Dean and Cassie played dominoes at the kitchen table with Grammy and Braden, until well past midnight while Billie and I finished building Yankee Stadium on our X-Box game. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up in the middle of the night with an afghan thrown on top of me.
The following morning, Dean and I went for a run and spent some time at Pines Ledge kissing and touching and talking, desperate not to lose any more valuable minutes it seemed. Dean was eager to work in the sugar cane field for a couple hours after that.
After I returned the party chairs to the supplier, I rode out with my father to see Dean’s progress. He’d been curious to hear that Dean had planted the new chutes that Cassie had bought at Dermot’s roadside stand, as well as impressed that Dean wanted to help at all. I’d admit, seeing him working on his hands and knees in the soil was damn sexy.
After Dean got back to the house, completely sweaty and dirty, I couldn’t resist following him down the hall into his room and shutting the door behind me.
“What are you doing?” he ground out. “I’m all—”
“Goddamn hot seeing you like this,” I murmured and then shoved him up against the door.
He groaned into the kiss as he gripped my ass and pulled me toward him. Our lips fused together and I buried my tongue deep inside his mouth.
I ripped off his shirt and pinned his hands above his head. He was musky and filthy and it cranked me way the hell up. I dragged my mouth over his salty neck and collarbone, and then buried my nose in his pit. I took a good long sniff, after biting the muscle flexing between his pec and arm.
“Callum,” he moaned. “You make me so hard all the damn time. I can barely see straight.”
“I wish I could have a whole night with you,” I said, sighing into his neck, smelling the soil and dampness in the hollow of his throat. “But then I’d feel your skin on me for months. Pure torture.”
“Maybe if we—”
Just then Grammy called for me. “Callum.”
“Fuck.” I backed away from Dean. “I’m being too careless.”
I straightened my shirt and walked out of the room, pretending I needed to get something from the hall closet. “Hold on Grammy, Dean asked where the fresh linens were.”
She stood stock still at the end of the hallway, watching me. I pulled out a clean white towel, gave Dean’s door a knock, and handed the cloth to him. He grabbed it, not making eye contact, his cheeks flushed. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
My gaze met Grammy’s across the distance. Her cheeks quirked up in a strange grin and I thrust the idea from my head that she knew about Dean and me. I couldn’t go there right then. I was taking thoughtless risks but he’d be gone in a couple of day’s time and I’d only have my memories, which was better than anything I had before.
“What did you need, Grammy?” I mumbled.
“Help bringing out those large crates for our booth,” she said, motioning behind her to the pantry.
“Selling your fig preserves tomorrow?” I asked, heading her way. That’s when I noticed my father sitting at the table drinking a large glass of sweet tea, rolling his neck side to side. He looked beat so I knew this week had been hard on him.
“That’s right,” she said, patting my father on the shoulder. “Billie helped me make some strawberry rhubarb pies as well.”
I loved that Billie baked with Grammy, and was pretty certain that was why they had seemed so chummy lately. She probably knew more of his secrets these days than I did.
The rest of the afternoon was spent prepping for the country fair. Daddy agreed to rest for a spell while Dean drove into town with Cassie and me as we picked up supplies. We also stopped by my aunt’s furniture shop to visit and browse. She begged me for more pieces and I promised to work on additional chairs that summer.
Dean and I were only able to sneak in alone time here or there, with lingering kisses in the hallway or at the sugar cane field. He completed his garden project using chicken manure that Braden had assisted in supplying him and entrusted me to help the field come to fruition in the coming months. We avoided the subject of planning a return visit, both afraid to make any promises that we couldn’t keep. But at least our link was Cassie and I could ask about him from time to time.
Early the following morning, our cars loaded, we headed to the fair. Shady Pines Preserve ran a booth offering a sneak peak into our business. We handed out fliers, discount coupons, and had a drawing at the end of the day that included a free pass to the shooting range. We offered some hunting supplies and Grammy’s baked goods always sold like hotcakes.
Bullseye wore his distinct red harness today to alert the public that he was a specially trained medical dog. But most people in this town recognized him, calling Bullseye by name but steering clear of petting him since he was officially working.
“Maybe this time next year we’ll be selling Montgomery’s Sweet maple syrup,” Billie said, patting Bullseye as he beamed at Dean.
“Wouldn’t that be something?” Grammy said. “My granddaddy would be proud.”
Dean blushed but I could tell he felt grateful for the shout out as well as a bit pleased.
After Billie met up with Leo, he begged daddy to take off for a couple of hours to play some carnival games. Dean looked at me knowingly as Daddy handed him a wad of singles. Normally the booth was left to Grammy and I anyway, since this was the business end for me.
Braden got bored with it all too easily, and he and daddy moved along to socialize with the townsfolk. When Jennifer came calling for my brother, I pointed in the direction of the sheep shearing pen, which daddy seemed to have his eye on earlier. We’d discussed keeping some ewes on our property in the past as a possible source of extra income, so maybe seeing them had sparked his interest again.
