THE BACKSEAT

SUGAR SEASON - BONUS EPILOGUE

SPENCER SPEARS

1

THE BACKSEAT

“ emind me again why I said yes to this?” R I meant to say it under my breath. There was enough noise in the kitchen at Cabin Cafe that I thought I could have shouted, but I must have been louder than I thought because Colin turned away from where he was talking to Charlie and gave me a sympathetic look.

“Because you’re a saint?”

“Hardly.” I glanced around at the shrieking group of teenagers currently destroying my kitchen. “And if I ever was, this experience is definitely enough to push me into confirmed misanthrope territory.”

Maddy, Charlie’s daughter and Colin’s step-daughter, was standing in front of a saucepan that was about to boil over. Her friends Rosie and Nelson were extruding something that definitely wasn’t ice cream from my ice cream maker. And Yasmin and Michael were perilously close to chopping their fingers off as they diced vegetables while Jacey, Tom, 2 SPENCER SPEARS and Corbin were running back and forth between the oven and the stove in a way that made me distinctly nervous.

“10 more minutes on the clock, chefs,” Charlie intoned, projecting over the din in the room. “10 minutes until your dishes need to be plated.”

“Sounds like you need to have a talk with past-Ryan then.” Colin grinned. “Tell him to stop being so accommodating.”

“Past-Ryan’s an idiot,” I grumbled.

“Past-Ryan knew he was getting free renovation work done in exchange for this,” Charlie laughed, leaning around Ryan to look at me. “I’d say past-Ryan’s pretty smart.”

“That was before past-Ryan knew that ‘Maddy wants to have her birthday here’ meant ‘Maddy wants to recreate Iron Chef with seven of her closest friends in a way that might permanently damage your kitchen and definitely violates several health codes.’ Past-Ryan might have thought twice if he’d known the truth.”

“And that’s why past-Charlie didn’t tell him.” Charlie grinned. “Besides, it’s not like you were using the restaurant this week anyway.”

That much was true. What had started out as Cabin Coffee when I’d first moved to Maple Springs had become Cabin Cafe, a full-fledged restaurant after I’d gone into business with Elizabeth, the owner. We’d expanded to take over the space next door and we were in the middle of our second renovation right now.

The first build-out had updated my kitchen—which was going to be in need of a deep cleaning after tonight. For this second renovation, we were doubling the size of the dining The Backseat 3 room, which meant we’d had to close the restaurant for a week while the work was being done.

Work that, to be fair, Charlie was giving us a great deal on. But that didn’t mean I was okay with accidental death and dismemberment in my kitchen.

“Plus, it’s kind of cute watching 16 year olds pretend to actu- ally know how to cook,” Colin added. “We need a Gordon Ramsey here to yell at them.”

I snorted. “It’s Iron Chef. I’d rather have that hot Chairman guy instead.”

“I’m so telling Graham you said that,” Charlie laughed.

“Oh, he knows.” I shook my head, laughing. “We’ve had discussions.”

“Of which cooking-show celebrities are on your—” Colin paused, glancing around the kitchen to make sure none of the kids were paying attention. “You know, your list? There can’t be that many to choose from.”

“Are you kidding? Ted Allen and Aaron Sanchez from Chopped? Hugh Acheson from Top Chef? Jamie Oliver and his whole Naked Chef thing?”

“Mmm, Hugh Acheson does have dreamy eyebrows,” Colin sighed. “I forgot about him.”

“Forgot about Hugh Acheson?” My eyes widened. How could you? He’s a god among mortals.”

Charlie smirked. “Just don’t say Guy Fieri or I will lose all respect for you.”

“What about Guy Fieri?” Graham’s voice sounded behind 4 SPENCER SPEARS me and I turned to see him pushing through the swinging door into the kitchen.

“Ryan was just telling us how much you love him.” Charlie grinned. “And I have to say, I wouldn’t have thought he was your type but I learned long ago not to make assumptions about that.”

“Blech.” Graham shuddered. “No thank you. Besides,” he added, squeezing between Charlie, Colin, and the wall to come up behind me, “I’ve got my own chef right here. I don’t need another one.”

Graham wrapped his arms around me and hugged me from behind. It was hot in the kitchen but he’d come in from the outside and his body still held the chill of the night air. The resulting sensation from his squeeze sent shivers through my body. He kissed the back of my neck.

“Missed you,” he whispered.

“You say that literally every day.” I smiled and grinned up at him. “At some point, I’m going to stop believing it.”

“I’m gonna say it anyway.”

“God forbid either of us actually does have to travel some- where without the other one. You make it sound like you’ll implode if you go more than a day without seeing me.”

“I just might. So how about we not risk it?”

I turned to look at him over my shoulder, still held tight in his arms. “You know, I’d say something snarky about your attachment issues, but I think I kind of like them.”

“I’m so glad my deep-seated psychological trauma meshes well with your own.” The Backseat 5

“I know. What would you do without me?”

“Cry. Wail. Rend my garments and gnash my teeth.”

“Aww, babe. That’s so sweet.”

“Five minutes, chefs!” Charlie bellowed and Graham jumped in surprise. I laughed and extricated myself.

“I think it’s time for all of you to take your seats.” I grinned at the three of them. “Go keep Jack and Kian and the rest of the parents company at the judges’ tables.”

