STORY EXCERPT

After twelve hours of surgery and remaining at the hospital another several hours to monitor his patient’s condition, Isaac was more than ready for a hot shower and bed, and not necessarily in that order. His eyes were burning, his eyelids drooping, as he locked his office and headed downstairs. It was a good thing his apartment was within walking distance, he thought, because there was no way he could safely drive a car.

Isaac was looking forward to having the next four days off. His ass was really dragging as he walked toward the center of Silver. It was a delightful town, full of charm, beauty, and had an interesting history. It had been founded by gay men over a hundred years before, men searching for a place where they could be who they were. Interestingly enough, many of those same gay men had married women, wanting to produce heirs. Others had lived in ménage relationships. The result was the town of Silver was a place where people were not judged because their choices were not the norm other places. Hate was also something rarely seen or expressed in Silver. Of course it still existed, but haters were discouraged from expressing their views. They were definitely in the minority, and it was one of many reasons why Isaac had decided to move to the town he had spent so much of his childhood in.

As Isaac walked past the bakery, his stomach grumbled. Knowing he wouldn’t bother to make something to eat before falling face-first on his bed, he backtracked and went inside. The women behind the display cases welcomed him warmly, and then began to tempt him with a variety of freshly baked deliciousness. Five minutes later he was carrying a bag containing two jelly-filled doughnuts, a rare treat for him to indulge in. He was less than a hundred feet away from the entrance to the building he lived in. His apartment took up the entire third floor and was newly renovated. It was luxurious and tastefully decorated. It had taken a lot of effort, but he had managed to prevent his grandmother from taking over and decorating with her Victorian frills and patterns. He shuddered to think about it. Disaster averted.

Closing the front door behind him, Isaac took off his shoes and walked through to the kitchen. He poured a glass of milk and took a doughnut out of the bag, moaning as he bit into it and the raspberry jelly flowed over his tongue. Closing his eyes, he savored the sweet deliciousness, chewing slowly, before swallowing. Honestly, he barely had the energy to chew.

After finishing breakfast, Isaac went to his bedroom and stripped off. He dropped his clothes and went into the bathroom. A quick shower sapped the last of his energy. He brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and peered bleary-eyed at his reflection before turning off the light and heading back to the bedroom.

A sigh escaped him as he stretched out on the bed and pulled the blankets over him. No bed had ever felt so comfortable. After a moment, as he contemplated the sleep he would soon enjoy, he turned his head on the pillow to look at the photo on the bedside table.

Isaac’s heart fluttered in his chest as he rolled onto his side and reached for the photograph. He smiled sadly, wistfully, as his fingers smoothed over the glass protecting it. He didn’t have a chance in hell with the man, but Jesse was the man who had unknowingly stolen his heart and become his everything. Isaac studied the image of the laughing man. His friend Alex had taken the photo on the sly and given it to Isaac. Sighing, Isaac kissed the image and placed it back on the table.

Rolling over, he put his back to it so he didn’t lay there and stare at it, instead of going to sleep. Yawning, he closed his eyes, admonishing himself for wanting a man he could never have, one that wanted nothing to do with him. He knew that knowledge should be enough to crush his love, but it hadn’t happened yet. He was torn between wanting to love Jesse forever and wanting the pain of rejection to go away so he could move on.

There had to be someone out there for him, someone willing to love him, quirks and all. With Jesse he knew his biggest problem was that he wasn’t the man’s type. Jesse liked his men big, as big as he was, and Isaac didn’t come close. Jesse was a big bear of a man, tall, muscular, with dark hair on his body. Isaac was very short compared to the other man’s height of six feet six. He was also slender, although in good shape, and his body hair, if he allowed it to sprout, grew like wheat in a badly planted field, only popping up here and there and impressing no one.

Having never experienced a lack of confidence in his life, Isaac didn’t quite know how to deal with it. It had taken a huge hit when he had met Jesse. What he needed to do was concentrate on moving on, getting out there to meet new people. Although he had lived in Silver several months now, his circle of friends was relatively small.

Yeah, that’s what I need, Isaac thought, yawning again. I need to get out there and meet people. Who knows? I might meet a really nice guy who I’m just perfect for and is perfect for me.

First, however, Isaac knew he had to stop thinking about Jesse Black. At least so he could get some sleep. With that thought firmly in place, and feeling completely frustrated, Isaac punched his pillow and shoved Jesse ruthlessly from his mind.

