by A. D. Ellis
“Doug was about twenty years older than me. That gap meant nothing. I loved him, and he loved me. An age difference can teach each partner many things; each person brings their own experiences and passions to the table, like in any other relationship. The age difference is only an issue if you let it be.” Travis’s eyes traveled to mine, and he smiled.
I caught the sadness in Travis’s gaze and appreciated that he didn’t follow up with the story about Doug’s untimely and devastating death.
Barry gestured with his beer bottle. “I was giving you a rough time earlier, but I’m serious when I say that age is just a number. It’s not as if you’re an old perv going after a teenager. You and Tanner are grown, adult men. If you decide to be together, I’ll be cheering you on.”
Travis nodded.
“But if you both decide that a relationship between the two of you wouldn’t work, promise me that you’ll make your decision for more than just the age gap reason.” Barry gave Mitch a pointed look.
“We’ll see. Tanner and I will discuss it.” Mitch shoved gently against Barry’s chest. “Thanks for your support, but you’re still an asshole.”
“And the best friend who you love. Don’t forget that.” Barry smiled and slapped Mitch on the back. “I’m starving. When’s the food going to be ready, oh great grill master?”
The guys set to work helping me prep the table and plate the food. When we finally sat down to eat, I poured a wine I felt would pair perfectly with the meal. Raising my glass, I toasted my friends. “To friendship, successful businesses, and potentially more.” We clinked glasses. “Thanks for being here tonight. I don’t often miss Chicago’s fast pace, but I do miss the social life. I appreciate sharing a meal with friends.”
An hour and a half later, we’d finished our food and cleaned up the mess. I offered dessert, but Barry and Travis both groaned.
“Oh my God, my stomach will burst if I eat more right now. Can I take it home?”
I packaged two fruit tarts for Barry and two for Travis before saying goodbye, and I saw them out the door.
“Remember what I said about talking business.” Travis waggled his brows before closing the door behind him.
Returning to the kitchen, I found Mitch wiping down the counters.
“You didn’t have to finish all of that.” I turned off the bright ceiling light. With only the dim light from the microwave casting shadows in the kitchen, I stepped up to stand closer to Mitch. “Hey,” I said as I gripped his wrist. “Stop cleaning. Talk to me.”
Mitch tossed the cloth in the sink and turned to face me. He trapped my hips in the corner between him and the counter.
“I’m sorry for Barry being like that tonight. He didn’t need to put us on the spot.” Mitch’s hands rested on the countertop on either side of my hips.
“It’s okay. He steered us to a conversation we probably needed to have.” My heart thumped as Mitch’s heat warmed me. “Is the age thing the only issue you have?”
“Mostly. I mean, being competitors isn’t ideal, but we’ve gone from mortal enemies to at least friends. I think we can work through the business issues.”
“So, if we take this further, would it be considered enemies to lovers?” I teased. “I’m pretty sure Travis would swoon over that. He’s such a romantic.”
“Being around you makes me happy.” Mitch leaned in a little closer. “But I also wonder what others would think. I’m a lot older than you. Would it be creepy? Would I be able to keep up with you? Would it be selfish of me and unfair to you to keep you away from men your age?”
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and hooked my thumbs into Mitch’s belt loops. “First, fuck what others would think. If we’re together, we are the only ones that matter. Second, I wouldn’t be with you if it felt creepy. Third, if we’re together, it’s by choice, and you wouldn’t be keeping me away from anyone. I’d be with you. And as far as keeping up with me,” I brushed Mitch’s jaw with my lips.
He groaned and rocked his hips against mine.
“I think the key is building stamina. I’m one hundred percent in support of seeing how well we can keep up with each other.” I nipped at Mitch’s neck. “I think training should begin now,” I murmured against his ear. “My bed is probably the best place for building stamina.”
Mitch growled deep in his throat and pressed his cock firmly against mine. For a long moment, he simply stared at me. It was almost as if I could see his brain making its next decision. Would he kiss me and take me to bed? Or would his concerns over our ages win out?
