*****

Steve Sloan pulled up to his friend’s apartment complex, watching fondly as the kinetic young man jogged down the front steps of the building to meet his car. When Jesse had called to ask for a ride to the hospital, he hadn’t minded a bit. Alone? In the relatively small and confined space of a car’s interior? With Jesse?

Steve had all but jumped at the chance.

He’d known since meeting his father’s newest protege’ that he’d been attracted to young Dr. Travis. Although long reconciled to his preference for men, Steve had made sure to keep his desire for the other man to himself, not sure that Jesse shared his orientation. Loathe to disrupt their budding friendship by making a sexual pass that might ruin it, Steve had chosen to bide his time.

Such patience was a two-edge sword. The more time he spent with Jess, the more he felt his heart open up to the compassionate young man, not to mention the rapidly building desire he felt for Jesse’s compact but athletic physique. Every time he had to stand by and watch Jesse get involved with a new woman, only to eventually get rejected, Steve wanted to step in and declare himself. With him, at least, Jesse’s heart would be safe.

“Thanks, Steve,” Jesse said as he got in the car, bringing Steve’s focus back to the here-and-now. “I can’t believe my car broke down again.”

Steve grinned at the younger man. “Jess, at this point, I think you’d be more surprised if your car did run than if it didn’t.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Please. No nagging about the car. I told you, it has to get me through my internship. Then I can get a new one.” Realizing that he was being a little less than gracious to the man who was helping him out by giving him a lift to work, he quickly added, “unless I become too much of a nuisance, bumming a ride all the time.”

By this time, Steve had brought his sedan back into traffic and he could only spare a quick glance in Jesse’s direction. Sure enough, the doctor had a puppy-dog expression on his face. That particular look got past the detective’s defenses every time. The sexually frustrated portion of Steve’s mind immediately wanted to slip this particular puppy a bone, but he took firm control of himself and instead reassured his young friend. “Don’t worry about it, Jess. With all the time and trouble you go to help me with some of my cases, a ride now and then is the least I can do in return.”

“I do?” Jesse’s voice sounded cheerfully surprised. “Help, I mean. On your police work.”

Steve threw a confused look towards the doctor, wishing they hadn’t made it to the freeway so he could spare more time to figure out what was going on with the other man. “Of course you’re a help. I thought you knew that.”

When he answered, Jesse’s voice sounded a bit sheepish. “Sometimes I wonder. I mean, I know that Jack was a big help to you, but I’m not so good at it. I’ve been afraid that maybe I’ve been getting in the way instead of being of assistance to you.”

A trained observer, Steve couldn’t help but notice not only the reference to Dr. Jack Stewart, but also that Jesse was concerned that he’d been in Steve’s way. Not Dr. Mark Sloan, the one who actually instigated most of the instances where Jesse had been drafted into police work, but Steve.

Interesting.

“Of course you’re a help to me. So was Jack. But, you know, you bring a whole new outlook and set of experiences. Don’t sell yourself short, Jess.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Steve’s firmly wholehearted response seemed to reassure the young doctor. Steve spared a little attention away from his driving and was rewarded with the sight of a happily grinning passenger.

The thought that he’d been the one to make Jesse’s smile so wide went straight to Steve’s groin. Considering what he’d observed earlier, and now the way Jess was smiling at him, maybe his feelings weren't as unrequited as he'd feared.

“So,” he said casually, “how long’s the bug gonna be in the shop.”

Jesse sighed. “Just a couple of days, I hope. It depends on how long it takes to get the parts.”

Steve shook his head in contemplation. “On second thought, despite what I said before, that car really suits you. You know that old saying, that people with dogs start looking like their pets....”

“Oh, no,” the doctor groaned, “please don’t tell me that I look like my car. I’ve been hearing that I was ‘cute as a bug’s ear’ since I was a kid, I don’t wanna hear it from you too.”

The detective grinned at the younger man’s protest. “Actually, I was thinking more that your VW convertible was compact but more powerful than people give it credit for, kind of like you. But now that you mention it, adorable seems appropriate.”

Steve bit his lip to keep from laughing at Jesse’s flummoxed expression. Apparently, the last thing the young man expected was for his friend to describe him as adorable. It was the only time that the detective could recollect that Jess had been rendered speechless.

Luckily for Steve’s composure, they had reached their destination of Community General and he pulled the car up to the entrance. When several seconds went by without the other man getting out, he realized that Jesse was still staring at him and hadn’t noticed they had arrived.

“Umm, Jess?” Steve finally prodded. “We’re here.”

“Oh? What?” Jesse looked around in confusion, then made a wild grab for the door handle. “Hey, thanks a lot, Steve, I appreciate it.” Then, without waiting for a reply, the confused doctor fled into the hospital.

“Don’t mention it,” Steve called after him, enjoying the view of Jesse’s rapidly retreating backside.

Dr. Travis wasn’t the only one that had found the direction of the conversation unexpected. For the last several months, Steve had been working under the assumption that Jesse was not interested in men. Now, based on the younger man’s reactions, he wasn’t so sure. Jesse had reacted with confusion, true enough, but hadn’t seemed repelled. Had Steve erred on the side of caution?

Only one thing was for sure – he had to find out.

****************************

Steve couldn’t wait to get rid of his dad.

