TORRID TEASERS Volume 7 by Pepper Espinoza
A loud, insistent pounding on the door pulled
Kevin from a deep sleep. He sat straight up, wiping his face as he tried
to figure out who would be knocking on his door at…
“What time is it?” he muttered, reaching for
his discarded watch. Who the fuck was knocking his door at six in the
morning? Somebody with a death wish. He considered ignoring the visitor,
opting instead to go back to sleep, but whoever was outside his door would
not be ignored.
“Fine! I’m coming!” he shouted. “Just…stop.
Please.”
The knocking ceased immediately. Kevin said a quick prayer
of thanks, cradling his throbbing forehead in his hand as he searched
for a shirt. He found the clothes he had tossed aside the night before…no,
mere hours before. Two hours before, if he remembered correctly.
Decent, if not presentable, Kevin opened the door, expecting
to see a Jehovah’s Witness or some brat selling magazine subscriptions,
but the man standing in front of him was neither. Despite his throbbing
head and now rolling stomach, Kevin did not miss the stranger’s
handsome face, or his tight, trim body. The white t-shirt he wore hugged
his chest, and his jeans hung low on his hips.
“What?” Kevin snapped, squinting to protect
his eyes from the hallway’s harsh fluorescent lights.
“I’m here about the ad. The one for the porn,”
he said, flashing a newspaper.
“The ad about the porn?” Kevin shook his head.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. You must have the
wrong address.”
“This is 1620 Woodside Avenue, apartment nineteen,
right?”
Kevin nodded.
“Then I’ve got the right place. See? Right
here.” He thrust the Coffee Bean, the local underground newspaper,
into Kevin’s face, and waited for Kevin to read the circled want
ad.
Wanted: Nude model. Will pay.
“That’s your ad, isn’t it?”
Kevin nodded. “It is, but it has nothing to do with
pornography.”
“Look, can I come in?”
“What? No. You should have called. What if I’d
already found a model?” Kevin asked, though a part of him really
wanted to invite the stranger inside.
“Have you?”
“No,” Kevin admitted.
The stranger smiled and leaned against the doorjamb. “Then
there you go.”
That smile was pure sin, exuding ease, charm and something
more…something sly, even dangerous. Just the thought of exploring
what it offered sent a small quiver to Kevin’s stomach.
Kevin’s head felt foggy, but that had nothing to
do with the previous night’s festivities.
“What’s your name?”
“Aden Scott.” He offered his hand.
Kevin sighed. “Well, Aden, would you like a cup
of coffee?”
Aden’s smile widened. “Thought you’d
never ask. Though it looks like you could use more then a cup. Have a
good time?”
Kevin waved his hand vaguely. “I’m never touching
tequila again.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“No, I mean it this time.”
Aden stepped into the apartment. “They all say that,
too.”
“Make yourself comfortable,” Kevin invited
before shuffling to the coffeemaker.
Kevin’s apartment wasn’t large, but it was
on the upper corner of the two-story building, affording him relative
silence and fabulous light from the picture windows and the skylight.
Sketches, pencils, erasers, and wads of paper lined the floor and furniture.
Aden pushed aside a pile of garbage at the end of the couch and settled
there.
When Kevin stepped out of the kitchen, two mugs of black,
hot coffee in hand, he was struck by how at home Aden looked. Like he
belonged there. Kevin wouldn’t be surprised if Aden always seemed
at ease and in control, regardless of where he went. He didn’t seem
like the type to be surprised by anything.
“So,” Aden said, taking a mug from Kevin,
“why don’t we talk about the job?”
“I just need a model for…”
Aden waved his hand, brushing away Kevin’s words.
“No, I mean, the compensation part. How much are you paying?”
“Fifteen an hour,” Kevin answered.
“Fifteen? How many hours?”
Kevin shrugged. “It depends. Could be five. Could
be more.”
Aden shook his head, standing up. “Sorry, I need
a bit more cash than that. Sorry for wasting your time…”
Kevin lunged forward and grabbed Aden’s arm, forgetting
the coffee in his hand. The searing liquid splashed on his chest and bare
arm, but he barely noticed it, his attention focused on keeping Aden in
his apartment for a few minutes longer. “Wait. I…I might be
able to offer more money.”
Aden looked down at the fingers curled around his bicep.
His gaze slid up Kevin’s body, and was smoldering by the time he
met Kevin’s. Surprised by the intensity in Aden’s blue eyes,
Kevin released him and stepped back, finally noticing the sting of pain
from the coffee.
“You’d better take care of that,” Aden
said, nodding towards the stain.
“Yes, yes, I’ll be right back,” Kevin
murmured, confused. He didn’t have any more money to offer a model,
and he knew from experience that if Aden walked out his door, another
young man would be there to replace him before lunch. He was hardly in
a desperate position, but he was terrified to let Aden leave.
Kevin changed into fresh clothes quickly, now wide awake.
He listened closely for the sound of the front door opening, afraid that
Aden would slip out while Kevin was dressing. Of course, that fear was
ridiculous. Why should he care if Aden left?
When he returned to the living room, he found Aden staring
at a large portrait hanging on the wall. It was the first—and so
far only—portrait Kevin had been commissioned to paint. He knew
it was his best work, but he still saw flaws every time he looked at it.
His critical eye couldn’t be soothed, even with several reassurances
from the buyer that she really loved it.
“Did you paint this?” Aden asked.
“Yeah. Just finished it, actually. The woman who
bought it will be coming by this week to pick it up.”
Aden turned to face him, his eyes still smoldering. Nobody
had ever looked at Kevin like that before, and he didn’t know what
to make of it.
“Fifteen will do,” he said.
“You sure?” Kevin asked.
“Yes. When can we start?”
Kevin blinked, looking around the room. “I…uh…I
really hadn’t planned to start so soon…”
“I’m free today,” Aden said, “and
tomorrow.”
“Oh. Um…look, I need to buy some things and
stretch the canvas. Would after lunch work for you?” Kevin asked.
“I’ll be here at one.” Aden extended
his hand to seal the deal. Kevin inhaled sharply as Aden’s long,
thin fingers wrapped around his wrist. For a moment, Kevin could see Aden
pulling him forward until their chests touched…
Reviews For
TORRID TEASERS Volume 7 by Pepper Espinoza
Torrid Teasers 7. 4 Angels. "Pepper Espinoza has
written two great short stories with Torrid Teaser Volume 7: The Zebra
Wore Blue Jeans and The Zebra Wore Black Leather. Both stories are filled
with hot passionate sex. Both Kevin and Aden have hot bodies to die for
but they only want each other. Ms. Espinoza has a way of building you
up to a great ending."
|