“You’re not eating?” Graham looked surprised.

“I’m more concerned about these guys not burning down my kitchen than eating their food.” Besides, from what I could judge, only about half the food was going to be edible. But I didn’t say that part out loud.

Maddy had asked me to choose the secret ingredient and I’d picked apples, figuring I was going easy on them. Apples were so versatile, but also, simple. How difficult could it be to screw them up?

Apparently, I’d been way too optimistic. So, no, I wasn’t too broken up about not getting to test the food myself.

“No rest for the wicked.” I gave Graham a quick kiss on the cheek and then pushed him towards the door. “Now get out of here, you three.”

In the end, it took more like 15 minutes than five for the kids to get all their food plated and ready to go. I sent them out to the dining room in waves, one from each team to serve their courses, while the rest of them clustered nervously around the door to watch. 6 SPENCER SPEARS

Maddy had printed up little scorecards and various parents and relatives had been roped in to serve as judges, rating each course on taste, appearance, and creativity. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she’d chosen this as her birthday party. When I was 16, I was pretty sure I’d cele- brated by drinking stolen liquor in my friend’s parents’ basement and trying and failing to roll a joint properly.

Charlie had definitely gotten luckier with his kid than my parents had with me. Though, I suppose, Maddy had also gotten luckier with her parents than I had with mine. Things had gotten better with my parents and me recently, mostly thanks to Graham. But they’d been pretty rough there for a while and the idea of having kids, of not knowing what kind of person the tiny human you were caring for was going to grow up to be, was… daunting, to say the least.

I tried to start cleaning up as the kids brought the empty plates from each course back in. There were drips and drops of soup, splatters from Maddy’s pasta dish, and spills of— God, was that bacon sorbet that they’d made?—everywhere. I’d need to come back and do a thorough clean after everyone had left tonight. Still, I might as well get started now.

“Hey, Ryan, can you come out for a second?” I turned away from the gasket on the ice cream maker to see Maddy standing by the door. “Dad’s about to announce which team won.”

“Sure, I’ll be right there.” Not that I was desperate to find out, but I could humor her. I straightened up and tossed the rag I’d been using to clean on the edge of the counter. I met Maddy by the door and as she pushed it open, I heard Char- lie’s voice on the other side. The Backseat 7

“So thanks, everyone, for coming to celebrate Maddy’s birthday tonight. I’m sure you’re all dying to know which team won, but before we get to that—” I stepped into the room to see Charlie standing amid the construction debris, two-by-fours and drop-cloths behind him, addressing the crowd clustered around the few tables I’d set out “—I want to first give a huge thank you to Ryan, for letting us take over his restaurant tonight.”

I blushed as everyone clapped, rolling my eyes when Graham whistled appreciatively.

“My pleasure.” I walked over to the group and squeezed in next to Graham. “Really, I’m happy to. And you guys are the ones doing the hard work—you actually had to eat the food.”

“Regardless, Ryan, thank you for letting us taking over your space. I’m so glad that you decided to stay in Maple Springs. We may never know why you’re willing to put up with Graham, but God we’re happy that you do.”

“Hey! I resemble that!” Graham called out, putting his arm around my shoulder, and everyone laughed.

“And, in fact, as a thank you, Maddy wanted to make a special dessert in your honor.” Maybe Charlie could see everyone’s faces pale because he added, “I supervised this one. It’s edible. I promise. Maddy should be bringing it out any—”

“Dad! Dad!” Maddy burst out of the kitchen looking panicked. “The kitchen’s on fire!”

I jumped out of my seat, Graham only a second behind me. We were closer to the kitchen than Charlie so we got there 8 SPENCER SPEARS

first. Sure enough, the kitchen was on fire. Or at least the stove was. I ran to the wall to grab the fire extinguisher, pulled the pin out, and aimed it at the stove.

We had an automatic fire suppression system, but evidently it hadn’t been triggered yet. A good sign, in my mind, because I hoped that meant the fire was small enough not to have done much damage. A spray of mist from the extin- guisher engulfed the flames on the stove and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the smoke cleared and I could see the fire was out.

I turned to see Graham standing at the door, a crowd of people crushed up behind him. He had his police-officer face on, stern and commanding, and was holding them back by throwing an arm across the doorframe.

“Ryan, be careful,” he said as I moved towards the stove. “Are you sure it’s out?”

I peered at the charred remains of… something on the stove- top. “Yeah,” I called over my shoulder. I checked the knobs and burners to make sure everything was off. “It’s out. I think it was just… Maddy, what were you trying to make?”

“It was just supposed to be chocolate cake.” Charlie sounded confused. He peered in over Graham’s shoulder and then looked down at Maddy, hanging pitifully off Graham’s arm. “And it was already made. Honey, what happened?”

“I read about making things flambe,” Maddy said, her voice mournful and embarrassed, “and I thought it would be fun if I added strawberries to Ryan’s piece of cake and then… I guess I messed up. I’m sorry.” The Backseat 9

“No, Maddy, it’s okay,” I tried to say, but she was already crying and burying her face in Charlie’s sweater.

Charlie smiled at me and shook his head. “She’ll be fine,” he mouthed, while he stroked her hair.

