Sweeter Than Honey

by Jessica Payseur

  “I would love to laugh at the man who lost you while eating his cheese board,” said Shay, and the pause after that indicated something more, something Bradley liked. “But I have to admit, I don’t know my wines.”

  “Don’t worry, I don’t either.”

  It took everything Bradley had to tear himself away from Shay when he wanted nothing more than to drive away with him right now. But he’d held off the day he’d interviewed Shay, and he could hold off now. He calmed himself by buying something small at the food truck and visiting each of the four cheese tables to get the best selection. By the time he’d finished his purchases, he returned to Shay’s table only to find him packing everything up.

  “There’s still another hour,” said Bradley.

  “I don’t care. Help me with this box. Mind if I stop home first?”

  Bradley did, but only because he was so frustrated. Considering Lance had been gone weeks and he hadn’t kept up on his own self-maintenance—and Shay was right here and available—he wanted to have fun before he got to the cheese, not after. Well, maybe after, too. But Shay probably wanted to drop his honey off and pack a bag.

  “You sure you’re ready to move on?” asked Shay as he parked, turned off the car. They sat in his dark garage for a moment.

  Bradley turned toward him. “Stay the night. Stay the weekend.” He hoped his eyes begged. “I am more than ready to move on.”

  Shay grinned. Bradley helped him haul the boxes of honey inside and then joined him in the kitchen where he pulled a few things out and stuck them in another box.

  “You have room in your fridge for blueberries? I make great pancakes.”

  “If you make me pancakes tomorrow morning, I’ll love you forever,” said Bradley.

  Shay laughed. “Slow down. Here, try a piece of this honeycomb, see if you think it goes with your cheese board.”

  Bradley took the chunk of honey-filled wax Shay offered and then followed him down the hallway to his bedroom. The wax smelled interesting, the honey divine, and he popped it into his mouth before licking his fingers.

  Shay turned back to him. “How is it?” he asked.

  Bradley nodded, unsure how much he should bite down, when Shay surged forward. He grabbed Bradley’s shoulder, pushed him up against the wall, and planted his mouth on Bradley’s.

  The heat immediately rose under Bradley’s skin, and he reached out, grabbed Shay’s ass. He wanted Shay now, badly. His cock almost instantly grew hard, and he ground Shay’s crotch against his own with his grip on Shay’s ass. Bradley could barely breathe, the comb filling his mouth, making every exhale through his nose pure sweetness.

  And then Shay was coaxing his mouth open, trying to share the comb with him. Bradley let him have it, but slowly, made him work for it. Shay trailed his fingers up Bradley’s neck, finally pulling away when he had the piece of honeycomb. Bradley realized he’d closed his eyes at some point and opened them, finding Shay looking at him smugly as he chewed.

  “Always wanted to do that,” said Shay. He looked like he was expecting Bradley to talk, but that was not what was on his mind. He surged forward, grabbed Shay, and kissed him again.

  Honey. All Bradley could taste was honey, warm and waxy on Shay’s lips, and then he was pressed backwards and bumped up against the bed. Bradley hadn’t bothered to really look at the room, but he assumed the bed was fine and let Shay push him down to it.

  It wasn’t, in fact, made. Lumps of blanket pressed against Bradley’s head and back, but he didn’t have a chance to think about moving position to something more comfortable because Shay was on top of him, eager. Bradley could barely breathe, but he didn’t want to stop. Shay’s hands found his zipper and pulled. His palm pressed down against Bradley’s hard cock.

  He squirmed, too busy kissing Shay to say anything, having gone too long without anyone to hold off. He felt the tenseness curling up inside him to near bursting, and then he was too far to stop himself. He came in his boxers, gasping into Shay’s mouth. Shay laughed against his lips, gently, then pulled back.

  “Better not let that wine go to waste,” he said.

  Bradley caught his breath as he watched Shay pack his bag.

  * * * *

  Bradley took off his jeans but left his soiled boxers on, letting Shay pour the wine—white first—while he assembled the wooden board. It was the one Shay had used for the photo shoot, wide and solid, and the variety of cheeses looked lovely splayed across it. He added grapes, cured meat, olives, and a chunk of honeycomb, then brought it out to the coffee table. Shay joined him on the couch and passed over the wine, grinning devilishly.

  “What, we’re not doing this in bed?”

  “You want to sleep in sticky cheese crumbles?” asked Bradley. He swirled the wine, sipped it, then tried it with some of the cheese. “Lance was right. This is good.”

  “I was about to take off my pants until you said that.”

  “I take it back, then.”

