by Carol Lynne
“After that eighty dollar cab ride from the airport, I’m busted,” Ethan complained.
Jay shook his head. “No. It’s completely free. It’s part of our payment for working the kids’ party tonight.”
“Oh. Well in that case, cool,” Ethan said around a yawn.
“I’ll get out of your hair and let you take a nap. You’ll need all your energy for later.”
“I’ll take you up on that offer.” Ethan stretched and yawned again. “Meet me back here before six?”
“Sure.” Jay waved as he walked out the door.
Once he was on the sidewalk, he glanced up at Ethan’s window to make sure his friend wasn’t looking and jogged down the sidewalk towards The Canoe. He didn’t know if Erico would have time to see him, but figured it was worth a shot.
* * * *
Erico was putting the last prime rib into the oven when he heard someone rustling around in the dining room. He glanced at the clock and frowned. His staff wasn’t supposed to arrive for another hour.
He shut the oven door and untied his apron, tossing it onto the prep table. “Hello?” he called as he exited the kitchen.
“It’s me,” Jay answered, entering the dining room from the bar area.
Erico smiled and opened his arms. He’d hated Jay leaving the previous night, but had held his tongue.
Jay walked straight into Erico’s arms and kissed him.
The slide of Jay’s tongue against Erico’s wasn’t meant to be loving, it was meant to entice. No problem there. Erico’s cock went rock hard within seconds. He ground his erection against Jay as the kiss grew into an all-out mouth fuck.
Breaking for air, Erico stared into those dark brown eyes he’d dreamt about all night. “Nice. What brings you by?”
“I was already out. Ethan just got home. Thought I’d stop by and give you your New Year’s kiss while I had the chance.”
“Mmm,” Erico moaned, rubbing his cock against Jay’s. “Happy New Year.”
Jay’s long, elegant fingers threaded their way through Erico’s hair as he glanced around the dining room. “Are you expecting a big crowd tonight?”
“No. We’re only serving from seven to nine. So far I’ve only had around fifty reservations.” He leant in for another kiss. “Of course that means I’ll be finished early. Do you want to come by?”
“Can’t. Remember, I’m working the children’s party. Chad gave me and Ethan a room for the night.”
“Well then I’ll come up and join you,” Erico said, kissing Jay’s long, slender neck.
Jay stiffened. “You can’t. I’ll be sharing a room with Ethan.”
Erico felt like he’d been slapped. He wrapped Jay even tighter in his arms and gazed into his eyes. “Sharing as in sharing?”
Jay grinned and shook his head. “Sharing as in we’re sleeping in the same room but separate beds.” Jay nipped Erico’s lower lip. “If I was fucking around with Ethan, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
Erico felt better about Jay staying at the hotel, but he hated the thought of being alone on New Year’s Eve. “Are you sure you won’t be able to sneak away, even for a few minutes? I could head to the Grizzly Bar after I close the restaurant.”
Jay nuzzled his face against Erico’s neck. “I doubt it. You’re not open tomorrow, are you?”
“No. I thought I’d head home and do some laundry.” Erico couldn’t keep the disappointment out of his voice. He couldn’t help but wonder whether Jay really couldn’t get away or if he was just afraid of being seen with Erico.
“Can I come by?” Jay asked.
“Sure. I can pick you up if you want?” Erico offered.
“That’s okay. It’s not far.”
Erico narrowed his eyes. “Does this have to do with you not wanting to be seen with me?”
Jay grinned. “Partially. Being tacked on to the long string of the men in this town you’ve fucked doesn’t exactly appeal to me.”
Erico released Jay and stepped back. “You’re ashamed to be with me?”
Jay shook his head. “I didn’t say that. Hell, if I did, I didn’t mean it that way. I just want us to be together for us, not for the town gossip mill, that’s all.”
Although he prayed Jay was telling the truth, Erico still had his doubts. When Jay wrapped his arms around Erico again and cuddled close, Erico admitted defeat. He didn’t know that he’d ever be able to stay mad at Jay for long.