“There really isn’t that much damage at all,” I said as I continued my inspection. “It looks like the only thing that burned—other than the food—was the rag I left here on the counter. And that’s my fault.” I spoke loudly, hoping Maddy was listening. “I think, once we clean it off, we can even keep using this pan.”

Graham relaxed visibly, his shoulders unclenching and his stance loosening as he lowered his arm.

I smiled at the group of people behind him. “Crisis averted. I’d say this calls for cake! And maybe some beer for the over-21 contingent. If you all want to sit back down, I’ll bring it out to you in just a minute.”

It took a little bit to get the group moving again and I chuckled as I watched Graham use his officer voice to herd the group back to their tables. It was a subtle shift, not the kind of thing you’d notice if you weren’t looking for it. Just a slight firmness to his tone—still warm, but something about it made you want to obey.

I pulled the rest of the cake out of the fridge and stuck birthday candles in it. I lit them carefully, keeping them well away from the stove. But when I turned around, Maddy was still hanging back by the doorway.

“Maddy! How are we supposed to sing to you obnoxiously as we bring you a cake if you’re not sitting down?”

“I don’t think I deserve cake,” she whispered. “Ryan, I’m 10 SPENCER SPEARS so sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to do anything fancy to the cake. You were so nice to let me have my birthday here and then I go and almost burn down your restaurant.”

“Oh, honey, you didn’t almost burn it down. Almost implies like, 70% likelihood of success. I’d say you only got 15% of the way there.”

“Oh no!” Maddy’s eyes welled up with tears. “Ryan I didn’t mean to—”

“That was a joke, Maddy,” I broke in. “Sweetheart, I was kidding. You didn’t almost burn it down. Trust me, I’ve done far worse just by being absent-minded.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Sometime when you’re older, remind me to tell you about the first restaurant I ever worked in and this sous chef, Girard. We had to call the fire department—in the middle of dinner service. God, I was missing an eyebrow for months.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at you. I promise. Now get back to your friends so that the adults can sing at you and make you uncom- fortable.”

“Thanks, Ryan.” Maddy threw her arms around my waist and squeezed me impulsively. I just had time to lift the cake up above my head and keep her from getting frosting everywhere.

I caught Graham smiling at me from across the room like he was laughing at a private joke. “What?” I mouthed the word The Backseat 11 across the room but he just shook his head and smiled some more.

The rest of the evening was almost boring in comparison to the drama from earlier. The winning team was announced, Maddy opened presents, and by the end of the night the teenagers were clumped in a corner next to slabs of drywall staring at someone’s iPad and the parents were leaning back in their chairs in a cake and beer coma.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Jack asked as I pushed my chair back to begin cleaning up. He looked up from his conversa- tion with Kian, his arm still draped comfortably around Kian’s shoulders.

“Uh, cleaning up?”

“No way. Sit back down.” Jack shook his head. “You always try to do this. Your kitchen has already been semi-destroyed tonight by teenagers and fire—”

“Two of the earth’s most implacable forces,” Kian put in.

“You’re not also going to clean up. Sit back, drink another beer, and enjoy yourself, dammit.”

I rolled my eyes but did as Jack asked, leaning backwards in my chair. Graham put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder.

“Aww, they’re not letting you clean up? How rude.”

I gave him puppy dog eyes. “My life is so hard.”

“I know. Poor thing.” Graham leaned in closer. “But maybe if you’re good, I’ll make it up to you later.”

I flashed him a suspicious look. “You’d better be talking 12 SPENCER SPEARS about what I think you’re talking about and not just be being cute. None of this I.O.U. one backrub bullshit.”

“Well, there might be some rubbing of backs involved. But no, I wasn’t thinking that would be the main event.”

“It’d better not be,” I laughed.

Graham smiled and but then his eyes got wistful for a minute. I waited, knowing he’d tell me what he was thinking about eventually. “You were really good with Maddy tonight,” he said, finally.

“What?” I didn’t know what I’d expected him to say, but defi- nitely not that.

“You were. When you were talking to her after the fire. She was really upset, but you had her laughing by the end.”

I shrugged, uncomfortable at the praise. “Maddy’s a good kid.”

“Yeah. But you’re also good with her. You were good with all the kids tonight.”

“I was mostly being a curmudgeon.”

“It worked. They had a good time, but they were listening to you, too. You don’t think I heard when Nelson called you Dad?”

“He was being sarcastic.” He’d called me that right after I’d asked him if he was sure he wanted to add four tablespoons of chili powder to the soup. “Besides, if there’s a dad in this relationship, it’s clearly you. Using your policeman voice and keeping everyone under control during our little natural disaster.” The Backseat 13

Graham rolled his eyes. “How come my policeman voice never works on you then?”

“Maybe you’re just not trying hard enough.” I grinned.

“I’ll take that under advisement.”

But I couldn’t help but watch as everyone pulled on their coats and got ready step out into the cold. Maddy said some- thing to Colin that made him throw his head back and laugh. He mussed her hair and she stuck her tongue out at him and almost managed to dance away before Charlie trapped her into a bear hug. They walked out into the night, Charlie in the middle with his arms around either one of them.

It was sweet to see how well Maddy had adjusted to having Colin as a step-dad—and how generally sweet she was as a kid. I had been such an asshole at her age, constantly at odds with my parents. I would barely deign to talk to them in public, let alone let them hug me. It was nice to see that not all families were like that. I mean, I knew that in the abstract sense. But it was still nice to see.

