by Carol Lynne
Erico stared at Jay for several moments before answering. “We can eat in the bar.”
Jay picked up the plates and handed one to Erico. “I hope it’s cooked to your liking.”
Erico carried his plate into the bar. Instead of sitting at the bar itself, he chose one of the small booths. He went behind the bar and filled two glasses with ice. “What would you like to drink?”
“Water’s fine,” Jay answered.
“Two waters coming up.”
Jay sat down and spread his napkin over his lap. He was secretly happy Erico chose this room instead of the dining room. Although he’d wanted to try the food at The Canoe since he’d moved to town, he didn’t feel comfortable in the formal atmosphere. Table manners weren’t the problem. His nana had drilled those into him from an early age. It was more a feeling of not belonging that bothered him. Without the gift certificate from Ethan, there was no way Jay would ever be able to afford it.
Jay watched as Erico cut into his fillet. He held his breath waiting for the chef’s reaction. Jay cooked steak almost every night of the week. Once again, he knew it was his lack of formal training that made him feel inferior.
“Mmm. This is cooked perfectly,” Erico said.
Despite his earlier anger, Jay smiled at the compliment. “Thank you.”
“Do you have plans for New Year’s Eve?” Erico asked.
Jay waited until he finished swallowing his bite. When he’d agreed to dinner, he hadn’t considered Erico would want to initiate small talk. Jay had never been good at it with people he didn’t know. He’d found it was best he stay quiet rather than make a fool of himself by saying something stupid or improper. Yet here he was, expected to carry on a conversation with someone he barely knew. “I’m running the kids’ New Year’s Eve party at the lodge while their parents celebrate in the ballroom.”
“Are you doing that by yourself?” Erico asked.
“Ethan’s supposed to be back from visiting his dad.” Although his best friend had only been gone for a week, Jay missed him. Ethan helped keep him grounded. If his friend was here, Jay would have never given in to his desire to visit The Canoe on his own. He knew it was loneliness mixed with a good deal of curiosity that had him putting on his new shirt and favourite jeans to dine at the restaurant.
“You really like kids, huh?” Erico asked after he took a sip of water.
Jay nodded. He’d often wondered if people thought him a pervert because of his love for children. Actually, he’d even wondered himself a time or two. He’d come to the conclusion it wasn’t wrong to want to be with the children. There was nothing sexual in his need to be hugged by them. They made him feel normal, like he was, in some way, part of their family. If they liked him, it wasn’t because they thought they could get something from him. Jay knew he couldn’t explain it to Erico without sounding like a complete wacko, so he didn’t try.
Jay glanced down at his plate. Although he’d only managed half of his steak and perhaps a third of his salad, he was stuffed. He wiped his mouth and set his napkin to the side of his plate.
“You’re not finished are you?” Erico asked.
“I’m full. I’ll take the rest home and eat it for dinner tomorrow,” Jay answered.
“The salad won’t be any good by then. Why don’t you try to eat a little more?”
Jay clenched his hands under the table. People were always the same. “I’m a grown man. I think I know when I’ve had enough.” Jay stood and pushed in his chair. “Sorry if the sight of me sickens you.”
Without giving Erico a chance to answer, Jay stormed through the bar to the front of the restaurant where he’d left his coat, hat, gloves and scarf.
“Wait a minute,” Erico said, his voice gruffer than Jay had ever heard it.
Jay continued to pull his coat on. From the expression on Erico’s face, Jay knew he needed to get out and fast. Before Erico could reach him, Jay snatched up the rest of his winter gear and pushed open the front door.
Jay was on the sidewalk before Erico reached him. “Wait a goddamn minute. Where do you get off saying something like that and then just walking off? I never said your body sickened me. I’m a fucking chef. I know salad doesn’t store once you’ve put dressing on it.”
Jay backed away, stepping into the street as he pulled his hat over his head. “Forget it.”
“I won’t forget it!” Erico yelled. “It’s taken everything I have to keep my hands off your body all evening long. I won’t let you paint me with a brush that has nothing to do with me.”