“I’ve been thinking, and since I’m off for another week, I wondered if you’d like me to help your new guy out while you’re gone. At least long enough to get him settled.”
“Sounds good. I called the doctor earlier and he said he could do the procedure on the fifth, but I’d probably need to go in on the fourth to get the blood work and stuff done.”
Jay whistled. “Wow. That soon?”
Erico shrugged. “He’s been bugging me for months. I guess now that I’ve cleared my schedule, he’s jumping on it. My mom will be in on the fourth as well. I’ll pick her up in Sheridan before heading to the hospital.”
“If I can find a car to borrow, I’ll come up and see you while you’re in the hospital,” Jay said.
“My mom will be staying at my place. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind bringing you up with her,” Erico offered. Jay had made it clear he didn’t want to be around Erico’s mom, but Erico knew his mama wasn’t like most. She may try to mother Jay to death, but she certainly wouldn’t turn up her nose at him.
“We’ll see,” was all Jay said.
Erico ran his hands over Jay’s ass, stopping to give the twin globes a rough squeeze. “Are you sure you won’t change your mind about tonight?”
“I’m sure, but I’ll spend all day tomorrow with you.”
“And tomorrow night?” Erico pleaded.
“Maybe.” Jay teased Erico by reaching between them and running his hand over the front of Erico’s suit pants.
* * * *
With the last of the prime rib carved, Erico decided to make a tour through the dining room. He spotted Nate, Ryan and Rio and immediately headed their way. “Hey. How was your trip?”
“Good,” Nate answered, taking a sip of his red wine. “Lilly said to tell you she couldn’t wait to get back here and have more of your crème brulée.”
“She’s a sweetheart,” Erico acknowledged.
“Sit down and have a drink with us,” Nate invited, indicating the vacant chair.
Erico glanced around the room to make sure everyone was taken care of before taking the offered seat. “You’re lucky you missed the big snow storm.”
“The hell we did,” Ryan burst out laughing. “We had to drive back through all that shit and with Nate whining and Rio snoring…” Ryan shook his head. “Let’s just say I was damn glad to get home.”
“So how was your Christmas? Did you get home?” Nate asked, obviously ignoring Ryan’s complaints.
“I didn’t get home, but Mama is coming into town in a couple of days so I’ll celebrate with her then.” He hated that he hadn’t seen his sisters and nieces and nephews since last Easter, but the doctor had advised against travel and he’d been needed at the restaurant anyway.
“I’d like to meet her. You’ll have to bring her by City Hall while she’s here,” Nate said.
Erico thrummed his fingers on the table. He knew the time had come to tell his friends the truth. “Well, actually, she’s coming into town to help me out.”
Nate leant forward. “Oh?”
Erico took a deep breath. “I’m going into the hospital for a balloon angioplasty on the fifth.” He watched as one by one, his friends jaws dropped.
“That’s what the sweating and dizziness was about on Thanksgiving,” Rio surmised, speaking up for the first time.
“Yes.”
“What’s this about sweating and dizziness?” Nate asked, slapping Rio’s stomach. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Rio shrugged and rubbed his stomach. “I just figured he was getting the flu or some
thing.”
“Aren’t you kinda young for angioplasty?” Nate prodded.
“Heart disease runs in my family. All the Santos men die young.” With a sudden rush of emotion threatening to overwhelm him, Erico knew he had to get out of there. “I’d better get back to the kitchen.”
“Wait,” Ryan called out before Erico could get away from the table. “Do you need help with anything?”
Erico smiled while biting the inside of his cheek. This was precisely the reason he’d waited so long to tell his friends. “No. I’ve got it all taken care of.”
Before he could be questioned further, he strode back through the dining room with a fake smile plastered to his face. He pushed open the kitchen door and immediately went to the refrigerator. The dessert was the only thing left to serve.
Erico took deep breaths as he fired up his mini blow torch and began finishing the crème brulée he was known for. As he worked crystallizing the sugar, he had to stop several times to dab at his eyes. Dammit!
