Let It Beatle Box Set - 7 Gay Romance Stories

by J. D. Walker

  “Want some company?” I asked tentatively from the doorway.

  He looked back at me. “It’s your house, too.” Here we go.

  I strode toward him. “Thorn, stop it, okay? I want to know if you’re alright. Are you?”

  Wiping his face with the back of a hand, he replied, “I’ll be fine. I’m sorry about bringing up your past. It’s just, people like that—clueless, ignorant people—make life unnecessarily difficult. Maybe I was too hard on her, but she needed to hear it from someone.”

  “It’s fine. I’ve never told anyone because, really, who wants to remember things like that? And it wasn’t their business. But I understood why you did it. Thank you. We need more people in the world like you, Thorn Blackstone.”

  That got me a tiny smile. “Perhaps.” He looked at the bright summer morning. “I’m going to get some shut eye. When I wake up, how about a walk on the beach? I’m off tomorrow and you don’t have to be at work until noon. Someone told me there’d be a bonfire and singalong near Tory’s motel. Interested?”

  “Sure. Does this mean I finally get to hear you sing rather than hum all the time?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He winked at me and went inside.

  I stayed where I was for a while, thinking about Trent and Shirley, wondering whether we could re-build our friendship. It would take a long time if we did.

  I went inside to finish making breakfast, then cleaned the house and did laundry, leaving the vacuuming until Thorn was awake. It would be nice spending some time with him on the beach, even if there would be tons of people around. The need to tell him how I felt was strong, but something still held me back, even knowing he would welcome my attentions.

  * * * *

  By the time Thorn woke that evening, the house was nearly spotless and I had a roast in the oven. I loved—there was a loaded word—looking at Thorn when he just got out of bed, rumpled and warm, creases from the pillow on his skin, and hair sticking up every which way. I wanted to take him in my arms and never let go.

  Shoving aside those dangerous thoughts, I said, “Hey, looks like you slept well. Dinner will be ready soon.”

  “Thanks.” He yawned and stretched, and my gaze strayed to his flat stomach, which was bared when his T-shirt lifted. I quickly looked away, dragging out the vacuum cleaner to complete my last task.

  He sat on the couch, legs tucked under him as I worked. I could feel his eyes on me, but I focused on getting the job done. Once finished, I headed to the kitchen, just in time to pull out the chicken and potatoes.

  I’d already prepared a salad, which was in a bowl on the table. “Lemonade tonight?” I asked. Thorn didn’t drink much, and I could take it or leave it.

  “Sounds good,” he replied and set the table. As we settled into our meal, he said, “This is yummy. I have to learn how to make it the way you do. Whenever I try, it’s barely palatable.”

  “It just takes practice. You’re still learning. It’s not like you burned the house down.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Not yet, anyway.”

  “Won’t happen.”

  “Eh.” We bickered like that throughout the meal, then he helped me clean the kitchen.

  “Ready to go for that walk?” I asked when we finished.

  “Sure.”

  * * * *

  All the walking we’d done over the past few months, aside from the trips to work, seemed to have helped my waistline a little. We crossed the street and trotted down the stone steps to the sand to make our way toward the big crowd in the distance.

  The fire wasn’t yet lit, but it would be, in an hour or so when it was dark enough. People greeted us as we walked along, and Thorn responded shyly. He was getting better at letting people in, and he’d made friends, despite himself.

  I saw Maury talking to his sister’s boyfriend, Leonard, while Tory and Austin were holding court with a bunch of people. I even spied Trent and Shirley in the crowd. A man about Thorn’s age came bounding over, a big smile on his face. I recognized him as a worker at the daycare center, but I couldn’t remember his name.

  “Hey, guys. Bill, do you mind if I borrow Thorn for a bit?”

  Thorn looked at me, and I shrugged. “No worries.”

  I watched them walk away, heads together, and what a pretty pair they made. I sighed heavily.

  “Wow, I haven’t heard a sound that despondent in a while,” Austin said.

  I jumped. “Stop sneaking up on me, man. Not cool.”

