Love Ahead: Expect Delays (12 page)

complete evaluation of the Roth-family vehicles.

“What do you think of this Subaru Legacy here?” his dad asked.

“It’s a good, solid, reliable car,” Austin said.

“You see? That’s what I told you, Rose! A reliable car! My words exactly!” He

maneuvered over to the other vehicle. “And what about this? Eh?”

“Nissan Altima?” Austin gave a polite inspection of the outside.

“Got it for three thousand dollars! I found a man here in Gun Barrel, and what

a deal we worked out. Runs like a charm!”

Austin nodded. “They’re a good company, and they handle well in bad

weather.”

“Exactly, exactly!” Zach’s father slapped Austin on the back. “I knew you’d

appreciate it!” He popped the hood. “Now, take a look at this engine…”

Zach wandered back into the house.

“Is he having a good time?” his mother asked. She was washing up after

dinner, a curl of her graying hair hanging loose over her face.

He rubbed her back. “I think he’s just relieved we made it here in one piece.”

She nodded. “He seems like a very nice man.”

“He is, Ma. I’m going to move in with him.” He hadn’t made up his mind until

that moment, when the words came out. But saying the words out loud to his

mother filled Zach with a tremulous sense of nervousness and excitement, the

excitement outweighing everything else.

His mother sighed. “You being careful,
bubbeleh
?”

“Of course.”

“You are wearing condoms, yes?”

“Ma!”

“You can get diseases, I hear. From a man’s petsy, if you don’t properly—”

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79

“Trust me, Ma. I got it covered.”

“Okay, then.”

Zach, mortified, walked back to rescue Austin. But he wasn’t in the garage

anymore. He found Austin outside on the balcony of the house, taking in the

snowfall over the fields surrounding Gun Barrel.

He looked lost and beautiful, Zach thought. And he looked like the man Zach

wanted to grow old with.

He moved to open the sliding door to the balcony, but his grandmother reached

Austin first. She handed him a refill of the wine.

Austin looked uncomfortable.

“Baaach,” Zach’s grandmother said in a throaty, guttural voice.

Austin remained quiet. Zach nearly laughed, seeing his awkwardness.

“The Broncos are going to kick your ass!” she cackled at Austin.

Austin narrowed his eyes. “
What
?”

“Goddamn Seahawks! I don’t care what the hell your new coach thinks he’s got

going. You are
all
going down next weekend, and I will weep tears of blood before

the Seahawks ever make it to the Super Bowl.”

Austin snorted, his affront clearly outweighing his surprise. “Bullshit,

Grandma.”

“What kind of team has neon green as one of their colors?”

Austin jerked back as if slapped. “Are you kidding me? You’ve lived here a few

months, and you became a Broncos fan?” He looked repulsed.

“I like teams with balls!” Bubbie cried. “Doesn’t matter how long an old lady

lives in Seattle, doesn’t mean she’s ever going to be a twelfth man. I was a Steelers

fan, even before the time of the Terrible Towel. Now I’m a proud Broncos fan.

Everyone else just fills up the schedule.”

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Astrid Amara

Austin scoffed. “Oh yeah? Well, good luck. Any team that thinks it’s a good

idea to get rid of Jay Cutler for a Bears quarterback, of all things, is going to need

all the help it can get!”

“Bleacchhh!”

“Besides, the Hawks already made it to the Super Bowl once. We can do it

again.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t win, and you never will!”

Austin snorted and raised his glass. Bubbie raised hers, and the two toasted.

“To our sweet, assured victory.” He smiled. “Go Hawks!”

“May your whole team burn in a fiery crash!” Bubbie clinked his glass.

* * *

said good night and made their way downstairs. Their flight was the following

morning, and although Zach was sad his time with his family had been reduced to

one short evening, he was still excited about going home.

“Hey,” he whispered once Austin joined him in bed. It was a double-size

mattress and barely fit one of them comfortably, let alone two. But Zach positioned

himself closely alongside Austin’s body to make it work.

Austin looked tired, eyes closed. He pulled Zach closer and gave him a lazy

kiss. “Yeah?”

“When we get back to Seattle, let’s look for a condo together.”

Austin’s eyes shot open. “What? You serious?” He grinned.

Zach grinned back. “Yeah. Nothing too far from Capitol Hill. I like the

neighborhood.”

“Maybe something on First Hill so I could walk to work.”

“That would be convenient.”

Austin smiled widely. “Wow. I’m not sure you’re serious. That wine must have

gone to your head.”

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Zach laughed. “I’ve been thinking about it the entire road trip.”

“Yeah? What made you change your mind?”

“You.”

“What part of me? My crowbar wielding? My throbbing dick? My expert

driving skills?”

“The whole package.” Zach reached for Austin, and Austin came to him, curled

around him tightly.

Zach intended to discuss their move further, but then Austin kissed him, and

he realized everything else could wait. For now there was just this—the two of them

silent as mice, moving in hot, tight confines of the guest bed.

They kissed until Zach’s cock rubbed painfully against his trousers, and he

could feel the rhythmic thrust of Austin’s groin against his leg. Zach stripped his

clothes and then returned to the bed, crawling on all fours. He remained on his

hands and knees, wordlessly explaining his desire.

He heard Austin’s breath catch but didn’t look as Austin fumbled for

something in his bag. Austin’s breathing changed, grew heavier, more labored, and

Zach heard the rustle of Austin’s clothes drop to the floor, felt his weight sink the

mattress as he crawled behind.