Waiting at the gate for his father’s flight, the detective couldn’t help but be impatient. He loved his father, but sometimes the older man was too observant for his peace of mind. Too involved in his son’s life. Too... there. Once having decided that he needed to determine, once and for all, if Jesse would be receptive to a deeper relationship than what they currently enjoyed, Steve was eager to get on with it. But he wanted to wait until his father was out of the picture, temporarily, at least, before he started anything.

It wasn’t that his dad didn’t know of his sexual preference. A keen observer, Mark Sloan had known Steve was bisexual even before his son had. Even so, Mark didn’t really approve of some of Steve’s liaisons and the detective had a feeling that his father wouldn’t like the idea of Steve wooing Jesse Travis. Not one little bit. Steve wasn’t the only one protective of that particular young man and his father was sure to object to him making a move on his innocent protege’.

“Got something on your mind, son?”

The question startled Steve and he replied with an eloquent, “Huh?”

His father chuckled. “You’re only that preoccupied when you’re up to something. Not planning any wild parties at the house while I’m gone, are you?”

Steve blushed. In fact, he was planning something. What he had in mind was more of an intimate seduction than a wild party, but still....

“No, Pop,” he laughed, feigning amusement at the question, “no wild parties.”

Mark Sloan tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, automatically noting how his son wouldn’t meet his gaze. Something was going on here...

Luckily for Steve, his father’s flight was called, stalling any additional questions. Dr. Sloan pulled his son in for a quick hug, making sure to catch Steve’s eyes this time. “Whatever you’ve got planned, just be careful and clean up after yourself, okay?”

“Okay, Dad,” the detective promised, resigned to the fact that his dad had seen right through him. “You have a good time. Call me when you get there....”

Finally, Mark Sloan was on the plane and his son could turn away with a sigh of relief. Thank goodness his father hadn’t admonished him not to do anything he wouldn’t do. His reaction to a statement like that would have given the whole thing away and Steve wasn’t sure if his father would leave, if he knew what his son had in mind. Disaster narrowly averted, the detective set his mind to more important business.

After several months of hopeless longing and a couple of days of frantic planning, Operation Jesse could now begin.

****************************

“Are you sure this is such a good idea?”

Steve put his hand on the small of Jesse’s back, gently pushing his young friend into the deserted shooting range. “I’m sure, Jess. What if something happens while you’re helping my dad and I with a case and somehow you get a gun in your hands? Would you know what to do with it? Even if you never plan on carrying a firearm yourself, which, by the way, I wouldn’t recommend, it’s best for everyone if you know how to use one.”

The Los Angeles detective had thought hard for several days to figure out a legitimate way to get his hands on Jesse Travis, something more intimate than the casual gesture he was currently enjoying. Despite his ulterior motives, his reasoning for the gun training was sound. As long as Jesse continued to help Steve and his father with police work, there was a very real chance he would be called upon at some point to use a gun. While the cop didn’t really like to think of the younger man being weapons trained, he liked the thought of Jesse being killed or seriously injured due to ignorance even less.

Of course, that wasn’t his only reason for having Jesse out here, but the doctor didn’t need to know that. Not yet.

“I dunno, Steve.” Jesse wasn’t quite so sure. “I’m a doctor, I’m supposed to heal people, not shoot holes in them.”

“Jess, we’ve been all through this,” Steve said, pocketing the keys he’d used to open the building and moving to turn on all the lights. “You’re less likely to hurt someone with a gun if you know how to use it. Even my dad has taken shooting lessons-- and they’ve come in handy a time or two. Ask him.”

“All right, all right,” Jesse reluctantly conceded, only then taking a good look at the place and realizing they were the only people there. “Where is everybody?”

Steve shrugged. “It’s Sunday, the one day of the week the range is usually closed.”

“Then why are we here?”

“I know that this isn’t easy for you, so I thought it would be best if we had your first lesson when there isn’t anybody else around, so you wouldn’t feel so weird about it,” Steve explained.

“Oh. Okay,” Jesse smiled, pleased that his friend had taken his feelings into account and made special arrangements. “Thanks.”

Steve squelched a feeling of guilt, knowing his respect for Jesse’s feelings wasn’t the only reason he’d gotten the younger man here on a day they were assured to be alone. Still, if this worked out the way he hoped it would, Jesse wouldn’t mind. And if it didn’t turn out in his favor, well, Jesse need never know. “Let’s get started.”

The detective set his bag on a chair and pulled out the safety equipment, showing Jesse how to adjust the protective ear muffs to provide the maximum noise shielding. Then, he handed the doctor a pair of safety goggles and waited until they were firmly in place before proceeding.

“Okay, we’ll go over the parts of the gun and some basics on how to take care of it later. The main objective today is for you to get comfortable with it in your hand, and not to be afraid of it when you have to discharge your weapon.”

Succinctly, the detective went over the procedure of how to fire. Tugging the smaller man into position, Steve stood close behind Jesse and wrapped his arms around him. His longer arms made it easy to cup Jesse’s hands in his own, guiding the doctor in the proper hand-hold for a gun. “Okay, nice and easy now, Jess. No, keep you feet wide apart.” Steve closed his eyes and reminded himself to behave, then inserted his knee in-between Jesse’s legs, gently encouraging the other man’s feet to part in order to achieve the correct firing pose. “That’s good. Now, gently squeeze on the trigger....”

