CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The two weeks after they got home, everything went at warp-speed. Cooper worked a couple of extra shifts, on top of his regular schedule. He was exhausted, but he also wanted to be there to help Noah as he put in hours into his new workshop. Cooper had wanted to do this for Noah, so it hadn't felt right that the other man spent time out there alone. So any time that he could, he spent sanding, building and painting with Noah.

They'd gone in for Noah to fill out the paperwork on the lease for the store, so everything was lined up for him to get to work. He had to make a trip back to California to empty his storage unit , which held all his tools and also some pieces that he had already made.

"I feel bad you have to make the drive back by yourself," Cooper told him. Noah was flying to California , but then he'd rent a truck to haul everything back. "It sure would make the drive easier if you had someone else to take shifts with you." They were standing in the kitchen. Cooper had gotten off work not long before. He'd taken a shower, and then come downstairs to see Noah making dinner.

"Don't worry about it. You can't get the time off. The drive isn't going to kill me. I just made it a few months ago. Plus, I don't mind driving. It's sort of relaxing." Noah nodded toward the table. "Sit down. We'll figure out the bills and everything while the food finishes cooking."

Cooper rolled his eyes. Noah was insistent that if he was going to be staying here, well, they hoped forever, that they had the bills split more equally. "You're being ridiculous."

"No, I want this to be equal, Coop. I'm living in your house and working off your property. I don't mind. It's not that, but I also won't feel like I'm living off you. We're in this together, all the way."

"Don't want to be my, what? Kept boyfriend?" Cooper laughed. Boyfriend. Whoa. He never thought he'd have one of those. "You know how much money us fire fighters make. You probably have more in the bank than I do."

Cooper sat down, putting his feet up on the chair across from him. Noah stepped up behind him, his hands on Cooper's shoulders. "That's not the point. Now shut up and humor me." He bent and kissed the side of Cooper's neck. "But I like hearing you call me yours."

Aaaand, just like always, Cooper's dick perked to attention at the sound of Noah's voice. "If we're going to do this, we need to do it. I'd much rather fuck."

He never got enough of Noah. He'd taken Noah a couple times these two weeks , but usually it was Noah inside him. He loved knowing his lover had him in a way no one ever had, or would.

"Horny bastard." Noah said next to him. They wrote out all the bills and evened everything out. They'd halved the expenses, each of them paying specific utilities. In his way, he wondered if that was Noah trying to make things more permanent between them. Not that they weren't, but like he wanted it in stone. Cooper humored him, even though where he was concerned, they were already in stone, cemented, written in the fucking stars, or whatever you wanted to say.

There was only one dark cloud having over them—and Noah didn't even know the extent of it. Not only did his aunt and uncle not know he was in love with another man. They still didn't know Noah was here. That made him feel like shit more than anything else. Noah had made another comment about how excited he was to see Cooper's family, Autumn especially, yet he didn't think Noah would get the reception he assumed. Well, from Autumn maybe, but not Vernon.

Cooper crossed his arms, trying to focus on the smell of the stew in the crockpot instead of his guilt. "I'm talking to Vernon and Autumn while you're gone."

Noah leaned over and nuzzled his neck. "I don't feel right about your talking to them w ithout me. It shouldn't all come down on you. I should be there. Maybe…maybe it'll help them understand better since it's me. They know how much we meant to each other. They practically helped raise me for three years. That has to count for something."

It wo uldn't. Not with Vernon. What Cooper didn't understand, was why.

Cooper shook his head. This was something he needed to do alone. He wouldn't risk Noah getting hurt by how things would very likely go down. "I need to do this. Plus, you leave tomorrow. I know you don't want to put off getting your stuff any longer than you already have."

"And what about everyone else? Are you ready for people to know? It's going to look strange, baby. I live with you. I have a shop on your property. It's going to look permanent."

"That's because it is. I don't give a shit what anyone else thinks. I'm not going to lie and say I don't want this to be okay with my family , because I do. It won't stop me but…I don't want to lose them either. Regardless, they raised me. And I'm not going to pretend it won't cause some shit at work, too. We both know it will, but this?" He put his hand on Noah's leg. "We're more important. Fuck everyone else. I love you."

He could feel the switch in Noah instantly. See the fire in his eyes and the need on his face. "I love you , too. Now get your ass upstairs. After tonight, it's going to be way too long before I get to fuck you again."

Cooper couldn't think of anything he wanted more at that moment.

***

Noah's hunger for Cooper never diminished. All the other man had to do was speak or breathe and Noah wanted him. "Upstairs." He nodded his head toward the stairs.

