The Telling Read online

Michael had always admired his grandfather. For a fairly simple man, he had a gentle wisdom that couldn’t be denied. Still, though his thoughts about Jay were well stated, the obvious question remained unanswered. “What do you think about him being gay?”

  “I try not to, to be honest. I know what the Bible says, and I firmly believe every word in there. But then I see this nice young man that’d do anything for anybody, one of the best men I’ve ever known, and it confuses me. He ain’t bad. I’ve never seen him hurt nobody. Goodness knows what a blessing he’s been to me, your grandmamma, and your mama. He also keeps an eye out for Angie.” His grandfather shook his head slowly back and forth. “Beats me how I’m supposed to condemn somebody like that. So I pray about it some, but mostly I just try not to think about it. Works better that way.”

  Michael reminded him, “Gramps, I’m like Jay.

  The old man shook his head again. “Ain’t telling me nothing I ain’t figured out a long time back. I knew we’d probably have this conversation sooner or later. Been doing a lot of praying ‘bout that, too. Hoping I was wrong.”

  “You knew?” Michael had only fully believed it himself recently, how in the world could this old man, whom he used to feel was helplessly out of touch with the modern world, have known before he did? “How did you know?”

  “I saw the way you were when you was dating Bruce Dunwoody’s daughter. I remember how I looked at your grandmamma when I was young and you weren’t looking at that girl like that. It was more like you looked at a friend, not like you were s’pose to look at the love of your life. At first I thought that maybe she just wasn’t the one, but I pay attention and I seen things. I don’t have had the best book learning, but I know people, and I watch ‘em. Though I was hoping I was wrong, it appears I wasn’t.”

  Michael whispered, terrified of the answer even though the man was being rational so far, “Do you still love me, Gramps?”

  Bushy brows rose over his grandfather’s eyes. “Love you? Now why wouldn’t I love you?”

  “Well, now you know what I am, and you grew up believing it’s wrong—that I’m wrong—”

  His grandfather cut him off. “Son, the only thing that changed betwixt an hour ago and this minute is that now I know. No more speculating, I know for sure. One thing I’ve learned from watching people is that if you try to be something you’re not, it ain’t gonna do nothing but make you miserable and get you into trouble.”

  “So, you’re all right with it?”

  With a stern look the old man told him, “I don’t understand it and maybe I never will, but you’re my grandson and you’re a good man. I can’t tell you how it killed me inside when we thought we’d lost you. I can’t swear to you that I’ll stop hoping that it’s something you’ll grow out of, I can only promise to try my best to understand and to be there for you, like I always have.”

  Michael paused a moment, considering the words. On the silent TV the race resumed. Michael ignored it. “Will you have a problem with me and Jay being more than just friends?”

  Gramps sighed. “I guess if that’s the way the wind is gonna blow you could do a whole lot worse. Like I said, he’s a good man, even if the folks around here call him names. I just ask that you don’t flaunt it in front of me and your grandmamma. I’m afraid I’d have to draw the line there, boy.”

  “That’s fair enough and more than I’d even hoped for.”

  “I think it’s fair. Your sister ain’t allowed to be all public with her beaus when she’s here, either.”

  “That’s true. I love you, Grandpa. I appreciate how understanding you’re being.” Michael leaned in and gave the old man a heartfelt hug.

  “I love you, too, son.” As Michael drew back, Gramps said, “You know it ain’t gonna be easy. Folks in this town can be pretty mean when they want to. Don’t like anyone that ain’t like them. Don’t like them that are much, either. They could make trouble for you, you know that, right?”

  “Yessir, I know that. But I’m thinking it might be worth it.” He smiled then, letting his happiness show for the first time since the conversation began.

  “Does he make you happy?”

  “Yes, Grandpa.”

  “Then that’s all I can ask.” The old man turned away and loudly called, “Y’all can come in now and stop listening at the door.”

  The door swung open and three people stood there with sheepish grins on their faces, obviously guilty of the eavesdropping they’d been accused of. The fourth person had a bewildered expression on her weathered face. She slowly crossed the floor toward her husband, eyes darting back and forth between him and her grandson. “Aaron?”

