2017 Top Ten Gay Romance

by J. M. Snyder

  With obvious effort, he suddenly pulled back, and if he hadn’t immediately grabbed my ass and hoisted me up, I would have protested. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pushed my erection into his rock-hard abs. Chase pressed sucking kisses against my neck as he backed me against the door.

  “Eli?” His words vibrated against my Adam’s apple, and I shivered. “Baby, I want to come in and fuck you. Will you let me?”

  The whimper that escaped me was all lust and made him chuckle. “Yes. God, yes. Please.”

  Chase hitched me a little higher and turned me sideways, and for a second, I couldn’t figure out what he was doing. Then he pressed my hip against the wall and I heard the click of the lock disengaging. I laughed even as I rained kisses on his face. He’d gotten the fob in my pocket in front of the reader so we didn’t have to let go of each other to deal with silly things like doors.

  Chase gave me a wicked grin, then backed through my front door while I held onto him for all I was worth.

  Normally I was cautious and careful, and I never had sex with a guy until I was sure there was trust between us. But with Chase, it was different. I wanted him in my bed, in me, and I didn’t even worry about the rest. Because for reasons I couldn’t even begin to process, I already trusted him. And so I was more than eager to get him into my bedroom.

  It wasn’t hard to find my room since the door was standing open, and Chase crossed the threshold without lifting his lips from mine. He made a beeline for the bed, and dropped me onto it, following me down and pressing my body into the mattress with his. He panted, and I could tell it wasn’t just from the frantic kissing.

  “You should have let me walk,” I murmured against his throat while he breathed heavily into my ear.

  He chuckled, then shook his head. “No way was I putting you down. You feel too good in my arms.”

  If he hadn’t already charmed me, that would have done it. I arched up, pressing my lower half into his stomach. I could feel him, hard and eager, and it made me want him more. I grasped his head, pulling his mouth back to mine, needing to kiss him. To devour him. I was so intent on that, so caught up in tasting him, owning his mouth, I didn’t even realize he was slowly and methodically divesting us of our clothes. That his caresses were intermittent because he was undoing snaps and buttons. Only when he pulled away to tug his shirt over his head did I notice my own was undone along the front, and my pants were halfway down my legs.

  My wicked grin made him laugh, and I quickly shoved off the rest of my clothes into a heap on the floor. In my three or so seconds of inattention, Chase had gotten naked, too. When I looked at him, my breath caught. He was so insanely gorgeous, from his beautiful, heat-filled smile to his strong shoulders. From his cut abs to his massive thighs. And his cock was so perfect, I could write sonnets about it. Long, straight, and just thick enough, I couldn’t decide if I wanted him in my mouth or ass more.

  Chase took the decision out of my hands when he asked on a panting breath, “Lube?”

  I reached under the pillow and pulled it out with a flourish. He chuckled, and pounced, once again pinning my body under his. He kissed me, deep and hard, then broke it to trail his lips along my jaw. I lifted my chin up and to the side so he could have all the access he wanted.

  “You got a condom hiding under there, too?”

  The vibration of his words against my ear made me shiver in the most delicious way, and I wrapped my arms and legs around him, pulling him tighter. “Do we need one?”

  Chase went utterly still. For a long minute, I heard only his breathing. I didn’t try to rush him. I knew what I was asking.

  He pushed himself up just enough to look in my eyes. “I’ve never done it without one,” he said, his voice low and soft.

  “Me, either,” I responded in the same tone. “And I get it if you don’t want to. But…” I took a deep breath to relish the scent of him, all spicy cologne and fresh laundry. “I can show you the results of my last test so you can see I don’t have anything.”

  “Me, too. I mean, I can, too.”

  I nodded, looking into those hazel depths and fighting not to get lost only because of the serious conversation. “I want you inside me without anything between us. I want to feel your heat and your skin and your cum. I want it all.”

  It was Chase’s turn to shiver. He rocked his hips, his slick cock dragging over my stomach. He kissed me, fast and hard, and with his lips against mine, whispered, “Fuck, I want that, too.”

