Sweet

14. Will

Chapter fourteen

Will

C alling me is a ballsy move. A very unlike Cas move. Part of me wonders if I’ll manage to catch Jess awake and using his phone, then eliminate my suspicions. By the time the thought of opening the door and checking if he’s asleep crosses my mind, everything’s over and Cas hangs up before I can verify anything.

After I leave the bathroom, I’m still in my head, mentally comparing Jess to the one picture Cas sent me weeks ago. It’s no use, really. I can’t rely on memory alone this time. They aren’t built so differently that I can say for certain, nor can I rule out the possibility entirely. I end up crawling into bed with more questions than answers. The bed shifting must disturb Jess because he moves closer to me before wrapping an arm around me with a contented sigh and kissing my shoulder. Not even while awake. He really does stuff like that even in his sleep, because that’s how sweet he is.

The next morning, Jess leaves early since he’s opening. I see him only in passing at work since I’m closing again. More than likely, we’ll head back to my house again on Sunday evening, but we haven’t made any official plans. I’m thinking about that on my way out, because as much as I’m looking forward to calling Cas tonight, I’m also dreading the thought of having to bail on him again when Jess stays over. I’d almost rather talk all night with Cas than spend it fucking Jess, and that can’t be normal.

As soon as I turn right out of the parking lot of the store, my headlights illuminate a truck pulled off on the side of the main road… and Bailey. Huh. After turning around in the empty street, I park behind him, then step out of my car.

“You okay?” Not really sure what else to say, since his truck doesn’t look as if it’s been in an accident and I don’t see a flat.

“Yeah…” Bailey says. He throws his hands up, clearly frustrated, but doesn’t let it break the surface. “I think it’s the transmission, but I have no idea.”

“Okay, hop in and I’ll drive you home,” I say.

“You don’t have to…”

“How else are you getting home?”

“Tow truck should be here soon and I need to be here. Thanks, though.”

“I don’t mind waiting.”

“You just got out of work.”

“How do you know?”

Bailey swings an arm out and gestures to the dark building in the distance. Okay, maybe he does know. With a sigh, he puts both hands in his pockets. Now that the sun has gone down, the air has a slight chill again.

I pull my hoodie over my head and hand it over, but Bailey shakes his head. All while he shivers from a sudden breeze. “It’s fall, dude. That’s why I wore long sleeves.”

“Well, it was warm when I left this afternoon.” Bailey makes an exasperated sound, but he takes my work sweatshirt from me and pulls it over himself.

“Do you have to stand out here for the tow truck?”

“I don’t think so,” he says.

“Let’s wait in my car. I don’t mind.”

“You have to be up early tomorrow.”

“Are we staying out all night? Because an hour or two won’t make that big a difference to me. I never go to bed when I should.”

“Me either. I don’t learn.” Bailey softly chuckles, then lets out a long sigh before walking toward my car.

The door’s unlocked still, so he climbs into the passenger seat, unprompted. I join him and turn the heat on low to take the chill out of the air.

“So…” As much as I want to ask about him and Jess, I don’t let myself. “Long day for you too, I take it?”

“You could say that.” He sighs. “Most days are. I’ve got a lot going on and not much time for anything else. Anyone else.”

Well, that opens a door I shamelessly waltz through. “I figured as much, you know, since you aren’t seeing anyone… right?”

“More or less,” he says. “Why?”

I shrug. “I figured Jess would be the first to tell me otherwise.”

As much as I’m hoping to hear how he feels about Jesse, Bailey doesn’t take the bait. He snickers but says nothing else on the subject. “You two really are close, huh?”

“Yeah, we met on the job. Maybe four years ago? It was right after I moved out here. And Jess worked for the farm all through high school, then came back after college. Once I got hired, we became friends really fast.”

Bailey hums.

“How about you?”

“Well… it’s been about six for me. I always knew what I wanted to do, ever since I was a kid. First chance I got to make it happen… I did.”

“Huh. I always thought you were local,” I say.

“I grew up somewhere a lot like this place. Small-town guy from the start. Not like you.”

“What do you mean, not like me?”

Bailey rolls his lips inward and bites back a smile.

“Oh, I get it. Openly gay guy with tattoos must come from the big city.”

“No,” he chuckles. “It’s, um… your R’s .”

“Are you implying I’m a pirate now?”

Bailey finally gives in to laughter. “You pronounce your R’s . Out here, the only time we’re not dropping R’s from a word, it’s to put one where it doesn’t belong.”

Interesting. I suppose I’ve been around the rural accent for so long that I don’t even really hear it anymore. Before I can ask more, I see lights approaching and the tow truck turns off the road to park. Bailey hops out to go ahead and deal with that while I fiddle with the radio, then get out my phone. I’m about to message Cas when I see he sent one while I was at work.

