Page 18 of The Road Ahead
Istood in front of the bathroom vanity, turning the heart-shaped stone over and over in my fingers. It was a little before noon, and I was only just getting into the shower. We’d been ravenous when we’d gotten back from our run, so Cooper and I had started on breakfast right away. Once we’d all eaten, Teresa had asked me to show her a few self-defense moves, and that had taken up the rest of the morning. I roped Cooper into helping, and he’d been a good sport about it, even though he ended up with a few bruises by the end of it.
I might have been busy all morning, but my mind had been whirring in the background, analyzing the data I had at my disposal, and putting together all the evidence I had gathered. In my mind, the conclusion was pretty indisputable.
Cooper was into me.
The lingering looks and the constant touching could be dismissed as personality quirks, but that alone wouldn’t have convinced me. Gifting me a rock in the shape of a fucking loveheart was definitely not platonic. His reaction to seeing me in my pajamas last night was visceral. And then there was the incident in the car last night. If I ever chose to procreate, I would bet my first born that Cooper had freakingorgasmedwhen I’d pulled that one-eighty maneuver.
Yeah, there weren’t really any doubts left in my mind that Cooper was attracted to me. Yes, I’d questioned if he could be since he was gay, but sexuality could be fluid. No one was locked into one orientation. Just because up until now Cooper had only ever been with men, that didn’t mean he couldn’t develop an attraction to an enby like me. Straight dudes had bi awakenings all the time. Cooper was proof that gay men could also have pan-awakenings as well.
If I was being honest, the cousin thing had fed my doubts for a while. Being involved with your first cousin was generally the punchline of a joke about hillbillies or the British royal family. It wasn’t common, and it wasn’t readily accepted. But Cooper had also been familiar with the law in Minnesota. Yeah, we couldn’t get married, but otherwise the law here didn’t really have a problem if we were together. Neither, the evidence suggested, did Cooper.
So, Cooper was into me, and I wasdefinitelyinto Cooper. There was no doubting the attraction between us. Personality wise, we were compatible. We got along like a house on fire. Sexually . . . well, I guess we’d have to see. Due to my stature, my gender neutrality, and the way I dressed, guys always assumed I was a happy little bottom. I’d tried it in the past, but my prostate wasn’t one of those magic buttons that some people had. Anal just wasn’t that pleasurable for me, and if penetration was involved, I was a strict top now.
Would Cooper have a problem with that? Was I being a hypocrite and simply assuming hewouldhave a problem with it because helookedlike a stereotypical top? That made me justas bad as everyone who had ever made an assumption about me. Really, until I asked him outright about it, I wouldn’t know. Communication—it works, bitches.
I needed to talk to Cooper and confirm how he felt, ask if he wanted to give it a go with me, and then take it one step at a time.
Finding the right moment to talk to him would be the tricky part. The cabin wasn’t exactly spacious, so privacy wasn’t guaranteed. Doing it at the festival was probably out of the question as well, since it wasn’t really something I wanted to discuss in public. Maybe I’d leave it for the morning, since I’m sure we’d go running together again.
Having a plan in place wouldn’t stop me from doing everything in my power to drive Cooper wild today, though. I was going to bring my fucking A game so I could show him exactly what he could expect if he got with me. I grinned to myself as I rummaged through my suitcase for the perfect outfit.
There was a line dancing session at the festival today that Cooper had said he wanted to attend, and with that in mind, I pulled out a pair of tiny denim shorts. I didn’t have a checked shirt or anything to really pull off the aesthetic, but a white button-up tied at the front would suffice. Also, unlike Cooper, who could pass as a genuine, real-life cowboy, I didn’t own a pair of cowboy boots. My heeled ankle boots would be fine, and would make my legs look a tiny bit longer. I needed all the help I could get in that department.
After going over my cheeks and chin with my electric razor, I carefully applied my makeup. I then found the perfect dangly earrings, and after tying a silk kerchief around my throat, I was ready. I sauntered into the living area, then paused in the doorway to give Cooper more than ample time to ogle me.
And ogle he did. I wasn’t entirely sure how I could have doubted his attraction towards me, because his eyes were almost hanging out on stalks as he took in my appearance. Myconfidence soared and I felt a hundred feet tall as I crossed to the sofa and sank down next to him. “Hey there,” I said, lightly resting my hand on his arm.
“Holy shit, Rio,” he whispered. “You look amazing!”
I took a moment to appreciate his outfit. He was wearing his usual jeans and a yellow and black checked shirt that made his hazel eyes appear almost amber. His hair had been carefully tousled with gel, but he hadn’t shaved and his jaw was darkened with stubble. He was also already wearing his boots, which were a soft-looking suede, scuffed from previous use. “Thanks, cowboy,” I told him with a coy smile. “You scrub up pretty nicely yourself.”
Cooper blushed, and it was empowering to know I’d been the one to cause that reaction. “Thanks, Rio.”
“Do you have a Stetson to wear as well?” I teased.
“I have one,” he admitted. “I’m not sure if I should wear it or not, though.”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
He shrugged, looking embarrassed. “It might be too much.”
“Hey, no one wants to be basic.” I leaned over and smacked a kiss on his cheek. “Wear the hat, Coop. You look sexy as fuck, so own it.”
“If you two have finished flirting, we should get going,” Teresa said, startling us apart.
Cooper jumped up off the couch and ran a hand through his hair. “Um . . .”
I laughed and got to my feet as well. It looked like the perfect opportunity had arisen to at least hint at my feelings. Linking my arm with Cooper’s, I grinned at Teresa. “The flirting probably won’t ever end, but we can head out now if you want.”
The startled expression on Cooper’s face at my statement was at complete odds with the excited gleam in his sister’s eyes. “I’m glad to see you two seem to be making progress.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cooper demanded.
She snorted. “Oh, Coop. You can’t tell me you think you’ve been able to keep your feelings a secret.” She then met my gaze. “Rio certainly hasn’t. You two are totally hot for each other, and I’m glad you’re finally doing something about it.”
Cooper had gone stiff as a board next to me. “W . . . w . . . we are?”
Teresa crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her brother. “You fucking better be. You know better than anyone that life’s too short not to be with the one you want.” Her expression twisted a little then, but it quickly cleared. “Don’t miss out on a chance at true happiness because you’re too scared to take the leap.”
