CHAPTER TWENTY Cole

"You are a certified creep, Mr. Hicks," I whispered to myself, hiding behind curtains and craning my neck while holding binoculars to my eyes. "A qualified pervert."

The practically naked god in my expanded vision sliced through the water, and his lean leg muscles rippled as they forced his board side to side. A simple band wrapped around his ankle, a string attached, his only life preserver if he crashed, worried me. I was terrified of losing this boy, yet barely knew him.

I liked Wednesday. A lot. Wednesdays were apparently a day off for Chad, and he surfed most of the day. There were others on the water, but none stood out like he did. His wet and sun-bleached hair clung to his face and neck the way I wished my lips could. Occasionally he'd swipe at his brow so he could clear hair away from his eyes to better see his daring dance atop crashing waves.

Chad couldn't have an ounce of fat on him based on how every sinewy muscle moved across his torso like the water he rode. His lean stomach had a natural eight pack. I hated him on sight when I'd first noticed, jealous of having only six myself. But Chad was so lean that he almost appeared in need of an intervention. Almost. Truthfully, I was just envious of not being in my early twenties again.

I'd been front and center at his folk's house when the boy ate. He had no right to be so thin and delicious after the meal I witnessed him inhale. Obviously, the body I was now worshipping from a distance needed to be fed loads of calories, so he could do what he was doing so elegantly right in front of me.

I had a thing for beach boys, and he was the local leader. Every young stud I saw him on the beach with paled in comparison. You could tell he was beloved by them all. They high-fived, hugged, walked with arms around each other's shoulders, and drove me fucking mad. My new shoreline show was pure beach porn, day in and day out, causing me to be as horny as a three-peckered goat.

Like I said, I only watched on Wednesdays and an occasional weekend day. If Chad wasn't on a board, I was bored. All those young and sexy surfers and he was their god—and fast becoming mine.

But he hadn't stopped by like he said he might someday. I guess the keywords he used were might and someday.

I hugged Alex and Maggie, thanking them for a fantastic meal and the company. The evening had been terrific and spent with tremendous people. They were a solid couple, obviously in love, and with an incredible son. The apple definitely hadn't fallen far from the tree. Chad was as gracious as his parents.

"I'll walk you out," Chad said.

Alex and Maggie held back after walking us to the front door. I'd sensed that Maggie saw a possible connection with her son and me. She'd noticed the wonderful way that Chad warmed up to me. He refilled my wine while standing behind me, his strong hand on my shoulder as he leaned over. He smelled like heaven.

After he moved away, me having inhaled as much of him as I could when he was close, his mother caught my eye and smiled. She knew what I was feeling. I imagined she'd witnessed this before. Her boy was a magnet. She knew. Dad knew. I knew.

We stood uncomfortably by my SUV before I finally unlocked the door with my fob and turned to get inside. "Hang on a minute, mister," he teased. I turned back and found him with his arms wide open for a hug. "Mom and Dad got one. It's my turn now."

I moved into his arms. He was smaller than I was and his hands naturally went around my neck while I wrapped mine around his lower back. We fit like two puzzle pieces. The top of his head fit under my chin. I was instantly aroused and possessive. A quick inhale of his fresh scent invaded my nostrils. I was fully erect in less than five seconds. I hadn't been aroused in two years without porn and lube, so this was a pleasant surprise.

"Thank you for a lovely evening," I said, pulling back.

Chad gripped my biceps as he stepped back and smiled. "You're nicer than I expected, Mr. Hicks."

I laughed at his use of my last name. "Enough with the Mr. Hicks thing," I said.

"I like using formal names when I'm intrigued by a man," he said, his hands still firmly gripping my biceps. I instinctively tensed them so as to have maximum size for his touch.

One more minute of this and I would achieve orgasm if he didn't stop. I loved feeling powerful, and I sensed he intuitively knew that. My three- to four-inch height advantage sent a message to my cock that he was my type.

"Intrigued?" I asked.

He released my arms and stepped back, studying me. "You're not what I assumed you to be. And for that, I apologize."

"And you are not what I assumed you to be," I mimicked. "And for that, I also apologize."

"So, you do say you're sorry," he stated. "Another quality I admire."

"I'm sorry I said what I did when I met you, Chad. Trust me, I wished I hadn't relieved you of your job," I confessed. "I'm lost over there," I added, motioning my head toward my house.

"You know what they say about books and covers, Mr. Hicks."

I was certain he knew that his usage of my formal name made me hotter than a solar flare. I wanted to be eight or more inches deep in him when he referred to me as Mr. Hicks the next time.

"I sure do," I admitted.

He stepped closer again and laid his hand on my chest, gently pressing against a pec muscle. "Maybe I'll stop by sometime. See if there's anything I can help you with."

For an angelic-appearing young man, he oozed heat and sex. Did he know the effect he had on people? He had to know. I wanted to throw him in the back of my SUV's cargo area and fuck him senseless.

"I'd appreciate that, Chad," I said, swallowing my dirty thoughts and trying to return to being a respectful guest.

He sensed the change in my demeanor as I struggled to compose my thoughts and my expanding zipper.

"Great, then!" he exclaimed, taking two more steps backward and breaking my heart. "Drive safe on your long ride home," he teased.

And just like that, the connection was gone. I had so easily been under his spell that I hadn't even seen the effect he had on my emotions. He could've said I love you and I would have followed suit. I had never believed in love at first sight until that night.

"He said someday," I mumbled, still fixated on the memory of that night.

I backed away from the window and set the binoculars on the dresser. I felt depressed all of a sudden. He was just being nice when he mentioned stopping by, and I'd managed to build the interaction into this big thing that didn't exist.

He was twenty-two. I was nearing forty. I felt alone and made my way downstairs to another large and empty space, similar to my heart. Chad had woken something up in me. I realized that I did have the capacity to love again. I wanted to love again. I needed to feel like part of a team again.

As a gay man, I've always been more domestic than most of my peers. Having a solid relationship and caring for one person had always been my goal. I was nearing thirty when I finally found it with Alan. Twenty-eight seemed a long time to have waited, but once I'd found love, I was certain I would be great at it.

Alan offered everything that I had dreamed of. A faithful man, a loving relationship, great sex, and a future. Only one of those items ended up being accurate. After losing him, I was broken and convinced I would never feel an ounce of the attraction I'd felt for Alan.

That, as it turned out, wasn't true any longer. A boy had helped me see the possibilities again. He was a couple of hundred yards away currently and I couldn't figure out how to get him to make someday today.