by Ana Newfolk
Jean-Paul was in the kitchen making coffee as I walked in.
“Good morning, Isaac. Did you sleep well?”
I looked at the two mugs of coffee in his hand. He still had his pajama bottoms on so I was pretty sure he and Dorian had been up as late as we were.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Everything okay?” Jean-Paul spoke excellent English, but I loved when his French accent came through.
“Yeah, just couldn’t sleep any more, that’s all.”
He nodded and turned to leave.
“Jean-Paul,” I called.
“Yes?”
“How did you know you made the right decision?”
He smiled at me. He knew what I was asking; Jean-Paul too had decided to stay in New York to be with Dorian.
“I’d been Dorian’s best friend for many years before we were together, but even then it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Admitting my feelings for him, choosing to be with him here in America, and leaving my mom all the way in Paris.” He sighed. “I was the happiest person on earth because I finally had Dorian, but I was sad because I was so far away from my mom.”
“I know the feeling. But how did you know it was right?”
“Because I’d tried a life without Dorian by my side.” Jean-Paul looked down at the coffee cups and shook his head, and then he left the kitchen.
I had a feeling I knew what he hadn’t said. He didn’t want to not have Dorian in his life anymore.
There was still enough coffee left in the pot so I filled up two cups, grabbed a small box of cookie dough from the fridge, and went back to the room to wake my sleeping beauty.
Max was putting his clothes on like something was on fire when I walked in.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, putting the coffee and the cookie dough box on the bedside table.
He came around the bed and didn’t stop until his lips crashed against mine. He was demanding but gentle. His tongue probed the inside of my mouth like he wanted to make sure I still tasted the same.
The morning semi I’d managed to conceal under boxer shorts and jogging bottoms was now at full mast and being freed by Max’s exploring hands. He took me out and stroked my length, twisting his hand, and applying additional pressure every other stroke.
Between his kisses and what he was doing with his hand, I was struggling to breathe, think, and muster the will to pause and ask him what was going on.
When kissing had become too much I pulled away and leaned against him. My legs were shaking, and I wondered what would come sooner, my orgasm, or the buckling of my knees.
Max kissed, bit, and sucked the skin on my neck and shoulders. He had a firm hold of my curls and him pulling them tight between his fingers was my undoing.
My orgasm came hard and fast. I shouted his name against the crook of his neck, and then I really couldn’t stand up any longer. I let myself fall on my back on the bed with Max next to me. My jogging bottoms and boxer shorts were around my knees. I got rid of them so I was fully naked.
I looked at him. His hair was a little longer than it had been four weeks ago and it was standing at odd angles, but he was still too slim. His eyes were dark and full of desire. He hadn’t come. I’d been so overwhelmed by him I hadn’t even thought of reciprocating.
When I moved to touch his hard cock he turned and straddled me, pinning me on the bed. He rocked against me as his mouth made love to mine. Heat spread in my groin but I knew I wouldn’t be able to come again so soon so I let him take his pleasure while I relished in his hard, heavy body on top of mine.
“Want to tell me what that was about?” I asked when he came down from his orgasm. He tried to get up, but I stopped him, running my hands across his face, trying to read his expression.
“I had a dream. You were here, and you said you were staying forever, but then when I reached out for you, you were gone. I ran to look for you and saw you as you walked toward the water and then you disappeared.”
I stroked his face gently, cleaning away the small tear that had escaped his eye. “It’s okay; I’m here.”
He sighed. “When I woke I was hugging the pillow. I thought the dream was real.”
“Baby, look around the room. Does it look like you were on your own?” There were clothes strewn everywhere. Every time we’d got dressed during the weekend we’d soon got undressed again and lost in each other.
He chuckled. “Good point. You’re a slob. We’ll need some ground rules at home.”
My heart skipped a beat and I couldn’t hide my smile.
“Oh yeah? What are the rules?”
“You’re not wearing clothes indoors. If you’re naked, then I won’t have to undress you, and there won’t be a mess all over.”
“I hear winter in New York is quite cold.”
“I’ll keep you warm, baby.” I loved it when he called me that. We always went between speaking to each other in Portuguese and English, but he always called me by the same term of endearment.
David had confessed that Joel used the same term for him, and while he couldn’t get used to using it himself, he loved it when Joel did.
“Shall we start a shower?” I suggested. “You stink of sex.”
Joel had said the best time to travel back to the city was just before lunch so we took our time in the shower and then packed and cleaned the room.
With David and Joel going back to Portugal soon I wasn’t sure I’d have the opportunity to speak to David alone, so while the guys were tidying up, I joined him in the kitchen.
“Can we talk about Mário’s brother?” I asked.
“Sure.”
“What do you know about him?”
“Not much. My uncle hasn’t seen him since he was twenty-one when he ran away from the hospital. He never got in touch with anyone again.”
“You mentioned he was caught kissing someone. Could that be a boyfriend?”