Orchid Mantis: I’m sure I sound like a hypocrite, but I have no idea when I’m getting home, and I don’t want to disappoint you if I don’t take your call.

I look up, and Bailey’s still talking with the guy from the towing company. He looks so adorable, with his hands stuffed in the front pocket of my baggy sweatshirt. Not that he’s significantly smaller, but I like my sweatshirts oversized, so what’s loose on me almost swallows him. Bailey and the tow truck driver both walk to the other side of the truck, where I can’t see. Looks like I have time to respond.

Purple Puppy: Hot date?

Orchid Mantis: Of course.

And a wink. Fucking tease.

Orchid Mantis: Just got caught up somewhere with a friend. Don’t know how long I’ll be.

Purple Puppy: Ironically, I was just about to message you that I’m helping out a guy I know and I still have to bring him home after this. I won’t be calling at the usual time, anyway.

Orchid Mantis: And now you won’t bother?

Purple Puppy: I assumed you’d need sleep, but I can blow up your phone every five minutes until you answer, if you prefer. You know. Once you’re not busy with your friend .

Orchid Mantis: Smartass.

Purple Puppy: You love it.

Orchid Mantis: I’ve got to run. Don’t be surprised if I don’t answer. I won’t be offended if you don’t get a chance to call.

Orchid Mantis: And enjoy your hot date.

Purple Puppy: I thought you were the one on a hot date. I’m actually helping out a friend.

Orchid Mantis: Sure you are.

Orchid Mantis: Friendly sex, only. As friends. I know how you operate.

I close my phone and look up in time to see Bailey walking to my car while the tow truck leaves with his pickup. He opens the door and climbs back into the passenger seat, then shoots me a small smile.

After I start the car and pull out toward the road, Bailey becomes visibly uncomfortable. “Where are you going?”

“Uh… bringing you home…?”

“I haven’t told you where to go.”

Oh, fuck. I nervously laugh and hope he doesn’t read too much into that. “Sorry, I just assumed since your car was pulled onto this side of the road.”

“It’s okay.” He exhales.

“Should I turn around?”

“No, you’re… this is actually right.”

“Okay, because I don’t want to disappoint you when you need to tell me the rest.”

Bailey relaxes and laughs this time and does that ever sound sweet. He continues giving me directions, which aren’t many since there are only so many roads and so many turns one can take out here. Finally, he says, “You can let me out here.”

I pull off the road and slow to a crawl, but don’t stop. “Long driveway,” I comment.

“It’s fine.”

Actually, it’s not. This isn’t his house. He lives across the street and one more driveway down from us. He really is paranoid and while I’m normally so self-involved that all I ever want to know is why someone won’t trust me, this time I’m wondering what’s got him so skittish—or who. Is it me? It can’t be me.

Once again, I’m not even supposed to know, so I can’t let any of my internal conflict show. I throw the car in park and politely wait for him to get out. Only he doesn’t move after.

“Thanks,” Bailey says. The car’s dark, but his voice sounds light. That gives me an ounce of hope.

“Don’t mention it,” I mumble.

“I still feel bad for taking up your time.” His voice drops to something slightly above a whisper.

I exhale and turn slightly toward him. “Don’t.”

“Is this the part where you say you didn’t have anything important going on?” He chuckles to himself.

“No,” I say. “I did. Well, I do. But I’ve got time and, well, I couldn’t leave you on the side of the road.”

“Why not?”

“We’re… sort of friends.”

“Are we?”

Guess not. “I’d like us to be. We should get together more. And by more, I mean at least once since we never have.”

Bailey seems conflicted by my suggestion.

“If it’s about Jess…”

“It’s not,” he quietly interrupts.

“Is it me?”

“Maybe,” he says even quieter.

“Hey, that’s okay.” I drop my voice to match his when he doesn’t say anything. “Bailey, can I just—”

I don’t get the rest out. All I want is honesty, but Bailey swoops in closer to me, pausing before our lips meet as if second guessing himself. Ah, no. I’ve only been obsessed with him for over a year and a half now. If he thinks that’s what I want, then I’m not ashamed to close the rest of the distance.

As soon as Bailey’s mouth crashes on mine, all I can think of is him. My mind chants his name over and over like a silent mantra, sending my urges into overdrive while I pull him even closer. I swear, I will fuck him right here and now, given the chance. The way he pants into my mouth is not helping. Neither is how he smells so good— clean and slightly sweet, almost citrusy—and… like me. The woody scent of my body wash permeates my sweatshirt, which I never noticed until I’m inhaling the mixture of us on him.

Instead of having to beg for admittance to his mouth, Bailey sweeps his tongue across my lips while trying and failing to crawl closer. When we separate with a soft smack of lips, it’s only for him to quickly unbuckle while I do the same before throwing up the center console.

