CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE Tate

My day was ending the same way it started. I was stretched out on my bed, my hands reaching for the headboard as my fingers tapped to the rhythm of my humming. Instead of sunlight breaking on the new day, the moon, in half phase, beamed its magical light into my bedroom. The irony of the moon being a half-moon didn't escape me.

Luke was downstairs in my spare bedroom where we'd agreed he'd be more comfortable on his first overnight stay. My thoughts were on why he'd called. Not why in the sense that I knew he liked me and that we were at the beginning of something, but more of a how he was able to disappear for an entire night from his home at Half Moon Ranch.

Luke mentioned several times that he wasn't allowed to form friendships with outsiders. I was also made aware that curfews existed where he came from. So understanding what he was doing downstairs had me worried for him.

Tonight, he stated he was willing to take the risks associated with dating an outsider. Putting all three issues into one problem seemed an even greater risk to his welfare, and that concerned me.

Even with all the worries occupying my mind, I was excited he was in my home. Granted, we were in separate bedrooms, but still, he was here, which felt like a monumental step.

When Luke stepped into the room after his shower, I was stunned at seeing him in clothes other than his usual conservative attire. The body I'd visualized under jeans and button-downs was amazing on its own, but now, without the number of barriers hiding his build, he was nothing short of breathtaking.

I didn't ask so as not to embarrass him, but I think he wore my gym shorts commando. My shorts weren't as long on his taller frame, showing off his muscled legs. His thighs were thick and strong, like squats were his full-time profession. His smooth legs were also creamy white, and I was certain they'd never seen the sun. When he walked across the floor to join me in the kitchen, I was weak-kneed as his manhood bounced back and forth under the soft gray material of the gym shorts.

I'd felt his erection against my body when we'd kissed on our last date, but that's a hard way to measure a dick. Seeing the fullness of his penis in a flaccid state, flouncing around freely, filled in all the blanks. He was well-endowed with a large mushroom tip.

The white tank top, the kind I wear under my dress shirts, commonly referred to as a wife-beater, fit him like a second skin. His upper body was massive. Biceps nearly as big as my thighs, and a chest that the tank was struggling to contain, had my libido dialed up to red alert.

When he strode across the room toward me, his thick cock bouncing, it was like slow motion, fantasy jack-off material. After a year of dormancy for my sexual yearnings, my body ached to be joined with his. A feeling in my crotch tore through my psyche as it raged at me, demanding I recognize the hunger I felt for him. Going slow and being patient with Luke would be no small task on my part.

Sliding off the bed, I quietly stepped to the light switch and turned the overhead fan on. Either the temperature was warm because of our fast-coming summer, or my thinking about Luke's body had set me on fire. I stepped out of my briefs and left them on the floor, returning to lie on top of the covers. The cool breeze blowing over my naked body immediately took my temperature down about a thousand degrees.

The constant whirring of the fan, and the wonderful draft coming from it, had me drifting off to sleep. I ignored my erection as I lay naked, knowing I had a guest in my home. A guest that was one floor and twenty steps away, one that I wished was on my bed with me. A feeling of happiness and hope for a future with Luke were my last thoughts as I drifted further and further into rest.

My body shivered, waking me from my slumber. The night had turned cooler, and I needed at least a sheet between me and the overhead fan. The moon had moved across the night sky, and only faint remnants of light remained. I drowsily sat up so I could scoot my lower body under the top sheet, fighting to stay asleep and get back to dreaming.

Just as I began to recline onto my pillow, my eyes detected a shadowy figure standing at the top of the stairs, just to the left, and at the foot of my bed. The adrenaline rush quickly subsided when I remembered Luke was staying the night and I was able to identify his face in the faint moonlight. He stood naked in the room, fully exposed, with no bashful attempt to hide his body from me.

"Luke?"

"May I sleep with you?" he asked, still not attempting to conceal his body.

"Are you sure?" I asked, remembering that I too was naked under the sheet.

"I'm sure."

I lifted the sheet to invite him in, watching as he approached. His torso caught the light from the open window when he stood beside the bed, hesitating for a moment to join me. I swallowed hard, doing my very best to control my reaction to the physical specimen standing nearby. No matter how hard I tried to prevent one, my erection grew with anticipation, especially at seeing him completely, unabashedly naked, standing a foot away.

Luke's stomach was a literal washboard. After tallying a six-pack, I stopped counting. Obliques carved dueling trenches toward his cock. I had certainly been correct about his endowment. He was at least six inches when soft, with a thick head. I swallowed again and fought the urge to check my own cock for a pulse.

My desperately horny mind immediately did its best to convince me to sit on the edge of the bed and take his dick into my mouth before he laid down. He wants you to, Tate. I wanted to get him hard and then turn around on all fours and have him slide his thick tool into my asshole, where I'd milk him dry. I wanted his power to control me and use me for his personal release. Over and over and over. Get a goddamned grip.