When I thought that he was going to back away, Mitch moaned, took my face in his hands, and crushed his mouth to mine. In a gruff voice, he whispered, “Bedroom.”
Our lips met again, and they didn’t part for even a second as we traveled to my room.
When we arrived, I tore my shirt over my head before ripping Mitch’s shirt up and off.
“Slow down,” Mitch panted against my lips. “We’ve got all night.”
I rocked my hips forward and ran my fingers up and down his back. “I’ve got a feeling this first time may be the hot and fast kind. We can do a slow and steady stamina-building session next time.” I kissed Mitch again as I fumbled with the button of his jeans. Dropping to my knees, I wrestled his pants down to his thighs. When Mitch’s thick cock sprang free, I barely had time to moan before my mouth was on him.
Mitch hissed. “Oh, shit. Fuck, that’s good.”
I licked and swirled my tongue up and down his shaft for a few moments before gripping his ass and pulling him closer to fuck my face.
After a few thrusts, Mitch stepped away with a gasp. “Holy shit, yeah, I think this is definitely a sprint training session.”
I licked my lips and smiled up at Mitch. “Condoms are in the drawer with the lube. Grab them and meet me on the bed.”
I stood and stripped the rest of my clothes off while Mitch made his way to the side of the bed for supplies. He pulled his pants down and stroked his cock while staring at me on the bed.
“You sure about this?” Mitch paused with one knee on the bed.
“Sure that I’ve had this wild attraction for you since the moment we first met? Yes.” I wrapped my fist around my dick.
Mitch climbed the rest of the way onto the bed and lay down beside me. “Sure that you want to take this next step with me?”
I touched Mitch’s face. “We’re having sex—not picking out china patterns.”
Mitch frowned. “If this is going to be a one-time hookup, maybe we should consider that we have to live in the same town and run our competing businesses. Maybe it’s not—”
I kissed Mitch hard and thrust my tongue into his mouth. “This isn’t a one-time thing for me.”
Mitch gripped my hips and rolled me toward him so that our cocks brushed together before returning the kiss. “How do you want it?”
I moved to my back and spread my legs as my throbbing cock leaked precum onto my stomach.
Mitch’s eyes were on fire as he ripped open the foil package and rolled the condom down the shaft of his cock. He slicked his fingers with lube and teased against my hole.
I gasped when the first finger breached me. When Mitch added a second, I threw my head back and groaned.
“So hot and tight.”
“I’m ready. Please, Mitch. Please,” I whimpered. The stinging stretch of his fingers was good, but I wanted the fullness of his cock in my ass.
Mitch shifted our position so that he could stand at the side of the bed and drape my legs over his shoulders. After dripping lube on his dick, he pressed gently against my ass. I reached for his hips and wanted to pull him deep inside me, but my fingers barely touched.
“So impatient,” teased Mitch. He took my hands and held them above my head as he leaned over my body and continued to slide his cock into my body. “You’re so damn hot, so tight on my cock.” Mitch grunted as my body adjusted and allowed him to slide in to the hilt. He leaned down to kiss me befo
re standing up and gripping my hips. “Jack yourself,” commanded Mitch as he pulled his dick back slowly and then thrust forward, deep and hard.
I protested. “I’ll come too quick.”
“Tanner, baby, I’m not going to last long this first time. Your body is too hot and squeezing me too tight.” Mitch gripped my hips so hard I knew I’d have bruises, and I groaned.
Taking my cock in my fist, smearing the liquid from the slit around my throbbing head, I stroked hard and slow in rhythm with Mitch’s motions. He reached between us and fondled my balls, teasing the sensitive skin behind my sac. When his speed increased, I jerked my cock harder.
“Shit, I’m close. Come with me,” Mitch panted and thrust hard and fast into my ass several times before freezing and groaning as his cock throbbed and spilled inside me. He played with my balls, twisting and squeezing, as he watched me stroke myself. “Come, Tanner. Let me see you.”
I tensed and shot my load over my chest with a roar.
