“It’s all yours,” Paul rasped. He pulled away to retrieve a condom and quickly sheathed himself. With more lube slathered on his straining erection, Paul finally, finally pushed into Ace.
Ace struggled to keep from crying out and sharing his bone-filling pleasure with the world — or, at least, with the receptionist just outside the door.
Soon, though, all thoughts of being discovered melted from his mind, replaced with the overwhelming, blinding relief of having Paul inside him.
Their lovemaking turned frenzied and hungry, like they hadn’t eaten for days, like this was a dream and they were racing the dawn.
“Not gonna last,” Paul groaned. “So tight … so fucking good …”
“Do it,” Ace grunted. “Fill me up.” He reached down to his own painful erection, determined to join Paul in this release.
“Awww, fuck!” Paul moaned, entirely too loud. “Love you so much!”
Ace tripped over into ecstasy at that moment, in the most ferocious orgasm he’d ever known.
He was so out of it that he didn’t register Paul’s cleanup or maneuvering them to the floor, boneless from their exertions.
“I’m sorry I ran out like that,” Paul said quietly when his breathing had returned to normal. He couldn’t quite meet Ace’s eyes. “When I saw that guy, I thought you were just playing with me and, well, I didn’t want to need you more than you needed me.”
That wrenched Ace’s heart. He had done that to Paul. This is what his fears had led to.
“I’m sorry, too,” Ace said.
“What for? That kid was basically a stalker, not your boy on the side.”
“No, I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”
“About the gym rat?”
“About how I feel.” Ace swallowed thickly. “I made you do all the hard work — coming out, dealing with the fallout, the fear. And all the while, I just expected more and more from you. I didn’t give you much, did I?”
Paul draped an arm around Ace’s shoulders and tugged him to his side. “You have no idea how much you’ve given me.” Ace felt the words rumble through Paul’s chest and echo through him.
“Well, I should have said it out loud. Should have told you that I’m in love with you. That you’re not alone.” He looked up at Paul, wanting him to really hear that last part. “You’re not alone. Not in this. Not ever again. Not as long as you want me.”
Paul pressed his lips against Ace’s head. “There will never be a time I’ll stop wanting you,” he whispered.
Ace hugged Paul tighter and let himself fall the rest of the way. Paul’s heart beat into Ace’s ear in time with his own. Their stubborn brains had finally caught up with their prescient bodies.
He held that pose as long as he could before reality intervened. They were mostly naked on the floor of Paul’s office on a Tuesday afternoon. They needed to return to the world.
“Think Nicole is still out there?” Ace asked.
Paul groaned. “God, I hope not. This is going to be embarrassing.”
Ace regretfully pulled away from Paul’s embrace and stood. “Better get it over with.” He pulled Paul up from the floor.
“Another bandaid to rip off,” Paul muttered.
Nicole was, in fact, still at her desk when they tiptoed out of Paul’s office.
“Everything okay, Dr. McDonnell?” she asked carefully.
“Very okay, Nicole,” Paul said. He self-consciously ran a hand through his hair. Ace put a reassuring hand on the small of Paul’s back. He hadn’t been there for Paul for the other bandaids, but he would do what he could for this one.
“Um, Nicole, I want to introduce you to someone,” Paul started.
“Well, I’ve sort of met Mr. Gillen already,” she said slowly, as if she were talking to a child.
“Yeah, the thing is, that’s not my name, actually,” Ace confessed with a small smile.
Paul snuck his arm around Ace’s waist. “This is Ace Hoffman. My boyfriend.”
Ace’s heart filled with pride for this brave man, and he felt his love lift and expand.
Nicole’s face turned a bright shade of pink and she sat there speechless for probably the first time in her life. Ace could see comprehension fully dawning on her face as she added up the sounds she must have heard earlier and the still flushed and happy faces of the men in front of her.
“Nicole?” Paul said. “You okay there?”
Nicole shook her head as if to untangle her thoughts. Then she straightened and smiled.
“Well, this sorta explains things, huh?”
Ace blushed, wanting to apologize for how they acted in the office. And for the noises she most likely heard.
“I guess I don’t have to wear that pushup bra to the office anymore, right?” she continued. “I feel kind of silly now.”
Paul put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I should have told you a long time ago. But I was being a coward. I hope you can forgive me.”
Nicole smiled, a real one this time. “No sweat, Dr. Z. I don’t blame you at all. He’s super cute.”
She gathered up her purse and stood. “Well, I think I’ll take off.”
Ace could tell she was eager to leave, but he didn’t think it was because she was uncomfortable. She looked like she was bursting with excitement. This must be a gossip hound’s wet dream.
“Thanks, Nicole,” Paul said. “For everything.”
Nicole’s smile widened and she scurried out the door.
“Those poor single girls,” Ace said once the outer door closed, “teased by all those hot gay men.”
“She seemed okay with it,” Paul said with relief.
“You realize she’s going to tell everyone she knows, right?” Ace said. “I’ve known her for a total of five minutes and I can already tell.”
“Oh, she will. I know.”
Ace rubbed Paul’s arm. “You worried?”
“A little. I’ve dodged all the big guns so far. We’ll see how my patients take the news.”
“Oooh, speaking of delivering news, I better call Erik,” Ace said. “He’ll want a post-op report.”
Paul reached for his phone. “That reminds me. Holly will not take kindly to any delay in getting this information. Plus, she’ll love a break from my mom.”
“Your mom? Are the parents in town?”
Paul smiled. “Oh, there is so much to catch you up on. I hope you don’t have any plans tonight.”
“You kidding? I have a looooong list of things I absolutely need to do tonight,” Ace teased. “And they all involve nudity.”
Paul grinned and pulled him into a deep, wet kiss, right there in the strip mall parking lot on a Tuesday afternoon in that smallish Kansas town. Paul didn’t even hesitate.
Ace wondered what he could ever do for Paul that was as brave and as trusting as this huge change Paul has made for him. He pulled Paul’s face back to look him in the eye.
“I am so lucky, you know that?”
Paul’s smile crinkled all over his beautiful face.
“Just wait until we get naked again,” he smirked. “I’ll teach you a new meaning of lucky.”