  Gramps smiled and took a gnarled hand in his work-worn one. “I’ll fill ya in later, Eileen. I think right now we’re about ready for some pie, don’t you?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Pulling in front of The Bookstore, Jay glanced out of the car windows, ensuring no one could see, and finally kissed Michael like he’d wanted to all afternoon.

  “Can you stay?” Michael asked, expression hopeful.

  There were so many things he needed to do, but solidifying things with Michael was at the top of that list, so Jay mentally rearranged his schedule. “I have some studying to do,” he ventured, careful not to imply an outright, “no.”

  “I might not be able to help you, but the way I see it, you can study better in my quiet apartment than at the Zoo.”

  Michael did have a point. “Okay, how about we take these leftovers in then drive over and get my things. Or would you rather stay here and wait for me?”

  “If I go with you I’ll run into Angie, and we won’t get to leave until she’s drilled every bit of information out of us that she can.”

  “There is that,” Jay agreed. “Why don’t you go up and I’ll be back shortly. No offense, but I think I’m better at telling her it’s none of her business than you are.”

  “That’s true.” Michael gave Jay a wicked smile. “And remember what you said about taking things slowly?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s not.”

  Those two simple words slammed into Jay’s libido like a runaway train. He asked in shaky tones, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  Michael’s smile never wavered. “If you’re thinking I want to take things to the next level, then yes.”

  ***

  Leftovers forgotten, Jay physically hauled Michael out of the car, across the store, up the stairs, through the apartment, into the bedroom, and him flung onto the bed. A moment later Jay lay on top of him.

  Michael pushed Jay off long enough to remove his shoes and socks, then stood and shimmied out of his jeans. He peeled his T-shirt over his head and then returned to strip Jay in under a minute. He flopped back down onto the bed, gesturing for Jay to join him. Capturing the Texan’s rugged body in a near crushing embrace, he pulled his lover down, bare chest to bare chest, their lower bodies separated only by the thin material of their boxers.

  The last barrier between them fell as they struggled out off the thin cotton garments and lay completely naked in a tangle of arms and legs. Moans and panted gasps competed with the rustling of covers and the squeak of the old four-poster bed.

  “Stop!” Jay exclaimed, catching Michael by surprise. “We’re in no hurry, slow down.”

  Michael didn’t want to slow down, afraid of losing his nerve if he paused long enough to think.

  Jay’s mouth latched onto his neck and thinking was no longer an option. When Michael tried to reciprocate, Jay pushed him back down on the bed, telling him, “This is for you.”

  Warm lips worked his neck, revisiting the mark put there the night before, then traveled down to his nipples. God, how Michael loved Jay’s mouth on his skin.

  Kissing a trail down a somewhat ticklish abdomen, Jay finally settled between Michael’s legs and lapped gently at the head his cock. Just like he’d sworn to do, Jay took things slowly, driving Michael crazy with a little not-quite-intense-enough suck
ing.

  Out of his mind and longing for more, Michael pleaded, “I want you to fuck me, Jay.”

  Jay stilled and Michael wondered if he’s said something wrong until his lover crawled up the bed to deliver a sizzling kiss, grinding their cocks together.

  “Shit!” Jay suddenly exclaimed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We don’t have any condoms.”

  With a grin Michael crawled out from under Jay and said, “I’ll be right back.” He dashed to the bathroom to retrieve condoms and lube from the medicine cabinet. He hurried back to the bedroom and flopped back down on the bed, wrapping his arms around Jay and rolling them until he was back underneath his lover. “Now, where were we?”

  “Are you sure about this?” Jay asked. His voice was husky with passion, but his dark eyes filled with worry.

  In answer, Michael raised his groin, making his erection impossible to ignore. “Doesn’t it feel like I’m sure?”

  The heady answering moan was music to his ears. After all this waiting his fantasies were finally coming true with Jay.