  “Then just you and the lube.”

  He went still again, then looked at me, checking. “You trust me?”

  “I do.”

  It was all he needed to hear. His face broke out into a heart-stopping grin, then he found the lube where I’d dropped it. His lube coated fingers were at my hole a moment later, and I held onto him as he stretched me. The burn felt so good. He played with me, rubbing and tugging on my rim, pushing in deep and pressing on my prostate, slicking the way until I begged and whimpered.

  When Chase removed his fingers, I actually whined at the loss. His low, wicked chuckle made me moan. He shoved a pillow under my hips, then kissed me long and slow as he moved into position. I was only a few inches shorter than him, so it took only a bit of contorting until his blunt cock touched my hole. I hung onto his shoulders, making sure he didn’t stop kissing me. But he lifted his head anyway so he could see my eyes as he sought entrance into my body.

  His first thrust was tentative, but I planted my feet and pushed up as he pressed in on a second pass. He growled my name as I strained to accommodate him. Chase let me get used to his size, seeing both the need and the discomfort on my face. He didn’t rush, even as he fought to keep still.

  It was sweet and I appreciated it, but it wasn’t necessary.

  I wiggled, then pressed upward. Chase’s eyes went wide and he growled, a dark sound that sent a thrill through my body. He took over then, adjusting his position and setting a steady, hard rhythm. His body pounded into mine and I took it, angling my hips so his cock hit all the best spots.

  “You’re so hot and tight,” Chase said, his voice strained. “Fuck, you feel good.”

  I nodded. Then I grabbed his head and brought his mouth to mine. I needed his taste on my tongue while he pounded my ass. He certainly knew what he was doing. He had the angle, tempo, and force just right.

  “Oh, God,” I groaned after far too short a time. “Oh, God. Chase. I’m gonna come.”

  “Fuck, yeah. Do it, baby.”

  I shook my head, hanging on so tightly my fingernails pressed into his flesh. I didn’t want to come yet. But his dick banged my sweet spot and my abdomen tightened with my impending release.

  Chase didn’t break his rhythm as he shifted his weight onto one arm and grabbed my cock with his free hand. After a few strokes of his talented fingers, coupled with several short slams directed against my prostate, I screamed his name as cum flew from my dick. Chase didn’t stop, didn’t even pause, just kept pounding away as I writhed on his cock. Just as I finished, he pushed in so hard I thought he’d leave bruises on my ass, and his hot cum flooded my passage.

  I whimpered again, clutching him tightly, needing him closer.

  Chase held me as snugly as physically possible, his cock still lodged in my ass.

  A long moment later, when our harsh breathing began to slow, Chase looked me in the eye. “You okay?”

  I smiled dreamily. “So, so okay. That was the best thing ever. Don’t pull out, okay?”

  “I won’t,” he assured me. He kissed my sweaty temple and sighed contently. He slid his hand down my back so he could touch where we still joined. “This was way fucking hotter than I ever thought. You wanna know why?”

  “Why?” I asked automatically, snuggling closer.

  “Trust. You trust me. That’s the sexiest thing ever.”

  I smiled, then wiggled just a little so I could feel us still connected.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, I was so happy and
sated, I didn’t want to get out of bed. But Chase’s rumbling stomach forced us both to abandon the kissing and get up. I cleaned myself in the bathroom first, then wandered through the loft to the kitchen to see what I had to offer. Chase took a little longer, but soon joined me as I pulled eggs and milk out of the refrigerator.

  “What are we making?” he asked on a yawn, then shot me a sleepy grin. “And is there coffee?”

  I nodded toward the single-cup brewer on the end of the counter and the deep red mug I’d already set there for his use. His expression turned grateful, and I couldn’t help but lean over and kiss his cheek as I walked by.

  “When you’re done making your cup, there’s a waffle iron in that far cabinet. Would you get it please?” I pointed to the cabinet with my elbow, then set things down on the counter. I turned toward the pantry to retrieve the dry goods.

