2017 Top Ten Gay Romance

by J. M. Snyder

  “Yes,” I answered a little warily. “Chase? What are you thinking?”

  “Let me make a call.”

  Chase paced a few feet away. He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped at the screen. A moment later, a warm smile lit his face.

  “Mr. Peterson, hello! It’s Chase Prinsen…No, no, sir. Everything is fine. No problem at all. I’m actually calling to ask a favor…I appreciate that. Thank you…. Yes, so the LGBT youth center I’m involved with has a problem and I was hoping you could help. The kids are scheduled to have their prom Friday night, except the ballroom at the Marriott flooded. I was hoping you’d let us use of the atrium of the Warren Street building. It’s a beautiful space, we can make it secure, and my crew and I will make sure it’s spotless come Monday morning…”

  He looked at me, his eyes going wide, and an excited grin stretched his lips. He fist-pumped the air.

  “Great! Thank you, that’s fantastic! I can’t thank you enough…Mr. Peterson, that’s too generous. I can’t ask that of…All right, sir. Thank you so much. Yes. I’ll have my boyfriend email you the details right away. Thank you again, sir! That’s amazing. Have a great night.”

  Chase let out a whoop of joy the second he disconnected the call, then did a little hop and jig before closing the distance between us. He was clearly elated, but I wasn’t sure what had just happened. Had he gotten us a space to use?

  “Honey, what was that all about?”

  “Have you ever been in the Peterson and James building?” he asked, and when I shook my head, he let out a low whistle. “The whole atrium is breathtaking. Marble floors, huge windows, palms and plants, and even a small fountain. Whenever I’m in there, I always think it would be a great place for a party. And it was the first thing I thought of when you said you needed somewhere for the ball.”

  I smiled, his enthusiasm infectious. “So you just called the owner?”

  Chase chuckled, then took my hand. He liked playing with my fingers, and I liked that he liked touching me.

  “Well, we clean the building. It’s our biggest contract. And I knew from my dealings with Mr. Peterson, who is often working late when I get up to the executive suite, that he is a really nice man. So I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask. He didn’t hesitate to say we could use the space.”

  My relief so acute, I almost cried. I launched myself at my boyfriend—he’d said it first, so I knew I could, too—and hugged him tightly around the neck. He squeezed me back and kissed my neck.

  “I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.”

  I pulled back with a watery laugh. “What could be better?”

  “He offered to take care of the decorations. As in all we have to do is show up.”

  “Oh, my God,” I breathed, heart pounding. That was beyond generous. Having priced everything out in the planning stages, I knew how costly things were. Money was of little concern, but I knew I couldn’t go overboard. My inheritance had to fund a lot of programs and do it for many years to come.

  “So give him the info on the stuff you’ve already booked, and he’ll take care of the rest. Then you just have to worry about the DJ. You were bringing in your own drinks, right?”

  I stared at him, dazed, as I nodded. We’d decided on bottled beverages as refreshments, and had several dozen cases of water and soft drinks all set to transport. Decorations hadn’t been much more than balloons and ribbons. But apparently, Mr. Peterson was going to take over all that.

  “Chase,” I breathed before once again grabbing him and holding him tight. “You saved the day. You really are a knight in shining armor.”

  “It was the least I could do.” He moved swiftly and pinned me underneath him. “It’s important to you, and you’re important to me. So this is, too. And the kids deserve it. And I want to see you in a tux.”

  “Whatever you want, Sir Chase the Goodhearted.”

  Chase’s grin turned filthy and my breath stuttered in my lungs.

  “I’m a knight, huh? Wanna see my sword?”

  Chapter 6

  With Mr. Peterson’s incredibly capable assistant Leo on the job, things went from disaster to smooth sailing with barely a blink. Leo handled everything, and all we had to do was show up. It was a burden lifted, and I actually found myself excited to attend. My own prom in high school had been a fiasco. I’d taken a girl I couldn’t stand because she didn’t have a date either. At the time, there was no way I could even admit I was gay out loud, let alone take a boy with me. We’d spent the entire time apart, me in the corner like a wall flower, her gossiping with her “mean girl” friends. I’d been miserable the whole time. Now, I was determined none of my kids would have that same experience. I’d already been looking forward to attending, just so I could get some semblance of what my prom should have been. But now that I had Chase as my date, a man I adored more than I should considering the short amount of time we’d known each other, I was downright giddy.

