by Shea Balik
Slick fingers tugged out of his now loose entrance and Cabe lined up his naked cock. Their eyes met. “We’re both negative,” Cabe told him before he thrust hard and deep.
They’d talked about not wanting to use condoms any longer and had agreed if their tests came back clean, they would lose them. Elden had thought sex with Cabe mindblowing before, but this? The feel of his bare flesh deep within Elden’s body sent him flying once more.
“Fuck, this feels better than I could have ever imagined. You wrapped around me, skin to skin,” Cabe whispered against Elden’s lips as he peppered him with kisses before sealing their mouths as he pulled his hips back slowly.
Every inch dragged along Elden’s muscles as they quivered and clenched to try to hold that thick length inside of him. There was too much pleasure, yet not enough at the same time. Elden was desperate as he reached for Cabe, running his hands along his neck and arms, tugging to draw him closer while his hips undulated for the same.
Then Cabe slammed back inside him, not stopping until his balls had slapped against Elden’s ass. Groans of bliss mixed together as beads of sweat gathered along their skin.
Elden’s mouth watered. Lifting his head, just as Cabe pulled back once again, he licked along the corded muscles of his neck, savoring the salty flavor of the man he’d fallen in love with.
His breath hitched at the thought. Then his lungs ceased to function as Cabe thrust back inside of him. Nothing could be as perfect as this moment. He wanted to tell Cabe what he felt, but Elden didn’t want his first time saying those important words to be in the heat of the moment. He needed Cabe to know he meant them.
Pain lanced through his nipple. Startled, Elden glanced down to find Cabe’s fingers there flicking at the little plastic clips.
“What are you thinking about, sweetie?” Cabe’s voice was seductive, his hazel eyes filled with a wicked gleam that promised good things for Elden.
As much as he wanted to tell Cabe, Elden wasn’t going to ruin his first declaration of his love by saying it now. “Nothing… Everything.”
Cabe flicked at the clip again the moment the words left his lips. Crying out, Elden wanted to shield his tender nips but at the same time beg for more. None of it made any sense, yet perfect sense at the same time.
Rational thought went out the window when Cabe whispered, “Tell me, my sweet,” before bending down and sucking one nipple, clip and all, into his mouth.
Elden’s mouth fell open but all that came out was a keening cry. His hips bucked, needing Cabe to be even deeper inside of him. He wanted all of this man. Every inch embedded inside of his body.
A deep raspy chuckle vibrated around the clip and Elden was sure he was about to lose his mind. Sensations like these shouldn’t be able to exist for a man like him. How was he supposed to survive?
Then Cabe looked up at him, his teeth wrapped around that clamp. The gleam in his gaze shone even brighter as he tugged the clip free.
Everything in Elden’s universe zeroed in on that one spot as his tormented nipple screamed in agony. Elden cried out but before the feeling had a chance to take over, Cabe’s mouth sucked his abused flesh into his mouth, soothing it as only Cabe seemed able to do.
Nothing existed outside of this moment. Nothing could. All he knew was the man he loved was there, giving him the greatest pleasure Elden had ever known. His body short circuited, his hips bucked hard against Cabe’s as wave after wave of pleasure took him higher than Elden had ever known.
He was there, on the precipice, looking down, wanting – no – needing something…
Unable to hold that thought, Elden screamed those three little words he’d been trying to hold back when Cabe simultaneously plucked the second clip off of him and thrust into him over and over again as if he couldn’t get enough of Elden’s body. “I love you.”
Lips crashed down upon his own as the wave he’d been riding did the same. His body froze as bolts of electricity lit up every cell inside of him. It was too much. Elden clung to Cabe as his dick jerked violently before streams of fluid filled the space between them.
No way should one person have this much pleasure. It had to defy the laws of physics or something. Yet, not only had Elden felt it, but it got even better as Cabe thrust hard once more, his body shuddering as he slammed as deep as possible into Elden’s body.
Elden could feel Cabe’s cock throb and grow. Their eyes met. Satisfaction and pride, mixed with awe and something Elden would have sworn looked like love, shone down on him as Cabe’s seed filled Elden’s channel.