  Chase made a yummy noise, and my dick perked up. I resolutely told myself it could have its fun after we were fed and Chase’s stomach no longer interrupted us. It didn’t seem to care about my warning when I turned in time to see Chase reach in the cabinet. He was wearing only his boxers, and as he bent, they stretched tight across his gorgeous ass.

  It was my turn to make a noise.

  With a salacious, wicked smirk, Chase straightened, then shook his ass as he sauntered closer with the appliance. As soon as he was close enough, I snagged the back of his neck, yanking him in for a kiss. We pulled apart when we started panting, and grinned for a long moment before we went back to our tasks.

  After I assembled all the ingredients, I mixed the batter. Chase stood close, watching me and humming along to a song on the radio. I hadn’t realized I’d turned it on, but I must have out of habit. I hated silence, and since it was just me in the big loft, it was often too quiet for my liking, so I almost always had a radio or TV playing in the background.

  A faster pop song came on and Chase started dancing, just a motion of his hips to the beat, but I was entranced. When he noticed my attention, he ramped it up, really dancing, and I increased the radio’s volume. He grabbed my hand, playfully kissing it, and I abandoned my batter to let him pull me into his arms. We danced right there in my kitchen, wearing only boxers, and it felt great.

  He spun me away from him, then back, and when I was in his arms again, I leaned close. “Want to go to a ball with me?”

  Chase threw back his head and laughed, grabbing my hips and pulling me tight against his pelvis. “Sure, Eli. You got it.”

  I laughed a little, too, but made sure I could catch his attention. When he viewed the look on my face, he stopped dancing and stepped back so we could properly see each other. He studied me a long moment, and I saw the instant he realized my question had been serious.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “For the kids at Josef’s House,” I explained, mentioning the LGBTQIA youth center, which had been my first endeavor after receiving my inheritance. Its residence housed twenty-five homeless youths, most who’d been kicked out of their former residences because of their orientation. Another twenty-five or so attended programming in the afternoons and on weekends.

  “What about them?” Chase cocked his head to the side, looking so much like a confused puppy I wanted to ruffle his hair.

  “It’s an alternative prom. Of sorts. I mean, a lot of them don’t attend regular high school. But even the ones that do, it’s not always safe to bring a date of the same sex. Or wear an outfit that matches the inside and not the outside, you know? Even when the school says it is. So we’ve organized a ball so they can dress up fancy and party like any other teenager.”

  “That’s awesome.” Chase grinned widely. “When is it?”

  “Three weeks from Friday.” I stepped in close, wrapping my arms around him and swaying to the music when a slower song came on. “So how about it? I’m chaperoning. Will you come with me?”

  “Hell fucking yeah.” Then he kissed me.

  * * * *

  For the third Tuesday in a row, we had dinner at Michelle’s. Chase ordered the meatloaf every time and I didn’t know how he wasn’t sick of it, but he assured me he wasn’t. Tuesday wasn’t the only day of the week I saw Chase—we spent most nights together, and any part of the weekend he wasn’t working—but it was fast becoming my favorite. It was like an unspoken rule that we would eat at the diner, and I liked that we had a “date night.”

  Michelle brought out the coffee without even asking, with creamer for me and sugar for Chase. She paused only long enough to find out if we wanted dessert, and even though I was too full, Chase enthusiastically said “yes” this time.

  “She didn’t ask you what you wanted,” I commented, watching the petite beauty saunter away.

  Hearing Chase laugh always warmed a part of me, but I had no idea why he was doing it now. He casually stretched across the table to take my hand and play with my fingers. “She doesn’t have to ask. She knows I’m going to want whichever cake or confection she’s made. And I mean that literally. She’s a baking genius, and she plays with recipes and makes them her own. It’s great.” He gave a happy sigh.

  “I’m sure it is. I’ll have to steal a bite.”

  Chase’s smile grew tender. “You don’t have to steal. Whatever I have is yours.”

