Chance to Bloom Read online

  “I never even knew this place was here,” Jack said, finally, nodding slowly to himself as he continued to look around. “Seems nice, though. And if you like it, it can’t be too bad.”

  Ethan grinned. “Thanks, I think? To be fair, I’ve only been here a couple of times, and I’ve only ever tried the lasagna. But I can say for sure that it’s really good, if that helps.”

  “Better than your mom’s? Because hers was pretty amazing, if I recall correctly.”

  “Well, I couldn’t really say without incriminating myself, but… let’s just say the lasagna here gives hers a run for its money. It’s certainly something I’ll miss when I move out on my own again, though.”

  Jack had turned his full attention back to Ethan and had been listening attentively—one of the many things Ethan really liked about him—but at the mention of moving out, he seemed to perk up even more.

  “Do you have plans? For moving out, I mean? It’s not something you’ve mentioned at work before.”

  Ethan shrugged. It was a bit of a sensitive subject for him, since moving back in with his mom hadn’t been an easy decision for him. But Ethan was the one who had brought it up, so it was only fair to answer Jack’s innocent question. “I doubt anyone in their mid-twenties wants to be living at home with their parents, you know?”

  “No doubt. It would’ve killed me to move back in with my old man.”

  Ethan felt a twinge of guilt as Jack spoke, belatedly remembering that not everyone enjoyed the close relationship Ethan had with his mother, and that the options Ethan had for starting his life over again weren’t even available to Jack anymore.

  “Well, I mean… my mom and I get along pretty well, but it’s definitely not the same as living on my own. So yeah, in a general sense, I’m gonna be moving out sometime—hopefully sooner rather than later—but I still need to get my finances in order before I take that step. I want to make sure I’m doing things the right way this time.”

  Jack nodded, looking thoughtful. “What went wrong the first time, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “What went wrong?” Ethan snorted. “How much time do you have? It starts with an ex…”

  “It usually does. That bad, huh?”

  Ethan shrugged. “I can’t blame him completely. We were both young and dumb. I made a lot of bad decisions along the way, for sure. But in the end, I learned a lot. A lot about people. A lot about love—or what love isn’t, anyway.”

  “I’m sorry you had to learn that kind of lesson.” Jack’s voice was soft and low, and even though they were across the table from each other, Ethan could see the compassion in Jack’s eyes. “I learned that lesson young, too. Just not in the same way.”

  It was clear from his dark expression that he was talking about his father, and Ethan wanted to ask more—what had gone so wrong between them, why Jack still resented the man so much, even though he’d been dead for nearly three months.

  But it wasn’t the time. It wasn’t the place. The conversation had already taken a decisively dark turn, and Ethan didn’t want to make it worse. That would be a date-killer, for sure.

  “So, how are you liking things now? At the shop, I mean. You can’t tell me it’s not growing on you, at least a little.” Ethan grinned, not even trying to be subtle about the abrupt change of subject. To be fair, though, it was another question Ethan had had on his mind for some time.

  Jack took the bait. “I do have to admit that I like it a lot more than I thought I would. I think it’s the people, mostly.”

  “Yeah, that’s exactly what it is for me, too.” Ethan nodded emphatically. “I mean, I like the actual work, but—”

  “At least you’re good at it,” Jack interrupted, laughing. “Did you see the arrangement I was trying to make this afternoon?”

  Ethan smirked. He had seen it. Or, he’d seen something that might have generously been called an arrangement sitting on the workbench. Everyone had to start somewhere, though, and it was encouraging enough to Ethan that Jack was making a legitimate effort. That counted for a lot, in Ethan’s opinion.

  “You’re learning,” Ethan said. “That’s the important part. But I’m glad you like it. I knew you would, if you just gave it a chance.”

  And just like that, the mood had lifted. Ethan didn’t want to gloat too much about Jack’s change of heart. He didn’t want to jinx the situation, after all. But it was definitely a good sign that Jack was taking more of an interest in the shop. Maybe Frankie’s plan to make Jack fall in love with the place would work, after all.