Zach’s parents were at the top floor, so it was unlikely they’d hear anything in

the basement, yet Zach and Austin instinctively moved in silence.

Austin reached between Zach’s legs. He slid his fingers, slick with gel, down

Zach’s crevice and pushed inside. With his other hand, he reached lower and gently

squeezed Zach’s dangling testicles.

Zach pushed back, and his ass made contact with Austin’s thighs. The hulking

presence of Austin’s strong body behind him, out of sight, but everywhere by touch,

excited Zach to such a degree he felt the first urgings of orgasm swell from the base

of his cock. He pushed back again, this time feeling the stiff urgency of Austin’s

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cock, his balls heavy and warm, catching on the heated flesh of Zach’s ass, then

slicking past the oil.

Austin gripped Zach’s hip, holding him steady. He fed his cock deep into Zach,

each inch thick and expansive, and Zach forced himself to breathe out, breathe back

in, make room. Austin’s penetration went on, it seemed endless, and then he gave a

small thrust.

They both paused, breathing heavily, once again getting used to the feeling of

being connected by their most intimate parts. They were one, coiled together, flesh

opening and expanding to each other’s needs.

“Go deeper,” Zach whispered, his voice ragged. Austin held Zach’s hips steady

and began to fuck him hard. The slap of skin, the sound of hushed breathing—it

was raunchy and delicious, the sensation increasing as Austin lifted on his toes and

changed his angle, his cock ramming thickly into Zach, slick lube making the slide

smooth, encouraging him ever deeper. Zach felt as though Austin’s cock penetrated

straight through the core of him. He glanced down between his arms at the

delectable image of his own cock, engorged with need, his balls slapping backward,

nearly touching Austin’s. Zach steadied his weight on one arm and reached under

himself to fondle Austin’s balls together with his. They simultaneously moaned with

the keen pleasure of such illicit touch, soft sac against sac, rolling in Zach’s palm.

Zach had to go back to supporting himself with both hands as the pounding

quickened, his ass open wide, taking all of Austin in, and he knew Austin saw this,

liked this, Zach’s body so exposed, so ready for him.

Austin pressed his hand down on Zach’s lower back, grinding Zach onto his

cock. Zach needed his own cock touched badly now. He keened for it, and Austin

understood his wordless craving. He circled his arm around Zach and stroked Zach’s

shaft, timing the pumps with each thrust.

Zach’s release started slow, a crawling ecstasy that exponentially increased,

and he muffled his cry on his arm, biting down. His ass clenched tight, pulsing

along with the large cock inside him, and Austin quietly came as well, spreading

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Zach’s cheeks as he shoved fully in and released. Zach felt the swell of liquid, each

pulse of Austin’s trembling prick. As soon as Austin pulled out, Zach collapsed flat

on the bed, arms exhausted from holding him up through such a pounding. Every

nerve still tingled.

Austin dipped his thumbs into Zach’s ass, both fitting easily inside, and he

slicked the gel there.

“I love the look of you like this,” Austin whispered.

“What does it look like?” Zach mumbled, closing his eyes.

“Like you just got fucked by a baseball bat.”

Zach laughed into the pillow. “A little egotistical, but I’ll let it slide.”

Zach turned slightly to watch, smiling at the entranced look on Austin’s face as

he fingered Zach’s hole.

“I think I could fist you like this, you’re so wide right now.”

The wonder in Austin’s voice nearly made Zach laugh again. “Better not. I’d

definitely shout from that, and Mom and Dad may hear.”

Austin pulled his fingers from Zach and laughed as well. “Yeah, we’ll save that

for a special occasion.”

“A housewarming present for me, maybe?” Zach suggested.

Austin’s eyes were bright. “Definitely.” He kissed Zach. “It’s weird how

sleeping in your parents’ house makes you all kinky.”

Zach laughed, then groaned as he forced himself out of bed. He helped Austin

up, and they both showered in the guest bathroom. It was so spotless, Zach

wondered if they were the first people to ever use it.

Back in the narrow bed, Zach assumed Austin fell asleep the second his head

hit the pillow. But minutes after they’d turned off the lights and pulled up the

sheets, Austin turned and spoke, his lips right next to Zach’s ear.

“I like your family. They seem genuinely nice to me. And they clearly adore

you to death.”

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“Bubbie really likes you,” Zach said. “That’s a good sign.”

“Yeah. Your Bubbie.” Austin sighed. “Too bad she became a Broncos fan.

Otherwise I could have really grown to love her.”

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Epilogue

Thursday, December 9

Denver International Airport bustled with activity as all eastbound flights

were canceled due to poor weather and stranded travelers struggled to make

arrangements to stay in the city.

Luckily, flights heading west were on schedule, and Austin felt high as a kite,

not a care in the world. He sat in the food court of the departures terminal, enjoying

the coffee in his hands and the company he kept.

Zach looked amazingly refreshed and healthy, given the ordeal of their last

week. The bruises were still livid on the side of his face, but his nose was no longer

swollen, and he was back to looking almost pretty with his long lashes and dark

eyes.

They made eye contact, and Zach laughed.

“What?” Austin asked, smiling back.

“You look like a little kid the way you’re clutching that iPod.”

Austin grinned down at his right hand, where he cradled the new iPod Zach

had bought him that morning as his Hanukkah gift. It didn’t have any music on it

yet, but it did come with a free movie, which would make the short flight to Seattle

pass easily.

“Thank you again,” Austin said. “But I told you, you didn’t have to buy me

this.”