Chapter 32

My first week at Tommy's shop was great. My new coworkers, Levon and Rich, were a lot of fun to work with. They didn't seem to mind that I didn't have the official certification from Harley yet. They were happy to show me things I didn't know and were surprised by how much I already did. Even the customers were nice. A lot of them were veterans, brought to the shop from knowing the people in the motorcycle club.

Tommy got me signed up for school starting in the fall. Classes went from September until the following April. I would be driving to Bloomfield, which was about an hour north, two nights a week. The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced I was ready to separate from the Army. My life was so full of wonderful things. I wanted time to enjoy them, and I did not want to go on another overseas deployment.

I talked to Tommy about it, and he gave me some good advice. His husband, Charlie, also weighed in and said he would help me expedite if necessary. They both told me I needed to tell my CO next weekend when I went for training so they'd have time to find a replacement.

At the end of the day on Friday, Tommy called me into his office. "Have a seat, Zach," he said with a smile. "Levon and Rich have only good things to say about you."

I couldn't help but return his smile. "That's good to hear. They're great to work with."

"So, you're settling in all right?"

I nodded. "I am. I'm really happy to be working on Harley's full-time." I grinned. "I owe Marco a drink."

"He's a good man," Tommy said with obvious affection.

"He really is. He helped me out when he hardly knew me. I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me."

"We're happy to have you here, so we owe him one too." Tommy picked up a sheet of paper from his desk and handed it to me. "I notice you have a distinct lack of a Harley Davidson."

I took the paper from him. "I've wanted one for a long time, but I never had the extra money to own a second vehicle, never mind a down payment." On the page was a list of late-model Harleys with two prices next to each: wholesale and retail.

Tommy tapped the paper in my hand. "As an employee of this shop, you can buy any motorcycle in our inventory at wholesale."

I stared at him, warmth filling my chest. A grin spread across my face. "Really?" I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "I can finally get a Harley?"

His smile was just as big as mine. "You sure can. We'll even help you get your learner's permit and help with driving lessons if you need them."

I shook my head. "I already have a motorcycle license. I teach motorcycle safety down at Fort Dix."

"All right then. You could take one home tonight."

I chuckled. "Probably not tonight." I waved the pricing page. "I have to decide which one I want and figure out where I can keep it. I live in Ocean Grove, and there's basically no off-street parking. And you know what it gets like in the summer."

He nodded in agreement. "I sure do. Charlie and I live in Asbury. Parking is hell in the summer. We're lucky we have a driveway."

"I'll talk to Miguel and see what he says. He's lived in Ocean Grove a lot longer than I have."

Tommy raised a curious brow. "Miguel?"

My face heated, and I was sure I was blushing. "My boyfriend and roommate."

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend," he said.

"It's pretty new. I…was trying to figure myself out, and that took a little while."

He leaned back in his chair. "You'll have to bring him by so we can meet him."

"I can do that. Miguel's a great guy. He gets along with everybody."

"I look forward to meeting him." Tommy rose from his seat, wincing a little as he did.

"You okay?" I asked.

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Eh. My prosthetic is wonky. I have to get it checked out."

I had completely forgotten he had a prosthetic leg. "Ugh, that has to suck. Will you be able to get it looked at soon?"

He huffed a laugh. "If the colonel has anything to say about it, I will. He gets pretty adamant when it comes to taking care of me."

"I'll bet he does," I said with a smile.

I turned to leave, but Tommy stopped me. "I almost forgot," he began. "We're open half-days on Saturday. I know you work at the hotel, but we all alternate working on Saturdays so nobody works every Saturday. We only take easy jobs or walk-ins that don't require much."

I nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll work it out with Mr. O'Neil. I can't work next Saturday because I'm down at the joint base for training."

He waved it away. "No worries. We have April and early May covered. We'll figure out the rest of May when you return from training."

"Sounds good," I said. "I'll see you on Monday." I held up the paper he gave me. "I'll have made my decision by then."

My drive home took all of five minutes. It took me longer to find a parking space than to get to Ocean Grove. I decided right then that I would walk most days unless it was raining—at least until I got my bike. I was practically vibrating by the time I walked into our apartment building. I couldn't wait until Miguel got home so I could talk to him about the motorcycle.

A delicious aroma hit my nostrils as soon as I opened our door. I heard music playing and the sound of Miguel singing along. I checked the time on my phone to make sure I hadn't somehow lost two hours. Nope, it was only five-fifteen. I followed the sound into the kitchen, where I found Miguel putting a pot on the stove. He had changed out of his work clothes into black lounge pants and a gray T-shirt. His hair was still neatly coiffed. Even in casual clothes, he looked put together.

He turned when he heard me come in. "Hey, baby."

I went to him and kissed him. "Hey, beautiful. What are you doing home so early?"

"I wanted to surprise you and make you a special dinner to celebrate your first week at your new job."

I hugged him tightly. "Thanks, babe. That's so sweet of you. What are you making?"

"Chicken marsala with roasted potatoes and broccoli."

My stomach rumbled. "That sounds great."

He laughed and patted my belly. "Go shower. Everything should be ready by the time you get out."

I took my time in the shower, making sure I was extra clean everywhere. I had plans for the evening that I hoped Miguel would be on board with. I put on a pair of soft lounge pants—no underwear—and a black T-shirt that was just a little too tight.