Though I guess Graham had a pretty awesome family, too. We had dinner with his mom and dad once a week, usually. I knew they liked how close we lived and, frankly, I liked it too. They were so much more relaxed, so much easier to talk to, than my parents.

I blinked as Graham and I walked outside at the end of the night. “You took the squad car?”

“I came straight from work,” he said with a shrug as we walked to the police parked a few storefronts down. “I didn’t want to be late.” 14 SPENCER SPEARS

“Weren’t you supposed to get off at 5 though?”

“Yeah, but the Flanagans had a tree come down in their yard and it was blocking the street. I told Don I’d go over and help him clear it up.”

I shook my head in amazement. “Isn’t that what the fire department’s for?”

“What, and let them get all the glory? You know Trevor Thurston would eat that up.”

“Your rivalry with Trevor Thurston—and the fire depart- ment in general—is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing about you.”

By now we were next to the car and Graham turned and pushed me up against the passenger side door.

“Oh yeah?” His body pressed into mine and the heat emanating off of him warmed me as the chill of the car sent a shiver up my back. “I’m ridiculous, huh?”

“Very.” I stood up on my tiptoes and reached my hands around to the back of his neck and pulled him in to brush a light kiss across his lips. “Now get in the car and take me home. Don’t you owe me a back rub or something?”

Graham laughed but let me go and walked around to the driver’s side of the car.

“I don’t know why you think you still get a backrub—or anything else—after calling me ridiculous.”

“Because I’m cute and I’m very apologetic.”

“Why do I have trouble believing that?”

“That I’m apologetic?” I grinned at Graham, opening my The Backseat 15 eyes wide and batting my eyelashes. “But I am, Officer Andersen. I swear, Officer Andersen. Really and truly.”

“Don’t give me your lip,” Graham laughed as he pulled out of his parking space and drove down the street.

“Really? I thought you liked my lips.” I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.

“I do. When they’re being used appropriately.”

“And how might that be?” I asked as Graham turned right onto Spruce Drive.

“Not for sass, I’ll tell you that much.”

“I must not sass my fiance. I must not sass my fiance. I swear, I write that out in cursive thirty times a day but for some reason, it just doesn’t stick.”

“Clearly.”

The drive home wasn’t long. We were planning on moving out of Graham’s old apartment above the hardware store and into a bigger place one of these days. But somehow, we still hadn’t gotten around to it. One of us was always busy with work and when we did find a day we were both off… Well, we always meant to go out apartment hunting—and always wound up staying in bed instead. Not that I was complaining, of course. Staying in bed with Graham was never something to complain about, in my mind.

“Babe, could you grab my jacket and the toolbox from the back seat?” Graham asked as he parked on the street in front of his apartment. With all the other apartments and shops in the area, we were lucking to have gotten a space right out front. “I just have to get some things from the back.” 16 SPENCER SPEARS

I nodded and got out of the car as he popped the trunk and walked back to get the rest of his gear.

“Jesus, what do you have in here? Dead bodies?” I asked as I tugged on his toolbox. It was down on the far side of the floor of the back seat and it was heavy enough that I needed two hands to get it out. I crawled up onto the seat and reached over to grab it. So of course, Graham came up behind me and smacked my ass.

“Hey!” I turned around and gave him an injured look.

“For the sass.” Graham grinned. “Maybe it’ll help you remember better next time.”

“Hmph. I doubt that.”

“Oh yeah? Why?”

I grinned. “Because for that to work, you’d have to do some- thing that was a disincentive. You smacking my ass doesn’t really qualify.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. In fact,” I said, turning around and scooting further into the back seat, “it just makes me want to stay right here and sass you some more. To see what happens.” I gave Graham a lopsided grin.

“You wouldn’t rather find out somewhere warmer? Inside maybe?”

“You could keep me warm, Officer Andersen.”

Graham looked at me suspiciously. “Careful, or I’m going to start thinking you have a cop fetish. Didn’t you tell me once that you’d been in the back seat of a squad car before?” The Backseat 17

“I’m hurt that your brain would jump to the conclusion that that was in any way sexual. Couldn’t I just have been arrested for starting a fight in a bar?”

Graham snorted. “Please. I know you. It’s way more likely that you seduced a police officer than that you started a bar fight.”

I smiled. “And that doesn’t make you just the teeniest bit jealous? You’re not at all bothered by the fact that the last guy I was with in the back of a cop car wasn’t you?”

I blinked at Graham, my eyes wide and innocent. He growled, climbed into the back seat, and slammed the door behind him. His hands reached out and closed on the back of my neck, pulling me to him. When he kissed me, it was hard and commanding and I melted a little bit at the force of his passion.

“It didn’t make me jealous,” Graham said with a grin, his lips an inch away from mine. “Until you mentioned it.”

“And now that I have?” My hands went to his shoulders, partly to hold myself steady and partly because I just liked the feeling of Graham’s body.

“Now that you have… we’re going to have to do something about that.”

He pulled me towards him again and this time I climbed on top of him, straddling his legs as he began to tear off my clothes. It was a little cool in the car and I could feel the air on my nipples as Graham pulled my shirt off. But his hands were warm and they were all over me. That was all I needed to feel.

