by Shea Balik
“Oh, hey, Aidan. Sorry I barged in, but I had time to kill before I had to be in town to hand out candy so I thought I would drop this off. I just finished it late this morning.” Parker stood back to make sure the piece was where he thought it should go. “Do you like it?”
He answered Parker honestly. “It’s breathtaking. Thank you.” Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to stand around and admire the craftsmanship. He had a costume to put on. “Are you staying here tonight?” Aidan hoped Parker couldn’t tell he was holding his breath while he waited for the man’s answer.
“Naw.”
Aidan released the air he’d been holding in relief.
“I actually have someone to meet after I pass out candy, for a quote on furnishing his house,” Parker said.
That seemed a little odd to Aidan. “Isn’t that kind of late to meet with a customer?” He only listened with half an ear as he went into his room to dress in the costume Zane had insisted he wear, a pair of tan trousers with a pink and blue top.
When he saw the hat Zane had put with it, Aidan rolled his eyes. Over the years Aidan had attended many Halloween parties and worn some pretty crazy and risqué outfits, but never in his life had he ever dressed up as a cupcake. Next year, he was picking the costumes.
“So, anyway, it was the only time this guy could meet. He’s new to the area and since he lives only a street over from Main, I figured why not?” Parker finished saying as Aidan came back out of his room.
As soon as Parker saw what Aidan was wearing his eyes got as big as saucers. He valiantly tried to hold in the laughter but in the end, he lost the battle. “I can-can’t believe y-you agreed t-to wear that.” By the time he was finished there were tears rolling down Parker’s cheeks he was laughing so hard.
Aidan flipped him off. “Ha-ha. Very funny. Now who is this person you’re meeting?”
Parker was still laughing, but it was down to a chuckle. “Ethan, Jesse’s friend.”
Oh fuck. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” He hadn’t wanted to ask, but some sort of morbid curiosity had him asking anyway.
“It shouldn’t be a problem,” Parker said with a shrug. “Jesse was the one to refer him, so he must not have an issue.”
Aidan was tempted to tell him that Ethan lived with Jesse and most likely this was a set up, but Aidan decided to remain quiet. He wasn’t sure Jesse tricking Parker was a good idea but nothing else had worked either.
“Good luck,” he told Parker as they left his house and got into their own vehicles with just enough time for Aidan to get downtown – hopefully.
◆◆◆
Zane exhaled in relief when he turned the sign to closed. They’d had a major rush this afternoon with parents wanting treats for the Halloween parties they were hosting that night. Why they hadn’t thought about it beforehand and placed an order, Zane had no clue.
Thankfully, he’d been making cupcakes and cookies for the weekend festival, so he had plenty on hand. It would mean he’d have to get up extra early to come in and start baking. If he were smart, he’d do it tonight, but there was no way he was interrupting his date with Aidan, so extra early it would be.
Exhausted after dealing with moms bickering with each other about which kids were going to which party, who would have the better party, and whose costume would win tonight’s costume contest, Zane gave himself a minute to lean against the door. There were a few times he and Ethan were afraid they’d have to break up a fight.
Thankfully, they were able to fill the orders quickly and get them out the door before fists started flying. Who knew moms could be so vicious? The only good thing to come out of the bickering was several of the parents started ordering even more in some sort of weird bidding war. Like the amount of cupcakes and cookies would determine the success of their party. He found the whole thing ridiculous and promised himself to never act that way with his kids.
“Are you thinking about what you plan to do tonight with that sex god of a boyfriend you have?” Ethan asked as he came out of the back with two of the hot beverage dispensers for tonight’s event.
“No, you perv. I was thinking about what it would be like to have kids with Aidan.” He’d always known he wanted kids but hadn’t been sure he would ever meet another man interested in children.
It had been one of their many discussions. Aidan wanted two kids, the perfect number in Zane’s opinion. But right now he needed to get ready for tonight. Giving himself a mental shake, he went to the counter to help Ethan start the coffee.
