by Rachel Clark
“He hasn’t seen it yet?”
“Not yet,” he said, trying to control his imagination. Ryan didn’t even know Jay lived above the restaurant and hopefully by the time dinner was over he would be able to convince the gorgeous man to not only stay the night with him, but move his stuff in as soon as possible.
“Wow,” Kat said quietly. “I don’t think I’ve ever managed to put that look on a man’s face.” She smiled and touched his hand. “Ryan is a lucky man.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Jay said, smiling at her.
* * * *
“Maybe”—Kat took a deep breath searching for her missing courage—“I should find a place of my own. Let you two have some space.”
She would never admit it out loud, but the look of pure horror on his face was a tremendous relief. She wanted to be strong and independent and whole again, but she sure as hell wasn’t feeling it right now.
“Absolutely not,” he said as all color drained from his face. Hell, she didn’t mean to do that to him. She only wanted to offer him a chance for his and Ryan’s relationship to grow without her interference, but he looked on the verge of a heart attack.
“Oh thank goodness,” she said, trying to sound jovial. “I was looking forward to all those gourmet meals you’re going to cook me. After two weeks of hospital food I deserve at least two dozen decent meals.”
He smiled, and she suspected that he knew what she was doing. She’d spent quite a bit of time worrying about how Jay felt about her attack. He’d always been so protective of her, and she could just imagine how much he blamed himself. It wasn’t his fault, none of it was, but she doubted he could see it that way.
She shifted on the bed, managing to hide the grimace that should’ve accompanied the pain. If he thought she was still in pain, he just might convince the doctors to keep her longer.
“So you don’t mind Ryan moving in?” He didn’t quite sound convinced. Maybe he thought she was taking this a little too calmly. He had, after all, just admitted to being gay and loving a man she’d grown to care for. Strange as it sounded, she was almost relieved that he would be involved with Ryan. It would certainly make it easier to hide her own feelings and without the presence of a woman she couldn’t exactly feel jealous. It wasn’t like he was rejecting her.
Oh fuck! What the hell was she thinking? Hadn’t she decided a long time ago to never risk their friendship with romance? Jay didn’t know how she truly felt about him, and considering that he’d just admitted to being gay, he never would. She really needed to get her shit together. Maybe she should reconsider rushing home from the hospital.
That thought played over and over in her head long after Jay carefully pressed a kiss to her forehead and then left her for the night.
* * * *
“Hi, Ryan.” Jay greeted him with a soft kiss, seemingly unaware that they were standing in the middle of his restaurant with his staff and customers surrounding them. “I saved us a table over in the corner, but if you’d prefer to sit somewhere else…” He left the sentence hanging, leaving Ryan uncertain what he was going to say.
Ryan was comfortable with his sexuality. He’d discovered in high school that his partner’s sex was irrelevant. It didn’t matter, male or female, as long as he felt an emotional connection he found himself physically attracted. He’d long ago realized that if people judged him for it, then they were the ones with a problem, not him. The fact that Jay had greeted him so intimately left no concerns that he was maybe hiding their relationship by using a table at the back of the restaurant, so Ryan happily agreed. Whatever Jay had in mind it wasn’t to pretend that they weren’t on a date.
“How’s Kat?” Ryan asked as soon as they sat down. “She was asleep when I dropped by.” She’d looked so peaceful, so relaxed that he wondered whether the doctors had increased her medication again.
“Pretty good. She wants out, of course. Still complaining about the food.”
Ryan smiled, inhaling the delicious scents filling the restaurant. Waitstaff and customers moved about the large room, and he noticed more than half the tables were full. It probably got pretty hectic on weekends.
“Did the doctors say when?”
“Maybe next week,” he said with a wince.
Ryan studied Jay’s face unable to explain the reason for his less than enthusiastic response. “You don’t want her to come home?”
“I do. I really do. It’s just the timing.” He took a deep breath like he was leading into something. He hesitated and then spoke again. “I really had hoped to convince you to move in with me before she got home.”
