It’s nice to have a partner to run with again. I haven’t had one since Dennis.
“Hold up,” Jett says after running over a mile.
We slow to a walk, shaking our hands, and taking deep, slow breaths. I chug back some water once I’m not gasping for air.
“I’m not a long-distance runner,” he chuckles. “Damn, you can go on and on, can’t you?”
“I love it. I just get into this zone, you know? Despite how much I chat, I get quiet and hyper-focused.”
Jett steps up to me and rests his hands on my hips, his voice deep and velvety against my ear. “I like how much you talk.”
I tilt my head and grin. “Oh, yeah? I guess I’ll have to yammer more, then. I mean, the end goal is making you happy, right?”
Instead of calling me a dork, he drops his smile and looks behind me at the ocean. “Iamhappy. With you.”
His eyes land back on mine, and I’m fucking melting. “God, I’m so happy with you, too. I really like where this is going.”
“Same.”
Jett leans in and kisses me. We’re both sweaty and taste like salt, but I don’t care.
“You wanna know a secret?” I ask.
“Is it a naughty secret?”
I scoff. “Not everything in my brain is about sex.”
“Tsk. Too bad.”
“I used to call you ‘whiplash’ in my head. Hell, I even made it your contact name on my phone. When we first met, you were all over the place, my guy. One minute you were pissed off, and the next you were all hot and bothered.Veryhot and bothered. I was fucking confused there for a while, but I really like where we’re at now.”
“Just don’t ever call me that in bed.”
I throw back my head and laugh. “Damn. You’re no fun.”
“I have a secret, too.”
“Oh, yeah?”
He winces a little. “So, you know how I used to call you Wilson?”
“Ugh, yeah. Don’t remind me. What an asshole you were,” I wink and kiss his cheek.
“Sorry about that. Well, Wilson Kipketer is a hero of mine. He’s a—”
“I’m very familiar with who Wilson Kipketer is. He’s an amazing runner. Are you saying you have a hero crush on me, too?”
His smile stretches across his face, but his eyes roll. “At first, it was a dig. I… I wasn’t used to people recognizing me, and I kind of wanted to be forgotten, if I’m being honest. Let’s just say you caught me off guard, and I wanted you to… feel that, too.”
I rest my hand on his neck, growing serious, since he’s opening up more.
“But you also reminded me that I still have fans out there,” he continues. “I wasn’t sure how to process that. Soon, Wilson, the dig became Wilson, someone I admired… the way I saw you run that first time. Your form, pacing… it’s steady, controlled, and fast. You’re a serious fucking runner, Wes. You’re also a seriously amazing person. I…”
Before he says anything else, he pulls me into a kiss, shoving his tongue into my mouth. I arch my body into him as he controls us. My heated body burns even more for him, but mostly, I’m grateful he opened up more.
When we pull away, I almost make a quip, but that would just ruin the moment. “Come on. Let’s get back, Lover.”
Thanksgiving around here is a family affair. It’s not only about coming together as a family, but in my house, the menfolk don’t go off to watch football while the womenfolk do all the work of making a fabulous meal. The entire family is invested in its creation. I learned at a young age that I appreciated the meal more when I’ve worked hard on it.