  Shay grinned, set down his wine glass, and slowly slipped his pants off. When he resettled on the couch and leaned against his shoulder, Bradley put his arm around him. It felt good to have Shay this close to him, in such an intimate position. Lance had never cuddled like this—but he shouldn’t be thinking about Lance. He took another drink of the wine, crisp and refreshing.

  “Can’t believe I got you,” said Shay after a time. They’d gone through their wine but barely touched the cheese board. “I thought for sure you wouldn’t be interested in me.”

  “Why?” asked Bradley as he stood. He brought back the entire bottle and poured. It was the middle of the afternoon, but he very much suspected they’d be enjoying both the cheese board and each other off and on all day.

  “Look at you.”

  “Look at you.” Bradley gave Shay a gentle push as he sat back down on the couch. “I don’t want to question this.”

  “Then it’s settled. No exes, no questions, just good, quality time together.” Shay leaned over, grabbed the entire branch of grapes, and began plucking them off one-by-one. He laid down, head in Bradley’s lap, and fed him every other grape. Bradley accepted it because it was cute and made him feel simultaneously amused and cared for. It was a good mood to have.

  “When do I get you back in my bed?” asked Bradley, swirling his wine and accepting another grape.

  “I just got you off.”

  “That was over an hour ago. And I should show you how a properly made bed looks first.”

  Shay rolled over, snatched a piece of cheese, and ate it. When he took a drink of the wine, he paused and did a double-take. Then he repeated the cheese and wine process.

  “That was good, but your ex is still an idiot.”

  “No talking about that,” said Bradley, smirking. “Penalty is you have to take your shirt off.”

  Shay protested but did as told. Bradley was slowly getting a better and better look at him, very little left covered now. His chest was flat and nice, but he wasn’t too muscled, something Bradley happened to like. Shay looked down at himself, then up and grinned.

  “Guess I have to be careful, or I’ll lose the last of it.”

  “Just don’t mention my ex again, and you’ll be fine,” said Bradley.

  Shay smirked. “You mentioned him. Your turn. Shirt off.”

  Bradley sighed and relented, pulling it off and tossing it to the floor. All this stripping and teasing was making him hard again, and as he looked, he could tell by the bulge growing in Shay’s boxers that he felt similarly. He’d never had this much fun getting over an ex before, and he was very glad the curtains were pulled. He didn’t know how long he was going to be able to keep his pants on.

  Shay seemed to be having similar thoughts. He grinned, set aside his wine, then took Bradley’s from him. He then cut a small piece of honeycomb free and leaned over Bradley with it, practically straddling him. Bradley’s heart pounded hard, and his cock throbbed harder. He parted his lips just slightly for the comb.

  Although
Shay touched it to his bottom lip, he didn’t feed Bradley the comb, instead moving to twist it against his nipples. Bradley gasped and swore.

  Shay grinned, straddling him properly now. “Honey suits you,” he said, and descended to Bradley’s chest. He sucked the honey off, teasing Bradley’s nipples with suction and wetness, with the pinch and scrape of teeth.

  Bradley gasped, too caught up in the feel of what Shay was doing to him, how Shay was making him feel, to even lick the honey off his lips. Shay ended up doing that for him, leaning up to kiss him after finishing with his chest. When he pulled back, Bradley’s lower lip with him, it was too far.

  Bradley needed him now. He pushed Shay off, grabbed his upper arm, and marched him back to the bedroom, practically slamming the door behind them.

  “Whoa,” said Shay as Bradley dropped his boxers, presenting him with his ass, and yanked open the night stand drawer for the necessary items. “Impatient much?”

  Bradley didn’t care. He knew Shay’s eyes were locked on his balls dangling between his legs, on the space between his cheeks, as he leaned over to grab condoms and lube.

  “I need you now,” said Bradley. “You going to object?”

  He turned back to Shay, who grinned, then blinked in surprise as Bradley yanked his boxers down and freed him. His cock was completely ready, apart from the condom, and Shay inhaled sharply as Bradley grabbed him and rolled it on. He didn’t much care that he was being aggressive. It was Shay’s fault.

  “No objections,” said Shay.

  “Good. Don’t think this is the last I’ll want from you, either.”

  In response, Shay grabbed him, turned him around so that his cock pressed against Bradley’s ass. He wrapped an arm around Bradley’s front and grabbed his cock, Shay’s other hand moving to Bradley’s chin to tilt his neck up, turn his head back. When he kissed Bradley again, it was with urgency. All Bradley could taste was honey and wine, and the moment he groaned was the moment Shay pushed him forward.

  “How gentle?” asked Shay, and Bradley could swear his voice had dropped some. He’d gotten off earlier, but Shay hadn’t, and he had to be at least as desperate as Bradley felt.