"It's okay, Luke. Come on in."

I slid over, allowing space for him to join me. He lay on his back, hands at his sides, and eyes wide open. Whatever he'd done to take such a step as ask to share my bed had obviously been a struggle, but the fact he had come into my room nude, was another level, especially since I'd heard the click of a locking door when he showered earlier. I remained on my side, mirroring his position, staying quiet as I assumed he wrestled with his thoughts.

I unconsciously knew that this was a massive step in the evolution of our relationship, whatever the status was. My mother's advice came to the forefront of my mind as we found ourselves at a pivotal junction.

Baby steps, Tate. Help him to feel safe. Let him make the moves in the beginning. If he actually does initiate a first move, assist him in expressing what he wants to do. Check in with him that he is doing okay and feels safe. Turn on a light if he wants. Talk about what you two could do, so he has a chance to agree or disagree. Ask permission.

"I couldn't sleep well downstairs," he whispered. "I was thinking about you up here the whole time, but I didn't want to wake you. That was why I was watching you sleep, Tate."

His body language was still closed off, but he was speaking, so that had to be a positive sign. "I'm glad you came up," I said. "Truthfully, I wanted to go down and share that bed with you."

"Is it okay that I took all my clothes off before coming up here?"

An odd question, for sure. What to say? What to say? God! I needed my mom right now. "I like to sleep naked, too," I said. "Especially when it's so warm outside."

Two minutes of silence ticked by. "I wasn't that warm to tell you the truth," he admitted.

Being unsure of Luke's true meaning had me perplexed. Was he asking me to make the first move? A situation my mother had advised against. Or was he simply making conversation? We'd kissed rather passionately earlier, and I'd sensed his erection.

There was no doubt he was interested in what came next, but I was petrified of screwing this up. He hadn't shared the level of his abuse, so I was concerned that I might accidentally do something that was a reminder of his past trauma.

"Do you sleep without clothes on in your home?" I asked.

"I can't," he replied. "We sleep in a one-bedroom dorm."

I relaxed and decided to see if I could engage him enough to find out what, if anything, he wanted to achieve by joining me in my bed.

"Then it must be nice to be able to be naked," I said. "I always sleep naked."

"Have you been naked with another man?" he inquired, here again causing me to think he wanted a direct talk about him and me being naked and what that meant.

"Yes, I did. Remember I mentioned my past boyfriend?" I asked. "We shared the bed naked."

"I've never done this before," he said. "Actually, I never really thought about it much until now."

"And what did you imagine would happen if you and I were ever like this?" I asked, speaking carefully and calmly, keeping the questions direct, simple, and non-threatening.

"I hoped we might kiss and stuff like that. I wasn't real sure about the other stuff we might do."

His direct but shy way of communicating was refreshing. Rather than some random guy who played games about hooking up or feigned shyness when making a move, Luke was authentically innocent in his approach. Perhaps what he truly desired was for me to prompt him, an invitation to proceed with his wants. My feeling was that he simply didn't know how to communicate his desires very well.

"Would you like to sleep, Luke? Or would you prefer we kissed more tonight?" His movement was subtle, but I felt him stiffen up ever so slightly. "And there is no wrong or right answer here, either. I like sleeping, and it will be even better with you here. I also enjoyed kissing you earlier, so I could go for more kissing if you'd like."

"We're laying on our backs," he observed. "Maybe that's not a good way to kiss when in a bed?"

I swear if I didn't know he'd suffered trauma, his innocence would have driven me wild with passion, and I would be all over him in a split second. On the other hand, there were some definite benefits to a slow waltz as well. The built-up desire inside me was better than any aphrodisiac I'd ever ingested.

"Is there a way you think we could figure out to make it easier for us to kiss?" I asked, taking the long-game approach.

His hand brushed my thigh before I even realized he'd slid it near me. My body's reaction was instant and abrupt. My cock flexed to attention the moment I felt his touch.

"Do you think I'm too big to lie on top of you?" he asked, causing my balls to load one up in the chamber.

Easy does it, Tate."That's one of my favorite ways to kiss," I stated. "And I like that you're bigger than I am, Luke. I prefer it that way."

"Should we try it then?" he asked, still lying flat on his back and not looking at me.

"I'd like that very much."

Luke rolled to face me, using one arm to prop himself up, waiting for me to slide underneath him. Once I scooted under him, he placed his other hand on the opposite side and hovered over me like he was doing a push-up.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"How about you come closer?" I suggested. "Can I wrap my arms around you?" I added, looking up at the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. His pecs popped huge when he held himself over me. I wanted to explore, but knew this would be a leisurely walk, not a sprint. At least not yet.