Several moments later, once we’d both caught our breath and Mitch had pulled out and disposed of the condom, I rolled from the bed and grabbed a washcloth to clean up. I flopped back onto the bed and patted the mattress beside me.
“I can leave if you’d rather.” Mitch hesitated as if he wasn’t sure what I wanted or what he wanted.
“Nah, sleep here. We’ve got more stamina to build tomorrow.” I followed my comment with a sly wink.
Mitch climbed into bed. He opened his arms to me with a look of such sincerity and doubt on his face that it nearly broke my heart. I nodded and allowed him to pull me into his strong embrace. Nuzzling my nose against his chest, I whispered. “That was good. I don’t think keeping up is going to be a problem at all.”
Mitch kissed the top of my head before tipping my chin up and kissing my lips.
We fell asleep cuddled in each other’s arms.
15
Mitch
When I first woke in the morning, it was still dark out, but a street light provided faint illumination to the room. A chill raced up my spine—the room was unfamiliar. I opened my eyes wider and glanced around in the dim light, thinking that I must still be dreaming. In the dim light, I saw a dresser with three trophies lined up and a large poster—or maybe it was a painting—on the wall that looked like a city with tall buildings. Blinking my eyes to clear my vision and focus better, I recognized it as the Chicago skyline.
Where the hell am I?
I rolled to my side and collided with a man’s body. He was on his side, facing the edge of the bed.
Fuck, it’s true!
I was in bed with Tanner. A memory of a brief moment waking in the middle of the night came back to me. I’d found Tanner’s arms wrapped around me, but I assumed it was a dream, and I fell back asleep within seconds.
I let my gaze drift along the outline of Tanner’s frame. He was slim and wiry, my favorite body type in other men, and it was a pleasing contrast with my stout, bulldog-style build. Quickly scanning my memory, I tried to remember the last time I fucked a man Tanner’s age, and then I grinned. As far as I knew, it was at least ten years ago. Maybe there was something to the concept of getting better through the years—aging like a fine wine. Tanner certainly seemed into me when we rolled around in bed the night before.
My thoughts drifted to the friendly rivalry between my restaurant and Tanner’s place. At least I thought it was affable. I wondered whether it was part of Tanner’s attraction to me. Sometimes, our brains turned the enemy into an object of desire. That was one way of coping. Maybe Tanner was fucking me so that he didn’t have to cope with any pent up anger about our rivalry.
I sighed heavily. First thing in the morning wasn’t the time to try and psychoanalyze a relationship. I reached out and wrapped one arm around Tanner. I tried to be gentle, so I wouldn’t wake him. I flattened the palm of my hand over one side of his chest and kissed his neck lightly.
Tanner let out a soft moan, and he stirred slightly. I held my entire body still, hoping that he wouldn’t wake. He reached up over his body with one hand and rested it over mine. A light snore followed the movement, and I smiled. He was still sleeping.
Slipping slowly and stealthily across the sheets, I pulled my body up against Tanner’s back for a perfect spoon. My morning wood was likely to wake him up as it pushed hard against his ass, but I wasn’t sure I’d mind that interruption of his sleep.
I tried to keep my focus on remembering and reconstructing the acrobatics in bed the night before. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d fucked someone with such force. Something about Tanner made me hard with a staying power that could have lasted for hours. He had such a sweet ass that I couldn’t stop myself from coming for nearly that long, but maybe once the novelty wore off, we could have fuck sessions that would go for hours.
I reflected on a few of those I’d experienced when I was younger. After hours of exertion, I woke up with sore muscles. It hurt, but it was the kind of pain a man treasured—sort of like a marathon runner the day after reaching a personal best.
Attraction to a man like Tanner made me feel like I did when I was ten years younger. I wondered what would happen in another ten years. Would I still perform well in bed and match what Tanner deserved?
I shivered slightly and wrapped my arm tighter around Tanner. Maybe I was just an old fool reveling in one last hurrah with a young guy.
Tanner started to stir. Without warning, he rolled over onto his back. He whispered, “Mitch.”
