B01MUG7DJX EBOK

by Mathew Ortiz

  “Mussed or not, you’re still hotter’n hell,” I growled. “Dang, been wantin’ to do that since I saw you.”

  “Damn. I’ll wear the helmet,” he grumped back. Once securely on his head, I donned mine and hopped on the bike, indicating for him to get on behind me. Good thing he couldn’t see my face, because I was grinning like the Joker. If he knew he was on the bitch seat, he’d start futzing, so I wasn’t gonna tell him. He settled behind me and, when I gunned the engine, he jumped and wrapped his arms around me. Good gravy! His hands were an inch from little Cotton who was now rock hard. I kicked off and rode us out of the complex into the cool Georgia night.

  *

  I had to pat myself on the back. Best idea for a date—ever. The night was cool and Caleb and I were snuggled under the blanket I’d pulled from my saddlebag. We’d got there just in time and any fear I might have had about being gay-bashed disappeared when I saw all the drag queens and friends dressed like Patsy and Eddie. We chose a spot near the back of the little park, beneath a grove of trees and I set us up. Blanket on the ground under the tree and another to cover us, along with a bag of popcorn and two bottles of sweet tea. We sat side by side and I flung the blanket around us.

  “If this isn’t a cozy ploy to get me under a blanket with you, I don’t know what is. Are you planning on getting fresh with me?” Caleb purred and I plucked at my beard thoughtfully.

  “Maybe. Iffen you want to, Caleb. Me, I plan on takin’ advantage of you as much as I can,” I replied and brushed his lips with mine. Caleb shuddered and darted his gaze around the darkened park. What was it about being naughty in public that revved most guys up? I guess he felt safe because he relaxed as the movie started. We both kicked back and enjoyed some decadent Patsy and Eddy. At one point, it grew chilly and I moved to lean against the tree we were sitting in front of and spread my legs. Caleb noticed, thought about it for a moment, then shifted to sit between my legs and leaned against my chest. In that position, there was no way he couldn’t feel my erection and I sighed at the welcome pressure. He leaned back further, let his head fall onto my shoulder and… laughed?

  “What?”

  “Your beard is tickling my neck.” He didn’t move though. In fact, he cozied in closer.

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Not at all.” His hands caressed my legs and my right leg shook… like a dog’s. It always did when I was turned on. “I like being in your arms, Cotton.” His hands worked up my leg and I unconsciously humped against his back. “Something wrong?” he asked innocently and I slid my hands up to his chest and found his right nipple. Taking the pert bud between my finger and thumb, I gently rolled it. He hissed and arched into me.

  “Nope, nuthin’ at all,” I crooned and he whimpered. Emboldened, I lowered my hand to find him hard and straining against the fabric of his pants.

  “Co-Cotton?” His voice quivered as I massaged his cock through his jeans. Slow and methodically, I stroked him. He squirmed but did not resist, so I whispered low enough for only him to hear. “I’m gonna take your cock out, Caleb. Don’t make a face or say a word. Just keep watchin’ the movie. Do you understand?” He nodded jerkily. “Do you trust me?” He nodded again.

  Thankfully we were both covered by the blanket as I my fingers found his zipper. The teeth resisted for a second and then slid down with a soft rasp. I popped the top button and pushed my hand past his boxers and wrapped my fingers around his warm shaft. I skimmed the foreskin back and moaned when I found him wet with pre-cum. Fuck. He shuddered as I milked his shaft slowly, all the while talking softly to him. He melted into my body, surrendering to my touch.

  “You like my hand, Caleb?” He nodded. “Gonna make you come. Right here, in front of all these people. You want me to do it? I think the two guys over there know what we’re doin’. Kinda hot, knowin’ they’re watchin’ me jack you off. You want me to keep going?” He nodded, mewling quietly.

  I had to finish this before more people noticed. I sped up my hand and he grew harder under my touch, wetter. I had never played with an uncut cock before Caleb and had to admit, I loved the slick feel of the skin under my fingers. Mr. Jaspers sported a good-sized piece of meat. The heft of it in my palm thrilled me and fondling him, I noted he was bigger at the base than the head. I hadn’t noticed it before. I pumped him steadily, slipping my other hand under his shirt and pinching his left nipple. I am, by preference, a top and kind of bossy. But I did bottom when the mood struck me. Right now, feeling his cock expand under my ministrations made me crave it buried deep inside me.