Cassie took Dean around to the other stands, attempting to avoid Jerry, who was working the Lorrigan’s booth in the next aisle over. Dean tasted boiled peanuts, a funnel cake, which he declared delicious, and turned his nose at the Hot Beef Sundae, a country fair favorite from the Cattle Association. They apparently ended up at the pig races and he got to see firsthand how our small town operated. It might send him screaming back to the city early for all I knew.
Dean hung around our booth for a while that afternoon, asking Grammy if she got her figs from the tree he’d noticed in the orchard and then moseyed across the way to the university booth that distributed pamphlets about classes.
The next time I looked up he was speaking animatedly to my old professor in the agricultural department. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was asking about sugar cane yields and herbicides. Right in that instant, I could actually picture Dean living here, in this setting. I knew that was just my mind playing tricks on me. Wishful thinking. So I forced the thought aside.
Cassie had wandered off to Dermot’s fruit stand. She attempted to appear unassuming since she was supposed to be here with Dean and my stomach tightened around the idea that we were all pretending in one way or another.
She’d be free to pursue whomever she pleased as soon as Dean left. That thought sat like a lead ballon in my gut. She could’ve told Daddy the truth, at least for Dermot’s sake, but what did it matter if Dean would be gone this time tomorrow?
As dusk fell, we wrapped up our booth, and found spots on the hillside to watch the fireworks display that always concluded this day. Dean sat beside Cassie and I was on his other side, our shoulders brushing every now and again, sending chills up my spine.
Braden had met up with Jennifer, and Grammy and Daddy sat in front of us, making small talk with Dermot and his family. Daddy looked more relaxed and animated than yesterday and I knew that all he needed was a breather from the pressure of it all. Eventually Dermot moved to sit beside Cassie, fuck what the town might think.
Billie and Leo were sitting behind us whispering and snickering and I could feel Bullseye’s soft fur on my leg. That’s when I spotted Jason with his new boyfriend, Brian, across the way. Something seared hot in my chest
. It wasn’t envy, more like a profound sadness that I’d never have what Jason did. I’d never be that open.
Once the fireworks began, everyone’s attention was diverted to the sky, and I could observe Jason more openly. He sat proudly next to his new guy, who was good looking with his strong jaw and shaggy brown hair. They weren’t holding hands, so nothing was obvious on the surface, but their knees were touching and they were smiling and laughing. I could tell they were a couple, could anybody else?
“This is amazing,” Dean said in a low voice next to me.
I smiled, tearing my eyes away from Jason. “They put on a great display.”
“You seem distracted,” Dean said, his thigh grazing mine and I shivered. “Someone you know?”
“It’s Jason and his new boyfriend,” I said low enough for only his ears.
A flicker of something unreadable crossed over his features. “Jealous?”
“No, not in the way you’d think,” I said. “More so it’s…envy over what he has.”
“You can have that too, you know,” Dean said. “If you really wanted to. Even if only those closest to you knew the real deal.”
I met his gaze as the vivid lights from the pyrotechnics made his eyes appear opalescent. Almost like ice. His emotions were trapped just below the surface—melancholy and hope, caution and affection. I wanted to grab firm hold of him and slam my mouth over his lips. Or at the very least, entangle our fingers together.
“I mean,” he continued, his eyes revealing more of his vulnerability. “If you found the right guy to be with.”
The low murmur of the crowd lulled me into a false sense of security. “I think I might have found him. Though I’d like more time to assess that theory.”
When my pinkie finger swiped against his on the grass, he inhaled deeply, as if I had stroked his face. His eyelids fluttered as his chest heaved from his substantial breaths.
“If only he didn’t live in a different state,” I mumbled.
Something like a low moan released from his throat. It sounded carnal and needy and I wished I could lay him down in the grass and mash my lips against his, taste his tongue, feel its weight in my mouth.
We sat with our fingers touching for a few stolen moments. It felt like a tender caress as my skin buzzed with an awareness of him being so close yet entirely too far away.
“You’d get sick of me soon enough anyway,” he said. “My eating habits. My liberal views on hunting and guns. Though you’ve definitely opened my eyes to several things.”
“Don’t assume I’m some conservative NRA card holder. I would support more regulations. Too much gun violence in this country,” I said, reining in my exasperation. I hated that he would dismiss the idea of an us so easily. “We have yet to discuss the real hot buttons issues of politics and religion.”
“True,” he said. “I’m sure we’d get into a fight or two. Or ten. But making up sure would be fun.”
The pounding and popping of the grand finale drowned out any further conversation and we looked up at the sky in awe until it was all over and the crowd was on their feet heading toward the exit.
Jason made his way over to us with his boyfriend as we gathered up our blankets. Introductions were made and Jason looked at me perceptively, figuring Dean was the guy I had talked about on the phone.
“Hey, we’re heading up to the Stampede,” Jason said. It was a dive bar that was a ways out of town, off the main freeway. A place few people would recognize us. “Want to meet up?”
Dean looked over at Cassie, who stood next to Dermot. “You guys go ahead. I, uh…”
She motioned behind her trying to come up with some crazy excuse to have Dermot drive her home, no doubt. Suddenly Grammy butted into the conversation. “You young’uns go on ahead. I’ll let your daddy know you’re off doing something fun. We’ll take Billie home.”
