The Virgin (Breakfast at Bennett's Book 1), page 6
Jonah sighed, but turned around. Things were still slightly awkward between them, but it was easing off now. Spencer hoped some honesty would help the situation.
“Do you remember the first time you stood in front of a room full of students?”
Jonah nodded. “I was terrified. It’s kind of hard to forget.”
“Yeah, you were scared. Most of us are scared on some level when we do something new. But we do it anyway.”
Jonah scoffed. “Yeah, okay. Sure we do. We doesn’t include me and sex, obviously.”
“You haven’t met someone you’ve been comfortable with. Let’s face it, Jonah. Men are dogs, and you were looking for a unicorn.” Spencer scrubbed at Jonah’s back in slow circles. “I still maintain there’s nothing wrong with being a virgin at twenty-seven.”
“Says someone who isn’t a virgin. Everyone around me is driving Ferraris, and I’m trying to get the training wheels off my bike.”
“You can’t measure your life by other people’s milestones. Stan Lee was almost forty when he published The Fantastic Four. Harrison Ford was a thirty-year-old carpenter when he landed his role in Star Wars. Some people have raised kids and grandkids and then gone back to school and earned their degrees. My point is that whether you were seventeen or twenty-seven or thirty-seven, there’s no shame in not being in the same place as other people. My cousin is two years younger than me, and she recently had twins. She’s also a doctor who is married to a doctor. And I’m single, childless, and make shit in my garage when I’m not trying to keep teenagers from causing themselves bodily harm in shop class five days a week.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but it’s just…”
“Take your time.” Spencer grabbed Jonah’s wrist and put the loofah in his hand before turning around. “Get my back, will you?”
It seemed like Jonah wasn’t going to return the favor, but finally the loofah tentatively touched his shoulder as Jonah started to scrub in soft, slow-moving circles.
“I went so long without doing it that it became this big obstacle. This enormous roadblock. It occurred to me every time I went out on a date that there would be certain expectations if things went well. And it’s not like I came out and said I’d never had someone else’s dick in my hand—it was like they could tell.”
Spencer turned, and Jonah stared up at him. Water clung to his eyelashes, and his beauty nearly took Spencer’s breath away. He looked down and grabbed Jonah’s hand, gently removed the loofah from his grasp, and dropped it into the bottom of the tub. Spencer guided Jonah’s hand to his dick, which hadn’t even thought of going down.
He watched Jonah’s face, allowing a brief smile at the sight of Jonah’s eyes widening and his cheeks turning scarlet. Spencer folded his own hand over Jonah’s, curling Jonah’s fingers around his cock and keeping his grasp in place. Jonah’s hands were smaller, thinner, and far more delicate than Spencer’s. He was used to his own hands, calloused and hardened from welding and woodworking.
Jonah’s gaze was pinned on Spencer’s cock and, well, fair was fair, right? Spencer had already had Jonah’s dick in his hand. He knew the weight and the shape and the way it fit in his hand, but it was pretty too. Spencer wasn’t sure if his friend would like being told his dick was pretty, so he didn’t say that.
“You’re so fucking hot, Jonah,” he said instead, and it must’ve been the right thing to say because suddenly Jonah was tilting his head up, up, up, and he rose on his toes and pressed his lips against Spencer’s.
His hand started to move under Spencer’s and he let go, reaching for Jonah, winding one arm around him to dip down and grab his pert little ass. He cupped Jonah’s cheek and deepened the kiss as Jonah fumbled a little giving his first hand job. But that was the thing about sex—you didn’t have to be an expert to get someone off, and Jonah’s hand on his cock was fucking incredible.
He backed Jonah up and pinned him to the wall, kissing him passionately, frantically almost, when his desire made him lightheaded. The world faded away, and there was only the sound of the shower and their own heavy breathing as Spencer buried his face in the curve of Jonah’s neck and cried out, flooding Jonah’s hand with his cum.