I ground down onto Graham’s cock, feeling it stiffen under- 18 SPENCER SPEARS neath me. No matter how long we’d been together, the sex had never grown less urgent, less needful. When Graham’s scent entered my nostrils, inflaming my mind, I couldn’t focus until I got what I wanted. Until I felt Graham inside me again. My hands when to the hem of his shirt.

“We should go inside,” Graham said, grabbing my wrist gently. “Anyone could see us out here.”

I leaned down to kiss him, pressing my lips against his mouth and then sliding them along his jawline and back to his ear. I sucked his earlobe into my mouth and tugged at it.

“That’s half the fun.”

I rubbed my ass against his cock again and saw the moment he gave in. Smiling wickedly, I pulled Graham’s shirt off over his head and ran my hands along his bare skin. His chest was ripped, muscular and I bent down to lick his left nipple, nipping at it gently as Graham’s powerful arms encircled me. He drew me back up, kissing my neck, licking and sucking and probably leaving a hickey right where the ink of my tattoos stopped.

My hands dropped to his waist, pulling at his belt until I could get it unbuckled. Graham’s cock was big and firm underneath the fabric of his pants and I needed to get it out, needed to feel it in my hands again. He unzipped my jeans and tugged at them. I had to shift off of him for a moment to get naked while he did the same. It was inelegant, hasty, and I didn’t care. All I wanted was to feel Graham’s body against mine again, to feel skin on skin.

I pulled him towards me, lying down on the backseat and bringing him down on top of me. Graham slid one hand behind my head and used the other to stroke our cocks The Backseat 19 together. Fuck, but I was hard. And sensitive. My dick throbbed, begging for attention.

I loved the feeling of our cocks touching, the head of Graham’s stimulating mine as they throbbed, desperate for release. Both of us were leaking precum and Graham used it to slick us up as he stroked us. I moaned and thrust my hips up towards him in time to his strokes.

“Careful,” Graham whispered. “If someone hears, they could look out and see us.”

“What are they gonna do?” I grinned. “Call the cops?”

Graham’s laugh erupted from him, deep and throaty, and he crushed his lips against my mouth, biting my bottom lip and pulling it out before releasing. It trembled, the way my whole body was trembling under Graham’s touch. The way it always did. I was hungry from Graham. Insatiable.

Leaning back, Graham used his arms to draw me up to a sitting position. And then he turned me around, putting me on all fours lengthwise in the back seat. I shivered, feeling vulnerable. Excited.

Anticipation grew in my stomach, expanding and thrum- ming and threatening to take over my body. I liked the feeling of Graham having power over me, of knowing he could do whatever he wanted. Knowing that what he wanted was for me to feel good.

Graham stroked my back with one hand, running the other up my leg until the met in the middle, rubbing and squeezing my ass. I quivered, knowing how exposed I was. Graham grabbed my ass and spread me apart. And then he started kissing me. 20 SPENCER SPEARS

He started at my lower back, kissing the dimples where my ass began and kissing his way down. His touch was gentle, the press of his lips like feathers on my skin. Each kiss was a whisper as he moved his was down and inward, awakening desire deep within me.

Graham made his way to my hole and kissed the outside, soft and light and a tremor shook my body. I groaned and pushed back. It felt amazing, but it was torment, having Graham so close to where I needed him. Every moment he held back was exquisite torture.

And then he began to lick me. Like a trickle of rain running down my skin, he slid his tongue around my entrance, drawing tighter and tighter circles and setting something inside me on fire. Finally, I felt his tongue flick directly against my hole. I shivered and Graham did it again.

His touch was so light, almost teasing, and I pushed back again, begging for Graham to take more of me in his mouth. Fuck, it felt good. Graham licked across my hole in long strokes, his tongue dripping wet. I moaned again when he spread my ass wide before placing his mouth around my entrance, getting it slick.

Graham worked me in circles now, tongue and lips together, wet and hot and smooth. I relaxed into it, opening up and giving in. Graham knew how much I liked this, knew how easy it was for me to lose control. I just had to be careful, to let him know to stop before I came.

I was moaning non—stop now as Graham pushed his tongue down into me, thrusting inside. He pulled it out and licked long and slow up my crack, tantalizing me and massaging my ass as before he pulled me apart again and The Backseat 21 returned to eat my ass again. His beard tickled, his lips were soft, and his tongue was heaven as it plunged into me, plea- sure blooming deep inside.

“Fuck, Graham,” I begged. I didn’t even know what I was begging for. “Fuck, fuck.”

“Tell me about the other cop,” Graham growled before reap- plying his tongue to my ass.

“What?” I was barely coherent, struggling to make sense of any thoughts beyond pleasure and need.

“The other cop,” Graham repeated. “Your last time in a cop car. Tell me about it.”

“Are you—but, why?” I struggled to come up with words that weren’t yes, fuck, and more. I was confused, and it was hard to have a conversation when Graham was using his mouth to lick and suck and stimulate my ass in ways I didn’t even have verbs for.

“Because I want to know. I want to know what you two did.”

I glanced over my shoulder, trying to judge how serious Graham was. I didn’t want Graham to be hurt and I was beginning to regret teasing him about it, asking him if it made him jealous. But when I looked into Graham’s eyes, all I saw was desire.