She smiled at Cassie and me and then caught up with my dad.
When we got to the parking lot, Cassie blushed and mumbled in my ear, “We might meet you at the bar. If not, see you at home.”
Dean and I followed Jason and Brian to The Stampede and sat in a shabby vinyl booth in the back of the bar to have some beers. It felt so damn good to be there with Dean and to talk openly with people who understood me.
I’d admit it was awkward having my old lover meet my current one.
But truth be told, nothing held a candle to Dean. Nothing.
“So you’re out and proud where you live?” Jason asked Dean, sipping at his beer.
“Yeah,” Dean said. “It’s more accepted. Few people bat an eyelash. How about you guys?”
“It’s not so bad around the larger cities like Gainesville and Jacksonville,” he said and I could feel Dean’s gaze searing into the side of my face. But my family’s business wasn’t in the big city. It was in the rural town of Roscoe more than an hour away from any city.
Dean spoke more about his work in the lab and Jason talked about his job and future travel plans. With every passing minute, I was itching to get the hell out of there so I could spend my last moments with Dean alone, even if it was in a car ride back to the preserve.
“Well, it was great meeting you, Dean,” Jason said, as we headed toward the exit. “Hope to see you again sometime.”
27
Dean
As we got in the truck, the mood was solemn. Like there was a finality to this, our last night together. My time here was coming to a close.
“Do you want to…” Callum’s voice was hoarse, as if he couldn’t get enough air.
“What?” I rasped, my voice cracking as well.
Callum swallowed and his eyes looked weary and sad. “Will you go someplace with me? Someplace private? I just need—”
“Yes,” I said, my answer instantaneous. “I need it, too.”
My fingers reached out to rest on his knee because I couldn’t help touching him. His lids lowered and he inhaled through his nose as his hand covered mine.
He drove for a while on the main roads before finally making a few left turns and pulling down a remote looking dirt road. It became darker the further we progressed and eventually he swerved off the embankment past some tall cypress trees and slowed near a small pond.
Once he dimmed the headlights, the solo source of illumination came from the blanket of twinkling stars surrounding a full moon. Small splashes and the croak of bullfrogs added a quaint backdrop to the serenity of the night.
It was pretty—magical, really. And there didn’t seem to be a soul around for miles. It was as if we had discovered our own private nook.
“I haven’t been back here since high school,” Callum said. As soon as he cut the engine, I didn’t know who moved first.
Our mouths and bodies met. Hands burrowing in hair, lips sucking on necks and ears and jaws. Our tongues were sliding and battling and I couldn’t taste him fast enough or anywhere near my fill.
Callum broke away panting hard.
“Wait,” he said, shifting his leg over the seat. He leaned over to search through his glove box for something, coming up empty handed, while I gave him a peck on the ear. “It’s too tight of a fit in here. Let’s get out of the truck.”
“Outside?” I said, staring through the windshield at the dark night. “Are there any gators out there?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll defend you,” he said, grinning.
He reached for a couple of blankets from his back seat and yanked on my hand to exit the truck.
“Not funny,” I mumbled, searching the ground below me as I got my footing.
He pulled down the tailgate at the rear of the truck and tossed the blankets on the flatbed.
As soon as he smoothed out the soft corners and sat down in the middle of the spread, he reached for me. “Come here.”
I placed my knee on the end of the bumper to haul myself up and then straddled his legs.
His hands curled beneath the back of my shirt and met skin as he tugged me flush against him. Our lips and g
roins slid together and I moaned, loving the idea of finally feeling him without the worry of anybody walking in on us.
We kissed in that position for slow lingering minutes, our lips resting together while our tongues explored in a gentle and languid pace. Finally he lifted my thighs and nudged me aside.
He yanked off his shirt and shoved his jeans down while I did the same. He towed me over to kneel between his legs as my hard cock tented the material of my underwear. His palms slid beneath the back of my briefs to squeeze my bare ass.
When his mouth teased my length through the front panel, I cried out.
“Fuck, Callum,” I panted, my fingernails biting into his shoulders. “Feels so good.”
He made a noise in the back of his throat before yanking down my briefs and sucking the head of my cock into the hot furnace of his mouth. I whimpered as his tongue licked around the crown and then into the slit to collect the pre-come gathered there.
Callum hummed as his mouth engulfed my entire length. My eyes practically rolled into the back of my head as my hands dug into his scalp.
His fingers found my crease and he teased my crack, swirling around the hole, which contracted at his touch. “You like that?”
“Mmmmm,” I murmured, already so close to losing my load. “Do you have any lube?”
“I don’t have anything with me,” he said and now I understood why he was rummaging around his car before we got out. “Was hoping you did.”
My eyes darted to his as disappointment made my shoulders slump. “I don’t. I never expected on this trip to—”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said cutting me off. “I just want my mouth all over you. I hate the taste of lube anyway.”
My knees began trembling at his words. He kissed my belly and then took a deep sniff of the patch of hair at my groin.
“I want to eat your ass and make you open up for my fingers.” His tongue licked along my length as his hands gripped my cheeks. “Would you like that?”
The Deepest Blue (Roadmap to Your Heart #2) Page 14