An experienced marksman, Steve was prepared for the kick-back as the gun was fired. His hands still wrapped around Jesse’s, he braced himself as he felt Jesse’s finger tighten on the trigger. With a loud bang, the weapon discharged and Steve soon found himself with an arm full of doctor as the jerk of the gun pulled the smaller man off balance and he tumbled backward.

Steve allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of Jesse’s ass pressed hard against his groin as the other man struggled to maintain his balance.

“You okay?” He asked when Jesse regained his footing.

“Yeah. Sorry about that.” The doctor answered with a blush.

The cop chuckled. “Happens to everyone with their first shot. Dad fell flat on his butt.”

As expected, the comment about Jesse’s idol and mentor brightened the younger man up. “Really?”

“Really.” Steve winked. “Just don’t tell him I told you, all right? Now let’s try it again.”

By the time Steve was convinced that they’d accomplished enough for Jesse’s first lesson, he’d managed to touch most of the younger man’s upper body at least once and below the belt a time or two. All under the cover, of course, of showing Jesse the proper stance for using a gun.

He was quite satisfied with the results.

Not only could the doctor manage to hit the shooting target more often than not, but the object of his desire was also distinctly flushed and panting by the time they were finished.

It looked like Operation Jesse could go on to Phase Two.

****************************

The next day, Steve Sloan poked his head into the doctor’s lounge. A familiar face to the hospital staff, the nurse he’d questioned had no hesitation on telling him where to find Jesse. To his bemusement, however, the young doctor was curled up on the lounge’s lone couch, fast asleep.

Steve walked quietly, even though he’d come to Community General with the sole intention of talking to Jesse. But if the younger man was so tired, he was reluctant to disturb his nap. Looking down on the drowsing figure, he smiled fondly at how young the other man looked while asleep. Jesse had an innate innocence that always made him seem younger than his years even when awake, but asleep, well, Steve felt like a cradle robber for his planned seduction. Bending down, the detective tenderly brushed the hair out of Jesse’s eyes, intending on leaving and speaking to Jess later, but even as carefully as he’d touched the smaller man, it was enough to wake him.

“Wh- Steve? What’s the matter? Is everything okay with your dad?” Jesse rubbed both eyes in attempt to become more alert.

Steve crouched down, applying pressure with one hand on the nearest shoulder to keep the other man from rising. “No, everything’s okay, Jess. Relax. I’m sorry I woke you.” When Jesse settled back into the sofa, he explained the reason for his visit. “I was in the neighborhood and just wanted to see if your car was still in the shop or if it’d been fixed.”

“Hey, thanks,” Jesse smiled. So far from home and his family, the other man’s concern made him feel good. “Nah, I got it back this morning before my shift started. Good as new.”

“Until next time it decides to quit running,” Steve teased, then went on to add an invitation before Jesse could respond to the jibe. “I was wondering, there’s a full moon tonight. Were you serious when you said you’d be interested in doing some moonlight surfing? Tonight would be a good night for it,” Steve offered, going on to clarify when the doctor’s jaw cracked in a huge yawn, “If you’re up for it, that is.”

“Are you kidding?” Jesse asked, dimples deepening as he grinned ear to ear. “I’ve always wanted to try that. Thanks! I’ll be there...” Suddenly noticing the time on the clock behind his friend, he leapt to his feet. “Oops. It’s my turn to do Mark’s rounds and I’m five minutes late. Gotta run....”

“Not so fast,” Steve grabbed the young man before he could leave the room. Using his fingers, the detective smoothed Jesse’s hair back into its proper place. “There. Now you look presentable.”

“Thanks,” Jesse gave his friend an odd look before making his way towards the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yeah, tonight,” Steve echoed to the now-empty lounge. “I can hardly wait.”

****************************

“Wow, it’s really beautiful out here.” Jesse’s voice held awe as he looked at the moonlit beach.

“Yeah, beautiful,” Steve agreed. Only, instead of looking at the water, his eyes never left Jesse’s face.

Something in the detective’s tone must have alerted the doctor, because Jesse threw his friend a confused look. The younger man opened his mouth to say something, but must have thought better of it, because he simply grabbed his surfboard and headed towards the waves.

Steve took a moment to admire Jesse’s Neoprene clad body before following. His open admiration was throwing Jess off-balance, just as he’d hoped.

He loved it when a plan came together.

****************************

A little while later, Steve Sloan was regretting that smug satisfaction as he helped a hobbling Jesse Travis up from the beach, all but carrying the smaller man. Jesse had been off-balance all right, enough that he’d come down hard and twisted his ankle. The doctor couldn’t put any weight on it just yet, but was resisting Steve’s efforts to take him to the emergency room, grumpily reminding the detective that he was a doctor and should know when he needed medical help.

Instead, the detective assisted Jesse into the beach house he shared with his father, carefully depositing the younger man onto the couch. Then, following the physician’s tersely given directions, he carefully wrapped up the ankle. Once he confirmed with his own fingers the slight swelling to the ankle, Steve calmed down. Even he knew that if it was seriously injured, there would be a lot more inflamation and soreness that what Jesse exhibited. Since that was the case, he took advantage of the situation, allowing his hands to linger on the other man’s feet and calves.

“All right, that’s it,” Jesse finally said, pulling his leg out of Steve’s grasp and curling up on the sofa.

Steve settled back onto his knees, dismayed by the younger man’s defensive posture. “What’s it? What’s the matter?”

