Chapter 15

Sammy watched the captain of his own high school basketball team from the window of his flat. The guy was hurting, that much was obvious. But did he deserve this level of punishment?

He hated to admit it, but Mike's company hadn't been awful. Though he wasn't exactly sparkling with wit, there was something almost cute about him. A childlike innocence. And it wasn't as if the guy was unattractive. His body was near perfect; all in proportion and with tight, neat little muscles.

'I'm a pervert for noticing that,' Sammy scolded himself. To be fair, Mike had been checking him out almost constantly for the past few hours. He hadn't even been sneaky about it.

The memory of Mike's eyes on his body caused his blood to rush in the opposite direction of his brain. He considered sacking off homework and relieving himself instead.

Knock, knock, knock...

The door creaked as his mother popped her head around the door, putting an end to that train of thought.

"You have another visitor," she announced with a cheery smile. "Two in one night. You are getting popular."

"Okay Mum," he said, rolling his eyes in shame as Caine entered.

"So?" Caine leaned in close, eyes sparkling with intensity. "Did you forgive him?"

Sammy shook his head. "Of course not. You told me not to."

"I advised you not to," Caine corrected, raising his index finger. "There is a difference, you know? I can't control you."

"Right," Sammy nodded, though he wasn't sure that was strictly true. He felt a huge obligation when it came to Caine. The thought of going against his word made Sammy uncomfortable.

He liked Caine, both in a sexual and friendly way, but he was simultaneously afraid of him. His intensity. His aura. Sammy wasn't quite sure what, but he sensed a dangerous vibe.

'Geez, aura? vibes? I sound like my mother.'

"So, tell me all about it," Caine urged, pulling Sammy to the bed and sitting opposite him. "I want a blow-by-blow account."

While describing the evening Caine listened patiently, leaning in closer with each sentence with sparkling eyes and a leering grin. By the time the story ended he realized Caine had edged so close he was practically sitting in his lap.

He felt the grip of two hands on his thighs, uncomfortably close to his crotch as Caine lurched forward to plant a kiss on his forehead.

"You did amazing," the boy cooed.

It was hard not to smile, basking in the glow of his praise. The kind words filled him with a sense of self-worth and released those magical, feel-good hormones into his bloodstream.

Caine's hands in his thighs prompted his earlier erection to return. He shifted away, adjusting his trousers in an attempt to hide it.

It was no use.

With a seductive smile, Caine encircled his hips and pulled him in for a kiss, gently rubbing himself up against him.

'My first kiss,' Sammy thought. The shock made it difficult to respond to Caine's lips.

'He's going to think I'm a bad kisser,' Sammy worried, trying to emulate the movement of the tongue exploring his mouth. It felt different than what he'd expected. More awkward than romantic.

He felt sure Caine was a good kisser. The problem laid in his own ineptitude.

Oddly, and embarrassingly, his mind wandered back to the time he'd caught his sister practicing kissing techniques on one of her old dolls. He'd teased her mercilessly at the time, but looking back, he realized she might have had the right idea.

When Caine pulled away from the kiss he dropped to his knees.

'What's he doing?' Sammy dithered in confusion before the penny dropped.

He jumped back as if the floor had turned into lava, grabbing the fly of his trousers.

"Don't you want me to? All you have to do is stand there and enjoy it," Caine asked with a smile.

"I, well, um, I just don't think I'm ready," Sammy fumbled to explain. He wasn't ready for a physical relationship, as much as parts of him wanted to give in to Caine's advances.

"Please don't be mad," he mumbled, looking down at the floor.

Caine lifted his chin and smiled at him. "Don't be silly. I'd never get mad at you over something like this."

He spun away, throwing out his arms. "I'm impatient and pushy, but only because I want you. You're special, you know?"

Sammy didn't know but felt it was appropriate to give a half-hearted nod.

He stared down at the clock in the corner of his computer screen, wondering when Caine would leave. It was getting late, and he needed time alone to figure out the mass of thoughts swirling about his head.

"I'll leave you to rest," Caine said, apparently reading his mind. Before leaving, he took Sammy's face in between his hands.

"Remember, no matter what Mike says, he doesn't love you, care about you or feel any real attraction to you. It's simply the spell running its course," he told him calmly with a sympathetic smile. "Just think back to all the times he bullied you. Could a person who liked you do that?"

Sammy nodded once again, managing to keep a straight face despite the sick feeling those words elicited.

'Why do I care if he likes me or not?'