9. Indiana
NINE
INDIANA
I return to the bedroom with a soapy cloth and hand it over to Salem. A sexy smirk dances on his lips.
“What a gentleman.”
I laugh, falling onto the bed beside him. “No one likes crusty cum on their skin.”
“Truth.”
Salem hands me the cloth and I toss it across the room into the clothes hamper. He sprawls back, raising his arms above his head, and I indulge in the sight. Salem is beautiful, but with an edge to that beauty. The details are perfect—soft, curved, delicate—but somehow, combined into the package that is Salem, there’s an underlying sharpness to his looks. I like it.
Reaching out, I draw circles on his stomach with my index finger. He turns his pretty eyes to me, and I see the struggle reflected in them. He’s somewhere between vulnerable and defensive. What’s his story?
“Are we talking or just waiting for your cock to reload?”
I shake my head, rolling onto my side. “So snarky.”
“That’s me, Mr. Stoic. ”
“I’m not stoic.” I tickle his side and he shivers slightly. “I have emotions.”
Salem raises an eyebrow. “That so? Reserved for best friends only?”
“Pretty much.” I roll slightly to kiss his arm. “Takes a while for me to warm up.”
“I can relate.”
“Yeah? What’s your backstory?”
Salem tenses, visibly blanching.
“We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. We can keep it all on the surface if that’s easier.”
“No, it’s okay. I guess I’m a little embarrassed by my epic rise and fall.”
“I’ll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours.”
Salem smiles slightly. “Deal.” After dragging his hand through his hair, he rolls onto his side to face me as well. “I have a love-hate relationship with this town. Mostly hate. I was raised here and never quite blended in. School was fucking awful. I was picked on every day.”
“For what?”
“Everything. Too small, skinny, quiet, then weird, and finally gay. I couldn’t wait to get the fuck out of here once I graduated high school. I took off for New Onyx, got a decent job, and busted my ass to work my way up.”
“Doing what?”
“Insurance. I wasn’t selling it though. I worked in the corporate office.” His gaze drifts to the ceiling for a moment before returning to me. “My plan worked for a long time. I made it to senior department manager and was making great money. I had a nice apartment, a car, and was basically living the life. No one cares about being different in the city.”
“True.”
“A few months ago we started hearing rumors that our company was going to be bought out by a bigger competitor. It turned out the rumors were true, and once the sale went through, they laid off everyone in a management position and thirty percent of the staff.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah. Unfortunately I had shit for savings and the severance packages weren’t that impressive after they took taxes out. I thought I’d find another job easily, but four hundred people flooded the same job market all at once.”
I nod in understanding.
“I was offered two positions that were entry level and paid way less than I was used to. I couldn’t do it. I blew through my savings and finally had to face the facts. I came back home to collect my thoughts and figure out my next steps.” He blows out a breath. “That’s how I ended up back in Willow Bay living in the basement of my childhood home.”
“Hey, at least your folks let you stay with them.”
“I’m grateful, I really am. They aren’t bad people. I thought my dad would give me shit because he wasn’t a fan of my plans to ditch college and move to an expensive city, but he’s been supportive.”
“That’s good.”
“What about your folks? Are they good people?”
“My dad died seven years ago. Car accident.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. My mom lives in New Onyx and she’s dating again. Her current beau is only five years older than me.”
Salem chuckles. “Oof. Is that hard?”
“Nah. I don’t hang out there. My sister lives close by, so she fills me on stuff. I think my mom is figuring out what she wants to do with her life now. We’ve always butted heads, so it’s better for both of us if I stick to holidays only.”
“Family stuff is hard sometimes.”
“It is, but I consider the guys my family too. I’m closer to them than any blood relative. They’ve been there for me through every win and loss. I called them after I lost my last job and told them my idea to buy a bar in Willow Bay, and they signed up, no questions asked.”
“See, now this is interesting. You alluded to Lowen’s story, but what about the others? You guys are all in your forties, right?”
“Just forty.”
“Oh. Sorry, old man.”
I poke his chest playfully and he laughs.
“Kit moved to California to work as a graphic designer in his uncle’s company, but it proved to be challenging. There are lots of buyouts and high turnover in that industry, and even with his uncle’s help, he was never able to get where he wanted. He was ready for a change.”
“Kit seems like a good guy, but I can’t quite get a read on his energy.”
“He’s fun, pretty chill. A lot like me, actually.”
“Cool. Ridley? He’s a wild one, huh?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, Ridley is one amazing dude. He’s smart as hell. Can you believe he’s an engineer?”
“No way.”
“Yep. He was tired of the politics and conservative nature of his industry, plus he inherited the house and a ton of money from his great uncle, so coming back to Willow Bay was an easy choice for him.”
“That’s really cool.”
I nod. “Bane and Jerryn moved to Seattle and worked in finance. They didn’t go too deep into their reasons for coming back, but I got the sense that they were just bored and ready for some excitement. They’ve been purchasing rental properties as investments for a while, so they have a nest egg. ”
“Which leaves you.”
“My story is similar to yours. After graduation I moved back to the city and started working at an investment firm. Eventually I owned my own small firm, but I burned out, sold it, and started working in tech on the finance side. I wanted to work for startups, which led to a series of layoffs. The final blow was a month ago when the company I worked for was sold. I decided I needed a change.”
Salem nods, studying my eyes. “What did you leave behind in New Onyx? Any former spouses?”
I scoff at that. “Fuck no. I’ve never even come close to marriage. The closest I ever got to actual commitment was a massive mistake I’ll never make again.”
