by Jerry Cole
“That’s good.”
“What about you? Any new skills you pick up lately?”
“Uh, it’s kind of weird.” Kenton flinched.
“Now I have to know,” Vance smirked.
Kenton laughed. “Alright, so maybe it’s kind of embarrassing, but I recently took up crocheting.”
“Like… old people crafts?”
“Yeah, like old people crafts.” Kenton nodded. “But you know. It’s good for relaxing. And is probably better for me than all the drinking I had been doing before.”
The coffee was finished by this point. They were just sitting there talking. “Well, that’s really cool. What kind of projects do you do?”
“Oh, I’m working on this six-pointed star throw. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it yet, but it’s pretty cool, working around like a circle.”
“Maybe I should give it a try.”
“It’s pretty time-consuming.” Kenton grinned. “But it would be fun to maybe work on whenever you have a few minutes to spare.”
“You mean when I’m not being asked out to coffee.” Vance gave another smirk. “That is if I get invited out again.”
“You probably will.”
Vance nodded. “That sounds great. I would love to.”
“Does this mean you’re about to take off?” Kenton laughed.
“No, but we should probably either order something new or get out of here.” Vance shrugged. “Don’t want to take up a table for hours.”
“How about we go find a movie or something?”
Vance grinned. “I would love that. There’s a theatre not far that’s got those nice seats.”
“Let’s see what’s on.” Kenton pulled out his phone to check what movies were playing.
It didn’t take long for them to decide on one and then head off to watch a show together. Vance’s heart was thudding in his chest. He hadn’t flubbed it and he was having fun with Kenton. As he got in his car, he felt the rush of endorphins, tempered only slightly by the guilt he could still feel in the pit of his stomach. It was a confusing dichotomy of feelings that he didn’t particularly like.
Chapter Eight
Kenton’s heart fluttered as they walked out of the theatre. He didn’t want this day to end. He wanted to find something else to do with Vance. But his mind wouldn’t work right. He couldn’t think straight. It was hard to figure out what to even suggest. They had already had coffee before the movie and they had snacks in the movie. He knew that neither of them was that hungry. They had filled up on fancy coffee drinks and then snacked. There wasn’t much space for a meal after that.
Vance looked over at him. They were both standing outside of the mall. “You alright?”
“Yeah.”
“So… uh…” Vance blushed and looked over at the secretive millionaire.
Kenton felt a blush rise on his cheeks too. He didn’t know what to say to Vance. They had been enjoying themselves, but this was starting to look like the end of the moment that they shared.
He didn’t want it to end. He wanted to invite him home. Or ask to go to Vance’s home. Something to make this evening stretch on longer. But was a hard call. He didn’t know if it would land or not.
Vance was looking at him.
Kenton took the lead and stepped a step closer to the man.
Vance’s eyes widened. Then the chef stepped forward to meet Kenton there at the center. They were moving closer, ever closer. The exiting crowds of the theatre parted for them, gliding around the moment the two men were sharing.
Kenton’s fingers intertwined with Vance’s. His heart was beating faster and faster. This guy could just do that to him. The chef made his heart race like there was a battery hooked up to his chest. There was no way that was healthy.
But their eyes met and all those thoughts faded away. Someone’s breath caught, but Kenton couldn’t tell if he was hearing his breath or Vance’s. And it didn’t matter that they were sitting in public, on display to the world. It didn’t matter that the older couples were in the distance tittering about how cute the two young men that had just gotten out of a date were.
Everything else had disappeared. They were stuck in each other’s eyes.
Nothing else mattered but how close the man was. He needed to be near Vance, feeling the touch of his skin. He wanted this man. Vance was a handsome man with talent and a kind heart. But Vance was also a man who had suffered greatly.
Kenton didn’t know what was going to happen. But he wasn’t going to stand in the way of possible happiness. That sounded like a terrible idea.
When the kiss happened, it started slowly but ended in an explosion of pent up need and energy. Both men wrapped their arms around each other. There was a lot that needed saying, but the kiss seemed to be a special form of communication. They didn’t come up for air for a long while.
Vance blushed. “My place… isn’t far from here.”
“Sure.” Kenton nodded, still a little bewildered by the energy of the explosive kiss.
“Uh, I guess… Wanna meet there?” Kenton was still breathless, but he knew what he wanted. He wanted to be with Vance. And Vance had given the invite. That was where they were going to go.
There was an exchange of knowing smiles and nods and both men rushed to their respective vehicles. Kenton was full of nervous energy as he drove. Every red light seemed to take an eternity. He tapped his hands on the steering wheel and waited for each of them to turn green. He struggled as he saw Vance’s car pass him on the road, moving in behind to follow the man.
Vance knew his way around the neighborhood so he led them through some back roads. Kenton was lucky that he managed to follow them and pull up along the road while Vance pulled into the driveway.
There weren’t any words to share when they made their way inside. They both knew what they wanted and where they wanted to be. There would be a time for talking, but it wouldn’t happen out in front of the house. They had to get inside first. There was a need in the way that Vance moved towards the house, fumbling with the key before they went inside.