  I went all out and rented a limo for the evening. I hadn’t planned on it when it had just been me, but the moment Chase said “yes,” I knew I wanted to show him off in style. I was on my way down the stairs to Chase’s apartment when I got the call from the front desk that the car had arrived. My excitement ratcheted up, and I would have run to Chase’s if I wasn’t worried about slipping in my dress shoes.

  When Chase opened his door, my heart literally skipped a beat. He was so beautiful. While I’d chosen a plain cut, black tux with a dark red vest and bow tie that went well with my complexion, Chase had gone all out. White tie, white vest, and tailcoat. My stomach clenched and I wanted to throw him on the floor and impale myself on his cock.

  “Close your mouth, baby. You’re staring.” His voice was smug.

  I knew I couldn’t drag him to the bedroom, so I settled for kissing the daylights out of him until neither of us could breathe.

  We fixed our clothes and hair in the limo.

  Since Leo had assured me he’d handled everything, Chase and I were arriving only about thirty minutes early. I just wanted to make sure everything was in place before the kids started arriving. The limo rolled up in front of the building and Chase and I got out and thanked the driver.

  A young man impeccably dressed in a tuxedo rushed toward us. “Mr. Brenner? It’s a pleasure to meet you in person. I’m Leo.” He shook my hand, then turned a warm smile to Chase. “Good to see you, Mr. Prinsen.”

  “I’ve told you to call me Chase, Leo.”

  “Yes, I know.” Leo gave him an indulgent smile and motioned toward the front doors. “If you’ll come this way, gentlemen, I’m sure you’ll find everything to your satisfaction. We’ve locked down the elevators for the night, and closed off or roped off the few side rooms adjacent to the atrium. The bathrooms are, of course, fully accessible. We’ve brought in some additional seating, the DJ is set up in the corner, and the refreshments are unobtrusively tucked behind an arrangement of palms.”

  “Sounds wonderful, Leo. Thank you for everything.”

  Leo just nodded, then pulled open the door so we could step inside. I actually gasped when I took in the room. The balloon arrangements we’d ordered were artfully placed for maximum impact. But it went so much farther than that. White lights draped the trees, and more light strings cascaded down the walls. The overhead chandelier had been dimmed so the entire room seemed to glow. Gold and silver drapes covered parts of the walls and gave the whole place an elegant feel. But what really took my breath away was the fountain in the center of the space. Colored lights bounced around as the water cascaded, bringing a rainbow to life. It was a special and thoughtful touch.

  I clutched Chase’s hand, overwhelmed. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it, while I tried to speak past the lump in my throat.

  “This is beyond amazing,” I finally managed after clearing my throat twice.

  Leo beamed. “Wonderful. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” He took a step away, then looked over his shoulder. “I’ll be present the enti
re evening, should you need anything at all. Don’t hesitate to ask. And Mr. Peterson has gone home to collect his wife, but they’ll be returning to enjoy the festivities, if you have no objection.”

  “Of course not!” I couldn’t stop smiling. “They are more than welcome.”

  “Excellent. Enjoy yourself before the rest of the guests arrive.”

  As if on cue, the DJ started playing a soft ballad, and the entire place took on an even more magical feel. Chase pulled me into his arms. We started swaying to the music, and it was all I could do not to cry. I wasn’t usually so emotional, but I felt overly so tonight. I needed to get myself under control.

  “You made this happen,” I murmured, looking into his eyes.

  “Nah. I just made a phone call. It was you and Leo and Mr. Peterson. And the kids. Man, they are going to flip when they see this place.”