Jay’s jaw dropped. Although his body tingled at the declaration, it didn’t make him feel any less nervous. Horny or angry, men tended to lose control of themselves where Jay was concerned.
He continued to back his way into the street. Unfortunately, the entire town seemed deserted except the two of them. “I’m sorry. Thank you for dinner, but I need to go now.”
With those words, Jay turned and ran to his apartment over the flower shop. By the time he made it up the stairs and shut the door to his apartment, Jay was shaking, and not just from the frigid temperature. He’d made a complete fool of himself and he knew it. It no longer mattered that he had a small crush on Erico. He doubted the man would ever talk to him again. “Serves me right for looking outside my comfort zone.”
Chapter Two
Erico fired another email off to the sous chef he’d hired with the employment papers attached. He tapped his fingers on the desk, hoping he’d made the right decision. He’d interviewed François Tilmont six months earlier but had decided to go with another applicant at the time.
Now that Francois was hired, Erico hoped things would iron out quickly. The man seemed rather flirty in their initial interview and then again in his emails. In a surprising move, even to himself, Erico had been quick to inform his new sous chef that he was after a working relationship with him and nothing more.
Erico pulled up the photo which had been sent with Francois’ initial resume. The man was hot, there was no two ways about it, but he did nothing for Erico’s cock. The buzz cut black hair and deep dimples were intriguing, but Erico couldn’t get another man to stop haunting his dreams.
He thought about the fillet he’d wrapped up and stuck in the fridge the previous night. Erico still couldn’t figure out what he’d done to make Jay so angry. He wondered if people often gave Jay a hard time about his size. Erico knew the waif-like physique wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and until he’d met Jay, it had never been his, but Jay wore it well. There was something about the man’s body that had Erico dreaming of licking every square inch of it.
Erico’s cock began to harden in his sweatpants. It seemed like forever since he’d fucked or been fucked. The last really good fuck he’d enjoyed was before the grandstand tragedy. Erico closed his eyes, trying to force the images of the moments leading up to the collapse out of his mind.
It still shamed him to remember being balls deep inside Ethan’s ass when Jay had called his best friend, frantic with the news of the disaster. Erico still couldn’t believe he’d fucked the newcomer. What was even worse was that he’d pictured Jay’s face the entire time he’d fucked his way to oblivion.
Afterwards, Ethan had made Erico promise to never mention their encounter to Jay. It wasn’t a hard promise to make. Erico was ashamed of himself for using the younger man like he had. The reason he’d asked Ethan to come into his office in the first place had been to pump him for information about Jay. Little did he know he’d end up pumping Ethan in an entirely different way.
Watching the way Jay cared for the townspeople that horrible day, had changed his feelings towards Jay. No longer did he merely want in the man’s pants, he wanted in his heart. It was a totally out-of-the-blue revelation for Erico. Never had he wanted to fall in love. He’d seen how broken his beloved mother had been when his father died. He’d vowed at the time to never let anyone have that much control over his happiness. His resolve had lasted the next seventeen years of his life un
til that fateful day in July.
He closed the image of Francois and pulled up the photo album on his laptop. He scrolled through the various pictures, most of them nudes of past lovers, to the picture of Jay he’d secretly taken at the spring picnic.
It had been one of the first warm days of spring and everyone broke out their shorts. Jay was no different, but his shorts were almost indecently short. Those delectable shorts paired with a tight, white crop top, and Erico had been a goner from that moment on. He’d spent the entire day secretly watching the incredibly sexy man.
The strange part about it was no one seemed to take offence to Jay’s chosen outfit. When Jay had first shown up in town, it had been to murmurs about the beautiful man wearing make-up. Jay didn’t wear a lot, but the man did enjoy expertly applying eye makeup and the occasional hint of blush on his cheeks.
As Erico stared at the picture of Jay, he reached down and slipped his hand inside his sweats. He’d always been attracted to muscles, so his undeniable desire for a man wearing makeup and short shorts had knocked him on his ass at the time.