Jesse looked at him warily. “Have I done something wrong?”

The detective got up and joined Jesse on the couch, discouraged to see the younger man flinch back into the pillows. “Wrong? What makes you think you’ve done something wrong?”

“You’ve been acting funny the past couple of days,” Jesse explained. “First it was that adorable comment the other day, the morning you gave me the ride to work, remember? Then, you were playing touchy feely at the shooting range and tonight...” The doctor gulped and looked away, “Tonight, when you said it was beautiful, you were looking at me, not the beach. I was just wondering if I’d done something wrong...”

Steve shook his head. “No, Jess, you haven’t done anything wrong. Quite the contrary, actually.” The big man got up from the couch, quickly returning with some ibuprofen and a glass of water. While Jesse downed the pills, he continued. “Frankly, I’m glad you finally noticed. I’ve been working really hard to get your attention.”

In the middle of taking a second sip of water, Jesse stopped with the glass halfway to his mouth. Steve was immediately reminded of the proverbial “deer in the headlights.” Reaching over, he ran his thumb across the smaller man’s lips, wiping away the water droplets lingering there.

“Jess, I’ve been attracted to you from the first day I met you, but I didn’t think you were attracted to men, so I didn’t do anything about it. But as I’ve gotten to know you better, I realized what an open-minded person you were, so I thought that I’d take the chance that you might be able to return my feelings...”

Hurt ankle or not, Jesse exploded off the couch. The young man immediately winced and faltered, but he waved Steve off when the other man started to rise in order to assist him. “Look, Steve. You’re my best friend and I... I think it’s safe to say that I love you. But not That Way. I’ve never been attracted to a man That Way before.”

Steve arched one eyebrow. “Oh really? Didn’t I see you checking me out in my wetsuit tonight?”

Jesse sputtered a denial. “Wh-? No way!”

The detective settled back, a smirk on his lips. “Methinks the doctor doth protest too much.”

“What!” Jesse started to take a step forward, but his ankle gave way. Steve was there before he could fall and, with a strong arm around the smaller man’s waist, assisted him to the couch. Frustrated at needing help and, especially, not being able to deny Steve’s claim without reinforcing it instead, the young man brooded silently.

“Look, seriously, Jess,” Steve said, “have you ever been with another man?”

“No.”

Using his most reasonable tone, the detective replied, “Then how do you know you don’t like it?”

In a nervous gesture, Jesse ran an hand through his hair. “Some things you don’t need to experience to know you won’t like them.”

“Okay, I’ll grant you that.” Steve blew the air out of his lungs in an explosive sigh of frustration. “You were right, you know, about how I’ve been acting for the past couple of days. I’ve been using any excuse I can think of to get my hands on you. And I noticed you haven’t protested. Can you truly say you didn’t like the attention?”

Jesse was an honest man and answered, albeit reluctantly. “No-o-o-o-o-o.”

“Look, Jess, I know this is kind of out of the blue,” Steve leaned in so that the doctor could see his sincerity. “And I know this a big concept for you to get your mind around. I’m not expecting you to jump into bed with me.”

“Then what are you expecting?”

“A chance, Jess. Do you trust me?” Steve held his breath, waiting for an answer.

Jesse thought about all of his experiences with his friend, about the type of man that Steve Sloan was. He nodded. There was no question about it; he did trust Steve, with his life.

Steve smiled. “Thank you, Jesse. You have no idea what that means to me. Since we’ve established that you trust me and that my attentions over the last couple of days haven’t been totally unappreciated, I’d like to ask you for a little more time. Give me a week, sweetheart, that’s all I ask. If at the end of a week, you can honestly say that you still can’t see yourself in a relationship with another man, then I’ll back off and we can go back to being friends, same as always. You have my word on it”

Inwardly, Steve winced at his slip in referring to Jesse as “sweetheart.” Although the endearment flowed naturally off his lips, he was afraid that it was too much too soon, and that he might have already ruined any chance he might have had at wooing the skittish man.

Jesse considered carefully. Frankly, his responses over the last couple of days had confused him and here Steve was offering him a risk-free opportunity to explore this aspect of his personality. Still, this was his sexual outlook they were talking about, not a topic to be taken lightly. “What if during the week, I get chicken?”

Steve had already thought of this eventuality. “Wait here a minute, I’ve got an idea.”

He was off the couch and halfway to his bedroom before Jesse could even blink. Only a heartbeat or two later, the big man was back, something small and glittering in his hand.

“Wear this. If you feel at all uncomfortable or want to stop before the week is up, just give this back to me and it’s over. No questions asked.”

Wordlessly, Jesse took the offered object, realizing once it was in his grasp that it was ring. Looking closely, he could see a military insignia on it and quickly deduced that this was the ring Steve had been presented when leaving the army after two tours of duty in Viet Nam. The doctor weighed the small circle of gold in his hand, the significance of what it implied much heavier than its negligible physical weight. Then, still silent, he slipped it on his finger...

... where it promptly slid off.

Both men watched as the ring bounced off the cushions of the sofa, the accident breaking the tension in the air. Steve was the one to grab it and, gently taking one of Jesse’s hands, eased the ring on the smaller man’s thumb.

“I forgot that your hands are smaller than mine. It ought to be safer there.” He dared a quick look into the other man’s face. “That is, if you still want to go through with it.”

