Always Another Side

by Annabelle Jacobs

  Once in the kitchen, Tyler pointed to a couple of stools set at the breakfast bar, and Jack sat as instructed. The kitchen was modern in design—smooth dark work surfaces and pale cabinets that reached to the ceiling.

  Tyler opened a drawer near the sink, fished out a corkscrew, and set it in front of Jack along with two glasses. “I’ll be back in a sec. Make yourself at home.” He smiled and then hurried out of the kitchen, his heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs moments later.

  Jack swivelled on his stool as he started to undo the wine. Tyler had a fancy-looking stainless steel five-burner hob and matching oven, but Jack was more interested in the smells coming from them. Mexican, if he wasn’t mistaken. He loved spicy food—the spicier the better. Simon had never been a big fan of hot food, so Jack had always cooked mild versions of the dishes he liked. He realised with a start that he’d still been doing that and made a mental note to add a whole array of spices to his next shopping list.

  Tyler entered the kitchen as Jack was pouring the wine, and he rubbed his hands together. “Great timing.”

  Jack passed him a glass and raised an eyebrow when he saw what Tyler was wearing. “You’ve changed.”

  “Yeah.”

  The black T-shirt had gone and in its place was a fitted dark purple shirt. Tyler had the sort of frame that meant most clothes looked made for him. He wore black jeans the same as Jack, but Tyler’s were skinny. Very skinny. In fact, Jack could clearly see the outline of Tyler’s cock where it sat snugly tucked against the top of his thigh. All of a sudden, the room felt ten degrees hotter.

  Jack realised he’d been staring for too long when Tyler glanced down at himself and said, “Is my zip undone or something?”

  “Nope.” Jack took a big drink of his wine and concentrated on savouring the flavours. Anything to get his mind off Tyler’s tight jeans. It was like being on a diet for ages, and then someone handed you a big bar of chocolate and said it was okay to eat it. Half of him wanted to tear off the wrapping and scarf it down, but the other half was so used to going without that he wasn’t sure what to do with it. He wanted it, though. That wasn’t the problem. “You look great.” He managed not to sound as keyed up as he felt.

  Tyler sat on the stool next to him, swivelling until he faced Jack instead of the counter. “You do too.” He cast an appreciative eye over Jack, and the warmth in Jack’s belly flared. “I meant to say so when you walked in, but I forgot.” His gazed lingered on Jack’s abdominal area, and Jack couldn’t stop himself from tensing his stomach muscles a little. Not that Tyler could see them through his jumper, but the desire to impress was hard to ignore. To Jack’s surprise, Tyler reached out and laid his hand against the flat plane of his stomach. “Wow. It really is as hard as it looks.”

  Jack laughed, a little startled at the warmth and firmness of Tyler’s hand.

  Tyler shrugged unapologetically. “Don’t think I didn’t see you tensing those muscles for all you were worth.” He pressed down for a second before patting Jack’s belly and removing his hand. “Show-off.”

  Jack figured he could be embarrassed about it or accept it for what it was. He copied Tyler’s shrug and took another drink of his wine, letting the subject drop. Flirting was fun, but he wasn’t ready to take it further. Yet. “So, what are you cooking for me tonight?”

  “Mexican. God, I hope you like spicy food. I meant to text and ask but—”

  “I love spicy food.” Jack cheered inside and his mouth watered in anticipation.

  “Phew.”

  Chapter Six

  Tyler was nervous. He’d been nervous on and off all day, which was ridiculous. He was a grown man, for fuck’s sake, and he was cooking dinner for another grown man. They’d already laid their cards on the table—Tyler was looking for something long-term, and Jack wasn’t sure if he wanted that yet. The thing they both agreed on was that casual sex wasn’t an option.

  Sitting across from Jack wearing those arse-hugging black jeans, Tyler thought he’d made a serious error in judgement. Jack was hot and Tyler was horny. Watching Jack walk over to the sink as he took their plates away, Tyler’s gaze drank in the way his broad shoulders tapered down to a trim waist. And that arse… God, Tyler wanted his hands on it. Jack was crazy if he thought of himself as old and past it.

