I lean in against Mom, bumping my elbow affectionately against hers.
“Thanks, Mom.”
She smiles at me, then narrows her eyes slightly. “Why are you asking?”
“No reason,” I blurt. “Just wondering, that’s all.”
She huffs a laugh. “Are you going on a date, Michael?”
“Yeah,” I shrug, then quickly add, “Idodate, you know?”
She smirks. “If that’s what you wanna call it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve just never asked me for dating advice before. Must be someone really special.” She looks at me knowingly, and I almost blurthe is,then bite my tongue, and just nod instead.
She goes back to shaping the burgers, her fingers working with years of experience as Bruce sings in the background.
Eventually, she says, “Just be yourself, Michael.”
I manage to nod before she pulls the rug out from under my feet in real-Mom fashion. “That’s who he’s always wanted, you know. Just you.”
Well, fuck me.
Oranges and reds from the flickering fire dance across Dennis’ face, doing something to his brown eyes, making them sparkle as he looks at me.
“This is nice,” he says, his voice breathy. He trails his fingers through the sand, drawing random patterns, his arm brushing up against mine. There’s still an undertone of defeat in his voice, of sadness, but he looks way more relaxed now than when I picked him up half an hour ago.
“Yeah?” I reach for his hand, tangling our fingers together. “I kinda panicked at first, but then Mom told me to just be myself. That you’d like that.”
He sucks in a breath, looking at me wide-eyed. “You told her?” Surprise coats his voice, a blush spreading across his cheekbones.
“She guessed.” I smile, squeezing his hand, his skin so warm and soft, doing things to my heart that I can’t describe but that just feel so good. “I’ve never asked for her advice on a date before,” I admit, “so she kinda knew something was different.”
“And she knew it was me.” It isn’t a question, but more of a statement.
I nod. “Yeah, I guess she knew long before I did.”
He squeezes my hand back, his thumb tracing circles across my knuckles. “I think Wes and Aaron did, too.”Aaron. Shit.I never even thought about that. What will it mean to our friendship now that I’m dating Dennis? Because wearedating, aren’t we?
Dennis must read my worry because he chuckles, his voice low and warm. “Don’t worry. I think he’s okay with it. Told me we should just be good to each other.”
Good to each other.
I instantly relax and scoot closer to Dennis, releasing his hand to wrap my arm around his shoulder instead, pulling him against me.
“I can do that,” I murmur against his temple. “Be good to you.” He looks up at me, his lips pressed into the cutest pout. “I’ll do my very best to be that, Den. I can’t make the past go away or give you your job back, but I can promise you I’ll always try to treat you right.” The ‘better than that asshole did’is left unsaid but implied.
He nods as the blush tinting his cheeks deepens into a warm pink. “I know you will, Mike,” he sighs before he leans in, closing the gap between us. “I struggle with trust, but with you I don’t. I worried it would be a factor if I dated again, but I don’t feel that way with you.” He presses the words against my lips, and the fire inside starts all over again; my chest, my gut, every limb suddenly aflame. I open for him, and his tongue dives into my mouth, sweeping gently against mine at first, before hunger takes over, and he sucks on my tongue. And just like that, I grow hard, my cock swelling in my jeans, a thousand sensations flowing through my body, the need for him unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
Dennis moves against me, moaning into my mouth, and before I know it, he’s straddling me, sitting in my lap, his body flush against mine, his heart racing. I can feel it. I can feel his need for me, too, his hardness pressing up against mine. He’s so warm and smooth, yet hard in all the right places. His muscular arms wrap around my neck, and his fingers dive into my hair, tugging at the strands while he does something with his hips. It’s a rolling motion, like a wave of intense pleasure washing over me, the scent of him and the repetitive sound of the ocean in the background coming together.Heis an ocean, threatening to pull me under and sweep me away, and suddenly it’s all too much. I’ve never felt this loss of control before, and it scares me beyond words.
“Dennis, Dennis, Dennis,” I chant, pushing him away from me carefully. I don’t think he hears me as he chases my lips when I pull away. “Stop.” I laugh against his lips, and he freezes in my arms like he’sbeen stung by a bee, pulling away from me immediately. Uncertainty and regret flash through his eyes as his bottom lip quivers.
“Shit. I’m sorry, Mike. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” He glances away, his eyes filled with shame.
I quickly catch his chin between my thumb and index finger and turn his face back toward me, but he still avoids eye contact.
