Driven To Distraction

...“He talked about you sometimes,” Jess offered up. “Was real proud of how you turned out.”

“He was a good man.” Ben’s expression grew melancholy; if anything, looking serious made him even more handsome. “He was a lot more tolerant than most folks, even the younger ones. Y’know?” He glanced over at Jess, like Jess should know.

Oh. Oh. Yeah, Jess knew. Old Al hadn’t even batted an eye after everything Becky’d said about him. And no wonder, if Ben was queer, too.

How about that. Maybe Ben really had been flirting with him during dinner.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Jess nodded and if he slid a touch closer, well, that was just so he could lean on the hood of the ’Vette instead of standing under his own power. Had nothing to do with getting to spread his legs out so one was nudging up against Ben’s knee, not at all. Not unless Ben was interested, anyhow.

“You wouldn’t mind me calling you for advice once in a while? I’d hate to let his cars fall apart. I won’t do that again.” Ben pointed at the Jag. “I bet you wouldn’t have done that.”

“Maybe not.” Jess felt like shit, getting a good look at the guilt on Ben’s face. “But I tell you, you shouldn’t feel so bad about it. Reason your grampa needed that headlight last year was ’cause he ran it into one of those big cement beams when he was parking it in the structure down on Seventh. He loved the cars, doesn’t mean he didn’t bang ’em up now and then.”

“Good to know.” Ben gave him a little smile. “I won’t let myself feel too bad about it, then.” The way Ben was looking at him now, Jess figured maybe Al’s parking problem wasn’t the reason for that.

“You shouldn’t.” Jess looked Ben over, letting his gaze take in the long legs and long fingers and dark eyes and everything in between. “And you can sure call me anytime you got a need.”

“So, what do you think I should do if you’re already here?” Ben answered his own question by pushing away from the car, leaning in to catch Jess’s mouth with a kiss.

Now, see, that was Jess’s idea of dessert. He got his hands on Ben’s hips and pulled him closer between his legs, then angled his mouth to open up for a deeper kiss. Delicious. Ben made this soft, contented noise and cupped Jess’s cheek with one hand, sliding the other around to the small of Jess’s back and under his shirt. He kissed Jess deeper, just the way Jess was wanting, and leaned his body into Jess.

Jess sent up a prayer of thanks that the ’Vette was a sturdy car and got both hands on Ben’s ass—a damn fine ass, Jess thought—through his thin slacks. His own jeans were getting pretty damn tight right about now and he wondered if it was too soon to go ahead and strip them open.

“Want to come inside?” Ben’s voice was a real velvety purr. He didn’t let Jess answer right away, he gave Jess another kiss that was a heck of an incentive to say yes—not like Jess was real inclined to say no, anyway. As soon as Ben asked, Jess realized where they were. Outside, in the carport where anybody with half a mind to look could see them, was no place to be doing the kinds of things he wanted to be doing to Ben.

“Sure thing.” Jess reluctantly let go of Ben’s ass so he could move away. “You just lead the way.”

“Watch your step,” Ben warned with a grin, like he was sure Jess was going to be looking somewhere else.

He led Jess around the Corvette and in the side door of the carport. Jess kicked off his boots, thankful he hadn’t taken the time to tie them earlier. He didn’t get much of a look at the inside of the house because Ben turned around and kissed him, then again, as he led Jess through it.

Jess didn’t mind. It wasn’t the house that interested him...