Page 11 of Scout

Now, as he pulled into the parking lot of a pleasant but plain-looking apartment complex, his nerves seemed to rattle along with the bike. He hoped like hell this worked out between them because he didn’t know what he’d do if Alex decided to quit over it.

When he parked in front of building number four, he saw Alex striding toward him, wearing black boots, faded blue jeans, and a San Francisco 49ers’ T-shirt. He carried a black leather jacket over one shoulder. It was the first time Scout had seen Alex in casual clothes, and he looked fantastic. The shirt and jeans molded to histrim body and long legs. The man was delicious-looking, and Scout’s cock sprung to life. It was obvious Alex had been waiting for him, which pleased Scout more than he expected it to. Damn, he was falling for this man—hard!

Scout killed the engine, then unstrapped the extra helmet from the seat behind him and held it out to Alex as he approached. “Here you go. We’re going to ride up 101 for about an hour to this spot I know. It’s the perfect place for lunch.” The beautiful late April day was ideal for his planned picnic—it wasn’t too hot or cold.

“Sounds good.” It was clear Alex was nervous, but that wasn’t surprising. At least he was there and hadn’t ghosted Scout.

He waited as Alex pulled on his jacket and the helmet. Once the man was set, Scout gestured to the seat behind him. “Climb on.”

Alex hesitated momentarily, then placed his hand on Scout’s shoulder and swung his leg over the seat before settling in. His strong legs straddled Scout’s ass and thighs while his hands loosely held onto Scout’s hips. And that wouldn’t do. Scout gently grabbed Alex’s wrists and pulled until the man’s arms embraced his waist. When he was sure they’d stay there, he let go and started the engine again.

Within minutes, they were on the highway heading north. Scout loved the feel of Alex’s chest against his back and that Alex’s arms were still around him. As theHarley ate up the miles, Alex seemed to relax more and more.

About forty-five minutes into the ride, Scout exited the highway. As he made rights and lefts he memorized years ago, the streets became smaller and less crowded until there were no houses, businesses, or other vehicles to be seen. He easily found the turnoff for the dirt path that would take them to his favorite spot. Trees and brush bracketed them as he slowed the bike to almost a crawl. While he never ran into anyone else whenever he was there, others had to know about the place and drove motorcycles or ATVs on the path because it was never impassable.

When they reached a small clearing, Scout stopped the bike next to a large boulder and turned off the engine. He almost wished they hadn’t arrived because Alex let go of him and sat back. Scout leaned forward and allowed the man to dismount first before engaging the kickstand and removing his helmet. Lifting his leg, he got off the bike and stretched his limbs. Without the noise from the Harley, the sounds of nature and wildlife could be heard.

The boulder sat atop a cliff that looked down over a river about forty or fifty feet below. An abundance of trees gave them plenty of shade from the bright sun, which had climbed higher in the sky during their ride. It was his favorite place to come and unwind by himself for a few hours. Sometimes, he brought a bookwith him, while other times, he just took a walk and explored for a while.

Taking off his leather jacket, he draped it over the bike’s seat and told Alex to do the same as he opened the saddlebags and retrieved their lunch. “Come on. We’ll eat up here and then take a walk for a bit. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have breakfast—just coffee.”

“I didn’t even have that.” He followed as Scout led him around the back side of the boulder to the most accessible spot where they could climb onto it. “It’s beautiful up here. How’d you find it?”

Good, the man was engaging in conversation and not just in response to Scout’s questions or commands.

“Completely by accident. It is one of those ‘Should I go left or right?’ types of things. One day, I saw the dirt road and decided to see where it led. I’ve been back many times since.” At the top of the boulder, he gestured to their surroundings. “I love it up here. It’s so peaceful that I sometimes lose track of time.”

He pivoted to face Alex and elected to put his heart on the line. “This is the first time I’ve ever brought someone with me. I kind of hoped this could be our first date.” When Alex’s eyes bugged out, Scout quickly continued. “I know you weren’t expecting this, Alex. Neither was I. But I can’t help how I feel. I’ve never been attracted to a man to the point of obsession before, but I can’t stop thinking about you. When you walk into the office in the morning, you light up myworld. And when you leave for the day, I just want the hours to speed by until I can see you again. I meant what I said—your job isn’t at risk whether or not something happens between us. I just know that if I didn’t at least try for something more with you, I’d always regret it.”