When I returned to the kitchen, the lights were low, and the table was set for two. Two lit candles were set in the middle of the table and soft music played through the Bluetooth speaker. Miguel was just setting a bottle of white wine on the table when I walked in. When he saw me standing there, his eyes scanned my body, and a lascivious grin curved his lips. "Hey there, hot stuff." He came over to me and put his arms around my neck. "You look fantastic."

We shared a long, deep kiss while his hands slid over my chest and around to my backside. He ran his hands farther down and looked up in surprise. "Are you commando?"

I booped his nose and said, "Could be. You'll have to wait until after dinner to find out."

He pouted. "Mean." My stomach rumbled again, and he laughed. "Come on. Let's get you fed."

Dinner tasted delicious. "You're a really good cook," I told him.

"Thanks," he replied with a shy smile. "I got the recipe from Chef Joanna. Along with a whole lot of teasing."

"They're getting a lot of mileage out of us getting together," I commented.

"No kidding."

I took another sip from my glass of wine and said, "Tommy told me I could buy a motorcycle at wholesale from the shop."

Miguel's eyes widened. "No way! That's great. I know how much you want one."

"I'm really excited about it," I replied. "And now I have the money to buy one and the salary to support having a second vehicle."

"Don't forget an extra helmet," Miguel said. "I want to ride with you."

"You already ride me," I said with a smirk. "Riding with me won't be nearly as fun."

Miguel rolled his eyes and tossed a balled-up napkin at me. "Ha-ha."

"I just have to figure out where to keep it in the summer. Parking is such a bitch. I don't think there'll be extra space for a bike and my car."

Miguel frowned thoughtfully. "Let's talk to the landlord. She might let you keep it on the side of the building by the garbage cans as long as you walk it up."

"Sounds like a plan," I replied.

We finished dinner and most of the wine, and I helped Miguel clean up and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Then we decided to watch an episode of Good Omens. When it was over, he sighed. "I really want to see them kiss."

I chuckled. "You and ten million other people." I cupped his face. "But I really want to kiss you."

"I can arrange that," he said as he straddled my lap. He slipped his hand behind my head and pressed his lips to mine.

I moved my hands to cradle his firm, round ass. He let out a soft moan and ground into me, turning my semi into a full hard-on. "Bedroom," I gasped.

"Yes."

I stood, and he wrapped himself around me like an octopus. I headed to his bedroom, which we'd used all week because he had the bigger bed. I set him on his feet and kissed him gently. My heart started racing and my hands got clammy. I cleared my throat. "I have a question."

"Okay. Is something wrong? You look nervous."

"I am a little," I admitted. I blew out a breath. Why was this so hard? I was a grown-ass man. I finally just blurted it out. "Do you top?" My nerves got the best of me, and I babbled on. "It's okay if you don't. It won't change anything. I was just…"

Miguel put a finger lightly over my lips. "Easy. It's okay. You're allowed to ask for what you want." He kissed me slowly and tenderly. "Yes, I have topped in the past, although most guys I've dated expected me to bottom. Bigger guys tend to be ashamed of wanting to bottom."

I blinked. "I'm not ashamed. I've just never done it before, and I don't know what I'm doing. I was reading up on it and realized we never talked about topping and bottoming. I just assumed, and then I felt bad." I squeezed my eyes shut. "I'm a mess."

"You're not a mess," he insisted. "Honestly, it should have been on me to have the talk about topping or bottoming since I'm the one with the most experience in that particular area." He poked my chest. "So, you can share the guilt with me."

I had to laugh. I kissed his forehead. "You're kinda great, you know."

His cheeks got pink. "Thanks." He reached back and pulled his T-shirt over his head. "Now, I believe we were about to get naked."

"Hell yes."

It didn't take us long to shed the rest of our clothing. Miguel shoved me down on the bed. "Lie down in the middle."

While I was doing that, he got lube and a condom out of the nightstand and set them on the bed. My nerves ratcheted up again, but Miguel eased them by placing warm kisses from my chest to my abdomen and down my legs. He then brushed his fingers lightly over my body, sending tingles up my spine. He moved back up to take my mouth in a long, deep kiss that I felt all the way to my toes.

"I'm going to take care of you, Zach. I'll make this good for you." Miguel picked up the lube bottle. "Bend your knee." He ran his hand down my thigh. "You have such a beautiful body." He kissed from the inside of my thigh to my balls. He took one in his mouth and then the other while circling my hole with one finger.

Just having him brush over the sensitive nerve endings had my cock growing hard as steel. "Miguel. Please. I need more."

He kissed the juncture of my hip and thigh. "I've got you, baby."

I heard the click of the cap, and a moment later, a finger cool and slick with lube circled my pucker before slipping in just a little bit. Miguel looked up at me. "Okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It's weird, but not in a bad way."

He took his time, easing his finger into my body. Then he crooked his finger and touched a spot inside me that lit me up like a Christmas tree. "Holy shit, what was that?"

Miguel chuckled. "That, my friend, was your prostate."

"Well, do it again."

He brushed that magical spot a few more times, nearly sending me into the stratosphere. Somewhere along the way, he added a second finger, creating a noticeable burn. I sucked in a breath, trying to ride through it.

"Breathe, sweetheart," he crooned.

I breathed and relaxed, and the burn turned to pleasure. He hit my prostate a few more times, which set me writhing and pleading for more. By the time he added a third finger, I was rocking against his hand. "Miguel, please. I need you inside me."

He carefully pulled his fingers out and tapped my hip. "Roll onto your hands and knees. It'll be easier for your first time."