“I trust you, Steve” Jesse softly said, “I won’t promise how it’ll turn out, but I’m willing to give this a try. I know you won’t abuse that trust.”

“That’s all I ask, Jess. Thank you.”

And with that, Operation Jesse entered into Phase Three.

****************************

Day 1

As Jesse Travis limped down the steps of his apartment complex, he was surprised to see Steve Sloan pull up. The older man had eventually convinced him the night before that a quick trip to the ER for an x-ray was in order for his ankle. Jesse had rolled his eyes at the detective’s fussing, but gave in when he realized that Steve was feeling guilty for having suggested the moonlight surfing to begin with. The x-ray had shown what the doctor had known all along, instead of a broken bone or even a sprain, the injury was merely a deep bruise.

Jesse had been quite eloquent with his “I told you so” comments.

Still, at least the unnecessary trip had proven to the detective that Jesse truly wasn’t hurt. Thus, the doctor’s surprise when the older man showed up curbside just as he was leaving for work.

“What are you doing here?” He asked as the cop put the car in park and got out.

“Good morning to you too,” Steve cheerfully responded, circling the automobile to come to Jesse’s side.

The younger man bit his lip, realizing that he’d been less than friendly to the man he’d agreed the night before to date. “Sorry about that. I guess I was just surprised to see you this morning.”

Steve did a surreptitious check to make sure the ring was still on Jesse’s thumb. It was. Sighing in relief, he explained to his would-be lover why he was there. “I just thought your ankle might be too sore to drive with, so I thought I would give you a ride.” He opened the passenger side door with a gallant gesture.

“Oh,” Jesse said in surprise. He let the other man guide him into the car, enjoying the warm feel of Steve’s arm on his waist as the bigger man helped him in without jostling his injury too much. It felt strange to have another man assist him like that. Odd, but Jesse had to admit to himself, odd in a good way.

The two men chatted during the entire ride about inconsequential things, Jesse thoughtfully fingering the ring during the entire trip.

****************************

Day 2

Friends for several months before entering into their romantic adventure, Steve and Jesse had taken in dinner and a movie together many a time. But, it was different now, Dr. Travis admitted to himself. For one thing, their previous outings didn’t have the underlying tension that this one did.

For another, Steve had never held his hand during the movie before either.

When he first felt the older man’s hand engulf his own in a firm but relaxed grip, Jesse’s whole body had stiffened at the unexpected gesture. But, when nothing else happened, his muscles started to relax and he began to enjoy the sensation. Soon, he felt his own fingers begin to stroke the other man’s hand, gently exploring the calluses that hours on the shooting range brought to Steve's palms, while the skin between the fingers remained soft and particularly sensative...

With a start, the doctor realized that when the movie was over and the lights came up in the theater, he was reluctant to relinquish his clasp on the bigger man’s hand.

He blushed all the way through dinner, but Steve was gentleman enough not to bring attention to it.

****************************

Day 3

The next day, Steve took advantage of having the beach house to himself by inviting Jesse out to Malibu for a picnic. On the bluffs overlooking the ocean, the two men had relative privacy and lots of opportunities to talk.

The couple spread out a blanket and lay flat on their backs, spending a lazy afternoon watching the clouds and talking, the lulling sound of the waves providing a soothing background to their conversation. They talked about anything and everything, from the relative merits of bubble gum to the state of world hunger. Their lunch itself was fairly basic, Steve being a man of simple culinary tastes, but dessert had been chocolate. Not just any chocolate, but Godiva and the men took turns feeding each other the sweet, decadent morsels.

Later that night, Jesse couldn’t decide what had been his favorite part of the picnic. It was a toss- up between the way that Steve listened, really listened, to everything he said without laughing or the way the other man’s fingers had felt penetrating his mouth, depositing the chocolate on his tongue.

Not to mention the warm lips that had enveloped Jesse’s own fingers when he’d reciprocated....

Sleep that night was a long time coming.

****************************

Day 4

“Bowling? You want to take me bowling?”

Steve grinned at the younger man’s surprise. “What’s the matter? Not masculine enough for you?”

The challenge in the cop’s voice was clear and Jesse’s protests immediately ceased. He briefly considered complaining that his ankle was achy, but the injury hadn’t been bothering him for a couple of days by this time and he hated to lie to the policeman. Besides, knowing Steve, he’d insist that Jesse go for a follow-up exam and that would be tedious.

So, Jesse had shut up and put up, only to find that he enjoyed the experience. The last time he’d tried to bowl, he’d been in high school and it had been a humiliating experience. But, in the intervening years, he’d grown out of his adolescent awkwardness and was pleasantly surprised to find that his game had improved. At least, he no longer sucked at it to the extent he had before.

Besides, like the shooting range, showing Jesse how to bowl gave Steve another chance to have his hands on the smaller man. Only this time, it was in public and Jesse was aware of what the detective was doing. He was glad it wasn’t a league night and the bowling alley was relatively deserted. Otherwise, his body’s reactions would have totally embarrassed him. As it was, it was Jesse that had to restrain himself from giving Steve a big hug when he got his first strike.

After Steve had taken him home, Jesse had to admit to himself that he was having a good time, that the week was going much more quickly, not to mention more smoothly, than he’d ever imagined. But they were halfway there and he still didn’t know what answer he was going to give his... friend? Lover? Somehow the first word didn’t seem like quite enough, but the second... well, Jesse wasn’t sure he was ready to refer to another man as his lover.

