Talk to Me

by D K Sutton

  “You’ve got this, babe,” I said, my thumb rubbing the side of his leg. “And we’re almost there.”

  Chase’s hand covered mine, and for a moment, I thought he was going to move it. Instead, he slotted his fingers between mine and moved our hands slightly closer to his straining erection. He bit his lip, his left hand clenching the steering wheel. I used my other hand to tuck his hair behind his ear and then I kissed his jaw.

  “Are we there yet?” I asked in a low voice. I wanted to be home in bed with Chase pounding into me.

  “Two blocks.” His voice was slightly higher like he couldn’t catch his breath.

  We parked in the parking garage. Chase stared straight ahead, not moving. His hand relaxed on mine, giving me permission to do more. I slid my hand up his inner thigh slowly, until he was aching for more.

  “Max,” he said, spreading his legs. “Touch me.”

  I almost came right then. The guy was so sexy with his head back, eyes half closed, and the inviting flush on his skin. I traced the bulge in his pants with my thumb, slow at first and then faster. His breathing faltered as he pushed back against my hand. I covered his erection with my hand and squeezed. Chase let out a moan.

  “Should we take this inside?” I whispered in his ear before biting down on the lobe.

  “I… What?” His eyes closed tightly. “Please?” One hand still gripped the steering wheel. I loved that he was open, just giving himself to me.

  “I’ll take that as a no.” I kissed his neck, licking and sucking as I trailed down his neck to his shoulder. Chase whimpered as I changed hands. Leaning closer, I used my right hand to flip open the button on his skinny jeans and slowly unzip them. My left hand ran through the hair on the top of his head. God, I loved his hair.

  But I also loved his cock. I slipped my hand under his underwear and pulled his erection out. I couldn’t wait any longer to touch him. Chase jerked up in my hand. Precum beaded on the tip of his cock and I wanted to lick it. The car was cramped, and I could tell Chase was already close, so I settled for swiping the tip with my thumb. He whined again, and I shushed him with a filthy kiss. My tongue stroked his as I jerked him off.

  I pulled away to take a breath, resting my head on his shoulder. “You’re so gorgeous, babe,” I said, stroking him faster. He looked vulnerable as he arched his back, his body spread out in front of me, trembling under my touch.

  “Napkins. Console.” He could barely string words together, and yet he worried about getting his pants, or maybe just his car, messy. It was adorable.

  I grabbed the napkins out of the console with my free hand. He seemed to let go then, moaning out my name as he came. I kissed him again, wiping the sweaty strands of his long hair off his face.

  He smiled at me. “Thank you.”

  I helped clean him up and threw the napkins in a trash bag he had in his car. Everything about him was neat and clean except when I dirtied him up. It was one of my favorite things to do.

  “Ready to continue this upstairs? In bed?” I asked.

  “Lead the way.”

