Picture Perfect Love

by Jerry Cole

  “You’re allowed to let loose now and then,” I assured Ryan, walking out to my deck and looking over the ocean. “Do you feel okay?”

  “That’s still debatable. I need a little time, but it won’t be happening again.” Ryan assured me as I smiled.

  “I have a little something that will cheer you up. Check the calendar.”

  There was movement on the other end, and then Ryan laughed. “You have a gig here?”

  “I do,” I replied and smiled as he cursed happily.

  “It’s too far away, but I can’t wait. Did you get a place to stay?” Ryan asked, and I told him about the arrangements. We agreed that he’d stay with me in the luxury room and chatted a little more before he ended the call to get ready for work.

  I settled in to work and decided to throw myself into it. I had a trip to Seattle for a magazine and another to Hawaii for a wedding. I was going to be busy and in some gorgeous places and needed to make the best of it.

  Jamie walked in the door in the afternoon, carrying coffee. Her bright purple hair was on top of her head in a bun, and I glanced at the bag she carried in her hand.

  “Please say those are eclairs.”

  “Of course. I made a few extras for you.” Jamie smiled and handed me the bag and a coffee before dropping to the couch. “Kellen is being an asshole about the apartment and wants to stay. Can I crash here for a bit?”

  “I have a room for you at any time. You know that.” I reminded her as I watched her lean back. She got up at three to be at the popular bakery and usually slept in the afternoons.

  “Thanks. I love you for taking such good care of me,” Jamie murmured, and I opened the bag to see three of my favorite pastries. That meant a run on the beach later today for me.

  “I love you for bringing me these.” I murmured, pulling one out as I took a quick break. I had no idea how Jamie did life with those hours. She seemed to be used to it and wasn’t her thing to party a lot. I could work any hours and often stayed up late with her if she napped too long.

  She moved her things in over the next week. Jamie was staying in the spare room in the Queen bed I had set up, working around the equipment I kept in there. I went to Seattle a week later and spent a lot of time looking around when I wasn’t busy with the local magazine. I also seemed to start a new tradition of buying Ryan something everywhere I traveled and added them to a drawer in my room when I was home.

  I felt like time dragged before I was packing for Belize. I spoke to Ryan as often as I could, but it felt like we sent messages more than talking. It was easier with time differences and work, but I couldn’t wait to spend some time with him. I knew that he was working at the shop and would have more time. He’d also be staying with me.

  Jamie was making some dinner when I finished and returned to the living room. She was making her spaghetti and smiled at me when I entered the small kitchen. “That smells good.”

  “I wanted to do something for you before you left. I sleep so much.” She stirred the sauce, and I reached into the fridge for some water. “Are you excited?”

  “I am. It feels like it’s been forever.” Ryan called me earlier and told me that he’d meet me at the hotel after I landed. He’d pick me up, but I had the rental car, and there was no use. I liked driving around the island.

  “You two have been good at keeping in touch.”

  “We try. We want to make an effort to keep this going, and this visit will be good for that.” I stirred the sauce and wrapped my free arm around her. “I want you to come sometime.”

  “I work. I can’t abandon Kyle while we’re starting to take off.” She opened the business with a former coworker, and they only had a few extra people on their staff for a busy bakery.

  “Here, you tell me that I work too much,” I grumbled as she laughed.

  “I know I do. There will come a time when we have another baker, but I’m it for now.” Jamie moved to drain the noodles, and I stepped aside. We ate on the deck and talked about the next few weeks and our schedules. She would be here as always to keep an eye on Chirp and Noodle, and I thanked her. It worked out well with my rarely being home. I should clean out the spare room and make it her permanent home.

  “Try to talk that partner of yours about hiring a baker.” I teased her before bed after she hugged me. I headed to my room and checked my luggage before dropping to my mattress.

  I enjoyed a few drinks on the plane and finished up some editing work in my first-class seat. I tried to sleep a few hours, but the excitement was coursing through me, and I kept opening my eyes. When the pilot spoke, and I looked out of the window to see the beautiful water and sand, I smiled.