His own dick twitched at the knowledge that there would always be a piece of this man inside of him. Smiling, Elden didn’t fight the bliss that settled within him. Life hadn’t always been easy for Elden, but in this moment, his past no longer mattered.
For Cabe was his future.
CHAPTER 16
Cabe had no doubt he wore a goofy smile as he held Elden in his arms, while still deep within his body. He hated that, even now, he could feel his dick softening and it would soon slip from Elden’s heat.
The connection he had with Elden was so much more than he’d ever dreamed it could have been. Hell, until Elden, he would have never thought for a second this was something he’d want. Yet, since meeting him, it had been all Cabe could think about.
Elden wasn’t just in his heart, he was in Cabe’s soul. A part of him that he would never let go. And to hear that this wonderful man loved him, too? Cabe’s arms tightened around Elden.
Who would have thought three little words could mean the world to Cabe? No. Not just the world. The phrase was too trite for how much Elden’s confession had meant to him.
It was as if Cabe were now complete. Whole. He hadn’t even known he wasn’t until those words fell from Elden’s lips.
Soft groans of disappointment from both of them could be heard when Cabe’s dick slid from Elden’s channel. That made him smile. It was nice to know they both hadn’t wanted to lose that physical connection.
Tugging Elden tighter into the curve of his body, Cabe kissed his temple, then his cheek before Elden tilted his head up to seal their mouths in a sweet kiss. Cabe did his best to convey all of his feelings for this man into that one kiss, but he knew in his heart, he could kiss his sweetie for the rest of his life and never be able to show him just how much he loved him.
Elden pulled his head away and stared hard at Cabe’s chest as he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Cabe froze. He had no idea what Elden could possibly think he’d done wrong. “There is nothing to be sorry for, my sweet.”
By the way Elden’s back and shoulders were held stiffly, it was obvious Elden thought there was. “I didn’t mean to say that during…” His cheeks bloomed a soft pink.
If it wasn’t for the fact that he was fairly certain Elden was telling him he hadn’t meant to say, ‘I love you,’ he would have chuckled at how Elden could be embarrassed talking about sex. Yet during the act, he was open to all of Cabe’s kinks and seemed to fully enjoy them.
“You mean, you don’t love me?” Cabe tried not to sound hurt or disappointed, but he’d failed miserably. They had only been dating a month. Asking Elden to love him that quickly wasn’t exactly fair, but Cabe wasn’t feeling fair at the moment. He wanted Elden to be as much in love with him as he was with Elden.
“No,” Elden called out in alarm. He rose up onto his elbow and pushed Cabe onto his back before half draping himself over him as if pinning Cabe down so he couldn’t leave. “I do, it’s just…” his voice trailed off, his eyes shifting to a spot on the bed before he sighed and returned his gaze to Cabe. “I hadn’t wanted to tell you the first time like that. You know, in the heat of the moment. It seemed…”
Elden closed his eyes for just a second, then tilted his head so those cinnamon-colored eyes were upon Cabe once more. “I didn’t want you to think I just said it because of the sex. I meant it. I love you, Cabe.”
Touched, Cabe felt his heart melt at the sincerity in Eld
en’s voice. He reached up to cup one side of Elden’s face, his thumb tracing along that full bottom lip. “I love you too, Elden Richland.” Then he pulled him down for a kiss.
If he could, Cabe would have spent all day in bed loving on Elden, but just because it was Valentine’s Day didn’t mean they got the day off. “If we get up now, we should have enough time to take a shower together,” he whispered against Elden’s lips.
Apparently, he didn’t have to tell Elden twice for his sweet, sweet man, jumped up from the bed and raced to turn on the water. But as quick as Elden had been, Cabe hadn’t missed the sight of his seed dripping out of Elden’s ass.
His cock twitched as he tossed back the covers and stalked after Elden. There was more than a good chance he was going to be late opening the bar. Good thing he owned it.
***
“Thank God you’re here,” Shine said to Cabe as he dropped onto the barstool next to Elden.