In an effort to promote good will with the local residents, Aidan asked Zane to provide free coffee and hot chocolate to the trick or treaters. The casino would foot the bill, which was fine with Zane. He actually liked the idea, especially as the temperature had dropped over the last few days. When the sun started to set it would be in the forties.
A knock on the door caused Zane’s heart to race. Aidan. His eyes narrowed in on the sexy man, who looked absolutely ridiculous as a cupcake. Zane couldn’t believe Aidan had actually put the costume on.
As soon as he had the door opened he was in Aidan’s arms. His lips were captured in a searing kiss that had him moaning for more. Their tongues slid together, Aidan coaxing Zane’s tongue into his mouth. As if Aidan’s tongue were magically the Pied Piper, Zane’s tongue followed.
Lust flowed through Zane’s veins when Aidan sucked on his appendage. With each pull of those lips, Zane’s dick pulsed as if it were the one being sucked. Damn that mouth really knew what it was doing. Zane’s mind spiraled until he was sure he was floating.
“As much as I appreciate the show, the residents of Cedar Falls may not,” Ethan said from right next to them as he pushed them away from the door so he could close it.
Zane’s cheeks flamed at what he’d been doing in the doorway of his bakery. God, he prayed no one had witnessed that. Not that he minded some PDA, but the way they were making out went beyond what he was comfortable with.
“You can continue,” Ethan said on his way back to the counter. “Just let me get a snack for the show.”
The little shit pulled out a cookie and started nibbling on it while leaning over the counter like he was in a front row seat. Zane flipped him off.
Aidan chuckled at their antics. Then he placed another kiss, this one much more PG, on Zane’s lips. “I’ve missed you.”
Zane smiled at the man’s words. “I missed you, too.”
“That was clear considering the way you two were sucking face.” Ethan turned when the timer went off for the first batch of hot chocolate. Ethan picked up the pot, pouring its contents into the dispenser before starting another pot. “If I hadn’t stopped you, I think Cedar Falls would have seen what gay porn is all about.”
Aidan laughed.
“Oh, grow up, Ethan.” Zane walked to the back to get the bags of candy. When he came out Ethan stood there with his hands on his hips and a mock look of surprise on his face.
“Me?” Ethan raised one hand to his chest, and his eyes went even wider. “I wasn’t the one making out like a horny teenager, now was I?”
Zane laughed. “Dork.”
Aidan, who had been relatively quiet except for his initial laughter was staring at Ethan. “Are you seriously dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood?”
Ethan stepped out from behind the counter and gave Aidan a little spin to show off his outfit. “Do you like it?”
“It’s amazing. I never would have known it was you.” Aidan continued to stare for a little longer than Zane would have liked.
It was stunning really. A black leather corset hugged his abdomen and chest. The leather ended just under his nipples. A blood red silky strip of cloth edged in black lace in a sweetheart style covered Ethan’s nipples but not much else. The red material also went up to cover the tips of his shoulders in a mock sleeve. The front of the corset had red laces running up the entire thing to hold it together. But Ethan hadn’t stopped there with the corset design. On each side, instead of sewing
the leather together, he had attached them with a two-inch swath of the same blood-red lace that matched the red silk he used to edge the top.
His red skirt was short, with a flared bottom edged in black lace, matching the top of his corset perfectly. Black pirate boots that folded over at the top had mock red lacings up the sides with a two-inch heel adorning his feet. All of this was topped off with a floor-length, matching red cape that attached to the shoulders of his top.
After seeing both Jesse, who looked hot in his cop costume, and then Ethan, Zane felt completely inadequate in his cupcake costume. He’d thought about dressing in something sexy, but when he’d ordered these costumes he hadn’t even met Aidan yet. Now he regretted it.
What if Aidan compared him to Jesse and Ethan? Zane would never be able to compete looking like a friggin’ cupcake. He did his best to get the negative thoughts out of his head, but he wasn’t having much luck. The excitement of spending time with Aidan turned into apprehension.
“Hey.” Aidan came up behind him while Zane opened the bags of candy. Those strong arms wrapped around Zane’s abdomen, and pulled Zane against that hard wall of muscle.
