“Well, I can certainly help with that, love.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Ollie grinned and turned around in Sam’s arms as the front door closed behind them. He let his hands slip up Sam’s chest and then around to the back of his neck.
Sam nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Yes, I would.”
“And tell me exactly how you’d help,” Ollie said, his voice low and husky. Sam’s eyes darkened, and Ollie tilted his head back as they came together for a gentle kiss. He felt Sam’s hands drift lower on his back, keeping their bodies close, pressed together. But despite the clear desire in his boyfriend’s embrace, the kiss remained slow and soft.
“Mmm, well...” Sam pulled away and lowered his lips to Ollie’s neck. “Heat. Heat and massage,” Sam said, his breath now warm against Ollie’s skin. “Best remedy for sore muscles.”
Sam continued fluttering light kisses up Ollie’s neck, and Ollie groaned, tilting his head back just enough to give Sam better access. God, he was glad they were alone again. Dinner out had been incredible—filet mignon cooked hibachi style with rice and veggies—and they’d finished the evening with a comfortable stroll back to the house, the final light of day just disappearing as they’d turned down the driveway. But being out in public, and in a crowded restaurant, had meant keeping their hands—and lips—mostly to themselves. And that wasn’t exactly what Ollie wanted right now...
“How—how will... uh, heat?” He knew the words weren’t right, but he was too distracted by the feel of his boyfriend’s warm lips against his throat and the shiver of pleasure that ran through him. He heard Sam laugh, a deep rumbling in his chest, and felt a puff of air on his skin.
“The hot tub again,” Sam murmured. “The hot tub will loosen you up, and... then, afterwards, a massage. Um...”
Ollie whimpered in protest as Sam straightened up, and he opened his eyes to see Sam watching him, his expression questioning. Ollie let his fingers play at the back of Sam’s neck again, and he drew Sam back to him for another kiss. “That sounds wonderful,” he said when they parted.
Though Sam smiled in return, Ollie could see the hesitation in his eyes, like he was worried his suggestion might have overstepped, crossed the not-so-invisible boundaries Ollie had erected to protect himself. With a gentle shake of his head, Ollie kissed Sam again and then pulled back just enough for his hands to slip down and take hold of Sam’s. He closed his eyes as he let his thumbs rub lightly along Sam’s knuckles.
“Come on,” Ollie said quietly, and he kept one of Sam’s hands in his as he led them into the bedroom.
They took turns changing into their swim trunks and then climbed into the hot tub together, just like the day before. The warm water almost immediately soothed the muscles in Ollie’s shoulders and back, which were sore from their kayaking expedition that afternoon, and he took a deep breath as he let himself relax, leaning his back against Sam’s solid chest.
Just as he had earlier, Ollie felt Sam’s hesitation in the way his arm tensed as he settled it around Ollie’s shoulders. A rush of guilt hit him as he realized just how hard this all must be on Sam. He’d had the same feeling many times—the feeling that Sam gave him so much yet Ollie wasn’t able to give as much in return, coupled with the recognition that Sam always had to tiptoe around, careful of how he touched Ollie, what he said, what he did... And although Ollie’s knee-jerk reaction was to tell Sam how sorry he was for being so difficult, he knew a better approach would be to focus on some positive... something—how far he’d come, how wonderful everything felt in thatmoment, how happy he was to have Sam, to know Sam loved him.
So instead of an apology, Ollie closed his eyes and sighed and let himself feel all the warmth of Sam’s embrace. “This feels good, Sam. You... feel good. Thank you for today. It was perfect, and I loved every minute.”
Fingers caressed tentatively up and down his bicep, sending a delicious sort of tingling through Ollie’s body, all the way into his toes, and Ollie heard Sam let out a long, shuddering breath, warm against the top of his head.
“I am... so glad to be here with you, love,” Sam murmured, his voice a little deeper than normal. The gentle stroke of Sam’s fingertips along Ollie’s muscle continued as the two of them let the silence grow comfortably.
After another few moments, Ollie opened his eyes and looked out across the water, moonlight shining down from high above. Ripples in the water danced and sparkled, and it seemed to fit the mood so well—almost magical. As if to add to the ambiance, a small pod of dolphins came into view, swimming fairly close to the shore.
“Wow,” Ollie breathed, sitting up taller so he could follow their movement. With the light dancing off the water, he could see their dorsal fins breaching the surface of the water every so often.
“Hmm?” Sam shifted just a bit behind him, his hand stilling its movement on Ollie’s upper arm.
“Dolphins,” Ollie said. “Out there, just past the—”
“Oh, yeah, I see them. Wow.”
Sam pulled Ollie closer to him, and the two sat and watched the dolphins until they disappeared farther down the channel. Then, Ollie settled against Sam again, turning slightly so he could rest one hand on Sam’s thigh and the other on his chest. He could almost feel the rhythmic pulse of Sam’sheartbeat under his palm, and he heard Sam inhale sharply at the touch. The sound sent his own heart racing and a slight tug of arousal to his groin.
He wanted... more. And that feeling—that desire—was not so familiar to him anymore, not since the assault. And even before then, even before Sam, in fact, it had been rare for Ollie to feel that much. He’d only been in one other relationship—which had lasted just about two months and hadn’t really progressed beyond kissing.
But now, the feeling pulsed through him, sparks of pleasure and need.
He groaned and stretched up a bit to kiss Sam’s neck, slightly damp from the water in the hot tub, and he let his hand press into Sam’s chest and then slide down lower, stopping just above his belly button. His kisses were light but lingered, and he sucked gently at each spot before shifting up a little higher. The slightly salty taste of Sam’s skin only made him even hungrier, and he pushed himself up and scooted over until he was straddling Sam’s thighs. Then he lowered his mouth to continue his path, now along Sam’s jawline. A low whimper rumbled in Sam’s throat, and Ollie felt Sam’s hands settle lightly on his hips.
“God, Oll . . .”
There was a tension in Sam’s tone, and Ollie paused, both of his hands now resting low on Sam’s chest. He lowered his forehead to rest in the crook of Sam’s neck and let out a long breath.
Sam’s fingers flexed at his hips, and then one hand tentatively slid low along Ollie’s back, tracing a gentle path above the waistband of Ollie’s swim shorts. It felt... incredible.
“Is this okay, love?” Sam’s voice was as soft and careful as his touch, and Ollie lifted his head off Sam’s shoulder and nodded.