Jonah laughed and were it anyone else, Spencer might’ve been offended by that. But it told him he’d done something right. Jonah’s laugh sounded lighter than it had in a while. Beyond happy, it bordered on joyful.
Jonah washed his hand off under the spray and he looked up at Spencer, a shy smile tugging at his lips. “Is it weird to say thank you after something like that? Because I don’t want to be weird, but I want to thank you for what you’ve given me. I don’t know that I could trust anyone else with something like this.”
“It’s not weird.” Spencer put his fingers under Jonah’s chin and tipped his head up. He brushed another kiss against Jonah’s lips because he found that he liked kissing him. “And even if it was weird, be weird. I like you exactly the way you are.”
“You have to say that because I just had my hand on your dick.”
Spencer laughed. “No, I have to say that because you’re my best friend and it’s true.”
“Speaking of best friends… I don’t want this to fuck anything up between us.”
“Then we won’t let it. We’re both adults. We’ll communicate often, and we won’t do anything the other one isn’t comfortable with. The minute one of us wants to stop, we stop. No hard feelings.”
Jonah bit his lower lip and nodded. He seemed hesitant about something, but Spencer got the feeling that he’d pushed enough for one day and that if he kept going, Jonah would retreat into himself again.
“Okay. Deal.”
CHAPTER 9
JONAH
Growing up, when other families were waking on Sunday morning and getting ready for church, Jonah and his brothers were already up and in the diner. Even as adults, it was no different. Sunday morning rolled around, and Jonah found himself getting out of bed and dragging his ass down to have breakfast with his family.
The diner was the thing that held them together after their mom died. His dad still had the business to run, and Jonah had done his best to chip in and keep things going. He’d kept an eye on his younger brothers and even persuaded them to pitch in at the diner.
Taylor was sixteen when he started cooking. Five years later, he was the diner’s full-time cook. Like their dad, he’d practically chained himself to the place. Located on the outskirts of town, they didn’t get many tourists, but they more than made up for it with a steady string of local customers. Even early on a Sunday morning, there were cars in the parking lot. Jonah parked around the back, out of the way of the paying customers, and slipped in through the back door.
Taylor was in the kitchen and glanced over his shoulder to shoot Jonah a smile. Taylor was still the baby of the family, no matter how old he got, and Jonah always saw him as the same gap-toothed kid he’d grown up with.
“Your admirer was here looking for you,” Taylor teased with obvious mirth.
“I will drown you in the dish pit.”
“No, you won’t. That’s against the rules.” Taylor went back to scrambling eggs, frying bacon, and doing at least fifty things at once. It was forty-nine more tasks than Jonah could handle at any one time.
Jonah’s admirer, as Taylor had teased, was the uncle of one of his summer students. He’d taken custody of his nephew when he lost his parents, and Jonah had tutored him over the summer to help him catch up on the work he’d missed the year before. Jonah doubted that Grant was actually interested in him. It was most likely some kind of misplaced gratitude that made it seem like he was interested in Jonah.
But that didn’t stop his family from teasing him. Most of the time, Jonah bit back, but he was in too good of a mood this morning to care much about some gentle teasing from Taylor.
“Can you do one of those bacon and eggers for me this morning?” Jonah asked on his way through to the front.
“Yeah. Tell Dad and Colby that breakfast is in fifteen.”
Taylor always took a break first thing Sunday so they could all have breakfast together as a family. It was a tradition that none of them seemed to mind keeping even as their lives changed and got busier. The diner was like another member of the family to Jonah. Coming here and being surrounded by the familiarity always comforted him.
Jonah dropped down into their booth. Colby was already there, nursing a cup of coffee and scrolling his phone. The thing Jonah loved the most about the diner was how it always felt like home. Plus, it looked like a typical diner you’d see in the movies. Red seats, chrome accents, black and white checkered floor.
“Morning, Colby.”
“Mornin’,” Colby said without looking up. “Sorry, be right with you. I promised to give Sophie more responsibility at the gym. She’s setting up the equipment for classes this afternoon, and she’s nervous about getting something wrong.” Colby had channeled his love of sports and his natural athletic ability into a career as a CrossFit instructor. At twenty-five years old, he managed one of the local gyms.
