CHAPTER NINE #2
She stepped to the side even as he was falling, arms splayed out. “Ahhh!” a voice screamed, and Raj slammed into him. Sticky caramel splattered both their bodies.
If he’d been smart, he would have aimed for the ground. But in his haste, Adam collapsed right onto his table. All of his apples flew backward, smashing into the food truck behind them until they became caramel applesauce.
Silence sliced through them. Panting and hugging the crock pot, Adam tried to flip over when he realized he was stuck. The caramel had glued Raj’s chest to his back. He peered over his shoulder into the most demented and gorgeous eyes he’d ever seen.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
?
In the moment, Raj thought it was a brilliant move.
Tackling the man who had ripped away his caramel made sense, right up until he wound up on top of him, with steaming hot sugar quickly cooling between their bodies.
Physics being what it was, he landed with his pecs pressing into another man’s shoulders and his hips digging into a tight ass.
The pain of hitting the ground was nothing compared to the agony seeping through his bones.
Embarrassment? Yes. Regret? Sure. But an insatiable hunger to run his palms below Adam and pull him tighter to their already stuck bodies besieged Raj’s mind.
“Mr. Choudhary?” Adam whispered, his voice straining.
“Yes?”
“Will you get off of me?”
The awkward struggle became a valiant one.
Raj dug his palms into the dirt, trying to get leverage.
He fought to peel himself off, but the caramel was hardening fast. Raj managed a few inches and slid his knees under him.
Then Adam scrunched his abs, shoving his ass up.
If Raj had been able to roll away, that ass would have found only thin air.
Instead, Adam sat the whole curve of his bouncy buttocks in Raj’s lap. And there was a stirring.
Heat burst in his chest like a rising phoenix. He’s going to yell, and flail, and panic, and run away. Raj tried to still his cock before it did any more damage. Reaching for it was impossible. Moving would only make things worse. He chose to go stock still and wait for Adam to move.
He did. That soft, round curve rolled up the whole of Raj’s rising shaft. A strangled gulp slipped from his lips. “What…?” Raj stuttered, his brain broken while his body gave in to the feral pleasure of a man against him.
A hand wrapped around him.
At first, he assumed Adam was trying to push him off. But when the fingers brushed over Raj’s forearm, then clamped down, Raj’s hands slid forward. He did his best to not groan while children got their faces painted ten feet away.
“Whoa, what happened here?”
The sound of Logan turned Adam’s body as stiff as a board. He released Raj just as Logan’s face peered over the tipped table. “Need some help there, man?”
Raj scrambled, fighting to get himself off of Adam.
He fought back twice as hard, nails digging into the table as they tried to pull apart—only to come slamming back together.
Somehow, as they wormed their way to their feet, Adam managed to twist. The caramel stretched until Adam looked Raj right in the face.
Both men panted after that challenge. A wad of caramel stretched between them as they clung to the opposite side of the table. Their sugary bondage was broken, as were their egos.
Logan was the only one laughing. “Is this what small towns do in autumn?”
It was Adam who caught his breath first. He gave a snarl at Logan, “No. Usually, if I’m covered in sticky goo and clinging to a man…” He leveled his gaze right at Raj. “…I enjoy it.”
You didn’t object to my cock between your asscheeks.
Every year of his life taught him to only think that cutting remark, but his tongue thundered to unleash it. To point out that if being under him was so horrific, why did Adam grab his arms? Why did he grind back as if they were about to strip and make better use of that caramel?
“Hey, man?” Logan dropped an arm over Raj’s shoulder and stared at him from the side. “You okay?”
He couldn’t trust himself to speak and just nodded. Everything was peaches and cream.
Damn it. Why did I think of cream?
People were finally coming to and rising from the wreckage.
He caught the other table trying to pick up their apples in the mud.
People who’d been here to watch the spectacle ran up to either gather apples or nick them.
A five-pound box of sprinkles had exploded, covering the dirt in a mess of purple, green, and orange.
The mayor paced back and forth, both hands clamped to his ears.
“Who is responsible for this disaster?” he cried out.
Adam and Raj looked at each other, their eyes flared, and they shouted at the same time. “He is!”
“Me?” Adam mocked.
“You ripped my crock pot out of the wall,” Raj stormed, squaring up.
Adam mimicked him, his legs wide. “After you stole my caramel.”
“Because you nicked my apples!”
“Those were my apples!”