* * * *
Bone tired, Jay reached for the phone as soon as Ethan jumped into the shower. He called Erico’s cell phone, hoping he wouldn’t mind.
“Hello?”
“Were you asleep?” Jay asked.
“Hmmm, yeah, but that’s okay. I’m glad you called.”
“I just wanted to tell you Happy New Year.”
“Thank you, baby.” Erico replied, his voice sounding all deep and sleepy.
Jay wasn’t sure what he thought of the endearment. He decided to play it off for now. Maybe Erico was still half asleep. “I was thinking how much I wish you were buried deep inside me right now and had to call.”
“Mmm, that sounds nice,” Erico moaned. “Of course I’d have to start out by eating that pretty asshole of yours.”
Jay’s cock went painfully hard at the image. “I’d let you. I’d beg you to fuck me with your tongue.” Jay started a slow stroke of his cock. He heard the shower shut off and new Ethan would be out any moment.
“Are you hard?” Jay asked Erico.
“Fuck yeah.”
“I have to go, but keep that for me until tomorrow.”
Erico growled. “You’re killing me.”
Jay thought of Erico’s episode the previous day. “Not funny.”
“I know.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jay whispered.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Jay heard the door knob turn and quickly ended the call, putting the room phone back into its cradle.
Ethan stepped into the room, still rubbing his blond hair with a towel. “Were you talking to someone?”
Jay shook his head and laughed. “You’re probably still hearing the echoes of a roomful of children.”
Ethan shucked the towel around his waist and climbed into bed.
Jay turned onto his side, hoping his friend in the opposite bed wouldn’t notice his erection. “I saw you talking to that new deputy tonight. You like him?”
Ethan reached over and turned out the lamp between their beds. “Brian? He’s okay. He has a kid. That’s the only reason I was talking to him.”
“Benny. He’s a cute boy. His dad’s not bad either.”
Ethan groaned and threw one of his pillows at Jay. “You’re such a horn dog.”
Jay chuckled. “I wasn’t talking about wanting him. I was just making an observation. You should ask him out.”
“No thanks. I do just fine with my toys. The last thing I need is one who talks.”
Jay threw Ethan’s pillow back at him. “Toys are in no way an acceptable substitute for a tongue and a cock and we both know it. You need to get back out into the dating scene before you’re too old to get it up.”
Ethan laughed. “Yeah, look who’s talking.”
“Hey, I’m six years younger than you are,” Jay said, trying to dodge the bullet. He hated lying to his best friend, but he knew he couldn’t maintain his friendship and continue to see Erico if he told the truth.
Ethan settled into his bed and pulled up the covers. “Too bad we have to leave in the morning. I could get used to this.”
Jay glanced around the room. “Yeah. Someday we’ll have to come back for a whole weekend.”
“Sure, buddy. As soon as we both strike it rich.”
As Jay snuggled in, he thought about spending a weekend with Erico in front of the room’s fireplace. He pushed the romantic notion away. He had no use for romance. He lived in the real world and true romance only happened to a lucky few. Jay hadn’t had a lucky day in his life, no reason to think it would change anytime soon.
Chapter Four
Jay had no sooner dropped his overnight bag on the floor when there was a knock at the door. He spun back around and opened the door. “Hey,” he greeted Erico with a smile.
“I’ve been watching from the restaurant, waiting for you to get home,” Erico said.
Jay moved into Erico’s embrace and offered him a kiss. He opened immediately and welcomed Erico’s exploring tongue. Although he’d had a nice time with the kids, he’d decided halfway through the evening he’d wished he’d made plans with Erico instead.
Erico broke the kiss. “Go get your warm clothes on.”
“Why?”
Erico grinned and shook his head. “I’m not telling you. It’s a surprise.” Jay’s ass received a playful swat. “Go.”
Rubbing his butt, Jay hurried to his room and stripped out of his jeans. He found the pair of long underwear he’d bought the first week of winter and pulled them on. He decided to tease Erico and walked out into the living room wearing nothing but the long underwear. “Do I have to wear a shirt?”