  I got off the plane and took my luggage to the rental agency. They handed me the keys to another Range Rover, and I thanked them before going out to start the engine. I pulled up maps and drove to the luxury hotel to check-in and get settled in my room for the next two weeks before calling the client to set up a meeting. We planned one for the following day at a local restaurant, and I smiled as I saw a message from Ryan.

  R: Are you here?

  B: I am in the room. Are you still coming over after work?

  R: I’ll be there. Welcome back!

  I unpacked and made myself at home as much as I could in a hotel, but it was different this time. I could feel it. Ryan was mostly going to be staying here with me every night, and as excited as I was, I wondered how I would ever be able to leave.

  Ryan showed up at six, and I pulled him into a tight hug. This felt like home to me, and I felt the sentiment in his kiss. We decided to order room service and stay in tonight, eating out on the balcony overlooking the blue water. It felt natural and right as I watched him sip a beer across from me. He had not gotten drunk again after that night that we spoke of it. Ryan was back to surfing every day and throwing himself into the store. He still went to the restaurant for dinner since it had always been a favorite place and enjoyed a drink or two. He just didn’t overdo it. We planned to hang out there together.

  I told him that I had a meeting the following day and would know more about my schedule but gave him a key to the room so he could come and go as needed. He didn’t go anywhere that night, and we made love like our lives depended on it. I held him as he fell asleep and knew that I wanted to spend more time with this man.

  He went to the beach and store in the morning, and I got ready for lunch after lounging around in bed. I dressed in slacks and a white button-up shirt, slipping my feet into comfortable black shoes. For the first meeting, I always treated it as something of a job interview. I arrived at the restaurant first and got a great table against the window that offered us some privacy. I’d met briefly with the woman before now, but this was the time to go over what she wanted from her photoshoot.

  The couple was young and beautiful. Their wedding was a year away, and they wanted something beautiful to give to the family, signifying their relationship. I looked over their choices of locations, and we went over the pros and cons of each, settling on four to use over the next week. We made a schedule around their activities and I paid for lunch with my business credit card.

  I took some time to scout the shoot locations and plan my best strategy there, loving the island more with each stop. I took some landscape photos for my web page and kept looking around for new places to do photoshoots. I had a file for the most popular areas among couples and made new ones with every trip to a new location. I headed back to the hotel to change into casual clothing and dropped to the mattress to close my eyes. It was a long day after my late night with Ryan.

  I woke up with a mouth wrapped around my cock, gasping as I jerked forward. I slipped my hand down into familiar soft hair and opened my eyes to take in the sight of Ryan between my legs. The sun was setting and the colors filling the room through the open windows were stunning. It was a picture in itself, but I moaned his name as the pressure built inside of me. “Fuck. Ryan!” I cried out as I filled his mouth and throat, listening as he greedily swa
llowed every drop. “That was a hell of a way to wake up.”

  “I couldn’t resist.” Ryan pulled back and kissed my thigh. “You looked gorgeous lying there.” He went to the attached bathroom and returned to snuggle beside me. “Tired?”

  “I ended up scouting the island after the meeting today. It’s beautiful here.” I murmured as I slowly woke up. “How was work?”

  “Busy. We’re picking up a lot.” Ryan replied and smiled at him. “What do you want to do tonight?”

  “Could we go to The Reef for dinner?” I’d been craving that crab since my last trip.

  “Sure. Lani wanted to see you.” Ryan replied as I looked at him. I knew that he kept his life private there and wanted to ask if he cared what they said when we arrived together. “What is it?”

  “I know that you weren’t close to everyone there. Is this okay?” I asked since we hadn’t had that talk.

  “They knew I was gay all along. I didn’t flaunt it or sleep around.” Ryan smiled, and I let out a sigh of relief.

