by T. A. Chase
Beside the bed, he swung around to face Cai and took hold of the hem of his shirt. “We both need to get naked right now,” he stated.
“I’m right there with you,” Cai admitted, then eased James away. “Undress. If you touch me, I might go off before I can fuck you.”
“We can’t have that.” James wiggled, pushing his jeans down and managing not to fall over as he pulled them off. “I want you inside me when you come.”
After their clothes were piled on the floor, Cai tackled James onto the mattress. Both of them moaned as they lay there, chest to chest. James buried his face in the crook of Cai’s neck, breathing in the faint musk lingering on his skin. It was a scent James had always associated with the coal mines and something he doubted Cai would ever be able to completely wash away.
Hell, the coal dust was ground into Cai’s skin, just like most miners. It was something that would stay with them forever, along with the cough most developed at some point after being in the mines.
“Will you be freaked out if I tell you how often I’ve fantasized about this?” he murmured, running his hands down Cai’s spine to cup his ass.
Cai’s muffled laugh shook his shoulders. “No. Because I’ll be honest and tell you I’ve had those same kinds of dreams. Just figured it was crazy for me to believe something could happen between us. You are the boss’s son, after all.”
“Cinderella marrying the prince, huh?” He gasped when Cai pinched him. James rolled so he was on top, staring down at Cai. “What was that for?”
“This isn’t a fairy tale, and I’m no damsel in distress.” Cai arched his back, rubbing his shaft along James’s crease. “I don’t want to discuss this right now. I can think of other things we could be doing.”
James’s eyes crossed and he groaned. “You’re right. The supplies are in the bag on the nightstand.” He waved in its general direction.
While Cai shifted enough to reach it, James slid down his hard body to settle between Cai’s thighs. He licked his lips as he stared at the rather impressive penis in front of him. It wasn’t quite as long as his, but it was thicker. He couldn’t wait to feel it inside.
“Do you think you can put this on me? I’m not sure I’m interested in a lot of foreplay right now.” Cai held out a foil packet for James to take.
“Yes. I can taste you later,” James muttered, tearing open the rubber before rolling it down Cai’s length. “Do you have the slick?”
Cai thumped the bottle on James’s shoulder. “Here.”
James’s hands trembled as he took the lube and popped the top. He squirted some on his fingers before handing it back. After rising up on his knees, he leaned forward to brace one of his hands on the sheets next to Cai’s hip. He didn’t waste time, pushing his fingers in to stretch and relax his hole. A few minutes later, he straddled Cai’s hips.
“Are you sure? You can take more time,” Cai told him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
He took Cai’s cock in his hand then positioned it at his opening. “I’ll be fine. We’ll go slow.”
And they did. Inch by inch he slid down, breathing deep at the burn but not stopping until all of Cai was in. James froze as he adjusted to the fullness. Cai held his hips, not doing anything except flexing his fingers against James’s skin.
“Are you okay?”
James lifted, then dropped back down. “Oh, I’m fine.”
Cai’s smile lit up his face and James bent forward to press a kiss to his lips. They rocked, moving together and filling the air with the slap of skin on skin. The scent of sex and sweat surrounded them along with their grunts and moans.
He yelped when Cai wrapped his arms around his waist and flipped him onto his back. The change in positions caused Cai to nail James’s gland and he shuddered. He twisted his hands into the blanket under him, picking up the rhythm again.
“Harder, Cai. Please,” he pleaded.
Sweat dripped from Cai’s chin as the man sped up and slammed into him. Each stroke brought James closer to the edge. Pressure built behind his balls.
“Soon,” he warned.
Cai encircled James’s erection and began to pump in time with his own thrusts. Harder. Faster. Every second closer. Then electricity raced through James’s body as he came, spilling his cum over Cai’s hand and his own stomach.
“James,” Cai shouted. He threw his head back and froze, buried deep inside James as he filled the condom.
