“Cort,” I breathed, loving the luminous smile that broke over his face when I spoke his name.
“What?” He ran his nose down my cheek, following it up with soft kisses, a gesture so purely romantic, I arched against him, speechless in the face of the outpouring of emotion from Cort. “Tell me. What is it? What do you want?”
He began to move then, flexing his hips, thrusting hard and fast, pushing me past the painful stretch of his dick inside me. Bubbling excitement built within me, streaking up and down my body. We fell into a natural rhythm, his push to my pull, as if we’d been together for years. He made me feel safe, all my vulnerabilities and fears leaching from me to evaporate into dust.
“I want you.” I dug my fingers into his sweat-slicked shoulders. “Nothing else.” My mouth sought his, and our lips slid against each other. I drowned in our kiss as he came, groaning softly against my mouth.
“Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone.”
“Never,” I whispered back and brushed the wet strands of his hair out of his eyes. “Never again.”
I let him go only long enough for him to get rid of the condom, but when he crawled back into bed, I burrowed against him, as if I knew in this bed, in his arms, I’d found my sanctuary. Peace settled over us, and we slept.
After the thirdtime Cort nudged me and I elbowed him back, Race took off his reading glasses and tossed them on the desk.
“Okay, kids. Care to tell me what’s going on?”
I darted a glance at Cort, who cocked his head at me and nodded. We hadn’t discussed if we’d make our relationship public. Admitting I wanted to be with him had been such a seminal moment for me, I worried if the magic would still be there in the morning.
It was.
I’d woken up to Cort kissing my neck, making me sigh, which quickly turned to moans as those evil lips of his had wandered down my body, then enveloped my dick. I thrust into his mouth, melting into a puddle of desire as the slick heat of his tongue wrapped around me. He’d sucked me until I screamed and fell into oblivion.
It would be up to me to decide who to tell. I appreciated Cort giving me the option to tell people. “We’re together.” I placed my hand on Cort’s shoulder. “I hope that’s not a problem for you.”
Race raised his brows. “Well. I can’t say I’m surprised, but it’s not me you have to be concerned with. You owe me nothing. My main concern is the store. But since you’re sharing, I have something to say to you, Harlan.”
I had nothing but respect for Race and was curious to hear his thoughts. “Go ahead.”
“I had my doubts about you; that was obvious. From the start, I thought you were a con man who chose Cort as his prey because he’s too nice for his own good.”
“I told you. I ain’t stupid,” Cort muttered.
“Plus, he’s not that nice.” I grinned.
“Ain’t you a riot.” Cort swatted me on the ass, then kept his hand on my hip.
“Then, when Cort told me your problems, I worried even more. He was in so deep, and I still wasn’t sure of your motives.”
Everything Race said was nothing less than I expected, but hearing it stated so bluntly made me doubt myself. Maybe Race was right. Maybe it was too soon…too rushed. After all, I had no fucking idea what I was doing.
“So, I may not know you, but I know Cort, and he’s sweet but strong. The kind of guy you’d always want in your corner. The type of man who recognizes a diamond when others might look away, thinking it glass.”
“He’s the best. And you’re not completely wrong. When we first met, Iwasthat desperate man who’d happily say or do anything to get what I wanted. I had no idea how to take care of myself and only slid by on my wits and the fact that I was probably as miserable and rotten as the people who wanted to take advantage of me. They say one rat can always sniff out another.”
“Don’t say that about yourself.”
“Why not?” I shifted my attention to Cort. “I know who and what I was. A spoiled, selfish man who used whoever and whatever he could to get what he wanted.”
“This isn’t exactly helping your case, Harlan. I hope you know.” Race’s eyes twinkled, but I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not.
“When Cort met me, I was almost at the bottom. I’d run out of money, had no place to go, no food…nothing. I was a thought away from chucking it all. No one would’ve known or even cared much.”
“Come on. I’m sure your parents would.”
Would they? I’d like to think maybe… “More likely they’d listen to the police officer and say, ‘Oh, terrible. Well, that was Harlan. He was troubled.’ And then in private, wipe their brow and sigh with relief that the black stain against the family was gone.”
The comforting press of Cort’s hand in mine didn’t stop my trembling, but it sure felt nice to have him by my side.
