Season to Shimmer Read online

  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  Acknowledgments

  Ringing in the Morning

  Pizza and Plotting

  Ninja Hippos

  I Feel Pretty

  Party Down

  Paybacks

  About the Author

  By Kim Katil

  Visit Dreamspinner Press

  Copyright Page

  Season to Shimmer

  By Kim Katil

  One morning close to the holidays, Nolan wakes up to two surprises: a distress call from his younger brother and a beautiful man in his bed. Nolan, an art gallery owner, has always been discreet about his sexuality, but when his baby brother plans to come out at the annual family gala, Nolan wants to have his back—and that means showing up with a man of his own on his arm. Nolan knows just the man for the job.

  Skylar, who owns a karate studio in St. Augustine, can’t get his one-night stand out of his mind. When he runs into Nolan at his gallery he is more than happy to volunteer his services as arm candy. Out-and-proud himself with his striking blue/green hair, Skylar is all in. Their adventure means a fancy salon, family drama, lots of sex, a ninja hippo, and palm trees lit up in a very suggestive way. By the end of it, what started as a hookup might become much more.

  Acknowledgments

  A WRITER is a creature of highs and lows, and without encouragement and support, very few books would be finished. There are many who helped me along this process of creation. First and always, my family, who hold my heart and keep it safe from the battering storms along the way. Stephanie, so many thanks for holding my hand and cheering me on. And to my writer’s group, thank you for the challenge and inspiration.

  Ringing in the Morning

  Nolan

  THE OBNOXIOUS ringtone roused him from a lovely dream involving a beautiful man who lay beneath him on the beach…. Then he realized that his arms were full of warm, lithe man. He reached for the phone, beyond irritated at the interruption.

  “Yeah?” he asked, not bothering to check who it was. He was edging toward a headache and unsettled by the strange man in his bed. That didn’t stop him from running his fingers through the shiny hair that lay on his pillow. He was momentarily lost in the colors, silvery blues and greens swirling through his fingers. He vaguely remembered twirling that hair around his fingers for what seemed like hours in a drunken stupor last night.

  “I’m getting Den out of here and heading to my apartment,” Tor bit out, anger tinging his words.

  “Do you need me there?” Nolan asked, sitting up.

  “Nah, I’m in the car already. Dad’s being a grade-A asshole, and I don’t want Den to have to deal with him anymore. I’ll bring him back to my place; he has plenty of stuff there to hang out with us for a bit. Luckily school is out for the holidays. We’ll just play a bunch of games this afternoon.”

  “How about I show up at dinner with a few pizzas?” Nolan asked, wanting to be there to support his brothers but realizing that Den and Tor needed some time to themselves. He was distracted as the beautiful man got up and headed for the bathroom. He remembered calling him Shimmer but didn’t think that was his actual name.

  “That sounds great, bro. I can’t believe….”

  “Oh, I can. But we’ll discuss that tonight,” he told his brother wearily.

  “Hey, sorry to ask this of you, but I was at home this morning to mooch breakfast and do some laundry. Obviously, plans changed. I texted Mom, and she’s gonna finish the laundry for me. Dad has a tee time at three over at the Golf Village. Think you can swing by and pick it up on your way here while he’s out of the house?”

  “Yeah, I’ll do that, no problem. I’ve got ya, Tor. We’ll make it through this.”

  As he hung up the phone, Shimmer returned looking halfway pulled back together rather than thoroughly debauched. Disappointment ran through him.

  “Problems at home? Should I get out of your hair?”

  “My brothers need my help, but as you heard I don’t need to go over until tonight.”

  “Brothers?” the man asked carefully, as his face lit up with a smile.

  Nolan considered him with a smirk. “Did you think I had a boyfriend waiting for me or something?”

  “Or something. I really hate trying out for the role of slut in the boyfriend’s bed. It’s not a good look on me.”

