CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN Tate

"You scared me!" I exclaimed, startled and dropping the bar of soap in my hand.

"Can I get in with you?" he asked, standing outside the shower, his hand holding the glass door ajar.

Luke was naked, his arms crossed protectively over his chest. Before I headed for the shower, I'd asked him whether he felt confident enough to join me. He declined. Despite an inherent shyness that would probably take months, perhaps years, to lose, he was all man as he stood facing me, and any bashfulness about being naked was nowhere in sight.

I could've diverted my eyes, but I decided not to. If Luke could stand in front of me with his dick on full display, I intended to check it out. We'd agreed that we were in a relationship a few hours earlier, and after a long discussion about my physical needs, while we ate food-truck food, he'd stated that he also wanted to have a physical relationship with me if we could take baby steps. Of course, I agreed enthusiastically.

I was under no illusions about whether Luke understood the entire relationship commitment thing. However, I was aware that courting, monogamous relationships, marriage, and a lifetime commitment were the backbones of his community. He understood the value of family and that in itself appealed to me.

"I'd like that," I said, stepping under the spray, making space for him. "You'll have to shampoo my hair for me," I teased, doing my best to relieve any potential stress he might be feeling.

Luke had zero compunction with studying my nakedness. He started at my feet and slowly made his way up my body, spending a nice amount of time checking my cock out. The more he stared at my dick, the fuller it became. The unspoken words—the dance, so to speak—were also very exciting to me.

This would be an important step for Luke. We'd laid naked once before, him on top of me as we ground against each other until we both orgasmed. That was in the dark, a sheet covering us. This would be different.

Earlier in the dressing room was the actual first time I'd seen Luke completely exposed in front of me, and he was a vision then, but now, with shower mist collecting on his smooth skin, and bright lights accentuating his perfection… put a fork in me.

Luke's eyes had yet to move from my cock, beginning to make me feel exposed, maybe even inadequate in comparison. I didn't know what his experience with seeing other men nude had been. Had his abuser exposed himself? Had Luke been forced to do things with another man's cock? Those questions and so many more occupied my mind while I focused on the now.

However, being the target of his staring caused my dick to stir and grow. I noticed his own filling out, while he unconsciously ran his tongue across his lower lip, biting down halfway across. He liked what he saw. The harder he focused, the bigger my cock grew.

"Your penis is growing bigger," he pointed out, moving his eyes up to mine. It was only a second or two before his concentration shifted back to my full erection.

"You're getting me excited," I confessed. "Yours is erect, too."

He didn't look, but he gripped his cock while still staring at mine, his hand absentmindedly stroking back and forth. I wondered if he masturbated. A strange thought for sure, but still, had he been allowed to? Had he broken the rules, sinned, done that? He was a guy, after all. A delicious hunk of a guy who had needs, I hoped.

"Should I wash your hair?" he asked, inching forward.

I stepped out from under the spray, cupping my balls to see what he'd do. His eyes darted from my eyes and back to the hand I was massaging my balls with, and then back again. How should I handle this?

Thoughts my mother had expressed ran through my mind. You'll need to talk him through any sex act, Tate. Ask what he might like to try. Explain what you'd like to do with him, not to him. Set the scene so there are no surprises that might bring up old trauma. Be patient.

He held his hand out for me to fill with shampoo. Once in his hand, I turned away from him and waited. Luke moved against me, his chest touching my shoulder blades, while his erect cock pressed against my lower back because he was nearly a half-a-foot taller than me.

I stood breathless with anticipation, waiting for him to touch me. And then his strong hands started at the top of my head, his fingers moving through my hair, massaging, and building lather. Once that was accomplished, he surprised me by bringing his fingers to my lower neck, pressing into my skin as he massaged my neck from behind, sensually tugging on my earlobes on the downstroke.

He gently reached around, tilting my head back as he stroked the front of my neck along my Adam's apple, positioning the back of my head against his chest before digging into my flesh as I melted into his embrace.

"Relax," he whispered in my ear, his warm breath causing goosebumps along my shoulders. "Let me hold you as you relax against me."

Luke's voice, his strength, the surprise of his gentle manner, all of it, had me putty in his hands. "That feels amazing, Luke," I said softly, never wanting the feeling to stop.

He had a sensual quality that I honestly hadn't expected from him. The realization had me questioning what his experience level was. According to previous conversations, his understanding was limited to his abuse, yet now, with me, Luke was mature in his actions and incredibly stimulating.

"You're so beautiful, Tate," he whispered, nudging the back of my ear with his nose. "I want to do whatever makes you feel good."

Now was as good a time as any to suggest what I wanted. "Please hold my cock," I pleaded. "Do to my cock what you're doing to my neck."

