by Jayda Marx
“I’d like that,” I answered, and Vic’s smile spread. I stared at him for a few seconds before asking, “So...what do we do now?”
“This.” He cupped my cheek in his hand and my pulse skyrocketed as he slowly inched towards me. His eyes fluttered shut just before his lips touched mine. He gently pecked my lips and nibbled on my plump bottom one. Dozens of thoughts bounced around in my mind, from worrying what my breath smelled like to wondering what would come next.
When Vic pressed his tongue between my lips, all of those thoughts flew out the window and I lost myself to the kiss. My eyes slid closed and I focused on the way he commanded my mouth, yet was tender at the same time. His tongue slicked against every surface of my mouth, painting it with the subtle flavor of bitter coffee. His lips were warm and soft, and it tickled when his scruffy cheeks rubbed against mine. That was the strangest and best part; I couldn’t deny it was a man kissing me when I was surrounded by his masculinity.
Vic pulled away too soon and it took a moment for my eyes to open and focus. He looked back at me with equal parts worry and hope. “How was that?”
“Different,” was the first word that popped out of my mouth, and Vic chuckled.
“You sure know how to make a guy feel good.”
“Shit, no, that’s not what I meant; it felt different than I’m used to because of your beard and-”
“I was only teasing,” he assured, caressing his thumb over my cheek and instantly soothing me. “It’s a good thing that it felt different.”
I nodded my agreement. Despite the physical differences, the kiss answered so many of my questions. It was exciting and sweet and sexy, but most of all, it felt right. If one kiss could clear my head so much, I couldn't wait to see what came with his full offer. “It was wonderful,” I told him, and he smiled again. “So, um, at the risk of sounding like a broken record here, what do we do now?” I had no clue what I was doing with this shit, but I also didn’t feel strange asking Vic for help.
“Now I think I should go home and allow us both to get some rest.”
Well that certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought for sure he’d drag me to my room and fuck my brains out. To be honest, that’s what I wanted; that kiss left me craving more. I opened my mouth to argue, but Vic spoke before me.
“You drank a lot last night, and I want it all out of your system and for your hangover to be totally gone before we do anything else. I want you to take time to think about what we decided. If you have any doubts, we’ll call the whole thing off. I never want you to feel pressured.”
His concern alone confirmed that he was a good man, and that I wanted this with him. “I’m going to leave my phone number with you so you can call me if you change your mind,” he continued. “If you don’t, I’ll come back here at say...around seven tonight?”
“That sounds great.” Vic and I exchanged numbers and I walked him to the door after he ordered a car.
“Remember, there’s no pressure. If you decide this isn’t what you want, that’s okay. I just want you to be happy, Jay.”
His words warmed me to my core. “Thank you.”
Vic gave a wave goodbye, and I closed the door behind him. Seven o’clock can’t come fast enough.
Chapter Five
Vic
At seven o’clock on the dot, I knocked on Jay’s door. I had to stop myself from picking up flowers or a bottle of wine on my way over; this wasn’t a date and I had to remember that. Not that I was against dating Jay; just the opposite. He was handsome, funny, and kind...everything I could want in a man. But some shit in my past made me leery of dating again, and I wasn’t sure if it was something Jay was ready for yet either.
But I couldn’t just walk away from him. And so, the Daddy - excuse me, mentor - idea was born; a purely physical relationship with a sexy younger man...what could go wrong?
The door swung open and my heart leapt into my throat when I saw Jay, wearing a navy blue button up shirt tucked into a pair of pressed black dress pants. I felt underdressed in my worn jeans and plain gray t-shirt.
“Hey,” Jay greeted with a nervous smile. “Come on in.”
He motioned me inside and the scent of chicken hit my nose. I must have caught him right after dinner. But to my surprise, Jay led me into his kitchen, where the table was set with two dishes full of lemon pepper chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.
“You cooked for me?” I asked dumbfoundedly.