  “Well, I beg to differ on one account. You lying here in my bed is a very good look on you. I think you need to reprise that role right away by coming back to bed. And to answer your question, I have a stepbrother named Victor and a half brother named Riorden. Victor is in college nearby at Flagler, and Riorden is still in high school. Their father married my mother almost twenty years ago. Here, drink this and I’ll be right back,” Nolan said, tossing Shimmer a water bottle from the side table as he headed toward the bathroom.

  It didn’t take him long to get rid of the rock that had settled on his bladder, then to wash his face and quickly brush his teeth. He returned to the bed, absurdly glad to see it once again occupied. He reached out to caress the man’s cheek as he took away the half-empty water bottle and downed the rest. He went to put the empty bottle on his bedside table and had to laugh.

  “One of those little anoles just hid under your hat,” he said as the small lizard dove for cover. “Apparently it’s a fairy lizard, because the glitter on the elf hat may blind me. I think the lizard is now fully coated in holiday sparkle.”

  “Hey, that lizard has excellent taste. What else could I wear for holiday night at the nightclub? Did you see that guy in the reindeer thong? With the bells? I’ll have you know my elf outfit was very tasteful, and well, glittery,” the beautiful man said as Nolan climbed over his lover, straddling him. The man beneath him eyed his nipple piercing hungrily as he asked, “Now that I know your brothers’ names, may I ask yours?”

  “Oh, right. Nolan Donovan. Sorry.”

  “Very nice to meet you, Nolan,” he said, reaching up to take his lips in a ravenous kiss.

  Nolan finally pulled free long enough to breathe out, “And yours?”

  “Skylar Lopez,” came the reply just as their lips began to duel again. He savored the feel of taut skin as he moved his hand down his naked chest. He was voracious as he moved his lips over Skylar’s skin, working his way down to the taut nipples.

  He abruptly found himself flipped over and laughed at the victorious glee in the other man’s eyes. Skylar was about average height, a few inches less than six feet, but his lithe body was a masterpiece in lean muscle.

  “I just needed to play with this. It’s so shiny and….” With that the words cut off as Skylar explored that bit of metal enticement Nolan had pierced through his nipple and his beautiful dark eyes gleamed with passion. Nolan moaned, the other man finding and drawing out every one of the sensations that he had envisioned when he’d crafted the silver piece and then had a friend do the actual piercing.

  Nolan writhed beneath the talented lips that seemed obsessed with teasing at his nipple jewelry. Damn. He knew men found it hot, but Skylar sure seemed to be into the whole thing. Maybe he should consider a few more piercings….

  Skylar

  NOLAN LOST his mind while Skylar teased his nipple. Definitely going to remember that one.

  “There, baby. Yeah, right there,” Nolan breathed out.

  “Ah, but what about here?” he said, as his lips traced Nolan’s chest. “This is some nice definition you have going on here. You’re going to give me some serious cowboy fantasies as you look like you belong on a ranch.”

  Nolan laughed. “Thank you. I actually own an art gallery downtown. But I do a lot of sculpture work myself, and that takes a lot of strength. Sadly, no roping of cows, though.”

  Suddenl
y, Nolan rose up and flipped Skylar onto his back, then used his tongue to trace each and every one of the hardened curves on his stomach. “Your abs are driving me insane, Shimmer.”

  “Shimmer?” Skylar asked, momentarily distracted.

  “Your hair. It’s all shimmery. It’s amazing, like a piece of art that draws you in and distracts. But your abs….” And with that, Nolan returned to his thorough exploration of every dip and curve, turning Skylar into a writhing mess on the bed. Until his mouth finally trailed even farther south and, in a shockingly swift move, swallowed Skylar’s erect cock down to the root.

  Skylar reached down to grab the man’s tempting hair, which was a tousled brown that just begged to be messed up. And when the humming started, as Nolan teased at his balls with his talented hands, Skylar lost his grip and himself to the feelings that overwhelmed him until finally he shouted his release.

