15. Indiana
FIFTEEN
INDIANA
Holding Salem’s hand, I lead him straight through the bar and out of the front door, not bothering to announce our departure. The guys will figure it out soon enough.
“You good to walk from here?”
Salem nods. “Sure.”
It’s only a couple of blocks back to the house, but a few steps in, we’re stopped by a curious voice.
“Salem?”
He tenses next to me, his hand tightening around mine before he lets it go. To our left, a man steps out of the candle store.
“Jackson,” Salem says with a tight smile.
“It is you.”
Jackson has a big smile on his face, but Salem doesn’t seem at all receptive.
“Yep.”
“How have you been?” Jackson asks. “I thought you left Willow Bay a long time ago.”
Salem, shuffling his weight, glances at me with what I can only read as… shame? His cheeks are turning pink and he looks like he smelled something off.
“I lured him back,” I say, jumping in with what I hope is a Hail Mary. “I’m opening a bar and restaurant and really wanted Salem in a management position.”
Salem blinks rapidly, exhaling slowly as he drops his shoulders. “Too good of an opportunity to pass up, and I was ready to leave the corporate world.”
“Oh wow,” Jackson says. “You’re the owner of the old Jimmy’s?”
“Co-owner,” I answer.
“Wild. We could definitely use some new entertainment in town.”
“You live here?” Salem asks.
Jackson nods. “Yeah. Came back about six months ago when my dad got sick. Now I’m helping my mom fix up the house so she can sell it and downsize.”
“Oh, sorry for your loss.”
“He’s alive, but he’s in assisted living now. Stroke.”
Salem nods. “Oh, um, this is Indy. Jackson and I went to school together.”
Jackson extends his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“Are you leaving again after you get your mom settled?” Salem asks.
Jackson nods but shrugs at the same time. “Maybe? I’m not sure. I got divorced two years ago, and it’s been ugly. She wants to move to Colorado where her family is, which means I’d be far from my kids. I don’t know.”
“She?” Salem repeats, then clears his throat. “Sorry. Sounds rough.”
Jackson frowns. There’s obviously some kind of background here making them both uncomfortable. I decide to interject again. I don’t like seeing Salem sad.
“If you’re still in town when we open, you should stop by.” I take Salem’s hand and pull him just a little closer. “We should probably get going.”
Salem’s face relaxes as he nods. “Yeah. Good to see you, Jackson.”
“You too, Salem.”
We walk on silently for another block. I can tell Salem is processing the interaction, and even though I’m crazy curious, I bite my tongue.
“Thanks for helping out back there,” he says, smiling up at me. “I obviously needed it.”
I nod, squeezing his hand, thankful he hasn’t pulled it away yet. “Not a problem. Did you want to talk about it?”
He huffs a breath, chuckling darkly. “It might ruin your high opinion of me.”
“I doubt it.”
After a pause, he says, “I discovered my sexuality with Jackson.”
Oh. I was not expecting that.
“We were friends, and during the course of hanging out and sleepovers, we experimented.”
“Okay.”
“Once I was sure, I decided I wanted to come out. I had no intention of hiding. I didn’t expect him to come out too. We weren’t dating or anything.” He drags his free hand through his hair. “But I thought he was my friend and that he’d support me.”
“I’m guessing he didn’t?”
Salem scoffs. “Not even close. He distanced himself and basically acted like he never knew me.”
“Damn. That sucks. ”
“Yeah. I already had a hard time because I was skinny and wore glasses and wasn’t that cute. I wasn’t popular or interesting or…” His words trail off as he shrugs. “But I trusted Jackson.”
“And he broke that trust.”
“Big time. I was the first person he told that he was gay and vice versa.”
“Is that why you reacted to him having a wife?”
“Kind of. I know sexuality is a spectrum and maybe he’s shifted where he identifies over time. I guess it just kind of hit me that he went on to live this traditional heteronormative life after deserting me to my gay one.”
“I get it.”
“You probably don’t, but thanks for saying that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you ever not looked like a god among men? Have you ever been bullied? Unpopular? Discarded? I bet you came out and challenged anyone to say shit to you.”
Do I tell him I never actually came out? That I just did what I wanted and let everyone else figure it out? Probably not.
“Having a different life experience doesn’t mean I can’t empathize and understand.”
“You’re right. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I want you to feel like you can talk to me.”
He glances up, his big eyes filled with sadness, stirring up something feral and possessive in my chest.
“I can go kick his ass if you want?”
Salem laughs, pressing his forehead to my arm. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
We turn the corner to the house, and I’m wondering if sex is the wrong move now when he’s feeling raw. But if we don’t do that, what do we do? Talk? Ugh.