  I showered and dressed in shorts and a loose t-shirt, finding my slides to wear to the restaurant. Ryan was dressed similarly from his day at work, and I drove us this time, chatting and laughing the entire way. We parked a few feet away from the door, and I opened it for him as he smiled.

  “Ben!” Lani called from the hostess stand, running over to hug me. She did the same to Ryan and checked to see that my usual table was free before leading us outside. We ordered beers, and I breathed in the scent of the ocean with a slow smile.

  “This is where I needed to be.” I looked out to the dark expanse of the beach and took it all in. “I needed to be with you.”

  “I agree,” Ryan said, as we shared a long look. It was filled with heat and longing, and I felt sweat pooling in my hair. Gray never affected me like this. We ordered dinner when a waitress stopped by, and I sipped my beer as I looked out over the sand. My feelings were too much, too soon. Lani joined us for her break, and I caught up with her, laughing at some of her stories about work. She was the first person that I got to know here before Ryan and she was supportive of us. She reminded me a bit of Jamie and I looked forward to the day the two women could meet.

  We stayed at the restaurant for a while to catch up and then headed back to the hotel. I closed the door and kissed Ryan, pressing him into the door as he gripped my hips. “I fucking missed you,” I told him as I gripped his hair and nipped at his jaw.

  “I missed you,” Ryan groaned as he dropped his head back to offer me more of his neck. He lowered a hand to cup my cock, and it jerked against him, needing him.

  “Fuck me.” I groaned as Ryan squeezed. He pushed me back toward the bed, and I stumbled in his arms. We dropped to the mattress, and he kissed me, taking control. “Oh, God.” I thought he might be shy when we first met, but Ryan liked it rough. We established that after the first night together and enjoyed the right balance between the control that we both enjoyed.

  Ryan kissed me as he stripped me down, kissing all over my heated skin. I made a few sloppy efforts to take his clothes off but let him have his fun, enjoying every lick and suck. I ended up coming in his mouth and then all over a towel on the bed as he took me from behind.

  We fell asleep after cleaning up, and the alarm went off early for Ryan. He asked if I wanted to go to the beach and I agreed, dressing for a quick run. I ate a lot last night and needed to work it off as well as watch my man in the water.

  I kissed him goodbye and headed back to the hotel to change for my first shoot with Tori and James. This one was on a deserted beach with a gorgeous backdrop of rocks. I enjoyed the banter between us as I took the pictures, appreciating the coupling factor over the single model. We killed a few hours easily, and I had lunch with them afterward as we secured a deal for their wedding. I had no issues coming here for a shoot though I did wonder what might happen a year from now.

  I went to the hotel after the shoot and showered and changed before calling Jamie. I might catch her before she fell asleep and wanted to talk to her. We had a short conversation, and she teased me relentlessly about Ryan before hanging up for her nap.

  I left the hotel room, deciding to check out the shop. I found it on my maps and drove there, parking in the small lot as I looked over the older building. It was a simple, square one that had plenty of room for what Leo and Ryan offered. I got out and walked over to the glass doors, entering to see a crowd. It made me grin, and I glanced around to see Ryan talking to a guy about a surfboard, smiling as he nodded at something the customer said.

  Chapter Six

  Ryan

  The air changed in the room, and I blinked as I focused on what the customer was saying about the surfboard. I knew that Ben was here by the electricity in the air and subtly looked around when there was a break in the conversation. Ben was near the door smiling over at me, and I flushed as the customer said he’d buy the board I’d been working on selling him for half an hour. Despite having one beach that was good for it, there were other islands to go to, and it was picking up.

  “Thanks, man,” I said as the kid took the tag that I handed him. I looked around and sauntered toward Ben, trying to mask my excitement at seeing him. “What brings you here?” I smiled hard, and he met my eyes.

  “I wanted to see your shop and maybe take you to dinner tonight.” Ben offered, and I nodded.