A chest pushed into Raj’s, then a finger flew in his face. “They were mine, in my box, right there!” He tried to turn to point to where his station had been, but in their rage, the two of them had walked closer. Once again, the caramel ensnared them.
“Damn it.” Raj gritted his teeth and fought to escape. Clinging to the table wasn’t working.
“Oh, you fu…duging words I can’t say right now!” Adam cried out.
He didn’t have a choice. Looking past the man who was about to bite his head off, Raj dug his palm into Adam’s shoulder. The heavy groaning froze. Only quick breaths erupted from Adam as Raj pushed off of him to break free.
“I’ve almost…” Raj leaned back, certain he finally had it.
Out of nowhere, a knife flashed before his eyes.
He yelped and almost went rushing back to Adam.
Silver cut down, slicing apart the caramel bonds.
They’d both been pulling so hard, they flew back.
Adam slammed into his box of apples and fell on his ass.
Raj landed on Logan, who was quick to catch him.
“Honestly!” an old lady huffed. She still held the knife in her hands as she glared at Raj, then her son. “You’re both acting like children.”
“I am not,” Adam said, and his mother stared at him. “That doesn’t count. He…” Whatever hate he intended to spit at Raj faded. Instead, Adam spun around and worked back to his feet.
“What are we going to do? These apples are ruined?” the mayor cried out.
“You can salvage most of them,” Adam said. He peered over at the ones he’d made, most of them smashed to pieces inside their cellophane. “Probably not those.”
“This is your doing, Stein!” The mayor jerked an accusing finger at his caramel-coated chest, and Adam shrugged it off. “Because of you, we can’t sell apples. The Halloween committee will go broke. We’ll have to cancel everything!”
“Please. This was what, maybe two percent of the budget. Just dip into the rainy day fund. You’ve got plenty shored up there.”
“That’s not what it’s for,” the mayor thundered to the masses fighting to rise. Many were glaring at Adam, sure, but quite a few cast the stink eye at the newest resident.
Damn it. All Raj wanted was to join in the fun. But he had to fall for Adam’s shit. So he’s made his own damn haunt, knowing it would kneecap ours. Ruin our opening days. Maybe even run us out of business…
Anger flared through his regret. The longer he stared at Adam, the hotter it burned. Grab that tousled, wild hair. Wrench his head back. Glare into those silvery-blue eyes, then kiss that smirk off his juicy, sculpted lips.
As if reading his mind, Adam tossed his head away from the mayor and stared right into Raj’s soul.
He cocked his hip, daring him to do so much more than bite that smile.
Kissing him wouldn’t banish that smirk. No, he’d keep it up, dare Raj to do more.
But if he sucked that cock down his throat, Adam would fall apart at those tailored seams. For a brief moment, Adam’s eyes flickered down Raj’s body, and he bit his lip.
“I…” A panicked squeak broke through Raj’s wall.
Unfortunately, it was loud enough to catch everyone’s attention. “Mr. Chowdery?”
“I’ll buy them,” Raj said. “The broken apples. A donation to the town.” What am I saying? Literally anything so he didn’t have to explain what he’d really been thinking.
“Really?” the mayor exclaimed.
Raj smiled and nodded, reaching for his business checkbook. The mayor spun around, offering to let him write it on his back. Logan pressed in close to ask, “What are you doing?”
“Helping this town out of a jam,” Raj said and handed over three thousand dollars like it was nothing.
The mayor damn near bit the check before he folded and hid it in his jacket. “You are a saint, good sir. And you…” He spun on Adam, who tightened his crossed arms. “Young man, you are on thin ice. One more disaster like this, and we might have to rethink your honorary position in this town.”
Adam’s mouth dropped, his eyes on fire. “Are you serious? No.” He threw his hands up to wash them of the whole thing. “I’m returning to my store, that brings in tourists and taxes year-round. But please, keep kissing up to the man with a haunted hotel. I’m sure he can save you all.”
With that, Adam stomped away. As he went, he undid the buttons on his caramel-drenched vest, then threw the whole thing in the garbage. While it sank into the mess of ketchup-soaked napkins, he glared at Raj. “This isn’t over,” he mouthed and vanished into the crowd.
Raj slapped a hand to his chest, his heart pounding fast. He couldn’t afford to go another round with Adam Stein. But could he live with himself if he didn’t try?
The mayor corralled over a photographer, then stuck out his hand for a picture. Raj smiled and tried to reach out, but his palm was stuck in the caramel.