He fondled his balls for several moments before slowly stroking his cock as he imagined bending Jay over the picnic table he was standing by in the photo. He’d rip open the seat of Jay’s shorts and ram his cock into the already stretched and lubed hole in front of the entire town, marking the man as his.
The heat shooting into his hand took him by surprise. He lifted his fingers to his mouth and slowly licked them clean.
The ringing phone made him jump. He quickly reached for a tissue and began cleaning himself as he answered the call. “Hello?”
“How’s my Niño today?”
Erico grinned, glancing down at the mess he’d made in his pants. “I’m good, Mama. How’re you?”
“Not feeling dizzy?” Rosa prodded.
“No. I’m feeling strong today. Please don’t worry about me.” His mama insisted on calling daily to check on his declining health. He knew she worried and he loved her for that. “I hired someone to help me with the restaurant. He’ll start on Monday.”
“You’ll call when you schedule your surgery, no?”
“Yes, Mama. I promised you I would.”
“Your Papa, God rest his soul, felt like a new man after he had the angioplasty. I’m sure you will too. But that is not all, you know? You must learn to take better care of yourself.”
“I know, Mama. That’s why I’m trying to find someone I can trust to run the restaurant. If I can take more time off, I’m sure it will help.”
His mother sighed into the phone. “I love you. It’s a mama’s job to worry.”
“I know. I love you, too.”
“Call your fancy heart doctor and let me know. The sooner I can buy my ticket, the cheaper it will be.”
“I’ll buy your ticket. I’ve already told you that.” Erico grinned. It was an ongoing battle between them. Erico had quite a hefty savings account, but his mama still refused to let him help her with her bills.
Rosa made a noise in her throat. “I don’t need my son to take care of me. Just call when you have a date.”
“I will. I’ll talk to you later, Mama.” Erico hung up the phone and leant back in his chair. He doubted he’d have any diners, but he decided he’d better get cleaned up just in case. He was glad he kept a fairly complete wardrobe in his office closet.
* * * *
Jay sat staring out his window towards The Canoe. He felt an overwhelming desire to apologise to Erico for his actions the previous night. Once he’d gotten home and had a chance to think about it, he realised he’d been the one to jump to conclusions. Erico’s declaration that he’d been fighting to keep his hands off Jay had come as a complete shock.
The only thing that kept him rooted to his apartment was the fear of what might happen if he did go to see Erico again. He knew Erico’s reputation as well as anyone. The man was known as the playboy of Cattle Valley. Jay wondered if his loneliness and attraction to Erico was deep enough to drive him into the arms and bed of the handsome man.
It had been nearly a year since he’d felt the warm invasion of a lover’s cock. For someone who’d been sexually active since the age of fifteen, the dry spell was grating on his last nerve. Would an affair be such a bad thing? He knew he’d have to keep such a relationship to himself. Ethan would have a fucking cow if he found out Jay was letting Erico fuck him.
Jay still couldn’t figure out why Ethan hated Erico so much. Every time he asked Ethan about it, his friend would change the subject or say something to the effect that Erico was no better than a dog looking for a bitch in heat.
An image of Erico fucking him doggie-style came to mind, making Jay’s cock hard as a rock. Yeah. He thought maybe a couple of rounds with Erico might just scratch the itch he’d put off for months.
He checked to see that Erico’s expensive SUV was still parked in its usual spot beside the restaurant. With no other cars in sight, he knew if he was going to do it, now was the time. With his mind made up, he walked to his bedroom. Looking at the clothes in his closet, he grinned.
Although he didn’t make a lot of money, what little extra he had went on clothes he found for sale on the internet. It didn’t bother him to wear used clothing, so his money went a long way in building his wardrobe. He fingered through the shirts and came up with one of his newest. It had been an impulse buy for sure. He couldn’t imagine where in Cattle Valley he’d ever be able to wear a sheer, white silk-blend T-shirt, but the moment he saw it, he knew it needed to be his.
