Cole opened his side table drawer and tossed condoms and lube on the bed.
“Top? Bottom? I’ll do whatever you want.”
Ridley licked his lips. “If I say top, can we do this again so I can bottom? It’s just, I really want to fuck you right now.”
Cole leaned forward, kissing Ridley to hide the emotion that overwhelmed him. When he had himself under control, he pulled back enough to whisper against Ridley’s lips. “We can do this as many times as you want.”
He pressed one more swift kiss to Ridley’s lips to avoid the questions he might see in his eyes. Then he crawled over Ridley’s body.
“Now then, where to start?” he said with a teasing smile. “Oh, I know.”
He bent down, licking over Ridley’s Adam’s apple, then making his way to the join of neck and shoulder and biting down hard enough to draw a shaky moan from Ridley.
“Mmm. That’s a good start.”
Ridley wondered if he’d fallen into an erotic dream as Cole worshipped his body with gentle swipes of his tongue and bold nibbles, teeth grazing his jaw, his neck, his nipples as Cole made his way down his torso.
He’d never been made to feel so sexy. Most of his encounters — even with boyfriends — had been about their dicks. If there was fucking, maybe some ass play. But nothing like this. Cole seemed intent on exploring Ridley’s entire body as he licked a line from one hip to the other.
Ridley felt himself tremble at the strangely erotic feel of Cole’s tongue ruffling the hair on his lower stomach. His muscles clenched, his dick flexing up in a plea.
Cole’s hands slipped down, one going to his balls to fondle and squeeze. The other to his cock, where a light fingertip trailed down his length.
“Fuck, maybe I should bottom,” Ridley said as he quivered. Cole was playing his body like a maestro, and it was clear who was in charge of this sensual play between them.
“Sweetie, as long as your cock ends up inside me, I don’t care what you call it.”
Ridley groaned at the thought of all that tight heat gripping him. “Yeah, good.”
Cole opened the condom and rolled it down Ridley’s cock. As he did, he leaned forward to whisper in Ridley’s ear, “As long as we do this again, like you promised.”
“Fuck, yes,” Ridley exclaimed, his head filled with lust. “Every day. Every hour. But now.”
Cole chuckled, his breath tickling Ridley’s neck, and if they didn’t get the show on the road, he was likely to come all over himself.
“Cole,” he said, his voice strained.
Cole seemed to understand. He uncapped the lube and poured some into his hand. Then he stroked it over Ridley before reaching behind himself to press some inside.
He didn’t linger on prep, moving forward to straddle Ridley. He squatted awkwardly, leaning forward a bit to position Ridley’s cockhead at his hole, but it only made his lean muscles stand out more.
“Are you sure?” Ridley asked.
Cole looked him in the eye and nodded once. “I want you in me.”
He pushed back, taking in Ridley’s dick slowly, the heat and pressure overwhelmingly good.
Ridley’s eyes rolled back, and his hands clenched on Cole’s waist as his cock was squeezed inside. He lifted his hips, unable to resist the call to fuck. Cole rocked, bearing down, and Ridley slipped in inch by inch until Cole sat flush against his pelvis.
“Fuck, you feel good,” Ridley said.
Cole’s eyes closed as he gently rocked, adjusting to Ridley inside his body. His bottom lip was bright red, the victim of his own teeth digging in, and Ridley lifted a finger to trace over that lush mouth. Cole’s tongue flicked out, circling his fingertip, and they both groaned. Ridley’s restraint broke, and he bucked up hard into Cole’s body as Cole sucked Ridley’s finger deeper into his mouth.
He looked so into it, sucking and fucking at the same time, that the image of Cole between two men flashed into Ridley’s mind for an instant. It was hot, but it also made something inside him flinch.
He pulled his hand from Cole’s mouth and put it on his neck instead, guiding him down into a kiss. Better. Cole’s tongue played with his, darting and retreating, before they both needed more breath. Cole sat up, rolling his hips and taking Ridley’s cock harder and faster. Ridley put a hand on his hips, helping him stay in rhythm but otherwise letting Cole run the show.
