A Night By The Fire

The Tea Room November Challenge


Characters: Ken/Jess; Guest starring Link/Wes
Implements: hand


Jess leaned forward, peering out as the icy rain pelted the windshield.  The tension in Jess's shoulders relaxed a bit as he saw the driveway to Ken's business shop. Jess had wondered if Ken would let his employees go home early. Between being Friday and the icy rain falling, Jess was sure that Ken would have let everyone go. Jess relaxed further when he saw only Ken's truck in the lot.

Jess parked beside Ken's truck, farthest away from the entrance, and instead of his habitual slam of the truck door, Jess closed it quietly. After making sure the tarp over the logs in the back of his truck was still secure, he turned up the collar of his coat and walked to the door.

The shop was dark except a glow of light coming through the closed office door and a single overhead above a work table where Ken was standing with his back turned. Jess stopped a moment to admire Ken's ass which jutted out slightly as Ken leaned his elbows on the table, apparently studying the latest designs.

Walking quietly, he came up behind Ken and quickly wrapped his arms around the other man's waist. Holding him down, he bit down on the juncture between Ken's shoulder and neck.

"Hey!"

Jess was glad he had pressed most of his weight down on Ken as Ken tried to buck him off.

"Hey, you," he said, hanging his head over Ken's shoulder. "I've got wood in the truck, dry and waiting to be blazing in the fireplace."

"You scared the crap out of me," Ken accused.

"Aww, you need a scare every once in awhile; keeps your blood pumping." Jess let his arms drop as Ken straighten up and turned around. His gasp was captured in Ken's mouth when Ken grabbed him and crushed his lips to Jess's. Jess felt the last of his tension melt away as Ken's mouth dominated his.

"Ahem", a discreet cough broke the silence. "Excuse me. I think I'll just wait outside for Link."

Jess jumped out of Ken's arms and turned to see Wes standing awkwardly by the office door.

"Shit! What the hell are you doing here?" Jess growled. "You spying on us, kid?"

"Jess."

Jess felt his blood turn as icy as the rain outside at the tone in Ken's voice. How does he do that? Jess wondered to himself. Just one word, softly spoken, but Ken spoke volumes with that one word.

"You remember Wes. He's my new shop supervisor," Ken said, then turned to Wes. "And no, you will not wait outside for Link. It's freezing out there."

All three of them turned at the sound of the door slamming shut.

"Sorry, the wind caught it."

Jess watched as a bearded, smiling man came toward them.

"Link, I'm ready. Let's go," Wes said, hurriedly.

"I think we have a minute for me to say hello to an old friend," Link said to Wes. "Hey Ken, how's it been?"

"Not too bad, Link."

Jess watched as Ken and Link shook hands that led to one arm hugs and slaps on each other's backs.

"Wes has been telling me all about your place up on your mountain," Ken said.

"I bet he has," Link replied, slinging an arm around Wes's shoulder. "But I bet I've heard more about you and the shop than you've heard about our place."

"We're lucky to have him. Jess, come here, I want you to meet an old friend."

Jess stepped up beside Ken when he beckoned him over. "Link, this is Jess, my partner. Jess this is Linken Walker; he's a ranger up at the marsh."

"How are you?" Jess felt as though his hand was in a vice grip as Link pumped his hand.

"Doing good. A bit cold, so I think I'll take Wes and we'll get on home."

"We always slow down a bit in the winter, Link. Let's make plans to get together, have dinner or something."

Jess shot a look at Ken. Is he crazy? Jess thought. I don't want to get together with mountain man and boy innocent. The look Ken returned had Jess re-evaluating his thoughts.

"Nice to have met you," Jess said as the other two men walked out the door.

Jess felt Ken's eyes bore into him, then heard him ask, "What'd you have against Wes?"

"Nothing."

"There has to be something; you've been an ass to him."

"I don't know," Jess said.

"Think about it while I lock up. I'll meet you at home, and maybe you'll have an answer."

Shit! This is not how I planned the night to go, thought Jess. He just wanted a night by a hot fireplace with equally hot sex, and maybe a cold beer to top the night off. He didn't want to think about the fresh-faced kid.

As Jess drove home, he did think about Wes and what it was about the kid that rankled him so much. He couldn't come up with any concrete reason, just that the kid looked young and innocent and carefree. Wes, with his curls, looked like the porcelain angels Jess's mother collected. Jess knew that he himself was no angel. He'd been compared to the devil. He wanted things that men shouldn't want.

Jess knew he had to show strength and power and confidence to the world.  He owned a large contracting firm; he was a big man, and he didn't want anyone knowing that he was a submissive. Jess wanted Ken to take control, not just in the bedroom, but in every way. He wanted people to think of him as a man, not the fag his father called him.

