B01HLCU8FG EBOK

by Mathew Ortiz

  “Hey!” He pouted and I snorted. That hit a nerve.

  “You’re place looks like a frat boy designed it. All black leather and chrome…eek.” I shuddered and smiled sweetly at his scowling face. “And three: my place is closer.”

  “Your place is too small.” He scowled at me, which I ignored.

  “Ah but I’ve thought of that!” My smugness only appeared to irritate him more. “The house across the street from Momma’s is a rental too! Owned by the same people. It’s a three bedroom, two baths, fifteen hundred square foot craftsman. It’s for rent… or sale.” There, I’d thrown it out there.

  “Buh-buh buy?”

  Unswallow your tongue, Robbie.

  I grinned around my coffee watching him splutter.

  “Rent or buy.” I shrugged, setting my coffee down. “I’m not askin’ you to buy a house with me. I’m only lettin’ you know the options. Plus it’s in the perfect location between our jobs and you like eatin’ at my momma’s. And don’t you rent that condo?”

  “Yes. I-I never, oh hell, Boone.” Robbie deflated in front of me. “Your momma’s a great cook and it would be a perfect option and I only have a six weeks left on my lease. How much is it per month?”

  I told him and he mulled it over. “Hmmm… less than what we’re both paying.”

  “Don’t you want to live with me, Robbie?” I held my breath and waited.

  He scowled again. “Of course I do. As usual, you’ve caught me off guard. If we can secure the house for the amount you said, I’d be happy to move in with you.” He wasn’t unhappy but still.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Don’t mind me, Boone. I hate change.” He sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Hell, we’ll probably end up buying the place anyway.” He shifted in his chair and sipped another long one off his coffee.

  “Why?”

  “Well, seeings as I plan on marrying you, we should have a proper home.”

  I think my heart actually stopped. Along with time and my brain. Robbie smiled as he set down his coffee. He reached into his pocket took out a little black box and pushed it toward me. I stared at it, dumbstruck.

  “Open it.” His gentle urge snapped me back to reality.

  My hands shook as I nabbed the box and flipped open the lid. There amid the onyx fabric laid a simple gun metal band. He took the ring with one hand and my left hand with his other.

  “Boone Eugene Myer would you marry me?” Robbie’s warm hands encompassed my cold ones.

  “Yes! I mean… how did you find out my middle name?” I sputtered and he laughed as he slipped the band onto my ring finger.

  “I have connections.” Damn his smug face.

  “Momma told you!” Avery and Cotton swore we would never speak our middle names out in public. Martin had found out Avery’s middle name: Darwin. Cotton’s held his secret. No one beyond our immediate family know it’s F—.

  “Hey, the woman adores me.” He snickered and I laughed too. She did. Momma and Mawmaw both loved Robbie. Hell, I think at times they like him and Martin better than me and Avery.

  “I thought you might like something different. So the ring is made from a meteorite and mine matches it. Oh, you said yes, right?” He asked and I reached across the table, not caring if anyone saw us and hauled him into a pulse pounding kiss. I let him go when I heard catcalls. Robbie sat back, flushed and grinning. Me, I held up my hand and shouted.

  “We’re gettin’ married! Whoohooo!”

  *

  Well, the next few months were very busy for me and my golden rod. We rented the house across from Momma and were moving into our new home this weekend. I could say it was smooth sailing. I could… but I’d be lying out my ass. Blending our styles had created a series of arguments, make-ups and compromises, followed by more fights. I refused to let him turn our home into a modern museum monstrosity. In turn he poo-pooed my vintage furniture and art. As he said, ‘Just because it’s old, doesn’t make it vintage!’, so we were still ironing out the inside of the house. I tapped another nail into the hallway wall and hung another family photo. This one was of his father and two uncles. I found it interesting that all three were bearded men. The sound of cursing interrupted my train of thought so I set the hammer down and ambled into the living-room. Robbie stood inside the door shifting a large box that was threatening to bust at the seams. I dashed over and grabbed the box, helping him set it down.

  “You tryin’ to give yourself a hernia?” I chided and he scowled at me as he straightened up.

  “It’s a box of your shoes!” he huffed and I laughed. I thought I’d brought in all my shoe boxes.