Okay, the guy still gaped at him but hadn’t shaken his head or taken off running. That was a good sign, right?

“Listen, all I’m asking for is a chance to see where this goes between us. I can’t be the only one feeling this intense attraction. Am I wrong?”

Swallowing hard, Alex shook his head. “No, you’re not wrong. But, honestly, I’m a little freaked out. I’ve never been involved with someone I worked for or with before. But this ... this thing ...” He gestured between them. “It’s definitely not one-sided. Can we take it slowly, though? I don’t want to fuck things up.”

When Scout snorted, Alex’s eyes narrowed at him. “What?”

A grin spread across Scout’s face. “Nothing. That’s just the first time you’ve ever cursed in front of me. I was starting to think it was a religious thing or something. It also tells me you’re getting more comfortable with me, and I like that. But I’m okay with taking it slowly. Just know I want to kiss you again, and I plan to do it soon. Now, c’mon, I’m hungry.”

Seven

Alex sat on the boulder and found a comfortable position while Scout opened the bags and produced their lunches. The subs were turkey, Gouda cheese, tomato, avocado, and chipotle mayo on whole grain rolls, one of the most popular options on the bistro’s menu. Small covered cups of macaroni salad, two bottles of ginger ale, some chips, and a couple of oranges accompanied them. Napkins and forks had also been provided. It was a perfect little picnic. Alex tried remembering the last time he’d been on a picnic but couldn’t recall when. Evidently, it hadn’t been memorable. However, he was pretty sure he’d remember this one.

Scout was right. It was beautiful there. The sights, sounds, and smells of nature bombarded Alex’s senses. The area reminded him of the Catskills in upstate New York. He never went off the beaten paththis far north while growing up in San Fransisco and could only imagine what the area would look like in a few months when the leaves started changing to their autumn colors. Alex would love to come back up and see it then.

They were in the shade, under a canopy of Douglas fir, maple, and redwood trees, and there was a nice breeze coming from the west. The air was fresh and crisp. A majestic hawk circled overhead, searching for food. From the boulder, the two men could see the river below them. The rapids were slow there, and they couldn’t hear the running water from that high up. A nearly identical cliff and forest were on the other side of the river.

Earlier, he surprised himself by being ready ten minutes before Scout’s scheduled arrival at his apartment complex and had eagerly met the man in the parking lot. Since Scout hadn’t asked for Alex’s address, it was safe to assume he got it from the personnel files.

After leaving the Paradox that morning—and, thankfully, not running into anyone he recognized—Alex rushed home and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he entered his apartment. He spent about an hour sitting on the couch, replaying the last fourteen hours or so in his mind. Never had he suspected Scout was interested in being more than his employer or even friends with him. Had he missed some obvious clues? He doubted it. More likely, Scout just excelled athiding his feelings. So, what had changed from yesterday afternoon to last night?

The more Alex thought about it, the happier he seemed to be about the change in direction, even though he was still in shock and wary about it. He really liked Scout—a lot—and it had nothing to do with the guy’s money and everything to do with the man himself.

Scout was handsome, intelligent, and caring. He always seemed to put others before himself and just enjoyed life. When he talked about places he’d been to and exciting things he’d done, one could tell the man wasn’t bragging. His face lit up as he shared his experiences, and Alex noted the same happened to others as they listened to his stories. It was as if they lived vicariously through Scout, if only for a few moments.

In addition to being a successful businessman, Scout was a bit of a philanthropist, as Alex had learned. He donated generously to a local children’s hospital, an organization for women recovering from domestic abuse, and several animal rescue groups quarterly. While they were clearly tax write-offs, Alex knew that wasn’t why his boss made the donations. No, Scout did it because he wanted to help make a difference in someone’s or some animal’s life, and he was in a position to do just that. He even spent a few three-day weekends helping to build houses for Habitat for Humanity.

All combined, the man was a very tempting package.The only things that worried Alex about what was happening between them were his job and Scout’s money. Undoubtedly, some people would think that the latter was the only reason Alex was interested in the multi-millionaire, but that was so far from the truth it wasn’t funny. Scout could be a waiter or a janitor, living paycheck to paycheck, and Alex would still want him.

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