“There’s some overlap between mountain biking and motocross. We sometimes film in the same areas, so I end up meeting a lot of the riders. I’m actually here visiting Jackson myself. I scored a lift ticket off him so I could ride the bike park for a few days.”
“They have motocross trails on the mountain?” His brows rise to his hairline, and I bite back another laugh. He’s sogenuine. It’s refreshing.
“Nothing motorized on the mountain.” I bump his leg under the bar, causing his eyes to dart briefly to mine. The trace of heat in them sends my pulse racing, but I force myself not to lean toward him. We are in public, and based on the covert glances he gave me the first time we met, my gut is telling me he’s not out. “Mountain bikes are a hell of a lot lighter than dirt bikes, and it’s a nice change to ride something that doesn’t weigh twice as much as I do. Plus, I needed a break from the guys. I love what I do and who I work with, but I’m literally withthose guys around three hundred days a year, and sometimes you just need some space.”
“I get that.” The soft tone of his voice makes me think he really does.
“Yeah?” I can’t stop the coy smile that tugs at my lip.
“Yeah. Although, now that I’m on a break from my little bubble, I’m realizing how much I like living in it.”
“What do you mean?” I take a bite of my burger in an attempt to reign in my flirting.
“Well, sitting here—before you joined me—I realized how much I like knowing people everywhere I go. It beats sitting alone for dinner.”
“But you’re not alone.” I let that little challenge linger.
“Not anymore.” Blake licks his lip again, and I swear I almost groan out loud.
“Is that a good thing?”
“Are you asking if I enjoy the company, or your company specifically?”
“Yes.” I take a bite of my burger, so the act of chewing keeps me from smiling too broadly.
“Hmm.” Those hazel take another trip over my body. “So far, so good.”
I haven’t been with a man in over a year, and while there have been plenty of women during that time, I’ve missed the weight of a male body against mine. The hard planes of a man’s chest, stomach, and hips. The hint of scruff on his face at the end of the day. The big, strong hands sliding over my skin. My desire to experience those things has been present ever since I sat down, and while we’ve shared some great conversation, my body is growing impatient with all the talk.
“What would make it even better?”
Blake lifts a nonchalant shoulder. “Privacy.”
Swallowing the last of my burger, I wipe my mouth and toss my napkin on the empty plate. “Any chance I can convince you to come back to my room?
“I was sorta hoping you’d ask.”
We each drop a few bills on the counter and head for the door.
Chapter two
Blake
Ibrush my palms over my shorts, trying to rid them of the sweat gathering there. Jace’s presence has me all sorts of anxious, like a friggin’ horny teenager, and I kind of like it.
Confident without being cocky, the face of a young adult with the knowledge of a man, a shared love of things with two wheels—I can’t pinpoint one specific thing that draws me to him. I just know I feel more alive in his presence.
My heart thrums erratically as our shoulders brush together, and I know if I stretch my hand out just slightly, I’d be able to reach his. I’m tempted, if only so I can feel the same jolt I did when we shook hands earlier. But that’s a couple thing and we aren’t one, no matter how familiar he already feels.
Destiny, fate, meant-to-be… When it comes to my love life, I’ve always assumed it'll unfold however it's supposed to. How could I not when I grew up believing I was the only gay guy in town? I’d either have to leave to find my person or hope fate brought him to me. I tried leaving without any success, so I resigned myself to the conclusion it’s out of my hands. And since I was hopelessly drawn to Jace the first time Ilaid eyes on him… Let’s just say I really started to believe in destiny at that point. Or at the very least signs from the universe.
Then he left town abruptly, and I figured I was getting ahead of myself. That didn’t stop me from fantasizing about him, though. So, finding him here—now—seems pretty significant. Especially since we’ve run into each other outside Katah Vista.
There are many things I love about my tiny hometown, but the dating scene isn’t one of them, especially if you’re gay and still in the closet. First off, there aren’t an abundance of single people there year-round, let alone people with tastes like mine. Second, while I love small town life and the way everyone has each other’s backs, I don’t love the lack of privacy that comes with it. When people date or hook up it’s big news, not because people are gossipy but because there’s not much else to talk about in small towns.
Since my lifestyle is so different from what’s considered “normal” it would definitely get tongues wagging, and I just haven’t wanted to deal with that. Not that I think my interests would make me a pariah—the fact that several male couples now call Katah Vista home is evidence of that—but none of them work with kids, and since I do…
Maybe I should give people more credit. They haven’t given me a reason to think they’d object to me working with their little ones, but I’ve spent so long being terrified about how people will react that I don’t know any other way to be. It’s basically ingrained in my bones to guard myself against potential scrutiny. So, I keep my preferences, and my affairs, to myself.