“Of course,” Ryan said feeling relieved. He’d worried how Kat would cope alone while Jay was working. At least this way, Jay could set his work schedule around Ryan’s roster. Between the two of them they should be able to cover at least the next few weeks, maybe even a couple of months or more.
Jay shook his head. “That’s not exactly what I meant.”
Confused as hell, Ryan lifted an eyebrow and waited for him to elaborate.
“I mean,” Jay said as he laced his fingers through Ryan’s, “I want you to move in with me, to be with me. I know the timing sucks, but well, I hoped we’d be able to explore this thing between us more fully.”
Heat seeped through Ryan’s abdomen, heading south as his cock rose with interest.
“Yes,” he said, wondering if he’d live to regret it. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Jay was attracted to him. He just wasn’t sure it would last once Kat was better. But right now, in the romantic ambience of Jay’s classy restaurant, everything seemed just a little more hopeful, a little more positive. It whispered the possibility of a future that he didn’t want to miss.
He nodded his head, making a decision he hoped neither of them lived to regret.
Chapter Six
“I have something to show you,” Jay said as he tugged on Ryan’s hand. Seeming bemused, Ryan let Jay lead him to the elevator. Jay used his pass-code to override the lock-out function and then pressed the button for the top floor.
He stood back and waited for Ryan’s reaction. Jay knew what he would see, but wondered how the man would react. The two-bedroom apartment was spacious, modern, and had an enormous kitchen. It wasn’t exactly a palace, but it was much larger than Ryan’s apartment, and for a confidence-stealing moment Jay worried that Ryan would be offended.
Ryan was so self-sufficient that Jay found himself desperately searching for alternatives. Maybe they could get an apartment together, or maybe they could live at Ryan’s place for a while. Jay shook off the desperate thoughts. Kat needed familiarity and they all needed space. He just had to convince Ryan that his apartment was the best solution, at least for now.
But he shouldn’t have worried. Ryan turned to him with a smile on his face and mischief in his eyes. “Where’s our bedroom?”
Jay groaned and pulled Ryan into his embrace, running his hands over Ryan’s strong back, up his shoulders, and through his hair. Ryan dipped his head to capture Jay’s mouth in a sensual, heart-stopping, bone-melting kiss. He clung to his hopefully soon-to-be lover as Ryan swept his tongue into his mouth, tangling against his own and exploring the moist cavern.
Ryan grasped his hips, pulling Jay’s pelvis against him, letting him feel the rock-hard cock hidden by material. He was a quivering mess by the time Ryan pulled back and whispered, “Condoms? Lube?”
Jay nodded as sudden embarrassment and nervousness stole his voice. Ryan must’ve sensed it because he took half a step back and touched Jay’s face. “We’ll go as slow as you need.”
Jay nodded again and finally managed to voice his fear. “I’m not sure what to do.” He wanted this, wanted it badly, had dreamed of it over and over in the past week, but still he had no idea what Ryan expected of him. Did Ryan expect him to fuck him or the other way around? Was there some sort etiquette? Did they flip a coin? Jay had never taken a submissive role in bed. He wasn’t even sure he could. Hell, he was fucking this up and h
ad no idea how to fix it.
“Babe,” Ryan said as he pulled him back into his arms. “Don’t think so much. Just do what feels right.” Jay nodded, swallowing hard, trying to find the excitement he’d felt only moments before.
“Come here,” Ryan said as he tugged him to the sofa and pushed him onto the soft leather. “Let’s just talk for a while.”
“About what?” Jay mentally rolled his eyes. Could he sound more lame?
“When did you open the restaurant?”
Desperately trying to grasp the distraction Ryan was offering, Jay made a very conscious effort to calm down.
“Just a little over three years ago.”
“That would’ve made you, what, twenty-four?”
“Almost twenty-five,” he said trying not to shrug self-consciously. Many people had commented, at the time, that he’d been too young to start his own restaurant, but he’d shrugged them off and done exactly what he wanted.
“So you’re ambitious,” Ryan said, and Jay couldn’t figure if he meant it as a compliment or not.
“I suppose I just know what I want,” he said a little defensively.
“Like the way that you know you want me?” Ryan smiled and leaned over to kiss him softly.