Jess shook his head clear of those thoughts. He didn't want to think of his father, not when he had plans for the night and not when the weather was this bad. He glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Ken's truck pull in behind him. Getting out of the truck, Jess reached back to grab the logs. He was determined to have a night by the fire.

Once they were inside, Jess laid the logs in the fireplace and got a fire blazing as Ken heated soup in the kitchen. They sat beside each other, legs touching, on the couch eating their dinner. Jess felt Ken's eyes on him.

"What?" Jess asked.

"So, what'd you decide?"

Gulping down a mouthful of soup, Jess asked, "About what?" He ducked his head at Ken's hard stare. "OK, I don't know. I don't know why the kid aggravates me so much."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. He's so damn young, and innocent looking. He's the type of kid that everything just happens for him."

"He's not a kid, Jess. He's a man, and a damn good supervisor. No one has everything just happen for them. Everyone has to work at something. Yeah, maybe he has parents who support his life choices, his sexuality. We don't know that. But even though we had jerks for parents, doesn't mean we have to be jerks ourselves."

"Yeah, I know, I was a jerk to the kid." Jess felt a bit ashamed at himself.

"I'm not asking you to be his best friend, just don't be an ass, OK?"

"OK. I'll try."

"That's all I ask, Jess, is that you try."

They finished their dinner in silence. Ken took the bowl out of Jess's hand and set it on the end table. Jess looked into Ken's dark eyes and felt that familiar hardening. Soon his pants felt uncomfortable and tight as Ken's mouth devoured his.

After what seemed like an eternity of kissing, Jess realized that both of them were naked. He wasn't sure if he'd taken off his clothes or if Ken had but he didn't care as he felt Ken's hands stroking his ass.

"Come here, let's warm you up."

He felt himself being lifted up and over Ken's lap. He settled in, knowing he'd enjoy the slow build up of fire Ken's hand would start. The sound of Ken's hand landing on Jess's ass was more sound than sensation. After the small sting, Jess felt Ken's hand slide down his cheek to his leg. The hand lifted and spanked down, then another caress of Ken's hand, this time between his legs, over his scrotum. The hand disappeared only to land again with a little more force, another stroke, this one delving between Jess's buttocks; ghosting over his opening. The contrast of spanks and caresses drove Jess wild.

Jess wiggled, spreading his legs, giving Ken more room, another spank, another caress. Jess could feel the burn slowly build as Ken continued the alternating sensations.

"Are you warming up?" Ken's voice was like steel wrapped in velvet, making Jess harder.

"God, yes. I want-, I want" Jess couldn't articulate what he wanted. Damn it, Ken should know what he wanted.

"I know what you want, Jess. I also know what you need."

Jess felt Ken wrap his arm around his waist, and the next dozen spanks were not sensual, nor were there any caresses between them. Jess's body was in a mass of confusion, the sensual and the pain.

"Don't be rude to my employees. Got it?"

"Yes, yes, got it, got it," Jess would have promised Ken anything at that point. All he wanted now was release.

Soon Jess was on his stomach with Ken deep inside him. The fire making the warmth on his ass burn hotter each time Ken would pull back. The coolness of Ken's skin soothed that burn when Ken pushed back in. The sensation was more than Jess could handle, he quit trying to hold out and let his orgasm wash over him. Jess heard Ken groan his completion seconds after he found his own release.

Jess continued to lie there in front of the fire as Ken went to get a wash cloth to clean them both up. Jess could only smile as Ken placed a beer in front of him and then ran the cloth between his cheeks. Jess propped himself on one hand and took a long pull from the bottle. He felt Ken's body lie down behind him, molding their bodies together.

"I've an idea," Ken said softly.

"Give me a minute, and I'll be up for anything," Jess joked.

"Insatiable," Ken said, with a soft smack to Jess's ass and a kiss on the shoulder. "But I was thinking why don't you come help me this Saturday?"

"With your kids?" Jess's body stiffen.

"Yeah, I think you could help them."

"I don't know anything about kids!"

"You know about building. That's all I'm asking of you. Help me teach them how to build. It's winter; the business is slow; you have the time."

Jess scowled into his beer. Ken did so much, not just for Jess but for those kids, those kids that others had given up on.

"Come on, a couple of Saturdays. If you hate it, I won't ask you again. But you have to give it a chance," Ken said.

"All right, I'll help, but if I make a hash of it, I'll say I told you so."

"OK, I'll let you. Now I've another idea."

Jess knew he'd like this idea better as Ken turned him over and stroked him back to hardness. Yes, he liked this idea.

TBC

If you'd like to read more about Ken and Jess you can find their stories on the Ken and Jess Page