Page 65 of All of Us

When Jacob arrived the following day, I had to admit that having him on my doorstep felt amazing. I jumped into his arms, kissed him hard, then wrapped myself around him like a baby koala and hugged him tight. Not missing a beat, he carried me back into the house using his foot to close the door, then set me on my counter.

“I missed you, too.” His tongue slipped between my lips, and I sucked on it. He pulled back and grabbed my lip between his teeth. “You’re so feisty.”

“It’s still hard to believe you are here, with me.” I started to laugh, unable to help myself. “All these years, it seemed impossible. I searched for you sometimes, but cattle ranches don’t usually list employees, and you changed your name. None of that matters. You are here now.”

He stepped back and looked me up and down. “Yes, I am, and it feels really good.”

“Let’s hang out and get to know each other. I made a charcuterie board.”

He grinned at me, then laughed. “You made us a charcuterie board? That is the cutest thing ever.”

“Stop. Everyone likes meat and cheese. I’ve become a pretty decent cook over the years.” I pulled the appetizer out of the fridge with two hard lemonades.

He turned and gave me a look. “You realize that’s not cooking.”

It felt good to tease each other, a familiarity between us after all these years that hadn’t gone away. There was a fire between us that stayed at a low smolder whenever we were together—I liked it. He made me feel good, safe, and cared about. His presence was solid.

“No. But the chicken Alfredo I’m making us for dinner is most certainly cooking.”

“Dude. That’s one of my favorites.”

I didn’t even try to look away as I watched him lick his lips.

“I remember.”

“So you plan to seduce me with a charcuterie board and cheesy pasta?” Jacob poked my ribs, which made me squirm as we had done as teenagers.

“Will it work?” I asked, giving him a grin.

Stepping between my legs, he kissed me, tongue demanding my attention, hand on my neck locking us together until we were breathless.

“It will definitely work.” He said against my lips.

Picking up the board on the table, Jacob walked into the living room, pulled off his boots, and sat on my couch like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Want to watch some Ren & Stimpy?”

“Yes.” He started an episode.

He held up his bottle of lemonade. “Here’s to a forever friendship, and full hearts.”

We tapped them together, then he leaned over and kissed me. There was a lot of emotion behind the kiss. Even though there was a big gap between the years we were together, something still existed.

We cuddled on the couch and watched reruns of a show we had spent hours watching as kids. Sharing stories about our past, including the men that we met and where they fell short. He laughed when I told him about Mont and how we ended up friends and fake boyfriends.

He told me about trying to find someone who understood him as I did. They didn’t like that he would run when he was upset about something, or they would expect him to act more gay. The fact that he could easily pass as straight seemed to offend a lot of people for some reason.

After eating dinner, we returned to the couch, and I put my head on his lap. We turned on a movie, and he ran his fingers through my hair, scratching my scalp. It was soothing. This man was still one of my best friends, someone who knew so many of my secrets, and I would share everything with him still.

There were lots of kisses, and we had jacked each other off earlier in the evening when things got a little intense, but this was nice, almost perfect. I had real adult feelings for Jacob. It was comforting to know there was a powerful connection between us, one that made me want to be with him.

“Can I share some secrets?” I asked as he looked down at me. He muted the TV.

“It feels good to have you in my life again. There has been a Jacob-sized hole in me since you left. I still love you very much, and maybe I am not in love with you like I was, but I am certainly falling.”

His eyes were dark, and he gave me a sweet smile. “I feel the same way, Dusty. Loving you has kept me going all these years. I wasn’t sure if I’d find you again, but I hoped. And maybe you are right, I am not in love with you yet, but I am falling for you too.”

Those were some of the sweetest words I had ever heard. Honestly, I was relieved that Jacob wanted me too.