  He laughed and slapped me on the back. “You’ll survive. So, how long is it going to take you to make a move?”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Say what now?”

  “Come on, it’s beyond obvious how you feel about Thorn. Everybody knows.”

  “This damn town,” I grumbled. “Look, he’s too young, and he’s just getting back on his feet. I’d be a total jerk to take advantage of him like that. He needs time to heal, make friends, find someone his own age. It’s just infatuation. He’ll get over it.” I ignored the part of me that said I was a lying fool.

  “You’re forgetting the part where he kisses the ground you walk on, sings your praises to anyone who’ll listen, and practically moons over you whenever you’re around—and not looking, of course.” Austin snickered.

  I gave him the stink eye. “He…you know what? It doesn’t matter. He’s too fragile.”

  “I say he’s not. I think you should give him a chance—give yourself a chance. I think you two are perfect for each other, if you’ll stop being a stubborn old goat.”

  “Hey!”

  With a final pat to my shoulder, Austin sauntered off to cozy up to Murphy, who was more than willing to kiss him half to death.

  Could I start something with Thorn? Should I? I didn’t want to hurt him, and he’d been through so much already. What if we didn’t work out? I couldn’t bear to see him hurting like that. I wanted to protect him, not take advantage. Damn, it was all so confusing.

  As the sun set, the fire was lit in the stone circle set up for it, and the crowd settled in on blankets and towels for an evening of singing and storytelling. Thorn still hadn’t returned, so I found a seat toward the back of the group and listened to everyone around me. I couldn’t sing for shit, but I certainly appreciated a good tune.

  And then, a gorgeous tenor, clear as a bell, rang out across the sand, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. I looked up to see who it was, and my heart stopped and started as Thorn sang a well-known folksong, his friend from earlier sitting next to him with a battered acoustic guitar. Everyone was supposed to sing along, but no one did, preferring to listen.

  Thorn’s eyes were only for me, it seemed, as he belted out the tune, one of love and loss and new beginnings. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe as he kept on singing, and when he stopped, the final guitar notes echoed in the crash of the nearby waves. It was a good ten seconds before the crowd burst into applause.

  As for me, I just sat there, stunned. I was floored by Thorn’s talent, but even more, by the depth of his feelings for me, which had been loud and clear in that song. I watched him stand and move through the crowd, ignoring the people who wanted to stop him and talk and touch, and he came right over to me, fell to his knees, and took my face in his hands, drawing me in for a kiss.

  * * * *

  My pulse beat double-time as Thorn took my mouth with ease, tongue tangling with mine, and I forgot about everything but his taste. I pulled his slender, firm body into my lap and kissed him for all I was worth, and then some. The people cheering around us seemed to come from a distance. I licked into him, sucked on his tongue, and he returned the favor. I poured everything I felt, feared, and wanted more than life itself into that kiss. And still, I needed more.

  Thorn pulled back to catch his breath. “Do you believe me now, you silly man?” He caressed my face and pinched my nose. “Do I have to dance naked or something before you’ll take me seriously?” The glare and pout he gave me were adorable, damn it.

 
I nibbled at his chin. “I believe you, Thorn. There’s a world of men out there and you could probably do a lot better than a guy who works in a bookstore.”

  Someone swatted me upside the head, and I turned in shock to see Austin frowning at me, hands on his hips.

  “What was that for?” I asked, removing a hand from Thorn’s waist to rub the sore spot.

  “Don’t be an idiot. There’s nothing wrong with working in a bookstore. Take the man home and stop stalling.”

  “On it,” I replied, ignoring Thorn’s snickers as I stood, keeping him cradled in my arms to the delight of our audience.

  I carried him through the throng, which made a path for us, hands patting me on the back and calling out bawdy suggestions that I might or might not pursue. Thorn giggled at the expression on my face.

  “I will drop you on the sand if you don’t behave,”

  “But your face! Your boss ordered you to go home and fuck me. That’s priceless!”

  I growled at him and he laughed some more.

