Read Online A Betting Man by Sandrine Gasq-DIon - Free Book Online

as I did his. I had lost my straight man virginity last night. I’d made love to Terry. I eased back from the kiss looking into his eyes.
    “How are you feeling this morning?”
    Terry blushed and I swore my heart ached.
    “I’m a little sore.” Terry leaned into my ear. “Hot damn, you are packing some heat in those chinos,” he whispered.
    I laughed. The music got louder in the kitchen and I knew it was my parents giving us a chance to get presentable.
    “We’re not naked!” I shouted.
    “Well hell,” my mom poked her head around the wall. “Your father and I will leave so you can be!”
    Terry busted out laughing and hid in my neck. I felt my face go up in flames from embarrassment.
    “Oh my gawd, Mamma!” I wailed.
    “Now that’ s my boy!” my father shouted from the kitchen.

~TERRY~
    I went shopping with Kent’s mom. She had to get last-minute items for dinner, so I offered to go with. I still couldn’t get over the winters in Alabama. It was ridiculous; some people were even watering their lawns as we drove by. When Mary had asked me to go with her, she had a wicked gleam in her eye, so I had to come. We went to the twenty-four hour store and Mary asked me to get milk while she grabbed the rest of the items. I people watched as I waited for her. The South was a sharp contrast to New York. People seemed relaxed here. They strolled the aisles as if they had all the time in the world. Mary came back with something in her hand and I smiled at her.
    “What’s that?” I asked.
    “Why, it’s your present for Kenny,” she beamed.
    I took the package from her and looked at it. It was a simple wooden frame in the shape of a heart. I loved it immediately.
    “It’s beautiful,” I said with a smile. “I don’t have a picture to put in it, though.” Mary’s eyes sparkled and I shook my head with a small laugh. “But you do, don’t you?”
    She nodded with a grin.
    Once we were done shopping, we hauled everything out to the truck and unloaded the shopping cart. Mary turned to me and lifted a brow. I smiled and shifted from one foot to the other.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Say something,” Mary demanded.
    “I thought I just did?”
    “No, say something with that English twang.”
    Twang?
    “What is it you’d like me to say?” I gave her the full-on British.
    Mary clapped her hands and laughed. “I love it!”
    “You don’t think it makes me sound hoity-toity?” I grinned.
    I squealed as she slapped my ass.
    We drove back to the house talking about Kent. He hadn’t been to see them in over five years. I could tell Mary was hurt. The way she talked about Kent spoke volumes as to how much she loved him.
    “He was always real embarrassed about how he grew up. The kids used to make fun of him for the way he dressed. We tried, ya know? Things were tight for a bit, but we gave him everything we could.”
    “You did a fine job raising him, Mary,” I said with a smile. “He’s a good man. You just have to look beneath that layer of bullshit.” I laughed as Mary snorted and then laughed with me.
    We walked into the house to hear Elvis still singing about his blue Christmas. Ajax was waiting for me like a drug dog at the airport. My crotch had never received so much attention. I rubbed his ears and hugged him. He followed me to the kitchen and got a tsk from Kent’s mother.
    “Now, now, Ajax! You know better to come in here with a bird in the oven!” Mary turned to me with a smile. “Last year, he took the whole turkey off the counter.”
    I laughed so hard I almost peed.
    “That damn dog ate better ’n we did.” Carl crossed his arms, glaring at Ajax. “Now git!”
    I felt arms come around my waist and got a good whiff of Kent’s cologne. God, he smelled so damn good.
    “Hey, there,” Kent whispered in my ear.
    “Hi,” I almost giggled. This man turned me to mush. I hadn’t had too many relationships. Okay, relationships was a strong word. I had dates now and then, but I never felt