“Maybe, or a hookup, who knows. In those days it was all very secret because of the obvious repercussions.”
“Does Mário have any photos of Vítor?”
“Yeah, I think he might have some. I’ve never seen them though.”
“David, how do you know Vítor will have information about your dad?”
“I don’t.”
I wasn’t sure we would have any success finding Vítor and told David as much.
Maybe Fred could help with his police connections.
“Tiago is looking after the Center while I’m here. I’m hoping he’ll be ready to either take over from me if I end up staying, or join me as co-director of the Foundation.”
“That’s great news!” David grinned.
“Yeah, I’m excited for him. To be honest, I think I should have done it a long time ago.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“He always said he wanted to focus on finding his brother so I didn’t push, but with me being away I hope it gives him something else to focus on.”
We were both silent for a moment. We knew how long Tiago had been looking for his brother and the chances of finding him were slim to none after all these years.
“Isaac, I don’t want to add to his workload having to find Vítor.”
“He offered. He already has loads of contacts. Maybe you could meet up with him when you get back? I just wanted to tell you because I’m going to be in Manhattan for the foreseeable future.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
David finished up the omelets and took them off the stove, plating them up for the hungry men that kept popping in to check on the progress of breakfast.
“Isaac?”
“Yeah?”
“What you have with Max is special, isn’t it?”
“We’re in love, David.” And that was the absolute truth.
“In the past I’ve seen you push people away. Don’t push him away, okay?”
“I thought I was going to get the big brother talk from Joel, not you,” I joked.
“Well, technicall
y Max is the eldest of us all,” he teased back. “But seriously, he’s a great guy, and I think you are good for each other. Just follow your heart this time.”
“That’s why I’m here. I followed my heart.”
“I love you, you know that, right?” he said.
“I love you too.” I hugged him tight; wondering how we’d got here. We were both so lucky.
“No, no, no,” Max and Joel said at the same time as they came into the kitchen.
David and I smiled at each other as we were pulled apart by Joel and Max.
I stopped caring about what they were doing when Max planted a hot kiss on my lips.
“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” I whispered.
“What? I’m not jealous,” he said with his eyes open wide.
“Oh really?”
“Really.”
“Then why have you barreled in here and claimed me like a caveman?”
I heard a rumble in his chest. It was fucking sexy and I was in two minds about skipping brunch altogether, but then I remembered we’d stripped the bed already and couldn’t have another shower because our bags were in the car.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said in my ear.
A cough brought our attention back to the room and I glanced at David who had his hair all over the place.
“Guys! We leave you for two minutes!” Jean-Paul said.
“See? I told you, babe, we should have—” Jean-Paul covered Dorian’s mouth with his hand.
“Let’s have breakfast so we can go home, okay?” he said with one last look toward his husband.
Chapter Thirteen
Max
I was glad I’d taken the train to the Hamptons instead of hiring a car because I was now happily sitting in the back of Joel’s hire car with a snoozing Isaac leaning against me.
Isaac had fallen asleep within minutes of us leaving the house and hadn’t stirred for the whole journey. We were only ten minutes from my apartment so I was going to have to wake him soon but I was enjoying him against me and how he sighed in his sleep whenever I ran my hands through his soft curls.
I’d never dated a guy with curly hair before but hadn’t expected it to be this soft. Or maybe it was just Isaac’s hair. I wondered what he would have looked like as a child. With his beautiful blue-green eyes and his streaky brown hair he must have looked like an angel.
“You really wore him out, hey, Max?” Joel teased from the driver seat.
“Shut up.” As far as quips were concerned this was a poor one but I couldn’t muster the will to care. Plus, I wasn’t exactly embarrassed to have kept Isaac in the bedroom most of the weekend. We would have plenty of time to go back and explore the Hamptons over the next two months. Maybe spend Thanksgiving at Jojo’s house, and see the Christmas lights and the markets.
“Maybe he wouldn’t have crashed like a kid on a sugar low if you fed him more than that raw cookie stuff.”
“Be careful with what you say next, David, our friendship is holding by a thread.”
He laughed. “Come on, that stuff looks pretty gross.”
“I don’t know, baby, I can think of a few things we could do with it,” Joel added.
“Guys!”
“Sweetheart,” David said to Joel, holding his free hand, “I like my baked goods… baked.”
Isaac finally woke up, no doubt because of the cookie-dough-themed argument.
“Hey, baby, sleep well?” I whispered in his ear.
“Hmm very. How far away are we?”
“Not far, just a few more minutes.”
He kissed me and then looked out of the window. His smile woke all the butterflies in my tummy and I made a promise to myself that I would take him out exploring the city as soon as he settled in my apartment.
“When do you start work?” I asked.
“In two days. Dorian has a few things he needs to tie up, and then he’ll show me around properly for the next four days until they fly out.” Isaac paused. “Can you believe they’re going all the way to Paris to adopt their daughter?”
“I can’t believe the guy that used to prank me at school is going to be a dad, so yeah it’s all a bit crazy.”