  I rolled my eyes and kept walking. “If you want to get laid, you’d better be nice to me.” As soon as we were far enough from everyone, I set down Thorn, and he immediately took my hand in his.

  “Do you know, if this hadn’t worked, I was going to have to do something truly devious to get your attention?”

  “I shudder to think what that would have been.”

  “It’s best you don’t know, trust me.”

  “That sounds ominous.”

  Thorn only smirked and fell silent, gently swinging our arms. “There’s a fair coming up in the fall and Brian, that’s the guy with the guitar, he wants me to perform with him for a couple of sets. I haven’t done this in years, not since high school. Do you think it’s a good idea?”

  I looked at him like he had two heads. “Are you kidding? Of course, it is! But it’s still your decision. Do you like doing it?”

  “It felt like a part of me had been restored, to tell the truth. Probably sounds strange, but that’s what it’s like.”

  “Then you should definitely do it. And I’ll be in the V.I.P. section, cheering you on.”

  “You’d better be.” Laughing, he pulled away from me and ran the rest of the way to the steps leading to the street. I chased him for a bit, but I was in no shape for running. Maybe I’d work on that.

  * * * *

  When we got to our house, Thorn dragged me inside, and I barely had time to lock the door before my arms were filled again with an eager, hot body. I damn near forgot my name as Thorn sucked on my tongue, then latched onto my neck like some sort of vampire.

  I wrapped his legs around my waist and squeezed his ass, trying not to trip over my feet as I carried him to my bedroom. I sat on the edge of the mattress and let Thorn push me down.

  “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he murmured while removing my shirt so he could rub his hands up and down my chest and pinch my nipples.

  It was an erotic sight, seeing his light, almost milk-colored, freckled skin against mine, a contrast that made me even harder with want. He’d gotten a little sunburn here and there, since as far as I could tell, he didn’t tan that well.

  I let him do what he wanted, touching and biting and leaving hickies where he could, and he seemed to love squeezing my love handles. When we were finally on the bed, naked, his body plastered on top of mine, I took my time returning the favor, tasting him everywhere, and it was addictive.

  “I need you inside me, Bill,” he said, whimpering as I rolled us over so he was on his back when I licked his balls and pressed my middle finger against his hole.

  “I’m getting there,” I replied remembering at the last minute that I needed condoms and lube. I kissed his inner thigh. “Be right back.”

  Thorn protested, but soon quieted when he realized why I had gone.

  “I’ll keep this stuff in the bedside drawer from now on,” I said as I rolled a condom down my ridiculously hard cock and added some slick. I prepared Thorn’s hole, and his mouth just got dirtier and dirtier with each finger I added to stretch him. By the time I was up to three, he was begging to be fucked.

  “Do it, Bill. Please? I can’t take anymore,” he practically whined.

  I acquiesced and breached him slowly, though that took a lot of restraint as he was so tight and warm, I wanted to rut.

  He wrapped his legs around my waist and pulled my head down to his, causing my dick to move even deeper inside him. After biting my lip, he whispered, “Make me yours.”

  And I did. It was embarrassingly short, however, but we were both desperate for it, and I had wanted this man for too long to have any sort of finesse. It didn’t stop us from fucking again that night, and when we both howled, I was glad there was no one else in the house to hear us. His body seemed to want me inside him forever, and I was more than happy to oblige.

  Thorn was boneless when he danced on my dick the third time we did it, begging for harder, and more, and screaming my name in a way I’d never forget. We were together now, and it felt right.

  * * * *

  By mid-morning the next day, I was worn out and sated, Thorn, like the best blanket in the world, sprawled on top of me. I had to work in a couple of hours, but could barely muster the energy to move. Eventually, though, the alarm went off, and I had to get going.

  I kissed Thorn before gently moving him to the side and covering him with the blanket. Then I rushed to the bathroom to relieve my bladder and shower. I dressed as quietly as I could before strolling to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast.

  I had just poured my second cup of coffee when a sleepy, sexy Thorn wandered into the kitchen and into my arms. “Hey, teddy bear,” he said in greeting before giving me a minty-fresh kiss and stealing my coffee.

