A Clean Break (Gay Amish Romance Book 2) (29 page)

It was late when David returned to the patio. In the darkness, he listened to the murmur of cars and the city, wishing he could see the stars. So many nights in Zebulon he’d stared at the sky, imagining how vast the world was but having no idea.

The longing to be back in the country filled him like air in a rubber tire, stretching against his insides. Not Zebulon, but a new place. A peaceful place of his own and Isaac’s where he could see the heavens and hear the crickets sing, inhaling oak and fresh grass.

The kitchen window over the sink was open, and voices drifted out—Jen and her mother.

“But how long will they stay?”

“As long as they want. Mom, I told you—I’m not getting pregnant yet. It has nothing to do with Isaac and David being here. The timing isn’t right. So please drop it.”

David was against the wall by the window, the bricks rough through his T-shirt. The hair on his bare arms stood up in the chilly night air. He knew he shouldn’t listen, but he couldn’t seem to make himself move.

“I just worry, Jing-Jing. You are no spring chicken.”

Jen barked out a laugh. “I’m well aware.”

After a few moments of silence, Gloria asked, “Do you think those boys are really…you know.”

“
Gay
? Yes, Mom. They’re gay.”

“But maybe they’re just confused.”

Jen sighed loudly. “They’re not confused. Neither is Clark, as you well know by now.”

“It makes me sad, Jing-Jing. You know they won’t go to heaven.”

A clatter made David jump, and he held his breath, his heart lurching.

“I don’t
know
that at all.”

“Okay, okay. Don’t throw things.”

Gloria switched to Tagalog, and David stopped listening. Even after they’d gone, he shivered by the wall. He heard the words over and over, Mother’s voice joining in with Gloria’s. Then Bishop Yoder and Deacon Stoltzfus’s as well, until it was a cacophony in his head.

They won’t go to heaven.

They won’t go to heaven.

They won’t go to heaven.

“David?” Isaac was there, taking David’s face in his hands. “Are you sick?”

“No.” David tried to smile. His heart raced, and he was dizzy.
God, please not now
. He forced a deep breath. He couldn’t let Isaac see him come apart. “Just a little. I ate too much.”

Isaac caressed his cheek. “Are you sure?”

Looking into Isaac’s sweet face, pinched with concern, David wanted to collapse into his arms like a child and confess his terrible weakness.

No
.

He couldn’t burden Isaac with his muddled fears. It would only hurt him to hear what Gloria had said. “I’m sure.”

“Everyone’s gone home.” Isaac brushed a hand over David’s hair. “Come on. You should lie down.”

“Okay. I’m right behind you. Get the bed warm.” He kissed Isaac lightly.

Inside, David listened to Isaac’s footsteps grow faint, and was careful to lock the sliding door. The main floor was quiet, with only a small light in the kitchen still on. For a moment, David could almost believe it was a lamp, and could smell the kerosene and imagine the heat of it if he touched his fingertips to the glass.

They won’t go to heaven
.

His bare feet only a whisper, David went to the liquor cabinet.

No
.

“I don’t need it,” he said to himself. “I’m fine. Everything is fine.”

David wasn’t sure he believed it, but he made it upstairs and crawled under the covers Isaac held open.

The pounding of his hammer echoed off the concrete as David finished the final drawer of a kitchen hutch for a customer in New York. At least Alan and his music had been absent so far that day.

He hauled out his roll of bubble paper from beneath the worktable to wrap the drawers. It seemed strange to pay to ship something all the way across the country, but the customer obviously could afford it, and who was he to argue? It was good money, and David could pay off Aaron and Jen all the faster and then talk to them about room and board.

He swiped at his damp forehead. The week had been hot for late April. The bus was more crowded and sweaty than usual, and David still cringed as he remembered the crush of people—elbows and bags and breath as the vehicle lurched along, the bell dinging for every single stop. He was already dreading the ride home.

“Morning.”

