by A R Steele
He topped Cooper, grabbing his ass and stroking his dick as he sank deep into him. He left no part of Cooper untouched. The late hour didn’t restrain their passion. Owen touched, kissed, and licked every inch of his lover’s body. Every time they got together, it just felt more natural.
Owen couldn’t have said how many orgasms they’d had between the two of them by the time he passed out. The night was a blur. They were making love, and then he woke up and they were making love again.
At some point in the morning, both of them were drained. “Should we take a break?” Cooper panted.
Owen was never one to say no to a challenge… but he was just about exhausted. “Sounds good to me.”
They lay back, just holding each other. It felt oddly comfortable to lie in Cooper’s bed. Owen felt like he had spent his entire life with his arms around him. He loved being with him, and if he had figured out his sexuality earlier, he could have loved it from the time they had met.
They could have been better friends all along if Owen had been less awkward around openly gay men. Owen regretted every time he had blown off Cooper’s attempts at friendship. He had been a fool – a stupid, insane, prejudiced fool.
Owen wrapped his arms around Cooper, shivering at the feeling of the man’s hard body against his. He couldn’t imagine anything in life that could feel better than this. Cuddling with girls, with their softness and their fruity smells, was way overrated. Cooper, with his masculine scent, was much better.
Even though Owen could still see girls’ objective attractiveness, he doubted he would ever be sexually attracted to one again. With the way things were going, he kind of hoped he would never have sex with anyone but Cooper again.
“I still can’t believe how good you are,” Cooper said, stretching with a yawn. “That thing you were doing with your hands… holy shit, bro.”
“That’s just something that I did to myself sometimes,” Owen said. “It does feel pretty great.”
“I usually stick to the straight up and down motion when I’m jerking off,” Cooper said. “I guess I’m not too creative.”
Owen laughed, thinking about how he had watched porn trying to pick up tips. Maybe he should have kept up with that after all.
“I can’t believe I ever thought you’d be bad in bed,” Cooper said.
“Why would you think that?”
“Well, it was your first time. Guys who haven’t done stuff before don’t usually know what they’re doing.”
“Oh, so you’ve been with a lot of guys who haven’t done stuff,” Owen teased.
“Not exactly. I usually avoid them, like I told you. I had a bad experience once.”
“What happened?”
“Back in college, I was friends with a guy. He made a move on me because he was curious. I might or might not have had some feelings for him.”
A spark of jealousy went through Owen, but he nodded.
“We fooled around once, and then he didn’t want to talk to me after. I didn’t hear from him for a while. He’d found himself a girlfriend by the time he started talking to me again. Seems that I was the one to convince him he was straight.”
Owen held Cooper tighter, relishing the feeling of his lover’s naked body. He felt terrible for him. “That was like a double insult. Not only did you not get to date him, it must have felt like you turned him off your entire gender.”
“Exactly.”
Owen wanted to promise Cooper that he was better than that guy. That he wasn’t going to hurt him, no matter what. No one could tell the future… but all things considered, it looked good. “I’m pretty sure that I’m gay at this point, so it worked out for you this time.”
“So far,” Cooper said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, we’ve only done it one way up to now. What if you can’t handle taking it up the ass?”
From Cooper’s tone, Owen could guess that he was joking. He wasn’t totally clear on all the gay customs, but he was pretty sure that he could be gay without doing every position. He did want to satisfy Cooper, though. He wanted to do everything with him.
And yet… his cheeks clenched at the thought of Cooper’s dick going between them. It might not be easy to take it. He had never had anything up there, and Cooper was on the large side. He had gone easily enough into Cooper’s ass, but his virgin one was different. Doing it for the first time was going to be difficult.
Plus… it did feel somehow gayer than doing the pitching. If anyone were to find out about this, it would seem much more gay if they knew that Owen was on the bottom.
“I guess we’ll find out when we get there,” Owen said. Whether he was or wasn’t ready to try being on the bottom, it was impossible right now anyway.
“As long as we’re going to get there,” Cooper said, giving him a peck on the cheek. He looked a little abashed right after he said it, and Owen had to smile.
“I don’t think we could stop this relationship from getting there if we tried.” He grabbed Cooper’s crotch. “This dick is just destined to go in this ass.”
Now Cooper was definitely embarrassed. “I’m going to make breakfast,” he said, backing away. “You like pancakes?”
“Who doesn’t?”
Owen came into the kitchen to watch Cooper do the cooking. They chatted casually as Cooper put together ingredients, then poured the batter into a pan. The smell wafted through the apartment. But Cooper’s body was a lot more tantalizing.
Now that Owen had allowed himself to look, he couldn’t imagine how he had ever convinced himself this was platonic appreciation. He felt anything but objective about the form of a man’s body. Looking at Cooper could get him rock-hard in a matter of seconds.
Cooper put the pancakes on a plate. “I’ll set the table,” Owen offered.
“That’s okay. We’re eating this in bed.”
He beamed at Owen, who gaped back at him. Breakfast in bed? It was a corny idea, yet with Cooper, it felt perfect. Still… “Won’t we make a mess? I don’t want to get crumbs all over your bed.”
