Tasting Notes

by Cate Ashwood

  They hadn’t discussed where the relationship was going, or even if there was a relationship. It was all incredibly confusing. Waves of hot and cold seemed to be the norm. One day Rush was all over him, the next he barely looked at West. Mixed signals abounded. West had never experienced anything like it before, and he didn’t know what the implications of his feelings toward Rush were, but he knew how he felt. He liked Rush. He wanted Rush. It all seemed so simple. He needed to get Rush onto the same page, so West hatched a plan to up his game.

  Finally, after waiting for what felt like forever, he saw Rush’s truck pulling up the driveway. West walked out to meet him, too excited to wait inside.

  “I got you a present,” West said the moment Rush cracked open the door.

  Rush laughed. “I got you something too.” He kicked the door fully open and held a cup out for West. At least he thought it was a cup. It was white and resembled a paper takeout coffee cup, but around the middle there was a swatch of fabric tied up with ribbons and lace.

  “Uh, thanks…,” West said, not really sure how to react.

  Rush laughed harder. “It’s coffee. Your frilly, lacy, floofy coffee. I got you an accessory to match. It’s a coffee corset cozy or something. Annette’s teenage daughter makes them and sells them out of her mom’s coffee shop. I picked up stuff for lunch too,” Rush said, holding up a brown paper bag.

  “That’s really… thoughtful of you,” West said. He took a sip of the drink, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. “Oh my God. That’s amazing. I could kiss you right now. It’s the first proper latté I’ve had in weeks. You have no idea how much I’ve missed this. Thank you. I can’t believe you got my order right. It took Scarlet, my assistant, a week to get it right, and you nailed it on the first shot.”

  Rush leaned forward and pressed his mouth against West’s. “What can I say? I pay attention.”

  “Oh! Here I am, so excited about my coffee—lace undergarments and all—I nearly forgot about your present! Come with me.”

  He grabbed Rush’s free hand, the one that wasn’t carrying his coffee—in a plain white cup—and led him down the path beside the house, out to the field in the back of the property. West knew the moment Rush spotted it. He stopped in his tracks, body tense, feet frozen in place.

  “What… what the fuck is that?” Rush asked.

  “It’s your present. I know it’s an… unconventional gift, but I thought you’d like it.”

  “You bought me a helicopter?” The incredulousness in his voice was nearly palpable.

  West beamed. “I did.”

  Rush turned toward him, and when West looked into his eyes, he was stunned to see anger overflowing from them.

  “What the fuck for?”

  “I thought you would like it. You don’t like it? I can get you a different one. I called the company, and they recommended it.”

  “It’s… you bought me a fucking helicopter. A helicopter. A helicopter.”

  “You keep saying that. I did. I thought you’d like it.” Now West was incredibly unsure. He’d been so excited, but Rush’s reaction wasn’t what he was expecting.

  Rush scrubbed his hands down his face. “You’re throwing money around again like it’s no big deal. I bought you a coffee in a dress. You bought me a fucking helicopter. That’s not normal, West. That’s insane.”

  “It’s normal for me. And it didn’t cost that much.”

  “It didn’t cost that much?” Rush repeated.

  “No. Barely more than my car. What good is having money if I can’t use it to buy things for myself and the people I care about?” He realized what he said the moment it left his mouth. It wasn’t that big a deal, he supposed. After all, who bought a helicopter for someone they didn’t care about? Rush didn’t seem to notice, though, so he continued. “We got off to a rough start, but then you helped me. Your help has been invaluable, and we became friends… and then more than friends. I wanted to do something nice for you. That’s all.”

  Rush sighed. “I keep forgetting….”

  “You keep forgetting what?”

  “I spend time with you, and for a while I forget you have more money than God, and after a while it’s like you’re totally normal, but then you do something like this and I’m reminded you’re not.”

