by A. T Brennan
After a moment Blaze rolled onto his back, his arm pulling me with him, and I happily nestled my body against his side as I used his shoulder as a pillow. He brushed a few tender kisses against my forehead and I stifled a yawn as exhaustion settled over me.
I didn’t know if it was the sex or Blaze, but every time we shared a bed I was able to fall asleep, and stay asleep. It was as though he was the cure to my insomnia, and that thought made me smile as I closed my eyes and breathed in his unique and slightly spicy scent.
* * * * *
I woke up the next morning to Blaze’s hard cock nestled in the crease of my ass, as his lips played over my back and shoulders. I’d scooted back so he could slip inside me, lube be damned, but he’d had another idea.
Blaze had held me against his body as he began sliding his dick in my crease, one of his hands jerking me off in time with his thrusts.
It was incredible, and every time the head of his cock had brushed over my hole a mini wave of pleasure had washed over me. Combine that with the expert drags on my dick and he had me coming in under a minute.
I’d been a bit embarrassed since I’d gotten off and he hadn’t, but Blaze had just smiled and rolled me over so he could kiss me as he continued to jerk himself off. I wasn’t satisfied with letting him do all the work so I’d used one of my hands to cup his cock against my stomach, creating a passage for him to fuck while I continued to lay long, deep kisses on his lips.
That move had sent him over the edge in no time, and after cuddling and recuperating for a moment we’d taken a shower.
Usually things got heavy fast when we were under the spray together, but this time we’d just held each other as the hot water had sluiced over our bodies before washing each other with nothing but our hands. One thing he’d done different was that he’d used his body wash on me and had given me mine to use on him.
I loved that we’d spend the day smelling like each other. It was like a secret intimacy that we could share even when we were apart.
I’d also learned that Blaze could cook a hell of a lot better than I could, and he’d figured my coffee machine out after only two days of tinkering with it.
I’d driven him to work and then gone to my office to get some work done, and when I’d picked him up after his shift I’d taken him to dinner.
Blaze had never had sushi before, so I’d brought him to my favorite place and made sure to reserve one of the private booths. It had been both hilarious and cute watching him gingerly try things as he asked me what they were and then quickly told me he didn’t want to know until after he’d tried it, and even then he hadn’t really wanted to know.
A part of me had thought that being out and in public with him would make me feel insecure, but it was so fucking natural I didn’t think twice about anyone around us. It was so freeing and wonderful, and I loved every second of it.
When we were finished dinner we’d gone back to my place and hadn’t even made it the apartment before we’d been on each other. Blaze had kissed the shit out of me before pinning me against the wall as he used one of his handy lube packs to get me ready. Then he’d fucked me in my foyer until I’d been screaming in pleasure, begging him to let me finish.
After that we’d put on a movie and cuddled in my bed. I’d fallen asleep about twenty minutes into it with my head on Blaze’s chest and his arms around me. I’d woken up just long enough for him to turn off the TV when the movie was over and get under the covers, and as soon as he’d drawn me back into his arms I’d fallen right back asleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Blaze
Galen had still been asleep when I’d woken up, and while it had been tempting to pull the covers down so I could wake him up with a morning blow job, I decided to let him sleep. He’d told me about his insomnia, so I figured it was best to let him get as much sleep as he could.
I pulled on a pair of cotton pajama pants and padded out of his room and down to the kitchen. His coffee machine was amazing. It could make any drink you could possibly imagine, hot or cold, and there was something so decadent about having a latte when you first wake up.
Fuck, a morning latte. Most mornings I was content with an extra big cup of whatever coffee was on sale at the supermarket, and now I was drinking lattes while standing shirtless in Galen’s kitchen.
After finishing my drink I decided to make my man breakfast. I had no idea how long he would sleep, but I was getting hungry after a night of fucking and eating nothing but raw fish and rice.
“This is nice.”
I felt Galen’s strong arms wrap around me as I stood at the stove, flipping an omelette.
“What, breakfast or me shirtless in your kitchen?” I asked cheekily as I turned my head for a kiss.
“Both. Definitely both.”
He trailed kisses from my jaw down my neck and then across my shoulder. I could feel his hard cock against my ass and groaned when he rubbed it against me.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you shouldn’t distract the cook?” I asked as I pressed my ass against him.
“I thought that was drivers?”
“Cooks too. Stoves are hot, and if you keep doing that I’m going to forget I’m cooking and probably end up burning your place down because I’ll be too busy fucking you to realize the food is burning.”
“I have insurance.” He gently bit where my neck and shoulder met, and I turned off the burner and pushed the pan onto a cold element.
“It’s going to get cold,” I warned as I turned in Galen’s arms so I could hold him.
“That’s what microwaves are for,” he said before gripping the back of my neck and dragging me down for a kiss.
