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“Okay,” I agreed, the tension relaxing.

“Besides, I’ve grown a pretty thick skin when I grew up with the professors who taught me not to value the opinions of those who don’t matter in your life. Just promise me that if you have concerns, you come to me and we’ll get through it together. The last thing I want to do is jeopardize this relationship because of a misunderstanding.”

“Agreed,” I said.

Seeking both reassurance and wanting to be grounded, I leaned toward Ollie and brushed my lips against his. The jolt of throbbing need at the newness of his kisses turned into an underlying buzzing.

Ollie broke off when my stomach grumbled and he rolled out of bed.

“Food first, and then more sexy times.”

He laughed when I flopped back down on the bed and grunted. I threw off the covers and pointed at my obvious need.

“What about this?”

Ollie’s answering smirk and heated gaze snared my attention before he sauntered around the foot of the bed and headed toward the bathroom. He gave me a sly wink over his shoulder and said, “How about I suck you off in the shower as we clean off?”

After watching him disappear into the darkened room, it took me less than a second to decide I would follow that man into the depths of hell if he asked, and scrambled off the bed. I grunted as the sheet tangled around my ankle, but maneuvered out before I cracked my head open on the nightstand.

Flipping on the bathroom light, I almost choked on my tongue as Ollie, bare ass pressed against the counter, wasstroking his hard cock with his head thrown back and his skin flushed.

“Why don’t you start the water warming?” He asked, voice rough.

Stumbling over to the shower without taking my eyes off the amazing sight, I flipped the handle and waited for the water to warm, and then held my hand out. Watching him push off the counter and amble his way over to me was the absolute sexiest sight I’ve ever seen. But when he reached me, he continued walking, herding me back into the shower before he dropped on his knees and, without preamble, sucked me down his throat.

Although I’d already come and hard, I stood on shaky legs as Ollie worshipped my cock with his fucking talented mouth. It was almost embarrassing when I felt the telltale tingle of the start of my release.

“Cariño mío. Come up here, I… need. To kiss you.”

He pulled off with a pop and stood. As I slung my arm around his waist and pulled him flush against me while wrapping my hand around both of us, rubbing precome from both of our cocks up and down, I devoured his mouth. I grew more addicted to him with each kiss.

Before long, Ollie stiffened in my arms as his cock throbbed in my hand. I followed behind, both of us still sipping at each other’s lips as we came down from our high.

“Shit, if I knew this is what a relationship was like, I’d have asked you to marry me the moment I heard you speak to the flight attendant.”

We rinsed off as Ollie shook his head. “I like to think we experience what we need to when the time is right. Besides, you had the instinct to ask me to live with you while I got my feet underneath me in L.A. and that’s how we built our friendship into something more. And marriage is an enormous step. How did the press react when Spencer and Lee got married?”

“Well, since his so-called best friend had outed Spencer in the press and then he and Lee gave an interview toThe Hollywood Reporter, their marriage hadn’t made headlines because they kept it under wraps until they were ready to share their relationship had changed.

“But you’re right, the stories dealing with any change in a relationship make headlines. And marriage is a tremendous step. But given how I feel now, I’m sure we would have gotten to know each other to the point of friendship, even if it started off as sexual.”

Ollie shook his head as he snagged the towels, handing me one.

“Connor, beautiful. I think you needed to get to know me. Trust, especially with your heart, is something that takes time. We didn’t lose out and we have time in abundance now that we’re dating.”

After we dried ourselves off and dressed, I reached for his hand and led him downstairs and into the kitchen. The sun was even on the horizon.

“Why don’t you go out on the patio and I’ll get the food ready. We’ll enjoy our meal outside.”

Ollie hesitated a second before he leaned closer and bussed me on my cheek. After giving me his shy smile, he walked to the sliding glass doors and opened them, letting the fresh air inside, punctuated by brine from the ocean.

I grabbed the tamales along with the beans and rice, heated them up in the toaster oven, and walked both plates out to the patio. I retreated inside for two glasses and a pitcher of iced tea, grateful to know the man who meant more to me than I ever believed I deserved.

As we sat down for the impromptu dinner, I realized that the life I’d dismissed for years had been what I sought to have all along. But only with the man beside me.

10

OLLIE