  Caleb’s breathing deepened and more pre-cum slicked my palm. So close! He buried his face in my neck and beard, humping his fisted cocked faster into my hand. After two more pumps, he stiffened on my down stroke and spooged my palm. Caleb muffled his cry in my neck and shook as his orgasm took him. I crooned nonsense to him as he rode the high. Cum, warm and sticky, oozed over my hand as I coaxed the last drops from his softening cock.

  Caleb slumped against me and I wiped off his goop on the blanket next to me. I lifted my hands out of the blanket, wrapped them around him and pretended to watch the movie, even laughing at a spot. I had to let him compose himself.

  Licking his lips, Caleb bemoaned, “It’s official. I’m a slut.” He sounded upset and I tilted my head to look him in the eye.

  “You’re not a slut, Caleb. I would have stopped if you wanted me to. But I’m glad you didn’t.”

  “Are you kidding me? I just let you wank me off in the middle of a park during a movie.” He shook his head and his gaze widened. I followed his stare to a couple of men sitting to the right of us. The light from the movie gave me a clearer look at them. One guy had short, what I think was red, hair and a smooth face. His companion was older than him with a thick, close-cropped silver beard and spiked hair. They were perched in two folding chairs and grinned like demons at us as I made eye contact. The younger one gave us the thumbs-up and I smiled back, returning the gesture.

  “I’m so embarrassed!” Caleb groaned and I chuckled. “Any moral fiber I had, flew right out the window.”

  “Don’t over think it, Caleb.” I rubbed his arm.

  He straightened and peered at me. “I don’t want to be a notch on your belt.”

  “You won’t be,” I assured him and stroked his cheek.

  “I want to be exclusive.” Why did he sound so unsure?

  “I sure as hell hope so,” I teased him. “I’m up for exclusivity. Though maybe we should have dinner next time before we fool around. A table between us might be what I need to keep my hands to myself.”

  “Hmm… not sure if I like that,” he mumbled. “So, I’m not just another trick?”

  There was that self-doubt again. Man, that guy did a real number on him. What did I have to do to make him understand I wanted to keep seeing him? “No. You. Are. Not. Caleb. Yes, I took advantage of you and if you’d told me no, I would have stopped. Iffen you can’t get it through that pretty blond head of yours, I guess I’ll have to tell you every day until you believe me.” He reared back and gave me the stink eye.

  “Pretty blond head? Pretty blond head?”

  “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, ‘specially since my hand is all gooey with your cum.”

  His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over my mouth. “Shh! Lower your voice, Cotton!” I flicked out my tongue and touched his palm with it. Snatching it back, he rubbed it on his shirt. “Ew!”

  “That’s not what you said a few minutes ago, sweetcheeks.” He worried at his lips and glared at me.

  “The things you say!”

  I pulled him to me and kissed him. Wolf whistles and sweetie darlings rang out into the air and when I finally broke the kiss, he groaned.

  “And now I’m an exhibitionist! You are a bad influence, Cotton Myer.”

  I grinned at him and gave him another quick peck. “I sure as hell hope so.” We relaxed and continued to watch the movie and enjoy the evening. When it was over, we packed up a
nd strolled, hand in hand, to my bike. As we approached, I spotted a woman standing beside it.

  “Hey, can we help you?” I shouted and she bolted. All I saw was blonde hair flying as she dashed away. I motioned to Caleb to stay where he was and I walked cautiously toward my bike. I looked it over carefully, but couldn’t spot any tampering.

  I was about to call Caleb over when I spotted a folded note on the bitch seat. I opened it and read it, rage and fear swelling in my gut. My hands shook as I let out a blue streak of cussing that’d make a sailor proud. Caleb dashed over and grabbed the note from me. His gaze darted over the scrawl and he blanched as the words leapt off the page.

  Testify and you’re dead.

  *

  I held Caleb’s hand at the east Atlanta police department while he gave his statement to Mike Wirzbowski. Our whole evening had been shot to shit and I was still fuming, my temper dangerously volatile. Some fuckwit had threatened Caleb. I wanted to find them and pound them into the concrete. It didn’t take a genius to know who was behind it. Goddamn Davenport! It didn’t make sense though. According to Wirzbowski, Davenport was on house arrest at his parents’ home. I scooted closer to him and he leaned into me. Caleb remained silent the entire ride over and I worried he was going to back out.