“There’s a reason why washing machines were invented. Come on!”
Cooper practically skipped down the hall. Owen followed, still shaking his head. He liked this more laid-back side of Cooper. He seemed younger when he wasn’t trying to take care of everyone all the time. Owen wondered if he got to show this side of himself often. With two younger brothers and a strip club full of honorary ones, maybe not.
The pancakes were incredible, even if the bed was full of crumbs after. Owen put his plate down on the nightstand and ran his fingers along Cooper’s back. The smooth, hard lines almost excited him again. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be here, and for this to be happening to him. So many guys struggled with their sexuality for years. For him it had happened overnight, and he’d fallen straight into the arms of the most perfect man he could imagine.
He didn’t know yet where this was going. It was far more than an experiment, but… what was it? Right now, he was starting to think that he should go home. Time was passing, and staying too late would have meant imposing on Cooper. His lover probably had things to do. He would need space.
But when Owen got up and started to get dressed, Cooper asked where he was going.
“I should be getting home,” Owen said.
“Don’t go.” Cooper reached out for him. “Spend the day with me.”
Owen’s heart swelled, and he got back in the bed. “Okay.”
Twenty-Two
Cooper looked around the main room at the strip club. The side stages were going to take some time to get used to. They were the biggest change in the place since Cooper had started working here.
Every time he saw them, they reminded him of that strange night dancing across from Owen. He was lucky he hadn’t been placed across from him again. Now that they were sleeping together, it could have been a lot more difficult to keep his eyes off him.
So far, none of the other guys seemed to be
having too much of a problem with the distraction. They were able to stay professional when faced with another guy. Or else they just didn’t yearn for each other in the way that Owen and Cooper did.
Heading further into the club, he went toward the change room. There was already a ruckus by the time he got outside the door. He frowned, wondering what was going on. He could hear the guys yelling, but he couldn’t make out the words.
In the door, he was surprised to see Owen in the middle of everything. Owen usually kept fairly quiet, considering that he was different from the others. He had his hands up in surrender, and the look on his face was one of embarrassment. What was going on?
“All gay!” Lev yelled. “Every single one of us!”
Cooper looked at Owen in shock. No way had he already come out. Cooper hadn’t even brought this up since they’d first had sex a week ago.
“Gay or bisexual,” Ace said firmly. Jesse nodded along.
“Same difference,” Lev yelled. “Every last one of us likes dick.”
“I guess seeing it was enough to convert O,” Jesse laughed. “He could deny it up to the point when the D was dangling in his face.”
Owen was starting to smile. He went along with the teasing good-naturedly. “That’s pretty much how it happened,” he said.
The guys had barely looked at Cooper since he had walked in. Lucky, because they might have figured things out from the expression on his face. It might still be too early for the guys to know about his relationship with Owen. So far, they were just sleeping together – no labels yet. Did Cooper want more? Definitely. Did Owen? He didn’t completely know.
Owen had said that he wanted something serious, but how could Cooper be sure? He had been straight until about a week ago, after all. And they hadn’t discussed the status of their relationship again. Cooper needed to know where they were at before telling anyone else about this. He would do anything to avoid a repeat of how things had gone with Xavier.
“Welcome to the dark side, dude,” Elijah said, clapping Owen on the back. “You’re going to have a lot of fun with this.”
“You’re going to get laid nonstop if you want to,” Ace put in.
“He already had no problem with that,” Gabriel said. “I mean, look at the guy.” Ace gave him a dirty look, which he shrugged off with an angelic smile.
“You’re right, Owen is sexy,” Ace said. “He’s going to be an even hotter commodity now that he’s out. He’s going to have even less problems getting guys than he did getting girls.”
“Hey, which of us do you think he’ll hook up with first?”
“I call dibs,” Lev said, taking a step closer to Owen and running his finger down his chest. Oh, hell no. Cooper was tempted to punch the little guy out. At least Owen still had his shirt on. He would’ve flipped his shit if Lev had touched Owen’s smooth skin.
“I say it’ll be me,” Jesse said. “I bet Owen likes the taste of chocolate.”
“No way,” Lev said. “Every man needs to experience what a pierced tongue can do.” He stuck out said tongue and waggled it.
The other guys rolled their eyes. Cooper was less amused. His blood was starting to boil, and he was going to have to say something soon. He didn’t expect Owen to tell them all about their relationship, but he could at least say something to shut this conversation down.
“Owen can pretty much have any guy he wants,” Jesse said. “Why don’t we let him make up his own mind?”
Cooper was almost ready to jump in when Lev interrupted. “Why stop at one? He’s just coming out. He must be starved for the D. He should be out there having eight-dude orgies.” He wagged his eyebrows at Owen. “You know where you can find eight guys who are DTF, right?”
Before Owen could respond, Jesse spoke again. “Don’t be gross, Lev. We should all take him to Man Planet. Have a little coming-out party… and get him laid.”
“Who goes to a bar to get laid anymore?” Elijah asked. “We should get him on Grindr.”
“Can I get a word in?” Owen said. “I actually looked at Grindr the other day. I don’t think it’s for me.” He winked at Cooper.