Instantly, he relaxed back against Aidan. His head leaned back against Aidan’s shoulder. “Hey,” he responded as he let all that unwanted tension go.
“Have I told you how hot you are as a cupcake?” Soft lips brushed against Zane’s ear as Aidan spoke.
“Not nearly as hot as Ethan or Jesse,” Zane complained. Damn. He hadn’t meant to say that.
Aidan kissed the edge of Zane’s ear. “You’re not as blatantly sexy, but that’s what I like about you. You don’t even have to try, you’re just naturally sexy.”
Zane was going to melt into a puddle of goo if Aidan kept talking to him like that. He turned in Aidan’s arms so he could look the man in the eye to see if he was serious. The lust burning in those amazing blue eyes took Zane’s breath away.
Zane leaned forward for a kiss. Just as their lips touched, Ethan yelled, “Don’t mind me. I’m just doing all the work — for free, I might add.”
Zane handed Aidan the scissors. “Why don’t you do this while I help Ethan with the coffee.”
Aidan cupped Zane’s chin. His eyes still burned as he gazed at Zane. “We’ll continue this later.”
Zane’s cock hardened at the thought of later. At least he knew they were both on the same page about taking their relationship to the next step. A glance at the clock told him they still had a half hour until they passed out candy. Somehow Zane just knew time was going to drag by at a snail’s pace.
CHAPTER 18
Even though Aidan was having fun handing out candy next to Zane and Ethan, every minute was like torture as he waited for the families to leave so he could get Zane alone. They all took turns checking on the coffee table that they set up just off to the side. In all, it was a big hit.
The night was cold, and everyone appreciated the hot drinks. They were serving both regular and decaf coffee, along with hot chocolate and hot apple cider. The candy was disappearing at an alarming rate. Aidan really hoped Zane had enough.
The costumes the kids wore had him smiling all night long. It was the adults that often had his eyebrow rising. Ethan was probably the most outrageous, not to mention the sexiest. He looked better than all the women. Hell, most people thought he was a woman. Several men had been shocked after asking for “her” name to find out “she” was a man.
That alone provided a lot of entertainment for Aidan. This small town may be more forward thinking when it came to being gay, but cross-dressing they weren’t too sure about. Although, part of the football team dressed up as cheerleaders and people found that just fine, he wasn’t sure why one was okay but not the other.
Still, he couldn’t help but laugh at their expressions as they tried to figure out how to act when they found out Ethan was male. The funniest ones were the big burly men who had been hitting on Ethan when they thought Ethan was a woman. A couple of times, Aidan was sure Ethan was about to get decked.
“Ethan, don’t you think you should warn those men you’re not a woman when they start flirting with you?” Aidan may have found it highly entertaining, but he didn’t want Ethan to actually get in more trouble than he could handle.
Ethan stood there and stared at him in disbelief. “How am I supposed to know if they’re straight or gay? Maybe they’re hitting on me because they know I’m a man.”
Aidan rolled his eyes at Ethan’s logic. The man was crazy if he thought someone wasn’t going to take offense and finally deck him.
“Aidan, it’s your turn to check the drinks,” Zane reminded him.
“Okay.” He gave Zane a quick peck on the lips before heading over to the table they had set up.
The last guy who had hit on Ethan was standing there with two others who had hit on the Little Red Riding Hood. He had to have been about six-foot-three and about three hundred pounds of mostly fat but enough muscle to be intimidating. His friends were smaller but still nothing to sneeze at.
By the looks of them they had been getting themselves worked up about Ethan leading them on. Hopefully, they wouldn’t decide to take out their aggression on Aidan while he checked on the coffee. He could take care of himself in a fight but three to one weren’t good odds.
As soon as he approached the table, the big one said, “We don’t appreciate you kissing another man in public. There are children here.”
Not what Aidan had been expecting, but he wasn’t about to apologize for the brief kiss he’d given his boyfriend. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
All four carafes were still pretty full. While he was there he straightened the creamers and sugars and wiped down the table. He’d hoped the men would leave, but he just wasn’t that lucky.