Not yet.

****************************

Day 5

Looking into his refrigerator the next afternoon and contemplating its empty state, Jesse concluded that he’d been neglecting his normal routine in order to spend time with Steve. Not that it had been wasted. A smile came to the young man’s lips as he remembered the good times they’d been having. He’d known, of course, that he enjoyed hanging out with Steve. After all, they were already good friends. What he hadn’t expected was the warm flutter in his stomach that now came whenever he thought of the other man. Or how easy it was proving to be to ease their friendship into something more intimate...

Or how the big detective had begun to haunt his dreams, the erotic images of the two of them together waking him with his heart pounding and his groin aching.

Eventually, the continual cold draft from the still-open refrigerator door shook the doctor out of his reverie and reminded him that he had an errand to run. An hour later found him in the check out line of the local supermarket, attention only half on the young woman ringing up his purchase.

Despite what Amanda thought, Jesse was well aware that he was a little too accommodating, too eager to please the people that he cared the most about. Even before Steve Sloan’s startling revelation that he was sexually attracted to Jesse, the young man knew his detective friend was an important part of his life. The past few days had been mind-altering to say the least, as Jesse felt his world-view shift to encompass the possibility of taking another man as a lover. Still... had his dawning awareness of Steve as a possible lover come about because Jesse truly was attracted to the other man... or was it because Steve wanted it so badly and he was loathe to disappoint his friend?

“That’ll be 34.95.”

“What? Oh, yeah, right. The groceries.” The supermarket clerk’s voice had broken through Jesse’s intense train of thought and he was somewhat abashed to realize that he’d lost track of what he was doing. The young man quickly finished making out his check and handed it off to the waiting cashier.

“*Doctor* Travis?” She said, reading the information off of check, “I wish my doctor was as cute as you. You can give me a physical any time.” With a wink, the brazen young woman handed him his receipt.

Jesse felt his smile freeze, but he accepted the small slip of paper and quickly moved to start bagging his groceries. He hated comments like that, but at least she hadn’t told him he looked too young to be a doctor. That was even worse. It was odd, when Steve had said he was adorable, it had surprised him, but in a good way. With this woman, it just made him feel... shallow.

“Lucky you.” The voice came from a young man bagging groceries in the aisle next to his.

Jesse looked around, to see if the stranger could be addressing anyone else, but no other people were near. “Me? Lucky? What do you mean?”

“I saw her flirting with you,” The other man was practically oozing envy. “I come here three, four times a week and always make sure I get Sandy’s lane, but I can’t make no time with that woman. But you? She’s all over you.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”

“I would,” the talkative stranger said. “Lucky dog.”

Jesse shrugged. “I’m already spoken for.”

The doctor stopped as he reached for the bag. The words had slipped, unbidden, from his mouth but now that they were said, he realized they were true. Glancing back at the flirtatious clerk, he winced when she saw him watching and waved at him, all but thrusting her chest in his direction. A young woman, attractive and desirable, was flirting with him...

...and all he could think about was Steve.

****************************

That evening found the two men back at the Sloan house. It was another clear night and, although the moon was no longer full, it was still bright enough that they could be down at the beach with no other lighting other than the moon and the stars. Jesse had been a little surprised when Steve brought a portable compact disc player with him and watched with interest as the older man set it up.

“You’re a little quiet tonight,” Steve commented, looking over at Jesse before inserting the first CD.

As the soft music wafted out across the sand, the doctor shrugged. “I had an interesting afternoon.”

“Oh, a fascinating patient came into the Emergency Room?”

“Nah, just an eye-opening trip to the grocery store,” Jesse replied. Then, in an obvious attempt to change the subject, “I didn’t know you liked this kind of music.”

Steve just smiled at him and held out his hand. “Care to dance?”

“Dance?” Jesse asked, even as he let the bigger man pull him into a loose embrace, “I thought you didn’t like to dance?”

“There’s dancing,” the detective said, leading his partner into a slow swaying shuffle, “and then, there’s dancing.”

Jesse let the older man lead, body at first stiff at the unfamiliar contact, but soon relaxing into the warmth of the bigger man’s frame. Finally sighing in contentment, he let his head rest against Steve’s chest.

Under the wide expanse of the star-strewn sky, the men swayed to the sound of the music, the waves seeming to move with them as the water gently lapped around the couple’s ankles.

****************************

Day 6

Steve Sloan braced himself, knowing this likely wasn’t going to be a conversation that he wanted to have.

He’d told himself that he’d be able to accept Jesse’s rejection, should the young man decide that he couldn’t enter into a relationship with him. But, the fun they’d been having all week, and especially the gratifying feeling of having Jesse in his arms last night, even if it was for dancing rather than more intimate activity, had lulled him into complacency. Jesse had not only *not* objected to anything he’d suggested as yet, but seemed to be throughly enjoying himself. Steve had let himself begin to believe that this could actually work out, that Jesse Travis might actually become his.

Which was what made the phone call he’d received early that morning so very difficult to take.

Jesse’s voice had sounded so terse when he’d asked Steve to come over right away. It wasn’t like the young man and the detective’s stomach had immediately sunk to the general vicinity of his ankles. He had a feeling he knew what was coming and he didn’t know if he could handle it – but he had no choice. He’d promised Jess that if he wanted to stop their new relationship at any time, he could. No questions asked.