"Mm-hmm," he mumbled, his eyes darting as he took stock of what he was trying to accomplish.

"I am going to wrap my arms around your back, Luke. And then I'm going to encourage you to lie down on me. Don't worry about hurting me. I'll be just fine, okay?"

I slowly moved my hands around his lower back, careful to stay above his butt. I avoided his upper back below his shoulders because he was so broad, and I wanted my hands to touch him gently, with little effort on my part.

With little encouragement, Luke lowered himself on me until our entire bodies were touching. From head to toe, we were skin on skin, both of us with erections. As much as I wanted to fist his cock, I concentrated on not going too far and spoiling the progress.

"How is this?" I asked, moving a hand to the back of his head and gently rubbing it.

"I like it," he stated, his muffled voice nestled against my neck. "Do we kiss now?"

"We do," I whispered, gradually moving my legs apart to allow him to settle in between them, dispersing some of his weight.

Our cocks were pressed together, but no one was grinding just yet. I moved the hand from the back of his head and rejoined the free one on his lower back, inches from an ass I wanted to squeeze, then bringing them up to explore his powerful upper body. My hands detected the hard muscles that rippled across his expansive back.

"That feels nice," he whispered. "Can you do more of that? Maybe pull me closer to you?"

My fingers interlocked, and I pulled him to me, kissing his chin now that he faced me directly. He tilted his chin down to kiss and our lips met. Luke was finding confidence in his skills at kissing, and the results were setting me on fire. He gently moved his mouth over mine, darting his tongue in and out with a subtle masculinity I'd never encountered. In an unprecedented move, he moved his hands to the back of my head and cradled me there while we kissed passionately.

Luke pulled away for a moment, and despite the dim light, our eyes connected, but nothing was said. Our joining and what we were feeling was the perfect connection.

"You are very kind to me," he whispered, staring into my eyes. "And I like you so much, Tate."

"I like you too, Luke."

Our mouths collided again with more urgency. I doubted Luke knew he was grinding into me, and I certainly wasn't going to discourage it, but if he continued, I would certainly orgasm. His breathing increased as we kissed, both of us taking the time to breathe.

"I'm going to move my hands lower, Luke," I said. "Can I do that?"

"Yes," he gasped, covering my mouth with his again, thrusting his tongue deeper, as he ground against me.

I instinctively spread my legs wider and wrapped them around the back of his thighs, my hands searching until I found his muscular ass, gripping each generous ass cheek, pulling him in as we continued gyrating our hips.

"Ooohhhh," he moaned, breathing harder. "Ooohhhh," he repeated, his body weight pressing down hard on me.

The way he held me so close, yet so tenderly, had me losing my proverbial shit as he pushed buttons I'd forgotten I had. This was what turned me on. I wanted a bigger man to dominate me, manipulate me with his masculinity, and make love to me. Luke wasn't inside of me, but I could easily imagine he was.

My fingers dug into his meaty ass as I lifted my hips from the bed and met every thrust of his with my own. When I'd just about met my limit, Luke moved his hands from behind my head and down to his sides, where he slid them between my ass and the mattress, his upper body pressing me to the mattress.

Once he'd secured an ass cheek in each hand, he lifted me off the bed and pumped. Pumped was the only way to describe his action. He was so strong as he gripped my ass that I relinquished all effort to lift myself while he literally pumped against me.

His action sent me straight to fantasy land on a bullet train of sexual lust. I had never been worked into such a frenzy. I imagined what it would be like when I had his huge cock buried in my ass and he was doing this. The thought was edging me ever closer to release.

"Oh, my god!" I moaned. "That's it, Luke. Keep going," I cried, my head tossing side to side. "Yeessss! Yeessss!" I bucked underneath him as my orgasm sent shock waves through my body, arriving with very little notice.

"Uunghhh!" he grunted, his body stiffening. "Ooohhhh. Ooohhhh," he moaned, coming to a complete stop in motion as he gripped my butt cheeks harder just before one last thrust.

Anxiety entered my mind the moment we'd both achieved orgasm. What happens now? But I hadn't anticipated his response. In fact, I was nowhere close.

Luke moved his mouth back to mine, and he kissed me tenderly. His hands went behind my head again, and he held me as we reconnected on a more intimate level. He seemed to need an emotional connection after such an animalistic act.

After several more minutes of tender kissing, he moved his hand to my forehead, moving sweaty hair to the side as he gazed at me. I wished that I could read minds because his face said so many things, while at once, saying nothing.

"Was that okay?" I whispered.

His eyes welled up, and he simply nodded. Whatever words I'd hoped for weren't spoken, but somehow, I knew if he could speak, he'd say he was okay.