Page 24 of No Reservations

Wes and Dee were my best friends. They had been with me through the hardest times in my life – coming out, losing Santi, finding myself again – and they understood me on a cellular level. If I couldn’t bare my heart to them, how could I ever let Cole know what I felt?

Matthew:I want everything.

Dee:You deserve everything, Matthew.

Wes:Well, what are you waiting for?

I tried to return to the tent manual and safety sheet, but my mind kept straying back to that morning Cole and I shared in bed. Every morning since he invited me to leave the couch and sleep with him, we woke up tangled together as if neither of us could get enough of touching. I knew I was a total octopus in bed, but Cole didn’t seem to mind. He liked it.

Thoughts of spooning him, hands splayed across his firm chest, or tucking my thigh between his while I tried to soothe thetense knots from his shoulders filled my mind. My dick woke up and plumped inside the thin layer of my cotton shorts.

Memories of another night, hot skin pressed together as I straddled his thighs, made me even harder. I tipped back in my chair and shoved my shorts down far enough to grip my length in one fist. My low groan overlaid the sound of my phone buzzing with another text, which I ignored in favor of the delicious fantasies building in my mind.

I tightened my grip and stroked slowly upward to circle the head of my dick with my palm before easing back toward my balls again. I matched the memory of the movement against Cole’s cock the morning we finally got naked together. As my mind filled with sensations of his throbbing length in my fist, our skin pressed so tightly together, and the hot burst of cum across his flat abs, I couldn’t stop the orgasm from exploding through me.

I shot with a cry, my body lurching upright before sinking back against the cushion of my computer chair. My palm filled with white, and I blinked back to the reality of my lonely room.

Would Cole let me fuck him? How would it feel to slide deep inside and give him the type of pleasure he deserved? My dick made a valiant effort to recover, but I took a deep breath and blew it out hot and slow to calm my racing thoughts.

The safety manual waited for me on my glowing laptop screen. I had only two days to wait until I’d be flying my way westward to LA and Cole. It felt like forever. After a quick wash and a fresh glass of water, I settled in front of the keyboard once again. I didn’t want anything to stand in the way of getting to the man who felt real in ways that nothing had in a very long time.

***

The plane touched down mid-afternoon, but my body and mind told me it was dinner time. My stomach growled as I reached for the carryon in the overhead compartment and waited behind the other passengers to disembark. I hadn’t checked any bags, so I wound through the crowds of other travelers as quickly as possible on the way out of the gate.

A woman with thick cornrow braids and a three-piece burgundy suit held a printed sign with my name on it. My feet stumbled to a halt, and I almost lost my flip-flop. After an awkward hop, I turned in her direction. A quick smirk crossed her features before she resumed her perfectly professional look.

“I’m Matthew West,” I said and pointed to the sign.

“Welcome to Los Angeles, Mr. West. I’ll be taking you to your destination this afternoon. Do you have other luggage?”

I shook my head and fell into step beside her. “No. This is it. I didn’t know Cole was sending a car. I could’ve just taken an Uber.”

She shot me another smile and twinkle of her dark eyes. “Mr. Gilliam takes care of his guests.” The driver led me through a door marked “Private Access” and out into the dim light of a covered parking lot. The California sun made mirages appear on the tarmac beyond the overhang.

I wanted to ask her if Cole had a lot of guests he took care of like this, but I figured she either wouldn’t know or wouldn’t want to gossip about her employer. “What’s your name?” I asked when she opened the back door of a sleek, black town car for me.

“Nia Davis, Mr. West.” She closed the door before I had a chance to tell her to call me Matthew, rounded the car, and slipped into the driver's seat. “It’ll take about an hour to arrive. Feel free to put on music, watch something, and have a drink or snack.”

Settling my carryon on the seat next to me, I leaned down to open a tiny cooler built into the center console. I chose a bottleof water and a protein bar. I had no clue what Cole had planned for the evening, but I wasn’t going to make it to dinner California time without something to quiet the rumbling in my tummy.

The afternoon sun glinted off silver and glass high-rises and burnished the edges of towering palm tree fronds. It was a completely different world from the small eastern suburb I called home, and definitely a world away from the cute Halcyon Inn cabin by the lake. I’d been to New York City a couple of times in my life, but LA was something else. I tried to convince myself the location worried me more than how things would go with Cole.

A while later, we turned off the busy interstate onto a smaller road, and twenty minutes after that, the car pulled through the wide metal gates of a condominium community surrounded by towering trees and gardens.

“Here you are, Mr. West.” She hurried around to open my door before I even had my bag strap over my shoulder. Her free hand held out a small leather folder to me. “Straight down this walk and up the left stairs. Your destination is through the right door. Have a great stay in LA.”

I didn’t know what I expected. I knew Cole had money. Anyone who lived in Los Angeles had to. I felt a bit like an outsider as I strolled down the cement walk under flowering vines and palm trees, up the wide stone steps, and through a spotless glass door. A perfectly coiffed woman in a floral dress and heels eyed me up and down before hurrying into an elevator, dragging a chihuahua with a pink bow around its neck along behind her.

The leather folder contained a key and a handwritten note from Cole. “My business meeting may run late. Let yourself in and make yourself comfortable. I can’t wait to see you.” I couldn’t fight the smile on my way up four floors in the elevator and down the hall to his door.

I couldn’t stop the gasp when I got my first glimpse of Cole’s home. White walls edged an open concept living space twice as large as my whole apartment. Light-wood beams lined the high ceiling. Massive windows revealed a view of palms, flowering plants far below, and in the distance, taller buildings that reflected the late-day sun. The sectional and chairs at the far side of the room were fawn leather. The art on the walls modern and meaningless to me. Everything looked incredibly clean and expensive.

My worn leather flip-flops looked ridiculous on the marble tiles. I tucked them neatly next to the door and took a deep breath. “Cole?” My voice almost echoed in the wide-open space. When no one answered, I shook my head and set my bag down near my shoes.

I’d been to multiple events with thousand-dollar tickets while wearing suits that cost more than my monthly income. I could survive a high-priced condo in LA for Cole’s sake, too. He wanted me there. I reminded myself that, even if nothing else, I had to be there as part of the contract. But I knew there was something else.

“Well, Matthew… make yourself at home, he said.” My stomach growled again despite the power bar. Tucked around a corner, past a huge pillar and a potted palm, the kitchen came into view. The marble-topped island could fit a twin-size mattress. Gleaming stainless-steel appliances looked big enough to feed a whole party. Did Cole have parties here a lot? Did the boys from the band come over and hang out on his massive couch? Did he bring hookups here?

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