Weekend Reading Time!

4/3/2026

For the Long Run

The man tipped his beer at Jay before wrapping his lips around the bottle neck, taking a swig and watching Jay with dark, smoldering, lusty eyes. Jay gulped and looked down again, picking at the material of his jeans where they covered his knee.

Jay waited, wondering what would happen next. Was this man a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it? When the man shifted around, planted both feet on the floor, and leaned forward, gaze moving from the television to Jay and back a few times before he settled on watching him, Jay decided maybe he was indeed a man who saw what he wanted and then took it. The thought of this big man pinning him to a bed or wall, taking him and giving to him, made Jay’s heart race.

Jay was never that lucky.

“Eric.” The man was standing beside Jay a few seconds later, hand extended, warm expression in his eyes and on his face.

Jay shook his hand, returning the smile with a shy one of his own. “Jay.”
Eric eased onto the stool beside him and tipped his chin at the television. “Who you rooting for?”

“Not the Heat.”

Laughing outright, Eric waved at the barmaid and ordered them each another beer. “Me either.” He punched the air next to his head and grinned. “Go Cavs, then.”

Jay was immediately impressed. The man had done his homework in the short time they’d been in the same bar. Instead of ordering what he had been drinking, Eric was sure to ask for the local stuff Jay was drinking. He went so far as to use the specific name of the beer.

Picking up both new bottles, Eric used them to point at his booth. “Let’s sit there—more comfortable.”

“I’d like that, thanks.” Trailing after Eric, Jay was doubly impressed when Eric stepped aside as they reached the table, letting Jay slide into the booth.

Eric slipped in across from him. “Hungry?”

“I had some nachos earlier but I could always eat.”

Eric chuckled and nodded. It was sexy, endearing, and thrilling all at once. He wondered if Eric knew this bar’s reputation or just happened upon it.

Scanning the menu, Eric stretched long, rock-hard legs out and brushed Jay’s leg lightly, igniting sparks that ripped along his inner thigh. “I’ve never been here before—just passing through. I’m on my way to a new job and stopped here for the night. How about you?”

That answered Jay’s unspoken question.

“I live an hour or so away, come here a couple times a month just to get away, less a chance of being recognized. The pizza is good, so is the steak sandwich, though you can practically hear your arteries harden with every swallow.”

Eric chuckled again, and Jay loved how his voice rumbled. It was deep and pleasant. He watched as Eric turned the menu over a few times and imagined what those large hands and long fingers would feel like against his skin. The flesh between his legs firmed and stiffened, making his jeans tighten.

When Eric waved the waitress over and ordered dinner, Jay was again impressed. He’d taken the hint, ordered Jay a pizza, with Jay filling in the toppings he wanted. Eric didn’t go for either the pizza or the sandwich but opted for a burger.

This man, Eric, was cut from a rare cloth. Jay was a natural submissive. He didn’t have any deep, underlying reason, it was the way he’d always been. Sometimes, when he thought about it, he supposed it came from the fact that he’d grown up having to be the perfect son. Jay wanted to please his mother, so he always tried to maintain decorum and control. The right man—Dom—freed Jay from that control, even if it was only for a few hours. Picking out the right Dom, even for one night, was a job and a half. This guy obviously wasn’t new to the Dominant-submissive scene. He knew what he was doing, cared about his partner’s needs, and was willing to ensure his sub was provided for properly.

They ate, watched the game, cheered and booed, and it was the most fun Jay had had in longer than he cared to remember. He could fall for this man and fall hard if he wasn’t careful and didn’t keep his wits about him.

Jay excused himself to use the bathroom. When he returned, Eric was leaning against the end of the table. “Needed to stretch.” He grinned, and when Jay slid into the booth, Eric didn’t sit across from him but this time eased in beside him. “It’s getting pretty late to drive any distance home. Shouldn’t drink and drive anyway.”

“No, that’s never good and I don’t do that,” Jay said softly.

Eric’s hand rested on Jay’s thigh making his stomach clench, his breath quicken, and his jeans snug in even more closely. When Eric’s fingers inched down to his inseam and dug in slightly, Jay let out a long, slow, very low moan. It had been a while since anyone had bothered seducing him instead of simply picking him up for a fast lay or blow job.

“I like a man who knows what he wants and how to get it,” Jay murmured softly. “Who knows how to give me what I want.”

“Hmm. Good,” Eric rumbled.