Right as I’m starting to think my long-held Bailey fantasy may become a reality, he pulls away from me. Not all the way—more specifically, shifting his lower half out of reach when I cup his gorgeous ass. Kinda heartbreaking, since I’ve wanted nothing more than to grab a handful for months, but I can adapt. My fingertips brush around his hip toward the front, before I curve my hand between his legs. He enjoys that for only a few seconds before pulling away entirely this time, breaking our kiss in the process.

“I’m sorry.” I really don’t know what else to say when he went from almost in my lap to backing so far away that I can’t reach him.

“It’s… okay.” He pauses and takes a deep breath.

And I really don’t get it, since he sounds like he’s trying to calm down more than anything. “Did I… should I not have done that?”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t.”

Well, then.

And yet, when Bailey moves again, it’s not to open the door and leave. He scoots back over to me, grasping my face and kissing me once again with a soft sigh. Which I absolutely will not complain about, only I’m suddenly at a loss for where to put my hands. Not only that, I’m so hard I’m desperate for any sort of release and he’s very obviously into this, too. I don’t get it. Maybe I’m not meant to.

Bailey’s fingers drift down to curl towards the band of my jeans, tugging at the button, then the zipper, before sliding his hand inside the small space. Just his hand on my skin is enough to get me to gasp against his lips, then he frees my cock and slowly strokes—enough to feel good without providing any relief. Maybe he anticipates me wanting to return the gesture, since he throws himself backward again after the slightest move from me.

I take a deep breath, but I do not complain. Bailey must expect me to demonstrate a level of self-control I simply don’t possess. I try to remind myself this is the guy I’ve fixated on for what feels like forever. With anyone else, I won’t indulge any hesitancy. I can dig deep and manifest patience for him.

So, imagine my surprise when I hear his belt tinkling while he fumbles in the dark. Even though I can barely see, his breathing changes and I know he’s touching himself. He squirms back over to me, his hand still in his pants when he kisses me. I fist my cock, steadily moving faster out of sheer desperation. It’s not long before I’m thinking about how, realistically, it shouldn’t be that difficult for me to rip his jeans the rest of the way down his legs or to turn him around so I can start thrusting into him until I make him whimper.

When Bailey starts to move away, I hurriedly pull him back toward me rather than let him panic again. Instead of pushing back, he flattens himself down so his head’s above my lap and then my cock’s in his mouth. Suddenly, this has gotten so much better than I hoped. He hums with pleasure when I sink my hand into his loose curls—just long enough for me to grab onto and therefore the perfect length.

That patience I manifested disappears. With a firm grip on his head, I thrust so hard he gags, and then I keep going. His face feels wet against my skin, and I’d give anything to stare into his watery eyes at this moment, were it not for the dark. At the very least, I can listen. The more I slam my hips forward and force myself farther back into his throat, the louder Bailey whines. Until his back arches while he’s still got my cock in his mouth and his whole mouth vibrates. Hearing his pleasure tips me over the edge, and he gulps every last drop down before slowly rising again. His nose brushes near mine before he leans forward and rolls his tongue in my mouth. Not at all my kink, even in the slightest. But the smirk on his lips when he kisses me reignites that same mental record skip of his name. Bailey’s in my car. Bailey’s kissing me with the faint taste of my cum still in his mouth. Right after Bailey got off from sucking my cock. Bailey, Bailey, Bailey.

He pulls away, for what really is the final time this evening, shifting his jeans around and closing his belt. Then he moves to lift my hoodie over his head.

“Keep it for now. It’s cold out there,” I say to him.

“Are… you sure?”

“I have another. Besides, you can give it back to me tomorrow at the farmer’s market if you really want.”

“What if I can’t get there?” With a haughty smirk, he pulls the bottom hem back down over his wet stomach. Fuck, I’d love to pin him down and taste him.

“I’ll give you a ride if you need one.”

“Yeah? What would Jess say about that?”

Before I can say it’s not his call, I realize he must mean because I’m supposed to be helping Jess. Doing my actual job. Not giving out rides.

“He’d say I’m the nicest guy he knows for helping you load your stuff in my car and handing you the keys so you can get yourself there. So long as you drop me off at the farm first, of course.”

Bailey snorts a laugh. “You’re sweet.”

And don’t I know it.

“I got a beater for emergencies, so you’re off the hook.” Bailey sighs once more before looking at me. “I guess I’ll… see you tomorrow.”

After Bailey gets out, I put the car back in drive and turn to head back toward my place. My headlights briefly illuminate him, standing by the side of the road and watching—waiting—for me to leave before he heads toward his house. Considering what just happened between us, I don’t take it personally.