I’d like to say it was sweet and gentle and filled with soft words and touches, but it wasn’t. After a few tugs on each other’s dicks Galen had grabbed the cooking oil I’d used for the eggs and poured enough on his fingers so he could prep himself while I continued to tease his cock. After only a few passes with his fingers Galen had spun himself around and planted his hands against the counter, and I hadn’t wasted a second before I’d slipped inside him.
I’d managed to go slow and give him a few shallow strokes to get him used to having me fill him. When he’d moved back, forcing me as deep inside him as I could get, I’d lost the last ounce of control I’d desperately clung to and had given myself over to the moment.
I’d wrapped my arms around Galen’s body, pulling him flush against my chest as he’d wrapped one arm behind me and the other back around my neck as he’d cried out to me.
It had been perfect, fucking perfect, and after getting him off I’d given into my own orgasm and filled him over and over again.
When we were able to move again, Galen had turned in my arms to kiss me before pulling up his pants and going to get a cloth to clean his cabinet. It had taken me a little longer to recover, but when my body and mind finally felt connected again I’d gone to the stove to continue cooking like nothing had happened.
I was getting a little too used to this domestic scene. Sex with Galen was incredible, the best I’d ever had, but it was these sorts of moments that really meant something to me. I’d never considered having a long term partner before, but now that I’d had a taste of what living with Galen could be like, I wanted it.
I wanted to cook breakfast for him, to see him off to work. I loved falling asleep with him, and even something as simple as sitting at the table sipping coffee in the middle of the afternoon felt right.
I was getting in over my head, and I was going to be heartbroken when things ended.
* * * * *
“Hey, babe?”
“Yeah?” I glanced over my shoulder to see Galen standing in the doorway to the kitchen holding his phone.
We’d ordered Greek food for dinner and I was just grabbing plates and cutlery to set the table. I’d planned on doing it while we’d waited for the delivery, but I’d gotten distracted and had ended up spending the time with Galen’s dick in my mouth.
/> “My brother just sent me an email.”
“What did he want?” I asked as he came into the kitchen and stopped in front of me.
“He got engaged.”
“Did you know he was seeing someone?”
“No. I had no idea.”
“So he emailed you to tell you about his engagement? That’s...nice?”
“He invited me to his engagement party.”
“Oh?” I felt bad only giving him a one word answer, but I didn’t know what to say. The last thing he’d told me about his family was how they never invited him to things unless they were trying to portray the lie that they were one big happy group.
“Yeah. And he put aside a plus one for me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I should probably go. It’s a cocktail thing.”
“What does that mean? In my world a cocktail is something you drink, not attend.”
“It means it’s an afternoon party with drinks and light food. No meal.” He smiled and brushed his thumb over my bottom lip.
I let my tongue dart out so I could swipe it over his thumb and had to fight my grin as he sucked in a breath. “Huh, makes sense, I guess.”
“You working next Saturday?”
“I’m on the late shift. Eight until close.”
“Want to meet my family?”
I froze at his words. He wanted me to meet his family? As his boyfriend?
“Are you sure?” I asked quietly, trying to fight my fears and insecurities as they came out in full force.
“One thing you should know about me is that I never do anything half-assed. You’re my boyfriend, so if I’m going anywhere that has a plus one, I want you with me.” Galen gently cupped my neck and rubbed my cheek with his thumb. “I’m in this all the way.”
“I am too.” I swallowed and leaned against his hand for a second, taking a moment to shove every negative feeling I had out of my mind. “Let’s do it.”
“Let’s do it.” He grinned and pulled me forward for a kiss. “Now, what do you say we actually eat a meal while it’s still hot and then it’s my turn to suck that perfect cock of yours?”
“You always say the sweetest things.”
Galen laughed and gave me a quick kiss before nodding to the pile of dishes I’d left on the far counter. I rolled my eyes as I turned to get them, and jumped when Galen gave my ass a quick slap.
If he kept up his teasing we’d never get around to eating.
* * * * *
The next five days flew by.
On Monday Galen had given me the codes to his private elevator, and his door. He’d also given me a card that would get me into the building if he wasn’t with me. It said a lot about how much he trusted me, and I didn’t spend much time at home after that.
His building wasn’t close to my work, and with my car still acting up I was forced to rely on him for drives, or take the bus when he was working. I didn’t mind the bus, I’d be doing it if I was at home and didn’t feel like walking, but it felt a little strange.
A part of me was freaking out over how serious things were getting, but only because it made it harder not to fall in love with him.
I was still afraid that he’d wake up one day and realize there were better men out there than me. Galen was everything any guy could want, and compared to him, I was nothing. When he finally saw the truth and ended things, I would be devastated, but that knowledge didn’t make me want to push him away. If anything it made me want to put everything I had into the relationship. My heart was going to be broken no matter what, I might as well experience everything while it lasted.
Galen spent most of the week in court or meetings, but he still picked me up every night, either from work or home, and we would stay at his place. He had no problem letting me stay during the day when I worked an afternoon shift, and had told me I was welcome to stay on my off day as well.