“Yes,” Jay whispered against his lips, unsure whether he was agreeing with Ryan’s statement or his actions. Ryan pulled Jay’s shirt from his pants, the silky material gliding slowly over his lower abdomen to be replaced by the warmth of his hands. He caressed the muscles as heat flooded Jay’s body and his cock lengthened against the confines of his clothing. Ryan dropped a hand lower and caressed him through the material, the gentle touch sending waves of pleasure through him.
He practically held his breath as Ryan undid the fastening and zipper and carefully released his cock. He grasped the hard length, gently massaging the tumescent flesh as he used his other hand to help him drag his pants down his thighs. When they finally had the material down to his ankles, Ryan moved to kneel between Jay’s knees.
“I want to taste you,” Ryan whispered as he lowered his head toward Jay’s cock. Gulping for air, Jay almost lost control at the first moist touch of Ryan’s tongue. Slowly he licked a path up and down the full length, dipping lower to caress Jay’s balls and then back up to engulf the head of his cock in the warm heat of his mouth.
He could barely stop himself from arching off the sofa and pushing harder, deeper into Ryan’s mouth. He must’ve noticed because he moaned and dipped lower, taking Jay’s full length. He felt the back of Ryan’s throat a moment before the man swallowed around his cock, caressing him intimately.
Unable to control himself, he grabbed Ryan’s head, holding him hard against his groin, needing him to swallow just one more time. Ryan hummed, caressing Jay’s balls with his fingers as he did exactly what Jay had been hoping. The intense sensation shot straight through him like a brush fire and he felt his orgasm explode. Ryan groaned as he swallowed around the full length of his erection as he pumped stream after stream of cum down his lover’s throat.
Holy fuck, he’d never experienced a blow job quite like it.
And, hell, he was almost embarrassed by how fast he’d lost it.
But Ryan continued to lick him even as Jay’s cock softened. The sharp, jolting reactions of his oversensitive flesh a complete contrast to the moist and gentle caress. Jay groaned even as his cock started to harden once more.
“Okay?” Ryan asked as he finally lifted away and turned his gaze to Jay’s.
“Okay? Fuck okay. Mind blowing, fantastic, orgasmic, earth shattering—they all come to mind.”
Ryan’s deep chuckle reverberated through him as he leaned over and kissed him again.
“Feeling more relaxed?” he asked quietly. Jay could only nod, memories of the amazing sensations only a few moments ago distracting his thoughts. “So how about we grab some dinner?”
Confusion flitted through Jay’s mind as he struggled to comprehend the unexpected request. Dinner? Well, he supposed they should eat. He suspected it might be a rather long night. But…
“What about you?” he asked as his eyes slid to the painful-looking erection trapped inside Ryan’s dress pants.
“I think I’ll survive,” he said with a laugh. “We have plenty of time.”
“Well…um…okay. Do you want to go back down to the restaurant, or would you like me to make something here?”
Ryan stood, grabbed Jay’s hands and urged him to his feet. Jay tried to grab his pants from off the floor, but Ryan still held his hands and refused to let go.
“I think I like you like this,” he said wickedly. “I wonder what you would look like cooking naked in that auditorium you call a kitchen.”
Jay’s cock definitely liked that idea, rising to the occasion even as his brain warned him that cooking and bare skin didn’t really mix well. Ryan wrapped his warm hand around Jay’s happy appendage and he groaned and managed to force out just one word, “Dangerous.”
“Hmmm,” Ryan hummed against Jay’s neck, “I suppose we could compromise. Maybe something easy like a sandwich, or maybe you could just wear an apron so I can watch that gorgeous ass flex as you work.”
Heat pooled low in Jay’s groin and he gulped for air yet again. He couldn’t ever remember being this turned on, especially so soon after such an incredible orgasm. Ryan dropped to his knees and helped Jay step out of his shoes, pants, and underwear and then stood to help with his shirt. Completely naked in front of a man for the first time in his life, Jay had no idea what to do next.
