Page 28 of Holiday Wishes and Tentacle Dreams

Doren slid his hand down to grasp Jake’s, squeezing tightly, and waves of warmth and support emanated across their connection.

“But it never goes away. There are periods of time when it’s less…present? But it’s never fully gone. And at other times—like right now—it’s this looming creature, just out of sight, just around the corner, waiting to pounce. Or maybe like a backpack full of heavy stones. You adjust to the weight somewhat, but it still slows you down, and after a week of lugging it around, you don’t feel like going anywhere anymore.”

Doren stared deep into Jake’s eyes. There was no sign of fear on their face, nor of pity. All Jake found there was acceptance.

Neither of them said anything for a long moment, until Jake flushed with self-consciousness at the extended eye contact.

“I wouldn’t blame you if it were too much for you. I wouldn’t hate you if you decided this was it. I wish…I wish I could treat things lightly, that we could hook up or whatever and not think too hard about any of it, but I wasn’t great at that in the best of times. And these arenotthe best of times for me.”

Doren reached up and caressed Jake’s cheek with their free hand. Their palm was warm against his skin, and it grounded him. He breathed in the cool salt air and waited.

“I don’t wish to hook up. I don’t wish to keep things light. The future is uncertain, but I wish to know you better. The real you. Not a facade you erect because you believe I’m unable to handle the fullness of who you are.”

Jake was speechless. No one had ever spoken to him like that, had ever declared their intentions openly and with such naked reverence. So he did something that he’d never done before as well.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Doren’s. Two amazing things happened when he did.

The first was the kiss. Doren’s lips were soft and smooth, and as they connected, Doren unclasped Jake’s hand and snaked their arm around his waist. There was a magical closeness Jake couldn’t recall from any previous first kiss, like they were one being, kissing and breathing and moving together.

The second was the ocean, as suddenly saltwater spray doused the two of them as a wave hit the rocks. Then another. Then another. If Jake had been able to think at all, he might have noted that, before this moment, the waters had been quite calm. The breeze had been light, nothing to drive an unexpected series of large waves.

But Jake wasn’t able to think. Instead, he was luxuriating in the sensation of kissing his beautiful surfer, the salt spray around them only enhancing the experience. Tentative at first, the kiss soon grew more intense. Doren reached their hand up to press against Jake’s neck. They had an unexpected strength, and the feeling of being directed, being pulled, was an instant turn-on for Jake.

He was hard, his aching cock pressing against his jeans painfully, but he didn’t mind. The sensation was almost a memory to him. One of the side effects of his antidepressants was that he didn’t respond as quickly or intensely as he once had. It was a tradeoff, and the drugshadimproved his life, but it wasn’t necessarilyfunnot to be able to get fully hard. Or to take forever to come.

Well, he was fully hard now, and all it had taken was Doren’s firm hand on his neck.

He was devouring Doren now, like a starving man at a buffet. He might never get enough of them. They tasted unlike anyone Jake had ever kissed before, a subtle mix of sweet and salty, almost like a salted caramel latte.

Doren was delicious.

When yet another spray of seawater hit them—this one absolutely dousing both of them—they broke apart.

“I don’t know if the ocean approves of us,” Jake said, licking the last of Doren’s taste from his lips.

“Oh, I don’t agree,” Doren replied, turning their head to gaze out at the sun-drenched ocean’s surface. “On the contrary, I think she gives her blessing.”

“You think?” Jake leaned in closer to Doren, pressing against their side, and as if by instinct Doren put their arm around him and pulled him in.

“I’m certain of it.”

Behind them, someone coughed and cleared their throat. Jake spun around to find Dorothea about three feet away, a large pair of gray military-style binoculars hanging around her neck.

“Jake, sweetheart! Is this the beau you’ve told me about?”

Jake stammered, unable to get a word out, but Doren had no such compunctions. They stood up and flashed Jake a mischievous smile.

“So you’ve spoken of me, have you?”

Dorothea barked out a laugh and stepped forward, kissing Doren on each cheek. A shock of nerves shot through Jake, although he wasn’t sure why. “He’s only told me about his mysterious handsome surfer who is impervious to the cold.”

Doren rolled their eyes at Jake. “I’ve frolicked in the ocean in Maine since I was an infant. This is practically balmy.”

Somehow, Jake recovered from his bashful reaction at being caught kissing on a public bench and stood up. “Speaking of the cold, what are you doing out here, Dorothea? Isn’t it a bit chilly?”

Dorothea smiled and reached inside her sweater to tug on the waffle texture of a thick undergarment. “Wool long johns, dear. I’ve been in Maine a long time, too. I wouldn’t want to miss my shift at McKendrick’s point.”

Jake cocked his head as he watched Dorothea steal their place on the bench, lifting the binoculars to her eyes.