“Can I ask you something? ”
I nod. “Yep.”
“How did you know you liked guys too?”
I chuckle as memories rush back. “It was easy. From a young age I always wanted to be around guys doing guy shit like football, or mowing the lawn or painting houses with no shirts on. I would get a fucking chub around construction workers. We’d be watching a TV show or a movie and a man would step out of the shower or some shit with a towel around his waist and I had to use a couch pillow to hide that I was turned on. It was obvious to me.”
“And it felt equal to girls?”
“Not equal. It took me longer to find out I was attracted to women. It was high school before I was interested in having sex with a girl.” I glance at him just as we arrive at the house. “Over time I realized I’m attracted to men and certain types of women.”
He nods, pausing as I unlock the door and open it.
“How did you tell people?”
“I didn’t. My folks were like ‘oh, you’re dating a boy. Oh, now you’re dating a girl. Now a boy again. Got it.’”
He laughs softly. “Why does that fit your vibe so much?”
I laugh. “I refused to come out. Fuck that.”
“Your parents were okay with it?”
I shrug. “They sort of ignored it. My sister asked me point blank if I was bi, I said yes, and that ended it. I’ve never cared what people think of me or my life choices.”
“Must be nice.”
I wrap my arms around him, smiling as he tilts his head back to gaze up at me. “Do you want to go upstairs, gorgeous?”
His eyes heat as he slowly nods. “Yeah, Indy, I do.”
I kiss him before I release him, and he seems to melt into me. I’m dying to know why this gorgeous man with subby bossy bottom vibes is a stone-cold top, but I have a feeling asking is the equivalent of taking the lid off of a box he’s not ready to explore. At least not with me.
As I move back, he follows me, stealing soft, steamy kisses. I lean against the banister, pulling him into my arms again and indulging in the taste of his mouth, sweet and warm and eager.
“Fuck,” I whisper against his lips. “You’re so amazing, Salem.”
He laughs softly, sliding his hands down my chest to the button of my jeans. “Let me show you how amazing.”
I nod, gazing down at him as he undoes my jeans and tugs them off my hips. He sighs as he briefly rubs against me, pressing a kiss and a nibble to my jaw.
“You are an unbelievably sexy man,” he says before sinking his teeth into his plush bottom lip. “Almost unreal.”
“I’m real, beautiful.”
His smile is sweet, even shy as he slides down my body to his knees. I sigh, burying my fingers in his hair and twisting just slightly. Salem rubs his face against my thigh before blowing hot breath over my balls. My cock twitches and leaks, leaving me slightly off balance.
“Mmm,” Salem murmurs. “So responsive.” He looks up at me, seductive but somehow innocent at the same time, as his pink tongue darts out to moisten his lips. “Even your cock is perfect.”
Before I can find words for a reply, Salem drags his tongue over the underside of my cock, and I exhale, grabbing the railing for balance. I don’t have time to take a breath as Salem stops holding back and teasing me, sliding my entire length down his eager throat. He takes me to the hilt, rubbing his lips at the base as if to make a point. Sir, your point is clear as fuck.
Salem gags and slurps on my dick, digging his hands into my thighs until I scoot us back so I can sit on the steps. He pops off me long enough to grin and settle between my spread legs before diving back in and sucking my balls into his mouth .
“Jesus, fuck,” I moan. “Your mouth is heaven.”
Salem swallows around me, drawing another obscene sound from me, and without thinking about it, I start to pump my hips. He nods, his eyes filled with the desire I feel too. Damn, this man is stunning with my dick in his mouth.
The closer I get to the orgasm I need, the more my mouth waters, desperate for a taste of him too.
“Get ready, gorgeous. I can’t wait to feel you on my tongue.”
His eyelids flutter and he moans around my cock, sending vibrations and sparks of electricity through me. Usually, the closer I get to coming, the more aggressive I get, but there’s something about Salem that soothes me and makes me want to savor each experience with him.
He digs his fingers into my knees, expertly sliding his mouth up and down my shaft, sending me into the stratosphere when he gently massages my tightening balls.
“Oh fuck,” I grunt, pumping my hips. “Salem.”
He doubles down, sliding my length as far down his throat as possible, and when I come, it’s like I’ve never come before in my life, every one of my senses focused on his warm mouth. He moans and hums around me, milking me completely and swallowing every drop, and when I’m finally drained, he leans back on his heels, grinning and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
I’m fucking wrecked, splayed out on the steps and gasping for air. A thousand thoughts fly through my mind until they slow and settle on one.
There’s no fucking way I’m anywhere close to done with Salem.