I put my hand on his chin to make him look at me. “A penny for your thoughts?”
“Nothing much. I need to call Alex when we get home. When are you back at work?”
We were just turning the corner to my apartment so I didn’t push for more.
“I’m back at the hospital tomorrow afternoon. We’re here,” I said as Joel whooped after finding a good parking spot.
“Guys, do you fancy a drink before we go, since we’re parked and all?” Joel asked.
“Yes.” The three of us replied in unison.
We left our bags in the car and went to my local café. Café Amore was run by Tony and Bob who’d been together since they met when they both served in the Vietnam War.
The day I’d got the keys for my apartment Joel insisted we checked out the local hangouts. We’d walked past the café and saw Tony and Bob sharing a brief kiss. The moment the doorbell dinged announcing our arrival they were quipping like an old married couple, which they kinda were.
It was the same every time we went in. They’d pretend to not stand each other, but as soon as no one was looking they couldn’t take their hands off each other. It was really sweet. I had great admiration for everything they’d gone through together, from serving the country to fighting for the right to share their life as a couple.
“Antonio. Roberto,” I said as we walked in.
“Boys! Come in; let me give you a slice of this new pie I created. You gonna love it,” Tony said in his raspy voice.
“Oh stop it, you old fool, they don’t want to eat your nasty ass pie.”
“If it’s that nasty, why did I see you put your finger in it earlier? Huh?”
“Hey, guys.” I waved at them, laughing.
“Oh, there’s a new one,” Bob said, turning to Isaac. “He’s pretty, who does he belong to?”
“Me.” I pulled Isaac to me, placing my arm around him with my hand resting on his waist as he hid his beet red face in the crook of my neck.
“Four coffees, Bob,” Joel said.
“And four slices of your pie, Tony,” I added.
We sat in a booth and waited for our food.
“So I belong to you huh?” Isaac said, leaning into me to talk into my ear.
“Oh yeah, baby. Let me get you upstairs and I’ll show you how much.”
His face went red again.
We talked about nothing in particular while we ate but made some loose plans to have dinner together before Joel and David left for Portugal.
I woke up from my nightmare completely drenched. It had been the same dream every night since we came back from the Hamptons two weeks ago. The bedsheets were bunched up around my waist and twisted around my legs.
“Max, baby, are you okay?”
I turned to him and reached out to touch his face. He was still there but his face was full of worry.
“You were having another nightmare. Do you suffer from nightmares? You didn’t have them before.”
I shook my head and got up to go to the bathroom. Yeah, I had never suffered with nightmares. To be honest, they weren’t really nightmares, just bad dreams. And they were stupid dreams. I knew they were, which is why I didn’t want to talk to Isaac about them.
I turned the shower on and let the water run warm before I stepped in. I had no clue what the time was but it was still dark outside.
Isaac stepped into the shower after me. He turned me around and pulled me into a kiss. My body reacted immediately.
“You know it’s illegal to have a midnight shower on your own, right?”
“Oh really?” I ran my hands down his chest and his nipples peaked with my touch.
“Yes, it’s a new law to help conserve water. You need to be up to date with these things, you know?”
“Well, in that case we’d bet
ter make the most of this shower.” I went down on my knees and took Isaac’s hard cock into my mouth. I loved his smell, the taste of his precum, the noises he made when I played with his balls as I sucked his crown.
This moment, when we were together like this, made all the bad irrational dreams go away.
I turned him around and spread his cheeks to expose his hole. I dove in, licking and sucking like I couldn’t get enough of him. He nearly came when my tongue entered him but I was too quick and pulled on his balls to keep him from coming too soon.
“Fuck, Max, you’re trying to kill me.”
“No, baby. I’m trying to love you,” I said, pulling a condom from my washbag.
“Can you do it faster?”
I could, and did. As soon as I’d sheathed my cock with a condom, I grabbed the lube, and used my fingers to make him ready for me, thinking I’d been a genius for keeping extra condoms on a shelf right next to the shower.
I was slightly bigger than Isaac and the last thing I wanted was to hurt him so I was always very thorough with my preparation.
He always complained I was too thorough and this time was no different. When I entered him he moaned with so much pleasure it was almost a sigh of relief. I didn’t quite feel the same way because the tightness and warmth of Isaac’s body always made me feel too close to exploding.
Once I was as far in as I could go I started moving slowly. My hands went from his hips, slowly up his back, and around his chest. I put one hand on his throat and turned his face to me so I could kiss him.
“So good, Isaac, you feel so damn good.”
“Max, I need to come. Please.”
I was as close to coming undone so I latched my mouth on his neck and sucked hard, knowing I’d leave a mark there. At the same time I tightened my hold on him and attempted to change the angle of my thrusts so I could hit his prostate.
Isaac put one hand on my back to pull me closer into him and the other around my neck. The neighbors were probably going to complain about the noise, but Isaac’s voice was like a balm to my soul.