I blinked. Hearing about me with another guy turned him on? Jealousy, I was prepared for. Anger, maybe. But those weren’t the emotions I saw painted all over Graham’s face.

Breathing heavily, pupils dilated under heavy—lidded eyes, he watched me. Lust and fascination rolled off of him in 22 SPENCER SPEARS waves. Fuck, he really wanted to know. And that turned me on. I let the hunger in his eyes tow me under.

“I was 19. It was in New York. It was—fuck—” I gasped and had to stop because Graham was stretching my hole and burying his tongue inside it and fuck, it felt good. If that was the reward I got for telling him this story, I’d tell it to him all he wanted.

“Keep going,” Graham rumbled, squeezing my ass while he lapped at my entrance with his tongue.

“We were at this rave out in Queens. And Adam had taken something. I don’t even know what. But he insisted on walking home. But he kept walking in the middle of the road. I couldn’t get him to stay on the sidewalk.”

“Get to the cop part,” Graham said, his right hand reaching around to find my cock. Fuck, I was so hard and goddamn, it was hard to tell this story with my fiance’s mouth on my ass and his hand gripping my length.

“I’m getting there,” I gasped, trying to catch my breath. “A cop saw us. And I guess he could tell that Adam was kind of messed up. But he was nice about it. He made us get in the car so he could take Adam home.”

Fuck, it was hard to string together a sentence like this. But Graham seemed to like it, judging by how wet he was keeping me and how firmly he was stroking my dick. And I was happy to do whatever he Graham liked.

“And then he drove me back to the apartment where I lived. And he was cute and I was drunk so of course I told him he was cute. And one thing let to another. But I couldn’t take The Backseat 23 him inside because I shared a room with two other people. So we ended up hooking up in the back seat. Fuck.”

I groaned as Graham slipped his finger inside me, just an inch into my hole. He knew that drove my crazy and he would know that by now, I was dying to feel him inside me. Preferably his cock, but really, any part of Graham would do.

“Fuck, Graham, you’re gonna make me come.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Graham buried his face in my ass and swirled his tongue against my hole. I began to tremble. Fuck, I was so close and I felt so guilty, coming now. I wasn’t supposed to come after telling Graham that story. I wasn’t supposed to come without Graham fucking me.

But it was so hot and I was so vulnerable and Graham wouldn’t stop licking me, wouldn’t stop stroking me and I couldn’t help it. Sweat broke out across my body as my orgasm built up inside me. It pushed against all my self— control, all the forces I’d erected to keep it back, and then it burst through, overpowering me.

Pleasure crashed through me like a waterfall and I came as Graham’s tongue worked my hole and his hand stroked my cock. All I could do was shudder and take it, letting it roll over me as I tried to stay upright. My body threatened to betray me. I wanted to collapse in ecstasy.

I came into Graham’s hand and it leaked down onto the seat below. Finally, what felt like ages later, it stopped. I reached down, mortified, and found the cuff of my jeans. I used it to 24 SPENCER SPEARS wipe the sticky cum off the seat below. Fuck, Graham was going to have to clean that later.

I turned to look at him, embarrassed, and Graham just smiled at me, self—satisfied.

“Fuck.” My chest was heaving. I was still trying to catch my breath. “Fuck, I’m sorry. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“What are you talking about?” Graham laughed. “That’s exactly what was supposed to happen.”

“But I—but you—” I stopped, feeling flustered. “You don’t think it’s embarrassing to come just from something like that?”

Graham leaned in and kissed me. “No. It’s not embarrassing at all. It’s sexy.”

He brought his arms around me and pulled me in so I was straddling him again. I looked at him, curiosity over- whelming me.

“Why did you want to know?” I asked quietly. “About that other guy. In Queens”

Graham flushed and looked down. It took me a second to realize he was embarrassed. I waited until he looked at me again.

“I don’t know.” He paused, his eyes darting away before they returned to me. “It was just kinda hot.”

“Really?” I laughed.

“Really.” Graham looked down again. I followed his gaze with my eyes. His cock was still hard, erect, between us. I took it in my hand and began to stroke it. I felt a little The Backseat 25 cheated that I hadn’t gotten to feel Graham inside me tonight, but that didn’t mean that he shouldn’t get to come, too.

“He wasn’t as good as you,” I whispered. “No one has ever been as good as you.”

Graham wrapped his arms around my waist as my hand pumped up and down, burying his face in my neck. He inhaled deeply and bit down on my shoulder gently before releasing. When he looked up, his eyes were thick with desire again.

“I’m not worried about that.” He laughed wryly. “I don’t know what that says about me. Maybe I should be. But it’s— I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just hot. Thinking about you with other guys.

My stomach felt fluttery at those words. “Why?”

Graham shrugged, letting his head fall back against the headrest. He closed his eyes and took a moment before speaking. “I don’t know. It just is. The idea of watching you with someone else is a turn-on.” His eyes snapped open. “Is that weird? I’m not saying I want you to cheat on me or anything. Or that I want us to stop having sex—”

“Good,” I said fiercely, tightening my grip on his cock. “Because that’s not on the table.”