  Wisps of anger tangled with West’s head now. “I am normal. I always have been. Just because my bank account is abnormally large doesn’t make me some kind of asshole or freak. So fuck you. It was a gift, a gesture, and you’re the one who’s acting like a prick.”

  Rush’s mouth hung open, and West watched as the anger melted away, leaving understanding beneath. He grabbed West’s coffee and placed them both down on the ground before reaching out and sliding his hand around West’s bicep. He pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around West’s body.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. I was taken completely off guard. I’ve never had anyone do anything like this. I’m wandering into new territory here.”

  “If you don’t want it….”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “So you do want it?”

  Rush paused. “I’d feel weird about it. How about you keep it, and I can borrow it?”

  West grinned. “Whatever makes you happy.”

  “You do,” Rush said, sliding one hand into West’s hair and pulling him in to kiss him.

  West melted at his words, kissing him eagerly, his tongue sliding against Rush’s as he groped to get closer. Coffees forgotten, they kissed until they were both breathless.

  “Can we go up now?” West asked after they broke their kiss.

  “Yes. We’ll bring lunch in case we get hungry along the way.”

  “You got it,” West said.

  “Then we’re all set,” he said, a charmingly boyish grin on his face.

  West could feel the excitement building.

  West grabbed the bag Rush brought earlier. “Let’s go!”

  They walked the short distance to the helicopter, increasing their pace the closer they came to the clearing. Rush took a moment to walk around the outside, inspecting every inch of it.

  “It’s beautiful,” he said finally. “How did you know which one to get?”

  “The guy recommended this one. A Bell something?”

  “Bell 206, LongRanger IV. It’s amazing. How’d you get it here?”

  “They delivered it this morning.”

  “They delivered?” Rush asked incredulously.

  “Anyone will deliver anything if you pay for it,” West explained, a little tinge of worry coloring his words. He didn’t want the mention of money to make things tense between them again, but Rush didn’t seem to notice.

  “I can’t wait to fly again.”

  “Then let’s get going,” West encouraged.

  After Rush completed a thorough pre-flight safety check, they opened the doors and climbed in. West looked over at Rush, his heart picking up the pace, and it had nothing to do with the fact they were about to fly thousands of feet above the ground in a tin can with a propeller. He would have paid the $1.4 million just to see Rush sitting behind the controls. There was something ultimately sexual about a man who knew how to fly. The bulky headphones he wore made him look even hotter.

  They buckled in, and Rush clicked a couple of switches on the roof, then pressed a button on the center section, and a few moments later West could hear the whirr of the blades as they started spinning. It was a sunny day, and the shadow of the propellers was clear on the grass. He watched as they sped, faster and faster.

  “Ready?” Rush asked.

  West nodded, and before he knew it they had smoothly lifted off the ground. Excitement and adrenaline surged through him. He’d flown a million times before—owning a jet made air travel simple—but this felt completely different. He slid his hand across and up Rush’s thigh.

  Rush shot him a mock disapproving look. “You’re gonna have to keep your hands to yourself if you want to stay airborne. I’m a little r
usty at this, and any distraction could be dangerous.”

  West snatched his hand back, and he heard Rush laugh.

  “I’m joking. I could fly this thing in my sleep.” He reached over and grabbed West’s hand, then placed it back on his thigh. The nose of the helicopter dipped forward slightly as they transitioned from a vertical lift to forward movement.

  West relaxed back into the seat and confidently placed his life in Rush’s capable hands. The smoothness with which he operated the machine inspired more assurance than West thought possible, and any nervousness he harbored had dissipated the moment the skids lifted off the grass.

  Rush took them up and over West’s property, careful to keep high enough not to disturb the vines. He flew them west, over Canyon Creek, pointing out the buildings and landmarks in the place West had come to think of as his second home. Flying over Black Mountain, he hovered for a few minutes so West could take in the business Rush worked so hard to build.