  “’M sorry Robbie. I was sure I had them all.” I slunk in and wrapped my arms around his waist and nuzzled his neck. He shivered and tugged me closer. I found that my beard on his neck turned him on immensely and I have no shame in saying I used it to my advantage and he totally knew it.

  “No fair,” he grumbled as his hands kneaded my ass. Mr. Gaither, I’d discovered, was a total horn dog. I couldn’t bend over without something poking me in the butt when he was around. Good grief he smelled good. A mixture of his cologne and sweat wafted around my nostrils and I inhaled deeply. Honestly, I loved this man to death and, more importantly, he loved me… crazy, loud, very gay Boone Myer.

  “I set your boxes near your desk so you can set it up,” I murmured.

  “Cool!” Robbie dropped me like a hot potato and scurried over to his desk.

  Well, so much for romance… hell, even some dick.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m so behind at work.”

  Nuts, how could I stay mad at him?

  “You’re welcome. I know the move has stressed you out.” And it had. My Robbie has a touch of OCD and the chaos of moving, while not bothering me, had irked him to an epic level. I did all I could to smooth things out and in turn I got a glorious foot rub at night, followed by a back rub, followed by… well, you get it.

  He puttered around the boxes, pulling out stuff and began setting up his desk. I came up behind him and leaned onto his back. “Am I forgiven finally?”

  Robbie stiffened under me and I bit my lip, suddenly nervous. He sighed deeply and turned taking me into his arms. “Yes, only if you forgive me?”

  “Of course! I didn’t know I had powdered sugar on my hands! I really didn’t. I’d never do anythin’ to embarrass you.” I pouted, still stinging from his anger last month. It had all happened at Alex and Emmett’s wedding and we’d had a horrible fight. One I thought might break us. I ended up coming back to my old house to get away. What I didn’t know was that Poppy and Peg had arrived with my momma and Mawmaw about an hour after I’d gotten home and saw a very drunk, very loud Robbie Gaither yelling at me via my window. God, the whole neighborhood had heard him….

  My phone clattered on the nightstand noisily. My hands shook and I wrung them together, still shaking from my fight with Robbie. Alex and Emmett’s wedding had been a huge success. I had arrived with Elaine four hours before the wedding and we’d begun setting up the cake. The wedding cake was fine; it needed only a few touch ups. What I needed to finish was the groom’s cake for Emmett. It was a surprise for him from Alex and was in the shape of their barn/house. I had been smoothing out the roof of the cake and used powdered sugar to keep my hands from sticking.

  “Dang, Boone! It looks incredible.” Elaine complimented me as she put the fondant trees on the cake’s front lawn.

  “It certainly does!” I spun and saw Robbie stroll in. The ceremony was starting in ten minutes and he was decked out in his tux and damn if I didn’t pop wood. He looked… edible! All in black, his shoulders were impossibly wide forming a sharp ‘V’ to his waist. The black slacks clung to his long legs and his shoes shone on his big feet. The crisp white shirt contrasted against his tanned skin. Somewhere along the way, he had let some scruff grow and his blond baby beard made him look dangerous and sexy. His blond hair shone under the lights.

  “Hey sexy!” I pu
rred and his eyes darkened. I loved how easily I could key him up. “Lookin’ fine!”

  Elaine giggled and slid the cake onto the rolling cart. “I’ll take this out.”

  “You need any help?” I asked, hoping she wouldn’t.

  “Nah, I’ll find help out there.” She winked at me as she rolled the cake by and Robbie laughed.

  He strode over and wrapped his arms around me and feathered a kiss, that quickly went carnal, over my lips. My head swam and I sagged against him, grabbing his ass and pulling us tightly together. I pulled back and groaned.

  “You know, we can go into the office and have a quickie.” I offered. To be blunt, I wanted to have him haul out his cock from his tux and bang me.

  He kissed my nose and grimaced. “No… no. Don’t give me the puppy dog eyes. The ceremony starts in minutes. I’m lucky. I’m the last one in line, so I snuck back to see you.”

  “But Robbie,” I whined shamelessly.

  He waggled a finger at me. “Nope. Later.” He kissed me again and disengaged from me. I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ll wear the tux when I pound ya!”

  I giggled and kissed him quickly. Robbie tugged at my beard, a new thing of his that I loved and I turned back to the cake as he walked away. I had set the last gum paste heart on the wedding cake when I heard Elaine’s voice behind me.