  It took way longer than I wanted to continue what we’d started in the car. We had to take Toby out and Chase insisted we wash the dishes I’d left from breakfast. But eventually we made it to bed and I was able to show Chase just how much I wanted him.

  ~~~

  I couldn’t tell if meeting Chase’s family was a success or not. It could go either way. I liked them but they were different from what I expected. Especially, Sunny. Since they were twins, I expected them to be more alike. They were quite different. Sunny was outgoing and she said what she thought. Although Chase did to a point, he was very careful about everything he said and whom he said it to. He didn’t talk unless it was necessary. He was more of an introvert, whereas Sunny seemed more of an extrovert. Chase had a seriousness about him that I loved, but he still liked to laugh. He didn’t take our relationship lightly. This wasn’t just a fling to him. Normally that would have me running for the hills. There was something about having that ongoing relationship, the intimacy I’d never experienced before. Chase made all the difference. I really didn’t want to screw this up. For one thing, Sunny would have me for breakfast if I did. And for another, I couldn’t imagine not having Chase in my life.

  Over the next week, we slowed things down at work. Our sups were getting suspicious. Chase had stopped at my desk to say good morning. He’d stayed home the night before. His excuse was because he wanted to clean. I believed him. The man loved having everything spotless. It was calming for him. I’d slept late, restless without him, and missed him at the elevator. Chase was leaning over my desk, laughing at something I’d said when Sean walked by. He shook his head, closing his eyes briefly, like he wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening. Then signs had started appearing on the doors of the copy room, the storage room, and the breakroom. They all said the same thing:

  THIS DOOR IS TO BE OPEN AT ALL TIMES

  Chase had been worried, but I assured him that if management had any proof, we would have already been called in to their offices.

  It was difficult keeping my hands to myself, but it helped knowing I got to have him with me every night. Toby also seemed hooked on Chase. He barely barked at him now. Instead, he danced around his legs, tail wagging. We’d done domesticated things together like taking Toby to the park and getting him new jackets to wear. Chase even found a thunder shirt, which was weighted to help ease anxiety in dogs. I waited to feel the usual panic that settled in when I thought of spending the rest of my life like this. It didn’t happen. At least not yet.

  We went out to dinner a few times. Chase was insistent we still do the things I loved to do. I didn’t really care as long as he was with me, but he seemed to have something to prove to himself. We loved going to the Italian restaurant. My neighbor Janice offered to stay with Toby to help ease any anxiety. I hadn’t ever thought of doing that before, but it worked like a charm. Not that we stayed gone for too long.

  It was the one-month anniversary of our first official date, and we sat at a small table at Santinos. The monthly performance metrics had been released at work, and Chase once again topped the list. It didn’t bother me as much anymore, and I loved seeing him happy. He was telling me about a customer who couldn’t figure out “The Google,” gesturing wildly with his hands.

  “Max?”

  I glanced over at the guy who’d stopped at our table. He had shoulder-length, brown, wavy hair and dark eyes. I recognized him instantly, but I still couldn’t remember his name.

  “Hi…” I hesitated, hoping his name would pop in my head. Lee? Levi? Neither seemed correct.

  “Nathan,” he said, his smile slipping as he glanced over at Chase. “It’s only been a month or so. You’ve already forgotten me?”

  What could I say to that? I forgot you as soon as you left my bed was the truth but not the right thing to say. Especially with Chase watching me with raised eyebrows. Shit. I really didn’t need him to be reminded of my old playboy ways.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Nathan.” I kept my voice neutral. I just needed him gone as soon as possible. We’d been having a good time before he showed up. “This is Chase.”

  Nathan regarded him coolly. “Is this the new flavor of the month? Excuse me, I mean day.”

  Chase’s cheeks flushed. I wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or anger. Maybe both.

  I glared at the twink. There was no reason for him to be this catty. I’d never made any promises to him.

  “This is my boyfriend,” I said through gritted teeth. “And I think it’s time you moved along.”

  “Boyfriend,” he scoffed. “You?”

  I stood up, towering over him. I usually didn’t ever try to intimidate anyone, but this guy was pushing my buttons. “Leave.”

  Nathan rolled his eyes, before turning to Chase. “Good luck,” he said. “Seriously. You’re going to need it.”