That didn’t mean that Steve had to like it.

With that general frame of mind, the cop arrived at Jesse’s door, determined to be a man and see this thing through. He’d started it after all. If Jess wanted to end it, he’d make it as easy as possible for the doctor. He owed him that much.

Steve rang the bell and waited for his world to end.

Jesse answered with alacrity, and the taut expression on the young man’s face did little to reassure the detective.

“Steve,” Jesse said with a faint smile, “C’mon in. Thanks for coming over so fast.” He ushered the bigger man to a chair, but instead of sitting himself, began to pace. As he moved, Steve couldn’t help but notice that the younger man was wearing the same clothes from the night before, the bottom of his pants still wet from the ocean, and that he hadn’t shaved either.

“Jess...”

The doctor didn’t seem to hear Steve’s attempt to get his attention, jumping right into what was obviously a rehearsed speech. “Look. You asked me for a week to convince me that having a relationship was possible with you and, since then, you’ve been doing everything possible to... I dunno... woo me?”

“Jess..”

Again, the nervous young man ignored him. “This week’s been great, but I don’t think we need to do this anymore.”

Steve closed his eyes. He’d been trying to tell Jesse that it was okay, that he didn’t even need to say anything. The doctor was so agitated, that Steve just wanted to get the rejection over with, since it was obviously distressing Jesse so. But hearing him say it was almost a physical blow. Still, a promise was a promise and he tried to pull himself together enough to make this as easy on the other man as possible.

“Jess, it’s all right. You don’t need to say any more. We’ll forget these last five days ever happened, just like I promised.” He got up to leave, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

“Where are you going?” Jesse demanded.

“You just said you want to end the trial period, Jess. I told you I wouldn’t put pressure on you, so I thought I’d better go.” Steve took a couple of steps towards the door.

“Whoa, wait a minute.” Jesse grabbed his arm again, preventing him from leaving. “I didn’t say that, Steve.”

“Jess, you said you didn’t want to see me anymore.”

Jesse shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I said I didn’t want to do a trial period anymore.” Seeing that the detective had stopped moving, Jesse let go of Steve’s arm in order to hold up his hand.

The ring was still on his thumb.

“I don’t need the full seven days. I’ve made up my mind.” Jesse smiled. “I want you. Today, tomorrow, forever.”

Steve did a double take, almost staggering with confusion. “You want... me?”

“Yeah,” Jesse said, looking down at his feet, then quickly lifting his face to meet Steve’s eyes. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I decided that it wasn’t an issue of if I wanted to be with a man or with a woman.”

“It’s not?” Steve didn’t know if he could keep up with Jesse’s quick line of thinking.

“No, it’s not.” Jesse shrugged. “I got to thinking, it’s not a matter of *what* I want to have as a lover, a man or a woman. It’s all about *who* I want love. As soon as I figured that out, the answer was simple.”

“It was?”

“Yeah,” the younger man said, a twinkle in his eye. “The answer was you. Man, woman, it doesn’t matter. I want *you.* Steve Sloan. Whether you have a penis or not is merely window dressing.”

And with that startling pronouncement, he pounced.

Still dazed by Jesse’s decision, Steve wasn’t prepared for the other man to launch himself at him. Luckily, the couch was directly behind them, so when Jesse’s added weight threw him off balance, the entangled men landed on its soft cushions. Which, it turned out, was right where Jesse wanted them to be.

Steve had arrived at Jesse’s apartment, desperately trying to resign himself to going back to being the younger man’s friend instead of aspiring to be his lover. In an amazing turn of events, a span of a few minutes found him sprawled beneath the other man’s slighter form, learning that, although Jesse Travis might be new to having sex with a man, he was still one hell of a kisser.

Once it dawned on him that he was actually doing it, kissing the man he’d loved in vain for months, the detective growled. Then, he used the physical prowess gained by years of police experience to overpower the doctor and reverse their positions, pinioning the squirming young man beneath him. For several minutes, the apartment was filled with the moist sounds of lips locked together, accompanied by the distinctive rasp of fabric rubbing fabric as two bodies writhed against each other in a drive for completion.

“Oh, God, Steve,” Jesse finally whimpered in frustration. “Show me what to do!”

The desperate sound abruptly brought the older man to his senses.

Pulling back from Jesse, Steve disentangled his limbs from the other man’s and reluctantly sat up.

“Steve? Wh-what are you doing? Why’d you stop?”

Steve looked down at his companion, the confusion obvious on the other man’s face. Tenderly, he reached a hand out and ran his fingers over Jesse’s kiss-swollen lips. “I think we need to slow down a bit, sweetheart.”

“Slow down?” Jesse rose up on one arm, his shirt parting where Steve’s nimble fingers had undone the buttons. “We’ve been working towards this all week, why stop now?”

Steve struggled to bring his physical desires under control, his body knew its mate was nearby and ready for him. It knew what it wanted to do and all of Steve’s willpower was necessary to keep from stripping the rest of Jesse’s clothes off, mounting him, and finishing what they had started. But a frantic coupling on a couch? Was that really the way that Jesse should lose his male-to- male virginity?

Not if Steve had anything to say about it.