  “Oh my gosh! Did you see Robbie’s ass!” She exclaimed and I spun to see the abject horror on her face.

  “What? What about his ass?” My chest grew tight as she twittered with her hair in anxiety.

  “Did… did you have powdered sugar on your hands?” Her tentative question made my stomach roll and I felt like I was going to hurl.

  “I… oh fuck! I did!” My hands shook as I stared at the white dust covering them. I swallowed thickly and squeaked out. “Bad?”

  “Two giant hand prints right on his butt. I tried to catch him but he’d already started walking down the aisle!” Her face paled. “Oh, Boone!”

  “He’s gonna be so mad.” I gasped and leaned on the counter to keep myself from falling over. We both looked out the door as the laughter started.

  Yep… I was going to ralph…

  As soon as the ceremony concluded, he stormed into the kitchen and lit into me. I’d never seen him so angry and it frightened me. He looked like a blond storm cloud and as he rounded on me, I tried to babble my apology.

  “I’m so sorry, Robbie. I didn’t know I had powdered sugar on my hands and—”

  “I. Am. Humiliated!” Robbie seethed and I shrank back from him. “In front of my whole family!”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “Am I a joke to you? Do you like to see me look stupid?”

  Ouch that stung. “Of course not—”

  “Fucking ‘A’!” He shouted and paced in front of me. “Just because you dress like some slacker faggot freak people laugh at, doesn’t mean I have to!”

  Tears stung my eyes and I gasped, the wind rushing from my lungs. A ring of pain circled my heart and I dashed away my tears. No way was this mean fucker going to see me cry.

  “Wow. Thanks.” I turned from him and grabbed my phone. I pushed past him and he barked at me as I did.

  “Where the fuck are you going? I’m not done with you.” Robbie’s lips thinned in anger.

  “Oh yes you are and I’m done with you.” I sucked in a shaky breath. “I told you I was sorry. I respect and love you Robbie and would never do anthin’ to hurt you on purpose… not like you just did to me. I’m goin’ home.”

  And I left him there, mouth hanging open and tried to gather my tattered dignity all the way home. Elaine drove and I bawled the entire way. Nothing she said helped and I mumbled goodnight when we pulled up to the house and bolted from the van. My phone had been blowing up during the entire hour drive back to Atlanta from Tatesville. Emmett and Alex had called, along with Martin, Avery, Oscar, Dad, Emily, Ray, Ms. Mabel and Mr. Gaither and ten calls and twelve texts from Robbie. I turned off my phone and undressed, got in the shower and tried to wash away the pain. Tears wash away easier in the shower and, after standing there so long that the water cooled, I got out, toweled off and headed to bed.

  I checked my sugar and the meter read one hundred and twenty-five.

  Safe.

  Satisfied, I pulled down the covers and got into bed, trying not to cry anymore but not succeeding. I must have fallen asleep because the room was cloaked in darkness when I heard something hitting my bedroom window. Tumbling out of bed, I padded over and jumped as a large stick hit the class.

  What the fuck?

  I slung open the window and blanched. A disheveled Robbie Gaither tottered beneath the window. My bedroom window sat higher off the ground because the house had been built on a small hill so Robbie swayed six foot down.

  “Robbie Gaither! Go. Home!” I ground out and it took him a second to realize I was there. Yup… he was drunk.

  “No… no… have to appol-appol… fuck… ‘m sorry, Boone!” he shouted and I waved a hand, shushing him.

  “Stop yellin’! It’s after ten. You’re goin’ to wake up the whole neighborhood.” I know! I shocked myself. I usually didn’t care what people think.

  He stumbled and righted himself. “No. I was a huge honkin’ asshole.”

  Interesting; the southern drawl had crept back into his voice. “Yes you were.” I answered back as I felt the sting of tears again.

  “’M so sorry, baby. I let my pride get inna way. I don’t care what people think.”

  “Bullshit, Robbie!” I snapped and he hung his head. “You hurt me so bad. I’d never do anythin’ to hurt you. I love you, Robbie Gaither.” And I did, with all my heart.

