Unforgivable - 16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

As the fog of sleep lifted, Jason became aware of a warm body nestled against his chest. Corey, he thought as he inhaled the subtle scent of the man’s shampoo. Memories of the night before came back to him. He couldn't believe Corey had shown up in the middle of the night to apologize.

Although he was still concerned about Corey getting spooked and bolting again, the handsome brunette meant too much to him to let this chance go without a fight. If Corey was willing to work on his trust issues, then Jason was willing to give him that chance. He knew he was nothing like Ian Smyth, but could understand how, under stress, Corey’s panicked mind could draw the comparison. As much as it shamed him to admit, he’d truly fucked up with Pierre.

"Hey" a sleepy voice said, drawing his attention back to the man in his arms. "This feels kinda like déjà vu.” Corey gave him a tentative smile, as if unsure how Jason would react in the light of day.

Jason chuckled and placed a kiss in Cory's tousled hair. "Yeah, it does doesn't it? Only this time neither of us have a kink in our neck.”

Corey’s smile widened to a grin. “I was fine... you make a great pillow in a bed or on a couch,” he joked.

“Good to know I don’t need to invest in more pillows.” He patted the smaller man on the hip. “Come on, let’s go find some breakfast.”

Jason pulled out bacon and eggs, while Corey put on a pot of coffee. Watching the brunette move around his kitchen like he belonged there pleased him more than he was ready to admit. Who knew something ordinary and domestic could make a person so happy? He was still wary about trusting this happiness, but he couldn’t help but hope they would have many more mornings like this.

“Hey, it’s New Year’s Eve,” Corey said suddenly, as they enjoyed their second cup of coffee.

“Huh, what do you know,” Jason responded, looking at the calendar on the wall. “I didn’t even realize.”

“Do you have any plans?” Corey asked, sounding hesitant, and looking at the cup in his hands.

“No,” Jason answered, wondering why the other man seemed to nervous all of a sudden. “I hadn’t really thought about it. Do you have something planned for tonight?”

“Well,” Corey bit his lip and looked at the blonde through his eyelashes. “There's a big New Year's Eve bash at one of the clubs I was planning on going to.”

“Oh?”

“Do you….” He cleared his throat. “Would you like to come with me? A couple of guys from the baseball team will be there… and my assistant Liam… their dates. It should be a good time.”

Corey looked so shy it was adorable. There was no way Jason could say no when the man was looking at him so beseechingly. “Sure,” he said. “That sounds like fun. Won't we need tickets though?”

“I already have two,” Corey admitted, sounding embarrassed. “I had Liam pick them up before Christmas, and never got a chance to tell you, before… well before everything happened. Jase, I’m so sor….”

Jason reached across the table and pulled the other man’s hand away from his mug, giving it a squeeze. “I’m looking forward to going, Cor.”

Corey sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “I don’t know why you’re so forgiving. I was a jerk.”

“You were,” Jason agreed, and Corey visibly winced. Jason rubbed his thumb over Corey’s knuckles. “You were a jerk, but I get why you were scared. Your dad has put your family through hell. It would be hard not to be affected by that.”

“But I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“You were hurting and needed someone to lash out at. I was there, and you were reminded of my past sins. I may not be the person I was all of those years ago, but I know how badly I hurt you. I can see how you might make the comparison.”

“You’re too understanding,” Corey mumbled, sounding sad.

Jason used the tips of his fingers to lift Corey’s chin, making the man face him. “It hurt, but I get why you freaked out. You've apologized. I forgave you.” He held the other man’s gaze for a moment before continuing. “I’m willing to let the last two weeks go, and see what we can build together, but Cor… if you ever take your anger at your father out on me again, I may not be so understanding.”

Corey gulped, and nodded. “Fair enough,” he whispered. “That’s more than I hoped for after I chased you away last night.”

“Now, if I do something to piss you off, I expect you to kick my ass,” Jason said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

Corey snickered. “Duly noted.”

