Chapter 11
Eleven
RIVER
Theo picked me up right on time, like the good boy that he is. Seeing him smile and at ease makes me think something has happened since I last saw him a few days ago.
We are currently walking toward the food vendors that the mayor hired for the month of December leading up to Christmas Eve. The night air smells freaking amazing, and it makes my stomach grumble with a need to be filled with delicious sugary things.
Theo chuckles next to me, his hand feeling warm in mine.
“Someone is hungry,” he says.
“I am starving. I did not eat lunch today to be ready for tonight.”
He frowns; it reminds me of Colt. “You cannot skip meals, River. Please, do not do that again.”
I stop walking, and so does he. He is looking at me with a sweet-boy look, but I see a layer of protection under the surface. Theo may be hiding some dark side to him that I am really fucking hoping Colt can pull out during sex.
“If it pleases you, I will not skip a meal again, okay?”
He nods, offering me a small smile.
“I see that you are channeling Colt with your answer,” he asserts.
I shrug, leaning in. “I like to please my lovers, honey. You will find out soon enough.”
“Are you always this flirty?” he asks as we start walking again.
“Yes. It gets me in trouble sometimes, but other times it gets me what I want.”
“And what do you want, River?” His voice is a little hesitant, but I do not bring it up right now; I want us to have a good time.
“I want to be loved, to be cared for and fucked into next week by my lover, or lovers.” I wink.
“Sounds like you know what you want; must be nice.”
“Baby, everyone should be at a stage in their life to know what they want. Now you need to decide what you would like to eat as our appetizers, because, honey, I plan on filling you up all night.”
“God, River.” He groans, his cheeks darkening with embarrassment, but I do not miss the smile on his handsome face.
The festive lights shimmer above us as we walk hand in hand, giving me the warm and fuzzies. The air is filled with hints of cinnamon, roasted nuts, and the laughter of kids enjoying the activities that have been brought into town.
We blend into the holiday crowd, pointing out things that we see on our walk.
The cold air is keeping me from overheating thinking of all the naughty things I want to do to Theo and what I want him to do to me.
Oh, and do not get me thinking about Colt.
That man will make my body turn into lava with what I want him to do to me.
“Here you go.” He hands me a paper bowl containing slices of honey glazed ham that smells divine, with mashed potatoes and green beans.
“This smells amazing.” I moan, then dig in.
Theo does the same, both of us sitting and watching the people around town while we eat our meals. The silence is nice; it is comforting that we do not need to speak to enjoy our time together. Some dates I have been on, the men like to talk the whole time about random manly bullshit.
That turns me off, as I like to just be me, and the person I am spending time with can relax and be themselves. Theo is shy, so pushing him to open up, I think, will only keep him locked up in his head.
He will share when he is ready, but until then, I can ask him some questions, get to know him on a surface level.
“Tell me about your family?” I ask, then gather his now-empty bowl with mine and drop them both into the trash can close by.
Theo shifts his body so that he is facing me. His brow is dipped and I hate seeing it.
Reaching up as if on instinct, I brush my thumb over the offending expression.
“No man as handsome as you should be frowning, honey.”
“There is not much to say.” He shifts uncomfortably, so I get to my feet and offer my hand to him.
“Come on, let’s walk and talk. No pressure here, Theo, just two men getting to know each other.”
He takes my hand, and I am glad that he has removed his glove so I can feel his palm against mine. We walk together down Main Street, watching the kids play, noticing couples walking hand in hand like we are.
This feels nice, and I also see how people watch us, knowing that Theo is new in Silverpine and Miss Patty’s grandson.
Everyone in town is nice enough, yes, but everyone is in each other’s business, and nothing is private.
Although, if you need help or support, they will be there to help at the drop of a hat.
“My parents travel for work. I see them when they come home, and growing up was the same. I didn’t have a bad childhood, so to speak, but it was lonely at times.
If I needed them they would be there, but it may take days sometimes for them to get home.
Patty stepped in as well as my other grandparents, but they have passed now.
“I have no siblings; my parents never wanted kids. I was a mistake, but they never made me feel like they regretted me. I found computers—gaming at first, then chatrooms. I fell down the dark internet rabbit hole, but without it, I would not be who I am today.”
“I have one brother,” I say. “I do not speak to him anymore, and it is the same with my folks. They kicked me out when I told them I was gay. I met Neve’s aunt, who took me under her wing and taught me everything I know.
Thanks to her kindness and love, I got to know what love felt like in a family and not fear. I am who I am today because of her.”
“I am glad that you found them.” Theo stops, his free hand coming up, cupping my cold cheek. “No person should be made to feel fear from those who are supposed to love them.”
His hand feels nice on my face, so I lean in. Closing my eyes, I soak up the heat from his palm. My body tingles and I smile, opening my eyes to look into his sage green ones. Licking his lips before his head dips, he presses his mouth to mine.
I am shocked that he is this bold; Theo is shy and showed no signs of making a first move. Maybe he does have a different side to him that comes out when he is comfortable with someone.
I lick the seam of his lips, and he groans deep in his throat. The sound goes straight to my almost frozen balls, making them thaw out a little.
Giggling ends our kiss. I look to the side to see a group of teenage girls walk past us, smiling and giggling. One who I know gives me a thumbs up.
“I liked kissing you.” His voice is thick with arousal.
I wish I could feel how hard he is, and show him what he does to me. The time will come when we will get naked and I get to feel him all over me.
“Oh, baby, I liked kissing you, too. We can kiss as much as you would like, and not only on the mouth.” I wink, making him laugh.
“You are shameless, babe.”
I cock a brow at him, his pink cheeks darkening.
“No, do not feel embarrassed about calling me ‘babe.’ I like it.” I give him a wide smile, and we start walking again.
Talking about all the stupid things we did as teens, we trade stories about first kiss, with both boy and girl.
His were better than mine, but I love hearing him speak about his life.
I live for this; getting to know someone who you feel in your bones could be the best thing that could ever happen to you.
Colt I know, not on a personal level, but I know enough about him that I feel the connection between us. Studying him over the years has made me see that he could be the man for me, yet he never took that step. But… having Theo here makes me wonder of he was waiting for an extra spark, so to speak.
No matter how I want to analyze it, I get to have both Colt and Theo naked and in bed. I just hope it will be soon. My balls ache for them.
Theo drops me home after our amazing date, giving me the warm and fuzzies when he kisses me on my doorstep. Like a proper gentleman, he walks me to my door, making sure I am inside before he leaves.