STORY EXCERPT

"Oh, who's that?" John Aldrin Flores whispered as he watched a mountain of a man amble into the Cade Creek Diner. The man was rough looking, his chestnut hair, shaggy and unkempt, as if it hadn't been cut in ages. The bushy beard on his face hid most of his features...except the eyes.

Aldrin saw the way those smoky gray eyes scanned the diner when the tall man walked into the place. Aldrin's skin prickled when they passed over him, then came back just as fast, pinning him where he stood.

Those intense smoky gray eyes widened slightly when Aldrin smiled, and then darted away again as the man made his way to a booth in the back of the diner. Beneath the scraggily beard, Aldrin thought he detected a little flushed skin, but it was gone before he could be sure.

"Honey, you don't want none of that."

Aldrin couldn't tear his gaze away from the massive man even to give his new boss, Trudy, a heavy eye roll. "Why not?"

"People don't mess with Jonah Cade."

This time, Trudy got his attention. "Jonah Cade?" he asked. "As in Cade Creek? That Cade?"

Trudy nodded. "His great-granddaddy founded Cade Creek back in the early 1800's. The Cade family has been here ever since."

"Okay, and?" The man being the descendent of the guy that had founded the town didn't mean Aldrin wasn't interested, because he was. Jonah was a whole lot yummier than anything he had seen since he arrived in Cade Creek a few weeks before, and the town was full of gorgeous men...Maybe too gorgeous.

Aldrin liked a little character to his guys, and Jonah Cade had more character than anyone he had ever seen before. Between the glorious chestnut colored hair, and the beard that hid what Aldrin was almost certain was a set of plush lips that begged to be kissed, the man had all of Aldrin's interest.

That didn't even begin to take into account how tall the man was. The guy had to duck his head just to get inside the building, and there was no way anyone could have sat beside him in the booth, not unless they wanted to get squished. He took a large portion of the entire thing. He wasn't overweight exactly, just thick. He was what Aldrin's mama would have called solid.

He was what Aldrin called yummy.

"Honey," Trudy laid a hand on Aldrin's arm. "Jonah Cade isn't the friendly sort."

Aldrin frowned as he glanced back at the man sitting in the back booth. "Homophobic?"

He had never hidden his sexual orientation from his new boss, and had in fact moved to Cade Creek after a friend suggested it was a place that was open to the life he wanted to live, one that was open and honest with who he was. It had taken him less than a week to decide that Cade Creek was a dream come true for an openly gay man.

"People phobic," Trudy replied. "That man don't like anybody."

Aldrin snorted. He had never met anyone he couldn't make smile. It was an integral part of his bubbly personality. Aldrin loved life. He loved to smile and laugh and sing and dance. And he loved to share that joy of life with everyone he met.

"I'll be fine," Aldrin said as he grabbed a menu and started for the booth in the back of the diner. He put on his biggest, most welcoming smile as he reached the booth and set the menu down. "Welcome to Cade Creek Diner, sir. My name is Aldrin. I'll be your waiter today."

"Coffee, black," the man said without even looking at the menu, or Aldrin. "The Sunday Special, green beans, no carrots, milk with my meal."

Aldrin blinked at the crispness of the man's words. There was an unfriendly vibe to them that he was sure to put most people off. The guy might as well have worn a sign that said "back off" or "keep fifty feet away" or even "leave me the hell alone".

Luckily, Aldrin wasn't most people. "Right away, sir."

Aldrin sent the man a thousand watt smile before grabbing the menu and walking back behind the counter. He clipped the order slip into place and spun the round metal holder around so the cook could see it and then placed the menu back where it went.

"Told you," Trudy said without looking away from the coffee machine she was refilling. "Jonah Cade doesn't like anyone."

"Maybe he's just lonely," Aldrin mused as he leaned back against the counter and looked toward the back of the diner. As soon as he did, Jonah turned his head away as if he had been watching Aldrin, but didn't want Aldrin to know he had been watching, and went back to reading the book in front of him.

Aldrin turned to wipe the counter down to hide his grin. Five minutes and he was already getting to the man. His plan for world domination was coming along just fine.

"Better get him his coffee, Aldrin." Trudy nodded to the fresh pot of coffee. "Jonah can get mighty grouchy if he doesn't get his meal on time."

The man looked like a big, gruff bear and no doubt growled at everyone. Aldrin wondered if he could get Jonah to growl for him, or at the very least, rousea smile out of the man.

"On it." Aldrin grabbed the fresh pot of coffee Trudy had just prepared and carried it over to the last table. He turned the cup over and carefully poured the black stuff almost to the brim. "Can I get you anything else while you wait for you meal, Mr. Cade?"

Gray eyes flickered up to Aldrin before lowering back to his book. "Solitude."

As much as it galled him to do so, Aldrin plastered a beaming smile on his face. He would see a smile on this guy's face if it was the last thing he did. "Ofcourse, Mr. Cade. I'll have your meal to you as soon as it's done cooking."