Later, as they stretched out on the couch, Jason read over client files while Corey surfed the net on the laptop. He was again hit with a feeling of comfort and domesticity. They weren’t doing anything particularly exciting, but Jason was happier than he remembered being in a long time. For a guy who'd thoroughly enjoyed the single life for years, it was a surprise. A touch on his leg caught his attention. Corey was engrossed in whatever was on the screen, and must've done it unconsciously. Jason covered Corey’s hand with his, smiling when the man looked startled.

“Sorry about that,” he said shyly, starting to pull away.

“Don’t be.” Jason linked their fingers together, and rested their joined hands on the seat between them. With a crooked grin, he resumed his reading, absentmindedly stroking his thumb along the slightly smaller digit.

“I should head home and change,” Corey said several minutes later, looking down at his borrowed clothing. “I have to pick up some groceries too. I don’t have a damned thing in my house.”

“Would you like some company?” He hadn’t finished the file he was reviewing, but he wasn’t ready to lose Corey’s company yet.

“You want to come shopping with me?” The brunette sounded amused, but seemed pleased with the suggestion.

“Sure.” Jason shrugged. “I’ll give you a hand, and we can pick up something to make for dinner later... I need to get out of the house to be honest.”

“I still haven’t made you my cheese steaks,” Corey said with a bright smile. “They’ll be great with a couple of beer, and then we can get ready to go out.”

“I’ll grab my things so I can change at your place.” Jason placed the folder in his briefcase and stood.

“And maybe a change of clothes for the morning?”

Jason looked back at Corey who grinned mischievously as he shrugged. With a laugh, he went to his room where he picked out an outfit for the party… and clothes for the next day. He wasn’t sure how far they would get, but with the way his body was responding, he knew IT was hoping for a little more than a New Year’s kiss.

He hopped out of the car and followed Corey into the house. They decided to leave Jason’s car at his place, since neither of them would be driving that night.

“You can leave your things on the bed,” Corey said, heading for the bathroom. Jason had washed up before they left but Corey wanted to wait until he got home. “I’m going to take a quick shower.” He looked over his shoulder and smirked. “I would say to help yourself to anything in the fridge, but it’s pretty bare.”

Jason looked around Corey’s room. Except for the initial tour of the house, and walking past the open door when heading for the bathroom, he hadn’t seen much of it. The space was warm and masculine, with deep green walls, dark woods, and a king-sized bed covered with a thick white duvet. He could almost picture Corey on that bed, naked, and writhing beneath him. Setting his bag down he headed for the kitchen before his thoughts got too carried away.

Corey wasn’t kidding, his fridge was pretty bare. Settling on a glass of water, he looked out into Corey’s yard, watching the wind rustle the pine trees. The house might be small, but there were a lot of upgrades and renovations made since Corey bought the place, including in the backyard. Although there was no sign of it under the snow, there was a small pond and waterfall in the back corner Corey built with the help of a friend. It wasn’t hard to tell how much the man loved his home.

“I’m ready when you are,” Corey said from his right.

Jason turned and smiled. “Lead the way.”

The store was packed with shoppers. They navigated through the crowd, with Corey stopping here and there to throw something into the cart. Jason walked patiently beside him, narrowly avoiding being hit by unobservant patrons, and trying to remember why he’d invited himself along. They were walking down yet another aisle when he spotted a familiar package. Hurrying over, he snatched the large bag off of the shelf.

“M&Ms?” Corey said, with laughter in his voice. “Really?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jason said with a snort. “Do you know how long it’s been since I had M&Ms?”

“Last week?” Corey retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s beside the point,” Jason huffed, crossing his arms. “Mom bought those for Kat. Do you know how long it’s been since I bought them?”

“Three weeks ago.” The smaller man rolled his eyes. “I was there. You made a last minute stop at the convenience store for snacks before movie night.”

“Fine,” Jason grumbled. “I love M&Ms, so I’m buying them.”

“You left your wallet at the house, remember?” Corey said, clearly trying not to laugh. Jason turned his best puppy-dog eyes on the brunette, holding out the bag. “What are you? Three? Fine,” the man said, with an exasperated sigh. “Put them in the cart.”

He grinned and threw the chocolate in with Corey’s healthy purchases. Everyone needed a vice, and chocolate was Jason’s. He didn’t smoke or do drugs and he rarely drank anymore, so he figured a minor chocolate obsession was innocent enough.