  Tyler had no idea what had happened between Jack and his ex-boyfriend, but from where Tyler was sitting, the man had been a fool to let Jack go. Admittedly, Tyler’s previous relationships would suggest he wasn’t the best judge of character, but Jack already had his friends’ seal of approval, and they were.

  His friends had never met James. In all the time Tyler had been seeing him, James had not once wanted to meet them. They’d probably have sussed out what a wanker he was in minutes.

  But that was ancient history. Tyler had a funny, hot guy sitting opposite, and he needed to focus on him. Jack made Tyler laugh a lot, which was no mean feat. Tyler had a dry sense of humour some people didn’t get, but he and Jack appreciated the same things. He seemed honest and trustworthy too, and Tyler had a hard time finding any fault with him. Jack obviously had some—no one was perfect—but whatever they were, Tyler doubted he’d care. Jack Bowman was a keeper, and Tyler would do everything to make sure he didn’t slip through his fingers. Even if that meant keeping his hands to himself for now.

  Jack sat back down at the table next to him and smiled. “That was great, thanks.” He leaned back and patted his belly. “God, my jeans feel tight now.”

  Tyler couldn’t help it, his gaze dropped to where Jack’s hand splayed out, and stopped where Jack’s little finger sat a couple of inches above his cock, which Tyler could easily make out with the way Jack had slumped back and stretched out his legs. “Yeah,” Tyler said without thinking what he was saying, “they look it.”

  He licked his lips, thinking how long it had been since he’d touched someone else’s dick. Too long, obviously.

  Jack cleared his throat, startling Tyler into looking up. Heavy-lidded blue eyes met his. Tyler would have blamed the wine, but Jack had stuck to the one glass. Without breaking eye contact, Jack reached down to adjust himself. One quick glance had Tyler sucking in a breath because there was no mistaking the bulge now clearly visible under the denim. Jack’s hardening cock lay pinned against his groin—thick and tempting. If that was Jack’s idea of taking it slow, then Tyler was definitely on board.

  Who cared if they had sex first without deciding if they wanted a relationship? Not Tyler. Nope. If he got too invested and had his heart stomped on again, then so be it.

  Fuck it! Who was he kidding? Of course he cared, but that ship had apparently sailed anyway. Despite his best intentions, Tyler was already invested. He always jumped in too soon, and after twenty years of being that way, he was hardly going to change now. Thinking he could hold back this time had been stupid. If it didn’t work out with Jack, then he’d deal and move on. He had a lot of practice, after all.

  Jack’s next words stopped him in his tracks. “I should go.”

  Tyler sat upright and almost reached out to grab him even though Jack hadn’t actually moved yet. “What? Why?” He winced as his jeans pinched his dick—as hard as Jack’s looked—and shifted in his seat to relieve the pressure. “It’s still early, and—” He gestured helplessly at Jack’s groin, not knowing how to finish that sentence.

  Jack’s smile was wry as he stood. “If I stay any longer, I won’t be able to keep my hands to myself.”

  Tyler swallowed hard. “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe?” He blew out a harsh breath and closed his eyes for a second. “I didn’t expect to feel… to want someone else so soon.”

  “It’s been eight months.” Tyler remembered because it was the same for him. And eight months was a fucking long time in his opinion.

  “That’s not what I meant.” A pained expression clouded Jack’s features and Tyler’s hard-on flagged.

  The promise of minutes earlier was fading fast, bu
t Tyler wasn’t ready to let it go. It felt like one of those moments where, if you didn’t grab it by the balls, you’d never get the chance again. That was definitely the wine talking, but Tyler stood anyway and walked around the table.

  He took Jack’s hand in his and linked their fingers. “I like you, and I want to kiss you right now. Can I?”

  He took a step closer, excitement coursing through him when Jack tugged on his hand and pulled him closer still. Tyler held his breath, his heart pounding with nervous anticipation as he waited to see what Jack would do. The next move had to be Jack’s—Tyler had pushed as far as he was willing to go. Jack had to make the final decision for himself.

  “Yeah.” Jack’s voice was so low, Tyler thought he’d imagined it for a second, but then Jack cupped his face, tilted his head, and they were kissing.