Elden had finished working and was waiting for the crowd to die down so Cabe could take him out for Valentine’s Day. They were going to Kimura, a Japanese restaurant on the other side of the square.
“Why? What do you need?” Cabe asked Shine, who was practically vibrating as he tried to sit, but was too agitated to actually be still.
“A drink. Something strong,” Shine told him.
That was an odd request coming from Shine. The man sold moonshine for fuck’s sake. “Why didn’t you just take a shot of moonshine at Get Your Shine On.” That was Shine and Montague’s tasting room on the square.
Shine glared at him as if Cabe had just committed some mortal sin. “Because Montague was there. Duh.”
“And you’re trying to hide your need for a drink, why?” Elden asked him as he sipped the newest drink that Cabe had created just for him. It had a whole lot of sweet, which Elden admittedly preferred, but this time Cabe added a bit of sour, since Elden hadn’t seemed to like only sweet drinks. “Cabe, this is amazing,” Elden said before Shine could answer his question. “What did you put in it?”
Shine grabbed the drink and drank half it down in one gulp. When he put the glass down he grimaced. “Seriously?” he asked Elden. “That’s not a drink, it’s fucking Kool-aid.”
Cabe rolled his eyes. “I’m glad you like it, sweetie. I think I’ll call it Sweet and Sassy. What do you think?”
Elden opened his mouth to answer but Shine butted in. “Dude, who cares? I need a drink, stat.”
“Make him that drink you made for me after dinner with my mother,” Elden suggested.
Cabe chuckled as he remembered that night. The attempted dinner may not have worked out, but the rest of their evening had been fantastic. After getting home from eating at Papa Nick’s, Elden was still frustrated and a bit upset about his mother’s manipulations so Cabe had tried to make him a drink to relax him.
It had only taken Elden two sips before he was tipsy and very, very pliant in Cabe’s arms. They’d forgotten all about Doris for the rest of the night.
“Yeah,” Shine agreed with Elden. “Make me that, but just be sure it’s a helluva lot stronger than that.” He grimaced at the glass Elden was happily sipping from.
Cabe started pouring the ingredients into the shaker. “So, may I ask why the need for a strong drink?”
Shine’s eyes widened and he audibly gulped. “I need it for dinner with Montague.”
Elden scrunched his brows together in confusion. “Don’t you two eat dinner together every night? Why would you need a drink?”
Shine closed his eyes. His hands shook as he picked up the glass Cabe put in front of him. He drained half the glass before his eyes widened once more, this time in surprise. “Damn, boy. What the hell is the name of this drink?”
Cabe shrugged. He’d made it at home for Elden and really hadn’t thought about it again. “I hadn’t named it.”
“Well, I got one,” Shine said before downing the rest of it and handing the glass back to Cabe. “I think you should call it Berry-You, get it?”
“You mean because he made it with strawberry and pomegranate liqueur, with a splash of raspberry lemonade?” Elden asked.
Shine shook his head. “No, because it will put you six-feet under. Now, make me another.”
Cabe chuckled. “I am not about to name a drink Bury-You, but I like the play on words, so I will make the first name B-e-r-r-y.” He winked at Elden. “But we’ll know what it really means.”
“You didn’t answer why you need a drink before dinner,” Elden reminded Shine when he started on his second drink. “Don’t you normally order alcohol at dinner?”
“Yes,” Shine finally said when half of his second drink was gone. “But I need a little liquid courage beforehand.”
Shine glanced from Elden, to Cabe, then the door. Cabe wasn’t sure what he was looking for but apparently Shine was satisfied when he turned back to them because he pulled a small box out of his coat pocket and placed it on the bar.
Three pairs of eyes stared at it. In the past, Cabe would have taken a small step back seeing that box, but now that he was with Elden, he found himself considering marriage for the first time in his life.
Elden gasped. “Are you going ask him to marry you?”
Shine clamped a hand over Elden’s mouth. “Any louder and everyone in the next town will hear you.”
