The Delicious Series: The First Volume

by Stella Starling

  “I think you’re wrong, Beck,” Cash said, smirking as he looked between Nick and Jeremy. He opened his mouth to follow it up with what was no doubt yet another innuendo, but the ping of his phone made him pause, capturing his attention.

  “You gonna take that thing on the course with you?” Nick asked, laughing. “Dude, not smart.”

  “Nah,” Cash said, clearly distracted as he read the screen. “I’ll toss it in the truck before we start. Just checking in with… a friend.”

  Jeremy frowned as Cash walked away. He knew that tone of voice. Robin. Cash walked away, tapping out something on his phone, and Nick wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s waist, distracting him from thoughts of his cousin and Cash’s never-going-to-happen man.

  “So how do you like Seattle so far, Jeremy?” Beck asked, grinning in delight as his eyes tracked Nick’s hand, currently resting on Jeremy’s hip.

  “I love it,” Jeremy said sincerely, even though, technically, he hadn’t actually made it within city limits yet. The airport was a bit south of Seattle, as was Nick’s house, and they’d come to a place called Black Diamond for the Mudder, which, as far as he could see, was basically the middle of nowhere. Very nature-tastic.

  “Oh? What do you like best so far?” Beck asked, eyes sparkling with humor. He crossed his arms, giving Nick A Look, even though he kept talking to Jeremy. “I’m sure Nick’s taken you around. Shown you some of his favorite places. Given you a good feel for the city…?”

  “Um,” Jeremy said.

  Cash rejoined them, sans phone. “Don’t even bother with a lie, cuz,” he said, laughing. “You two haven’t left the bedroom, have you?”

  “We totally have,” Jeremy said, not turning red. The heat he felt in his face was no doubt from the sun. And what was up with that, anyway? Seattle was supposed to be perpetually overcast.

  “Made it as far as the kitchen table?” Cash asked, winking.

  Well, yeah. And that awesome patio swing once. Not to mention—

  “Hey, Nick,” a dark-haired woman who looked like she could bench press him called out, jogging over and giving Nick a quick peck on the cheek. “Good to see you. Is this the boyfriend? You guys registered yet?”

  “Nope. Just got here, Patty. We’ll head over now.”

  She frowned, then laughed, shaking her head. “Put some hustle on it, you slacker. It’s almost go time.”

  Jeremy’s doubts about whether he could actually survive the course tried to come rushing back, but Nick twined their fingers together, and Cash started razzing one of the other Mudders about something that had apparently happened the weekend before, and Beck walked with them to the registration table, telling a funny story about the first college game Nick had played in, back when he’d had a baseball scholarship at the U of W, and between the laughter and good spirits and general air of excited anticipation brewing around him, there just wasn’t any room for doubts.

  Which felt pretty good.

  Damn good, actually.

  And when the screaming horde of seriously enthusiastic Mudders surrounded him at the start line a little while later, Jeremy found himself belting out the Tough Mudder pledge just as passionately as the rest of them.

  “I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge,” he shouted, grinning at Nick when he realized the words they were reciting sounded a lot like the little pep talk Nick had given him in the Jeep earlier. Nick winked back at him. “I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time. I do not whine – kids whine. I help my fellow Mudders complete the course. I overcome all fears.”

  And that actually sounded pretty good to him, too.

  Fear was so not J2oh’s style.

  Once they were done with this race, after they made it back to Nick’s place and washed off all the mud and, okay, probably also after some recovery time—because, for real, at least one of them was highly likely to collapse into a puddle of sheer exhaustion after this—Jeremy was going to do it.

  He was going to tell Nick he wanted to move to Seattle.

  He was going to tell him he loved him.

  And he was going to make damn sure that Nick knew that Jeremy meant forever, on both counts.

  “Ready, Pumpkin?” Nick asked, squeezing his hand and giving him a smile that made Jeremy feel like he could conquer any obstacle thrown his way.

  Over, under, around, or through.

  Jeremy grinned back, nodding. “Ready,” he said, just as the gun went off.

  Go time.

