Chapter 4-1
717 Words
Chapter 4
The next morning, I was so happy and sated, I didn’t want to get out of bed. But Chase’s rumbling stomach forced us both to abandon the kissing and get up. I cleaned myself in the bathroom first, then wandered through the loft to the kitchen to see what I had to offer. Chase took a little longer, but soon joined me as I pulled eggs and milk out of the refrigerator.
“What are we making?” he asked on a yawn, then shot me a sleepy grin. “And is there coffee?”
I nodded toward the single-cup brewer on the end of the counter and the deep red mug I’d already set there for his use. His expression turned grateful, and I couldn’t help but lean over and kiss his cheek as I walked by.
“When you’re done making your cup, there’s a waffle iron in that far cabinet. Would you get it please?” I pointed to the cabinet with my elbow, then set things down on the counter. I turned toward the pantry to retrieve the dry goods.
Chase made a yummy noise, and my d**k perked up. I resolutely told myself it could have its fun after we were fed and Chase’s stomach no longer interrupted us. It didn’t seem to care about my warning when I turned in time to see Chase reach in the cabinet. He was wearing only his boxers, and as he bent, they stretched tight across his gorgeous ass.
It was my turn to make a noise.
With a salacious, wicked smirk, Chase straightened, then shook his ass as he sauntered closer with the appliance. As soon as he was close enough, I snagged the back of his neck, yanking him in for a kiss. We pulled apart when we started panting, and grinned for a long moment before we went back to our tasks.
After I assembled all the ingredients, I mixed the batter. Chase stood close, watching me and humming along to a song on the radio. I hadn’t realized I’d turned it on, but I must have out of habit. I hated silence, and since it was just me in the big loft, it was often too quiet for my liking, so I almost always had a radio or TV playing in the background.
A faster pop song came on and Chase started dancing, just a motion of his hips to the beat, but I was entranced. When he noticed my attention, he ramped it up, really dancing, and I increased the radio’s volume. He grabbed my hand, playfully kissing it, and I abandoned my batter to let him pull me into his arms. We danced right there in my kitchen, wearing only boxers, and it felt great.
He spun me away from him, then back, and when I was in his arms again, I leaned close. “Want to go to a ball with me?”
Chase threw back his head and laughed, grabbing my hips and pulling me tight against his pelvis. “Sure, Eli. You got it.”
I laughed a little, too, but made sure I could catch his attention. When he viewed the look on my face, he stopped dancing and stepped back so we could properly see each other. He studied me a long moment, and I saw the instant he realized my question had been serious.
“What are you talking about?”
“For the kids at Josef’s House,” I explained, mentioning the LGBTQIA youth center, which had been my first endeavor after receiving my inheritance. Its residence housed twenty-five homeless youths, most who’d been kicked out of their former residences because of their orientation. Another twenty-five or so attended programming in the afternoons and on weekends.
“What about them?” Chase c****d his head to the side, looking so much like a confused puppy I wanted to ruffle his hair.
“It’s an alternative prom. Of sorts. I mean, a lot of them don’t attend regular high school. But even the ones that do, it’s not always safe to bring a date of the same s*x. Or wear an outfit that matches the inside and not the outside, you know? Even when the school says it is. So we’ve organized a ball so they can dress up fancy and party like any other teenager.”
“That’s awesome.” Chase grinned widely. “When is it?”
“Three weeks from Friday.” I stepped in close, wrapping my arms around him and swaying to the music when a slower song came on. “So how about it? I’m chaperoning. Will you come with me?”
“Hell f*****g yeah.” Then he kissed me.
- Writer