  Jay reached down and retrieved the bottle that Michael had brought from the bathroom, flipping up the cap and pouring a generous amount into his hand. Michael flinched when a wet finger brushed against his opening, cautiously seeking entrance, then spread his legs further apart, encouraging the tentative exploration. He hissed through clenched teeth as the steady pressure of that finger breached his inner muscles and slid steadily into his body. Willing himself to relax, Michael fought the instinct to resist the intruder.

  “Bear down,” Jay instructed. “Push back against it, it’ll help.”

  Gently that finger twisted and turned and, while not truly painful, the sensation wasn’t entirely comfortable, either.

  “Just do it,” Michael whined, surprised and embarrassed by his own neediness.

  Jay chuckled. “So impatient. Losing your virginity isn’t something to take lightly. We’ll get there, but I’m not going to rush and hurt you.”

  Caught in the throes of passion, Michael threw caution to the winds, begging, “Please. You won’t hurt me.”

  Instead of giving in, Jay slid up Michael’s body and took possession of his mouth, tongue pushing in deep and demanding. “Don’t rush us,” he whispered against Michael’s lips as he withdrew, “we have plenty of time.”

  Momentarily distracted, Michael was surprised to discover that the discomfort was gone. Experimentally he pushed back on Jay’s fingers, gasping when they brushed something inside that felt amazing.

  When the fingers disappeared and Jay’s tongue took their place, Michael consciousness fuzzed around the edges. When he’d first heard of rimming he’d been repulsed. Put your tongue there? Never! Now he saw the error of his ways. If this was Jay’s idea of foreplay he might not survive the actual sex.

  Jay picked up one of the foil packets from the medicine cabinet and ripped it open. He ran a lightly oiled hand down his cock, and then rolled the condom onto its thick length.

  Eyes closed, head thrown back, Jay was beautiful, and Michael nearly came from the sight alone as one tanned hand lazily stroked what he hoped to soon have inside his body. “Lay on your side,” Jay murmured. Passion-glazed eyes raked over him, all reservations, all ‘are you sures?’ gone. Jay spooned against Michael’s back, forcing his knees to bend. “You’re gonna love this. I’m going to make it so good for you.”

  Michael felt a nudge at his opening and took a deep breath.

  “Relax,” Jay reminded him.

  Fighting to control a sudden bout of nerves, Michael hissed when Jay’s cock pushed against him. Oh God, that hurt! His erection, so full and eager a moment ago, deflated.

  Jay stilled. “Shh, Querido. Don’t fight it.” Jay continued to hold perfectly still until Michael exhaled a loud, shuddering breath and began to relax. The pain lessened to mere discomfort. “Better now?”

  Millions of gay men had anal sex. It had to get better, right? “Yeah, don’t stop.”

  Warm lips caressed Michael’s neck while Jay reached around and stroked him to full hardness again. Gradually the pressure resumed until Michael felt the head of his lover’s cock slip through his opening. Jay stopped again, only resuming when Michael nodded.

  True to his word, Jay didn’t hurt him, though the sensation was slightly uncomfortable at first. Slowly Jay eased out, stopping short of total withdrawal. Just as slowly he eased back in, creating sensations which Michael never knew he was capable of feeling. Not pain, not yet pleasure, but definitely getting there.

  “Ready?” Jay asked.

  “Ready for what?” Jay was already in, what more could there be?

  Jay chuckled and replied, “I’ll take that as a yes.” He then proceeded to turn Michael’s mind to mush, moving in and out, in firm, sure strokes, angling just right to hit that newly discovered and oh-so-appreciated spot inside.

  “Are you, okay?” Jay asked once more.

  “Ask me that one more time and I’ll scream,” Michael threatened.

  “Well in that case…”

  It wasn’t the ass-pounding he’d read about in some of his mother’s gay erotic books, it was slow, gentle, and steadily driving him over the edge.

  His hand joined Jay’s on his cock. “That’s it, Michael, stroke it!” his lover encouraged. “Are you close? I’m almost there.”

  The huskiness in Jay’s voice plunged Michael over the edge. His body bowed and he shouted as he came, inner muscles clenching around Jay’s cock almost painfully.