A series of grunts and moans interrupted their ragged breathing until Cole tensed, and he suddenly grabbed his dick, stroking hard and fast. Ridley placed his hand over Cole’s, helping pump him, and Cole’s eyes flew open. Bright blue lit up Ridley’s view, and he came hard while Cole spurted over their fists.
They rode out the orgasms together, clinging to each other through the aftershocks until their bodies had calmed.
Then Cole looked at him and grinned. “So, you’re good at that too.”
It was suddenly so absurd they both broke into laughter. Ridley had to admit that what just happened wasn’t practice for anything. It was two men giving in to their lust. It was raw and passionate, but it wasn’t detached tutoring.
“Not gonna lie,” he said, feeling he owed Cole the truth. “I wanted you like crazy. It seems silly to pretend otherwise.”
Cole’s smile spread as he shifted off Ridley to lie at his side. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Ridley took a minute to dispose of the condom, then held out a hand to Cole. “Shower?”
Cole took his hand and stood. “So, shower and then ...”
Ridley looked down, feeling like an asshole. “Obviously we have good chemistry,” he said at last. “The sex is really good.”
“Uh, yeah!”
He laughed, relieved Cole was keeping it light. “Thing is, I’ve wanted something with Jace for a long time, and I’m not sure—”
“Say no more,” Cole interrupted. “I know you’re doing all this for him.”
“Not all of it,” Ridley said, gesturing between them.
Sex with Cole was not some sort of dress rehearsal for the relationship he wanted, even if they’d both used the excuse of Ridley needing more experience to start something. That would be an asshole move, and Cole was worth more than that. But Ridley had wanted Jace so long he wasn’t sure what this meant yet or what he should do next.
Cole took the decision out of his hands.
“Don’t worry, Rid. You’re not leading me on,” he said, which was a relief. “I know what’s up. We can have good sex. It’s fun. Plus, it’s a good way to—”
“Don’t say practice.”
“Meet your needs? Scratch an itch?” Cole shrugged. “We’re both adults, and we both want sex. We don’t have to make it more complicated.”
Okay, that was less of a relief. But if Cole was in it for the sex alone, then that solved Ridley’s dilemma, right? He wouldn’t be using Cole or leading him on in any way, and he didn’t have to make up his mind about what to do about Jace right away.
He’d spent much of the day pondering what he’d done with Cole and what it might mean about his feelings for Jace. He’d concluded that he did still care about Jace. His feelings had been there a long time, too long to vanish overnight, but they’d also never been reciprocated. Meanwhile, here was Cole. Enchanting, beautiful, big-hearted Cole, who Ridley liked more and more every day. But he’d only known Cole a few weeks, as opposed to the years he’d cared for Jace. It was a messy, confusing place to be. Ridley wanted to explore what might happen with Cole, but he wasn’t quite ready to let go of all his hopes for Jace.
That didn’t seem fair to Cole, but if Cole was saying he was okay with it, Ridley wasn’t going to argue. He did feel the need to ask one more time, though.
“You’re sure you’re okay with this?”
Cole kissed his cheek. “I’m sure. It doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re just two guys having a good time.”
Ridley wasn’t so sure he could separate sex and emotion so easily. He’d had hookups with strangers at parties but never an ongoing fli
ng with a friend. But he hadn’t gotten his fill of Cole yet, and he was done living a practically celibate life. Couldn’t go back to that with a man like Cole ready and willing.
He just hoped it didn’t backfire because he already liked Cole a hell of a lot, and he didn’t know what he’d do if he ended up the reject of not one man, but two.
20
Cole’s phone pinged with a message later that week, and he picked it up from the coffee table, most of his mind still on the headdress he was working on, while listening to RuPaul’s Drag Race and Theo’s enthusiastic commentary running beside him.
He was jonesing for another night with Ridley, but he was doing his best not to go all in with the man, so he’d told Ridley he was crafting until late in the evening because he was on a deadline for Theo’s upcoming drag show. He felt a little guilty about the lie; he had plenty of time left. But he needed to maintain some breathing room to protect himself.