Erico practically lunged for Jay, tackling him to the floor. Once trapped under the bigger man, Jay laughed as Erico bit and licked his nipples. “Where I’m taking you, these little beauties will freeze and drop off.”
“Ooh,” Jay quickly covered his nipples with his hands. “We can’t have that.”
“No, we can’t,” Erico agreed. After another deep kiss, Erico rose to his feet and pulled Jay off the floor.
“Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?” Jay asked.
Erico turned Jay in the direction of the bedroom and gave him a nudge. “It’s a brand new year. A time to experience new things.”
Jay stopped and glanced back at his new lover. “This sounds suspiciously like a date.” Jay wasn’t sure what he thought about that.
“It’s not a date. It’s an outing.”
An outing. Jay nodded his head. “Well okay then.”
* * * *
Erico pulled to a stop. The hill rose in front of them. It was obvious they weren’t the first to slide its slopes, but Erico was grateful it was deserted at the moment. “Well, what do you think?”
“I…think it’s a big hill,” Jay answered, looking confused.
Erico chuckled and gave Jay a quick kiss. “You’re right. Come on.”
Erico got out of the SUV and walked around to the back. He opened the double doors and pulled out a bright blue sled. Walking around to the front of the vehicle, he tapped on the hood. “You coming?”
Jay opened the door. “Sledding? Seriously?”
“Yeah. Why? Don’t tell me you don’t enjoy whizzing down a snow-covered hill at lightning speed on a long sheet of formed plastic?”
Jay leaned against the hood of the SUV. “I don’t think I’ve gone sledding since I was ten. Are you sure you’re up for this?” Jay grinned, his entire face lightening up. “You’re not exactly a kid anymore.”
“Bite your tongue,” Erico chuckled. He held out his hand and waited for Jay to join him.
The two of them trudged up the hill, trailing the bright blue sled behind them. Once they reached the top, Erico sat in the back of the plastic toboggan and patted the space in front of him. “Settle that sweet little ass right here and let me take you for a ride.”
Jay straddled the sled and slowly lowered his butt to nestle between Erico’s spread thighs. Erico cou
ldn’t hold in the groan as he felt Jay wiggle against his cold, but still healthy cock.
“Ready,” Jay said.
“Hold on to my legs,” Erico said in Jay’s ear. He put his hands into the snow and rocked them back and forth towards the edge of the slope. With one last mighty push, the toboggan started down the hill.
Jay squealed with delight as the ends of his hair battered Erico’s face. Erico didn’t mind a bit. The younger man’s delight far outweighed any discomfort he was suffering at the hands of whipping hair and a bony ass bumping against his hardening cock.
Erico wrapped his arms around Jay’s waist as they coasted to a stop.
“That was fantastic!” Jay shouted.
“Yes it was,” Erico agreed. Instead of immediately getting off the sled, Erico took a moment to relish the feel of Jay in his arms. He’d spent many winters in Cattle Valley and never enjoyed a single one as much as he’d enjoyed that singular ride down the side of the hill.
“Can we go again?” Jay asked.
“Sure. We can play all day if you want.”
Jay rolled out of the sled and onto the ground. “Although this is great, there are a lot of other things I want to do with you today.”
Erico followed Jay and lay on top of him in the cold snow. “You do?” He ground his cock against Jay.
“Yep.” Jay wiggled his hips. “It involves great big balls.”
“Mmm, I like the sound of that.”
Jay pushed a handful of snow in Erico’s face. “Good, because I haven’t built a snowman since I was a kid, either.”
Laughing, Erico sputtered and shook the snow off his face. “A snowman? I thought you were talking about my balls.”
Jay reached between them and rubbed Erico’s sac. “Take me on another ride down the hill, build me a snowman, and I’ll thaw these out with my mouth when we get home.”
Erico got to his feet and held out his hand. Pulling Jay up into his arms, he kissed him. “Now what sane man would argue with that?”
* * * *
