Some stupid voice in his head was telling him that Cora didn’t really need Adam’s words; she could have observed Rye’s behavior herself. He had no defense. And anyway, what was wrong with just wanting to get laid? Maybe he and Cora would have had a nice time tonight. Maybe they would have enjoyed it and then gone their separate ways, satisfied and smiling. Maybe no one would have gotten hurt.
He tried not to think about how she was different. How she seemed special. How no one had gotten under his skin like she had. He didn’t want a girlfriend. Didn’t need one. Which meant he probably had no business going after Cora because she deserved a boyfriend. Not just some sleaze who wanted to fuck and forget.
By the time he got home, he’d talked himself down from fire-ant mad to just generally pissed off. But he knew it was for the best. Hopefully, the damage wasn’t too bad, and he and Cora could just pretend like this hadn’t happened and go back to only having a professional relationship.
CHAPTER FIVE
W HILE C ORA AND Rye were having their ups and downs, Cash found himself at Adam’s apartment, more nervous than he should have been. It was because he’d waited so long. If he’d just fucked the guy the night they’d met, there wouldn’t have been any pressure.
Adam’s apartment wasn’t as fancy as Cash had expected being that the guy was a lawyer. Then again, he was a lawyer in a small town, so maybe there wasn’t that much money involved.
After taking the tour, Cash sat on the sofa while Adam got the coffee pot percolating. Cash picked up the remote and turned on the television, flipping channels until he found a baseball game. “Cards are playing,” he said, loud enough that Adam could hear him in the kitchen.
“Cards?”
“Yeah. You a fan?”
Cash was a die-hard Cardinals fan, no matter how frequently they sucked. Adam joined him, handing him a mug of coffee as he sank into the sofa next to him. “I don’t watch much in the line of sports,” Adam said.
“Great. You can be the wife in this relationship, then.”
“Ha ha. You know, there’s nothing worse than a gay man still clinging to outdated ideas of gender norms.”
“There’s nothing worse than people who say ‘there’s nothing worse’ when there’s clearly plenty worse in the world.”
Adam shook his head. “Touché, smart-ass.”
Cash sat his coffee mug on the table and then took Adam’s and did the same. He turned to his new friend and soon-to-be lover, caressing his stubbled jaw with the backs of his knuckles. “I’ve enjoyed what we have,” he said.
Adam swallowed, his expression sobering. “I have too, Cash. I want more.”
Cash studied him for a long moment and nodded. He leaned in, pressing his lips to Adam’s and sinking into the sweet relief of it. For a brief moment, all of the aching tension he’d been feeling over the past month vanished. It was like the pause in a pendulum, when all of its energy is only potential until it starts falling again, back to the other side.
And then the kiss transformed, as did the tension. Tension converted to passion and passion would not be put off. The men crushed their lips together, their tongues seeking entrance into each other’s mouths, their bodies seeking the pleasure of mutual friction. Cash was trembling from head to toe. With passion came fear and the two compulsions warred with each other. His body cried out for more of Adam’s, but his mind was screaming for him to slow down.
As a result, his kiss was frantic. He fisted his hands in Adam’s hair and pulled hard.
Adam pushed back, pulling his lips free. “Hey, hey, take it easy,” he said.
Cash buried his lips in Adam’s neck and grabbed his erection through his jeans.
“Cash, slow it down,” Adam gasped.
Cash was fumbling with Adam’s jeans. He had to do this now before the fear overtook him. “Now,” he murmured between sucking at Adam’s neck and earlobe.
“Jesus, Cash,
He tried not to think about how she was different. How she seemed special. How no one had gotten under his skin like she had. He didn’t want a girlfriend. Didn’t need one. Which meant he probably had no business going after Cora because she deserved a boyfriend. Not just some sleaze who wanted to fuck and forget.
By the time he got home, he’d talked himself down from fire-ant mad to just generally pissed off. But he knew it was for the best. Hopefully, the damage wasn’t too bad, and he and Cora could just pretend like this hadn’t happened and go back to only having a professional relationship.
CHAPTER FIVE
W HILE C ORA AND Rye were having their ups and downs, Cash found himself at Adam’s apartment, more nervous than he should have been. It was because he’d waited so long. If he’d just fucked the guy the night they’d met, there wouldn’t have been any pressure.
Adam’s apartment wasn’t as fancy as Cash had expected being that the guy was a lawyer. Then again, he was a lawyer in a small town, so maybe there wasn’t that much money involved.
After taking the tour, Cash sat on the sofa while Adam got the coffee pot percolating. Cash picked up the remote and turned on the television, flipping channels until he found a baseball game. “Cards are playing,” he said, loud enough that Adam could hear him in the kitchen.
“Cards?”
“Yeah. You a fan?”
Cash was a die-hard Cardinals fan, no matter how frequently they sucked. Adam joined him, handing him a mug of coffee as he sank into the sofa next to him. “I don’t watch much in the line of sports,” Adam said.
“Great. You can be the wife in this relationship, then.”
“Ha ha. You know, there’s nothing worse than a gay man still clinging to outdated ideas of gender norms.”
“There’s nothing worse than people who say ‘there’s nothing worse’ when there’s clearly plenty worse in the world.”
Adam shook his head. “Touché, smart-ass.”
Cash sat his coffee mug on the table and then took Adam’s and did the same. He turned to his new friend and soon-to-be lover, caressing his stubbled jaw with the backs of his knuckles. “I’ve enjoyed what we have,” he said.
Adam swallowed, his expression sobering. “I have too, Cash. I want more.”
Cash studied him for a long moment and nodded. He leaned in, pressing his lips to Adam’s and sinking into the sweet relief of it. For a brief moment, all of the aching tension he’d been feeling over the past month vanished. It was like the pause in a pendulum, when all of its energy is only potential until it starts falling again, back to the other side.
And then the kiss transformed, as did the tension. Tension converted to passion and passion would not be put off. The men crushed their lips together, their tongues seeking entrance into each other’s mouths, their bodies seeking the pleasure of mutual friction. Cash was trembling from head to toe. With passion came fear and the two compulsions warred with each other. His body cried out for more of Adam’s, but his mind was screaming for him to slow down.
As a result, his kiss was frantic. He fisted his hands in Adam’s hair and pulled hard.
Adam pushed back, pulling his lips free. “Hey, hey, take it easy,” he said.
Cash buried his lips in Adam’s neck and grabbed his erection through his jeans.
“Cash, slow it down,” Adam gasped.
Cash was fumbling with Adam’s jeans. He had to do this now before the fear overtook him. “Now,” he murmured between sucking at Adam’s neck and earlobe.
“Jesus, Cash,
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