Glancing down at the screen of his cellphone, Cole froze in surprise. It was Travis.
Cole had received a couple of weird comments on his social media posts from him, but Travis hadn’t texted since the night Cole went shopping with Ridley. He’d hoped never to hear from him again.
Travis: What’s up?
Cole hesitated a moment before answering. But from past experience, he knew that Travis didn’t respond well to being ignored.
Cole: Just watching TV with a friend
Travis: Is your “friend” like me? One of your “special” friends
Cole: You and I are not friends
Travis: Right. We’re not. So stop following me and trying to start something. I love my wife. You HEAR me? I love her, and you’re nothing.
What the actual fuck? Cole blinked at the message. Travis had changed his tune since the day he’d shown up and asked Cole to remain his piece on the side. But what-the-fuck-ever. Cole was happy to be out of that mess.
Cole: Good for you. Stay with her and leave me alone
Travis: I will. You just stay away. Block this number.
Cole: Gladly!
He jabbed the buttons on his phone, navigating settings so he could do exactly that. He should have blocked Travis the first time he texted him after the breakup. Asshole.
“You okay over there?” Theo asked.
Cole realized he was muttering under his breath as he finished blocking Travis. He dropped the phone onto the table next to him.
“I’m fine.”
“You having a fight with the boyfriend?”
Cole glanced at the television. Paused. Damn. He’d never avoid Theo’s questions now.
“Ridley’s not my boyfriend,” he said automatically, as he did each time Anita or one of his other friends brought up the subject. “And no, I’m not texting with him.”
Theo raised an eyebrow. “That was some pretty intense messaging.”
Cole grimaced, admitting, “It was my ex.”
Theo straightened his bulky frame, shifting to face him. “The married one? Is he bothering you? He’s not like ... a stalker?” he asked with wide eyes. He was always so dramatic.
“No!” Cole exclaimed. “Of course not. He’s just an asshole. A nonviolent one. I’m not afraid, just pissed off.”
Theo’s brow wrinkled.
“I just blocked his number. Really, it’s fine.”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” Theo said finally, sounding less than convinced. “Just don’t let it escalate.”
“I won’t.” Cole sighed. “Let’s just work on this headdress, okay? I don’t want to talk about it.”
Cole was doing most the work, but Theo was handing him supplies and watching, so that he could learn how to make one in the future.
Theo nodded. “Fair enough. I know when someone wants me to shut it.” He winked to show he wasn’t upset and hit the play button on the television, so they could watch it while they worked. The sound of bickering drag queens filled the room, and Cole relaxed as he returned to his crafting zone.
But when Theo left, he picked up the phone and texted Ridley.
Cole: I’m going to be done earlier than expected. Come over?
Ridley: Miss me already, huh? I’ll be there in ten
Cole: You’re my hero
Cole had no intention of mentioning Travis, and he wasn’t really afraid. But he felt restless and ill at ease now. Ridley wouldn’t stay overnight, but he’d help Cole relieve some tension and relax before he left, so he might actually get some sleep.
Good excuse not to keep your distance, huh? a voice in his head said. He told the voice to shut it. He wanted Ridley, and he was going to have him, if only for a few hours.
Once they started having sex, Cole and Ridley fell into a pattern. They flirted over text, they met up as friends, and they fucked like two men who were lust drunk and high on orgasms. But was it more than that?
For Cole, it could be. He’d had fuck buddies of various natures before — the closeted high school jock in denial who used his mouth; the former roommate who only messed around when drunk; the friend Cole hooked up with when he was between relationships. None of them felt like this.
Other hookups were hot. They met a physical need. But they didn’t leave Cole equally blissed out and scared to death. They didn’t cuddle on the sofa or wrap their arms around him or tell him how amazing he made them feel. How gorgeous and talented and all-around wonderful he was.