ADULT EXCERPT

Jesse stared at Isaac as he finished chewing the bite of sandwich in his mouth. He lowered the sandwich to the plate as he swallowed, giving himself time to think. He knew what his dick wanted. The second his brain had registered what Isaac was trying to tell him, his dick had shot to life and was now trying to straighten out in his jeans, which was not necessarily a comfortable process.

“It is a flat countertop. It looks slippery. A person could get hurt,” Jesse warned, his gaze never wavering from the handsome face.

Slender fingers made patterns on the glossy surface. Green eyes never lifted to meet Jesse’s. “A person would have to hold on tight to something, to keep that from happening.”

Jesse chuckled. He liked this playful banter, even if it was weird. He hadn’t really participated in it before. “Well, that person could probably wrap their legs around something, and hold on tight. Come here, Isaac.” He swiveled on the stool and spread his knees wide as Isaac obediently hurried around the large island. Jesse’s cock was pressing against the zipper of his khaki slacks. Relief would have to wait, however. “Take off your clothes.”

There was only a slight hesitation before Isaac began to strip off his clothes. Jesse guessed that Isaac had been expecting something else, a kiss, maybe, or caresses. He would soon learn that Jesse wasn’t into kisses and caresses. He would do what he had told Connor he would do, and that was prove to Isaac once and for all that they weren’t suited to each other. Isaac was aware of this, so he shouldn’t be shocked or disappointed when certain things didn’t take place. Jesse would see to it that the man experienced pleasure, but he wasn’t about to put a romantic spin on anything happening between them. It would be sex, nothing more. Isaac wasn’t the right person for him, because he would certainly know that special person when he met him. There was no doubt in Jesse’s mind.

Jesse reached out to take hold of Isaac’s shoulders after the last of his clothes had come off. Isaac had a beautiful body. It was small, but nicely sculpted. Isaac obviously worked out to keep fit, which made sense, since he was a doctor. Jesse’s gaze dropped to the nice-sized cock sprouting from a neatly trimmed nest of curls at Isaac’s groin. Droplets of pearly liquid were leaking from the slit in the head. The sight of it made Jesse’s mouth water for a taste. His own cock pulsed hard, and his balls tightened as his excitement grew.

Standing, Jesse put his hands on Isaac’s waist and lifted him, smiling when the other man’s laughter filled the room. He sat Isaac on the counter and bent to take the leaking cock into his mouth. Salty, tangy, the flavors burst over his taste buds. He closed his eyes and savored them, committing them to memory. Although he saw no future with Isaac, that didn’t mean that he would forget this or any other sexual encounter they had. Isaac was special enough that what they did together would be memorable, memories that would hold him over until he found the man who would be everything to him, not just a momentary encounter, and would replace every man Jesse had known before him, including Isaac.

Strong fingers curved around Jesse’s skull as his mouth slid to the root of Isaac’s turgid flesh. He buried his nose in the tight black curls, inhaling the musky male scent. Isaac’s moans filled his ears and narrow hips bucked, burying Isaac’s cock deeper into Jesse’s mouth. He pulled back and off, grinning when Isaac whimpered in protest.

“There’s no hurry, is there?” he asked, looking down at the smaller man. Even with Isaac seated on the counter, Jesse stood above him. “I need lube. Have any close by?”

“No. It’s in the bathroom. I can get it. I know right where it is.”

“I should hope so,” Jesse said, chuckling. “But you stay where you are. I’ll get it.”

Jesse wouldn’t admit it to either Isaac or himself, but he needed to put some space between them for the moment. His control was reaching its end. Another few seconds with Isaac’s cock in his mouth, and Jesse would have come hard. It was confusing, because he never lost control. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t been with anyone in a while. He wasn’t a rutting beast. He didn’t need to fuck every five seconds to find pleasure or satisfaction. The days of wild lust were far behind him.

As he walked into Isaac’s bedroom, he stopped just inside the room as he sucked in his breath. While the living room had a simple elegance to it, Isaac had obviously not felt the need to hold back in his private haven. The huge canopy bed was the centerpiece of the room, with massive posts and cupola, and all of it draped with lengths of rich brown velvet and gold satin. It was very grand. While it wasn’t something Jesse would have chosen, he had to admit it looked great in the room and even looked comfortable.