Embracing the Unexpected (4 page)

Jace sat on the edge of the chaise lounge, but never
expected Parker to sit in the small space with him. He could have sat anywhere else
in the room. That had to mean something,
didn’t it
? They were close
enough that their thighs were pressed against one another and their shoulders
were touching. Parker had his hand in his lap, so Jace reached out and placed
his hand on top of it. Parker looked down at their joined hands, and Jace could
feel how tense his body was.

“Jace,” he said. “This is all new to me.”

“I know.” He tilted Parker’s chin up with his free hand.
“But you can feel it.”

He nodded and Jace felt a sense of relief. If Parker
realized there could be something between them then that was half the battle.

“I’ve been trying to fight it all week,” Parker said. “But
when you’re close to me, I forget why I’m trying to fight it.”

“Maybe you should just go with what you’re feeling.” Jace
wanted to encourage him, but he didn’t want to push.

“I had a really good time tonight,” Parker admitted. “And I
want to see you again.”

Jace leaned closer, never taking his eyes away from Parker’s
or removing his hand from his. He could feel Parker’s warm breath on his mouth
and his eyes looked so inviting.

“You’re going to have to go slower than you’re used to,”
Parker said.

“Slow can be good.” Jace smiled as he brushed his lips
against Parker’s jaw, moving toward his mouth. Parker looked down and Jace
sensed his embarrassment, but he couldn’t help himself, so he slowly moved his
lips against his. They were so soft and warm, and he wanted to explore more of
him, but he didn’t want to rush him.

He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to deepen the kiss. He needed
more, so he moved his hand over Parker’s shoulder and up to the back of his
head, pushing him closer to him as he slipped his tongue inside his mouth.
Parker briefly reciprocated and Jace thought he’d blow his load from the taste
of him, but then Parker pressed his hand against his chest and tried to push
him away.

“I don’t—” Parker was breathless, and although the man
looked conflicted he didn’t move his lips away from Jace’s.

“You don’t what?” Jace whispered against his mouth as he
pressed his forehead to his and played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“It’s just different,” Parker admitted. “But I like it.” He
shifted in his seat, and Jace knew exactly what he was feeling. He was sure
Parker was just as hard as he was.

“Parker,” he mumbled against his lips. “I’m willing to wait
for you, so why don’t you relax and let’s see where this goes?”

Parker closed his eyes and nodded, so Jace took that as
permission to continue. He slowly slipped his tongue inside his sweet mouth,
indulging in the way his freshly grown stubble felt against his jaw. Parker may
have started out slow and unsure, but after a few seconds, he was inching his
body closer to Jace’s and taking control of the kiss by twisting his fingers in
his hair and pulling Jace toward him.

Jace pushed him back against the chair so that he was lying
flat and then he moved in next to him, resting on his side. They continued to
kiss, and as much as Jace liked it, it was becoming slow torture. He wanted to
reach down and grab Parker’s cock, but he thought that would violate the ‘going
slow’ agreement.

“We have to stop now.” Jace couldn’t take much more. It had
been a few months since he’d been with anyone, and for weeks he’d been
fantasizing about being with Parker. He was afraid he’d come on the spot.

“What?” Parker pulled back just enough to see his face.
“Why?” His chest was rising and falling at a frantic rate, and Jace saw the
confusion in his eyes. He didn’t mean to reject him.

Jace gently kissed his lips. “If we don’t stop now, I might
not be able to. You’re doing things to my body. Things I haven’t felt in a
really long time.”

Parker smirked, revealing just how smug he could be when he
found out he was good at something. He ran his hand down Jace’s chest,
hesitating for a moment before moving over the bulge in Jace’s pants. Parker
continued to rub Jace’s dick a few times. Jace closed his eyes and moaned as he
allowed Parker to feel him.

“You might want to stop that,” Jace managed to say. If he
didn't this could all be over much faster than Jace would like.

Parker quickly unbuckled Jace’s belt and lowered his zipper.

“Wait.” He couldn’t believe he was about to stop this hot
man from whacking him off. He grabbed Parker’s hand before he could slide it
inside his boxers. As much as Jace wanted to continue, he didn’t want Parker to
regret anything.