A bit dramatic since the bar was quite loud as the crowd continued to pour in after work. Cabe hadn’t thought it would get that busy since it was Valentine’s Day, but apparently those who were single had chosen his bar to forget about what the day signified. He just hoped they would be able to make their reservations at six-thirty.
“But yes,” Shine said as he sat back on his stool. “I am.” He drained the rest of his second glass and handed it back to Cabe. “Another.”
Cabe was about to refuse when they heard Montague call out, “There you are, Shine. I was wondering where you’d disappeared to.”
Shine glared a warning at both Cabe and Elden and slid the ring box off the bar before Montague could see it. Then he turned to smile at Montague. “I just wanted to be sure Cabe had enough moonshine for the night.” He waved his hand around the crowded bar. “As you can see, they are quite busy tonight.”
Cabe had to give Shine credit for coming up with the lie so quickly and easily. “Hey, Montague. You two have any plans for Valentine’s Day?”
Montague grinned at Shine and placed a sweet kiss to his lips. “Shine is taking me to Kimura’s for dinner.”
“Really?” Elden clapped his hands. “That’s where Cabe is taking me. I just love their food.”
“Excuse me.” Shine slid off the barstool. “I just need to go to the bathroom.”
The man looked positively green.
Montague, on the other hand, appeared as happy as a lark. When he sat down on the barstool Shine had just vacated, he leaned in and said, “I’m going to ask Shine to marry to me tonight.”
Both Cabe and Elden congratulated Montague without saying anything about Shine’s plans. At least the two were on the same page. It should prove to be an interesting night. One he and Elden would have a front row seat to watch.
CHAPTER 17
When both Shine and Montague admitted their plans for the night at the very same restaurant Cabe was taking him to, Elden didn’t for a second think they’d be sitting at the booth right next to them. The seat backs were high enough that he couldn’t see either man, but he still felt awkward, especially knowing what was about to happen.
“Do you want me to ask if they have somewhere else for us to sit?” Cabe asked when he saw how uncomfortable Elden was.
That was all Elden had needed to remind him they weren’t there for Shine or Montague. They were on their own date. To celebrate their own relationship. “No.” He smiled at Cabe and reached across the table to intertwine their fingers. “All I need is you.”
Sappy? Yep. But more than worth it by the smile Cabe gave him. “I love you.” It was weird, since he’d said it that morni
ng, Elden found himself wanting to shout it from the rooftops. He never even told his own mother those words.
“I love you too, my sweet.” The sincerity in Cabe’s voice touched Elden just as much as the words themselves. How had he ever managed to get so lucky?
“Good evening, Cabe, Elden,” Kobe greeted them as he put two glasses of water on the table. “Can I get you something else to drink?”
He knew the Sweet and Sassy drink Cabe created for him earlier hadn’t had a lot of alcohol in it, but Elden was still feeling a bit buzzed. Since he didn’t want to forget a moment of this day, he stayed with nothing more than water.
“I’ll just have water too, Kobe,” Cabe told their waiter, who also happened to be the son of the owner. “But can you put in an order of the edamame for us?”
When the appetizer came out and they’d put their dinner order in, the fireworks began. “What?” Shine shouted way too loudly for such a small restaurant. “No. Not happening.”
“You mean you don’t want to marry me?” Montague sounded completely dejected and maybe just a little bit pissed based on his raised voice.
“Of course, I want to marry you,” Shine yelled, this time garnering the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
Elden couldn’t help himself. It was like a train wreck that he knew he shouldn’t look at but couldn’t stop himself from staring. Leaning over, he peaked around the edge of the booth.
Shine was standing there glaring down at Montague, who was down on one knee holding a small jewelry box open. If it wasn’t for the glares and harsh words, the scene would have been picture perfect.
Montague surged to his feet and got in Shine’s space. Elden couldn’t see his expression as his back was to their table, but his stiff posture was enough of an indication that he was still mad at Shine.
“Then what in the hell is your problem?” Montague demanded. “Did I do it wrong?” Montague scoffed. “Was I supposed to have Daisy carry the ring to you, or something stupid like that? Because we both know she would have eaten the rings before you ever saw them.”