  Luckily, Ethan was saved by the waitress coming to take their order before he could say anything about work that would make Jack question his motives.

  Not that his motives were bad, and Ethan would definitely stand by the little plan he and Frankie had come up with if it ever came up, but… again, probably not the best conversation to have on a first date.

  But at least they were talking, and it seemed like they were both less nervous than they’d been when they sat down, so that was something.

  And when it was time for Ethan to order, Jack looked up from his menu and smiled, his eyes sparkling in a way that made Ethan forget about everything else, as if they were the only two people in the room, and as if Ethan was the only thing that mattered.

  And that was something, too.

  Somehow, even though Friday night had taken forever to get there, and even though he and Jack had spent the entire evening together, it had somehow all gone by way too quickly.

  They’d talked and laughed all through dinner, then had stayed for some of the most amazing tiramisu Ethan had ever tasted. Then there was the movie—a rom-com that Ethan had to give Jack credit for sitting through. He seriously hadn’t expected the big, burly former Marine to even agree to watching it, but when it had turned out to be even a little too cheesy and sappy for Ethan? Yeah, he was going to have to make that up to Jack sometime.

  To his credit, though, Jack hadn’t complained at all. In fact, Ethan wondered if Jack had even stopped smiling through the whole movie—and not because he was enjoying the acting. There had just been this feeling, this warmth between them, a chemistry that had been so intense that Ethan might have thought he was imagining it if Jack hadn’t kept shooting him that big, goofy grin.

  So even after spending all day at work together, then all evening on a date, when Jack had offered to make Ethan a cup of coffee back at his apartment, the words yes, please were out of his mouth before he could even think.

  “I don’t normally have coffee this late,” Jack said, getting out and walking around to open the passenger door of his pickup. “But it’s cold out, and I just… wasn’t ready to say good night.”

  Ethan grinned. “Those are good enough reasons for me.”

  More than good enough, those were perfect reasons. Ethan had been pretty sure that his crush on Jack hadn’t been totally one-sided, but to have it pretty much confirmed?

  Yeah, that felt good.

  And when Jack’s hand found the small of Ethan’s back and sort of rested there, guiding him to the door?

  That felt even better.

  The short walk from the truck through the shop and up the stairs to Jack’s apartment had felt like heaven, like walking on a cloud. With Jack’s guiding hand and his big, solid body so close, it was almost intoxicating. Ethan didn’t want that closeness to end, and had to suppress a needy sigh when they were finally standing in front of Jack’s door and he had to move his hands away to unlock the deadbolt.

  It was ridiculous, really, that he was letting himself go there, letting himself want someone so much after so little time together. But he couldn’t deny it, and it felt so good—so nice—that he didn’t even want to try and pretend that he wasn’t falling head-over-heels for the quiet, brooding, drop-dead-sexy man in front of him.

  Jack led Ethan inside, then turned to face him, wrapping those big, muscled arms around Ethan’s smaller frame and pulling him close. Ethan’s breath hitched in his throat as his
body molded against Jack’s, as if it had been made for no other purpose.

  “I’m really glad you came out with me tonight,” Jack said, his voice low and thick with desire. “I really needed the break from… everything.”

  Their closeness was making Ethan feel breathless and a little lightheaded. “Mhm,” he managed to squeak out, blushing when his voice decided to settle a full octave higher than normal. “I, um, had a great time.”

  Jack’s eyes crinkled at the corners and his mouth turned up in a smile. “I’m glad. Really glad. And I should probably start that coffee.”

  He didn’t move, though. Didn’t even try to.

  Instead, he slowly ran his hands up and down Ethan’s back, playing along the hem of his shirt and then slipping under to brush across his skin. A full-body shiver went through Ethan and Jack pulled back just enough to look into Ethan’s eyes.

  “Is this okay?”

