Page 18 of Fluffing the Stallion

His smile was a permanent fixture on his face the entire time he talked about his family. I feel a weird shift in my chest, but I’m not sure what it means. It makes me feel warm inside though.

“We all take after my dad,” Clay continues. “For him to be so quiet and reserved, he’s a big guy. Tall, barrel chested. We have his brown hair and light brown eyes too. My mom is a short red-haired woman. What are the odds that none of us have red hair?” Clay laughs, a fond smile cracking his face.

Smiling down at him, I say, “You love them a lot.”

He nods against my leg. “We’re really close. I don’t know what I’d do without them. What about you?” he asks, turning to look at me. “You have siblings?”

“No, but I wish. My parents said they only wanted one kid, and here I am. We’re really close too. We chat a few times a week. You might be around for one of those.” Clay’s eyes meet mine in surprise and I hurry to amend my statement. “If you want to be. That’s not to say you have to be.”

He grins and tucks himself closer to me. “Do they know what you do?”

I scoff a laugh. “God, no. It’s not something we talk about. They know I’m gay but I’m not sure they want to hear about how I fuck twinks into the mattress for millions to see.”

Clay holds his belly and laughs. “I get that. When you meet my parents, don’t tell them I met you on set when I was getting a job to jerk you off.”

My answering laugh is loud and long. “I won’t. Same goes for you.”

It’s not lost on me that we’re talking about meeting each other’s families already. It’s not like we made plans or something, but the conversation already came up and I’m thrilled. It seems like we’re on the same page, wanting someone to be with for the long haul. I’m excited to see where things go between us.

We chat for a few more minutes about our families, sharing funny and heartwarming stories. We talk until the food comes, then we sit on the floor with our food on the coffee table and talk in between bites.

We don’t talk about anything of consequence, but it’s easy. The conversation flows freely and I enjoy getting to know Clay. He’s very interesting, with his dreams and aspirations, as well as his willingness to try something new.

He told me he’s never been with a man before, but he’s not thinking too much about it anymore. I’m not sure if it was our talk or if he decided by himself to throw caution to the wind, but he seems more relaxed. He looks at me with adoration, like one of those heart eye emojis. I’m sure my eyes reflect the same thing.

I’m fucking smitten with my fluffer.

When I told Jake I needed someone on set to help me keep it up with Trev, I didn’t think I’d end up falling for the man he hired.

That thought makes me miss my mouth and I end up poking myself in the cheek with my fork. Clay gives me a concerned look, but I wave him away, though I’m still a little shaken.

Am I falling for Clay? We’ve known each other for a month, but this thing between us is only hours old. We’ve only had a decent conversation this morning. Not long enough to feel like I’m falling for him. But that’s what this feels like. That heart pounding, stomach swooping feeling of falling in love.

I’ve only been in love once when I was eighteen. It was my best friend at the time, and I thought we’d be together forever. I got the same swooping feeling, the same desire to always be together, the same desire to make him happy.

That relationship ended because his family moved and he went with them across the country. I didn’t want him to feel tied down and he felt the same about me. We don’t talk much, but that’s because we grew apart, not because we hurt one another. No heartbreak in my past, thankfully.

I’m not sure about Clay. He’s only a few years younger than me, but young enough that he may not have experienced heartbreak yet. I don’t want to be the first. I don’t want to break his heart at all. I want to be his first, last and only love. Forever.

Fuck, I am falling for him.

nine

CLAY

Since it’s the weekend, I stayed the night with Yuri. We didn’t stop talking once we started. I didn’t even consider asking him to take me home and he didn’t offer. After we finished dinner, we migrated back to his room, Yuri sitting with his back against the headboard and my head in his lap, eyes closed as he stroked my hair.

It was so natural for me to lie like that earlier. I didn’t question doing it, I just did it. And Yuri stroking my hair like it was second nature to him makes my chest feel all warm and tingly.

Waking the next morning with Yuri’s arm wrapped snugly around me feels like a dream. Who even cuddles throughout the night? That’s stuff only reserved for movies and romance novels. But here we are, Yuri wrapped around me like a spider monkey.

I have to tell my heart to calm the fuck down in my chest because it’s beating a frantic tune, wondering what this means.

I mean, it could mean that Yuri likes to cuddle in his sleep, but how he’s holding on to me? It makes me feel like he doesn’t want to let me go.

Turning around in his arms—which is pretty difficult since he’s holding on to me like there’s no tomorrow—I stare at him as he sleeps, admiring the lines and angles of his face. Christ, he’s handsome. And that’s not just me speaking objectively. My man is fine as fuck. With his sharp jaw, brown hair that always looks tousled and his piercing blue eyes, Yuri is as handsome as they come.

I admire him for a moment more, then my brain catches up with my thoughts. My man. I called him my man in my head. Fuck, I am in way deep and we only just talked about getting to know each other.

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