  “I…” began Bradley, and then Shay had bent him onto the bed, kicked his legs apart. Bradley heard him with the lube, but when he tried to lean up, a hand pushed him back to the bed. Shay grabbed his wrist, pulled it behind his back, and he groaned. “Yes…”

  When Bradley wriggled backward, searching for Shay, aching for him, he received a sharp spank for it. Then he felt Shay lining himself up, and he relaxed as much as possible, moaning into his blankets as Shay entered, slow first thrust. He pulled back and entered again, deeper this time. When Bradley moved his free hand to grab himself, Shay paused and pulled that around to his back, too. He held Bradley’s hands pinned behind his back, pulled Bradley’s ass to him by the hip, and sped his pace.

  Bradley swore, squirmed, but Shay held him there, pounded his ass in perfect, achingly good motions. Bradley shut his eyes and focused on being completely filled, again and again, as his need grew. His cock felt like it would burst, but Shay wouldn’t let him see to himself. He moaned, open-mouthed, against his bed and squeezed his eyes shut against his need.

  Then he felt it—Shay’s rhythm falter, just a little, and knew he was coming. Bradley ached to come, too, a release sweeter even than honey. Like the answer to a prayer, Shay’s free hand slid across Bradley’s thigh and took hold of his cock. Shay’s palm still had a little lube on it, only making his grip feel slicker, better. He stroked once, twice, and only made it partway through the next before Bradley felt himself exploding. He ground back against Shay’s cock, coming so hard his knees nearly gave out. Shay had to roll him onto the bed as he gasped for air.

  “You okay?” asked Shay, voice still low.

  Bradley swallowed, nodded. He was aware his eyes were still closed, his glasses askew, but he didn’t mind. “You’re amazing,” he whispered.

  Shay chuckled as he got up to take care of the condom. “Tell that to me again after you’ve seen the side of your bed. I aimed you poorly.”

  “Shut up and hold me.” Bradley didn’t care about that now. He’d deal with whatever needed cleaning later.

  Shay snorted in amusement but laid down behind Bradley and wrapped an arm around him. When he nuzzled the back of Bradley’s neck, any tension that hadn’t been obliterated by the orgasm melted away. Bradley could drift off happy like this.

  “Don’t fall asleep,” said Shay. “I can’t eat that cheese board myself.”

  “You only seem to want help with the honey.”

  “It tastes sweeter on you.” Shay sounded relaxed, content, too. “Or maybe it’s just you. You’re sweeter.”

  “Mmm,” said Bradley, feeling on the edge of sleep anyway and not trying to fight it. “Next you’ll be telling me you love me.”

  “I do.

  “We met last week.”

  Shay pulled him closer, trailed his finger in a random pattern over Bradley’s chest and abdomen. “And I was very moody after I heard you were taken. But you kept popping up to see me. And I thought I could wait—a month, a year—for you. But I didn’t want to…well, if you didn’t want me, you didn’t want me. I just got lucky with you.” Shay paused. “I’m babbling. Your ass ruined my brain, and now I can’t think.”

  “My ass is so powerful it can get a man to fall in love with me?” asked Bradley.

  As much as he was sleepy, he didn’t want to miss this conversation. It was just awkward enough to be full of the kinds of confessions that would keep him content on those nights he spent alone.

  “I fell in love with you, not your ass.” Shay paused and leaned in to whisper in Bradley’s ear. “Your ass is just one of your many perks.”

  “I’m not going to get out of here without telling you the same, am I?”

  “Afraid not.” Shay paused. “Unless I really am rebound sex. I won’t lie and tell you I’m not disappointed, but I will absolutely take what I can get.”

  Bradley rolled over, opened his eyes. That feeling of being on the edge of sleep was fading now, and he wanted to reassure Shay. He kissed him, gently, intending nothing from it but consolation.

  “I want to look you in the eyes when I say it.” He leaned in, but didn’t bring their lips together again. “I love you, Shay. I want to share the weekend with you, and then I want to share more.”

  Shay’s eyes lit up, and Bradley could see something in them more intense than even the passion he had for his bees. Shay had found something sweeter. But so had Bradley.

  And he wasn’t about to let him go.

  THE END

  ABOUT JESSICA PAYSEUR

  Jessica Payseur lives and writes in Wisconsin, where she spends the long winters solving murders. Fictional ones, of course. With a bottle of mulled wine and more cats than laps, she crafts cheesy mysteries with sexy sleuths and happy endings. She enjoys snail mail, trying not to get lost geocaching, and bicycle rides as long as they end at wineries. Follow her on Twitter at @jessica_payseur for updates on what she’s currently drinking. For more information, visit pgofcups.blogspot.com.

  ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC

  JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!