“Ooh, now we’re getting to the good stuff. Tell me all about it.”
“It’s not that exciting. Just a lapse in judgment. My roommate snuck into my room one night and we ended up fucking. Eventually she wanted more, of course, so the whole arrangement imploded.”
“She?”
I nod. “I’m bi.”
“Interesting. I think you’re my first.”
“First bisexual man you’ve messed around with?”
“Pretty sure. Unless you count all the ‘straight’ guys who just wanted to try me out. They claim straight, so I call them straight. Far be it from me to label someone else’s sexuality.”
“Fair. Lots of straight guys in your past?”
“It was a thing for me for a few years. Maybe it was vengeance fucking or something, but I wanted to seduce every guy who claimed he was straight in some kind of fucked-up retribution against my bullies.”
I chuckle. “That’s kind of badass.”
Salem grins. “It was, but then I got bored. Too easy. ”
“So no former spouses in your past?”
He shakes his head. “God, no. Marriage sounds awful. One person for the rest of your life? Eww.”
“I’m not much into monogamy myself.”
“Polyamory then?”
“Nah. Too much work. Like I told you earlier today, relationships in general aren’t my thing.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” He scoots a little closer, draping his arm over me. “Tell me something, Indy. How do you feel about bottoming?”
I pull my head back slightly. “Bottoms make the world go round but I’m not one of them.”
His face falls. “Not even sometimes?”
“No, not ever. I tried it on myself once with a dildo way back in the day and decided it’s not for me. Why?”
“I don’t bottom either. Stone top.”
I’m sure I look as shocked as I feel. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” He rolls onto his back. “I knew you couldn’t be as perfect as you seemed.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“No offense, obviously, but we’re not sexually compatible.”
“We seemed pretty fucking compatible about twenty minutes ago.”
“But for how long?”
He’s obviously disappointed, and I’m not gonna lie, so am I. I kept him here hoping for a round two that involved me wrecking what I’m sure is a very pretty hole, but that’s clearly not gonna happen.
Salem slides off the bed, finding his jeans on the floor. “It’s probably best if we quit while we’re ahead, right?”
“You’re leaving?”
“Yeah. ”
I jump up, grabbing his wrist and pulling him closer. “There’s a lot we can do that doesn’t involve penetration.”
His face is tense, but it softens as he allows me to pull him between my knees as I sit back down. Salem cards his fingers through my hair, his eyes searching mine.
“I know, but I also know where this inevitably leads. I’d rather have this one amazing night than frustration and even resentment between us.” Salem bends his head and presses a soft kiss to my mouth, but I wrap my arms around him and deepen the kiss before he can move away.
He whimpers and I swallow the sound, knowing the attraction between us isn’t going to die off just because it should. I want more, but I’m also not going to beg. I’ve never had to work to get someone in my bed and I’m not about to start now.
When I let him go, he sways slightly, his eyes dazed and lips damp. Fucking hell, he’s beautiful.
“Thanks for tonight then.”
Salem nods, swallowing so hard I see it happen. He drags his fingers under my chin, scratching gently like I’m his favorite dog. “See ya, Indy.”
“See ya.”
I watch him gather his shirt and shoes and pad out of my bedroom. I could walk him out, but that would only make things more awkward.
It takes all of five minutes for my bedroom door to open and Kit to enter, a huge shit-eating grin on his face.
“Can I help you?”
He joins me on the bed, lying on his stomach. “What happened?”
“You want details?”
“Not for the main event. I heard it, thanks.” He shoves my arm. “After. He hightailed it out of here like someone was chasing him. It sounded like it went well. What spooked him? ”
“He decided we’re not compatible.”
Kit scoffs. “Who the fuck isn’t compatible with you?”
“Apparently Salem. He’s a top.”
Kit’s jaw drops for a second before he cackles and I shush him.
“Stop it,” I hiss.
“Dude. That pretty little twink is a top? We should’ve known. He has top energy.”
“Yeah.”
“Neither of you are willing to be flexible, huh?”
“I bottom for no one. I don’t know what it would take to get me to consider it, but one night with a man I barely know isn’t it.”
“And he’s the same?”
“He didn’t elaborate, but he made it real clear it’s not on the table. He left saying it’s better we end it now before it gets complicated.”
“Pretty smart actually. At least you know he’s not a clinger.”
“Yeah.”
“But you’re bummed out.”
I nod. “The sex tonight was good. Really good. It’s like lighting a firecracker, then finding out it’s a dud and fizzles out too soon.”
“Oof, that’s rough. And you have to see him too.”
“Sure do. Kind of why I wanted the rule.”
“What are you gonna do now?”
I shrug, pulling at a loose thread on my jeans. “What can I do? Chalk it up, enjoy that post-sex mood, and move on.”
A sly smirk spreads across Kit’s face. “I have a feeling this isn’t the last of Indy and Salem.”
“Yeah, well, you’re wrong. We all know I don’t chase. If he’s done, I’m done. No big deal. ”
Kit pats my shoulder. “Sure, Indy.”
“Get out of my room. I’m tired.”
Kit chuckles. “I’m going, just don’t be shocked when you’re bent over begging for some twink dick.”
I roll my eyes and flip him off as he laughs, leaving me alone. After he’s gone, I kick off my jeans and slip under the sheets. The scent of Salem mixed with sex lingers in the air, stirring my cock once more, but I push back the memories.
There are plenty of other twinks in the sea.