  Ethan’s mouth was so dry that he could only nod. Emphatically.

  It was very okay. More than okay.

  Heaven.

  Jack nuzzled against Ethan’s neck and moved his hands around to the front of Ethan’s pants, pausing for just a moment once he unfastened the top button. A low moan escaped Ethan’s throat and he had to stop himself from thrusting against Jack, from begging for what was about to happen.

  “And this?” Ethan felt the words more than heard them as Jack’s lips moved against his neck. “Is this okay, too?”

  It was difficult to speak—or think, or breathe—with Jack so close, with his hands doing things that so far had only happened in Ethan’s fantasies, but he finally managed to will some words out of his nearly-closed-up throat.

  “Yes,” Ethan whispered. Then louder, “Oh my God, yes, please.”

  It was all the encouragement Jack needed. His mouth moved along Ethan’s jawline until he found Ethan’s lips again, at the same time shoving Ethan’s pants and underwear down around his thighs in one swift motion.

  Ethan could feel the cool air hit the naked lower half of his body as his cock sprang up between them, then moaned again as Jack’s rough, big, warm hand wrapped around his shaft.

  With Jack’s tongue insistently exploring Ethan’s mouth and his hand stroking Ethan’s cock long and slow, he was in sensory overload. His hands moved against the hard planes of Jack’s muscular chest, down the sculpted ridges of his abs until he was finally—finally—unfastening Jack’s belt.

  His fingers were working just about as well as his voice had been, though, and he let out a frustrated whimper when he’d barely managed to unhook the two-pronged buckle after several seconds.

  Jack came to the rescue, thank God, making quick work of his belt and pants. Ethan reached for Jack’s cock, hard and silky smooth and radiating heat, but he’d barely had a chance to wrap his fingers around the thick shaft before Jack gently pushed his hand away.

  “No, babe,” he said, his low, gravelly voice sending another electric jolt through Ethan’s body. “I want this to be all about you.”

  Without another word, and before Ethan could even process what he’d meant by that statement, Jack went down on his knees and stroked Ethan’s cock a little more as he looked up to meet Ethan’s gaze.

  The look of pure longing and desire in Jack’s eyes was nearly enough to send Ethan over the edge, and his cock throbbed in Jack’s hand as he continued those long, maddeningly slow strokes.

  “Oh my God, Jack. Please keep going.”

  Jack took the head into his mouth, massaging it, caressing it, loving it with his tongue. Ethan’s hips thrust forward and his head fell back, thumping against the wall. He barely even felt it, though. All of his energy, his focus, his entire world had narrowed to the sexy man in front of him—the man on his knees with Ethan’s cock in his mouth.

  Jesus, it was amazing.

  Longer, harder, faster, Jack sucked, bobbing his head in time with Ethan’s thrusts, taking more and more of Ethan’s length. Ethan threaded his fingers through Jack’s short hair, holding him in place as he pushed even deeper, until he could feel the muscles contracting in the back of Jack’s throat.

  A spasm of pure pleasure passed through his body, and he could feel the orgasm building inside him. Each time he was tempted to close his eyes, though, Jack’s gaze would find his again, drawing Ethan in until he couldn’t look away. Having the hot muscular Marine on his knees in front of him was the sexiest thing Ethan had ever experienced.

  And the look in Jack’s eyes coupled with the way he was quickly stroking his own cock? It was obvious that Jack thought it was just as hot.

  “That feels so good, Jack. I don’t know how much longer I can last. It’s just… too… good.”

  He punctuated each word with another thrust, and even though Jack didn’t reply—didn’t even slow down—Ethan could see the answer in his eyes, could hear it in the deep half-moan, half-growl that came from Jack’s throat.

  Jack wasn’t going to stop, and he didn’t want Ethan to stop, either.

  Even though Ethan wanted more than anything to prolong the moment, to savor each second, each thrust, each delicious low moan, there was no turning back and no stopping what was about to happen.