The previous Friday had been awesome for tips, but it had been a bag drive, and I was glad when this Friday was a little less busy. Rhys and I were behind the bar while Cody did dish runs and Zander was working with the kitchen to bring food out.
It was a different set up, but Evan had decided not to employ a wait staff. Customers ordered their drinks at the bar and their food at the kitchen. Since we were a bar and not a pub, we didn’t serve full meals, and no one seemed to have a problem with the way things were run.
“What’s up with you?” Rhys asked during a lull in orders. We were trying to tidy up and get ahead of the next rush.
“What do you mean?” I looked up from the glasses I was putting away.
“You’re distracted. Something wrong?”
“Just thinking.”
“About?” he prompted.
“Galen.”
“Your boyfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“How’s it going with him?”
“Good. Amazing, actually.”
“So what’s got you all distracted.”
“He invited me to be his plus one to a family thing tomorrow. His brother got engaged and he has to make an appearance at the party.”
“What about that is freaking you out? Do you feel it’s too soon?”
“It’s not that.” I shook my head. “Galen’s never dated a man before.”
“He’s bi?”
“No, he’s gay.”
“Closeted?”
“No, he’s never dated anyone. Apparently his family is all about appearances and he’s not close with them, even though he wants their approval. He always brought women to these things even if he wasn’t with them.”
“Huh, that complicates things. Are you worried they won’t accept that he’s gay?”
“He said they would be fine with that. It’s just his family...” I sighed and leaned against the counter.
“What about them?”
“His dad is a doctor, his brother is a doctor, and his sisters married doctors.”
“You afraid of doctors or something?” Rhys gave me a confused look.
“I’m a former junkie who slings drinks for a living. I barely got my GED.”
“So?”
“So?” I looked up at him in surprise.
“My family sounds a lot like his. Who knows, they might be completely cool with him being gay and dating someone in a different profession, or they could be like mine and be dicks about everything.”
“What do I do if they’re dicks?”
“Don’t let them see that they’re affecting you. Keep your head up and remember that Galen chose you.”
“What if he doesn’t choose me? If his family doesn’t approve—”
“Then he’s a douche and not worth your time,” Rhys said firmly. “Anyone who would go with what his family says over taking the side of the man he’s with isn’t worth it. You’d be better off finding that out now and not later on.”
“You’re right. I know you are. I just can’t push the fear aside.” I sighed again and picked up a rag, just so I’d have something in my hands.
“You know why, right?”
“Because my family rejected me for what I am and I lost everything.”
“Exactly.” He moved beside me and gave me a one-armed hug, holding me against his chest for a moment. “You’re an amazing guy, Blaze. Never let anyone make you feel like you’re less than them just because they’ve lived a different life. Okay?”
“Okay.” I nodded against his shoulder and smiled as he dropped a friendly kiss on my forehead. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, kiddo.”
Rhys was only five years older than me, but he loved to tease me about being younger.
“Watch it, grandpa.” I gave him a hip check, laughing when he almost went sprawling.
Rhys caught himself on the bar and looked over his shoulder at me. “Oh, it’s game on, little one.”
I knew I was in for a night of getting towel snaps on my ass every chance he got, but it was so worth it for that moment.
* * * *
*
“Relax, baby.” Galen wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck.
“I am relaxed.”
“Really?” He ran his hand over my chest in a comforting circle. “You look like you’re about to snap from standing so straight.”
“I’m just nervous,” I admitted, turning in his arms so I could wrap my arms around his waist. Partly because I wanted to feel more of him, but mostly because I needed an anchor.
“I get it, but it’ll be fine. My family might be stuffy and all about appearances, but they’re not assholes.”
“Really? They kind of sound like it from everything they’ve done to you.”
“Well...true,” he conceded. “But they’re not assholes to other people. So just relax and pick something to wear. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Galen gave me a quick but sweet kiss, and then turned me back to face the clothes we were standing in front of.
“You know, I never realized this, but there are a lot of perks to dating a guy,” he said teasingly, his breath tickling my ear.
“Other than orgasms and getting your dick sucked?”
He laughed and squeezed me tighter. “Yeah, those are definite perks, but straight guys get that too, if they’re doing it right.”
“So what other perks are you talking about?”
“Sharing clothes.”
I laughed and looked behind me. “Really? Sharing clothes? What are we, sorority sisters?”
“It’s a bonus,” he insisted. “Think of all the money we’ll save on clothes.”
“Considering you work in suits and I wear jeans at my job, how are we saving?”
“I guess it works better in theory.” He kissed my cheek and gave me one last squeeze. “Now pick something.”
“I have no idea. The last time I wore anything other than jeans or sweats was in church when I was fifteen.”
“Fine.” He rolled his eyes dramatically and stepped around me to examine his clothes. “I’ll play fashion consultant.”
It was cute watching him peruse his own clothing as he searched for something for me to wear to the engagement party. Since I didn’t own anything other than a few button up shirts and one really sad pair of dress pants, Galen had decided that I would wear something of his.