Page 12 of Compelling Urges

Cooper decided he needed to get out of the house to think for a while, so he put on his board shorts and headed for the garage with the intent of going to the beach. He was loading his longboard onto the rack on his car when Bodhi appeared.

“Heading out?” he asked. When Cooper nodded without comment, he added, “Want some company?”

Cooper glared at Bodhi for a moment and then said, “Not really.”

“Well, I brought you some toast. I thought you ought to eat something before you leave,” Bodhi explained as he stretched out his hand holding the food. “You shouldn’t go surfing by yourselforon an empty stomach.”

Narrowing his eyes, Cooper asked, “Since when do you care what I do, Bodhi?” He took the toast, however, and stuffed a piece in his mouth.

“I always care. You’re mybest friend, Cooper. And I’m sorry if what I did bothered you so much last night. I hope it hasn’t ruined our friendship because I think that would be a terrible thing.” Bodhi looked away and then back again saying softly, “I’m really sorry man. I guess I misread the signals on purpose because I told myself you wanted it. I don’t know what came over me. It just… I just… felt compelled to do it.”

“You don’t have to do anything like that because you feel sorry for me, Bodhi!” Cooper nearly shouted.

Bodhi’s head jerked back like he’d been slapped. “Sorry for you? Why should I feel sorry for you? You’re engaged to Ivy, you’re successful, smart, and a handsome stud. Yeah, my heart bleeds! What are you talking about?”

Cooper’s face went scarlet, and he looked down at his feet. The second forgotten piece of toast dangled from his grasp. Then he took a deep breath and skewered Bodhi with a laser glare. “I assumed you’d noticed me looking at you over the years and you felt like humoring me finally.”

“Looking at me?”

“Yes, Bodhi.Lookingat you. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m impossibly, hopelessly attracted to you and I fuckinglovedwhat you did last night. I don’t know what this means because I’ve never been turned on by a guy before in my whole life. I mean, it was one thing to have you watching us fuck, and that was as hot as hell, but when you… did what you did? Shit, man, I can’t believe what that did to me.” Cooper reached up and grabbed a handful of his hair, looking lost. “I never thought of myself as bi, but that was incredible. I still get one hundred percent turned on by Ivy, but… well… fuck!”

Bodhi’s expression went from concern to mild amusement to lust-filled as Cooper continued his rant.

“… But if that was some kind of consolation suck, then leave me alone from now on,” Cooper ordered. “I don’t need it.”

Bodhi took a step closer to Cooper and stared into his eyes. Softly, he answered, “I did it because I wanted to, Coop. Not because I felt sorry for you or wanted to lead you on or anything like that. I saw what I wanted and I took it without asking. And I loved it too.” He stepped closer once more. “I thought you and Ivy were trying to pay me back by tormenting me. I know you’re mad that I left you guys, and I’m sorrier than you’ll ever know about that. But to answer your question about noticing you looking at me—no. I wasn’t aware of it because I was probably trying to be so sly about watching you, and it never occurred to me that the feeling was reciprocated. I don’t know how to flirt with a guy, for Chrissake. I’ve never done it in my life. I’ve never even wanted to before. Maybe I came on a little strong for the first time, though.” He snickered.

“Yeah, well… you really did go in for the kill,” Cooper said with a laugh. “So, what are we saying here? We’re suddenly gay or something?”

Bodhi laughed. “I don’t think that it’s all that sudden, and I think it’s definitely more bi than gay, but I’m sick of pretending it’s not there—especially if you feel it too.” He reached up and stroked his hand along Cooper’s jaw and into his hair.

Cooper’s eyes closed and he turned his face into Bodhi’s hand like a cat that craved his touch. “So now what?” He opened his eyes with a start. “What about Ivy?”

Bodhi left his hand in place, saying, “What about her? She seemed pretty turned on by us. You heard her just a little while ago—she wanted more of what we did. Or… what I did.” He let that register for a moment. “Why don’t we go talk to her about it… unless you have your heart set on surfing this morning.”

“Nah, not really. The waves are flat today according to the surf report. I was more interested in getting out and clearing my head.” Closing the gap between their bodies, Cooper felt Bodhi’s warmth spread through him. He stared into Bodhi’s hazel eyes and said, “I’m still really, really pissed at you for leaving, but at least it got Ivy and me together. She’s my fiancée, Bodhi, so don’t forget it.”

“Why do you think I’ve been such a mental case? I understand you’re engaged, and it hurts like a motherfucker, but I don’t want to mess up your lives. I just can’t stop wanting both of you and I never stopped loving either of you, no matter how far away I was.”

Cooper sucked in a startled breath.

“Yeah, Cooper. I said it. I’ve been in love with you just as much as I’m in love with Ivy, only for a much longer time.”

This time it was Cooper’s hand that reached for Bodhi’s face and pulled him closer. Their mouths crashed together in a searing kiss born of want and desire. They kissed like they were battling for supremacy. Nothing gentle happened there. It was a kiss made of teeth clashing, lip-biting, tongue-sucking, and primal growls. It went on and on as they tasted each other, nipped at each other, all the while grinding their hard bodies together with hungry, rutting confusion.

It may have been seconds or minutes or hours—they both lost all track of time, but they pulled away when a startled gasp came from the side door of the garage. Ivy had come looking for them. “Oh! I… um… just came out to see if you’d both left for the beach, but I never heard a car leave. Sorry to… um… disturb you.” She started to back away but then she paused and studied the two of them. “But… so… what’s going on, guys?”

Cooper looked embarrassed and pulled his hands away from Bodhi’s body as Bodhi turned to Ivy. “I was just explaining to Cooper what the Brits call snogging—a new word I learned in London. He says it’s tonsil hockey, and I think he wins because he scored.” Bodhi looked at Cooper’s red face and chuckled, then he acknowledged Ivy’s equally red visage and announced, “Relax, everyone. Cooper and I finally admitted our attraction to each other, and I went a step further and let him know how much I still love both of you. What you just saw was the result of that confession. Cool, huh?”

Ivy’s eyes bugged and her jaw dropped. Then she started to leak tears as she pulled off her engagement ring and thrust it into Cooper’s hand. “I’ll go call my friend and be out of your way.” She turned to leave, but two strong hands grasped her arms—one from each guy.

“Don’t go,” Cooper said in a pleading voice at the same time Bodhi laughed and told her, “No reason to go anywhere, Ivy. I don’t want to break you guys up. I wouldn’t mind enhancing your relationship now and then with a little triple-time action, though.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her startled face and then grew serious. “I meant what I said though. I still love you. I love Cooper too, and I was too much of a chickenshit to admit it to either of you. I messed up everything, and I can’t tell you enough times how sorry I am.”

Ivy looked at her feet and then back at the two men regarding her avidly. Letting out a huff of air, she said, “I think we all need to talk about this, so let’s get out of this garage and go get comfortable somewhere, okay?”

“Bed?” asked Bodhi.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Maybe eventually, but we need to have an adult conversation first, horndog.”

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