Page 29

29

MASON

I had no idea how long I held Connor. I lay over his sweaty back and didn’t want to let go. I gave him soft kisses with my warm breath across his back in appreciation. My sweat joined his, and we breathed in tandem as our pulses slowed.

When I slowly released my hold and stood up, I felt a bit awkward standing over his naked body with my pants down around my ankles. I had to chuckle at that, which made him turn and look at me. His smile was infectious, and it made me happy.

He slowly turned and sat on the bed as I fished my feet out of my jeans and underwear. When I was free, I joined him on the bed, our legs tangled together. He nuzzled my neck, and I felt his breath warm my collarbone. He smelled of citrus, sweat, and cum.

Connor broke the silence. “How in the hell did you learn to do that double stuffing thing, let alone the rimming?” he asked, looking up at me. I gave him a quick squeeze.

“Funny you should ask,” I replied. “I researched some random gay porn videos to educate me. It was a bit odd watching two men at first, but then I figured what they were doing might be something you’d enjoy. I don’t necessarily watch porn, but I thought I’d better study up on some things.” He laughed, and I joined him. “When I saw that dildo, I remembered the scene I watched.”

“I appreciate that you took your time with it, but your tongue on my hole…oh my God. That was incredible…and unexpected.” He kissed my hand, and I beamed.

I kissed the top of his head. “Babe, we haven’t seen each other since Christmas. I wanted this to be special, and it was. And the thrill of fucking you without a condom was a bonus.”

“I’ll be sore tomorrow. I have a pleasant ache going on now, but I might be walking funny for a couple of days,” he snorted. I kissed him tenderly.

“Let’s get cleaned up, babe. “I maneuvered out from under him and grabbed his hand to help him off the bed. We showered together and continued to caress, prod, and poke for another half hour. We took turns drying each other off, and Connor let me use his toothbrush and mouthwash once he was done with it. Once we were dry, Connor went to the door and removed the Do Not Disturb placard.

I didn’t have to hit the road again until morning, and since we were pretty much done for the night and extremely tired, we didn’t think Spencer would mind if I shared Connor’s bed. It didn’t really matter, though, since he didn’t come back to the hotel until after four a.m. when I heard the key card grant him access. I was a lighter sleeper than Connor, and he didn’t even stir when Spencer entered the room.

The alarm on my phone woke me at seven, and I quietly went into the bathroom. The guys didn’t move a muscle, and all I heard was steady breathing. After I took care of business, I washed my hands and face and stood looking at my reflection in the mirror. Another alarm went off in my head.

What does Connor see in me? Is this relationship even feasible, and how can it work? He’ll be graduating in about a year, and then what? Self-doubt crept into my thoughts. I took a deep breath, threw the thoughts away, flipped the light off, and headed back to bed.

I got back under the covers and pulled Connor to me. He whispered, “Is everything okay?”

“I’m sorry, I thought you were still sleeping,” I whispered back.

“I thought I heard a phone alarm, and then you went to the bathroom. What time is it?”

“It’s a little after seven. I need to get going soon, babe.” My voice was sorrowful. He rolled to face me and put his hand on my jaw.

“I don’t want you to go, but I know you need to.” His eyes looked sad even though he had a smile on his face. “I had an amazing time, and I’m happy you were able to meet us.” He ran his hand down over my shoulder and I took it, kissing his knuckles as he squeezed my hand.

“I’m excited you’ll join me this summer, though,” I said. “It’s only a couple of months away. I’m not sure where my route will be then, but we’ll figure it out.”

A head with messed up hair lifted from a pillow on the other bed. “If you guys wanna talk, go in the hall,” he barked indignantly. Spencer turned his head and pulled the pillow over it.

Connor whispered loudly, “Sorry!” We both snickered.

We got out of bed quietly, and I put my clothes on. Connor went to the bathroom and wrapped a towel around his waist. I figured he would probably go back to bed. They still had a couple of days in Vegas.

He walked me to the door and wrapped his arms around me from behind. I stopped short of placing my hand on the door handle and turned to face him, taking his face in my hands. The light in the room was low, sneaking through the curtain cracks. It wasn’t enough to see his perfect eyes, so I softly brought my lips to his. He kissed me back and lightly bit my lower lip. After the kiss, our foreheads came together.

“I’ll text you later today,” he whispered.

I kissed his nose and replied, "Okay. Now, remember what I said about Vegas money." With that, I opened the door, and light from the hall danced over his emerald eyes. When I looked back at him, he nodded in understanding. I walked down the hall to the elevator and felt his eyes follow me.

After a couple of hours, I was on the road out of Las Vegas and headed north. My freight broker had me going up through Nevada to Reno to pick up some large pallets to deliver to Salt Lake City. The drive through Nevada alone would take seven to eight hours, and then the time to pick up the freight would eat up the entire day. I figured I’d sleep at a rest area between Reno and Salt Lake City and then hit my drop-off destination tomorrow. I’d already calculated my time unless something unforeseen, such as traffic or weather, slowed me down.

I had loaded the large freight pallets in Reno and was making my way to Salt Lake City along I-80.My thoughts drifted to Connor, but that wasn’t new, I thought of him constantly. Many of those thoughts made driving uncomfortable at times when they brought my dick to life.

The earlier self-doubts dissipated as I decided not to worry about the future but about what we had now. I needed to remind myself to live in the moment. He texted me when I was on my way to Reno to make sure I stopped for food and rest. I liked that he cared for my well-being, which made me smile. I found he had similar traits to Claudia's when I was on long trips.