“It wasn’t a request. You gay people may have gotten the government to say it’s okay for you to sin, but the people of Cedar Falls aren’t okay with having to witness it.”
The behemoth looked like he was about to hit Aidan if he didn’t agree. Aidan wasn’t about to agree to something so absurd. Still, the last thing he wanted was to get in a fight and ruin the plans he had tonight with Zane. While cleaning the table, Aidan had managed to maneuver so the table was between him and the three angry men. It wasn’t much, but it should hopefully give him time to run if necessary.
“I don’t remember voting you to represent the people of Cedar Falls, Bobby Joe,” a deep, commanding voice said.
Aidan looked over Bobby Joe’s shoulder and saw Bram standing there with his arms crossed. He may not be quite as big as Bobby Joe, but Bram was all muscle, whereas Bobby Joe had quite a bit of fat.
The fact that the man stood there in black leather pants and two leather cross-straps that covered his otherwise bare chest helped him look menacing. Well, minus the fuzzy ears on top of his head.
Bobby Joe took a step back from Bram before he realized it. “These gay people don’t belong around children.” Bobby Joe spat a gob of chewing tobacco to make his point.
Aidan didn’t know about Bram, but he was disgusted at the large blob that now covered the sidewalk. It was bad enough the guy’s teeth were stained, and several missing, but to just spit a wad where people walked was gross.
Bram raised an eyebrow at Bobby Joe’s display. “I think it’s you who shouldn’t be around kids, Bobby Joe. How dare you spit your tobacco where they are all walking around. Now get out of here before you start something you can’t finish.”
Bobby Joe’s cheeks flared red, and he looked like he was going to swing at Bram, but when he looked over at his friends, they were edging farther and farther away. Bobby Joe must have thought better of it and left.
“Thanks, Bram.” Aidan held out his hand to his friend. He had gotten a chance to know Bram the few times Aidan had been to the pub for dinner. He enjoyed sitting at the bar shooting the shit with the man. Bram was certainly intense. Of course, considering the man was raising two teenage da
ughters by himself, Aidan couldn’t fault the guy.
Bram shook the hand Aidan had held out. “Anytime. I actually came over for a cup of hot chocolate. It is freezing out here.”
Aidan eyed at Bram’s mostly bare chest. “Try wearing a shirt.”
The man smirked at him as he poured his drink. “Jealous?”
With all those muscles, who wouldn’t be? Aidan turned his head slightly to the side as he looked at Bram’s costume. Only wolf’s ears gave Aidan a clue as to what the man was supposed to be. “Are you supposed to be a wolf?”
“Yeah, why?” Bram took a sip of the hot chocolate and visibly sighed. “That is good.”
Aidan smiled. With the cold weather, Zane had just started offering hot chocolate ready-made. Usually he sold the instant stuff in the warmer months, but now that the weather had changed, more and more people wanted something other than coffee to warm them up. When Aidan first tasted it, he knew he would be ordering a lot more of it.
Aidan decided to go ahead and get a cup himself. When he took his first sip he nearly melted. It was really cold out. He should probably take Zane a cup. Of course, if he were taking Zane one, he had to take Ethan one. “Would you mind helping me bring hot chocolate to Zane and Ethan?”
“Ethan? He’s here?” Bram asked.
Aidan didn’t know how the two met, but Ethan’s costume made a lot more sense now that he saw Bram’s. “Yeah. He was helping Zane today since two of Zane’s employees were manning a Sweet Buns booth at the Pumpkin Festival.”
He almost mentioned that Ethan was the reason Bobby Joe was acting out but decided against it. Bram could see Ethan’s costume for himself. Handing Bram a cup for Ethan, Aidan picked up an extra one for Zane and led the way to where they were giving out candy.
“Did you get lost?” Ethan groused when he saw Aidan. If Aidan had to guess he missed Bram who was several steps behind.
“Is that the way you talk to someone bringing you hot chocolate, boy?” Bram had kept his voice fairly low so the whole street didn’t hear him but based on the way Ethan shivered, he clearly heard the man.