  Once he left, I turned to Chase. “I’m sorry, babe.”

  �
��Was it really only a month ago?”

  “It was more than a month,” I said. He raised his eyebrows again, and I sighed. “But not much longer than that. I slept around. I can’t deny it. But there’s been no one else but you since we first went out.

  He nodded, but I could see the doubt in his eyes.

  “You’re the only one I want, Chase.”

  “At least you remember my name.” Chase winked at me.

  After that night, I caught Chase staring at me with questions whenever we were around a guy I knew. Was he wondering who I slept with? Wouldn’t I be doing the same? I knew Chase hadn’t been in a serious relationship since his breakup, but maybe he’d hooked up. The thought made me sick. I didn’t want anyone else touching Chase. Was this how he felt. I didn’t want him to feel like he wasn’t good enough. I tried to reassure him in every way, every interaction that we had that he was special.

  We snuggled on the couch with Toby between us when I asked the question I’d had for a while. “Why did you leave San Diego?” Thankfully, his sister had mentioned where they were from or he might wonder how I knew.

  He hesitated, adjusting Toby on his lap. “My parents aren’t really supportive,” he said. “Sunny had moved here. It’s where Brad is from.”

  I slid my hand through his hair, trying to reassure him. I could tell it was difficult to talk about.

  “I thought I could do it on my own.” He shrugged. “But I was lonely, and I’m not so good at making friends. Sunny talked me in to moving here.”

  “And by talked you mean bullied.”

  “Yes,” he said with a laugh.

  “They didn’t approve of you being gay?”

  He looked up at me. Tears were in his eyes, and I kissed his cheek. “It wasn’t that. They didn’t care at all that I was gay.”

  That surprised me. “I don’t understand.”

  “It was my anxiety. They thought I should be able to just get over it.”

  I hugged him tightly. I couldn’t imagine how hard that was for him. No one to support him and his anxiety keeping him from reaching out to anyone.

  I kissed his temple. “You have lots of support now.” Toby licked his arm, putting in his two cents’ worth.

  I’d resisted having Chase meet my family. Not because I was ashamed of him in any way. It had more to do with my siblings embarrassing me. I also wanted to keep Chase to myself for a while. I’d never brought anyone home before. It was a big deal. I realized he thought it had more to do with how serious I was about him. He’d brought it up several times. Finally, I relented. There were so many people in my family it was sometimes overwhelming. How would Chase react when he didn’t even like crowds? I negotiated with my mom to keep it to a few family members to ease Chase into it. She’d been ecstatic that I finally found someone, so was ready to agree to anything.

  My mom planned a small lunch of pulled pork and the fixings that went with it on Sunday afternoon. My family loved their barbecue.

  “Are you sure you want to meet my family?” I asked for the hundredth time.

  “Don’t you think they’ll like me?”

  I hugged him. I hated when he looked unsure, like he wasn’t good enough. “I’m just gonna be honest with you. I’ve never brought anyone home before. They are going to be like vultures.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  I shook my head. Might as well get it over with. “All my siblings won’t be there. Just my mom and dad and a few others. I’m not sure exactly who’s showing up, to tell you the truth.”

  “But your parents know you’re gay, right?”

  “They will now.” I laughed at Chase’s panicked look. “I’m kidding. They know I’m gay.”

  Chase smacked me, causing Toby to bark. At me. Traitor. “Get him Tobias,” Chase said with a laugh.

  I wrestled Chase onto the couch, tickling him. Toby jumped on the couch, trying to rescue him. My touches became more intimate as I accidentally grazed his cock.

  “Stop it, Maxwell.” He turned us over, so he was sitting on my lower body. He grabbed both my hands and pinned them over my head. I could have easily gotten out of his hold, but why would I have wanted to? “We need to get ready to go.”

  “If this is your way of convincing me to be good, I think my cock is getting mixed signals.” I squirmed against him, pushed my growing erection into his ass.

  “Maybe we have a few minutes to spare,” he said, sounding breathless. “But let’s take it to your room so Toby doesn’t think you’re trying to hurt me.”

  “He’s my dog,” I grumbled.

  An hour later, we were ready to go. My heart pounded in my chest. Was I really taking a boy home to meet Mom and Dad? Yes. Yes, I was. And although I was thrilled I had found someone to take home to the parents, I was also terrified. I could so easily fuck this up.

  What was I worried about? Even if my family didn’t like Chase, which wasn’t possible, it didn’t matter. They would just have to deal with it because I wasn’t giving him up.

  Chase smiled at me as he took my hand. “It’ll be fine,” he said.