  “Hey, now,” I said, but it was a lost cause since Thorn loved coffee more than life. I’d drink my second cup at work. I ran a hand over those wavy strands that seemed to burn in the morning sunlight. So soft and pretty. “You sleep well? Not too sore?”

  “I can handle sore. As for sleep, I’ll catch up once you leave.” After inhaling the scalding coffee, he gave me a java-laced kiss. “You have everything for work?”

  Still a little dazed, I shook my head to clear it and checked the messenger bag on the kitchen table. “Yes, I think so…” And then I noticed my wallet and cellphone were nowhere in sight. “Back in a sec,” I grumbled, ignoring Thorn’s snicker as I went to the bedroom. When I returned, I just glared at him. “You scrambled my brain.”

  He smiled in that evil way he had when he was up to something. “Happy to be of service.”

  I swatted his butt and headed to the front door. Thorn stood with me outside and gave me a long, searing kiss that almost left me in a puddle before shooing me down the road. “I’ll text you around lunchtime. Maybe we can eat together.”

  “Sure.” I waved and started the long walk to work.

  * * * *

  Of course, all day long, I fielded innocent and not-so-innocent questions about Thorn and whether we’d had a “fulfilling” evening. I sidestepped answering them, for the most part. Austin was the worst of the lot, not surprisingly. I just glowered at him until he went away.

  When it was time to break for lunch, Thorn texted me to say he was at the diner. I headed there and found him in a booth being chatted up by Bertha.

  “I didn’t know you could sing, honey,” she said, practically gushing over the poor guy. “We need to hear you more often. You planning to perform at any of the goings-on we have around here?”

  Blushing, but obviously pleased, Thorn said, “I might be singing at a fair come the fall. We’ll see.”

  “That’s wonderful.” She patted his cheek and turned to face me. “Took you long enough to make a move. Everyone in town could see the way you looked at him, and how he looked at you.” She shook her head and I felt my face heat. “Men. So thickheaded sometimes.”

  I took a seat after greeting Thorn with a kiss, then Bertha took
our orders before leaving us.

  “She been bugging you for long?” I asked as I played with Thorn’s fingers on the table.

  “Not really. She means well. She wasn’t the only one, though. As I walked into town, it seemed like everybody wanted to know what I did with you last night.” He mock-sighed. “Isn’t anything sacred?”

  “Ha! Not by a long shot.”

  We talked for a while until Bertha brought our meal. Didn’t take us long to finish it, which was a shame, since I’d enjoyed it and the company.

  “You working tonight?” I asked as we strolled back to the bookstore, hand in hand.

  “I am. But I should still be home when you get there tonight. I plan on letting you fuck me so I’ll have something to remember you all night long.”

  “Is that so?” We came to stand near the open door of the bookstore, where I drew him flush against me and ran my hands over his arms before wrapping them around his waist.

  Placing his arms around my neck, he whispered, “Yes, that’s so. Can’t you picture it? Me, bent over the kitchen table, ass in the air, your mouth against my hole, making me scream for mercy.”

  He rubbed against me a little, enough to make me go hard, right in front of God and everyone.

  “You’ll push your tongue up my ass, then use your fingers and spread me wide open, and I won’t be able to resist pulling on my dick as I beg you to take me.” He lightly kissed me and bit my bottom lip. “And then you plunge inside and take me and you won’t be able to last, and neither will I.”

  “Shit, Thorn, I want to fuck you right here, right now, and I have to go back to work. How evil are you?” I gave him a bruising kiss and pushed him away, happy for the shirt that covered my half-hard cock.

  “So, you won’t forget, is what you’re saying.”

  “Not fucking lightly,” I replied, feeling my face heat.

  “Good.” With a jaunty wave, he sashayed down the street, and all I could do was stand there and watch him go.

  “Planning to get back to work anytime soon?” Austin said from beside me, and how out of it was I that I hadn’t even realized he was standing there?

  “On it, as soon as I can move without walking funny.”