“I wouldn’t want it to be.” Graham looked into my eyes and his stare was so intense that I blushed. “It would just be so sexy to watch another guy fuck you.”

The butterflies in my stomach turned into something else, stampeding through my body and making me quiver. I tried to picture it for a minute. I hadn’t thought of being with 26 SPENCER SPEARS someone else, hadn’t wanted to be with someone else, since Graham and I had gotten together. But if Graham wanted that…

“Does that bother you?” Graham asked.

“I’m not sure.” I was thinking out loud. “I mean, it’s different. It’s not something I’ve thought about before. But if you were into it—I mean, are you saying, like, this is something you want us to actually do?”

Graham’s eyes widened in surprise. “I don’t know.” He laughed and shook his head. “I kind of never thought I’d even tell you about this. I hadn’t gotten around to consid- ering whether I’d want it, if it were an option.”

“I’m glad you told me,” I said hastily. “I mean, this is the kind of thing we should be able to talk to each other about. Fantasies and stuff.”

Graham’s arms tightened around me as he drew me in for a kiss. He looked at me sweetly when he pulled back. “What are your fantasies?”

I laughed. “Honestly? Fuck if I know. But I mean, if you want to try this—”

“Hey, we don’t have to make any decisions tonight. Hell, I don’t think I’m ready to make any. I’m still just amazed that I told you and you didn’t freak out. You don’t think I’m weird?”

“I don’t think you’re weird.” I smiled. “I think you’re many things. Kind. Funny. Smart. Devastatingly handsome. Incredibly good at eating ass. Phenomenal in bed overall. But weird? No.” The Backseat 27

Graham crushed me into a bear hug and rubbed my back, trapping my hand on his cock between us. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I glanced down at our cocks when he released the hug. I was harder than I’d realized. I looked back up into Graham’s eyes. “Hypothetically speaking…”

“Yeah?”

“What would turn you on the most? If you watched me with someone else?”

Graham looked at me, his pupils dilated like he was trying to drink in the moment. “You really want to know?”

I grinned. “See, now you know how it feels when someone asks you to describe something you’re not sure they want to hear. But yes, I really want to know. Tell me what you think about. When you fantasize about it.”

A smile spread across Graham’s face and I picked up the pace, stroking him as he spoke.

“I guess I have a lot of different fantasies,” Graham said. “Well, versions of this one. But maybe we’d go out to a bar.”

“Uh huh?” I pumped up and down, loving the feeling of Graham’s cock in my hands. I could feel myself getting harder, too.

“And we get a few drinks. And the bartender starts flirting with you. Not a lot, but I can tell that he’s into you. And he can see that we’re together, but he gives me a look, and it’s like he’s asking me for permission.”

“Is he hot?” I was surprised to realize how interested I was in this story. Even if it wasn’t my fantasy. He’d better be hot. Not hotter than Graham, but hot enough. 28 SPENCER SPEARS

“Definitely.” Graham grinned at me. “Please, you think I would pick someone unattractive for you to fuck? No, this guy’s good looking. We both think so. And we both know it would just be for this one night. And I look at you, and you smile, and I know that you want him, too.”

My stomach flips over at the idea of being with someone else. But Graham would be there with me. He’d be okay with the idea.

“And we wait until the bar closes. And we go back to his place. And he takes you to bed.”

“But you’re there too, right?”

“Definitely.” Graham kissed my neck and rubbed my shoul- ders, his hand tracing its way down my back. I shivered. My body responded to his slightest touch. “I’m there too. In bed with you. And I’m kissing you, touching you, while you’re touching him. And then you let him take you.”

“Can I take you too?” I can’t believe how hard this idea is beginning to make me. I brought my cock together with Graham’s and stroked them both. The idea of taking another man while Graham watched. Watching Graham watch me get fucked. Knowing that he liked it, seeing me ride another man’s cock. And then getting to take him, too? Fuck, that was sexy.

“Of course.” Graham’s hand covered mine as I stroked us together. I loved the feeling of his heat, his skin, on mine. “I’d let him make you come. And then, when you were ready, I’d make you come again.”

“Fuck, I think I’m ready now,” I laughed. Jesus. It hadn’t even The Backseat 29 been that long, but I knew I could come again. And this time, I wasn’t going to get cheated out of Graham’s cock.

Graham made a purring sound in his throat, warm and low, as I reached down and drew a packet of lube out of my wallet. He watched, hungrily, as I tore it open and squirted it onto his dick, stroking and coating him, getting him ready for me.

I climbed off and got back on all fours, offering myself up to him. Graham moved in behind me and I felt him place his dick at my entrance. I pushed back onto him, feeling myself expand around him as Graham put his hands on my ass, guiding his cock in.

He sank in slowly and I groaned in pleasure and in frustra- tion at the pace of his movements. Fuck, I wanted all of him and I wanted him now. I moaned when he finally came to a stop, burying his length inside me.

“Is this how he takes me?” I gasped. “The bartender? While you watch?”

“Would you like that?” Graham leaned back, pulling out just a bit before sinking back into me. I whimpered with plea- sure at the motion. “You want him to take you from behind?”

“I want to be able to see you while he does.”

“Good. Because I want to look at your face while he fucks you. To see how good he’s making you feel.”

