“Yes.”
“You want me to eat your ass now to celebrate?”
“Obviously.”
Chuckles spilled from both our lips as I sat up and tugged at his underwear. I hoped he was as happy about this as I was, that he really wanted to do it—the dinner, not the ass eating. That much I knew he craved.
I’d seen the progression in him over the weeks and months. Zander was starting to trust me more and more, and I valued and respected that with everything I had.
When he was naked, I lay between his spread thighs…parted him, took in the sight. “My favorite hole ever. So pretty and pink…so tight.” I circled his rim with my finger.
“He wants to say hello to your tongue.”
“He’s a needy little thing, isn’t he?” I blew on him.
“Eat me! So I can get back to work.”
“Oh, did you remember to have dinner tonight?”
“Harrison!” he groaned.
God, I loved him. I really fucking did. “Fine. Dessert first, meal later.”
He pushed up some, pressing his ass to my face. I nibbled at his cheeks again, then did as I promised—licking him, fingering him, pushing my tongue in deep until he cried out and came all over the mattress.
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face all night.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Zander
I was nervous as shit.
I couldn’t believe I’d agreed to ask Mom about coming to Atlanta for a holiday that both Harrison and I were iffy on, given the history, but we both used it as a reason to spend time with family.
I told myself that was why I did this. That I wanted Mom and Bug to get a feel of my life in Atlanta.
A quiet voice inside me, though, one I tried to bind, bury, and silence, kept whispering that them coming to Atlanta wasn’t the only reason or the main reason I’d said yes.
I wanted Mom to meet Harrison. And Ross too, of course. I wanted to feel like part of a real family, a bigger family. I wanted Mom and Molly out of our hometown, away from the gossip and memories, and for them to see this place where I hoped they would one day come and live with me. Not in Harrison’s house—I would never live there—but in the city.
I was stalling, wasn’t I?
It had only been a day since I’d told Harrison I would ask. I just wanted to do it, to get it over with so we could make plans. The wording of my thoughts felt off, though, as if this wasn’t something I wanted, but it was, and that freaked me the fuck out.
Hence, me sitting on the futon in Ross’s condo after getting off work, overthinking this whole thing instead of just calling Mom.
I picked up my cell phone and hit her name in my favorites.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite son,” Mom answered.
“I’m your only son.”
“You’re still my favorite. How are you?”
“Good.” And I was. I was better than I’d ever been. It felt like my life was finally coming together. That there wasn’t as much pressure, everything wasn’t as hard, and God, I wanted to hold on to that.
“That’s what I want to hear,” she replied. There was some rustling on the line, and I could tell she’d covered the phone and whispered something about going outside. “What’s new? How’s life? And the car guy?”
“He’s not the car guy, Mom. He’s…” How did I even put him into words? I wasn’t sure it was possible. Harrison felt bigger than that. He felt…well, I didn’t want to focus on what he felt like. “He’s Harrison. My friend.”
“Your friend whom you spend a lot of time with.”
Great. It was clear she’d been forming her own conclusions about me and him, and now I was going to ask her to come to Atlanta, to stay at his house and spend time with us?
“It’s not a thing, okay? Not a serious one. I need to make sure you understand that before I continue with what I called to say.”
“Okay,” Mom replied softly. “Is everything all right?” Her voice was full of questioning concern. In fact, it had been a little off since the beginning of the call, now that I thought about it.
“Yes. Is everything good with you?”
“Of course it is. But you obviously called to tell me something, so let’s have it.”
Let’s have it, huh? I didn’t even know where to start, how in the world to do this. “Harrison is forty-one,” fell out of my mouth, and I wished I could snatch the words back. Why had I told her that? But then it was probably important she knew it. If she did come here thinking we were in a relationship, she’d have been surprised when she realized his age.
“Okay. I didn’t see that coming, but it’s not a huge deal.”
“He’s also Ross’s dad.”
There was a short pause on the line. “Oh! He really is just your friend? I didn’t believe you. I thought you were just trying to keep something from me. It’s nice that he’s been so helpful to you. I wish I could do those things for you.”
No, Mom, you really don’t. Please don’t even think that because, gross.
My chest tightened. It was suddenly a little hard to breathe, like her words were a fist around my throat, a weight on my chest. She thought Harrison was nice to me in a parental way. I’d told her Harrison’s age, and who he was to Ross, and that automatically made her think there couldn’t be more to us…because it didn’t make sense, right? We were too different, our age being only one of the reasons. The last part of what she’d said pushed its way through to the front of my thoughts, and I said, “That’s not why he does nice things for me. He doesn’t see me as his son’s friend…” Or, God forbid, like a son. “We’re friends, and Harrison is a good person. I do things for him too.”
Nothing like lending him a car, but I tried to always be there for Harrison.
“I didn’t mean to make it sound as if you weren’t friends. I’m sorry if that came off wrong. I just really thought you were dating and didn’t want to tell me.” She chuckled.
I kind of felt like throwing up.
“We’re getting off-track here. I wanted to talk to you about Thanksgiving. I was thinking…well, you haven’t gotten out of town in a while. It would be good for you and Molly both. Do you guys think you’d want to come to Atlanta for Thanksgiving? I could come and pick you up and then take you home. I have the whole week off, so you could spend a few days.”
“Oh…wow…you’re cooking that big of a meal?” she teased. I’d never done that in my life and didn’t plan to start now.
“Well, no…we’d be at Harrison’s…and I know that sounds weird, considering what I just told you, but Ross and his girlfriend will be there too. Harrison’s friend and his husband are coming. They invited me—invited us—and I just wanted you to get a feel for my life here. I can take you to some of my favorite places. I know you’ve been to Atlanta before, but not since I moved here.” God, I was rambling. Shut up, shut up, shut up!
“We’d stay at your condo?”
Fuck. This was a mess. And made absolutely no sense. Why had I thought this was a good idea? “We’d actually stay at Harrison’s. He has more space. There are only two rooms at Ross’s, but at Harrison’s place, you and Molly could share and I’d have my own.” Because I sure as hell wasn’t going to sleep in Harrison’s bed while they were there. “And I can come and get you—shit, I already said that.”