Seth looked around blearily, trying to see past the crush of drunken, partying scientists. But, his friend was nowhere to be seen. In the two minutes Seth had been gone, Kevin managed to completely disappear.

Oh hell, truth was he was probably off boinking his date, Rachel, in the photo copy room, looking to start a New Year’s Eve tradition. Last year, it had been Tina in the supply closet. Kevin wasn’t in the closet this year, though; Seth had already checked.

Wait a minute. Wasn’t that Rachel over there by the water cooler? Yeah, it was. She had her tongue down Jeff Davidson’s throat.

Hmmm. Well then, maybe Kevin was making a move on that new girl he had the hots for. What was her name again? Chantel, Shandra, Malibu Barbie? Kevin had been panting after the girl for weeks—apparently he had a thing for pillowy silicone and a spray-on tan—and since Rachel seemed to be, umm, occupied, it wasn’t beyond the realm that he’d chased Barbie down. Because Kevin was a whore. A great big one.

A hand snaked out of the cubicle on Seth’s left—at floor level—and grabbed his ankle.

“Gah!” Seth instinctively lunged backwards, dumping half a pint of beer down his chest in the process.

Kevin grinned up at him, all alcohol-induced charm. He was lying on the carpet in the cramped grey cubicle, his legs stretched out under Mary-Beth Wilson’s desk. Seth knew it was Mary-Beth’s desk because of all the teddy bears. The woman had a serious furry fetish. Right now, her fluffy menagerie looked down with benign indifference on the stunningly drunk, stunningly beautiful, dark-haired young man sprawled below them.

Seth’s cock twitched and swelled, same as always, whenever he got within a few feet of Kevin. This despite the depressing fact that Kevin Bishop was the most dedicated skirt-chasing, pussy loving, heterosexual Seth had ever met.

So why exactly had Seth fallen head over heels for the guy? Because he was stupid. Really. God knew he’d asked himself that exact question a thousand times and stupidity was the only answer that made any sense.

But hope springs eternal…and all that crap.

“See now,” Kevin said. His words slurred together just the tiniest amount. “If you were a chick that wet t-shirt would look really hot on you.”

Seth tried to pluck the wet cotton away from his chest but as soon as he let the soaked fabric go it immediately slapped back into a second skin. His small brown nipples stood out like connect-the-dots under the now transparent cloth. “You’re such a dick, Kev,” he muttered, lowering himself to sit cross-legged beside his horizontal friend.

“Leave my dick out of this, queero.” Kevin chuckled as he struggled into a semi-reclined position. His shoulders ended up against the cubicle wall. His feet ended up snarled in the wires under Mary-Beth’s desk. Kevin kicked a few times, knocking a set of speakers down and sending her keyboard flying, but failed to untangle himself. With a shrug, he reached for one of the cups in Seth’s hands: the full one.

Seth yanked it away, sloshing more foamy liquid onto the floor, and shoved the nearly empty cup at his friend. “You made me spill it, so you get this one.”

“Asshole!” Kevin said, mock-outraged. “It’s not my fault you’re such a spaz.” He swallowed the single gulp of amber liquid, crumpled the cup, and tossed it over the cubicle’s wall. Somebody cursed on the other side of the partition and Kevin and Seth hunched down lower, sniggering.

“Leave my asshole out of this, faggot,” Seth whispered, still laughing. Hey, he was allowed to say faggot ‘cause he was one. Them’s the rules.

“I wouldn’t go near your asshole with someone else’s dick, gay rod.”

Seth rolled his eyes, secretly pleased. Next, Kevin would pull him into a headlock, or throw a punch, and Seth would get to run his hands all over his friend’s muscular body while he pretended to try and get away.

Sure enough, Kevin aimed a blow at Seth’s shoulder. When Seth attempted to duck it, he found himself pulled half underneath Kevin’s body, getting rabbit punched in the kidneys. Kevin’s spicy male scent enveloped him and Seth closed his eyes, breathing it in, while half-heartedly trying to buck the taller, stronger man off. Visions of the two of them naked in this exact same position swam through Seth’s mind. His cock sproinged fully erect like a broken spring ripping its way through the fabric of a cheap mattress.