Connor and I wouldn’t see each other for over two months, and I’d notified my broker about needing to go through Oregon in June, whether it be through Portland or La Grande. My freight broker, Jim, and I had a long-lasting business relationship built on communication, trust, and loyalty that spanned over fifteen years. I knew we’d come up with a plan, and I’d let Connor know where and when I’d be passing through.

I’d hoped to swing by Crescent City before summer started, and I got lucky. It was the end of May, and I’d just driven up through California along Highway 101. I decided to spend a few days at my condo before heading up to Oregon. Jim, my freight broker, had procured me pickups and deliveries through Washington State and then back over through La Grande the second week of June.

I sent Connor a text.

Me: I hope you crush your finals that are coming up!

Connor: I have one paper to write and two finals. I’m so ready to be done.

Me: It’ll be over before you know it. Can’t wait to see you.

Connor: Vegas seems like an eternity ago.

Me: I know, but I’ll be coming through La Grande on June 9th to pick you up for your summer adventure, babe.

Connor: I’m more excited to see you.

Me: smile emoji

I was just as excited.

When I got to Crescent City, I parked my rig and got to the condo quickly. It felt good to walk into the space I loved, yet it seemed somewhat foreign at the same time. It was empty, and it gave me a sense of not only loss but a yearning to fill it with love again.

Could Connor be a part of that yearning? Someone to come home to again? Where is my heart headed? Where is his heart headed?

Once I got settled, I started laundry and got myself cleaned up to head out for a beer and some dinner. Since I didn’t see Eli at his parking lot earlier, I suspected he was at the bar.

The tourist season hadn’t quite started—that came after Memorial Day. We didn’t get a lot of tourists since most people traveled through the central part of the state to head to the warmer climates of Los Angeles or San Diego. But our town was a haven for those who preferred the natural beauty of the scenic coastline and its proximity to Redwood National Park.

When I walked into Eli’s place, he had his back to me, standing behind the bar. He was busy at work on someone’s tab, fussing with the credit card reader. I heard him say, “Son of a bitch…motherfucker,” under his breath. I took a seat at the bar and huffed a small laugh. He hadn’t heard me or turned around.

He finally got the contraption to work, walked to the end of the bar, and handed it along with a pen to a gentleman in a pink polo shirt wearing very retro glasses. He was sitting next to another gentleman with a cropped beard and a fresh fade haircut. Both were handsome. The man with the pink shirt reached over, covered the other man’s hand, and held it there. I was suddenly filled with a sense of warmth as I witnessed their affection.

All at once, Eli’s booming voice broke my gaze from the two men. “Hey, when did you get into town? You didn’t text me you were coming.”

“Hey there,” I replied. “Taking a few days before I head up through Oregon and into Washington.” I shook his hand when he offered it.

I looked over at the two hipster-looking gentlemen who’d put their jackets on. Eli saw me glance at them. When the two walked by to leave, I gave them a smile with a chin lift, and they smiled in return.

Once they’d left the bar, Eli said, “Those two guys come through here every year about this time. One of them is a photographer who specializes in coastal scenic shots.” Eli pointed to two framed photos on his walls. “Matt took those photos almost three years ago. I wanted them for the bar, and now they always stop by when they pass through.”

“So, they’re a couple,” I commented.

“Yup, they’ve been married since it became legal, but they told me they’ve been together for over sixteen years. I think his husband said he was an ad executive at some agency.”

“Good for them,” I replied. Eli had turned to pour me a beer and set it in front of me. I wondered if Connor and I could have something like that.

“How’s your friend, Connor?” he asked. “I’m assuming things are still…developing?”

I bowed my head with a grin. I was fortunate to have Eli in my corner. “He’s doing good, and yes, things are developing as much as they can with our occasional meetups. We met up in Vegas at the end of March. His friend Spencer was there too, for spring break. Actually, I’m picking Connor up in about a week and a half. He’s joining me on the road for the summer.”

“That’s a big step, my friend,” he replied with wide eyes. “So, you’ll be together twenty-four-seven for the summer?”

“I want to be with him more, Eli. I’ll put him to work, and he’ll get experience with how the trucking business works.” I took a swig of beer. “I miss him—a lot. I haven’t felt this way about anyone since Claudia died. Only seeing each other with these huge gaps in between scares me. I might lose him because of the distance.”

Eli smiled and put his hands on the bar. “I hear you. I’d love nothing better than to see you happy again, Mason.” At that, someone walked up to the bar to get another drink, and Eli slid over to take care of them.

Eli walked through the bar to check on his other customers, then reached under the counter and handed me a menu. “I’m also assuming you’re hungry?” he asked. My stomach rumbled in protest when I opened it.

With not many customers, I got my food in record time. Eli poured me a second beer to go with the house's specialty, fish and chips. I also ordered a side salad. I’d always been careful to watch what I eat, so I picked quite a bit of the batter off the fish and only indulged in a few fries. When Eli saw my plate, he frowned and waved a finger at the discarded batter.

“You can always just order plain fish fillets instead of the battered ones and omit the fries,” he said with a chuckle.

“Then it wouldn’t be your House Specialty now, would it?” Eli just shook his head and walked away, letting me finish my salad.

I finished dinner and my beer, then said goodnight to Eli with a promise to see him over the next couple of days. I walked outside, and it was a comfortable fifty-five degrees with no onshore breeze, which was rare. I took my SUV back to the condo and longed for the bed in my master suite. It was always a treat to sleep on my memory foam mattress at home instead of the one in my sleeper cab. As comfortable as I had made it, a large king-size mattress with room to sprawl beat the narrow one in my rig any day.

But as I lay there, I yearned for Connor to be snuggled up against me. I used a pillow instead.