  It was too hot, too good, and Ethan had simply wanted it for too long.

  “Jesus, Jack,” he panted. “I’m gonna come. I’m gonna—”

  And then it was happening. Hard and fast and with an intensity that made Ethan’s vision blur for a moment as his orgasm rushed through him. Jack swallowed, taking it all down his throat as Ethan thrust one, two, three more times.

  Ethan gasped, resting his head against the wall behind him, finally able to close his eyes. His cock finally slipped from Jack’s lips, and he opened his eyes again to see Jack still on his knees in front of him, face contorted in ecstasy as his own orgasm overtook him, spilling out over his fist as Jack’s entire body shuddered.

  It was a beautiful sight to see, a fantasy come to life, and Ethan could barely believe that he’d been lucky enough to actually experience it. It would’ve been easier to convince himself that it had all just been a dream. A wonderful, amazing, hot-as-hell dream that he never, ever wanted to wake up from.

  But when Jack opened his eyes and smiled, finally getting to his feet and pressing his hard body against Ethan’s again, it made Ethan realize all over again that he wasn’t dreaming. It wasn’t just some unbelievable fantasy.

  That had really happened. They had really gone on a date. Jack had really looked at him with all of that heat and lust and need.

  And even though Ethan didn’t quite know how to process all of that information, and sure as hell didn’t know what it meant for the two of them going forward, for the moment it was just enough to know that it was real. That it had actually happened.

  That for once, one of Ethan’s dreams really had come true.

  Chapter 16

  Jack

  Jack watched and waved as Ethan pulled out of the parking lot. He’d had to resist the temptation to ask—or even to beg—Ethan to stay after work, to go upstairs to his apartment, or even just to sit in the office for five more minutes and bullshit about the day.

  But he’d been able to see how tired Ethan was, and if he was being honest, Jack was feeling the effects of burning the candle at both ends as well.

  And to be fair, it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen Ethan—all of him—lately.

  In the forty-eight hours since their first date, they’d barely even been apart. With Valentine’s Day only two weeks away and the thrill of a budding romance, the two of them had been nearly inseparable, only taking a few hours out of each day to eat and sleep.

  Jack smiled to himself and shook his head. A month ago, the thought of spending twelve-hour days at his dad’s flower shop, then going upstairs to sleep in his dad’s old apartment—in his old room, even—would have been unthinkable. It just wouldn’t have happened.

  But now? With Ethan in his life?

  It had changed everything. Or, at least, it had c
hanged the way Jack felt about everything.

  Now, Jack woke up every day looking forward to going downstairs and being near him. Working with him, talking to him… whatever. It didn’t matter what they were doing, as long as they were doing it together. And it was becoming more and more difficult for Jack to remember that this wasn’t the plan, that it was all just supposed to be temporary, until Jack could finally sell the shop and get caught up on the mountain of debt his dad had left him.

  That was something Jack wasn’t ready to think about, though.

  Not yet.

  Not when he could put off thinking about unpleasant stuff like that in favor of spending time with Ethan. Not when the memory of Ethan’s bright eyes and wide smile was still fresh enough to drown out every other thought or care Jack might have.

  Besides, he didn’t need to think about anything to do with selling the business until after Valentine’s Day. That had already been settled. Bringing it up before then would be foolish, when he and Ethan were enjoying each other’s company so much. It would add unnecessary stress to what was—so far, at least—a situation that was as close to perfect as Jack had ever experienced.

  The thought of leaving all of that—leaving Ethan—behind completely while he moved on to do… whatever he was going to do when he left Bridgewater?

  No.

  Nope.

  Not ready to cross that bridge.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket and he smiled the instant he’d fished it out and had seen the screen.

  Just getting home from work. Was nice spending the day with you.

  Already? Jack looked around. How long had he been standing outside in the parking lot? Had anyone noticed that he’d just been staring blankly into the passing traffic, too wrapped up in his own thoughts to pay attention to the world as it passed him by?