Page 25 of You Can Make Me (Carnival of Mysteries #28)

Thirteen

D enny

Four weeks later…

“One more set, come on, you can do it.”

I’d picked up resistance bands and light weights at the local sporting goods store the weekend after his folks left, so we could get started with his strength training.

I didn’t want him using heavy weights until he’d had another CT scan, as I worried about his concussion and the lasting effects.

I spotted him on balance work using a ball and platform, and bodyweight exercises like planks.

It was doing the trick, as his definition was already back.

I watched Cooper deadlift with twenty-pound dumbbells, which he refused to do until I took my shirt off.

He said all of this would be absolute torture if he didn’t have my six-pack to look at.

I was happy to have it back. I’d fallen out of my fitness routine, so this was good for me, too.

With our soundtrack culled from cassette tapes—Journey, Huey Lewis and the News, and all of Billy Joel—we worked out side-by-side every day. I loved every minute of it.

“What do I get if I do them?”

My gaze traveled over his ass, barely covered by cutoff sweats, and down the backs of his thighs. “More of what you got last night?”

That made him grin, and he gladly completed the rest of his reps.

Yeah, working out had given him back some of the strength he’d lost, and his diva attitude had definitely returned.

But now, instead of his tone being full of anger, bordering on vicious, it was playful and he seemed less concerned about his scars.

We made it fun, challenging each other, and rewarding each other at the end of the day with what we truly desired.

Even when it was hard for him, he pushed further than he thought himself capable.

He still used the cane without a fuss. He agreed a fall would be a major setback. I was so damned proud of him.

All the physical activity meant I was back to the level of fitness I’d been before everything went to shit, which alternately turned Cooper on and pissed him off at the same time.

“God, I hope I look as good as you when I’m an old man.”

He loved to put me in my place.

We took gentle walks along the water, and, when he was ready, we hiked together on easy trails.

He’d put on ten pounds, which was still not enough but a good start.

His skin had a healthy glow once more, as we spent ample time in the sun, and he accepted the supplements his doctor ordered.

He kept his scars covered while we were outside to avoid complications when he was ready to see the dermatologist, but he had mostly gotten over his hang-ups about his body, at least with me.

In the evenings, we made good use of the hot spring.

“Your penchant for nudity is contagious,” he said, later that night.

“It makes this so much easier.” I stroked his cock at a maddeningly slow rate. He straddled my lap while I worked him open with one hand and had him quivering with the other. I loved this position, looking up into his blissed-out face

“You’re impossible,” he said, gasping as I added another finger.

“Impossibly in love with you.” I sucked on his throat, and his body relaxed around me.

“Good,” he said with a gasp. “Now give me my prize for doing my exercises like a good boy.”

I barked out a laugh and turned him around.”I never said you were a good boy.”

“That’s true,” he said, shoving his ass back, knowing I’d lose my mind at the sight. “And now I want to be bad.”

I reached for the bottle of lube I’d hidden in the rocks and used it on us.

“Hell yeah.”

God, being bare inside him was the ultimate high.

Seeing his body take me in, and hearing the sounds he made was even more of a turn-on than the feel of his rim gripping me.

I loved having intercourse with Cooper more than I’d thought I would.

It was so different from the sex I’d had with my wives.

Everything about my relationship with him was.

He made it so easy to ask questions about anything, and I could tell he was enjoying himself, where I’d never really known for sure with women.

I never worried about hurting him—well, before his injuries I hadn’t.

Now, I took care not to bother his scars and was so cautious not to jostle or bump his head—but once he started to come, and his muscles contracted around my dick, it was total bliss.

And the more he got his strength back, the more physical we were during sex, and that made it even more mind-blowing.

I was careful not to drive his hips into the rocks when I had him in the hot spring, but the cool air on our hot skin, the water lapping at my balls, all of it caused sensory overload, and I never lasted as long as I wanted.

On this night, with my emotions right on the surface, I came so hard, I had to bite down on his shoulder to avoid shouting.

“Careful,” Cooper murmured. “You might alert those partygoers on the water.”

I froze, shushing him, and heard voices and laughter echo off the hillside on the other side of the river.

