Page 64 of Worthy

″Think you could handle that?” Cade drags his finger up the inside of my thigh, stopping just before the point my dick would take notice.

″I want to say yes.” I close my eyes, remembering how good it felt to be buried inside him last night. “But you probably need a break. And I know I do. I’m still worn out.”

″Rain check then,” Cade laughs. “Besides, I have to meet with my old man to go over the projects we have going on.”

I lick a drop of cream cheese off my thumb. ″Is that who was here last night?”

“Yeah. My old man just had to give me shit for being the last to know about you.” Cade grabs my hand and licks a similar blob off my forefinger.

“You didn’t tell them?” It’s a struggle to keep my jaw from dropping completely. “We were on display for the whole town to see and you didn’t give them a heads up?”

“Relax.” Cade’s warm hand rubs over my thigh. “They’ve been out of town for weeks and only got back today, so it’s not like there was this big conspiracy to keep you a secret. And all will be forgiven if I bring you over for dinner. Think you can do that tonight?”

My whole body seizes up, the coffee that’s halfway to my mouth sloshing dangerously close to the rim of the cup.Did he really just invite me to a family dinner?

″Isn’t that…I mean…What?” I sputter as I set the mug back on the nightstand.

″Small town, Maddox.” He exhales heavily, letting his hand fall away from my leg. “As soon as we went out together word spread. They’re curious.”

″Fuck. I mean… you told me this happens in small towns, but… seriously? They want me to come to dinner?” The room suddenly feels way too hot.

″This is part of why I was so content to spend most of our time here or on the trail.” He offers a weak smile. “The town sort of takes over and makes it hard to have any sense of privacy. But we don’t have to do it. My folks will understand if I tell them it’s too much.”

″It’s not that,” I blink, “I’ve just never met anyone’s parents before. I’m not sure what to expect.”

″You’ve never met a guy’s parents before?” Cade looks confused.

″Well, I didn’t really date much in high school, and in college no one’s parents were around so, no.” I lift an exasperated shoulder. “I don’t really know how this works.”

″I’ve never brought anyone home before, so I don’t know how it works either. And I know it’s…weird to do this already, but, seeing as most of the town has already met you, it’s kind of weird how my parents haven’t, if that makes sense.” He rubs his neck, looking adorably flustered.

″I guess.” I bite down on my bottom lip. I know word travels in a small town, but what sort of word has made its way back to them? Does the town see me as his latest conquest? Do they worry I’m using him for the summer? Do they know I’m a man?

It sounds silly to ask, but my shoulder length hair has fooled people before.

″What’s wrong, Madd?” Cade threads his fingers through mine. “You got sort of pale there for a second.”

″What do you think your parents have heard about me?”

″Nothing bad.” He gives my fingers a squeeze.

″No, I mean… Do they know about me?” My hand floats over the length of my body, pointing out the obvious.

“Do they know I’m sleeping with a man? I assume so, since my dad watched me kiss you then walk in here last night.” Cade smirks.

“And?”

“And what?” He has the audacity to look confused.

“Their formerly straight son is sleeping with a man, and the first thing they said is bring him to dinner?”

″Pretty much.”

I don’t even know how to respond to that. Even my parents, who have been endlessly supportive, had questions. When did I realize I liked men? Did I still identify as a man? The usual. And while thosequestions might seem offensive on the surface, I knew they were my parents’ attempt to support me to the fullest extent. The idea that Cade could just blurt out he’s with a man and no one bats an eye is totally foreign to me. I don’t know how to roll with that.

“Do they know I’m only here for the summer?”

“Yeah, why?” Cade regards me warily.

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