  For all of it.

  20

  Nick

  Nick woke up feeling good, not least of which was because Jeremy was lying in bed next to him. Actually, not as much “next to him,” as half on top of him. The man was a snuggler, for sure, but Nick wouldn’t have it any other way.

  It sure as hell beat all the mornings he’d woken up two thousand miles away from him.

  Nick’s smile slipped at the thought. He only got another week of this, and then they were back to sleeping apart.

  Jeremy’s hand was resting on his chest, loosely splayed open and totally relaxed in sleep. Nick lifted it to his lips, careful not to wake him, and kissed the Summer Triangle. Two weeks was more than the mythical lovers had gotten, and he knew he should be grateful—was grateful—but he had to admit, now that he’d had a taste of J in his bed, in his home, as part of his daily life, giving him up again was going to be just as hard as he’d suspected.

  Harder.

  Jeremy mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, shifting against Nick’s side in a way that made his already interested cock stand up and take notice. J’s eyes were still flickering back and forth underneath his eyelids though, deeply asleep, and as much as Nick wouldn’t mind doing something about it, he figured he should let Jeremy get all the rest that his body needed.

  It had been three days since the Mudder, and Jeremy was still recovering. He’d gone all out, giving his usual 110%, and besides being hella fun to do it together, Nick had been pretty damn impressed. Of course, the price for all that gung-ho enthusiasm had been that J had been wrung out afterward. Adorably exhausted. He’d been riding the high after they crossed the finish line, and they’d all coasted on the adrenaline until about mid-afternoon, but after the whole team had scarfed down a lunch filled with enough carbs to sink a ship, the toll of the course had started to show for everyone. By the time Nick had gotten J home, he’d been acting practically drunk with fatigue, and after some minimal cleanup and a short ice bath that Nick had insisted on—over Jeremy’s colorful protests—J had passed out and slept like the dead until the next morning.

  Recovering from a Mudder always meant a few days of trying to remember why you’d ever thought it would be a good idea in the first place, and even though Nick’s educated guess was that J should be bouncing back right around now, Nick still didn’t have the heart to wake him before he was ready.

  They’d spent the first four days of Jeremy’s trip pretty much fucking each other senseless, and the last three gradually transitioning from post-race pain to a chill state of mutual vegetation. Nick had taken the entire two weeks that J would be in town off work, not willing to miss out on any of it, and later today, a very impatient Ava would be coming over. She’d been chomping at the bit to see Jeremy—not that Nick could blame her—but for once, he hadn’t felt even remotely bad about his selfish desire to have some time alone with his boyfriend. Three months had been too long apart, and, one way or another, he was determined to make sure they were able to see each other sooner than that the next time.

  He’d rather have “permanent” than “sooner,” but he still hadn’t come up with a way to make that happen, and he didn’t want to put a damper on the time they did have together by bringing it up when he still couldn’t see a solution.

  J was using Nick’s shoulder as a pillow, and as Nick watched him sleep, his eyelids stopped moving, his body going from a boneless state of relaxation to the small, almost undetectable movements that Nick recognized a
s the signs of his boyfriend getting ready to wake up.

  Nick had meant to sneak out before Jeremy awoke to get him one of those too-sweet mocha lattes he couldn’t seem to live without, but between the warm heaven of having J draped across him and the feeling that they didn’t have nearly enough time—and half of that already gone—he hadn’t been able to bring himself to leave yet. And it definitely wasn’t going to happen now that Jeremy was finally stirring.

  Nick wasn’t above helping J along, if the man was going to wake up anyway.

  His arm was already around Jeremy, and Nick ran his hand down the smooth curve of J’s back, settling it on his ass and pulling him more tightly against his hip.

  “Mmmm,” Jeremy said, definitely not awake yet.

  At least, not all of him.

  Nick grinned, cupping Jeremy’s jaw—rough with morning stubble—and running his thumb over J’s lips as he felt his boyfriend’s cock stir against him. The intensity of the Mudder had meant that they’d both been too sore to be very enthusiastic about sex for the last few days, but Nick was definitely feeling fully recovered in that regard… and the way J was starting to squirm against him, he was feeling pretty fucking hopeful that Jeremy was, too.

