Lord, he loved his mother, but she was like a dog with a bone when she got on the subject of his love life. “What you see are two friends. Gay men can be friends without anything more between them. Rico and I are nothing more than that, and that’s the way it’s gonna stay. Please.” He laid a hand on her arm and gave a gentle squeeze to emphasize his point. “Nothing’s gonna change that. And he feels the same way. Neither of us needs anything from the other.”
For a moment he thought she understood, and then she turned her attention back to the pot on the stove, but not before pursing her lips and shaking her head.
“Everyone needs something, darlin’. You gotta find out what it is and give it to them.”
Adam left her standing over the chili pot and brought the bowls to the table, placing one in front of Rico, who gifted him with a smile. Having Rico sitting across the table from him made Adam antsy as hell. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed Rico until he saw him. And tasted him. And now that he was here, all he wanted was to find some time and a place for them to be alone, but with his mother’s words hanging over him, Adam wanted to prove her wrong about him and Rico. They were strictly friends, nothing more.
And yet he couldn’t get over how surreal it was to have Rico sitting in his parents’ kitchen, talking to his father about vegetable farming. Whydidhe come all this way? His asking Rico was meant as a joke; Adam never expected Rico to take him up on it, knowing how tied to the catering business he was. Adam dipped his spoon into the chili and ate, his mind full of disturbing thoughts, the first of which was how to keep his self-control around Rico for however many days he planned to stay.
As if she read his mind, his mother joined them at the table with a glass of iced tea. “How long will you be stayin’ with us, Rico?”
First shooting him an uneasy look, Rico answered, “I think only the weekend. I have to be back to the business on Monday.”
“It must be hard work running a business, just you and your partner.”
“It is, and this is the first time I’ve left it for two days in a row, but we’re slow this weekend, so Gideon, my partner, told me to take off; then the next time we’re slow, he’ll get the time.”
Adam shoveled another spoonful of chili into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully, flicking his gaze over to Rico as unobtrusively as possible. Two days, but more importantly, two nights. They’d never spent that much time together, and Adam’s appetite fled, thinking of Rico sleeping in the same house. Adam also noticed that Rico tried to be polite and listen to his parents, but his red-rimmed eyes and subtle yawns indicated how tired he was.
When he managed to catch Rico’s eye, Adam nodded and stood, taking both their empty bowls. “Mama, this was delicious, as usual, but I think I should get Rico settled in his room.”
In an instant, his mother went into protective mode. “Oh, I’m sorry, Rico. Here we are, sittin’ around shootin’ the breeze while you’re too nice to tell us how tired you are.” Collecting the cups, glasses, and other utensils on the table, his mother walked to the dishwasher, still talking away. “Adam, I put Rico in the guest room down at the other end of the hall, you know, where Grandma used to stay?” She turned and smiled at Rico. “It’s almost like its own apartment—it has two rooms and its own bathroom, so it’ll be nice and private-like. You know how loud your daddy snores, Adam.”
Yes, he did, but Adam would bet his left nut that had nothing to do with why she put Rico at the opposite end of the house from them. Knowing his mama, she hoped that with Rico ensconced in the suite, Adam might be more apt to stay in Rico’s bedroom.
She couldn’t know that was both Adam’s wish and fear. He vowed to keep his hands to himself. Rico came because he was a friend and knew Adam was hurting from the death of that young boy.
“Good night, everyone, and thank you, Mrs. Barton, for that delicious chili. Maybe you’ll give me the recipe?” Rico flashed his winning grin.
“You need to call me Grace, and I’ll be happy to share. Now sleep well and long. Don’t be worryin’ about breakfast; it’ll be there whenever you boys wake up.”
Adam kissed her good night and whispered, “I see what you’re trying to do, and you should stop. Nothing’s going to happen.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But her eyes smiled up at him, and she squeezed his hand.
Together he and Rico, who’d picked up his duffel bag at the bottom of the steps, trudged up the stairs, and Adam took in Rico’s surprise at how large the house was, as it didn’t show it from the front.
“You know they say everything’s bigger in Texas. The house is spread out,” he explained as they walked down the wide hallway, shoulder to shoulder. “There’s plenty of room, and so Mama and Daddy figured, why not make it as comfortable as possible for everyone?”
“Makes sense.”
He stopped by the wide oak door. “Well, here it is. I’m sure you’ll find everything—”
He didn’t have a chance to finish as Rico opened the door and pulled him inside, closing it shut behind them.
“I’m not gonna fuck you in your parents’ house tonight.” Rico flattened him against the door, molding that strong body against his, and Adam went hard, feeling the thrust of Rico’s equally rigid cock against his hip. “But that don’t mean I can’t do this.” He grabbed the back of Adam’s neck and crashed their mouths together, lips meeting in a heated kiss. Aching pleasure rolled over him, and Adam moaned into Rico’s hot, open mouthed.
“Oh fuck.” He flailed for a moment, not knowing what to do with his hands until he reached around Rico’s waist to grab his ass.
“Oh yeah.” Rico humped against him as they continued their frantic kisses, lips sliding a burning trail as they sucked and licked each other. “I could fucking eat you up.”
Rico’s sweatpants proved too much of an impediment for Adam, and he yanked them down, along with Rico’s boxers. All his best intentions to keep his hands off Rico melted away at the sight of Rico’s dark cock rising up between them.
“Fuck it,” he muttered and sank to his knees, wanting nothing more than to taste Rico and swallow him whole.
The bitter taste of Rico’s precome filled his mouth, and Adam reveled in it, loving how it invaded his senses until all he could think, see, or smell was Rico. He bobbed and sucked, licking around the soft, smooth head, feeling the tip of Rico’s leaking dick twitch against his lips before he ran his tongue down that thick ridge, licking at it as if it were the sweetest candy cane at Christmastime. It jutted out wet and proud, and he left it to nuzzle Rico’s balls, rolling the soft sac in his mouth while touching the sensitive skin behind them.
“Holy fuck.” Rico hissed out his obvious pleasure, and after toeing off his sneakers, stepped out of one leg of his sweatpants to widen his stance. “That mouth of yours will be the death of me.” Gentle now, Rico touched the top of Adam’s head, as if to guide him back up to his straining, leaking cock.