“Speaking of someone else’s dick…” Seth gasped, a distraction definitely being in order. “Seems like your date is more interested in Jeff Davidson’s dick than yours.”

“Yeah?” Kevin fell across Seth’s lap in order to stick his head out of the cubicle and have a look around, presumably for Rachel and Jeff. Seth leaned out, too, trying to shift his crotch away from Kevin’s stomach without being too obvious about it. “What a skank!” Kevin said, not really sounding too bothered by the whole affair.

“And will you, sir, be playing the role of the pot or the kettle today?” Seth asked. Without waiting for a reply, he gave Kevin a shove. “Get the hell off me, you weigh a ton.”

Kevin rolled onto his back and smiled. It was a very sly smile. “Like you care how heavy I am,” he said, a smirk in his tone. “Like you wouldn’t be screaming for me to get on you, if you thought I might actually do it.”

Seth gulped. Lord save him from gorgeous straight guys who drank way too much for their own good. And Kevin must be really plastered. He didn’t normally let their banter go this far.

“Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it, buddy.” Seth was unsurprised at the hoarseness of his voice. “I bet I could make you scream right along with me.”

Kevin opened his mouth—then closed it. His tongue slicked along his bottom lip as he studied Seth, his expression inscrutable. “I need another beer,” he finally said. “Some clumsy moron spilled my last one all over himself.”

With equal feelings of relief and regret, Seth stepped back from the cliff as well. “It’s your turn to get the drinks anyway, jack-off.” He knew his color was high, could feel the heat in his cheeks. His pulse drummed a heavy bass beat.

Kevin’s gaze dropped to Seth’s throat where the tell-tale thrum had to be clearly visible. That hot pink tongue again, sliding wet over Kevin’s suckable bottom lip. Jesus, did the guy know how sexy that was?

“Right then.” Kevin gave his head a shake. “I’m off.” He headed out of the cubicle on his hands and knees, humming the “Mission Impossible” theme as he crawled his way towards the booze table.

Seth pulled his head back when he realized he was staring at his friend’s hypnotically swaying ass. “Idiot!” he whispered to himself. He leaned back against the tweed wall, brought his knees up to rest his elbows on, and thwacked his skull against the hard, thin partition. Once. Twice.

He had to get a grip! Sure Kevin was drunk, but he’d never be that drunk. Kevin had made it perfectly clear when they’d first started becoming friends that he didn’t have any interest in expanding his sexuality to include men. He’d said that as long as Seth was on board with that, they’d be golden.

If only he wasn’t so—perfect—from his sexily tousled brown hair to his full, beautiful lips and strong, cleft chin, right on down to his long, lean, flawlessly sculpted, absolutely perfect body. Plus, Kevin always got Seth’s sarcasm, even when no one else did. And they both liked hokey sci-fi movies. And then there was the way Kevin got so damned excited when talking about the untapped bio-energy in ocean waves. His deep aquamarine eyes would sparkle and his big, long fingered hands would wave around like sea anemones.

Everything.

It was everything. Everything about Kevin Bishop was perfect—except for that teeny-tiny ‘straight as a ruler’ problem. Surely overcomable, given the right—

“Scootch over.”

Seth looked up to see Kevin looming over him, a bottle of clear liquid in each hand. “I thought you were getting beer,” he said, as he made room for Kevin to sit beside him.

“Yeah, well, I ran into a bit of a problem with that.” Kevin slid down the wall, ending up so close to Seth that his dress shirt pressed against Seth’s beer-drenched torso. “Jeez, Seth,” he said with a grimace, trying unsuccessfully to blot the wet spot off. “Why don’t you just take the shirt off already? No one’s going to notice; they’re all three sheets to the wind out there.”

“And in here,” Seth noted.

Kevin stuck his tongue out at him.

Actually, the wet cotton was sticky and uncomfortable, so why not indeed?

“What problem did you run into getting beer?” Seth asked, his words muffled in soggy fabric. There was no answer. He lifted the shirt completely over his head to find Kevin’s gaze glued to his stomach. Or, no, what he was most likely looking at was Seth’s hard-on, which hadn’t subsided at all and was now ludicrously apparent without the shirt to hide it. Shit. Seth jerked his knee up, blocking Kevin’s view.

