Page 50 of Beyond the Hedge Maze

Chapter 21

Jesse

Present

“You know, I’m rather put out I didn’t get a kiss,” Oliver said as they crossed the threshold into Jesse’s London flat.

They both kicked off their shoes, and Jesse loitered by the door as he watched Oliver step further inside, exploring the space and picking up random objects to inspect. The flat wasn’t anything special; one bedroom, with minimal decorations and personal effects. It was a place to shower, eat, and sleep, nothing more. Jesse had considered making it more inviting, but that would have been a commitment to London, and he wasn’t willing to do that.

Jesse met Oliver across the room and took his face in his hands. He kissed both of Oliver’s cheeks, one on each dimple, then moved to his forehead, purposefully avoiding his mouth. “Have I been leaving you wanting?”

Oliver stood on his toes, his hand tightening on the back of Jesse’s neck as he hovered his mouth in front of Jesse’s. “Not from you. From Sean.” Oliver quickly pressed their lips together and then backed away, returning his attention to the flat. “Can I use your bathroom?”

“Sure, it’s down the hall.”

He watched Oliver walk down the hall and wanted to follow him. Anticipation was heavy throughout the flat, and Jesse could only imagine what was coming next.

When Oliver rejoined Jesse in the living room, he picked up a photo of Jesse sandwiched between Michelle and Tanvi that was resting on a nearby end table. “How do you think it went tonight?”

“Well, I got phone numbers from the twins. Both said they’d be reaching out, and I don’t think they were threatening me, so I’d say altogether good.”

Jesse spent as much of dinner as possible trying to get to know Rachel and Isaac. They hadn’t grown up in the same part of the city, but Jesse didn’t realize how much he missed talking to other Americans. They connected over their favorite pizza joints, and Jesse learned they rooted for the White Sox, not the Cubs. It was an opportunity for Jesse to reconnect to his roots, and they seemed eager to do the same.

He thought he might have detected some homesickness from Isaac, but he couldn’t be sure.

“Michelle was not at all as intimidating as you made her out to be,” Oliver said.

“Believe me, I’m shocked she was on such good behavior. I do need to call Sean and ask about Alex.”

“Who is that again?”

“He was our coxswain. He’s the guy who sits at the back of the boat and gives the instructions. Him and Sean spent a lot of time together. They made up the leadership of our team. I was surprised, I guess. I never picked up on anything between them.” Jesse’s attention wavered and Oliver crossed the room to stand in front of him.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never seen Isaac like that. He’s bi, so I’ve seen my fair share of him hitting on people, but he’s always so confident and smooth around whoever he’s interested in, not like…whatever that was with Charlotte.”

Jesse put his hands on Oliver’s hips and started walking him backwards to the couch. “I don’t want to talk about our friends anymore.”

Oliver’s gaze shifted to Jesse’s mouth and back up to meet his eyes. There was a playfulness there, like he was anticipating what came next just as much as Jesse was, but Jesse didn’t have a plan for how the rest of the evening would go. He had Oliver within his grasp, and that was enough.

“No? Then what do you want?” Oliver asked.

Their chests were pressed against each other, and Jesse reveled in the feel of Oliver’s breathing. The quickening of it, the rise and fall. “Take off your clothes,” Jesse directed.

Oliver smirked, his left cheek dimpling, and slowly lifted the hem of the jumper and undershirt he had thrown on for their date and dinner. Each inch of pale skin revealed was a prize, a reward that Jesse wasn’t sure he had earned. Once his top layers were discarded on the floor, Jesse raked his eyes over the leanness of him, his thin frame, the narrow strip of brown hair peaking from the top of his trousers. He had seen Oliver shirtless once, but that was before. This was a man standing in front of him now.

Oliver’s hair was disheveled, his glasses slightly askew, and Jesse deliberately dropped his gaze to his trousers. “Those, too.”

“You’re bossy.” Oliver was grinning, full and bright, and Jesse was trying his best to keep his shit together as he unbuttoned his trousers. Oliver tucked his thumb beneath the waistband and pulled them down. He carefully stepped out of each leg until he was left standing there only in a dark green jock and his socks. Jesse’s mouth watered at the sight of him as Oliver gestured up and down Jesse’s still-clothed body. “Not going to do anything about that?”

Jesse swallowed and tried to keep his hands from shaking. “Not yet. Sit down.” Oliver perched on the edge of the couch and spread his knees, his cock already hard.

Jesse stepped between Oliver’s open legs, the fabric of his jeans rubbing against Oliver’s bare skin. He bent over and gripped Oliver’s knees in each hand before taking his mouth in an urgent kiss. Oliver’s hands quickly twisted in Jesse’s hair.

Oliver tasted like the white wine he had with dinner, and Jesse was swiftly getting distracted by the kiss.

“Love, I need you to do something. Anything,” Oliver panted.

Jesse got to his knees and gently removed Oliver’s socks before trailing his hands over the bones of Oliver’s feet, through the hairs along his shins, until they settled around the backs of Oliver’s knees. He kissed the insides of Oliver’s thighs. The left, then the right. Then settled on the band of his jock. “Did you wear these just for me?”