“Hey. I hope you’re not shocked to see me here. I thought I was dreaming.” I loved the look of a handsome man first thing in the morning. Tanner’s hair was disheveled, and he opened one eye, barely a slit, to look at me.
“What time is it? Damn, the sun’s not even up yet. Can we go back to sleep?” Tanner ran a hand over his face.
“South Main opens at 10:00 for brunch, and I’ve got to be there to help Dan prep. No rest for the wicked and all that.” I rubbed Tanner’s chest and leaned in close to share a kiss.
Tanner pecked and then held a hand up to his mouth. He mumbled, “Morning breath.”
“Aw, I like you the way you are. It’s not like you ate garlicky pizza last night.”
“Gotta piss, too,” whispered Tanner. He slid out of bed and headed for the bathroom. It wasn’t the most romantic start to the day I’d ever experienced, but his ass looked fine as he left the room.
After Tanner was gone, I decided to roll out of bed, too. When I joined him in the bathroom, I found him standing in front of the mirror, looking at his teeth. Next, he poked at the corners of his eyes. I asked, “What are you doing?”
“Damn crows feet. Look at that. I think they’re stress lines. I’ve got to put some cream on that.”
I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. “If you have a problem with wrinkles, maybe we’re not going far.”
Tanner turned around to face me and said, “On you, they’re distinguished. On me, they just look tired.”
I grumbled, “In other words, they’re natural for a man my age.”
Tanner stared deeply into my eyes, reached out for my chest, and then slid his hand slowly down to my waist and below. “Are you going to worry about getting old forever? Why don’t we postpone those thoughts until you’re—say—95 or so?”
“Doesn’t it bother you? Ten years from now—”
“I’d still be with the sexiest man in the state if we’re still together.” We were both silent for a few moments. “Wow, did I say that?”
I grinned. “You did, and did you feel it? My cock jumped when you said that. Damn, Tanner, you make me harder than I’ve been in years.”
“Then you need me. How about a shower?”
I cocked my head to the right and gave Tanner a sideways glance. “I think you want something.”
“Nothing gets past you—does it? I want to suck that monster that filled my ass last night.”
“Maybe this is why we shouldn’t be together. You’re going to break m
e.”
Tanner gripped my elbow with one hand like he was worried that I was a flight risk, and with the other hand, he opened the pebbled glass door to his shower. He reached in and turned on the water before letting go of the elbow long enough to grip my chin and share a quick kiss. “C’mon, old man. You can lean against the shower wall and let me do the rest.”
I was in control the night before, and it was Tanner’s turn to take the reins for the morning. As the water rained down, warming up my body and bringing the circulation back to life, Tanner slowly fell to his knees. On the way, he trailed kisses over my pecs, abs, and down below my navel until something hard and stiff blocked his path.
“And what do I do with this?” murmured Tanner as he looked up at me with a wicked smile on his face.
“If you don’t do something quick, it might erupt all on its own.” I leaned my head back against the wall of the shower enclosure while my heart pounded in my rib cage. Somehow, my body had energy to burn.
Tanner’s warm, wet mouth wrapped itself around my cock and started to bob back and forth. All of my previous thoughts and worries swept away. All I could think about was this man who wanted me—all of me. I tangled my fingers into his wet hair and helped rock his head forward and back.
It didn’t take long at all. Mornings were my usual time to jerk off. It was a pattern that I followed almost every day. I gasped, “Tanner, I’m coming—”
He didn’t slow down or stop. He sucked and rocked back and forth right through my howls and the pounding of my hands against the shower wall.
“Fuck!” I gripped his hair.
Tanner swallowed hard and ingested nearly the entire load.
When Tanner pulled off, and I lowered my head, trying to catch my breath, he said, “You owe me something.”
“Damn, what’s that? I’m still—trying to breathe.”
“I want those big mitts of yours to help me over the edge.” Tanner watched me while he stroked his cock.
Tanner didn’t have to ask twice. As he stood, I pulled him back against my body. My half-hard cock settled into that perfectly-placed crack in his ass while I reached around, one hand soapy and the other with a grip on Tanner’s cock.