That eased Cooper’s annoyance. “Maybe he wants something more meaningful than sex,” Cooper said. His anger died down more with every second he spent looking at Owen. He couldn’t help but smile at their little in-joke.
“Meaningful? Who would ever want something like that?” Lev asked. “It’s all about sex, sex, sex ‘till the day we die.”
“Not for everyone,” Cooper told him. “Owen is a little more mature than that.”
“You’re only saying that because you wish one of us was mature,” Lev joked. “It’s just you, buddy.”
Elijah glanced over to Cooper. “Well, there’s a zero percent chance that it’ll be you. You’re way too responsible to get involved with any of your coworkers.”
The guys all jeered at the ridiculousness of the idea. They didn’t even know it actually was Cooper’s firm policy… or had been until a few days ago. They all found this whole thing hilarious. The idea of Owen and Cooper together was just unimaginable to them.
“Imagine those two together,” Gabriel said. “Never going to happen.”
“They’ll both find love one day, like we did,” Ace added. “Just… not with each other.”
Cooper glanced around the room. Even Lucas was watching from his usual corner. Every single person in the room seemed to think this was some big joke. Well, everyone but him and Owen.
Grinning, Cooper looked Owen in the eye. He only saw acceptance there. He was going to tell all of them the truth… but not until he saw how far they were going to push it.
“It’s going to be me,” Lev said. He pulled the dollar bill out of his pocket and tossed it onto the bench. “I’ll even put money on it.”
“That’s hardly a bet,” Elijah said. “I’m going to put my money on me. I’m pretty sure that Owen has given me some glances.”
Cooper raised an eyebrow. He sure hoped Owen hadn’t.
“I’m putting my money on Lev, too,” Ace said. “Only since I’m out of the running.” He threw down a fifty.
The guys hollered. “Way to raise the stakes, man!”
With a smirk, Ace replaced it with a ten. “Old habits, sorry.”
More and more of them threw down bills, the stacks on the bench going higher by the second. Just about everyone had put in money. Lucas stole up silently and put a dollar bill on another pile. “I think it will be you,” he whispered directly to Cooper.
Cooper grinned again. His old friend was observant. “I think it will be me, too,” he said. “I’m going to bet on myself.”
“Say what?”
“You have to put money down if you want to bet,” Lev said.
“Actually, I don’t.” Cooper grinned as he swept up the money.
“We’re, uh…” Owen trailed off, a shy smile on his face. Cooper didn’t know how exactly he was going to phrase it, but he smiled at him in encouragement. He looked utterly adorable when he was at a loss for words like this. “We’re kind of seeing each other,” he finally finished.
The room exploded as Cooper swept Owen into a kiss.
Twenty-Three
Owen let Cooper go reluctantly, conscious that they were in front of all their coworkers. When he kissed him, he always wanted to make the kiss last forever. Letting go was the hardest part of this whole “gay” thing.
They had barely pulled apart when the door banged open. “What in the world is going on in here?” Trenton demanded. “Every single one of my strippers is late. Not only that, but the racket you’re making in here is disturbing all of the customers.”
“There are customers?” Elijah snickered.
“You would be disturbing them if there were any,” Trenton said. “Now, which one of you is going to tell me what’s going on?”
Cooper stepped forward, as responsible as ever. Owen looked at him with pride. “I’m sorry. Owen just came out of the closet, and the guys got a l
ittle excited.”
“Well, isn’t that nice,” Trenton grumbled.
He looked more annoyed than surprised. Of course, he had pretty much figured it out after the way he and Cooper had been staring at each other the other night.
“That’s not all,” Lev said, nearly bouncing up and down. “He’s dating Cooper!”
Now Owen tensed up. Lev had made it sound official in a way that even he and Cooper hadn’t yet. They should probably discuss this between themselves. They were “kind of seeing each other,” not boyfriends. Not that he would be opposed, but…
He glanced over to Cooper, who looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. Owen gave him the slightest little nod, and Cooper nodded back. Owen couldn’t restrain his lips from turning up into a smile. He had a boyfriend! The best boyfriend ever, at that.
Now that it was out, Owen looked over at Trenton. There was some amusement on his face. He shook his head, pushing back some graying hair with his hand. He wasn’t a bad-looking guy. Just a little crass, and blunt, and older than the rest of them.
“Aren’t they cute together? They’re perfect.”
For someone who had just been hitting on Owen, Lev had certainly started supporting their relationship. Owen’s cheeks flushed as the little guy went on about how good they looked together and how their personalities were so similar.
At last Trenton cut him off. “Just keep it professional. I don’t want any drama here. Now, all of you need to get back out there.” He pointed at Owen and Cooper. “Absolutely nothing inappropriate will happen in this club. Understand?”
“Understood.”
He nodded. “Now, on the schedule, I have you two on the side stages right now. Do I need to have someone else replace one of you?”
“It’s okay. We’ll keep it strictly professional,” Owen assured him.
“You’d better. Either way, this is the last time. I won’t be placing you opposite each other again.”
He shook his head as he left the room. Owen’s heart was still pounding as he finished getting changed. He pulled his pants up, then turned slowly to see who was left. Only Cooper was there.