“Uhh—” Kevin looked away and pushed a bottle into Seth’s hand. He broke the red seal on the other. “Oh, yeah. Well, see I was heading over to the keg, but then Rachel—” He laughed and took two long swallows of what had turned out to be vodka. “The crazy bitch asked me if I wanted to have a threesome with her and Jeff!” Another incredulous laugh. Another big swallow.

Seth looked down at the bottle in his own hand. “You got me peppermint schnapps?” he asked. That wasn’t what he’d meant to say at all, but really, peppermint schnapps?

Kevin glanced at it, apparently surprised as well. “Did I? Hey, sorry. I thought I’d grabbed gin. Here, you want some of this?”

“No. Whatever. It’s fine.” What Seth wanted was to hear more about this threesome. He twisted the cap off the schnapps and said, “So your answer was no then?”

“Damn right it was no! Fuck, like I’m just gonna go hop in the sack with Jeff Davidson. I don’t care if he is in MENSA, the guy’s an asshole.”

Seth shrugged and took a swig. Peppermint seared its way down his throat. “That asshole’s pretty damn hot,” he said, when he was done coughing. Jeff was hot, in an elegant blond James Bond kinda way. Of course, he had nothing on Mr. Tall, Dark and Sinful sitting beside him.

“Yeah, I guess Jeff’s kind of hot,” Kevin said, a dismissive shrug lifting his broad shoulders.

“Definitely hot,” Seth said. “Definitely.”

Kevin grimaced and slugged back more vodka. “But,” he said, swiping the back of his hand across his mouth, “my threesome fantasies don’t involve guys. So—” He nudged Seth’s shoulder and leaned in conspiratorially. “Besides, if I was gonna get it on with any man you know it would be you, my homosexual Asian friend.”

Seth’s throat made a dry click. “Is that so?” Damn. His voice had come out at least three octaves higher than normal. Way to play it cool. The grin Kevin gave him was decimating in its pants-removing power. No wonder girls threw themselves at him.

“Well, sure.” Kevin scrunched down until his long legs were once again under Mary-Beth’s desk. “I mean, I know you’ve got a thing for me.” His head came to rest against Seth’s shoulder, soft espresso curls tickling the sensitive skin of Seth’s chest. “It’s no big deal,” he went on. “Kind of flattering, really. So, yeah—if I was truly going to fuck a guy, why wouldn’t it be someone I already know and like?” He lifted his gorgeous aquamarine eyes up to Seth and winked. “Someone I know would show me the very best time he could—right?”

Seth tried to make his neck muscles un-tense long enough to nod, but before he could manage any sort of response Kevin started speaking again.

“Plus, you’re really cute. You know, for a guy. You’ve got those great slanty eyes and your hair’s so long and black and friggin’ shiny, and those cheekbones— Fuck man, you know what you look like?”

White speckled dots danced in Seth’s peripheral vision. It took him a second to realize why. He’d stopped breathing. Kevin thought he was cute? Seth gulped in air and opened his mouth to say— who knows what, but Kevin was still talking.

“You look just like one of those ‘pretty boys’ in the yaoi comics my little sister reads.” He skewered Seth with a cunning look. “So, then, I’ve gotta ask. Are you a seme or an uke?”

Holy shit! If Kevin knew what those words meant then it wasn’t just his sister reading the comics. Had he picked one up out of curiosity? Did it turn him on? God, how should Seth answer the question? Riba would be the truthful reply, but—

“Gah.” Kevin smacked Seth’s thigh. “Never mind. TMI. I’m drunk.”

A woman’s voice drifted to them over the music and general hubbub of partying. “Anyone seen Kevin?”

Seth hunkered down until his head was level with Kevin’s. Saved by Malibu Barbie. The cow. “Seems like Chantrel’s looking for you,” he said, trying not to sound put out about it. “Maybe she’ll be up for a threesome more to your liking. I hear Dianne from reception just broke off her engagement. You could ask her to join in.”

