His thighs ached, and their bodies were slick where they pressed together. Nick drove Oliver into the bed, the pleasure trying to drown him. He hadn’t known how much he needed this, and now he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to stop.
Oliver’s orgasm was a surprise. He bucked and clenched underneath Nick, who rode through it, feeling his own climax starting to build.
“You’re so good,” Oliver gasped beneath him. “So good. Come for me, baby. I want to hear it.”
Fireworks. The orgasm rocked out of him, spilling into the condom while he shouted, clutching at Oliver’s shoulders tight enough that there might be bruises in the morning. It seemed to go on forever, and then all his muscles forgot how to work at once. He flopped to the side, barely remembering to keep track of the condom as he pulled out of Oliver.
“You okay?” Oliver rolled over beside him. His hair was spread out all over the place, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.
Nick thought about that question a long time before he answered. “Yeah.” He gave Oliver a smile—the only thing he had left to offer. “Yeah, I’m good.” So good. Just like Oliver had said. Nick didn’t remember it ever being so good before. He didn’t know if he’d be able to walk again anytime soon, and even if he could, he wasn’t sure anything would ever convince him to leave this bed.
Later, hours maybe, the room was dark when Nick jerked awake. He wasn’t certain how long he’d been asleep, or really what woke him up. He was warm, sprawled out in Oliver’s big bed, the sheets still soft on his skin.
He was also alone. When he rolled, Oliver’s body wasn’t there for him to settle against. The spot where he should have been was cool.
Nick slid his hand over the mattress, until it connected with something solid.
“Hey.” Oliver’s voice was soft. “Go back to sleep.”
“You okay?” Nick opened his eyes. The room was dark, but he could make out the shape of Oliver’s tall frame, sitting at the edge of the bed.
“Fine.”
“Insomnia?” Nick sat up and moved over the bed until he was wrapped around Oliver. He placed a hand over Oliver’s chest and kissed his shoulder as Oliver laced their fingers together.
“I have to tell you something.” Oliver tipped his head back to nuzzle at Nick’s cheek.
“Yeah? What is it?” He leaned to the side to flip on the bedside lamp, but Oliver pulled him closer.
“Leave it off. I . . .” He lifted Nick’s palm to his lips and kissed it. His beard tickled Nick’s wrist. “Just leave it off.”
This was serious. It had been the craziest day, and Nick prayed silently that whatever Oliver wanted to talk about wouldn’t burst the bubble that had formed around them.
“Okay.” He ran a hand through Oliver’s hair, pulling it back over his shoulder. “I’m listening.”
Another squeeze of his hand, then Oliver let out a shaky breath.
“I was with someone. For a long time.”
“Like a boyfriend?”
“Like a...like a partner. His name was Cooper.”
* * *
Oliver shivered. Just saying Cooper’s name made his stomach twist.
But he needed to do this. Needed to tell someone, and Nick had done everything today but bare his soul, so it had to be now.
Sitting in the dark helped. Nick’s warm, big body wrapped around his helped more.
I’m listening.
“We’d known each other forever.”
“More high school sweethearts?” Nick’s voice was a low rumble settling deep in Oliver’s belly, grounding him.
“Not really. Family friends. We went to the same schools, all the way until we were called to the bar. Then I thought I was going to change the world by working at the public defender’s office, and he thought he’d buy the world instead by climbing the ladder at a big corporate firm. We kept in touch, though, because he was like my brother except—well, you haven’t met my actual brother but—”