I pulled out of Cooper, who was trying to hold in his laughter, and got out of the hot spring.

I crouched on a ledge about halfway up one of the boulders, and peered over the top.

Three rafts floated by, each sporting floodlights and a bunch of drunk folks—thankfully wearing lifejackets.

“Did you hear that? I swear, it sounded like someone was having a real good time.”

Cooper barked out a laugh and answered loudly, “Yes, we were.”

The boaters turned their lights toward the house and temporarily blinded me, causing me to throw an arm over my face to block the light and stand up. In full view of the boats. Naked.

I got a bunch of whoops and hollers and applause from the boaters.

“Right? That’s always my reaction to him naked!” Cooper yelled.

I gave them a wave and hopped down, making my way over to Cooper. I helped him out of the spring and wrapped him in a towel.

“You’re not helping,” I grumbled, kissing his cheek.

“Get into the house so I can finish you off.” I smacked his ass, and he made his way up the path to the house, barely using his cane.

Once inside, I caught him around the middle and lifted him onto the kitchen counter.

I didn’t give him even a second to catch his breath.

I pulled apart his towel and descended upon his cock like a man on a mission.

Freud was full of shit about most things, but there’s something to be said about his thoughts on oral fixation.

From smoking to suckers to gum to kissing, I sought out oral stimulation constantly.

I thought more clearly when I had something in my mouth.

I was more focused when I had something in my mouth…

and Cooper’s something was my favorite thing to have in my mouth.

He was long, giving me plenty of surface area to work with. The very first night I spent with him, going down on him had been at the top of my “things I want to try with this hot guy” list. I’d had no idea whether I’d enjoy it, but from the first taste of Cooper, I’d been obsessed.

Maybe it was less about oral fixation and instead was just your garden-variety addiction. A Cooper addiction. I could never get enough.

“Den, I can’t think when you… fuck, I love your mouth on me… Fuuuck .”

He leaned back on his hands, giving me a gorgeous view of his torso, which was no longer skin and bones.

He made me want to please him, worship him. He had no idea how desperately I wanted him. Sure, he could be a brat, but that was to cover up for the fact that experiences from his past had shaken his confidence, and that was before his attack.

He squirmed beneath me, trying to hook his heel, tilt his hips, anything to chase that high he knew he’d get from my mouth.

My only struggle with giving him head was whether I wanted to swallow his release or if I wanted to watch him make a mess and then clean it up.

These were easy problems to have, considering what we’d been through.

I’d taken great joy in watching his recovery over the past month…

almost as much as I’d enjoyed the renewing of our relationship.

“Denny…”

I recognized his tone and the hitch in his breathing. I pulled off in time to witness the most erotic and surreal sight.

Every time we had sex, Cooper regained a little more of himself, of that confidence that had pushed him to seduce me, despite my initial insistence that I was straight.

It also drove him to tackle the most important stories.

As he regained control over his body and grew stronger, I fell more and more in love with him until I thought my heart would explode out of my chest.

That day I’d witnessed him receiving a commendation for his journalistic work, I’d felt proud of him, and I’d wondered if that was even appropriate. Being proud of someone, I thought, meant you took a little ownership of their success.

Now, I realized that my pride came from watching someone in their darkest place, clawing their way out and persevering.

I’d been here to see it all, and my reward was watching this incredible man find pleasure after so much pain.

Seeing him glow with happiness when I’d feared he’d never smile again.

He sat on the counter, his tan skin flushed and damp, his chest heaving as he came down from an orgasmic high, and he smiled at me.

“Come here and hold me.”

I stood and pulled him close, tangling my fingers in the back of his long, wavy blond hair. “I love you, baby,” I whispered, kissing his ear. “Thank you for letting me make you feel good.”

He dropped his head back and let out one of his trademark loud laughs, and then he pressed his forehead to mine.

“Thank you . We’ve come a long way from that first time, huh? You don’t need to ask me questions anymore, do you? You’re an expert on my body now.”

I chuckled. “Hardly. You’ve been an excellent teacher. I’m here for your pleasure anytime.”