  Fierce pride surged through him for the man sitting next to him. He had accomplished two lifetimes of work in such a short time, and he made such a wonderful life for himself. There was a little jealousy in West’s heart, that Rush knew exactly what he wanted out of that life, went after it, and was living his dream happily. Weeks earlier, West could have said the same thing for himself. He would have thought they had that in common, but the truth was becoming more and more obvious the longer he spent in Rush’s company.

  Rush spun the helicopter around, facing them north and taking them up into the mountains that stood behind the little town. West had wondered what was up there, and as it turned out, it was hundreds of miles of forests. The scenery was beautiful, the tops of the mountains still capped in snow. It reminded him a little of the time he spent in Aspen.

  He wondered how much fuel they had, because he wanted to stay up all day.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The familiar feeling of soaring through the air overcame Rush as they ascended into the mountains. He guided them around, giving West a look at the wilderness that surrounded Canyon Creek. It was breathtaking.

  “Thank you,” Rush said into the headset. He could feel West’s grip on his leg tighten.

  “You’re welcome, but really I’m the one who won out in all this. This is incredible, and I wouldn’t be seeing it if it weren’t for you.”

  “It is beautiful.”

  The moment they had lifted off the ground, something clicked deep inside Rush. He missed this so much. Two weeks, twice a year, was not enough time in the air. When he saw the helicopter parked in the field, pristine white and shiny navy blue, his brain shorted out. It was difficult to wade through the torrent of emotions that bombarded him at that exact moment.

  There was rage, and elation, and confusion, and wonder, and all he wanted to do was slide into the cockpit and take off. And then, not long after, they did just that. He knew his reaction wasn’t rational. He’d known West long enough to understand he wasn’t like some of the people with money Rush knew in the past, but the pure indifference for how much it cost had momentarily paralyzed him with anger. It was short-lived, and the anger dissipated to leave nothing but sincere gratitude for West’s thoughtfulness. He wished there were something he could do to repay him.

  And then he thought of something. West had mentioned Canyon Creek was only a stop-through on his way to the coast. But he never made it there. Rush could take him. They could make a weekend of it. He turned the helicopter around and headed back toward Lennox Hill.

  “Hey, do you want to head to the coast this afternoon?” he asked.

  “Today?”

  “Yeah, we could go for the weekend. There’s not a lot that needs to be done around here, and when we first met, you said you wanted to go. It would be like a little vacation. If not, that’s okay. I thought….” Rush let the words trail off. He felt like an idiot. They weren’t even dating. Their relationship had been on uneven ground from the get-go, and there wasn’t a name for what they were. Assuming West would want to spend the weekend with him was stupid, and he wished he could take it back.

  “That sounds like fun,” West said, interrupting Rush’s inner monologue.

  “Yeah?”

  “Definitely, let’s do it.”

  Rush maneuvered them back to their starting spot easily, setting them gently down on the grass before cutting the engine. They sat and waited until the rotors stopped spinning before climbing out.

  “I’ll need to run home and grab some things, and I’ll ask Sebastian if he can watch Casper for the weekend, but it shouldn’t take too long. I’ll meet you back here when I’m done?”

  “No problem. I’ll need to get some things gathered myself.”

  “Okay, see you soon,” Rush said, bypassing the house and getting into his truck.

  He called Sebastian on his way home. They hadn’t spoken since the night at the pub, and Rush wasn’t sure what to expect when he called, but at the end of the day, they were friends, and he trusted Sebastian implicitly with Casper’s care. The phone rang four times before his voice mail clicked on. Rush hung up. A small part of him wondered if Sebastian was screening his calls. He glanced at the clock in his truck. It was a little before noon and a Friday. Sebastian was definitely at work, but he’d answered his phone at work before. Rush wasn’t sure, but it wouldn’t do any good to leave a voice mail if he was leaving town in less than an hour.

  He tried Rosie next. She picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey, Beautiful,” he said.

  “Hey, Rush. What’s up?”