  J’s eyes opened lazily, his lips curving up in a smile that was too tempting not to lean in and taste.

  “Good morning,” Jeremy said—well, mumbled, since his mouth was full of Nick’s tongue—and then, “Oh my God, I almost feel human again.”

  Nick laughed, moving his lips down to Jeremy’s neck.

  “For real, Nick, I feel like I’ve been totally Walking Dead these last few days—” true, “—although without all the bad skin and dental issues, of course.”

  Also true.

  Nick smiled, finding the warm pulse of J’s happy heart where it beat near his collarbone and giving it some attention, just to double check the non-zombie claim.

  Yup, Jeremy was definitely alive.

  J tipped his head back, running his hands through Nick’s short hair the way he did when he wanted more of whatever Nick’s mouth was doing. Nick gave it to him. And then—as reliably as the sun rising in the morning—he got the little half-sigh, half-moan that meant J was going from enjoying the attention to really enjoying it.

  Nick pulled Jeremy on top of him, sliding both hands down Jeremy’s back to cup his ass. God, the man really did feel perfect in his arms, and when J smiled down at him, obviously fully awake now and doing his glowing thing—pure happiness shining out of his eyes—Nick’s heart did a slow roll in his chest.

  “I love you, J,” Nick said, the words rising up from his heart and out his mouth without any conscious thought.

  Jeremy’s eyes widened, and then his smile turned into something more—something bright and brilliant and beaming—bursting out like the sun.

  “Nick,” Jeremy said, the happy laughter in his voice completely ruining his attempt to sound annoyed. “Oh my God, I love you, too, but I was totally going to say it first!”

  “Sorry.” Not sorry. Nick grinned back at him. Of course Jeremy loved him back, it was obvious. But it was still really fucking nice to hear. And, God, J was cute. “You can go first next time.”

  “Well, I would have gone first this time if I hadn’t been stuck in my own personal zombie apocalypse. God, Nick. The next time we do a Mudder we need to… what? Is there any way not to feel completely dead on the day after?”

  “Three days, Pumpkin.”

  “Well, you weren’t dead for three days.”

  True, but Nick had built up far more years of stamina and endurance. J had more than made up for his fitness level with pure heart, but his body had paid for it by enforcing some much needed recovery time.

  “We can train harder before the next one,” Nick promised, loving making future plans together.

  Loving J.

  “Harder?” Jeremy repeated, letting his head drop onto Nick’s shoulder with a groan. “I don’t know if I can handle harder.”

  “Mm,” Nick said, biting back a smile as he rolled his hips under J. “I thought you liked… harder.”

  Jeremy’s head snapped back up, and he licked his lips. “Do that again,” he said, his smile distinctly wicked now.

  “You sure you’re up to it?” Nick teased, even though he could feel that—yes—J was most definitely up to it.

  “Seriously, Nick. I can’t believe we haven’t had sex in three days. Let’s not let that happen again.”

  Nick pulled Jeremy’s smiling face down to his own, letting his boyfriend’s soft lips and eager mouth and warm tongue take away the unintentional sting of his teasing words. Nick didn’t want to think about that right now. He just wanted to enjoy the moment, get lost in the closeness that he’d only ever found with the man in his arms. Jeremy was the first person Nick had shared his heart with, and the last one he could ever imagine doing without.

  The only one whom he’d ever wanted to say those three words to—or ever would.

  “I love you,” he said again, pulling away from Jeremy’s always-tempting mouth so he could look into his eyes.

  Jeremy smiled. “I could get used to hearing that. Feel free to say it all the time.”

  Nick grinned, sitting them both up, so that Jeremy was straddling his lap.

  “I can do that,” he said, kissing his way down J’s neck and earning another one of those cock-stirring little moans. “Have I mentioned that I love you?”

  “I love you… too,” Jeremy said, starting to sound deliciously distracted.