  “Thank you for bringing this to me guys.” Mike put the note into a file folder and steepled his fingers. “I can’t say I’m surprised. I think we might need to put you in protective custody.”

  “Hang on, detective.” Caleb balked. “It was a threatening note, but is it that serious? Protective custody?”

  “It is,” the detective said solemnly. “I’ll assign a plain clothes officer to watch your place when you’re home and when you’re going to and from work. Although I have a feeling that, when you’re with Mr. Myer, you’ll be in safe hands.” He smirked at the last bit and it stroked my ego.

  “That bloody, buggering asshole,” Caleb whispered, anger tinged his voice. “The fucker is trying to shut me up. Shut me up!” Caleb’s shoulders shook as he raged. “Fine Detective Wirzbowski, send your goons. That asshole is not silencing me! No. More.” He shook his finger at the detective and I grinned. My guy was pissed and I loved it. I stood when Caleb did and we shook Mike’s hand in turn.

  Emboldened, Caleb stormed from the precinct cursing, gesturing and overall drawing some stares, with me hot on his heels. He abruptly halted at my bike and spun around.

  “I’m sorry, Cotton. I let him get to me. To think that bloody fool is trying this shit is amazing. I won’t be silent! I won’t!” He stared at me, stricken. “Damn it! What if he tries to hurt you?” Cue the panic. “I can’t let you get hurt because of me! Oh God, they know who you are! They found us at the park! Bloody, hell! We should stop seeing each other. I won’t let them hurt you. I forbid you to see me anymore!” And with that last queenly statement, he folded his arms over his chest and looked down his slender nose at me.

  “Not gonna happen, puddin’,” I said calmly, clasping my hands behind my back.

  “Puddin’? Puddin’?” He screeched and I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “Don’t you dare laugh at me!”

  “Don’t mean to, Caleb.” I took his stiff body into my arms. “Babe, I’m not walkin’ away. I told you, I want to be with you. You accepted all my problems and we’ll face yours together.” He sagged into my arms.

  “Cotton, you mean so much to me.” He sighed into my neck, his breath warm on my skin. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t need to thank me, Caleb,” I said softly and kissed him gently. “Just let me in.”

  “Oh, Cotton.” He paused, taking the helmet from me. “You’re already there.”

  *

  “Now remember, keep your back straight, speak when spoken to, mind your manners and never look my mother in the eye,” Caleb reiterated and I sighed, exasperated.

  “Why?”

  “Have you ever seen Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark?” He queried and I nodded.

  “The scene at the end when they open the Ark of the Covenant?”

  “Yep… seriously Caleb?” I laughed but he was dead serious.

  “Your. Face. Will. Melt. Off!” He enunciated each word and I shook my head in disbelief. We were on the way to his parents for Sunday dinner. It would be my first time meeting them and, truthfully, I was nervous. I went over the roster in my head again. Mr. Edward K. Jaspers and his wife, Patricia. Then his sister, Edwina and brothers, Benton and Michael.

  “Please, I saw Mawmaw smokin’ by the wash’ machine in her underwear. She forgets I live there and bleach couldn’t scour my eyes clean of that image.” I shuddered. I had to get my own place soon. Before I’m scarred for life.

  “Touché,” Caleb conceded. “I want you with me when I tell them.” It was a big day for him. The trial was scheduled to begin in three weeks. The D.A. and her team had already begun going over Caleb’s statements and prepping him for his day on the stand. Over the last few weeks, our time together had been cut into significantly. I didn’t begrudge him. I sat beside him. My sponsor’s concerns over me getting involved with him didn’t seem to matter. I wanted to be there for him. Everything about him consumed my thoughts… well that and the bike I was working on… the new editing job… AA meetings… I, fuck! I’ve been hanging around Martin too much. ADD central!

  Caleb turned down one of the swankier streets in north east Atlanta, inside the Loop, no less. I was about to ask him which one was his parents when he turned into the circular drive of a freaking mansion. A humongous two story brick monstrosity that screamed ‘I wipe my ass with hundred dollar bills’. Nope, not subtle. He stopped the car, put it in park and shut off the engine. As he took some long breaths to steady himself, I reached over and squeezed his hand.