His cock rose hard and proud, showing them both very clearly that even if Jay’s head wasn’t quite clear, his body certainly knew what he wanted. Ryan dropped a kiss on his nose and then turned him toward the kitchen. “Just the apron, I think,” he said in a low, sexy voice as he caressed Jay’s ass.
“Dinner,” Jay said vaguely as he tried to process so many new sensations at once.
“Yes, babe, you make dinner. I’ll take care of dessert.”
Concentrating very hard on what should have been the simple task of walking, Jay finally managed to put one foot in front of the other and move toward the kitchen. He grabbed his chef’s apron off the peg by the pantry and slipped it over his head, hissing a sharp breath as the rough cloth brushed over his renewed hard-on. He tied the string at his back, just like he’d done probably a million times before, and this time almost lost his footing when the ends brushed against his ass cheeks and then settled gently into the crease.
Every step, every flexed muscle, every breath moved the front of the apron against his hard cock and slid the loose ends of the ties up and down his ass. He’d never been more aroused. Yet every time he thought that, Ryan found a way to turn him on even more.
“Sandwiches?” Jay asked, his conscience screaming at him that he owed Ryan more than one decent meal, but he knew the longer he had to concentrate the more likely he was to do something silly. Slicing off the top of his finger wasn’t part of his plans for tonight. Although, cooking naked while the man who’d just sucked him to incredible orgasm watched, hadn’t been in his plans either.
“Sandwiches,” Ryan said calmly as he leaned casually against the counter, his arms and ankles folded. Jay could feel the heat of Ryan’s gaze and was sure he had a blush that covered his ass as well as his face.
Trying desperately to concentrate, Jay opened the refrigerator and started gathering everything he would need for gourmet sandwiches. The very least he could do was provide decent sandwiches.
“Oh hell, Jay, stay like that one more moment and we are skipping straight to dessert.”
Before he could straighten, Ryan pressed up against his ass, the hard ridge of his cock caressing intimately between Jay’s cheeks. Jay tried to remember to breathe as a riot of sensations traveled up and down his spine. Never before had he felt this overwhelming need to belong to someone.
“Ry,” he said quietly, unsure exactly what he wanted to say.
Ryan was breathing heavily, maybe
even more heavily than Jay. “I need you,” Ryan gasped out as he pulled Jay even closer.
* * * *
Ryan couldn’t control his reaction to this man. He’d tried to lighten the mood by teasing Jay into making dinner naked, but it hadn’t dampened the need to make Jay his. Hell, if the man had any idea what was running through Ryan’s mind right now, he’d likely run in the opposite direction.
He forced himself to slow down, dragged in a ragged breath, and tried for a reassuring tone of voice. “If this is happening too fast…”
“No,” Jay said, turning in his arms. Despite Ryan’s inclination to hold the man trapped against him, he forced himself to loosen his embrace and let Jay face him. “It’s not too fast. I just…well, I don’t know what I’m doing.” He rolled his eyes. “I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing.” Jay pressed a soft kiss against Ryan’s lips, but pulled away quickly. “You’re the only man I’ve ever been attracted to. I just don’t want to disappoint you.”
“Babe, you will never disappoint me.” Ryan reached out and touched the smoothly shaven skin on Jay’s jaw. “Do you know how special it is to me that I’m your only one?”
Jay laughed self-consciously. “And here I’d thought I’d gotten over those pesky virginity issues years ago.”
Ryan smiled and pulled him into his embrace. “I’ll go slowly,” he promised. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you. Not that it hurts…well it might, but I’ll make sure you’re ready and…hell we don’t even need to go that far. There are other things we can do instead. I mean, we can even just—”
Jay cut off his rant with a finger over his lips. “I’m ready,” he whispered, “and I trust you not to hurt me.”
The heat of embarrassment crawled over Ryan’s skin, but he managed to laugh at his own outburst. He wasn’t usually so thrown by new situations. He wrapped his hand around the back of Jay’s neck, pulling him closer so that he could press a possessive kiss to the man’s lips. He’d never quite felt the intensity of emotion he was feeling right now. It was silly to worry that a relationship they’d been building for weeks now could somehow be ruined by one sexual joining, but for some reason that fear had lodged firmly in his heart.