Page 53 of Whiskey Neat

“Are you trying or am I chasing?”

The broken parts of me that have never had a man chase, and especially not one as incredible as Indy, kind of want to see what it would feel like, but I’m not a child anymore, and there’s a lot more satisfaction in willingly being in this man’s arms. Now I have to be brave enough to say the words.

His eyes soften as he rubs my back, somehow unlocking the final resistance.

“I…” I exhale. “I think I’d like to try.”

SEVENTEEN

INDIANA

An hour after the epic blow job on the stairs, I pull into the parking lot of a restaurant in Clearbrooke, a town over from Willow Bay. I’ve only heard about it from former coworkers, so hopefully it lives up to the hype.

Salem was mostly quiet on the drive over, other than softly singing along to a few tunes that played on the radio. I can tell he’s stuck in his head, but I wish I knew why. I’m torn between minding my business and asking anyway. If I did something to make him withdraw, I want to know. As far as I can tell, we both enjoyed ourselves, so what’s bugging him?

“Here we go,” I announce even though it’s obvious as I shut off the car.

Salem’s face brightens. “Can’t wait. I’m pretty hungry all of a sudden.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Before he can exit the car, I cup his chin and lean across the seats for a kiss.

He’s tense for a second but quickly melts in that way he does that is absolutely fucking addictive. As I linger on his lips, nipping and dragging my tongue over their lush softness, Salem exhales, gripping my t-shirt.

I end the kiss, but press my forehead to his. “I love your taste.”

He huffs softly, pulling away. His eyes are glassy but not at all soft. In fact, they seem to harden under my gaze.

“I feel like I’m fucking up without knowing why.”

He flinches then frowns, shaking his head. “Fuck, Indy. I’m sorry. It’s nothing you’re doing, I swear.”

I nod, studying his face. “Want to talk about anything?”

Salem turns his head, staring out the window for a few seconds as a couple passes the car. “Not really. It’s just some lingering baggage I need to work through. I promise it’s not you though. You’re…” He scoffs. “You’re fucking perfect.”

“No, I’m not. Don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m just a guy.”

“Just a guy. Right.”

His tone confuses me, and I pull my head back. “Salem, dude, where is this hostility coming from? Did I imagine the epic sex we had not that long ago?”

Salem deflates, his shoulders slumping as he rubs his forehead, and he looks down at his hands folded in his lap. “I’m gonna mess this up. It’s what I do.”

“Want to elaborate?”

After a pause, he nods, turning his pretty eyes to me. “I think everything that’s happened in my life recently is coming to a head, you know? Moving back home, meeting you, running into Jackson. Let’s just say my dating life hasn’t been great, and I know we’re not dating, but we’re…” He gestures vaguely. “Whatever this is. I guess it’s just bringing up past shit that I really don’t want to dump on you.”

He forces a smile onto his face.

“I’ll work it out on my own,” he continues. “But if we can kind of ignore this gross display of inner thoughts, I’d appreciate it. Let’s just enjoy the evening.” He squeezes my hand. “Can we do that, Indy?” His voice nearly cracks, revealing the emotion he’s desperately holding back.

I want to wrap him in my arms and soothe away the pain he’s carrying, and that thought alone is fucking startling.

“Sure. We can do that.”

“Thanks.”

He’s out of the car and striding across the lot in a flash. I hurry to catch up with him, knocked off balance by my own thoughts. I’m not the kind of guy who gets attached or catches feelings, and definitely not after a few days of knowing someone. Yeah, Salem is a great guy, and his body is quickly becoming my obsession, but he’s stirring up new emotions.

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