About Under the Stars

by JB McDonald
26 pages / 5600 words
Ebook zipped file contains - html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub

Toby's falling hard for his boyfriend, Rob, and wants to take that next step in becoming lovers. When Toby admits it to Rob in a crowded park on the Fourth of July, he doesn't expect Rob to put two and two together and realize the emotional commitment Toby is making. When Rob tries to seduce Toby, crowd or no crowd, the sparks in the sky are nothing compared to the heat on the ground.

Sample

Everything was set up and Toby really wasn't sure he could go through with any of it. Maybe with more beer. Maybe with a lot more beer.

"Hey."

He nearly leaped out of his skin, turning and yanking a brittle smile up from somewhere in his gut. "Hey! How're you? I was just getting things all set for the picnic!" Too enthusiastic. Way too enthusiastic. His smile faltered.

One of Rob's black eyebrows rose, arcing up toward his hairline over dusky skin. "You feeling all right?"

"Great." Around Rob's broad shoulders, he could see Samantha and Bec unloading bags and coolers from their car, chatting excitedly.

"This where we're sitting?" Rob asked. His voice practically purred down Toby's spine, coiling in his gut and tugging up heat.

God damn. Maybe he could do this after all. It wasn't like it would take much, really. All he'd have to do was say, "Rob, I changed my mind. Let's fuck." Rob would take him home -- or to the truck, or the car, or anywhere semi-private if given half a chance -- and move things along. And damn, but Toby really wanted that. Every time he heard that sexy, lazy voice it made his cock get hard.

"Toby?" There was amusement in that voice, now.

Toby yanked his thoughts out of the bedroom with difficulty, focusing on the here and now. He'd say it. He's just blurt it out. Just tell Rob--

"Where should we put the beer?"

He jumped again, then flushed when Samantha laughed at him.

"Robby, are you flustering him again? I keep telling you two, get a room." Samantha winked at them and plopped the cooler down on the blanket Toby had spread out, then turned back to help her girlfriend wrestle the chairs out of the car.

OR, the 300 words I like:

Rob relaxed and smiled, that lazy, slow smile that had first gotten Toby's attention. "I thought you had rules. No sex with someone you're not falling for."

Toby couldn't say anything. Propositioning Rob was one thing; admitting he was falling for Rob in the same breath was something else. His gaze roamed Rob's face, stopping at those eyes that were so dark, with the tiniest flecks of green almost hidden by nearly black irises. His heart lurched, then took up its beat double-time.

Though Toby hadn't said anything, Rob's expression softened. A tiny smile touched the corner of his mouth and lit his eyes. "I think we can do that. Come on." He stepped away, holding out his hand.

Quickly, glad they hadn't lit the sparklers, Toby put his lighter back in his pocket and laced his fingers with Rob's. "I thought you couldn't leave before the fireworks," he said, following Rob quickly to the cars.

"I can't."

"Then what--"

Rob gave him a heated look, and he decided he didn't really want to know. But he also didn't want to get arrested for indecent exposure. "I'm not having sex with you in your car."

Rob laughed. "Will you make out with me?"

"Hell yeah," Toby muttered, and earned a laugh.

"Well, then you just tell me when we've gone too far."

That seemed fair. They reached Rob's car and Toby climbed into the passenger seat. Rob opened the back door and pulled a blanket out before sliding into the driver's side. "I just thought I'd reward you for asking, that's all," he said with a grin, draping the blanket over both of them. They couldn't cuddle too close; the front seats were bucket seats. Still, they'd learned there was quite a lot to be done in the front seat of the car.