Page 62 of Winter Break

I pulled off quickly, still inexperienced enough to be worried I had done something wrong. I looked up, and he looked down at me with such pure adoration that I knew we were both right where we wanted to be, where we were meant to be despite his protestation.

“You’re gonna make me come.”

“That was the idea.”

He stepped back. “Not yet.” He took a few steps, then turned around. “Um. Can you take off the rest of your clothes? I’ll be right back.”

“Yes, yup. I can absolutely do that.” I was standing and unzipping before I’d finished talking. I glanced out the window, leaning down, but nope, in the dark, if we stood to one side, I didn’t think board walkers would be able to see us. The view was mostly sand and ocean and horizon.

Our clothes now in a pile on top of a storage box full of toys near the window, I went and sat on the couch, thinking about all the nights we’d spent there last winter break, looking forward to spending way more there together once I’d graduated and started work in Point Pleasant the following summer.

Somewhere during that time, we’d need to talk to Brett and tell my parents and Anita. After Brett’s wedding seemed like a good idea since I’d be away at college one more semester anyway. Leave the drama for after, just in case. I was sure Turner would agree that we didn’t want to ruin my brother’s special day.

Turner returned, a bottle of lube and a strip of condoms in hand. He looked at me sitting on the couch. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking.”

“Apparently not about …” He waved the supplies.

“Huh?” He looked down, and I looked down at my deflated dick, resting on my thigh.

I stroked myself, and Turner stood there, enraptured, his arms still held up, staring.

“What were you thinking about?”

“The whales,” I fibbed. We had plenty of time to talk about the future.

“The whales.” Turner laughed.

“And what they’re about to witness.”

“Fuck, you’re getting hard already.” He lowered his arms and his dick twitched, but he didn’t move.

“Turner,” I tried, but he kept staring at my dick, which just happened to be nicely lit by the moonlight.

“Uh-huh.”

“Turner, baby. Come. Here.”

“Uh-huh.” He didn’t move, and it made me chuckle. I reached out a hand.

“Give me that.” He held out the condoms, which wasn’t what I was aiming for, but I grabbed them anyway.

“Baby?”

“Yeah.” Turner’s eyes had barely left my dick.

“Do we need these? I haven’t been with anyone, um, like, for a long time, and I was tested after.”

“Same. Tested after Amir. I haven’t been with anyone since you left last year.”

“No one?” I fought the smile that welled up in me.

He shrugged. “I’ve been really busy.” He smiled back.

For a second I thought about that comment. About how it must have been a lot, opening the bookstore without Anita.

But then he said, “And maybe a little … taken. Just because I thought you didn’t really want me didn’t mean …”