Pisces: From Behind That Locked Door by Pepper Espinoza Page A

Jay ever wanted. But it was easy to see why Stephen liked cooking so much. He clearly didn't just do this because he liked the process or the end result. He respected food, was impressed with it, admired it in a way Jay had never conceived of.
    "There, that should be done in about forty-five minutes," Stephen announced as he closed the oven door. "What should we do while we wait?"
    "I can think of a few things."
    "We can't lose track of time," Stephen warned. "If we burn this, I'll be heartbroken."
    "Why heartbroken? If we burn it, we can just get some pizza."
    "I don't want to try to impress you with my amazing pizza ordering skills."
    "What if I ordered the pizza? Would it impress you? Also... impress me?"
    "Yes."
    "You want to impress me?" Jay asked.
    "Yes. Why wouldn't I want to impress you?"
    "Because... well, I'm already impressed."
    Stephen wrapped his arm around Jay's waist and pulled him closer. Jay was just a few inches taller than Stephen, and he had to tilt his head back to reach Jay's mouth. Stephen tasted fresh and warm, the barest hint of garlic on his lips and hovering above his skin. Jay closed his eyes, nudging his tongue past Stephen's lips. Jay had kissed Stephen until his mouth was sore the night before, but this kiss was new and heady as their first. Stephen's arm tightened around him. Jay couldn't help but seek out the heat of his skin, his fingers gathering the hem of Stephen's shirt and gliding across the newly exposed skin on his lower back. The food could burn. All the food could burn. Jay didn't care, as long as he had Stephen wrapped securely in his arms and moaning in encouragement while Jay plundered his mouth.
    "Let's sit down," Stephen suggested.
    Jay nodded and practically dragged Stephen across the room to the couch. They fell on it together, feet tangling and fingers searching for purchase. Jay lay back, pulling Stephen over him. He liked the way Stephen felt when his weight was settled on him and his mouth was heavy and hot and demanding. His cock was already pressing to his fly, insistent and aching, but Jay ignored it. He definitely wanted to feel Stephen's hand down his pants, but that could wait. In the meantime, Jay was more interested in exploring Stephen's mouth, reminding himself of all the curves and textures even though he never had the chance to forget them. Stephen cupped Jay's face between his palms, his fingertips caressing him in tiny circles while his tongue plunged in and out of Jay's mouth. Stephen was a good and thorough kisser. Jay had learned that fact at Brewvies, and he was more than happy to have confirmation of it now. Jay had never kissed anybody before Saturday, but he felt like he couldn't ask for a better teacher.
    Forty-five minutes passed in a blink of an eye. Jay felt like they just really got started when the alarm on Stephen's watch went off in a series of high-pitched beeps.
    Stephen lifted his head, his eyes wide with excitement. "Stay right here, I'll go check on that."
    Jay nodded, his gaze never leaving Stephen as he hurried back to the kitchen. Jay hadn't really noticed the aroma before, but his small apartment was positively redolent with the scent of garlic and lamb. The lamb in particular made his mouth water. As far as Jay knew, nothing so delicious had ever been prepared in his apartment. It almost felt like a day that should be marked in the calendar and commemorated every year thereafter. Or maybe Jay just wanted to have an excuse to celebrate Stephen like he deserved.
    "It needs to sit for five or ten minutes. I'm going to make the salad."
    Jay grimaced a little at that, but fortunately Stephen didn't see him. He wasn't a big fan of vegetables, in salad form or otherwise. It was probably because he'd never developed a taste for them as a kid. His grandmother only made peas from the can, and they were always brown and mushy. Just the thought of biting into a spoonful of that atrocity made Jay's stomach churn. His mother had been a bit better,