When Cai collapsed, James embraced him, smoothing his hands along Cai’s sweaty back and trying to calm his racing heart. He ignored the wet stickiness squishing between them. James let his eyes shut, savoring the peace drifting through him.
“We should probably clean up,” Cai suggested, slowly flopping over to his side. “I need to take care of the condom too.”
“You’re right. I’m not sure my muscles will work at the moment,” he joked.
“I’ll help you.”
Together, they shuffled to the bathroom, where Cai took care of the rubber while James got the shower going. Once they were clean, James went to let the dogs in before joining Cai in the bedroom.
“Are you staying?” James climbed in, then glanced at Cai.
Cai didn’t speak, simply slipped in behind him and snugged him tight to his chest. James took that to mean he was and his heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t the first time he’d had a lover spend the night. Hell, he’d actually lived with a couple lovers over the years. Yet for some reason, this night felt more important—or momentous—than any of those other times.
He gave a mental shake of his head. I’m being silly. He’s never said anything about making this permanent, though I doubt he’s thinking one-night stand since his parents know about us. Maybe this could be more than sex.
“You’re overthinking this, James,” Cai murmured, his lips moving against the back of James’s neck. “Get some sleep. We can talk it all out in the morning if you want.”
James sighed. Cai was right. They didn’t have to make a decision right then and there. Tomorrow would be soon enough to see how serious Cai wanted them to be.
Chapter Thirteen
AFTER WANDERING into the kitchen, James got the coffee brewing and let the dogs out in the backyard. He stood there staring at the sunrise peeking over the pine trees while the dogs sniffed around. As he went back in, he heard a key turning in the lock at the front door. He wandered into the living room in time to see his father enter.
Fuck! This isn’t the best time for him to show up. James shot a glance at the bedroom door before approaching Nicholas.
“Father, what are you doing here?” He spoke a little louder, hoping Cai heard. He was glad he’d pulled on a pair of sweats before leaving the bedroom.
“With all the turmoil around here, I thought I’d come to show you had my backing with this crazy plan of yours.”
“When did you leave to get here?” James scrubbed his hand over his face.
“Well, actually, I headed out last night and stayed at a friend’s house on the way. Had to do some business with him.” Nicholas strolled into the kitchen and got a cup out just as the coffeepot beeped. “Have you talked to Rees yet?”
James grabbed a mug as well, holding it out for his father to fill before sitting at the table. “There’s milk in the refrigerator and sugar in the cupboard next to the stove. I have to get dressed. Then we can head over to the mine. Mr. Rees is coming in this morning to discuss the position. He hasn’t given me an actual answer yet.”
Nicholas doctored his coffee then turned to study James. “Whose truck is that in the driveway?”
Should he tell the truth or just ignore the question? His father wouldn’t be happy about James sleeping with a miner, especially the son of the man he’d battled since he took over the mine. Yet James had never lied to Nicholas about his lovers. Of course, James had never taken a guy home to introduce to his parents. He hadn’t wanted to subject any of them to his father.
“It’s mine,” Cai announced as he walke
d in. He nodded at Nicholas before leaning down to brush a kiss over James’s cheek. “I’m going to head home. Have to run some errands and stuff before I start my shift.”
“All right. I’ll see you at the mine then.” James could act as casual as Cai. He took a deep breath, then said, “Be safe.”
Cai stared at James for a second. He traced James’s jawline and rubbed his thumb over his lips. “I will. You be safe as well.”
Closing his eyes, James let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. Owain had explained the whole “be safe” comment one night and James had wondered if Cai would understand what he’d been trying to say.
He gave Nicholas credit. The man didn’t start yelling until after Cai had left the house.
“What the hell are you doing?” Nicholas propped his fists on his hips as he glared at James. “You can’t be sleeping with a miner! And it being a Rees just adds insult to injury.”
James took a sip before he replied. “Yes, I am, and to be honest, I hope it’s more than just sex between us. It doesn’t matter that Cai’s a miner or a Rees. I don’t care about all of that shit. If you do, then you can leave.”