Parker looked at him questioningly, and Jace had to wonder
where his new found confidence was coming from.

“We were gonna take it slow, remember?”

Parker pushed Jace’s hand away and slipped inside his underwear,
gently moving his thumb over his tip.

“Oh, fuck.” How was Jace supposed to stop him now?

Parker tensed at his words, and Jace wondered if he was
having second thoughts. His doubts about being with a man were perfectly
understandable. Jace only wished he would’ve stopped two minutes ago.

“It’s okay,” Jace said. “You don’t have to continue.”

“I want to,” Parker said. “I just don’t know what I’m
doing.”

“I’m sure you’ve been on the receiving end of this lots of
times.”

Parker looked down and Jace realized he’d embarrassed him.
But with Parker's incredible looks, Jace suspected women fell at his feet. How
could they not?

“Do what feels right,” Jace encouraged. “I just want you to
touch me.”

Parker took Jace’s length in his hand and pumped at a pretty
fast pace. Jace assumed this was the way Parker liked it too. It had been his
experience that men usually did to other men what they liked. Familiar
territory and all.

Jace threw his head back and let Parker jerk him off as he
placed hot, wet open-mouthed kisses along his jaw and neck.

After a few minutes, Jace turned his head and found Parker’s
mouth, attacking it with his own as Parker continued to squeeze him in his
hand. As Parker slowed his pace, Jace felt that wonderful sensation building
inside his abdomen, and then it quickly shot straight to his balls. The feeling
was unbelievable. It wasn’t that he hadn’t felt it many times before, but
knowing Parker was willing to do this despite his apprehensions and uncertainty
made it all the more meaningful.

“Parker,” Jace screamed as he shot his warm stream in
between Parker’s fingers and all over his own stomach. Parker continued to
softly kiss his lips before pulling away and smiling at him.

Relief flooded Jace’s mind when he saw that smile. He didn’t
see any regret at all in his beautiful gray eyes. They looked so pure and
honest.

“I’ll be right back.” Parker hopped up and went into the
hall bathroom.

Jace heard the water run as he closed his eyes and tried to
make sense of what had just happened. Parker returned with a warm, wet
washcloth and cleaned the release from Jace’s stomach. He opened his eyes and
watched as Parker tenderly took care of him. Jace moved up to the back of the
chair, fixed his pants, and opened his arms. He saw the intensity in Parker’s
eyes. He seemed uncertain, but then he crawled in between his legs and rested
his back against Jace’s chest. Jace placed gentle kisses at the back of his
neck, inhaling his delicious scent. He’d never forget the way he smelled. It
was manly, like spice and shaving cream, but there was a uniqueness about it.
Jace hoped Parker’s scent would linger on his skin all night.

“Not that I’m complaining, but I thought you wanted to take
this slow,” he said against Parker’s neck.

“I do, but I had this incredible urge to touch you. I wanted
to make you feel good, and it just felt right.”

“Hmm,” Jace murmured against Parker’s heated skin. “I’ve had
that same urge to touch you ever since you walked into that anger management
course.” Jace moved his hands to the front of Parker’s chest and ran them down
his well defined abs, working his way to the buckle of his belt.

“Jace.” Parker placed his hand on top of Jace’s and stopped
him. “This is the part I need time with. I’m not ready for you to touch me like
that yet.”

“I understand.” Jace wouldn’t do anything Parker didn’t want
him to.

“You do?” Parker said as he turned around to face him.

“Of course. I know you’ve already taken a huge step
tonight.” He placed a soft kiss on Parker’s lips. “I meant it when I said I’d
be patient with you.” He had a pretty good feeling Parker Phillips was worth
the wait.

Parker twirled Jace’s overgrown hair around his finger. “I
was so unsure when we started kissing, but instinct took over and it was as if
it was always meant to be this way.”

“I want you to be sure.”

“I’m sure about you, and I want to see where this goes.”

“Me too,” Jace said.

Parker reached over to the end table and handed Jace the
remote as he sank back down into his chest and rested his head on his shoulder.