Aldrin's smile stayed on his face even when he wanted to growl. He hated rude people. Of course, Jonah Cade didn't realize he had just sealed his fate. Aldrin was going to make it his mission to see Jonah smile, even if he had to stretch the man's lips himself.

ADULT EXCERPT

Aldrin's breath caught when he saw something heated flash in Jonah's pale gray eyes right before the man looked away.

"I should go finish making dinner," the man said.

Aldrin unclasped his hands from under his chin and curled his fingers into Jonah's shirt. He really didn't want to go anywhere. Even as bruised and abused as he was, Aldrin couldn't remember the last time he had felt so safe. Not even when the sheriff had been in his hospital room had he felt this safe, maybe even not before he got attacked.

He didn't want to move in case the sensation went away.

"Stay," Aldrin whispered as his eyes dropped to Jonah's lips. "Please."

There was a slight rounding of Jonah's eyes. "Do you know what you are asking, Aldrin?"

Aldrin really had no fucking idea, but he was going to bluff until his face turned blue. "I know I want to stay right here with you." Aldrin swallowed the tight knot in his throat. "In this bed."

To prove his point, Aldrin leaned down and pressed his lips to Jonah's. While he wasn't totally inexperienced, his history of sexual experienced could be counted in single digits. He wanted to come off as worldly, but the frown on Jonah's face said he had merely made a fool of himself.

With a muffled sob, Aldrin pushed away from Jonah. When Jonah grabbed him and held him in place, Aldrin struggled to get away. In an instant, he found himself rolled beneath Jonah's body. The large man pinned him to the mattress, stretching his arms over his head.

"Enough!"

Aldrin stilled. His heart beat erratically, but it wasn't from fear. It was...it was something else, something Aldrin couldn't quite define.

“God, you’re sexy,” he whispered as he stared up at Jonah.

Jonah grinned. “Yeah?”

Aldrin inhaled sharply as he was hit with a wave of desire so hot that he felt singed right down to the core. His cock stiffened. His body ached to feel Jonah inside of him. He needed it more than he had ever needed anything on earth. He needed that connection with Jonah.

“Jonah,” Aldrin whispered, trying to keep the pleading out of his voice but knowing he failed when Jonah’s eyes snapped to his and began to fill with lust. “I need you.”

Jonah didn't even hesitate. He pushed back and practically tore Aldrin's clothes from his body. He quickly got rid of his own clothes then grabbed a bottle oflube and a condom from the nightstand drawer.

He eyed the handsome man before him, licking his lips in anticipation. “Oh yeah,” he whispered right before he leaned up and nipped at one of Jonah's brown hued nipples.

The low, needy groan he heard from above him made Aldrin feel giddy. He loved knowing he had made Jonah feel good. It was almost as good as an orgasm...almost.

“Fuck, baby, you’re so good at that,” Jonah groaned. “Your mouth is like magic.”

Aldrin grinned before kissing a path across Jonah's hairy chest to the other nipple. Jonah's body was massive and muscular, something that Aldrin found very arousing. The soft flesh over a hard steel body, the sweet taste of Jonah's skin, all of it combined to drive Aldrin crazy. His cock was so hard he thought he might burst.

"Look at me." The growl was demanding, possessive, and so fucking sexy that Aldrin had to obey it. It sent shivers of delight down his spine.

Aldrin looked into Jonah's wild, feral eyes. There could never be any doubt that Jonah wanted him, not when the man was staring down at him like he wanted to eat him alive. His eyes were blazing, his upper lip curled back. Sweat glistened on his forehead.

Jonah looked sexy as hell.

Aldrin grinned and held his arms open. The level of heat arching between them could have started a forest fire. Aldrin wrapped his arms around Jonah as the man settled over his body. He loved the feeling of being weighed down by the bigger man. It let him know he was being loved on.

Aldrin groaned when he felt a finger rim around his asshole. A slight pressure applied, and then Jonah’s finger pushed into him. He panted, wanting to feel more but needing a minute to adjust, then cried out a moment later when Jonah added a second finger.

He felt so full, so wonderful.

And so fucking achy.

“I'm going to make you mine now, Aldrin," Jonah said as his two lubed fingers pushed in and out of Aldrin’s ass.

"Yesss," Aldrin hissed, the sudden intrusion burning, aching. His hips bucked, driving Jonah’s fingers deeper inside his clenching grasp. The burn slowly dwindled away as Jonah thrust in and out to be replaced by a deep ache.

“You like that, baby?”

Aldrin panted. “It...it would be better if it were you.”

“Soon, Aldrin,” Jonah said. His voice sounded low and deep, needy. “I just have to stretch you out a bit more before you can take me.”

No matter how much he wanted to feel Jonah plunge into him right that second, he knew Jonah was right. The man was hung like a horse. Aldrin could be seriously injured if Jonah didn’t prepare him properly first.

But once he did…