“To Thine Own Self: It’s in His Kiss

Guest Writer: W.D. Foster-Graham   

Hey, Pride Month is here. Darrell Edwards and Cesare Morelli-Montgomery, the main characters in my upcoming male/male romance novel, To Thine Own Self, have been nudging me to share a little more spice in their story before the book is released. For those of us of a certain age, Betty Everett’s 1964 hit “The Shoop Shoop Song” is definitely relevant to the following romantic excerpt:

“Wow.” Cesare sank into his chair at his law office the next day when Darrell dropped by with the invitation.

“Is it too short notice?” Darrell asked.

“No, not at all. I’d love to meet them.” If ever there was any question about Darrell having bigger plans for him, this laid them to rest. “Maybe I’m a little nervous.”

“Don’t be. They’re not.” Darrell let out an embarrassed snicker. “They already suspect I’m seeing someone anyway.”

Wow, his kids are quick. “And how is that?”

“Micah overheard me talking on the phone with you. I guess I’m not as smooth about keeping you under wraps as I thought. But you know what? I don’t want to. Not where they’re concerned.”

Cesare’s heart leaped. Now was the time. Darrell had confirmed it. Another clear sign that the man was into him, and he wasn’t about to let this moment slip by unacknowledged. “Bello, come here. There’s something I’ve been thinking about all day.”

Darrell rose from his seat, strolling around the desk to where Cesare stood, facing him. Their lips were only inches apart. “And what is that, babe?”

Cesare returned Darrell’s sexy grin with one of his own, wrapping Darrell in his arms. “This.”

The moment their lips met, Darrell knew he was a goner. Kissing a man was different but hot, and Cesare knew his way around a kiss. He deepened it, their tongues dancing sensuously. Moaning softly as his dick hardened in response, Darrell ground passionately against Cesare’s rampant erection.

Did time stop? Was he in a free fall of kissing he had every intention of savoring? He didn’t know; and being honest with himself, he didn’t care. One day at a time, he had been falling for this man. Every coffee date, the Daily Grind had become one of Their Places. Every phone call; Cesare wasn’t into texting unless it was for appointments, and Darrell was grateful for that. Every hug gave him the opportunity to experience Cesare’s body against his. As a man who’d spent all his adult life with a petite partner, Darrell relished a big, beefy man like Cesare. Another sultry moan escaped him as he realized how thirsty he was for Cesare’s kisses, and his body heated with the anticipation of more when the kiss deepened.

Cesare was beside himself over Darrell’s passionate response to him. After all the years he’d been going through fool’s gold for boyfriends, here was the mother lode, the genuine article, his for the taking. Here was his dream man, all 6’7” of him in his arms.

Was it real? Would he wake up and discover it was all like that Temptations song, just his imagination? The exquisite tongue dance, the brawny build, and the hard dick grinding against him in a business suit served as irrefutable evidence to support the case. Under any other circumstances, he would have locked the door and bent Darrell over his desk, fucking him into Nirvana. That would happen, all in good time. 

This kiss…this kiss…had an intimacy all its own, something to savor, to cherish. He had experienced men who would do everything with him sexually, yet they balked when it came to kissing him. He gave effusive thanks that Darrell wasn’t that kind of man.

“Looks like I’m going to be meeting some special people tomorrow,” Cesare purred heatedly after their kiss broke.

“Yeah, I’d like to think so,” Darrell beamed. Cesare would have loved to extend their closeness for a little while longer. “With that being said, I’d better let you go…for now.”

“That’s right, bello. For now.”

After Darrell left, Cesare’s breathing somehow returned to normal. He adjusted himself in his slacks, hoping his erection wouldn’t be too obvious before he put a coat on. He’d probably have to jack off two or three times tonight to calm his body down; even the subtle scent of Darrell’s cologne remained in the air, tantalizing him. As it was, concentrating on work for the rest of the day would be next to impossible. Taking his seat, he opened the intercom to his office manager, Jafari Neill. “Jafari…”

“Yes, Mr. Cesare?”

“I’m heading out. Can you make sure the Johnson file is updated before you lock up?”

“Certainly.”

“Thank you. Have a great weekend.”

“You, too.”

Darrell took a walk from Cesare’s law offices in Uptown over to Lake Calhoun, the taste of Cesare on his tongue and lips, hoping the exercise would help his dick go down before he went home. Worked up by their kisses, he knew if they had continued for a few minutes longer, he would have ruined his slacks. How in the world would he have explained that? 

All he knew was, that kissing Cesare was wonderful, and he looked forward to doing so on a regular basis—not to mention other pleasurable things in the future. But first things first–there was the matter of the other three residents of his home. Finding a bench by the lake, he prayed for the success of tomorrow’s dinner.

W.D. Foster-Graham is an independent novelist from Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He received a B.A. in psychology from Luther College, and he was an original member of the multi-Grammy Award-winning ensemble, Sounds of Blackness.  He has also been recognized by the International Society of Poets as one of its “Best Poets of 2003.”

His tastes in writing run to family sagas and M/M romance, seasoned with his own brand of African American flavor—at the end of the day, it’s all about the love. He shamelessly admits to a love of romance novels, whodunits, and classic movies of old Hollywood. He was also inspired by the late novelists E. Lynn Harris and Toni Morrison, who believed that an author should write the books he/she/they want to read.

W.D. is a book review editor for Insight News, a Black community newspaper in the Twin Cities. His column is titled, “Sharing Our Stories.”

His Christopher Family Novel series can be found on the shelves of 13 public library system collections in Minnesota, the Des Moines Public Library System in Iowa, and the Quatrefoil (LGBT) Library. Current works in development are a continuation of his series: four M/M romance novels, “To Thine Own Self”(a 30-plus couple), “Dare To Dream” (single dad), “Playa No More” (age gap), “Built to Last” (friends to lovers), and “The Rise of Sherry Payson,” a story seasoned with humor, romance, mystery, and a story within.

You may visit W. D. at his online home, wfostergrahamauthor.com; on Twitter, @WDFosterGraham1; and Facebook. And email W. D. at wfostergraham@wfostergrahamauthor.com.