“Her name’s Shandra, dipshit. And really? Dianne’s single now? Good to know.” Kevin turned his head and Seth suddenly realized they were too close. Just a few inches apart. Much, much too close. He slid the rest of the way down until he was lying flat on the ground, even though the industrial grey carpet itched his bare back something awful. It was either that or make an ass out of himself by crawling into Kevin’s lap and kissing him senseless.

“Ah, but unfortunately Shandra’s a spectacularly shitty lay,” Kevin said, shifting to face Seth more fully and propping his chin in his hand. “Tried her out last week. So—nah. I’ll pass. Anyhoo, I’m pretty comfy right here.” He tried to take another drink from the vodka bottle but the angle was awkward and he just ended up spilling a bunch down Seth’s arm. “Shit. Sorry,” he said, as he leaned forward and nonchalantly licked Seth’s bicep clean.

Seth’s heart paused mid-beat.

“What about you?” Kevin asked, his eyes twinkling. “Is a threesome one of your deep darks? ‘Course, it would have to be guy-on-guy—on-guy, I guess. A Seth sandwich.”

“I think the threesome is a pretty common fantasy,” Seth said, trying to sound as blasé as Kevin had. Kinda hard to do cool, though, when his dick was so hard it felt like it was trying to tear its way out of his underwear. All Kevin had to do was look down to see the effect he’d had.

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Okay then, what’s a not so common fantasy of yours?”

“Uhhh—” Seth was praying for God to strike him dead or, better yet, to give Kevin the sudden irresistible urge to jump Seth’s bones. Either/or, ‘cause he couldn’t take too much more of this.

“Shy?” Kevin smiled that sly, erotic smile again. “How ‘bout I go first?” He put his hand on Seth’s chest, his thumb right over Seth’s nipple. He didn’t seem to be aware of where his fingers were. But, he couldn’t really be that oblivious. Could he?

“I have this fantasy about being kidnapped—taken right off the street,” Kevin said. His thumb twitched. Seth bit his lips on a moan. “I wake up in a room I’ve never seen before and I’m chained up,” Kevin continued, paying no attention to the embarrassing sound Seth had been unable to stifle. “Then a Domme—you know what a Domme is right, Seth?”

“‘Course I do,” Seth muttered, wondering what the hell was going on. Was Kevin coming on to him or was this just a random drunken conversation?

“Of course you do,” Kevin mimicked, his eyes oddly dark. “Where was I? Oh, yeah. So then, in my fantasy, a beautiful Domme—dressed all in tight black leather—whips me and forces me to be her sex slave while a crowd of people watches.”

Another thumb movement, this one not so much a twitch as a stroke.

Seth’s back arched. Okay. Enough. He didn’t know what Kevin thought he was doing—hell, maybe he didn’t realize he was doing anything. But enough was enough. This had to stop right now, before he came in his pants like some lame high school kid.

Seth attempted to push Kevin’s hand away, but Kevin was stronger and wouldn’t be moved. “Sometimes, I imagine there’re two beautiful Dommes.” Kevin went on, patently ignoring Seth’s attempts to escape. “One will be fucking me with a big strap-on while the other whips my cock and balls raw.”

Kevin had progressed from stroking Seth’s nipple to pinching it. Seth moaned again, his eyes falling closed. The wicked bolts of pleasure arcing from his nipple to his cock—the image of Kevin being tied up, ass-fucked and whipped—Kevin’s fingers on his body—his husky, sexy voice whispering perversions in Seth’s ear—it was too damned much! Seth rode the razor’s edge of orgasm. His hips twitched, grinding his cock into Kevin’s hip.

Kevin didn’t pull away. “Do you ever imagine being whipped, Seth?” he whispered, so close that his lips brushed Seth’s neck.

Fuck you! Seth thought. He was so turned on he could scarcely breathe. He didn’t know what Kevin’s game was, but it was a game two could play. “I do like a whip sometimes,” Seth whispered back, “but mostly I prefer the paddle.” Kevin stilled, and made a weird choking noise somewhere between a laugh and a groan.

Ha! Score one for the gullible gay guy.