  Even caught up in his own pleasure he felt his lover’s movements falter, then resume as Jay sought release. One, two, three more thrusts and Jay buried himself to the hilt, sinking in as far as physically possible before pulsing against Michael’s sensitized inner muscles.

  Michael wished he could see Jay’s face. Of all he had read in books and watched on the internet, nothing came close to what had just happened, and he couldn’t have kept the words from spilling from his lips if his life had depended on it. “Damn, I love you.”

  His lover, however, chose that moment roll him over and deliver a heated kiss, so instead of the words, all that came out was, “Oooaaf.”

  Later, Jay lay sprawled across the bed, too deeply asleep to hear the words the second time they were spoken. “I love you, Jay.” Damn, how had he fallen so suddenly?

  ***

  Michael woke with a start to unfamiliar sensations, but quickly relaxed, or relaxed as well as he could under the circumstances. The sight that greeted him when he opened his eyes took his breath away. His lover crawled up from the foot of the bed, bringing to mind a sleek panther stalking prey. The sinuous movements were even accompanied by an aggressive growl.

  Jay caressed the skin of Michael’s inner thighs. A devilish smile was the only warning before strong hands firmly pushed his thighs apart, allowing Jay’s sleekly muscled body to settle between. Mesmerizing eyes locked on Michael’s, paralyzing him with their dark gaze. Michael couldn’t have moved if he’d tried.

  Though Jay’s head dipped lower their eye contact never broke. So intent was he on staring into those eyes that Michael jumped at the unexpected feeling of a wet tongue. A broad stroke ran repeatedly over his sparsely furred balls before that mouth opened and sucked them in, first one, then the other. Then Jay’s talented tongue moved lower, nearing his opening, applying more pressure than he would have believed a tongue capable of. With agonizing slowness it inched back upward, sliding over his balls, then excruciatingly slowly over the shaft and up to the head of his cock. It bumped against Jay’s cheek as if wishing to speed things up.

  Still they maintained eye contact as Jay bent down and blew gently against the dampened skin, something that Michael had never experienced before, but loved instantly. Jay chuckled softly at the moan that escaped his lips and repeated the entire process again. This time, when Jay’s tongue reached the crown of Michael’s cock, generous lips parted and welcomed him into moist heat. Michael whimpered, head falli
ng back and eyes closing, unable to withstand the gaze burning through to his very soul.

  Blowjobs had been infrequent in the past, but Michael was no stranger to them. However, if what he’d had before was a blowjob this was something else entirely. What Jay was doing was no mere sex act, or ‘playing around.’ It was a gift from a sincere giver, as hands, lips, tongue and, very gently, teeth, were applied with the skill only someone who knew firsthand how it felt could employ. Jay lovingly caressed, kissed, licked, and sucked Michael’s balls and shaft, his inner thighs, and lower belly. He never used a single technique or remained focused on one spot long enough to become predictable, constantly creating new and different sensations—all beyond anything Michael had ever encountered before or even dreamed of. Who knew someone could curl toes and melt a man into a puddle so easily?

  Jay’s callused hand moved up his torso, bronzed skin a striking contrast to Michael’s own paler complexion. A second hand joined the first, sliding across abdominal muscles, caressing and exploring. Gently those fingers brushed his nipples, causing them to stiffen. Michael arched his back, willing Jay to be more aggressive, to pinch and tug instead of restricting himself to gentle, tentative touches. The message was understood, and all Michael could do was writhe on the crumpled sheets in total sensory overload.

  His impending orgasm started as a slight tingling and grew steadily until he could feel completion approaching like a breaking wave. Fighting a losing the battle, he opened his mouth to shout a warning a moment too late. “Jay!” he cried, arching off the bed.

  He was still trying to catch his breath when his grinning lover straddled his chest, gazing down to cheerfully say, “Good morning .”

  Mind made up to reciprocate this time, Michael replied, “Bring that a bit closer.” He tentatively lapped at pearly drop of fluid clinging on the end of his lover’s cock before easing his mouth over the head and applying suction. Hmmm, not bad at all.

  He pulled off to say, “Tell me what you like.”

  Jay choked out a reply. “You know what you like, just do those things to me.”