  “They are.” I pushed closer, needing to really feel him. “But no matter what else, you’re the prince of the ball. You did make it happen, and it’s amazing. This will be a night we’ll all remember for the rest of our lives.”

  “First I’m a knight, and now I’m a prince? Do I get a crown to go with my sword?”

  I threw back my head and laughed just as he spun me around. Tonight already felt magical, and when the kids arrived, it would feel even more so. And I had the man to thank for it in my arms.

  “Is it too soon to tell you I love you?”

  The words spilled from my mouth before my brain even thought to censor them. It wasn’t until Chase stilled that I realized what I’d said. For a scant moment, I thought to backtrack or play it off like a joke. But the truth was, I did love him. And I knew he cared deeply for me. If he wasn’t quite to the “love stage” yet, then I was confident he was moving in that direction. And if he wasn’t? Well, it would be good to know that, too.

  But I shouldn’t have worried. Chase’s entire face lit up in that huge, bright smile of his, and he hugged me to him. I could barely draw a breath, and that was kissed out of me so thoroughly and completely that my entire body reacted.

  “I love you, too.”

  My heart soared. We were still kissing in the middle of the dance floor when the other chaperones arrived.

  * * * *

  It was after midnight by the time we got home. The prom had gone until eleven, and by the time we’d shooed the stragglers out the door and did preliminary clean-up, it was already going on twelve. Chase had insisted we leave the rest, as he was meeting his cleaning crew and the decorators at the site at eight the next morning to restore the atrium to its normal sparkling shine. I was more than happy to do so, knowing it was in good hands and would be taken care of.

  And watching Chase dance and enjoy himself while wearing a tux all night had been torture. I needed him. Wanted him desperately. So much so that I pulled him into the elevator in our building just so I could kiss him, over and over, and not worry about climbing the stairs. Chase enthusiastically returned the kisses, one of his hands clamped on my ass to keep us pressed together. I could feel his hardness, and damn but I wanted his cock in my mouth.

  We burst out of the elevator when it opened on the top floor and I stopped kissing him long enough to drag him behind me and get my front door open. I shoved him inside and didn’t even check to make sure the door swung shut before I pushed him against the wall and dropped to my knees.

  “Eli,” he moaned as I undid his pants.

  “Want you just like this,” I murmured, pulling down his boxer briefs until his cock jutted out. Everything else I left in place, loving the formal attire in contrast to his debauched look. His lips were red and swollen, his hair an absolute mess from my hands, and his cock hard and dripping. I wanted to take his picture so I could revisit this image often.

  I dove in and swallowed his cock instead. Chase yelled and grabbed my head to keep me there, though he didn’t push. I went to work, licking and laving, savoring his smooth, hot skin and the precum leaking on my tongue. Chase did his best to hold still, but I wanted him to fuck my mouth, and I sucked hard before encouraging him to move. He thrust gently at first, but when I opened my throat and showed him I could take it, he became a more forceful.

  With a stutter of his hips, a huge burst of liquid landed on my tongue, and I knew he was close to coming. I pinned him against the wall and pulled back, suckling on the head of his cock and pressing on the underside with my tongue. It took Chase only a few more seconds to grunt and fill my mouth with salty cum, and I held him there as I swallowed it all.

  When he was finally done and too sensitive for my ministrations, he pulled out and slumped a little. I sat back on my heels and grinned. He looked absolutely spent and so very satisfied. I’d done that. I grinned wider.

  Chase suddenly pushed off from the wall and kissed me, thoroughly and completely, until I sagged in his hold and I was ready to come without a touch. He finally pulled back, breaking the kiss so slowly, then grinned down at me, his hazel eyes sparkling.

  “Come help me get out of this tux,” he invited in the most seductive voice I’d ever heard. I scrambled up to follow him to the bedroom.

  This was the best night ever.

  Chapter 7

  Running late made my anxiety spike, but it was ten times worse since it was Tuesday and I should have been at Michelle’s fifteen minutes ago. I blew through a yellow light just as it turned red, and pushed the speed limit for the last mile. Chase was waiting on me, and I knew he’d be worried. I was never late.