Jace ran his fingers through Parker’s hair as they cuddled
together, watching TV.

“I like being close to you. I’ve waited so long for this,”
Parker said.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for you too.”

Jace couldn’t believe how quickly Parker had responded to
him. When he came to dinner he never imagined he’d end the evening with Parker
in his arms. Jace wasn’t sure where they were headed, but he intended to
embrace the moment.

Parker opened his eyes to the sound of rain pelting the window.
He stretched and felt the warm familiar body pressed against his side. He
rolled over and looked at the clock. How could it have been just twelve short
hours ago that he’d been cuddled on the couch with Jace? It seemed like an
eternity. Everything was so new, but so confusing.

When he walked into that anger management class, he never
would’ve dreamed that within weeks he’d embark on a relationship with the man
standing in front of the class. That thought still blew him away. Part of him
was struggling with the fact that he was falling for a man. When he was alone
with his thoughts, he battled with himself over how unnatural it was. How could
he be attracted to a guy? But when he was close to Jace, he wanted nothing more
than to touch him, feel him, kiss him…

He felt a spark when Jace touched him. The emotions Jace
stirred within him were like none he’d never felt before. No woman, not even
the beautiful girl snuggled against his side, generated feelings like he was
experiencing with Jace. Parker couldn’t believe just how right being with Jace
felt. It was what had been missing for a really long time, but the revelation
scared him.

Ava cuddled against him and then threw her arm across his
chest. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room.

“Morning,” she mumbled. “Sorry you had to come and get me.”

“Don’t apologize.” Parker kissed the top of her head. “I
didn’t mind.”

“I interrupted your night.”

“No, I told you last night, Jace left about an hour before
you called.”

They had watched a movie and then Jace decided it would be
best if he went home. If they were going to take things slowly, he didn’t want
them starting something they couldn’t stop last night. Parker appreciated
Jace’s patience. He was certain a man like Jace didn’t have to wait for anyone.

“So, how’d it go?” Ava asked.

“Fine.”

“Fine?” Ava sat up and pushed her long, brown locks out of
her face.

Her hair was tangled and sticking up all over the place, but
she was still the most beautiful woman Parker had ever seen. He’d often
wondered how he could spend so much time with her, share a bed and his deepest
secrets, but have no desire to touch her. He realized now, what the problem may
have been all along. He’d always dismissed it as his brotherly love for her,
but he was a man, who’d had sex with her before, and there were so many years
they were single and could’ve indulge in one another’s company. It wasn’t just
with Ava either. He’d been less than interested in sex for as long as he could
remember. Until recently, especially last night. He was more than interested in
sex last night.

“Parker?” Ava whined. “Tell me.”

“Tell you what?” He knew what she wanted, but he wasn’t sure
he was ready to share. He didn’t fully understand what was happening, and he
was afraid to admit his feelings out loud.

“I want to know what happened between the two of you last
night.”

“We had dinner, talked, and watched a movie.” He told her
the truth.

“What else?”

“Nothing? What else would we do?” Parker felt the heat
creeping up his neck.

“Oh. My. God. Did you sleep with him?” She looked like a
giddy teenager who wanted all the dirt on her friend’s first time.

As intrusive as the question was, Parker was happy to see
her smile and look so alive. She hadn’t been this excited about anything in
years. Who would’ve thought his love life would be so interesting?

“No.” He shook his head. “Of course not.”

“Why not?” Ava giggled. “He’s so hot.”

“Stop it.” Parker could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.

“Do you like him? He seems really nice.”

“I like him,” he said. “Just not sure.” Parker did like
Jace. His feelings weren’t the issue. He just didn’t know if he was supposed to
feel that way.

“About what?”

“This isn’t something I expected to happen.” He sighed. “I
don’t know.”

“What’s to know? If he makes you happy then go for it.”

Parker squinted at her. “You think I should go after this?
After him?”

“Umm, yeah. You want it. I can tell. I want you to be happy,
and I think Jace can do that for you.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
“You’ve been taking care of me for years, but you never worry about yourself.”