Once their purchases were rung through, he grabbed the bag of candy and tore it open, popping a couple into his mouth while he helped Corey load the cart. The brunette rolled his eyes at him again. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the teenaged cashier grinning at them. “I can never wait until I get to the car either,” she said conspiratorially.

“Don’t encourage him,” Corey muttered, earning a laugh from the pretty young girl.

They made a brief stop for beer, before heading back to the house to unload their purchases. “Do you need any help with dinner?” Jason asked after he put away a carton of orange juice.

“Can you make the salad?”

Jason split his attention between chopping vegetables and watching Corey cook. It wasn’t long before the scent of their dinner filled the air. After washing his hands, the brunette grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge, setting one in front of Jason. “It’ll be a few minutes before I can put everything together," he informed him.

They sipped their beers and chatted about the weeks they were apart. Every so often Corey would get a guilty expression, although it would clear when Jason steered the conversation to happier subjects. “So your Aunt Donna made a treacle tart?” Jason asked at one point in the younger man’s retelling of his Christmas celebration.

“Yep,” Corey said, taking another sip of his beer. “It’s tradition in my Uncle Peter’s family, so Aunt Donna started making it for him. She also made homemade Christmas pudding.”

“I think I just got a cavity from that story.”

Corey laughed. “I think I got two from eating everything.”

After a leisurely dinner they adjourned to the couch.

“I may not have acted like it….” One side of Corey’s mouth turned up in a smile. “But I really missed you. Missed this.” He waved a hand between them.

“I did too.” Jason returned the smile. Corey stared at him for a moment before lunging forward and kissing him. Caught off guard, the big blonde rolled back, with the smaller man hovering over him.

“I missed this too,” Corey whispered against his lips.

“Mmmm, so did I,” Jason said as he rubbed his hands up and down the hot brunette’s back, stopping just above the curve of his ass. The muscles beneath his fingers flexed at his touch.

After a few minutes of slow, deep kisses they moved apart, keeping their fingers tangled together. Corey made a happy noise, leaning against Jason's arm. "You're comfortable."

The blonde chuckled. "So you’ve mentioned. I think I might have missed my calling."

They cuddled on the couch until it was time to get ready to go out. Corey looked amazing in his black jeans and a snug-fitting button down shirt. The fabric had a slight shine, which would gleam under the club lights. Judging by the looks he received from the other man, Corey liked what he saw as well.

The brunette ran his hand down Jason's chest. "We'd better call that cab or we'll never get out of here," he said, leaning up to give the taller man a kiss on the jaw.

Jason groaned, nodding. "I think you're right."

The club was loud with music and laughter. Although it was early, compared to the Toronto scene, the place was already packed with revelers. They presented their tickets to the large bouncer at the door, and were waved inside. Almost immediately they were approached by an excited Liam, dragging a thin, bleached-blonde man behind him.

"Corey! Jason!" the young man called out as he approached. "You made it."

"Liam," Corey greeted, giving his assistant a hug. Jason acknowledged Liam with a nod and a smile. When he and Corey had begun spending more time together, he'd gotten to know the perpetually cheerful man, and found he liked Corey’s friend. In a lot of ways his bubbly personality reminded Jason of Pierre.

"Guys." Liam gestured to the shorter, almost skinny man behind him. "This is my friend, Bryce." Bryce's gaze raked appreciatively over Corey, and then him. Jason felt an unexpected spike of jealousy when the man’s eyes returned to Corey’s denim-covered crotch. When he realized he was caught, Bryce winked, unrepentant. He fought the urge to kiss Corey in front of the guy, not knowing how the patrons in the straight bar would react. He’d been told the locale was gay-friendly, but wouldn’t want to test that friendliness with such an open display.

"Bry, this is my boss, Corey, and...."

"His boyfriend, Jason," Corey interrupted the introduction. Jason turned to the brunette, surprised, but pleased at the sudden claiming. He grinned when Corey smiled innocently at him.

Liam chuckled. "... and Corey's boyfriend, Jason."

Thank you to my awesome, and tireless editor, Gary   and thank you to all of you who read and support this story.