“I want to suck your cock while he fucks me.” I moaned as Graham picked up the past. Fuck, wasn’t it supposed to take longer to come the second time, when you’d already come 30 SPENCER SPEARS once? Why did I feel like I was on the edge again? “I want to take you both.”

“You’d like that, huh?”

“Fuck yes,” I gasped. I meant it, I realized. I did want to do that. Not just because Graham wanted it, but because it would be fucking hot. I’d never had a threesome. And the fact that Graham wanted it too? That Graham wanted to see me get fucked by another guy? God, that turned me on.

“Tell me what you want.” Graham was plunging into me with force now and I moaned in pleasure with each thrust. “Tell me what you want to happen.”

“I want him to fuck me. Just like this. I want him to ride me, hard. Fuck. I want to be exhausted when he’s done. And I want to look into your eyes the whole time, I want you to see me take him. And, just when I think I can’t take anymore, I want you to come and show me how wrong I am. I want you to fuck me where he’s just been. I want you to fill me up.”

“Fuck yes, babe,” Graham breathed. “I can do that for you.”

“Please,” I begged. I was panting now and my arms were shaking from the effort of holding myself up. Graham’s thrusts were powerful and it felt so good, sensations rocking through my body like an ocean, obliterating everything except what was between us right now. “Please, please. Fill me up. Give it to me.”

“Come for me, baby,” Graham whispered, and I did. It was as though he released me with those words, turning a key and unlocking something inside. My climax roared through me like an earthquake and I shuddered as I came a second time. Graham pounded into me over and over, hard and fast The Backseat 31 until I felt his fingers dig into my sides. He buried himself in me and released. I felt his cock shudder and I relished the sweet softness he spilled inside me.

“Holy fuck,” Graham breathed as he pulled out. “Holy fuck.”

He collapsed onto the seat and pulled me close, nestling me against his chest. I felt warm in his arms, and safe. I rose and fell with his breaths.

“Yeah,” I whispered, still in a blissful trance. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Graham kissed the top of my head and rubbed my back. “I love you so much. And I don’t know where I’d be without you. Fuck, I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Don’t, then. Because I don’t want to think about that either.”

“There’s no rush, you know. On any of what we talked about tonight. It’s all purely hypothetical.”

“Of course.” I smiled. “But hypothetically speaking, I might be more open to the idea than I originally thought.”

“Color me hypothetically intrigued.” Graham grinned and squeezed my shoulders. “Should we go inside?”

“Ugh, that means I have to put clothes on.”

“Only for a few minutes,” Graham laughed. “Two, tops. Then we can take them off again.”

I chuckled as I pulled myself together, sliding my jeans up and pulling my shirt over my head.

“I wonder what everyone else got up to after the party 32 SPENCER SPEARS tonight,” I said, shaking my head. “Probably nothing as exciting as us.”

“Eh, you never know. Maybe Kian and Jack are even kinkier than we are.” Graham smiled. “You’re probably right about Charlie and Colin, though. I don’t know how they have the energy to do anything with a kid around.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Hey, what’s up?” Graham nudged me as he opened the door and slid out of the car. He looked into my eyes as I climbed out. “You’re making your thinking face.”

I swallowed. For some reason, it was harder to say this than I’d thought it would be.

“Would you ever—I mean, have you ever thought about—I mean, fuck, why can’t I just say this?”

“Ryan, babe. I just told you I wanted to watch another man fuck you in the ass. I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to judge anything that could come out of your mouth.”

“Do you ever think about having kids?” I said in a rush. I looked up at Graham, nervous to see his reaction.

A smile crept onto his face like a secret. “Yeah.” He sounded almost confused. “I mean, sometimes. But it’s not a deal- breaker for me. And we talked about this. I thought you were only lukewarm on the idea.”

I could feel the corners of my mouth tugging up. “I thought so too. But maybe I don’t know myself as well as I thought. At the party tonight, I don’t know, it just made me realize how nice it could be. To have kids. With you. I mean, I’m still at least 90% horrified at the idea that anyone would The Backseat 33 consider me a responsible adult or a role model of any kind but—”

“Hey, come here.” Graham folded me into a huge. “You’re a great role model. You’re passionate, you’re intelligent, you’re caring, and you’re brave. You stand up for what you believe in. You’d be a great dad.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Huh.” There was no stopping the smile now. I stopped fighting and let it slide across my face. “I guess this is just a night of revelations, then.”

“Guess so.” Graham grinned back at me.

I laughed suddenly, a thought occurring to me.

“What?” Graham asked.

“I was just thinking. You said Charlie and Colin were prob- ably too tired to do anything tonight, since they have Maddy.”

“Yeah?”

I could feel myself blushing. “Well, hypothetically speaking, if we’re having kids, we might need to get on with this three- some business a little bit sooner. While we still have our energy.”

Graham grinned. “Intriguing.”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “It is, isn’t it?”

ALSO BY SPENCER SPEARS

Have you read the other books in the Maple Springs series? Check them out below!

Billion Dollar Bet

Beneath Orion

Sugar Season

Strawberry Moon

If you’ve finished the Maple Springs series, check out my 8 Million Hearts series! The first book, Adam’s Song, features Ryan’s friend Adam, who you met in Sugar Season.

Adam’s Song

Gray for You

Oliver Ever After

Hunter’s Heart

Nick, Very Deeply