Jay’s face scrunched up. “Is that bad? It’s just...well, it’s dinner time and I thought you might be hungry. But if you’re not, that’s okay. Or if you don’t want to eat with me, and would rather get to the bedroom to do...you know, it...that’s okay too. But you can still take some food home if you want. I just…” He ran his hand roughly through his hair. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
My heart squeezed. This tall, broad bear of a man was as unsure and nervous as a little cub. It was the sweetest thing I could imagine, and I decided Jay deserved better than getting carted off to the bedroom to do ‘it’.
“I’m starving,” I replied, and he let out a sigh of relief. He pulled my chair out for me and my lips stretched into a goofy smile. “I had to go to the bar to sign for a shipment and went ahead and stocked it while I was there, so I missed dinner,” I explained as I sat down. “This looks delicious.”
I waited until he took his seat and cut off a bite before I did the same. The hunk of chicken melted in my mouth and I hummed at its savory flavor. “Jay, this is incredible. Where did you learn to cook?”
“From my mom,” he replied after he swallowed his bite. “I’m an only child, so growing up, I spent a lot of time with my parents. My mom taught me how to cook and I learned about cars from my d-” he cleared his throat and corrected, “From Lee.”
“You mentioned something about your father, or rather, fathers last night, but I didn’t get the whole story.” He had too much whiskey in his system to explain clearly. “Not that you have to tell me if you don’t want to,” I added quickly.
“No, I don’t mind,” he shrugged. “My mom hooked up with my biological father Brooks when she was eighteen and ended up pregnant. But by the time she found out, she was dating Lee. He assumed that I was his, and she never corrected him. Well, Brooks figured out that I was actually his when I was ten, but my mom begged him not to get involved. He didn’t until I was an adult. When he reached out to me, my mom and Lee got divorced over the news and I told Brooks never to contact me again. I kind of blew up on everyone,” he admitted, looking ashamed of himself.
“It’s understandable,” I insisted. I couldn’t bear to see the big sweetheart upset. “That’s a lot to process.”
He nodded as he chewed another bite. “Fast forward a few years later and a man approaches me while I’m eating lunch at the food court. He claims he’s Brooks’ boyfriend and begs me to give him a chance. By this time, Lee and my mom have reconciled and I feel guilty about being an ass to Brooks, so I agree. Long story short, I’ve gotten really close to Brooks and his now-fiance Noah, who is four years younger than me. It’s kind of a fucked up situation, but it works for us.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” I told him honestly. “It was big of you to give him a chance. Are you still close to your mother and Lee?”
“Not as close as I used to be,” he answered with a sad smile. “They’re doing their own thing and I’m giving them space. Plus, they live in Nebraska, so we don’t see each other that often.”
I was saddened by that, but I also understood. I just hoped their relationship strengthened over time. “Did you grow up in Nebraska?”
“I did.” I’d wondered why he didn’t have a thick southern accent like most of us from this area. “I lived there through my high school years. I played some ball and-”
“What type of ball did you play?” I didn’t mean to cut him off, but I was excited. I loved sports and was curious to hear about his past.
“I was an offensive linem
an for the football team. I was bigger than most guys my age and didn’t really have to do much; I just stood in their way or gave them a shove and they went down like a ton of bricks.” I won’t deny I got a chubby from imagining Jay in a pair of tight football pants, getting all sweaty from knocking guys around. “I um...I also played baseball.” His eyes skittered away from mine and I snorted a laugh, remembering how he came running at me with a bat.
“Do you still play at all? There are leagues that meet around here.”
“Nah. I mainly played because of Lee. I was a quiet kid who liked reading and math better than people. He said sports would help me make friends and build character, so he pushed me into them. I didn’t dislike them, but I didn’t love them either. I’m much happier as a fan than a player.”
“Oh yeah? Who do you follow?”
“Well, I went to the University of Tennessee, so of course I’m a Vols fan.”