  “I’m right behind ya, pussykins.’ I bussed him a kiss and got out of the car. And cue…

  “Pussykins? Pussykins?” His sputtering made me smile and helped him focus.

  “Into the fire.”

  The massive ten feet high door was opened slowly as we ascended the steps of the porch, by a wraith of a man in a butler’s suit. Creepers! He looked a hundred-years-old and his face had a frozen, pinched look. Caleb breezed past the man and I followed him.

  “Thank you, Barrington.” Caleb didn’t even look at the man and good thing he didn’t. The look of disdain on the man’s face fairly dripped off him. Oh hell no! Caleb walked away and I turned, looked at that sneering face and flipped the old fucker the bird. I almost laughed out loud at how offended he was, but I only smiled like the devil and fell into step behind Caleb.

  The house seemed to go on forever and, I admit, it was intimidating. Caleb turned a corner and we walked into a large living room. The two people sitting there saw us and rose from their chairs. Whooeee! The man, obviously his father, was tall and slender like Caleb, with a warm friendly face and freaking adorable curled mustache. He rocked it! The woman, however, could give Elsa, from Frozen, a run for her money. Upswept, turbo blonde hair, sharply accented cheekbones and raven black brows framed ice blue eyes. Her mouth, painted in a stark red lipstick, was pinched tight as she took me in, from head to toe.

  “Caleb, I’m so glad to see you, son. It’s been a while.” His father walked across the room and stuck out his hand.

  “I’m sorry, Father. I’ve been working more hours than usual,” Caleb replied, shaking his father’s hand. He drew me closer to his side. “Mother, Father, this is Cotton Myer, the young man, I’m seeing.”

  “Hello, Cotton. I’m Edward Jaspers. This is my wife, Patricia.” I shook his hand and it emanated warmth and welcome. I took hers and it chilled me to the bone.

  “Pleasure to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Jaspers,” I answered politely.

  “Charmed…” Mrs. Jaspers sniffed delicately. “Dinner is waiting. Your siblings begged off, except for Michael.” Caleb’s gaze clouded. He’d wanted to tell the whole family after dinner. Tonight, it seemed, only his parents would find out. I saw Caleb stiffen a
s we walked into the dining room but instantly relax as he spotted, who I was pretty sure was his brother.

  “Hey big brother!” The young guy near galloped around the table and hugged Caleb hard. They could have been twins! Michael had Caleb’s blond hair cut into a shaggy mohawk and he had the beginnings of a decent dark honey colored beard. He wore a yellow T-shirt, dark jeans and bright purple Converse. I noted the ink peaking down his left arm and, if I wasn’t mistaken, I glimpsed a tongue piercing. “Is this the redneck who’s poking you, ya nasty slag?”

  Michael clapped Caleb hard, let him go with a spin and turned to me. Hands on hips, he gave me a full once over and a sly grin curved his lips. He reached up and rubbed his lower lip. “I can see the appeal. Damn hot. Mikey Jaspers.” His hand shot out and I pumped it with gusto. I liked this guy.

  “Mikey!” Caleb growled, but it only made him smile wider.

  “I’m proud of you, bro,” Mikey crowed. “You finally got some taste.” His laughter echoed through the room.

  “Be silent, Michael.” Patricia Jasper wearily sighed and waved her son off. “Please be seated for dinner.”

  I sat next to Caleb with Mikey opposite us. His mother sat to our left and his father at the head of the table. I didn’t know if I could do this, although I did know what forks to use and how many spoons are set and what to do with them. Mawmaw taught the three of us because she wanted to make sure we would be fine in any situation. The meal lasted over two hours. Three courses and wine, which I firmly abstained from. His mother noted it and asked me bluntly why.

  “Is our wine not up to your standards, Mr. Myer?” She sniffed delicately and I wanted to throw an olive at her puckered face.

  “I don’t drink, Ms. Patricia,” I replied and took a sip of my water to emphasize the point. “I’m a recoverin’ alcoholic.”

  His mother frowned and his father leaned back in his chair.

  “Well. This is most unsettling.” She twisted the white napkin in her boney hands and Caleb stiffened next to me.