  The wet heat of Jack’s mouth drew a moan out of him, and Tyler slipped his arms around Jack’s waist, backing him up until they banged into the counter. Jack grunted but didn’t break the kiss. The barest hint of stubble rubbed against Tyler’s skin, and he revelled in the feel of it. He breathed in the subtle hint of aftershave, the heady scent making him want to bury his nose in the crook of Jack’s neck. Fuck, Tyler hadn’t realised how much he’d missed this—the warmth and hardness pressed against him, holding him in place.

  He rolled his hips, wanting to feel the evidence that said Jack was into this as much as Tyler was. Jack moaned, pushing forward to meet Tyler’s thrust, and the firm line of his cock nudged Tyler’s belly. Two layers of denim, no matter how tight, was far too much clothing. Ideally, Tyler would love to take this up to his bedroom, but with the way they were rutting against each other, he was loath to move. The kitchen would have to do.

  Breaking the kiss, he moved back enough to get his hands between them. They were roughly the same height, with the same broad shoulders, but Jack had about twenty pounds on him—all muscle, by the feel of it. After glancing down to see what he was doing, he tugged at Jack’s belt but didn’t pull it loose. He met Jack’s gaze. “This okay?”

  “Yes.” Jack had his hands on the side of Tyler’s neck, sweeping his thumbs back and forth in a slow, seductive pattern.

  Tyler shivered; that spot was particularly sensitive and he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Jack kissed him again, rougher this time and more demanding, reminding Tyler of what he’d been about to do. With deft hands, Tyler undid the belt buckle and pulled open the front of Jack’s jeans. Sliding his hands inside, he managed to shove both the denim and the soft cotton boxer briefs down enough to get at Jack’s cock.

  “Fuck.” Jack stilled his movement, gripping Tyler’s shoulders as Tyler wrapped his fingers around him.

  With his free hand, Tyler pushed Jack’s jumper out of the way, revealing a dusting of dark hair over his belly. It tapered into a thick line towards his groin, and Tyler rubbed over the coarse hair, sweeping back and forth and loving the way it prickled the pads of his fingers. He wanted to take his time and feel everything, but Jack was rock-hard and leaking, his dick a heavy weight in Tyler’s hand. It probably wouldn’t take much to make him come.

  Tyler’s dick ached with the need to be out of his stupidly tight jeans. He never would have worn them if he’d thought this might happen. Before he could do anything about it, Jack had a hand on his chest, pushing him away. “What’s wrong?”

  Jack let Tyler take one step back. “Nothing. It’s just—” He trailed his hand down Tyler’s chest and palmed him through the front of his jeans, and Tyler gasped. “—I want to get you out of those jeans, and doing it standing up in the kitchen won’t work.”

  Tyler grinned, relief rushing through him. He grabbed Jack’s hand and dragged him through to the living room. Jack pulled off his jumper and laid it over the back of the sofa as Tyler struggled to get out of his jeans. He was ready to burn the bloody things by the time he got them off. His underwear had gone with them, and he had a second to debate taking his T-shirt off too, but then Jack’s hands were on his arse as he pulled him into a kiss, and Tyler stopped worrying.

  Jack’s chest was bare, but he’d kept his jeans on, and the cold buckle of his belt pressed into Tyler’s thigh. The sofa was right behind them, big and welcoming. Tyler nudged Jack back until he got the hint and sat, taking Tyler with him. Shoving Jack’s jeans down to mid-thigh, Tyler then settled himself in his lap, warm skin against warm skin.

  He leaned in for a kiss, moaning into Jack’s mouth when he felt a hand on his cock. Jack stroked them both, slow at first with only pre-come to ease the way, but Tyler didn’t care. He gripped the back of Jack’s head, struggling to find purchase in the short hair as his body wound tighter and tighter. As Tyler’s breathing sped up, so did Jack’s hand, and the fast and rough action had him on edge.

  “I’m gonna come,” he whispered as Jack trailed kisses down his throat.

  Jack smiled against his skin. “Me too.” He bit down hard enough for Tyler to feel the sting, and that was it.

  Tyler screwed his eyes shut and his head fell back as he rode the high of his orgasm. Jack’s hand tightened around them. Tyler glanced down in time to see himself coming over Jack’s fingers, and then watched Jack do the same. Jack’s jeans were safely out of the firing line, but Tyler’s shirt hadn’t fared so well. Next time he’d make sure they were naked.