“Good man,” I smiled. “They’re my team too. Of course, I didn’t go to college there; I’m not smart enough for that.”
“I call bullshit,” Jay insisted, surprising me. “You run your own business; you’ve got to have a head for numbers.” I thanked him with a smile around my bite of potatoes. “How long have you owned the bar?”
“A few years. Actually, opening the place came from equal parts luck and heartache.” Jay furrowed his brows and I explained, “Before I opened Vic’s Place, I tended bar at ‘The Male Box’, which is a gay club in Nashville. I loved it there; the vibe was great, the music was loud and the men were hot.”
“Why the hell did you leave?” Jay asked with wide eyes, making me laugh.
“I met a young man there named Kurt. He came up to the bar one night and ordered a cocktail, but once I served it to him, he didn’t leave. He talked to and flirted with me all night long. He tried to get me to sneak off to the restroom with him, but the place was packed and I couldn’t get away. Once the club shut down for the night, he invited me back to his place and we...well, we…”
“I think I get the picture,” Jay answered in a tight voice. He obviously didn’t like hearing the details of my past lover, which only added to my chubby predicament.
“Right. So, I thought it was just a one night thing, but the next evening, Kurt showed up again and continued to show up night after night. Eventually, we started dating and shared what I thought was a great relationship.”
“I sense an until coming,” Jay said, his voice calmer and even a little sad now.
“Until he got tired of me,” I nodded. “He said he thought since I worked at an exciting place, I was an exciting guy, but that it turned out I was just an old, boring loser. Soon after that, he got with a guy his age and they visited the club together often. They flaunted their relationship in front of me and I couldn’t take it anymore and quit.”
And that was the main reason why I couldn’t date Jay, no matter how much I wanted to; I couldn’t go through that again. I couldn’t get attached to this young man who had his whole life ahead of him and could have anyone he wanted, just to lose him in the end. Instead, I’d offer him exciting hookups and sexy times to keep him around as long as I could.
“Damn,” Jay said sadly. “I’m sorry, Vic. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re just some old boring guy. I think you’re kind and caring and honest.”
“Thanks.” His words meant a lot to me, but when it came right down to it, what Kurt told me was true; I was just an old boring guy. When I wasn’t at work, I hung around at home watching sports or movies with my cat. I liked tinkering in the garage and doing crossword puzzles in the newspaper. If that didn’t scream old and boring, I didn't know what did.
“So...Vic’s Place?” Jay asked, and I realized I’d only told him half of the story.
“Oh, right; sorry. Well, towards the end of my relationship with Kurt, I learned that my parents’ health was failing. When I left The Male Box, I moved here to Grayson to take care of them. I took a job at Vic’s Place, though it was called Mel’s Place at the time. I guess neither Mel nor I are very creative with bar names.” Jay gave me a smile and a nod to continue.
“Anyway, my father’s health declined quickly. He was a smoker all of his life, and by the time we found out he had lung cancer, he was already in its final stages. He chose not to go through chemotherapy or radiation, claiming that he had lived a good life and was ready to move on without a fight. He died only four months after I moved back home. My mother died six months later. She didn’t have any illness except for a broken heart. I’m convinced that she mourned herself to death.”
“Jesus.” Jay reached across the table and took my hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks.” I let out a long breath. “After they passed, Mel came to me and said that he wanted to sell the business and retire; he wanted to spend the rest of his years travelling with his wife. I had money left from my parents’ life insurance after I paid their final expenses, and took over ownership of the bar, but I kept all of Mel’s staff hired on. Like I told you before, I usually take the backseat with the business. I tended bar for a lot of years and now I enjoy working it from a different angle. I only serve drinks when there’s a hole in coverage.”
“I hate how it came about, but I’m glad you have a business that you enjoy.” His sweet words took the sting from the memory. “And I’m really glad that you were serving drinks last night.”
My smile matched his own as I squeezed his hand. “Me too.”