“Leave? I just got here.” Nicholas shoved his hands through his hair.
It was the first time James could remember seeing his father unnerved by a situation. Usually Nicholas Callahan was a smooth operator. Nothing fazed or upset him. Was it because he’d finally been confronted by the fact his son had sex with men? Meeting boyfriends was one thing. Seeing one in the morning after he’d obviously spent the night with James was something entirely different.
Or could his distress be because the man was Cai Rees, his archnemesis’s oldest son? Nicholas had never been thrilled about James’s friendship with Owain, but aside from making a snide comment once in a while, he’d chosen to ignore them.
Either way, James steeled himself against any arguments his father might throw at him. He finally had a chance to get what he’d always wanted—which was Cai—and he wasn’t going to let his father screw it up.
“I’m an adult, plus you know I’m gay. This can’t be a surprise for you.” He gestured toward the door Cai had left through. “What does either him being a miner or a Rees have to do with it?”
“You’re from one of the richest families in West Virginia, James. You could do far better than a man who hasn’t even finished high school and works two thousand feet underground digging out coal. What could you possibly have in common?” Nicholas paced the length of the kitchen.
James snorted. “Cai didn’t not finish school because he was stupid. He dropped out to go work at the mine. He makes a good living there, Father. It doesn’t matter how rich we are. I’m no better than they are.”
“But a Rees, James. Really?”
“Why does that bother you?” He shrugged. “Our ancestors probably crossed the ocean together. They both came from Wales and were both miners over there. Just because fortune favored our family and allowed us to become rich doesn’t mean they’re lower class. Working with your hands doesn’t make you less of a person.”
His father humphed and opened his mouth, then shut it as though he’d thought better of what he was about to say. James stared, not willing to give an inch. He wasn’t going to listen to his father’s snobbish comments.
Clearing his throat, Nicholas rubbed his hands on his pants and nodded. “Fine. I’m not going to say anything more. I learned when you were young, the more I complain about something, the more likely you are to dig in your heels. If I don’t say anything, it’ll run its course and you’ll be back in Charleston soon enough.”
Well, this is as good a time as any. “About that. I’m not going to be living in Charleston anymore. I’m going to move here.” Standing, James carried his mug to the sink, rinsed it, and walked toward the bedroom. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed. We can head to the mine after that. I told Mr. Rees I’d be there early so we could talk.”
He shut the door behind him before his father could reply. There was going to be a blowup about that as well, but he’d stand his ground. He could do his job from Willow Hollow as well as he did while living in Charleston. That was why he’d been upgrading the Internet connections in the area, along with other improvements he could think of that would help him do his work.
As he stood under the hot water, he thought about all the cities and countries he’d lived in or visited. He’d found something he loved in each place, but nothing touched his heart deeper than Willow Hollow and the people who called the town home. He’d always been homesick for the place, even though it had never officially been his home.
When all of his preparations were finished, he’d known the time had come to move. He also knew his parents wouldn’t be happy about it. Talking his mother around wouldn’t be that hard, which was why he hadn’t mentioned it to her yet. She’d protest, but in the end, she’d give him a hug and tell him to visit once in a while.
His father would argue he couldn’t do his job without being at the main office all week. James planned on going into Charleston once a week, then visiting the other company mines throughout the week as needed. Willow Hollow would be his home base and he hoped Cai would be willing to continue their relationship to see where it could go. Maybe one day, Cai would move in with him.
“Stop thinking so far ahead,” he muttered. “You need to talk to Cai first. Make sure he’s even thinking about dating and having a relationship. He might just think it was all about fucking. He might not want to get that involved with the boss’s son.”
James shoved all his worries and plans to the back of his mind. It was time to get to work and solve the issue of a new supervisor for the mine. Once that was taken care of, he could fret about Cai and their situation like an angsty teenager.