Jay bit his bottom lip and took the shirt off its hanger. Before he changed his mind, he pulled his cheap, drugstore T-shirt off and slipped into the tight white one. As much as he wanted to see what he looked like, he wanted the full effect. He stripped out of his baggy sweatpants and pulled on a pair of his oldest, tightest jeans. The ripped and faded denim fit like a second skin and he was sure was a stark contrast from the expensive looking shirt.
Walking into the bathroom, he turned on the light and stared at himself in the mirror. “You are such a slut.”
He covered his mouth with his hand as he laughed. What would the good citizens of Cattle Valley think of him if they could see him now? Although he knew most men had sexual secrets, he doubted any of them would suspect him of being a slutty, but confident, sensualist.
After a quick hair and makeup touch-up, Jay was ready. He hoped like hell he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself. As long as Erico’s temper remained in check, he thought he’d be fine with the man.
Mario’s self defence lessons hadn’t done much in the way of making him stronger, but he did understand that everything was fair when you were trying to get away from an attacker. Jay had no qualms about kneeing someone in the balls or poking their eyes with his thumbs. He doubted it would ever come to that, but at least he knew he could do it if he needed to. Besides, if Erico were going to hurt him, he probably would have done the previous night when Jay had pissed him off.
Right before leaving the apartment, Jay ran back into his bedroom and grabbed his old grey zip-up sweatshirt. He figured it would be best not to advertise the purpose for his visit right away.
He grinned as he locked the apartment door. Erico was probably the kind of guy who liked to feel like he was in charge. Jay would gladly let the handsome man think that if it got him what he needed.
Instead of wearing his hat, Jay flipped the parka hood over his head and jogged down the street a block before crossing to The Canoe. He was only mildly surprised to see the ‘Open’ sign on as he pushed the door open.
“Be right there,” Erico called out.
Jay took off his coat and adjusted the hard cock trapped within the tight confines of his jeans. He tossed his coat onto the bench along with his gloves and waited.
Erico came around the corner. His smile fell when he spotted Jay.
“I came to apologise,” Jay said, his earlier resolve slipping dramatically. It was always like this for him. He’d get himself al
l pumped up to show his inner-slut to the world and then something would happen to destroy his confidence. The confused expression on Erico’s face made Jay feel like an idiot.
“I figured you’d never step foot in here again,” Erico mumbled.
Jay shrugged. “I’m a big enough person to admit when I’m wrong.”
“How’s your back?” Erico asked.
“Okay. Bruised a little, but the scrapes aren’t so bad.”
Erico gestured towards the kitchen. “I wrapped up the rest of your fillet. You want me to get it for you?”
Jay nodded. “I’ll come with you if you don’t mind.”
“Uhh, sure.”
Jay followed Erico into the kitchen. It wasn’t until he was behind the man that he noticed the damp curls at the nape of Erico’s neck. Evidently he’d either just taken a shower or he’d been working up a sweat. Jay brushed his hand over the front of his jeans. Both images renewed his resolve to seduce the man without him even knowing it.
As he entered the kitchen, he unzipped his sweatshirt. Even though he didn’t take it off, he opened the front enough to tease Erico with glimpses of the skin beneath the sheer white fabric. He leaned with his back against the prep table and zeroed in on Erico’s ass.
Erico turned around and nearly dropped the foil-wrapped package. “Nice shirt.”
Jay smiled and spread his jacket open even further. “You like it?”
With his mouth half-open, Erico nodded. “A lot.”
Jay shrugged out of his zippered jacket and let it drop to the floor. He’d seen himself in the mirror earlier, so he knew exactly what Erico was looking at. His small dark brown nipples were clearly on display through the sheer fabric and Erico’s eyes appeared glued to them.
Erico’s head snapped up as he met Jay’s gaze. “What’re you doing?”
And BAM, just like that, Jay’s confidence flew out of the restaurant and straight back to his lonely apartment. He bent over and scooped his jacket off the floor. “I…uh…”
Before Jay could take a step in the direction of the door, Erico reached out and wrapped his hand around the back of Jay’s neck seconds before their mouths slammed together. It was as if they’d both been sitting on a powder keg just waiting for something to ignite the passion between them.
