Page 48 of Street of Dreams
Jake’s old man was out of town again on another drop. It would be one week of heaven, and everyone felt it. The heaviness disappeared and Jake walked through the house with ease, free of tension and without fear of a major blow up at any given moment. The best part of it all was that Mac could visit, and it brought normalcy to his fucked-up life.
They were still working on the car, so it was a viable excuse for Mac to drop by, especially since Jake had the parts and tools at his house. While he couldn’t exactly say the twins bonded with Mac since the night they all played pool together, it kind of opened the gateway to bringing Jake into the picture as a friend.
Mac had come by early, right after all the boys left for school, so they had the whole day alone together. They changed the heater core and flushed some of the fluids on the Chevy, which took the entire morning, but they still had a few hours before the twins would be home, so they both headed into the house to clean up.
“I don’t know how the fuck you survived Chicago winters with no heat in that car,” Jake said, as he hung his leather jacket on the coatrack and they kicked off their boots in the entry hallway. “You must have been freezing.”
“I drove with a blanket over my lap.”
Jake shook his head. “You’re crazy.”
“I didn’t have the money to fix it. Or a handy guy to fix it for me.”
Jake grinned at Mac over his shoulder as they headed toward the bathroom. “Well, you got one now.”
“I want to ask you something.”
Jake looked at Mac through the bathroom mirror while he washed his hands. “What’s that?”
“Since we’re friends now, maybe you can come to another one of my shows? You could bring your brothers. So it wouldn’t look like a date,” Mac teased.
It wasn’t a bad idea and had plausibility. “When’s your next show?”
“Next weekend. The crowds have been incredible. I can’t believe the response I’m getting. I’m actually filling the clubs I play, and I’m selling CD’s like crazy. People follow me to each show, and they bring their friends. I have fans. Fans!”
Jake loved the way Mac’s eyes brightened as he spoke, and it made him eager to share this newfound success with Mac. “When the twins come home later, bring it up. Invite us. I’ll accept.”
“Man, that’s going to be so cool. I love that they like me now.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Jake teased. “But it’s a start. At least—” Jake stopped talking when he saw Mac lift the lid on the toilet and start to take a piss. “Wow. You’re really comfortable. When did we turn into one of those couples who takes a shit in front of each other?”
“If you take a shit in front of me, it’s over.” Mac stepped out of his dirty jeans and deposited his T-shirt on the bathroom floor.
With his hands still under the water, Jake froze in place, riveted at the striptease going on next to him. Mac’s legs were heavily muscled, with shadows emphasizing the definition in his quads and sculpted calves, and the day’s work left his shoulders and biceps tight and round. It was an exquisite display of masculinity.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“You’re naked.” Jake shut the water and wiped his hands as his eyes washed over Mac from head to toe. “And, what the fuck? Have you been hitting the gym extra hard lately or something?”
Mac ran his hand over his chest, cupping each pec seductively. “I’m glad you noticed.”
“Is that why you peeled off your clothes? So you could show off your muscles?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mac flexed his arms while flaunting several sexy poses. “I thought I’d jump in the shower. If that’s OK.”
“It’s more than fucking OK.” Jake stripped off his clothes and joined Mac under the spray of hot water. There wasn’t much room in the single shower stall, so they were pressed against one another. He thought about using the upstairs bathroom but preferred the cramped quarters, which necessitated bumping of body parts each time either one of them moved. He watched the water turn Mac’s luscious hair from deep red to almost black cherry. No one in South Side had hair the color of fire, and it had been the first thing Jake had noticed about Mac way back when they were in grade school.
Mac turned to face the water, so his muscular back and full length of hair were on display. He braced the palms of his hands on the tile walls on either side of him, widening his wingspan. He lowered his chin, allowing the water to cascade over his head and shoulders like a beautiful waterfall, sending Jake’s heart fluttering in a tailspin.
Starting at the back of Mac’s neck, Jake pulled the wet strands of hair into a ponytail and ran his fingers through it. “I remember when your hair didn’t even reach your collar.”
Mac wiped the water from his face and turned around. “That was a long time ago.”
“We’ve known each other since we were kids, Mac. I know we weren’t close up until recently, but no one knows me better than you. Not even my brothers.” Vulnerability choked Jake, but he pushed himself to speak. “You make me feel safe. No one ever made me feel like that before. I love you for it.”
It might have been spray from the shower, but it looked as if Mac teared up. “I love you, Jake. You’re always safe with me.”
Strong arms wrapped Jake in a powerful hug that left him raw. There was no reason to feel like he was wearing his heart outside his chest, but, in that moment, he felt as if his insides were exposed. He clung to Mac, tighter than he ever hung onto anyone, and never wanted to let go.