There was a long moment of silence. Seth opened his eyes to find Kevin right there. Vodka humidity bathed his lip as Kevin purred, “Really? And what else do you—”

Loud, excited voices rose around them. Funny, Seth had somehow managed to forget that they were at the VITP New Year’s party, huddled half underneath Mary-Beth Wilson’s desk.

Ten!

Nine!

Kevin gave Seth’s nipple one more pinch and then moved his hand up to cup Seth’s jaw. His thumb traced Seth’s lower lip. “I guess it’s officially New Year’s, and poor me—my date’s off kissing someone else.”

Five!

Four!

“So, since I’m really drunk—” He shifted himself over Seth’s body, until one thigh rested between Seth’s legs and their chests were flush. His mouth hovered a bare millimeter over Seth’s own. “—and, for some strange reason, I’m finding you incredibly sexy right now. I think I’m going to have to usher in the New Year by kissing you, Seth. What do you say?”

One!

Kevin’s body pressed Seth into the floor, his thigh flexed against Seth’s cock. Coherent speech being impossible, Seth answered the only way he could. He grabbed the back of his friend’s head and shoved his tongue down his throat.

There was no hesitation on Kevin’s part. He angled his head and, like the pro he was, took that kiss right over. His tongue was strong. Confident. It surged into Seth’s mouth, wrestling for supremacy, until all Seth could do was open his mouth wider and let the man take what he wanted.

Kevin hauled Seth closer still, his leg grinding between Seth’s thighs as his fingers found Seth’s nipple again. The crescent of his nail bit deep into the tiny brown peak.

Seth moaned and ran frantic hands over Kevin’s broad shoulders, narrow hips and his tight, beautiful ass and, all the while, Kevin kissed him, plundered him, raped his mouth. It was, without a doubt, the best kiss of Seth’s entire life.

Then Kevin’s hand dropped lower, skimming the taut skin of Seth’s stomach. A single finger slipped under the waistband of Seth’s khaki’s, brushing, ever so lightly, across the crown of his swollen cockhead.

No, no, no. Oh, fuck—Yes! Seth screamed, his ecstatic cry lost in his friend’s mouth as he came in great jerking pulses of bliss.

When Seth stopped writhing, and hollering, Kevin drew away. His blue-green eyes were wide. His breath came in pants almost as frenzied as Seth’s. “Did you just come? Just from—”

Seth’s entire body blushed. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I—”

“Christ, don’t be sorry.” Kevin smiled and dropped his head to Seth’s shoulder. “That was the sexiest fuckin’ thing I’ve ever seen.” His teeth sank briefly into Seth’s collar bone, making Seth squirm. “If I were into guys I’d be all over you, boy.” His tongue soothed the bite away. “You’re so damned responsive.” He licked his way up Seth’s neck to his ear. “I’ve never made someone come just by kissing them before,” he said, flicking his tongue inside. “It was amazing.”

Seth shuddered from the caress even as his heart sank. If I were into guys, Kevin had said. But, of course, Kevin wasn’t into guys. So, then, what the hell had just happened?

“It’s kind of too bad.” Kevin leaned up and away, his expression suddenly serious. “I mean, I’m really drunk and I know I won’t remember this tomorrow,” he said, sounding not very drunk at all. “And I’d like to remember making someone so hot that they exploded just from a minute or two of kissing, but—” He brushed a lock of blue-black hair back from Seth’s forehead, the gesture so intimate it brought tears to Seth’s eyes. “But, I know our friendship couldn’t survive this, so it’s actually better for me not to remember.” His finger skimmed down Seth’s cheekbone. “Don’t you agree?”

A single tear escaped to track down Seth’s cheek. Pathetic. He reached up to swipe it away but Kevin beat him to it.

“C’mon, babe, don’t cry. It is better to forget. Tell me you agree. I don’t want to lose you over this.”

“It’s better.” Seth turned his face away. “I guess.”

Kevin surprised him by grabbing his chin and turning it back. His lips were firm but gentle, the kiss almost chaste, right up until the moment his tongue swept inside and demanded everything Seth had to give. “Happy New Year’s, Seth,” Kevin whispered a few minutes—or maybe hours—later. He jumped to his feet with admirable agility. “I’ll see you Monday.”