Cameron rolled over and hooked a hand behind Anthony’s neck, drawing him in for a kiss while they were serenaded by their favorite songs.
“Wow!” Anthony said when pulling back. “I definitely see some abnormal swelling.”
“It’s kind of painful,” Cameron admitted.
“Don’t worry,” Anthony said, his hands already working to undo his pants. “I know exactly how to deal with such things. Just relax and leave it all to me.”
Cameron put his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling until a wave of pleasure made his eyelids flutter shut. Then he ran his fingers through pink cotton candy hair as Anthony’s head rose and fell, like a ship bobbing along a blissful sea.
— — —
Despite her best judgement, Keisha Hart slowed on her drive home and took a right turn, entering a trailer park that she had no business visiting. She tried to silence her thoughts as she cruised down the lane between trailers, because this was just about the saddest way she could end Valentine’s Day. Which was a shame, considering how well it had all gone. She’d had fun with Mindy, as always. More importantly, she had come out to one of her friends for the first time.
That wasn’t quite true. Silvia held that honor, although she hadn’t felt like a friend at the time. Keisha’s attraction toward her had only grown stronger the more they’d seen of each other. Like a gravitational force that couldn’t be resisted. She would have bet it all that Silvia felt the same way in return. Which is why Keisha had boldly marched into the record store and kissed her. A mistake that continued to haunt her dreams.
Keisha pulled over and turned off the Bronco’s headlights. Silvia’s trailer was across the street, her bedroom light still on. Was she with Omar now, rolling around on her bed while he plastered over that magical kiss with smooches of his own? Except it hadn’t been anything so trivial. Keisha knew what it felt like to kiss another woman. Yes, by default it came with a certain level of excitement, but what she’d felt with Silvia had rocked Keisha to her very core. Like getting woken up by a bucket of ice-cold water to the face. But it had felt good. Incredible, in fact. So how could that be a fluke? And how could she have been so wrong?
And yet, Silvia had been nothing but dismissive after that kiss. Which bothered Keisha. And made her feel crazy. Like she was deluded enough to think they belonged with each other, when in truth, only one of them was losing sleep. And yet, here she was, late at night on Valentine’s Day, parked outside her crush’s home and staring at her window.
Keisha knew she should leave.
But she didn’t want to.
Maybe she was some sort of depraved romantic, because she had the strangest urge to leave her mark. A traced heart on the outside of Silvia’s bedroom window—like a calling card that represented her feelings and her last name. Of course with her luck, Hugo would catch her in the act. Wouldn’t that be fun to explain to Silvia? Or her parents.
With a dejected sigh, Keisha reached for the heart-shaped box of chocolates that she’d bought with Mindy. They had already eaten half of the candy inside. Keisha popped a bonbon in her mouth before returning her attention to the other side of the street. The bedroom light had gone out. She almost hoped to see the blinds peek open. Let her be discovered so she was forced once more to confess her feelings! She didn’t detect any motion, or see curious eyes peering out at her. Keisha remained discarded and forgotten.
Which was some serious bullshit, because they had agreed to be friends! Keisha had barely seen Silvia since that day. Sure, she hadn't made much of an effort either, but after putting herself out there and getting rejected, Keisha needed a sign that she was wanted in any capacity. She reached for another bonbon before deciding she was jittery enough. She glared at the box, not wanting another reminder of love and its many complexities. That’s when she got an idea.
Keisha replaced the lid on the box of chocolates. She took it with her and climbed out of the Bronco. Shutting the door as quietly as possible, she walked across the street casually, just in case she was being watched. Silvia failed to appear, so she continued around the back of the trailer to a little garden. A smile came unbidden as she remembered the snowball fight that had taken place there. She had felt like such a winner at the time, and now she felt like a foolish loser. Silvia freaking Diaz. Why in the world had she ever let herself fall so hard?
Keisha spotted an old toilet on the lawn that had been repurposed as a planter. She walked right up to it, tossed the heart-shaped box of chocolates inside, and hit the lever to flush. Nothing happened, of course, but she felt better anyway. At least until she got back in her SUV. Then she looked longingly at the trailer again and sighed. If only she could flush away her feelings so easily. She wouldn’t though. Even now, through all the longing and frustration, Keisha didn’t really want to quit. That wasn’t her style. Not one bit.
After starting the Bronco, Keisha drove away, but she wasn’t alone. Silvia remained an ever-present passenger in her heart.
— — —
Ricky winced in discomfort before opening his eyes. He was momentarily disoriented as he blearily considered a dimly lit cave. The candles had all but burnt down, the fire reduced to a low flame that halfheartedly licked the remaining wood. The last thing he remembered was Diego holding him while murmuring comforting words. Ricky felt his reassuring presence behind him still. And the lingering effects of the edible, which made his thoughts pleasantly fuzzy. Diego’s breaths were deep and slow against his back. Ricky resisted the urge to giggle. They had finally slept together, just not in the way that—
The thought was cut short as he noticed two glowing eyes watching him from across the cave. The creature was inside one of the low narrow tunnels he’d worried about before. Of course wild animals took shelter here… But how many? And how much longer before they pounced on him and Diego like an easy meal? The fire chose that moment to shift and crackle. The creature turned its head toward it, the light catching orange fur, a pointy snout, and two alert ears. A fox!
Ricky gasped in surprise.
“S’goin on?” Diego mumbled from behind.
“There’s a—” Ricky blinked. The fox was gone. Had it been the lingering fragment of a dream? Or a drug-induced hallucination? Or maybe the fox didn’t like the idea of tangling with someone as big as his boyfriend. “Never mind.”
Diego groaned. “Did you fall asleep too?”
“Yeah,” Ricky said.
“Ugh. I’ve been working way too much lately.” Diego squeezed him closer. “Wanna know what I dreamt about?”
Ricky wiggled his butt experimentally and laughed. “I can guess.”
His boyfriend thrust against him before rolling over onto his back. “Come sit on it.”
“Okay!”
Ricky pushed himself up before settling down on Diego’s hips, making sure that his rump was perfectly positioned.
Diego yawned sleepily before bucking and making him bounce.
Ricky laughed. “I feel like a cowboy!”
“I’ll be your stallion,” Diego growled. “Come here.”
He bucked hard enough that Ricky fell forward, Diego’s thick neck straining to reach his lips.
Ricky leaned forward for a kiss. He was pulled close as Diego resumed grinding. Despite how much that turned him on, a little voice in the back of his head kept yelling, waving its arms, and doing everything possible to get his attention. Ricky reluctantly pushed himself up to consider the cave. No sign of foxes or any other animals, but…