  He slid off Jack’s lap and collapsed in a sated heap next to him. Their heavy breaths were loud in the quiet of the living room, and Tyler grinned to himself. Yeah, definitely getting naked next time and maybe they’d do it in a bed. Even through his post-sex haze, that brought him up short. Would there be a next time? God, he hoped so.

  Neither of us do casual, right?

  Tyler’s mind flashed back to their conversation in the pub. He’d definitely told Jack he couldn’t do it, but had Jack agreed? No, not exactly. He’d said he might not be ready for a relationship, that they could end up just being friends. Friends with benefits?

  Shit.

  He glanced sideways at Jack, wondering if he should say something. Asking about his intentions after the fact seemed like shutting the gate after the horse had bolted, but experience had taught him never to assume anything.

  Jack had his eyes closed and his head resting against the back of the sofa. A soft smile curved his lips and he had a look of contentment that Tyler was loath to interrupt. But he needed to know. The more he thought about it, the more urgent it became to ask Jack what they were doing.

  They were adults. They could have an adult conversation about sex.

  Taking Jack’s hand in his, he gave it a gentle squeeze. “Hey.”

  Jack turned his head and opened his eyes, and just like that, the contented look vanished. He stared at Tyler intently, eyes narrowed, as though Tyler wasn’t the person Jack expected to see sitting next to him.

  Tyler’s stomach clenched painfully, a horrible swooping sensation that left him cold inside. He suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable sitting there in only his T-shirt. It took a great deal of effort not to tug it down to cover himself.

  “Everything okay?” He forced the words out and tried to sound natural, but it missed by a mile. Was he overreacting? The possibility was high, he was aware of his tendency to read things that weren’t there into a situation.

  Jack smiled at him and nodded, squeezing the hand Tyler had forgotten he was still holding. “Yeah.” He stroked his thumb back and forth over Tyler’s knuckles, but then his smile faltered. “Are you?”

  Jesus Christ, Tyler. Way to ruin the moment.

  He wanted to kick himself.

  When exactly did I become so bloody insecure?

  “Yeah, I’m good. That was….” He wanted to say awesome, amazing, or something along those lines, but what came out was “What was that, exactly?”

  Jack raised an eyebrow. “I know it’s been a while, but last time I checked, that was called mutual hand jobs.”

  Jack was trying to keep the conversation light, and Tyler was half tempted to let hi
m, but for his own piece of mind, he needed to know what it meant. If it meant anything other than relieving a bit of tension.

  Tyler sighed in frustration. “That’s not—”

  “I know. I’m sorry. But do we have to do this now?” Jack waved at his jeans, still open, his stomach smeared with jizz. “Can we at least clean up first? I don’t want to have this conversation with my cock hanging out.”

  His teasing tone had gone, replaced with one of resignation, and Tyler felt sick. He’d ruined a great evening with his need to examine every action for hidden meanings.

  He sat forward to rest his elbows on his knees, covering himself. “God, I’m sorry.”

  With his head in his hands, he risked a peek through his fingers at Jack, half expecting him to be collecting his things already. To his surprise, Jack sat staring back at him.

  “Look,” Jack shuffled next to him and put an arm around his shoulders, pulling Tyler tight against him. “You’re not the only one with baggage. And you’re not the only one who needs to clarify the things we do as we do them. But sometimes too much honesty does more harm than good.”

  Tyler flinched. That didn’t sound ominous at all.

  Jack rubbed at his face with his free hand, still keeping a hold of Tyler. “Christ, I’m as bad as you.”

  Tyler probably should have been offended, but he found himself grinning, and a huff of laughter escaped. “Yes, you are.”

  Jack gave him a playful squeeze, and the tension that had gripped Tyler so tightly slowly drained out of him. He slumped against Jack and sighed. “I had a great night, don’t get me wrong.”

  Jack snorted. “I have the evidence all over me.”

  Tyler elbowed him in the side. “I’m trying to be serious.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Like I was saying, I had a great night. It’s just, I told you I didn’t… couldn’t do casual, and you said you weren’t ready for a relationship. But then we had sex anyway.”