Once they were inside Kenton felt a shiver run down his spine. He walked over to the chef.
Vance had stopped and turned towards him. “Do… do you want a drink or something?”
Kenton stopped. He realized that the other man had to be nervous. This was a first for Vance. He nodded. “Sure. A drink would be great.” The millionaire let the moment fade away, there would be no good from making this other man more nervous than he already was.
They walked into the living room. Kenton found himself a seat while Vance walked into the kitchen and pulled out a couple of bottles of water.
The millionaire ran his hand through his hair as he watched Vance saunter back into the room. The other man was toying with confidence.
Kenton knew that he couldn’t let Vance regret any decision he might make. But it was a sticky subject to bring up, awkward at the best of times. He sighed.
Vance sat down and passed over the bottle of water. “So… want to watch TV or something?”
“Sure, sounds great.” Kenton put on his best comforting smile. He just wanted Vance to be alright with him being around. He knew that it was a risk that the chef would not be able to move on, even if it had been a while since his fiancé’s death.
Vance nodded and reached for the remote, flipping on a streaming service. “Any idea of what you want to watch?”
“Uh, I don’t know. What do you normally watch?”
Vance laughed. “Cooking shows.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I mean most of it is the stuff that I already know, but sometimes I learn new things or get some weird inspiration from them.” Vance shrugged.
“I guess I never thought about that.” Kenton smiled. “I just thought that professional chefs just kind of roll their eyes about those kinds of shows.”
“Really?”
“I mean, yeah.”
Vance nodded and turned to Kenton. �
�So, what kind of work did you do before you started living off your investments?”
Kenton laughed. “I was a bouncer at a nightclub. Nothing fancy.”
“Did you like to save up for something?”
“More like I got lucky and hit a windfall enough to make it so I don’t worry about money anymore.” Kenton shrugged.
“Like winning the lottery or something?” Vance was laughing. The man found it funny. He didn’t know exactly how he had hit the nail right on the head.
Kenton nodded. “Not quite, but yeah.”
Vance nodded like he understood what Kenton was saying. “Yeah, that makes sense. Must be hard to talk about it.”
“I really don’t like talking about money. It’s always uncomfortable.”
“Especially if you used to be a working stiff like the rest of us.”
“Mhm.” Kenton wanted to change the subject. He was going to have to tell this man the truth eventually, but this wasn’t the right time. He didn’t know Vance well enough yet. And it would only lead to more awkward moments between them.
“Do you have any family?”
Kenton shrugged. “We’re estranged.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I don’t have any close family left, and we were never really in contact with the rest of my family. So, when I moved I kind of lost touch with them.” Kenton fidgeted as he explained. “It’s alright though, I’m finding my own family now.”
“But hey, you’ve got Brandon.”
Kenton smiled. “And your twin sister.”
Vance grinned. “And me.”
“And you.” Kenton lifted his bottle of water in a sort of salute.
Vance toasted his bottle, clinking the plastic against the other man’s bottle. “Nothing too wrong with having me around.” The chef smiled.
“Nothing at all wrong with that. I’m happy that I had the chance to get to know you.”
“I mean, I didn’t think I would have fun like I had today ever again,” Vance said it suddenly. He was awkwardly smiling as he said the words.
Kenton’s heart soared. Just hearing Vance say that made him feel a lot better. It made him feel like he was helping this man. He tried to tell himself that it was more Vance helping himself, but it just didn’t feel that way. And the way that Vance was smiling at him. He felt like he could dance. And Kenton wasn’t exactly the dancing type. He could if he had to, but it was never an activity that he had ever found joy in before.
Vance leaned in a little closer.
Kenton felt his heart skip a beat. “Are you alright?”
“Y-yeah, I think I am.” Vance nodded.
“That… didn’t sound very reassuring.” They had grown quieter, nearly whispering the conversation that had turned back to their shared desires.
“What do you mean?”
“You sound unsure.” Kenton frowned, reaching up to brush his hand against Vance’s cheek. “I don’t want to do anything that you don’t want. If you don’t want to do anything, we won’t.”
“I know.” Vance nodded.
Then the chef leaned in to kiss Kenton. Kenton’s heart was in his throat as their lips came together. He wasn’t sure how he could resist this man if he wanted to.
The thoughts didn’t last very long, his arms wrapped around the other man, pulling Vance close to him. The heat coming off of this man was the kind of power that Kenton couldn’t resist.
Vance’s hand found the back of Kenton’s head, running his fingers through his hair. The millionaire had a sudden thought that he might be late getting himself a haircut. He was starting to feel a bit shaggy. The sudden thought made him feel a little embarrassed, but Vance seemed to relish the length of his hair, playing with it as their bodies started to rub together, leaning against each other. Kenton found himself under Vance as the hands continued to wander. The heat was inescapable.
Kenton couldn’t breathe, he was suffocating in the intoxicating scent of Vance’s lust, feeling the hardness against his legs even through their clothes. He didn’t know how long he could wait before he needed to start stripping the man that was all over him.