  I whipped into a parking space, then bolted from the car, sprinting across the lot and to the front door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I stepped inside and saw Chase seated at our usual table. The way his face lit up when he saw me, a combination of happy and relief, made me realize a courtesy “I’m running late” text would not have gone amiss. It hadn’t even crossed my mind, so consumed with the thought of just getting to the diner.

  I was out of breath but I jogged over anyway, leaning down to kiss Chase and offer my apologies with a hug as well.

  “Sorry, honey. I got held up and I didn’t think to text. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

  Chase grabbed my hand and squeezed it, not letting go as I moved to sit across from him.

  “Fifteen minutes is nothing. But since you’re never late, I was worried. I’m just glad you made it and are okay.”

  I stroked my thumb across his hand in reassurance. He was all keyed up, anxious even, and I felt horrible that I’d made him worry that much. I did my best to soothe him as Michelle walked over with a warm smile and our drinks.

  We’d only missed one Tuesday in the six months we’d been dating, and only because we’d taken a trip to the mountains and spent a week holed up in a snowed-in cabin. But other than that, we always made it. It was our one “without fail” night. No matter what else was going on in our lives, we had Tuesday night dinner to reconnect.

  And our lives had been busy. Chase had gotten another contract for a law office downtown and had hired two more employees. My time had been taken by getting the battered women’s shelter up and running, and hiring dependable and qualified staff. There had been a several-week stretch where Tuesday was the only night we had together to do more than sleep.

  A month ago, I’d brought up the subject of living together, but Chase had shot it down along with a loving smile. I still didn’t understand, since we’d spent so much time together and were completely in love. But Chase had insisted the time wasn’t right and I’d let it go. It still smarted a little, though. I wanted him with me all the time, and even though I didn’t doubt his love for me one iota, it hurt just a bit that he didn’t want to live with me. But I had faith that would change…in time.

  I ordered the chicken cacciatore because it caught my eye, and Chase, of course, got the meatloaf. After Michelle walked away, Chase took my other hand in his, his fingers playing with mine. I loved that he had to touch me, and let him do it whenever and wherever he wanted.

  “How was your day,
baby?”

  He seemed perfectly content to listen to me ramble on about all the roadblocks that had come up, determined to derail me. Every time I tried to draw him into the conversation, though, ask about his day or pose a question, he deftly steered the conversation back to me. And though he’d calmed down once I showed up, he was still a little off. Not quite himself. He barely ate his food. Something was going on with him, and I needed to find out what.

  “Chase, honey, you okay?” I asked as I watched him push meatloaf around on his plate. He’d eaten only about half, so unlike him. Meanwhile, I’d finished all my chicken, despite having spent most of the time talking.

  “Yeah, sure. Of course.” He sat back and caught sight of Michelle. “Time for dessert!”

  I gave a playful groan. “I am too full for dessert!”

  Chase looked taken aback, shock all over his face. I didn’t know why. I rarely, if ever, had room for dessert when we ate here. The portions were just too generous. Sometimes, I couldn’t even manage a bite of his dessert.

  “But…” Chase floundered for a minute. “You have to.”

  I squinted. “Okay? Um, why don’t we take something home for later then?”

  “No, that won’t work. Michelle made a cake just for us! A chocolate almond cream cheese thing. We have to eat it here so she can see us enjoy it.”

  I moaned. All my favorite things. I really loved all those flavors, and Michelle crafted the most amazing desserts. I acquiesced, knowing I needed to taste that. I was sure I could manage a few bites, then get a box to take home the rest.

  Chase looked supremely relieved, and before I could ask why, he signaled to Michelle, who came out carrying a plate and a huge smile. My mouth watered as she set it on the table between us, the ganache oozing down the sides in a smooth, beautiful cascade and urging me to try a taste with my finger.

  It took me a second to realize what the decoration was on top of the cake. I dismissed it at first glance as just a flower or something, but a second take showed it for what it was—a little plastic riser, with a platinum ring tied with a red bow.