Ridley wasn’t like other hookups. Cole’s heart was in major danger of shattering when Jace finally pulled his head out of his ass and noticed the gorgeous man right in front of him. Ridley had a new hairstyle; he had nicer and better-fitting clothes. But his best qualities had been there all along, making Cole long to have more than a few weeks of great sex with him.
Ridley hadn’t mentioned anything of his progress with Jace, and Cole hadn’t asked. By some unspoken decree, they’d agreed not to talk about him. But Ridley surprised him by asking after their latest fuck, “So, manscaping. Yay or nay?”
Cole glanced at the thick hair on Ridley’s chest that he loved to run his fingers through and the wiry hair surrounding his cock. He knew some guys were into being perfectly trimmed or even bare, but Cole liked Ridley the way he was. He was natural and authentic.
Grinning up into Ridley’s eyes, he answered as if Ridley were asking for his sake and not anyone else’s, “Nay. Stay the way you are.”
Ridley kissed his lips. “You too. You’re perfect.”
Cole smirked. “Yes, but I groom myself to be this way. You come by it naturally.”
Ridley grinned. “You’re such a flatterer,” he said. “I thought you’d make me spontaneously combust with all your flirting and compliments when we first met.”
“And now I make you combust every week.”
“A few times a week,” Ridley said with a laugh.
“We didn’t actually finish your makeover, though.”
Ridley raised his eyebrows. “No? You just said I shouldn’t groom. What else is there?”
They’d made a few more purchases after they bought Ridley’s suit. Ridley had turned down shopping for colognes, saying he couldn’t handle too many scents or wear them at work anyway. But they’d picked out a few pairs of shoes, ranging from dress shoes to boots; they’d gone another day to look at sunglasses and hats and ended up goofing around, having fun for a couple of hours. It was too early in the season for sweaters, so they’d have to make another trip when the weather changed.
But they hadn’t ever gotten around to this.
Cole smiled. “Close your eyes and hold that thought. I have a surprise.”
“Uh-oh.” Ridley closed his eyes, smiling, as Cole tiptoed to his dresser and slid open a drawer to retrieve the small bag containing some designer underwear he’d picked up for Ridley. He didn’t know what Ridley would go for, so he’d bought one relatively tame pair of silky red boxer briefs, and then he’d bought a slightly skimpier boxer brief made of mesh so all the fun bits showed through the material.
&nb
sp; “Okay, open,” Cole said as he jumped back on the bed and extended the little gift bag.
Ridley propped himself up on his elbows and reached into the bag, drawing out the red boxer briefs first. “Silky underwear, huh? I can get down with that.”
“There’s one more,” Cole said, holding his breath as Ridley reached back in.
He lifted out the mesh underwear, staring at it a second, and then burst into laughter. “You got me mesh! Oh my God, Ronnie called it.”
“Uh, what about your sister?”
Ridley wiped at an eye tearing up from laughter. “She kept asking me when you were gonna get me to buy something mesh.”
Cole smirked. “Well, you’re free to show her if you want, but …”
“No,” Ridley said with another laugh. “I think I’ll reserve that for you.”
“Yeah? You gonna model them for me?”
Ridley slipped out of the bed, no longer shy about displaying his body in front of Cole, and stepped into the briefs, pulling them up. “This feels weird.”
“Well, you don’t wear them to work. Although that would be crazy sexy. You in your scrubs with mesh, see-through briefs underneath?” Cole fanned himself at the thought.
“Only if you show up at lunch and let me fuck you in a supply closet,” Ridley joked.
“That can be arranged.” Cole held up a hand and gestured for him to turn. “I want to see that ass.”
“You and my ass…”
“Yeah, we’re in love,” Cole teased, then nearly choked on his own words. Obviously, he was kidding, and Ridley laughed, but the mention of the L word made his chest tighten painfully. He breathed through it and managed to chuckle as Ridley slowly bent over and grabbed his ankles, presenting his ass perfectly.
“Oh yeah, that’s so hot.”
Ridley turned and tackled him to the bed, kissing him. “Thank you, Cole. For making me feel sexy.”
Operation Makeover Page 16