  “I know.” He sniffled. Was he crying? “I know I don’t deserve a second chance but please baby… ‘m nothin’ without you. You are the other half of me. When… when I saw you cry, it broke my heart. I did that. I made you cry. I’m lower than a snake’s pucker.”

  He looked up at me and tears streaked his face. Damn those eyes… I’ve never seen emotion like that in any other man’s eyes and it was directed at me.

  “Please… please… please Boone, forgive me.” A harsh sob escaped his throat and now I hurt for him.

  Damn!

  “I’d believe you more iffen you weren’t shitfaced.” I had forgiven him, however he wasn’t getting off that lightly. “Did you drive here?”

  “No.” He cocked his chin to his left, toward my street. “My dad and Oscar drove me. They’re sitting out in their car. Been drinkin’ since you left. I made you cry… Ima shit. Are you gonna let me in?”

  “Why?”

  “’Cause if you send me packin’, they’re gonna drive me home.” He gave the car on the street a baleful look. “Pro’blee, gonna rip me a bigger asshole, to match the one they already did.”

  “And if I did forgive you?” I bit my lip to keep from laughing. He looked a sight. Tux all crumpled and his hair was sticking up every which way but loose.

  “I give’ em a thumbs up and they head back to Tatesville.” His gaze pleaded with me.

  I sighed and folded my arms over my chest. “Fine, you can stay.” I’m such a sucker for a drunk, uptight white boy in a tux.

  A blinding grin splashed across his face and he spun, almost falling and gave the car on the street a thumbs up. “He said I kin stay!” Said car honked and pulled away and Robbie trooped over to my window, weaving an unsteady path.

  “Come ‘round front and I’ll let you in.”

  He shook his head hard. “Nope! I’m comin’ up to getcha.” And he started to climb the rickety old trellis to my room. Fear gripped me and I hurriedly hung out the window, reaching for him as he climbed closer.

  “Robbie! You’re gonna fall!”

  He reached up and I grabbed his hand, slowly hauling him up. His face drew closer to mine and I could smell the whiskey on his breath.

  “No I won’t.” He smiled loopily at me and my heart flutter. “I know you’d cat
ch me… ‘cause you love me and I love you.”

  I pulled him through the window and he landed on me, knocking the air out of my lungs. Robbie kissed my face and I laughed.

  “You’re way drunk.”

  “Yeppers.” He kissed me again and I smacked his ass. Robbie laughed and hugged me hard. Yep, my man was complicated and he was mine…

  “God, I had such a hangover the next day,” Robbie bemoaned and buried his face in my neck. He snuffled my beard and I rubbed his lower back to soothe him.

  “Yes, you did.” I snickered.

  “I’m never going to live that down and I’m never going to be able to tell you how sorry I am, Boone.” His Adam’s apple bobbed and I palmed his face.

  “I know you’re sorry.” I kissed him hard and emotions rushed over me. He pulled back and nipped my lower lip.

  “I didn’t mean to yell. And I sure as hell didn’t mean to be so damn drunk when I came to your house that I tried to climb through your bedroom window.” He blushed.

  “It was so romantic of you to climb into my window.” I smirked and kissed the corner of his mouth.

  “Damn, rosebushes. I was picking thorns out of my hands for days.” He chuckled and kissed me slowly, his tongue slipping into my mouth. I groaned and rubbed against him.

  “You are way too sexy to stay mad at anyway.” I ran my hand ran down and found him hard. “Hello there! Seems like you need some Boonie time!” His hard cock twitched under my hand and I gave him a firm squeeze.

  I loved, loved, loved his cock. It was perfect. Long, pale with a peachy blush and nicely veined with a head similar in size to the shaft. The heft of it in my mouth didn’t overwhelm me and made sucking him a joy. And I can’t even begin to describe how wonderfully it filled me. I nipped his neck and he shuddered. I licked his Adam’s apple and dropped to my knees. As I did, I splayed my hands over his chest and nuzzled the fabric covering his cock. The thin fabric of his shorts strained to hold in his shaft. I slid my hands down further then up his short’s legs and grabbed his ass, kneading both cheeks.

  “Crap, Boone!” He groaned and I laughed against his pulsing cock. I slipped my right hand free and worked his button open and his zipper down. Fishing out his shaft from his briefs, I leaned in and inhaled his scent. His fragrance invaded my senses, all warm and oh so manly. “Suck it hard.”