“Mornin’, kiddo.” Jonah’s dad swung past with a pot of coffee, and he filled a cup for Jonah. He paused to top off Colby’s too.
“Taylor said breakfast is ready in fifteen.” Jonah passed the message along.
“I’ll get everyone squared away then,” his dad said, ruffling Jonah’s hair before taking off to make sure everyone had everything they needed before they sat down to eat. The locals knew of their Sunday morning tradition and were generally supportive of it, even if it meant they waited a few minutes longer for a refill or for their order to be taken. The other staff covered the diner while they ate as a family, and most of the time it was a quiet, uneventful meal.
By the time Taylor appeared with four heaping plates of food, their dad had topped up everyone’s coffee. One of their part-timers would be able to take care of anyone who trickled in.
Usually they went around the table and shared any new developments in their lives. Most of the time there wasn’t much to report and, even now, the thing that was new in Jonah’s life wasn’t something he wanted to share with his family. Even if he was the sharing type, which he wasn’t, he wouldn’t even know where to begin. Connecting with Spencer in intimate ways had been mind-blowing, and Jonah was still trying to wrap his own head around it.
They’d survived their first week as colleagues who had been naked together without a problem. Where Jonah expected there to be awkwardness, there was only a deepening sense of camaraderie and friendship. And though he didn’t make plans with Spencer this weekend out of fear of becoming clingy and needy, Spencer was always on his mind.
Jonah listened to Taylor and their dad tell stories from the past week while he demolished the breakfast Taylor made for him. Colby also seemed to be preoccupied, but once his phone was confiscated by their dad, he managed to be more sociable.
Some Sunday mornings were slower than others, and this was one of those days when the crowd was thin. Jonah wished it were busier that morning so he could make a hasty exit.
Jonah’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was Damon, wanting to know if he was free after breakfast. Jonah tapped away a response, agreeing to meet up with him.
“Why don’t you take Jonah’s phone away?” Colby asked, somewhat sullenly, and Jonah rolled his eyes.
“Because I’ve already put mine away.”
“Of course you did, because you’re Mister Perfect.” Colby often took his sour moods out on Jonah. It would be harder to take if Jonah thought there was any real malice behind it. He also knew from experience that Colby would put his body on the line to protect him.
In school, Jonah had been frequently picked on. He’d been scrawny, quiet, and smart. He’d been an easy target until Colby hit a growth spurt. Then he’d used his size and his popularity to make people back off.
“Do I have to put you in a timeout?” their dad asked Colby.
Colby stabbed a sausage somewhat violently. “Couldn’t if you wanted to. Taylor’s stood a tree there.”
Their dad’s head whipped around and, sure enough, in the corner he’d threatened to make them stand in—but had never followed through with—stood a potted tree.
“It’s been there all week!” Taylor crowed happily. “She got too big for my apartment, so she had to go somewhere. She’s an orange tree. I’ve got a couple lemon ones almost as big.”
Their youngest brother had a green thumb. He was the kind of person who could stab a stick in the ground and the damned thing would grow roots for him. It was impressive. Years ago, Taylor had watched a video on the internet about how to grow trees from orange seeds and how to sprout sweet potatoes in a glass of water. Ever since then, he’d been an absolute menace. He still lived with their dad, and his above-ground basement apartment looked like a jungle.
“I thought I told you no plants in the diner.” Their dad sounded tired but slightly amused, and Jonah knew he wouldn’t put his foot down over something as harmless as an orange tree.
“True, but it’s not a plant. It’s a tree. I can’t plant it outside because our climate is wrong, and that’s irresponsible anyway. I’m not sure if orange trees could be an invasive species, but it’s not a good idea. Just in case.”
“Just in case the orange trees spread and choke out the natural ecosystem?” Colby jostled Taylor’s arm. “That’s unlikely.”
“Still, the winters here would kill her, and she’s too pretty to die.”
