...As he pushed open the door to his own room, Shayne winced. He had some clothes on the floor and an empty paper plate he’d had cake on a couple of days before sitting on his dresser.

Feeling his face burn, Shayne quickly scooped up a pair of underwear and jeans and put them in the hamper and then he tossed the plate in his wastebasket. “Sorry.”

Des laughed. “Don’t worry about it. My room looks about the same. Mind if I close the door?”

“No, good idea.”

Des closed Shayne’s bedroom door and he almost told him to lock it, but really, he knew neither his mother nor grandfather would come barging into his room unless he screamed like he was being murdered.

Swallowing down an urge to tell Des to leave after all, Shayne turned off the overhead light, leaving his room illuminated only by a small jewel green dragon lamp he’d purchased at a fair the year before last. It sat on the table next to Shayne’s double bed, which butted up against the room’s window.

“Is it okay if I lie down on your bed?” Des asked, and Shayne nodded, glad Des was taking an active role because he wasn’t sure what to do or how to go about this.

Des toed off his sneakers, but otherwise left his clothes intact and lay down on the side closest to the window. He patted the space next to him.

Following his lead, Shayne discarded his shoes and then lay next to Des, on his back, as Des was. He blew out a breath, wondering if Des could guess he was freaking out a bit.

Des turned a little to his side so he could look at Shayne, so Shayne did the same. It seemed rude not to look at Des if he were going to look at him. Des smiled a little but Shayne was relieved to see he saw only kindness and sexual interest.

“Want to turn off the lamp?” Des asked softly.

“Okay.” Shayne actually liked the idea. If it was dark, well, Des wouldn’t see all his flaws or try to guess what he was thinking. He reached over and turned the knob, turning the room to darkness, save for a small sliver of moon coming in through the window blinds.

Des took hold of his hand and wrapped his fingers around Shayne’s palm. “How much experience do you have, Shayne?”

He decided to be honest. No sense lying. “Just a little.”

“Like what?”

He shrugged in the dark. “I went with my mother and grandmother in the summer to visit family in Ohio. There was this guy who lived near my relatives and we played around.”

“When you say played around, did you—”

Shayne swallowed. “Yes. O-only a couple of times, though. The other times we just jerked each other off and did some blow jobs.”

Des had started to stroke his fingers along Shayne’s hand, to his wrist and up his arm. Tingles of awareness went through him and straight to his cock, causing it to harden instantly.

“Were you…did he fuck you?” Des asked.

He felt his ears burn, which was silly to blush when you were lying in the dark. “Yes.”

“And you liked it? He didn’t hurt you?’

“I did and, no, he didn’t.”

Those fantastic fingers now caressed his biceps, drawing little circles.

“Would you let me fuck you?”

Oh, God.

He opened his mouth to answer, but all that came out was a squeak.

“I’ll be gentle, Shayne.”

“Okay,” he finally managed to say a word. “How many have you been with?”

“Not that many. Three.”

“And you fucked them?”