  He’d started rocking his pelvis against Nick’s, and Nick groaned softly, slipping his hands under J’s ass to encourage the movement. He was more than happy to make it a team effort. Jeremy was holding on to his shoulders, and when he let his head fall back, Nick took advantage of the easier access, dragging his mouth down to J’s chest so he could give some attention to his boyfriend’s deliciously sensitive nipples.

  I love you. The words were echoing in his head, repeating over and over to the beat of his heart, and he spelled them out on Jeremy’s body with every swipe of his tongue, every caress of his hands, all the things he’d learned he could do with his mouth to bring Jeremy pleasure.

  “Oh… God, Nick,” J said. “I really… love… that.”

  Nick grinned, knowing it was true. He’d be happy to do it all day. And as insistently as his cock was asking for attention, being able to give Jeremy what he wanted was better. Nick loved making J happy, loved the sexy little sounds he made, loved knowing that Nick was the one making his boyfriend feel good. He had all the patience in the world when it came to pleasing the man he loved.

  Jeremy, on the other hand, did not.

  J’s cock was trapped between them, already leaking, and J rocked himself against Nick harder, the slick precum making his shaft slide against the hard ridges of Nick’s abs in a way that he could tell Jeremy was getting off on. He loved how vocal J got, it was so fucking sexy.

  It was tempting to slip inside the tight heat teasing Nick’s cock and let Jeremy ride him, hard and fast, the way Nick knew he liked, but Nick was seized again with the awareness of how little time they had left. He didn’t want it to end. He may not be able to keep Jeremy with him much longer, but he could definitely draw this moment out.

  Nick lifted Jeremy off him, capturing the needy little whimper that escaped his boyfriend’s mouth in a hot kiss, and rolled them over.

  “Do you know what I love about you, J?”

  “Everything?” Jeremy guessed, giving Nick a cheeky grin that turned into something else entirely when Nick stretched out on top of him, running his hands up Jeremy’s sides, pushing his arms up over his head and lacing their hands together.

  He normally tried to keep most of his weight off of J in bed, but this time he needed to feel everything. Needed to have every inch of Jeremy’s body pressed against his own, to imprint the feel of him on his skin, memorize the way J fit against every part of him. And Jeremy was right. Nick did love everything about him. His
body, spread out beneath Nick, that he could never seem to get enough of. His irrepressible spirit, always bubbling over with exuberance for life. His heart, warm and deep and true, the place that felt like home to Nick, no matter how far away it was.

  He wanted to say all of it, but his throat closed up, thinking of that distance, making it impossible to speak for a moment.

  Instead, he used his mouth for other things. Gently exploring the lips he’d already memorized, then giving in to Jeremy’s always-eager response, and taking it from tender to hot. He lost track of time, wanting to drown in the moment. The feel and taste and sensual pleasure of the man he loved overwhelming him. Jeremy filled in all the missing pieces inside him, smoothing out the cracks and making him whole. He’d never pictured himself falling so completely for anyone, but now that he had, he wanted to keep falling forever.

  Nick hadn’t realized he’d started to roll his hips—his body responding automatically to the one it felt like it had been made for—until Jeremy’s open mouthed kisses turned into gasping moans. He shifted under Nick’s weight, grinding up against him, and Nick couldn’t help but respond to his urgency.

  “Three days,” Jeremy panted, arching underneath him. “Is three days too long. Nick… please… I need you inside me.”

  Nick released J’s hands to stretch past him for the small tube of lube, and Jeremy took advantage of his freedom to let his hands roam, tunneling them through Nick’s hair as he leaned up to kiss his chest, his shoulder, his neck. His hands curled around Nick’s arms, and then he was running them down his back, over his ass and thighs, sliding them up his sides and repeating in an erotic, possessive pattern that told Nick that Jeremy, too, wanted to keep them as close as they could possibly be.

  “I love you, J,” Nick said, shifting in Jeremy’s tight grip so he could find J’s entrance with his slick fingers.

  “I… you… too,” Jeremy said, spreading his legs and pressing against Nick’s hand.