  As he lay there and panted, Nolan eased off his cock and licked his inner thighs, where some of his spill had leaked. Maybe he would just die here in this bed from sensation overload. What was an orgasm called again? The little death? That definitely seemed accurate at the moment.

  “You sure hit the gym hard,” Nolan said as he continued to explore his body.

  “Well, since I own Fortress Dojo and teach classes there….”

  “Ah, that would explain it. Black belt? You definitely have the body for it.”

  “Yeah, I pushed that hard when I was in college. Did a bunch of training with people I respect and got a business degree to help with the ownership part.”

  “All of that and you dance like an angel. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you in the club last night. How did I get so lucky?” Nolan asked as he reached for the lube bottle that had rolled out of range sometime last night while they were fumbling around in the haze of alcohol and lust. Then all thoughts escaped him when Nolan fingered his entrance. He shivered in anticipation.

  “That’s beautiful. Suck in my finger, just like that. Here’s another one. You’re doing so well, I can’t wait to get my cock in there. My fingers are buried so deep; let’s fit in another one.”

  Skylar groaned inarticulately as Nolan continued to open him up while using actual words. Words! He was so beyond that and just listened to his body as it welcomed his lover. Foil tore and he looked up to see Nolan holding the condom packet in his mouth as he carefully covered his shaft. Then he removed the shiny packet from his mouth and reached down with his other hand to stroke Skylar’s cock.

  “That’s it, look at me. I’m about to fuck you into this mattress, hard and deep. But you tell me if something’s not right, yeah? I’ll stop whenever you need me to. Otherwise, I’m going to own this ass right here.” And with that, he removed his fingers and gave Skylar’s ass a swat. Skylar groaned again.

  Nolan chuckled, deep and resonantly. “Like that, huh? Let’s see how you like this.” And with that he entered Skylar, pushing down swiftly and surely until he bottomed out, and then stopped.

  Skylar panted through the nerves that sang as he was filled and taken, then looked up at Nolan with wide eyes. “Now! Move! Fuck me. Just like that….”

  And Nolan responded, reading his body language like a master, hitting the sweet spot time and again as he filled him. Skylar’s cock began to harden as he reveled in the sensations running through him. Right now he would enjoy every moment of Nolan’s erotic attentions. Doubts were things to be dealt with later.

  And then Nolan did something with his hips and was pegging his prostate in a raw flurry of passion and need. Skylar let himself feel everything as his cries and demands got louder and rougher.

  “That’s it. Tell me what you want, what you need.” Nolan took his mouth in a ravenous kiss cutting off any more words. The friction against his cock was exquisite as he chased the release that rushed through his body. His body’s reaction when he came was obviously too much for Nolan, who thrust deep into Skylar one last time and then stilled, panting.

  Pizza and Plotting

  Nolan

  “SO I have pizza and clothes,” Nolan said as he entered his brother’s apartment. Luckily for his senior year, Tor had gotten an off-campus apartment, though parking in downtown St. Augustine could be a bitch. “The laundry is still in my car and someone can run down later to get it.”

  “I take back everything I just said about you,” Tor told him as he grabbed the pizza boxes.

  “Ass,” Nolan retorted.

  “He really is,” Julia replied. “Thanks for grabbing this stuff, Nolan. I think all my bras are in that load of laundry.”

  “I didn’t really need to know that,” he told his brother’s girlfriend. “Though I’m shocked you let him wash delicates. Did he ever tell you about the incident with the jockstrap?”

  “Pizza!” Den cheered as he entered the room. “Did you get sausage and pepperoni?”

  “Yeah, he got you your meat pizza,” Tor said with a smirk.

  “Oh, shut it,” Den said as he grabbed the pizza and a napkin.

  “Meat pizza! I’m so there!” Byron said as he grabbed a slice.

  “Hey, Byron, how’s it going?” Nolan asked Tor’s best friend and roommate. The two had grown up playing basketball together and been thrilled to play on the same college team.

  “Much better with pizza, Nolan. So what’s with the reunion? I thought you and Julia were going over to your folks’ house today, Tor.”