“Well, be that as it may, Taylor, no more trees or plants or sprouted vegetables in the diner. We’re not a nursery.”
Taylor rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. We all know you’re no fun, Dad. You don’t have to go and prove us right all the time.”
“Watch it, or I’ll put you back in the dish pit.” The threat didn’t have teeth. Taylor practically ran the diner now. He’d stepped up over the years, following in their dad’s footsteps, taking charge of the kitchen and the staff. Their dad still did the books and the hiring, but Taylor had definitely carved out a space for himself in the family business.
“He’s more likely to put you in the dish pit, Dad. Face it, the kid runs the show.” Colby grinned and chomped happily on a piece of bacon.
Their dad reached over and ruffled Taylor’s hair, earning him a squawk and a scowl from his youngest.
The bells above the door jingled and a group of people poured in. There were far too many of them for their part-timer to handle, so their dad got to his feet.
“Finish eating, Taylor. They can wait five minutes. See you boys in a week.” Their dad hurried off to take care of business, and Taylor wasn’t far behind. He scooped his remaining egg into his slice of toast and folded it in half.
“See you jerks in a week or whatever.” Taylor bit into his sandwich and headed into the back.
“You’re pretty quiet today, Jonah.” Colby grabbed a cup of coffee and took a sip. He grimaced and looked down at the table in disgust. “Fucking Taylor switched our cups again. God, if he put any more sugar in his coffee, he’d turn into a sugar cube.”
“Maybe that’s his intention. The first ever sugar cube short order cook.”
“With an army of orange trees.” Colby shoved Taylor’s coffee to the side and grabbed his own. “But don’t dodge the question.”
“I wasn’t aware you’d asked anything.”
“Everything okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Colby snorted. “I forgot how fucking impossible you are sometimes. It’s like pulling teeth with you.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Jonah frowned. Okay, he might have a small idea what Colby meant. He didn’t exactly spill his guts to his family. Or to anyone. He didn’t want to bother them with his trivial bullshit. His emotional shit was his own to worry about, and he’d done fine for the past twenty-seven years.
Only that didn’t ring exactly true. If he was doing okay, he would never have needed his best friend to show him how to be intimate with another person. But the thought of relying on anyone for any sort of sexual contact made Jonah’s skin crawl. He’d expected to feel the same way with Spencer but that feeling never came, and he didn’t know what to do with that realization.
“I’m fine enough,” Jonah finally added. “Happy?”
“Deliriously.” Colby rolled his eyes. “If you were on fire, you’d say you were okay and not to bother putting you out if it would inconvenience anyone.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“You’re exactly that bad. You’re about as emotionally available as a turnip.”
“Ouch. Tell me how you really feel.” Jonah didn’t exactly love Colby at the moment.
“I worry about you, okay? I’m allowed to, aren’t I?”
The fight left Jonah, and he let out a sigh. “How about this—if I promise to let you put me out, should I ever catch fire, will you take my word that, in this moment, I’m perfectly okay? Maybe slightly more than okay, but it’s not anything I want to talk about.”
“That the best you can do?”
Jonah nodded.
“Okay. Fair enough.” Colby nodded his agreement. “You will tell me, though, right? Pinky promise?”
Warmth spread in Jonah’s chest, mixing with sadness. After their mom passed away, their father had struggled to keep the diner going and raise three boys on his own. Colby and Jonah often teamed up together to lighten his load. Taking care of Taylor when he couldn’t, or helping at the diner, or agreeing to stay out of trouble and look out for each other. A pinky promise was sacred between the two of them. Something that could never be broken, upon pain of death. He supposed that was a touch dramatic now, but he understood that this was important to Colby, so he hooked his pinky finger with Colby’s and shook on it.
CHAPTER 10
SPENCER
The bear was shaping up nicely. As it should, seeing as how Spencer spent the entire weekend in his garage, welding and grinding and cutting. He understood that Jonah needed to take things at his own pace but that didn’t mean he wasn’t allowed to obsess over the memory of last weekend.