Cooper stood. "You know there's no one else I would allow to order me around the way you do, right?"

Grabbing his shirt, Noah pulled Cooper toward him. "Same goes for you, baby. Now go upstairs, so I can fuck you." He gave Cooper a little shove. Not that Cooper needed it. Coop made it to the stairs in no time flat, taking them two at a time, with Noah right behind him.

As soon as they made it to the foot of the bed, Noah stopped him, his lips colliding with Cooper's. Their tongues battled, one surrendering, before fighting to take control again. He loved his power play with Coop.

When his guy shoved his hands under Noah's shirt, he pulled away far and long enough for his shirt to get pulled off before he was kissing him again. Cooper's thumb brushed over the piercing in Noah's nipple before he tugged on it, making Noah cry out.

"Wanna suck you." Cooper sat on the edge of his bed, making quick work of Noah's jeans. He felt twitchy, as though he would bust out of his skin if he didn't have something, everything from Cooper right now.

When Noah's jeans and boxer-briefs were gone, he was immediately enveloped in the hot cavern of Cooper's mouth. Coop took him deep, before pulling back and paying special attention to the head. "Yeah. That's it. Christ, I love your mouth."

Noah ran his fingers through Cooper's short hair, rocking his hips so when Coop slid his mouth down again, Noah could fuck it.

His lover did everything Noah liked: sucked his balls, let his tongue probe the slit before pulling him to the back of his throat again. Pleasure built deep inside him, quickly finding it's way to the surface, until he had to pull Cooper back. "Wanna love you," he said, before lowering his mouth to take possession of Coop's.

And then he pulled the other man to his feet. With slow hands he undressed him, showing him all that tanned, golden skin, stretched across hard muscle. "You are so fucking sexy."

Noah grabbed the lube and a condom from the bedside drawer. Their bed was high, making it perfect for the way he wanted to take Cooper.

After the rubber was in place, he looked back at Coop. Noah pushed him so he bent over. "Let me see that sexy ass."

Coop leaned over, his upper body held up by his elbows on the bed. When his fingers were lubed, he added a little to Coop's hole before pushing a finger inside. "Oh fuck. Yes…" A heavy breath fell from Cooper's lips. He'd never get tired of that sound. Never get enough of Coop taking his pleasure.

He used one, then two fingers to stretch Coop, twisting, turning, pulling, pushing. The man rode his hand, pushing back into it, alternating between making little gasping sounds and asking for more.

Noah flipped the lid on the lube with one hand, letting it leak over his cock, before pulling his fingers free and pushing inside. His body shuddered, savoring the feel of Cooper's tight hole, squeezing him.

"Harde r. Give me more." Cooper moaned.

His . Fucking. Pleasure.

Noah leaned forward, wrapping his arms under Cooper's arms and pulling him tight against him. He hooked them together as he bent Cooper over the bed, no space between the two men.

"So tight…so fucking good." He whispered in Coop's ear before pulling out and slamming home again. Cooper's whole body shook, rocked, and Noah made love to him with swift, hard thrusts.

The bed rattled, as he knocked against the bedside table, but he kept going, kept pumping into Coop. Each time he did, pleasure shot through him, higher and higher.

"Fuck…Noah…"

That just made him squeeze Cooper to him , tighter. Push deeper, fuck harder. Still with his arms hooked under Cooper's, his hands gripped the other man's shoulders, pushing him to meet Noah's thrusts.

"Oh, shit. I'm gonna come."

Noah let his hand drop, pressing tightly at the base of Cooper's prick so he didn't orgasm. "Not yet."

He couldn't stop the groan from passing his own lips when he pulled out. Noah flipped Cooper over easily, despite the fact that they were similar in size. As soon as he had his guy on his back, he thrust into him again, pushing Cooper's legs back so he could watch as his erection disappear inside his lover.

"Fuck!" Cooper yelled, when Noah angled himself so he'd hit the other man's prostate. Then, pulse after pulse of creamy, white fluid jutted out of Cooper's dick, and landed on his chest. That was all it took for Noah's orgasm to rock through him. He kept going, kept fucking as he filled the condom with his semen.

When his release took everything out of him, Noah, holding himself up with his hands flat on the bed, looked down into Coop's blue eyes. "Wanted." Breath. "To watch." Another one. "You come."

Then he la y down on top of Cooper's who wrapped his legs around his waist.

"How am I supposed to make it a few days without that?"

Noah smile d into Cooper's chest. Holy crap did he love this man.