  “That sounds great. Want a tour?” I asked, and we walked around as I told him about everything. The building had needed a lot of work, but we put it in before opening, and it was perfect now. He paused in the clothing section and started pushing the hangers as he looked at the shorts.

  “I’ve always liked the ones that you wear,” Ben told me, and I smiled. He pulled out three pairs and asked if we had a fitting room, and I pointed him in that direction.

  “Isn’t that Ben?” Leo asked as I approached the counter, grinning as I nodded.

  “You haven’t met. Want to have dinner with us tonight?” I asked, wondering if Ben would mind. I didn’t even think to ask first.

  “That would be good. I want to get to know the guy that’s stolen your heart.” Leo spoke in a low voice, but he was overdoing the tone as I rolled my eyes at him.

  “Slow down. I didn’t even think you knew what those words meant.” I shot back as Leo laughed, asking if he could help someone.

  Ben brought the shorts over and said that he liked them all. He was going to look at some shirts, and I grabbed his arm before he turned to leave. “I invited Leo out to dinner tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Why would I? He’s your best friend.” Ben smiled and squeezed my hand before going to look at the shirts. He stayed for about an hour shopping and bought several things, even renting a surfboard for the following morning. Ben only had an hour to hang out before we closed and took his bag to his car, telling us that he’d be on the beach just outside.

  Leo and I closed up and were locking the door within half an hour. I glanced out and saw a figure sitting on a rock facing the water. “I’ll go get him, and we can eat.” I walked across the street after looking both ways and wandered slowly behind Ben. He seemed lost in thought, and I wanted to know what was happening inside his mind. “Penny for your thoughts.”

  Ben turned his head and smiled at me. “They’re about you, so they must be worth more than a penny.” My heart soared, and I reached out to touch his shoulder.

  “I almost wish we weren’t going with Leo tonight.” I murmured, leaning in to kiss him softly.

  “It’s a good thing. I want to know your friends here. We have tonight once we’re back at the hotel.” Ben pressed his mouth to mine, and I closed my eyes as heat washed through me. We both pulled back to stare at each other, and my breathing hitched in my throat. “Let’s go before this gets any further.”

  I let Leo choose his favorite restaurant and smiled at Ben as we walked through the door. We asked for a table for three and were seated in a booth in a private corner of the room. Once we ordered beer
s, Leo smiled across the table. “Ryan tells me that you’re a photographer.”

  “I am.” I went on to explain how I started small and grew my business as Leo nodded. We talked about their store and how well it was doing over dinner, and I saw that they clicked. It wasn’t in the way that I clicked with Ben, but they talked quickly together, and I sensed that Leo liked him. We spent about an hour at the table, enjoying our second drink as the conversation flowed. We walked out, and Leo offered Ben his hand.

  “It was great to meet you. I hope to see you again before you leave.” Ben echoed the words, and Leo told me that he’d see me in the morning. I turned to Ben, and we grinned at each other.

  “He liked you,” I told him and reached out for his hand. “I’m so happy that my best friend, my brother, liked you.”

  “Me too.” He pulled me to his car and kissed me before telling me to get my ass into the car. I laughed and slid into the passenger seat as he walked around to the driver's side. We made our way back to the hotel, and I waited until the door closed before I lunged at him.

  A few hours later, we were sated in bed. The sheets were a mess, and the room smelled like sex, and I closed my eyes slowly. “This was a perfect night.” I reached out and traced my hand over his sculpted chest. He was warm, and I smiled as he shivered underneath my touch. “I liked you in my shop. I liked you talking to my best friend. I loved having dinner with the two of you.”

  “I love you,” Ben said softly, and I froze before looking at him. “I never felt that way with my ex, and we were together for months. I knew it with you as soon as I went home the first time.”

  “So did I,” I breathed as I rolled toward him. As rough as past kisses had been between us, this one was soft and sweet. I closed my eyes and memorized the feeling of his mouth as we slid our hands over each other. We moved together and made love as sweetly as we kissed. When we finished, we cleaned up and cuddled under the blanket together.