  “I was wondering if I could ask you a really big favor.”

  “Sure, what do you need?” she asked.

  “If it’s not too much trouble, do you think you could take Casper for the weekend?”

  “Not a problem at all. Are you going somewhere?”

  “Yeah… uh…. West and I are heading to the coast for a couple of days.”

  “Oh, for his grandfather?” Rosie asked, her voice turning somber.

  Rush didn’t know what she was talking about, but West had spent a lot of time with her since he came to town. Maybe she knew something he didn’t. “I’m not sure. I suggested the trip, and West seemed keen to go.”

  “Oh, well, I’m sure you two will have a good time,” she said, her voice brightening. “You guys are getting along better now?”

  “You could say that.”

  Rosie laughed. “Thought as much. You be good to that man, Robert James Coeman. He’s a keeper, so don’t fuck it up.”

  “No one said anything about keeping anyone else. It’s just a weekend away. And if I didn’t need your help, I would have hung up on you for calling me Robert. You know how much I hate it.”

  “Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Robert. Are you going to drop Casper off on your way back to Lennox Hill?”

  Rush rolled his eyes but overlooked the second use of his name. “Yeah, if that’s all right with you.”

  “Of course. I’ll be here all day.”

  “Perfect. See you in a few.”

  Rush returned to Lennox Hill a little over an hour later. He packed, dropped Casper off with Rosie, and headed back to meet West. On the way he called Johnny Pruitt, a mechanic buddy of his from the military. He lived a little north of Eureka, a few miles outside of town, where he purchased a piece of property that had belonged to the Navy many years ago. Now it served as a tiny airstrip for the planes he bought, restored, and sold again.

  Rush arranged a landing area and a place to keep the helicopter overnight while he and West stayed in town.

  When he arrived back at West’s place, he let himself into the house. West’s bag was already by the door. He ventured farther inside.

  “West?” he called.

  “In here,” West replied, the sound floating out from the bathroom. Rush walked in and found West gloriously naked, water droplets hanging from the tips of his hair as he pulled a pair of underwear on. Rush stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed the elastic waist, preven
ting West from pulling them all the way up.

  “You don’t really need those, do you?” he asked.

  West laughed. “I don’t know. How much time do we have?”

  “Not enough,” Rush said, disappointment lacing his voice as he dropped his hand.

  West reached out and grabbed him by his shirt, hauled him against his wet body, and kissed him hard. “I can be quick.”

  Rush watched in awe as West dropped to his knees on the bathroom floor. His nimble fingers made quick work of the button, and seconds later he pushed the fabric aside.

  “Jesus Christ,” West muttered. “Of course you’re going fucking commando.”

  Rush grinned, but a moment later that grin was wiped off his face as West pushed him against the door and slid Rush’s cock down his throat in one smooth motion.

  “Fuck,” Rush ground out, letting his head fall back.

  “If you’re really good, maybe,” West said, pulling off long enough to tease before swallowing him back down.

  Rush gritted his teeth, trying desperately to keep still as West sucked and licked along the length of his shaft, flicking his tongue beneath the tip, making Rush groan. West added one hand, moving it in time with his mouth, twisting slightly with each upstroke. Rush was barreling toward the finish line, and it felt so fucking good. His hands were splayed against the door, his fingertips pressing against the wood to keep them from sliding into West’s hair so Rush could fuck his mouth.

  He maintained a thin grip on his self-control when West picked up the pace, and Rush’s hips began to rock gently, begging him silently for that little bit more. West tightened his grip on Rush’s cock and hummed gently. That was all it took.

  Rush cried out, spilling hot come down the back of West’s throat. The world faded into gray around the edges, Rush riding out his orgasm as West gentled his touch, bringing him slowly back down. Rush moved then, one hand gripping West around the throat, the other tangled in his hair as he dragged him from the floor, up against Rush’s body, and he took control of a bruising kiss.