David jumped, his hand to his chest as he spun around to find Isaac in the doorway. There was a breeze outside that didn’t make it in, but he’d left the door open in vain hope. Happiness bloomed in him. “Hi.”

“Sorry to sneak up on you.” Isaac dropped his backpack near the door. He hadn’t put any gel in his hair, and it brushed a bit over his forehead like it used to.

“It’s okay. It’s a good surprise.”

They moved into each other’s arms, and Isaac inhaled loudly. “Mmm. I miss the scent of sawdust. I love that I can still smell it on you when you come home, but it’s good to be here. I want to work together today like we used to. Time feels like it’s passing really fast. You know what I mean?”

David nodded, his heart light. “But are you sure you don’t need to be at school?”

“I’m sure. I went in and cleared it with my teachers. They’re really flexible.” Isaac leaned back and brushed at something on David’s shoulder. “You were asleep when I got home last night, and you were gone this morning when I woke up. I feel like we keep missing each other lately.”

It was true, and David wasn’t sure how it had happened. “I know. How was the game?”

“It was fun. Baseball’s kind of confusing, but Derek and Chris taught me the rules. I wish you could have come.”

David smiled ruefully, holding up his hammer. “Me too, but…” He reached for another board. He’d barely finished a cabinet in time for a late pickup from the delivery company. Not that he’d been too upset to miss an opportunity to say more dumb things to Isaac’s friends. He’d gone to Flanagan’s again for a late supper and a couple of drinks. It was nice to talk to Gary every week or so. For some reason David didn’t feel intimidated by him.

“Do you want to get started on the sanding there?” He jutted his chin toward a stack of rough wood.

“Sure.” Isaac rolled up his sleeves and plugged in the electric sander before putting on eye goggles. “This thing makes it a lot easier than it used to be.”

The whine of the sander was loud enough that they couldn’t talk, but David felt peaceful with Isaac working beside him again.

“I missed this,” Isaac flipped off the sander and reached for another piece of wood.

“Did you?” David smiled tentatively.

“Of course! School’s great, but sometimes it’s so much to take in. This is…I don’t know. Comforting, I guess. And I miss being with you.” He turned the switch on the sander.

David vaguely remembered Isaac’s breath on his neck the night before, his lips tender as he slipped into bed and drew David against him. Watching Isaac now, bent to his work, affection and
want
washed over him. He put down his hammer and rounded the table, motioning to Isaac to turn off the sander.

Isaac took off the goggles. “What is it?” He squinted at the wood he was working on. “Am I doing it wrong?”

“No, no. You’re doing it right.” David tugged him close. “I just wanted to say hi.”

He kissed Isaac softly, and Isaac melted against him, his arms stealing around David’s waist. They deepened the kiss, their tongues exploring. With their hands and mouths, they said everything so perfectly. David slipped his fingers underneath the hem of Isaac’s T-shirt and hoodie, caressing his skin and teasing the little mole near the base of his spine.

When they broke the kiss to breathe, a smile lit up Isaac’s face. “Hi.” He rubbed his nose against David’s. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” David bit back a moan as Isaac kissed the sensitive spot behind his ear. He splayed his hands against Isaac’s back.

Isaac nudged his thigh between David’s and rolled his hips. His breath was hot against David’s neck as he kissed and sucked. “Sometimes I wish we were back in your barn. Just the two of us for hours a day. It seems like here in the world there are so many other things to worry about.” He huffed out a laugh, lifting his head. “Not that we didn’t have worries in Zebulon.”

David ran his thumb over Isaac’s lips. “I want you so much my Isaac.”

“Do you want to fuck me?” Isaac whispered, rolling his hips again.

They were both getting hard in their jeans, and David moaned. Tangling his hand in Isaac’s hair, David kissed him fiercely. Isaac usually only used bad English words at times like this, and it made David’s balls tingle to hear it. “Is that what you want?” He shoved his other hand down the back of Isaac’s boxers and skimmed along the crack of his ass and over his hole.

Isaac groaned. “Yes. You in me.”

