Jackson snorted with laughter. He carried the blade to the table to set down before he crashed on the bench next to Chase. He leaned back, stretching out his arms. "That just sounds kinda creepy. All this bare skin being a canvas."
"You know what I mean," Chase laughed. "Now you're the one making morbid jokes."
Jackson shrugged and leaned in to kiss Chase's cheek. "It's rubbing off on me. How you doing?"
Just as he'd thought, Chase hesitated to answer. "Oh... You know."
"You seem pretty worked up. Not that I mind you talking a lot, but..." Jackson trailed off. He turned to face Chase properly. Chase was in light jeans and a t-shirt again. Brave man, not to be wearing shorts in this heat. "You're not gonna faint, are you?"
Chase broke up laughing. "No. No," he repeated, reaching out to take Jackson's hand. He ran his hand up Jackson's bare arm to rub his back. Chase scooted a little closer on the bench. "I'm fine in here. Just a lot of stuff on my mind."
"Like what?"
"How much I wanna kiss you when you're swinging that hammer and sparks are flying and the forge is roaring..." Chase leaned in and up. By the last word, his lips pressed against Jackson's.
Jackson wrapped his arm around Chase's shoulders to pull him in for a good, sloppy kiss, their lips open. Chase's hand running up from his knee to his hip was very distracting as Jackson pressed into the kiss with a moan.
Jesus, Chase got to him fast. His cock was already hardening as Chase's hand caressed his hip and outer thigh. It wandered across to the top of his thigh as Chase sucked Jackson's lower lip between his own.
Jackson wanted Chase. It was so easy to want him. The way Chase moved, spoke, watched, flirted... and most of all, kissed...
He pulled back from the kiss, his chest heaving for breath. It was so fucking hot in here that he might just faint, especially if they were going to have sex.
"Wanna go inside?"
"Oh, God, yes," Chase admitted.
Jackson laughed. "Let me just cool off the forge. It'll be a few minutes."
Chase's voice was low and suggestive, sending a shiver straight down Jackson's spine. "I can think of plenty of ways to fill a few minutes."
It was so hard to pull away from Chase's arm around his back and Chase's hand rubbing his knee. Jackson hauled himself to his feet. Chase stood up, too, lingering by the work bench while Jackson raked out the coals and watered them down.
He could head straight inside, but he made a policy of never, ever leaving without checking that the coals were cool. Embers could burn for hours, spark up again, and start a fire.
Christ, the fire under his skin was almost impossible to bear.
"I'm just waiting to be kissed over here," Chase murmured.
When Jackson glanced back at him, Chase was sitting on the work table, his knees apart. He kicked his feet in the air and braced his hands behind himself.
"You're so fucking gorgeous," Jackson shook his head. He set down his water pail and strode towards Chase.
Chase was already flushed from the heat and it was impossible to tell if he was blushing, but he smiled and winked. "So are you, Hottie McBlacksmith, handling your rods..."
He spent a moment trying to fight the urge to say it, then lost the battle. "That was actually a billet."
Chase pouted, his long eyelashes fluttering closed for a second as he rolled his head back in a quiet lament. "Not the moment."
Jackson sidled up between Chase's knees. He braced his hands on either side of Chase and leaned in to press his lips to Chase's now-exposed throat. Chase's Adam's apple bobbed as he murmured against bare skin, "Sorry... not sorry."
Chase murmured, "You got anything else you wanna teach me?"
"I'm sure I'll think of something." Jackson had so many ideas, and none of them were appropriate for his workspace.
Chase squeezed Jackson's hips between his knees and flung his arms around his neck. He leaned up for a few more slow, lazy kisses to fill the minutes while the coals burnt out.
Taking it slow didn't mean there wasn't chemistry crackling to life. It blazed through Jackson's chest and warmed his fingers. His toes curled into his work boots and his heart pounded with pure need...
Jackson pulled back and whispered, "It's been long enough." Chase let go of him and he stepped away, then offered him a hand to help him slide off the table and onto his feet again.