  “Well, while you were out canoodling with Jazz, you missed all the fun. I stole Den from my father’s wrath, then called up Nolan for support, and pretty sure I interrupted whatever morning bed activities he had going on. Which, by the way, I really don’t need to know anything more about.”

  Byron just laughed. “I’ll have you know, there was no canoodling. Jazz and I had to finish up that blog entry we were working on for the team’s Christmas fundraiser to support the teen shelter. We were doing it at her place, but her internet went down so we came back here. She’s just wrapping it up and posting it now. So Den is going to stay with us for now?”

  “Yeah, at least school is out for all of us. That damn Christmas event is this coming weekend, and I think we need to figure out what to do about it. Den, you said Aaron agreed to come with you? And you’re sure you want to do this?”

  “Hell yeah. I mean we’ve been together for two months now. So of course he’s going to be my date. I know he’d be upset if I caved and brought some girl and stuffed him back into my closet like a suit that doesn’t fit or something.”

  Wow. His brother really went there. Nolan felt a surge of pride run through him.

  “Calm down, Den. We can make this happen, but there’s no going back. So you have to be sure, that’s all,” Nolan said.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. But I’m also sure that Dad is going to lose his shit. And I don’t want that to get all over Aaron either. I mean I want to bring him with me, but I don’t want him to get caught in the cross fire. I don’t know how to make that happen,” Den said, looking at Nolan sadly. “I get why you never pressed the issue. But… Aaron’s important to me.”

  “I get it, and you’re right. Did you already ask him? I suspect that he’ll be a lot more hurt by you not asking him than by whatever madness the family will throw at you.”

  “Yeah, I asked him, and he said of course he’d come, even if things got ugly. I just don’t want him hurt, ya know?”

  “I am so damn proud of you right now, Den. We’ll figure it out. And I think part of it is showing how much we are there to support you. I’ll bring someone as a date this year.” Nolan never had because it hadn’t been worth it to press. He’d always been hesitant to do anything that might cause his stepfather to try to cut him off from his brothers. But now it was time to take a stand.

  “Is that fair to whomever you bring? I mean, you’re not dating anyone seriously right now, are you?” Den asked.

  “Nah, but I’ll make sure he knows the score.” Nolan had fixed on calling Skylar. The beautiful man would be perfect for the
role. Hopefully he would agree. Maybe he could offer bribes. And maybe he’d have another chance to run his hands through Skylar’s amazing hair.

  “You know, I think I’m coming down with something,” Julia suddenly announced, then proceeded to hack and cough like an eight-year-old trying to get out of school. Which shook Nolan out of the lovely thoughts he was having about exactly how he could bribe Skylar.

  “Um, Julia?” asked Tor.

  “Yup. Definitely coming down with something. Won’t be able to make the party. But Tor, you should bring someone with you since you already RSVP’d with a plus one. And they’ll have ordered a dinner, and that really would be a shame if you didn’t have someone there to eat it….”

  Tor had an amused gleam in his eye as he smiled at Julia. “Are you suggesting I bring my best friend so that the food doesn’t go to waste?”

  “Exactly!” She beamed back at him.

  “So, Byron, how do you feel about being my escort for the evening?”

  Byron just shook his head and looked at Julia. “You are trouble.”

  “This is going to be so much fun!” Julia said, jumping up and down.

  “Damn, woman, you are ten times more excited to ditch me for the biggest event of the season than you were when I asked you to go.”

  “Yeah, well, that big event of the season is usually boring as fuck. And damn, if I post pictures of you two, our site is going to explode. What’s our next step?” Julia asked in a breathless voice.

  “I think the next step is for you to take a chill pill, darling,” Tor said with a resigned smile on his face. “But yeah, a bunch of pictures leading up to the big event may be a good idea. Some of Den and Aaron, me and my man here, and even Nolan and his mystery man.”

  “What are we taking pictures of? And why are you stealing my man here for pictures?” asked Jazz as she walked in the room.