Kenton gently tested Vance’s shirt, seeing if it would make the man panic. But Vance didn’t panic. He let Kenton pull it off, even shifting his body to help the endeavor and breaking the kiss only long enough for it to be tossed up over his head before they fell together again.
It was more than Kenton could handle, grinding against Vance. It was erotic and intoxicating and comfortable all at once. It was everything like the world was unfolding before him.
They didn’t have to get many more clothes off before the rush of euphoria came at them, slamming them over the waves of desire, a make-out session, and grinding. That was all. But it was all that they needed. They just needed the touch of another human being that wanted them. The confidence of feeling a little less alone in their pain.
Bodies kept rubbing together, stuck on the physical sensations, the electricity that flowed between them. There was no control. No stopping. This was going to push its way to completion. They wanted to be together.
The release was pure ecstasy, a moment that the pants had barely been shifted out of the way as their bodies rubbed against each other. They had only gotten a chance to get as naked as they needed to be. There was no time in the rush to strip down completely.
Kenton found himself moaning right alongside the chef, tumbling into the abyss of emotion and sensation that they had discovered through the moments they had stolen together in private. He knew this man, knew his pain and his happiness, and it only drew them closer. Kenton knew the truth as they climaxed together. He was hooked on Vance.
Vance was smiling at him. The man was smiling. It made Kenton nearly melt as they felt happy right there, together. It was perfection in its most perfect form.
“You alright?” Kenton felt the need to double-check how his companion was feeling.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Vance breathlessly nodded.
“I… don’t want you to be uncomfortable. You’ll tell me if you are, right?” Kenton triple checked the feel of the room and the emotional level of the man he was breathing in sync with.
Vance sighed. “I would tell you, yeah. But everything is fine now.”
“Good.” Kenton nodded, pulling Vance closer to him.
The night fell and they were still there on the couch, enjoying the moment that stayed between them.
They didn’t end up going further than the heat and the grinding that night, bringing each other to the sweet release of orgasm; they did spend the rest of the night close by each other, holding each other on the couch until they fell asleep, comfortable in the silence of afterglow. He felt his feelings catch up in his chest.
Chapter Nine
Kenton blinked awake in the strange bed. It took him a moment to figure out exactly where he was. Then it all came back to him in a rush. Vance was there, lying next to him. The man was still asleep. Vance’s breath was like a steady lullaby, nearly lulling the millionaire right back to sleep. But he didn’t sleep, instead, he watched the other man rest his head. Vance didn’t seem to be troubled at all. Not like he had woken him up. Vance’s shifting and mumbling voice had drawn him from sleep just before dawn. But in Kenton’s arms, the chef had settled down into a more comfortable sleep.
Kenton felt a smile toy on his lips as he watched the man. Vance was a handsome man and the way the early morning sunlight lit Vance’s light brown hair, it was almost blond. The way the sun glittered on the shades of his hair was almost hypnotic. The millionaire was staring at the man he was lying next to.
Vance shifted and murmured in his sleep. Once again, the guy captured Kenton’s attention entirely. His breath caught in his throat. He knew it. He was starting to fall in love with this guy.
That thought terrified him. Falling in love meant letting someone in. Letting someone get close meant they knew who he was and what had happened in his life. He was afraid of that possibility. He knew why he was w
orried. He had been hurt before. It had been enough to cause him issues trusting anyone. He had gotten over it for Brandon, but he wondered if it was possible to lose that pain for Vance. Could he let go?
Could Vance let go of his pain? Was that possible? Would he ever be able to stand up to the memory of a dead man that had broken Vance? How would Vance feel about him in the future, after they had gotten closer?
Vance murmured in his sleep, gathering Kenton’s attention again. The millionaire reached over to run his hand over Vance’s shoulder.
Vance smiled and slowly opened one eye at a time. “Hey.” His voice held the harsh softness of sleep.
“Hey.” Kenton’s face grew soft when he saw that sleepy smile.
“How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good, you?”
Vance slowly shifted, rolling over to face Kenton better. “Pretty good.”
Kenton reached up to brush the hair out Vance’s face. “Yeah, that’s good to know.”
“You seem kind of off. Did we do something wrong last night?”
“No, nothing like that.”
Vance shifted to put his head up on his hand, half sitting up with his elbow on the bed. “What’s on your mind then.”
Kenton laughed. “Do you want to know?”
“I mean, yeah. It doesn’t hurt anything, does it?”
“I really don’t know.” Kenton shook his head. “It could hurt.”
Vance frowned. “You’ve been hurt a lot in the past, haven’t you?”
“You’ve got no idea.” Kenton shook his head.
“Is that why you play it so close to the chest?”
“What are you like a hundred.” Kenton teased him.
“It’s old, but it works.” Vance laughed and shrugged. “You’re so secretive. Always afraid to show too much.”
“Did you see that?”
“Did I see you avoiding any personal questions?”
Kenton winced. “Was I that obvious?”
“You were. I just figured you had your reasons.” Vance nodded. “We all kind of have our reasons. I didn’t want to pry too much. At least I tried not to pry.”