They walked hand-in-hand out of the workshop as Jackson locked it up behind him. He led him through the grass towards the back door.
Once they were inside with their shoes off, Jackson stopped in the kitchen. They needed water after all that heat.
Chase leaned on the counter. That little frown line was back between Chase's eyebrows. His gaze kept flickering around the living room.
Jackson had to ask. "What's on your mind?"
Chase gulped down the rest of his glass of water, then slid it back and looked evenly at Jackson. "Are you saving it 'til marriage?"
The solemn question made Jackson burst out laughing. "Wait – no. What? No..."
Chase cracked a little smile of relief now. "I just... we've messed around but we haven't fucked, you know?"
"Blowjobs still count as sex," Jackson idly pointed out, but he saw what Chase meant. He put their glasses in the sink and came around the counter to lean next to Chase. Their gazes were locked.
Chase reached out to press a hand against Jackson's chest. He ran his hand up to his shoulder and fidgeted with a bit of his hair. "So what's holding you back?"
"Nothing," Jackson honestly admitted. "I feel like we're clicking really well--"
"You think?" Chase grinned.
"I just didn't want you to think I only wanted sex. You're worth more than that."
Chase paused, and then he started to smile. "Yeah?"
He's precious. Jackson leaned in to kiss him once, then murmured, "Yeah."
"Thank you. Take me to bed?" Chase's voice was soft and hopeful. He was watching Jackson like he couldn't believe his luck.
Jackson felt exactly the same. He took Chase's hand to lead him through the kitchen and living room and up the stairs. Every few steps, they paused to kiss each other. They chuckled, then laughed against each other's lips. It was somehow funny even though there was nothing to really laugh at.
They reached Jackson's bedroom door. Chase grabbed Jackson's hand to hold him back for a moment. Jackson tilted his head curiously.
Chase murmured, "I've already said I like you... but I really do."
Jackson swallowed hard as his heart soared. Chase was sweet, wickedly funny, clever, and right now, his heart was bared.
He turned towards Chase and reached out to tip his chin up with his thumb. He pressed a kiss against the man's lips.
"I really like you, too," he assured Chase.
Chase grinned and grabbed Jackson's hand to pull him into the bedroom.
Jackson flicked on the bedside lamp with the wall switch, and Chase was already kissing him hard. His hands closed around Chase's slender waist to pull him in. He kissed him right back, running his hand up along Chase's spine to the back of his neck.
Chase slid his leg between Jackson's so he could grind against his hip. His arms were around Jackson's neck again.
Jackson gently steered Chase backwards towards the bed, kissing him for each step he took. By the time Chase flopped onto his back on the bed, Chase's eyes sparkled with laughter.
"What?" Jackson grinned.
"You're cheesy as fuck."
Jackson smirked. "I get the impression you like cheesy as fuck."
"Damn it." Chase sighed dramatically, unbuttoning his shirt. "I can't help it."
Jackson winked and leaned in to kiss Chase's neck, then the hollow of his throat. With each button Chase unfastened, he kissed a little further towards his soft belly. He mouthed at Chase's hipbone and flicked his tongue along the waistband. Then, he kissed back up over his stomach and chest.
"Oh, fuck, that's right. You're a tease."
Jackson snickered. He started to suck on Chase's skin. He found a spot that made Chase almost convulse with pleasure just below his ribcage. "I don't remember you complaining..." He sucked just a little higher. "...when you came in my mouth..." He pressed an open-mouthed kiss across Chase's nipple. "...whimpering and thrusting all the while..."
Chase turned red and mumbled something, his neck and ears flushing with his blush. Holy crap, he was adorable.
Chase was already so fucking hard – the tent was easy to see pressing against his jeans. It was so tempting just to make him come undone yet again under his mouth. But Chase wanted more than a blowjob today, and so did Jackson.`
Jackson flicked his tongue a few more times across Chase's nipple, still kissing open-mouthed to warm his skin. In response, Chase's breath caught again. His body pressed up into Jackson's as he straddled Jackson's hip from below. His hips rotated in a slow, needy circle, his cock rubbing against Jackson's hip...