We talked about lighter topics while we finished our meal; that is, if you consider our shared love of the bloodier the better horror movies a lighter topic. Things were natural with Jay; telling him my sob story was as easy as discussing what television shows we liked (which, as it turned out, we both enjoyed true crime documentaries). We had so much in common and I enjoyed his presence.
"That was delicious," I complimented as I lay my fork onto my plate. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He stood up and collected our dishes. "It'll only take me a minute to get these washed up." Judging by the spotless nature of his home, I wasn't surprised that Jay didn't want to leave the mess for later.
He filled the sink with soapy water and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, revealing his thick, hairy arms. As he scrubbed the porcelain, his muscles bunched and twitched beneath his clothes. I never thought of doing the dishes as inherently sexy, but damn if Jay didn't make it so.
I rose from my chair and tiptoed behind him. He shivered when I pushed his collar to the side and pressed gentle kisses to his neck. His arms slowed their scrubbing and he tipped his head onto his shoulder. I licked up the side of his throat and his skin vibrated under my tongue as he moaned.
Jay slowly turned to face me and sank his wet fingers into my hair. His eyes were dark with desire as they gazed into mine and the air between us was thick with expectation.
I pressed our lips together and kissed him deeply. Our tongues brushed together and Jay's fingers locked behind my head. I fisted the front of his shirt and pulled its tails from his pants. I trapped his tongue between my lips and bobbed my head back and forth as I slipped each of his shirt buttons through their holes.
The temptation was too much. As much as I wanted to keep kissing Jay, I had to see him. I pulled my lips away and grazed my eyes down his body. The view was even better than I imagined it would be; his chest and stomach were thick and covered in fine black hair.
"You're so sexy," I whispered as I pressed my fingertips to his pecs. His skin gave under my touch; he had a layer of softness covering firm muscle beneath, and it made my mouth water. He wasn't ripped or chiseled, but was naturally strong and beautiful.
In an instant, Jay tucked his hands below my t-shirt and lifted it over my head. His hungry gaze chased away the insecurities my aging body had built.
"My god, Vic," he breathed as his fingers traced over my chest. My torso was covered in wispy silver hair, but I assumed what caught his interest were the tattoos inked from shoulder to shou
lder. "They're gorgeous; you're gorgeous." He caressed over the image of an hourglass surrounded by blood red roses. "What does it mean?"
"To make every moment count." Which was exactly what I planned to do with Jay. I grabbed the sides of his shirt and pulled him towards me. "Come with me, fireball." I led him backwards down the hall until we crossed the threshold of his bedroom and my legs bumped against his mattress. "Are you ready?"
Jay swallowed thickly as he nodded. "So ready." There was no hesitation or doubt in his eyes. He wanted this as much as I did.
I unbuckled his belt and pulled the leather free from the loops, dropping it to the floor. "Have you ever had your dick sucked?" I asked as I pushed his shirt from his shoulders.
"Jesus." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at me again and nodding.
"Not like I'm going to do," I promised, unsnapping the button of his trousers. Jay cursed under his breath as I unzipped his pants and pushed them down around his ankles. "I'm going to show you how it's supposed to be done; make you feel better than you ever thought possible. Then you can do the same for me."
Jay nodded rapidly as he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his pants. I curled my fingers around the waistband of his boxers and looked into his eyes as I peeled them down. I slowly dropped my gaze down his body and my breath caught when I got my first glimpse of his firm cock.
"Oh, Jay." All other words left me as I inspected his dick. He was nearly eight inches long and cut, and thicker than any man I'd ever seen. "You're perfect." I tore my gaze away from his beautiful fat cock, focusing instead on the heavy sack that hung between his sturdy thighs. They, along with his entire groin, were covered in cropped black hair. I gingerly took his balls in my palm as Jay moaned. "Did you trim up just for me?"
"Yeah," he answered in a throaty whisper. "Is that okay?"
"It's better than okay. You have the most incredible cock I've ever seen. I can't wait to get it in my mouth."