  “Famous last words.”

  “I think it’s cute, Max. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this nervous.”

  We took my car, but Chase drove. My stomach churned the closer we got to my parents’ home. Chase squeezed my hand.

  “It’ll be fine,” he said again. And I almost believed him.

  Yet there was something at the back of my mind that wouldn’t let me relax. Was it because I didn’t feel I really deserved Chase? It couldn’t be about my past. Chase knew about that and had accepted me. I didn’t figure it out until after we got in the house, and I introduced him to my mom.

  “Hello, Mrs. Sloan,” Chase said. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

  She practically beamed at him. “Call me Diane, hon.” She hugged him like he was a long-lost son. “It’s so nice to meet you. Max has never brought anyone home before.”

  “Mom.” I shook my head at her, but she ignored my warning and hugged me. After she moved to the side, ushering us farther into the house, Carole and her husband came in with smiles on their faces. That’s when my world fell apart.

  How could I forget? More importantly, how could I avert the impending disaster?

  “Mac,” my sister said, giving me a hug. Chase glanced over at me, his eyebrows drawn as if he was trying to figure something out. Fuck. I’d forgotten about my nickname. The one I’d also given to Chase over the phone as a completely different person. I was such an idiot.

  “This is Chase,” I said quickly, trying to keep Chase from thinking too much about it. “Chase this is my sister Carole and her husband.” I’d left off his name intentionally, but it didn’t matter. There was no way to stop this train wreck. But could I minimize the damage?

  Carole hugged him. My brother-in-law held out his hand. “Howard,” he said, giving me a strange look. “And this is our daughter, Penny.” Their only child was twelve and precocious. And she was one of my favorites.

  Mom returned to the kitchen to check on the food. We made it to the living room, where my dad and my youngest sister were. As I made introductions, I tried to figure out what to do next. It was all going to come out. Howard was a common name. Hernandez was not. But there was always a chance Chase wouldn’t remember the call. Right? The same call in which I had flirted with Chase and asked him out. I wanted to slam my head against the wall. The pain would be a nice diversion.

  Everyone in the room called me Mac. Chase asked about the nickname, and I told him the story of how I’d gotten it. He smiled but it didn’t seem sincere. Did he remember the name from the call, or was he just upset I hadn’t told him about it in the first place? Only my family called me that, so I hadn’t thought to mention it to him. I wished I had remembered. Then I could have prepared him for this exact moment. No time like the present.

  “Chase?” I cleared my throat, trying to sound less like a dying man. “Could I talk to you for a moment?” If I could somehow c
ontrol the information, explain it to him on my terms, it might not be too bad. I took a deep breath, trying to relax my racing heart.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I just wanted to tell you something.” I don’t know why I didn’t foresee this happening. I had to tell him no matter what. I didn’t want this secret between us. I tried to pull him toward the hallway leading away from the living room and the crowd, when my mom returned.

  “Dinner’s ready.”

  “Come on,” Chase said. “We can talk later.”

  I nodded, giving up for now. Maybe it would be fine.

  Lunch was lively with chatter and laughter. Chase answered questions with a smile on his face about his family and growing up in San Diego. So much attention was on him, and affection rushed through me. He was doing this for me.

  I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, ignoring the sighs from Greta and Penny.

  “What was that for?”

  “I know this is hard for you,” I whispered. “Thank you so much for coming.”

  “Of course.” Chase squeezed my hand under the table.

  “Tell us how you two met.”

  I wanted to throttle my sister, but I should have expected the question. If not from a sibling, from my mom. They glanced at each other every once in a while, identical conspiring looks on their faces. They probably had a list of questions.

  “Max mistook me for a woman,” Chase said.

  “Really?” Greta asked. Everyone laughed.

  “No, not really. I knew he was a guy.”

  “That’s his story,” Chase said with a wink. “It’s my long hair. That mistake happens more than you think.”

  “What happened?” Greta loved romance books and movies. She was eating this up.

  Chase smiled. “Max called me beautiful.”

  “I bet that went over well,” Carole said.

  “Exactly how you’d think.”

  “I’d love for someone to call me beautiful.” Penelope had a dreamy look on her face.

  “You’re only twelve,” Howard reminded her.

  “Yes,” Chase said, smiling at her. “But I knew right away, Max was a player.”