His hands moved down my neck, caressing my chest as he went along, finally ending up on my nipples where he sculpted my pecs, squeezing them with his hands, forcing me back against him harder this time. He slowly moved across my stomach, outlining my abs as he made his way further down.

"Three, four, five, and six," he whispered, nipping at my earlobe as he counted.

My breathing increased as my desire ran rampant, but Luke's hand still hovered just above my raging erection, tracing my abs, while occasionally, and ever so slightly, moving a finger a bit closer as he teased me. He was better than I expected. No. That's not a fair assessment. Luke was good. Quite good. And I was limp in his strength as he caressed my skin like he'd never felt skin before.

"Are you okay?" I asked, taking his pulse.

He positioned one of my hands behind my back, leading it to his cock, but saying absolutely nothing. Luke was a doer, not a talker. I liked that in a lover. Perhaps not having to face me as he explored my body helped him feel safe.

"How's this?" he whispered, a growling edge to his boyish voice when his hand gripped my cock.

I gasped out loud when a rush of sexual adrenaline shot through my veins. Luke had me riveted as he delicately pulled my strings like he was a puppet master, reading my wants, and toying with my need to orgasm. Who was this sexual boy?

As Luke stroked my cock with his sudsy hands, going from the base of my balls to the tip of my shaft, I wrapped my fist around his rock-solid dick and did the same. We writhed in unison as we both were caught up in the moment, his breath elevating in my ear.

"That's it, Luke," I moaned, feeling my load stirring, reminding me how easily I could shoot.

My movement on his dick increased as he pumped into my hand, one of his hands moving to my stomach as he pulled me back while he thrust forward.

"This feels… feels… so," his words vaporized into thin air when I reached around with my free hand and cupped his balls, squeezing them while stroking his dick. "Uunnngghhh," he uttered breathlessly, as the pleasure and slight pain of me squeezing his nuts caught up with his brain.

"You feel amazing, Luke," I said, pressing my ass against his dick while I held it. I wanted Luke's giant dick in my ass, but now wasn't that time. Baby steps, Tate. Baby steps.

"I'm… I'm… so… close," he groaned, his grip on me getting tighter as he pumped my fist like I wish he was pumping my ass. "So good, Tate," he moaned. "So… so…"

His entire body went stiff, his grip on me instantly tighter, if possible. The moaning and huffing noises escaping his throat got me so hot that my load blasted forth almost simultaneously.

"Ooohhhh… my… ooohhhh," I garbled, my tongue thrust to the roof of my mouth as I unloaded, spasming while Luke held me close.

Both of us tremored with our last pulse as our cocks were spent. We were panting, doing our best to catch our breath. I placed my hands against the tile wall, leaning forward. Luke kept his amazingly strong hands on my hips, helping me to stay upright.

"Was that okay?" he asked, leaning over my back and kissing my neck.

I separated our bodies and turned to face him. His eyes were full, and not from shower spray. "Luke?" I asked. "Oh, Luke, are you okay?"

He inhaled quickly, his lips quivering, before he began weeping. I pulled him forward into my arms, my hand behind his head, comforting him as he wept.

"Shhh," I soothed. "I've got you, Luke. I'm right here and you're safe with me. You're safe with me," I repeated. An anguished cry escaped him, and his back heaved in pain as I held him. "You're safe, Luke. Shhh, I have you now."

After a couple of minutes, Luke pulled back, his face contorted in pain as he stared at me, saliva stretched from lip to lip as he tried to speak. His mouth would open, and then it would close, while more tears fell from his eyes, so I placed my hand on his chest to soothe him.

"Let it out, Luke," I encouraged. "And when you can, please tell me what you're feeling. There is no shame here. No one is getting blamed. No one is hurting the other."

I scanned my brain for the right words. Words of encouragement and safety. What had Mom said? What do I say? What do I say?

"Tate," he whispered, still trying to control the tears, and the hiccups associated with crying. "I… I… did it," he whispered. "You didn't hurt me."

Had my heart stopped beating? I hadn't expected those words, that response, that revelation. A rush of protective love filled me, and I laid my head against his chest.

"You did," I agreed. "And you pleased me, Luke. You really pleased me."

"I liked it, too," he added. "I was in control for once, and I liked it." He sighed heavily, a last cry exiting his chest and causing him to shiver in relief. "Do we kiss now?" he asked, so earnest and sweet that I wanted to scream from the rooftops that I was in love with the boy from Half Moon.

"We can kiss anytime we like."

"I love you," he whispered. "I will always love you. I promise."

My throat clenched after his surprising admission, wreaking havoc on my speaking abilities. I gazed at the half boy, half man, in front of me, him grinning ear to ear, and so very full of love.

I believed him.