  My breath caught for a second. It was too soon for him to mean that like I thought he did. Really too soon. But Chase was looking at me so intently, his face serious even with the tender smile, that I didn’t know any other way to take it. He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my fingertips.

  “Just gonna put this out there, okay? The way I feel about you is just so damn intense and…” He floundered for a second. “Deep. So I’m all in. I want to see where this goes.”

  “Me, too,” I breathed.

  “Good.” Chase sat back, then glanced toward the kitchen and moved his cup out of the way. He didn’t let go of my hand even as Michelle brought over a decadent-looking éclair drizzled with white, dark, and milk chocolate. Only reason my mouth didn’t water at the sight was because I was so full of frittata.

  Chase didn’t touch his dessert, though, but just kept staring at me. “So we’re doing this?”

  It took me a second to figure out what he was talking about. The éclair had been that distracting. But I smiled at him, making sure to put all my intent and affection into the expression. It must have worked, because he relaxed and gave that huge grin again. I picked up my coffee without breaking his gaze.

  “Yes. We’re dating with intent.” I tried for playful and Chase laughed. “I love spending time with you. You make me feel good and safe and happy and horny, and all those amazing things. I want to see where it goes, too.”

  Chase’s face lit up, then he stood enough so he could lean across the table and kiss me quickly. I couldn’t get the ridiculous grin off my face. I’d been attracted to him from the moment I saw him, but it had only grown as we spent time together. The expression he was wearing right now was one I lived for.

  And then he offered me the first bite of the éclair, and I knew he was truly serious.

  Chapter 5

  I was tempted to throw my phone across the room, but it wasn’t the phone’s fault and it would be unfair to destroy it in a fit. I set it gently on the coffee table instead. Raking my fingers through my hair, pulling a little, I huffed out a breath. I wracked my brains. There had to be somewhere I could call.

  When someone knocked at the door, I growled in complete frustration as I stalked across the floor to answer it. I was so preoccupied and upset, I was ready to tear whoever was on the other side a new one. Until I whipped open the door and saw Chase’s smiling face. Just like that, my frustration vanished. I hadn’t realized how badly I’d needed him until he showed up.

  Wednesdays were his late night, so I didn’t usually see him until after eight. In the weeks following our first date, we’d become nearly inseparable. That was fine by me. I enjoyed his company more and more with every passing day, and I didn’t feel
whole if he wasn’t with me. I hadn’t yet shared my thoughts and feelings with him, but I knew he felt similarly. Soon, I’d be ready to talk about it. But not quite yet.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” he asked, stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

  I threw myself into his arms and sighed deeply as he hugged me. Just being with him made everything better.

  I pulled back and kissed him softly but thoroughly before I pulled out of his embrace. He was still worried, and that he knew me so well, could know that I was upset by just one look at my face, warmed my insides. I took his hand and led him toward the couch.

  “The ballroom at the Marriott flooded.”

  Chase squinted. “Where the ball is supposed to be? In two days?” When I nodded, he looked horror-stricken. “What are we going to do?”

  We. Just that one word made me want to melt. In just a few weeks, we had become a unit. I loved that more than I could say.

  But I couldn’t even revel in the feelings. I was so frustrated by the situation, about constantly coming up against a brick wall, that my euphoria quickly vanished. The ball was in two days, and I was having zero luck.

  “I don’t know.” I sighed heavily and flopped backward onto the couch, rubbing my hands against my face. “I’ve called every place I can think of. Either they are already booked, they can’t accommodate our numbers, or they just flat out said ‘no.’ I’m at a loss.”

  Chase’s brow furrowed, and his gaze focused on the far wall. “How many people are we talking?”

  “Around a hundred. Fifty-two teens live at and use services at the center. Everyone said they were coming, and almost everyone has a date. And then ten adults to chaperone. And you. And maybe a few other dates?”

  He nodded, still not looking at me. “And we just need an open space for dancing. A few bathrooms?”