David ran his fingertip around Isaac’s hole, dipping just a tiny bit inside. “You want that?”

“
Duh
.” Isaac smacked David’s shoulder. “Go close the door.”

Laughing, David kissed him again. “So bossy.” He scurried to the door and locked it. When he turned around, Isaac was peeling off his shirt and kicking off his shoes. David licked his lips. “Do you want to…on the couch?”

But Isaac shook his head as he unzipped his jeans by the table. “Here. Like we used to.”

It was all David could do to not sweep the table clear with a stroke of his arm, but he managed to empty it without breaking anything. He unfurled a drop cloth. Isaac was naked now, and he bent over his backpack, fishing for something. When he straightened up he grinned.

“Like the view?”

His throat dry as if he’d swallowed sawdust, David nodded and tore at his own clothing. The cement was rough, and he snagged his jeans with his foot and stood on them as Isaac scooted onto the table with his ass at the edge. Isaac spread his legs, lifting his knees to his shoulders. His flushed cock curled up toward his belly

“Like this? Just like the first time?”

“
Yes
.” David covered Isaac with his body, kissing him deeply. “You’re beautiful.” He bent and kissed the tip of Isaac’s cock, working his tongue over and around the head. The salty taste of the drops there sent desire blazing through his veins, and he licked downward, lapping at Isaac’s balls and nosing at the wiry hair. Isaac’s thighs trembled, and he moaned loudly.

“Oh,
oh
. It feels so good. Oh, my David. Please…”

David loved the feel of Isaac’s fingers moving through his hair, tightening when he licked a wide stripe along Isaac’s ass and over his hole. He huffed a warm breath over it, and Isaac jolted.

“Please—I need you.” Isaac grabbed at him. He shoved a tube of lube into David’s hand.

Laughing, David popped the lid. “You came prepared.”

“Yes,” Isaac said boldly, although he blushed to the roots of his sandy hair. “I missed you. I want you.”

David leaned over to kiss him soundly. He pressed his slick fingers against Isaac’s hole, inching one in first. “What does it feel like?” He knew what it was like when Isaac was inside him—burning and full and
good
—but it made his blood sing even louder to hear it from Isaac. He pushed his index finger in to his second knuckle.

Isaac bit back a gasp, his eyes closing for a second. When he opened them, his gaze was dark, and he squeezed around David’s finger. “It feels…tight. Like nothing else will fit, even though I know it will. It’s not enough. It makes me want more.” He squeezed again.

David obliged, inching in another finger and twisting his hand, feeling Isaac clench and then relax. “That’s it, Eechel.”

“I want more. It’s burning like a hot poker, but it’s nothing compared to your cock.”

With jerky movements, David pulled his fingers free and slathered his shaft with the lube. He hauled Isaac right to the very edge of the table, pressing his thighs back. He nudged at Isaac’s ass with the head of his cock. “Keep talking.”

Isaac thunked his head on the table as he moaned. “It feels too big, and it’s stretching me so far, but—” He cried out as David thrust into him.

With another push, David buried himself all the way. “Tell me.”

Lips parted, Isaac panted softly. “It’s like I can feel your heartbeat inside me. I was so empty, and now you’re here.” He ran a shaky hand over David’s chest. “It hurts a little, but I love it. Love you.”

Rocking his hips back and forth, David fucked him, their skin slapping together, the wet sounds loud in the small garage. “Love you so much. You feel incredible,” he muttered. “So good.”

He inhaled the smell of their sweat and sex, tasting it on his tongue as his lips parted. Watching Isaac spread and flushed beneath him, David wasn’t sure why he worried so much. As long as he had Isaac, everything would be all right. Forget the city, and new people, and all the things David didn’t understand. This was all that mattered.

His thrusts were erratic, and he was making low grunts that sounded strange and desperate. He wanted Isaac to come first, but as he stared into his warm eyes, the pleasure overcame him, twisting through like a tornado as he jerked and spilled into Isaac, bending him practically in half. He imagined he was shooting so deep that drops of him would be there forever.