When he strolled out into the living room, his father was gone. There was a note left on the coffee table saying Nicholas had gone to the mine. Just as well. I didn’t want to listen to him yell at me the entire drive over there.
Maybe this was going to be another one of those times when his father didn’t argue, assuming the newness would wear off and James would return home as long as he thought Nicholas didn’t care. Just like he seemed to be planning on doing about Cai and James.
After making sure Pharaoh had everything he needed for the day, James climbed into his truck and drove to the mine.
CAI GLANCED up to see his pa walking toward his truck. He’d just pulled into his driveway after bailing on James. I probably should’ve stayed and faced Old Man Callahan with James, but I wasn’t ready to deal with him. Not that he was ready to face his own pa either. Yet he had a feeling Pa wouldn’t give him as hard a time as Callahan was going to give James.
“Is Callahan heading to the mine?” his pa asked as Cai climbed out of his vehicle.
“He’ll probably be there in about twenty minutes. Mr. Callahan had just arrived at the house when I left,” he informed his pa, wanting to give him a heads-up.
Pa grimaced. “I bet young Callahan wasn’t happy to see his old man.”
For more reasons than you think. “Not really. Kind of makes it look like Mr. Callahan doesn’t trust James to deal with the situation on his own.” Cai walked toward his house. “Are the kids off to school?”
“Yep. Got everyone where they needed to be. Owain headed to work. Dilys and your ma are talking to Bronwen about the clinic and what she thinks it’ll need for when she comes home. Definitely going to need to do some fundraisers.” Pa kept pace with him.
Cai shot him a sidewise glance. “Do you really believe that? I’m pretty sure James will find a way to stock the entire clinic without us having to spend a dime.”
Pa snorted. “Your ma and Owain think they’re slick, don’t they? Like the rest of us are too stupid to figure out who brings the extra groceries for the families who need it. In a week or two, we’ll be getting the old general store at a discounted rate.”
He nodded. “Why do you think they haven’t told us ab
out any of this?”
“Pride,” Ma said as he entered the house. She hugged and kissed him. “There are a lot of people in the Hollow who wouldn’t accept any kind of handouts from the Callahans. Not even Jim, who is more a member of this community than his father is. They only see him as the boss, but with the two of you dating, things might change on that front.”
Cai winced inside, but hoped he managed to keep any discomfort from showing on his face. He didn’t want to discuss his dating life with his parents. Ma was going to be nosy enough as it was about the whole thing. He had a feeling Pa was just going to do his level best to ignore it.
“That’s ridiculous,” he said, then held up his hand to stop her from speaking. “I don’t have time to argue with you. I want to take a shower and eat breakfast.”
“Come with me to talk to the Callahans.” Pa didn’t ask, he ordered, and while Cai’s first reaction was to say no, he noticed how tense his pa’s shoulders were. He’s nervous and worried, more than likely. Probably feels as though he’s going in to face a firing squad. Which is stupid, because James isn’t about to take back his offer. Although… James wouldn’t, but there was nothing stopping Mr. Callahan from doing that.
“All right. Let me grab a quick shower, and then we can go.”
Cai dashed down the hall to his room, where he grabbed some clothes. After a quick shower, he dressed and headed for the kitchen.
Ma held out a sandwich. “I made this for you. I’ll bring lunch for you and your pa later.”
“Thanks, Ma.” Cai brushed a kiss over her cheek and took the food. “Let’s go, Pa. No point in keeping the Callahans waiting. I’ll follow you.”
They left and Cai thought about calling James to give him fair warning that they were coming. Hell, don’t lie. You just want to talk to him. Kind of pissed you didn’t get any morning sex because of James’s father showing up.
“That’s true,” he muttered as he drove. “Would’ve liked to have a talk with James before the world intervened. I need to know what he wants out of this. It’ll be a little difficult with him living in Charleston, but we can work something out. I can visit him on my days off or he can come up here.”