“Jess, you’re new to this. At least,” he quickly added, seeing a mulish expression come over the smaller man’s face. “You’re new to being with a man. The original agreement was for a week. I think we should stick to that. Just to make sure that you’re positive that this is what you want.”

“Steve, I’m not a kid,” Jesse protested. “I know what I want... and what I want is you,” He sat up enough to wind his arms around the bigger man’s neck, trying to pull the detective back down on top of him.

For a moment, Steve was tempted to let Jesse convince him, but in the end, he realized he couldn’t. The stakes were just too high. He let himself be pulled low enough for a quick kiss, but then got up before Jesse could wrap his arms around him.

“Look, I know you’re not a kid, Jess,” he said, “but this is too important to rush. I want to make sure there are no regrets. So, let’s wait the full seven days, okay? After all, if you’re as sure as you think, then we’ll have all the time in the world to explore each other.”

“But...”

“Please, Jess.”

Jesse saw the determined look that was in Steve’s eye and realized he’d seen it before. It was the glint that meant that Steve was determined to protect someone. Realizing that resisting the older man was impossible at his point, he acquiesced, but not gracefully. “All right. If you insist.”

“Thanks, Jess.” Steve leaned in for one more kiss, big hands coming up to cup Jesse’s face. Pulling away before he did something he might regret, the detective reluctantly moved towards the door. “Day seven is a Friday. If you still feel the same way..”

“I will.”

“If you still feel the same way,” Steve said, ignoring the interruption, “I’ll pick you up on Saturday morning.”

“Saturday morning? Can’t we get together on Friday night?” There was a definite whine in Jesse’s voice.

“If you think, for one minute,” Steve said, voice trembling with passion, “that one piddly little night will do for our first time together, then you are sorely mistaken.” One hand on the door, he grinned ferally and left after issuing one final parting shot.

“When I finally get you in my bed, I’m gonna make you cum for days, baby.”

****************************

When Saturday morning dawned, not only had Jesse’s commitment to Steve not wavered, the young man was even more eager to begin the intimate nature of their relationship. As per instructions, he and his duffle bag were seated on the steps of his apartment complex, waiting none too patiently for the other man to arrive.

At first, Jesse had been frustrated by Steve’s refusal to make love the morning he’d made his declaration. It seemed grossly unfair of the older man, to open his eyes up to the possibilities by teasing him all week, only to leave Jesse high and dry after making a statement that nearly got the doctor off in his pants, just by thinking about it.

But frustration gave way to tenderness when Jesse thought more about the likely reasons behind the decision. Part of it, no doubt, could be chalked up to Steve’s protective nature, an attempt to shield Jesse from the ramifications of any decision made while under the influence of his body’s drive to mate. The more he thought about it, though, the more the young doctor became certain that maybe Steve’s insistence on a waiting period had to do with a bad previous encounter. Could it be that someone else had hurt the cop in the past, by using him to try out a new sexual experience and then discarding him when it didn’t work out?

The notion convinced Jesse to prove to Steve, when the big man finally gave him a chance, just how serious he was about making this work out. The detective hadn’t come out and said it, but Jesse had gotten the distinct impression that Steve was in this for the long haul. The idea of forever sounded good to the doctor too, it being easy to see himself spending his life with his friend and soon to be lover.

It was just as well that Jesse came to that conclusion, because not only did Steve insist that they not become intimate until the seven days were up, the detective also thought it wise that they not see each other during the final two days. Jesse had reluctantly agreed, but he had to admit that the distance gave him time to do some final reflecting. The absence of Steve, even for 48 hours, convinced the doctor he was on the right course. Somehow, long before the week-long trial period, the detective had become an important and necessary part of his life, he just hadn’t been aware of it before. Phone calls helped ease the ache of separation, but Jesse was thoroughly glad the time was up and they could finally move on.

During the last phone conversation they’d had Friday night, Steve had instructed Jesse to pack an overnight bag and be ready to be picked up bright and early in the morning. When the doctor had asked where they were going, the older man had said they were taking a short trip “somewhere secluded.” The cryptic comment had piqued Jesse’s curiosity, but when he’d tried to wheedle their destination out of Steve by asking what he needed to pack, the other man had chuckled and said that it didn’t matter, because he had no intention of letting Jesse stray far from the bed anyway.

Jesse had been shivering in anticipation when he’d hung up the phone, but by the time Steve pulled up the next morning, the young man was beginning to get a bit apprehensive. This was a big change he was about to make and, although he was looking forward to it, the idea was a bit daunting too.

Steve got out of the car, and since there wasn’t anyone in sight this early on a Saturday morning, pulled the younger man into his arms for a quick hug and kiss. As he did, he could feel the minute trembling in his lover’s body. “Hey, you okay?”

“Never better,” Jesse claimed. “Just glad to be started, you know?”

The cop gave the smaller man a last squeeze before letting go. “I know,” he said, remembering his own nervous beginnings with loving a man for the first time. “Let’s go, sweetheart.”

Jesse smiled. “Finally!”

With Steve’s typical efficiency, Jesse’s small bag was quickly stowed and the two men were on their way. The couple made small talk at first, but soon an uneasy silence settled over the car’s interior.

“Would it help if you knew what to expect this weekend?” Steve asked, going straight to the heart of his love’s obvious nervousness.

Jesse sighed. Most of the time he was touched by how protective the older man was, but sometimes Steve forgot about Jesse’s medical training. “Steve, I am a doctor, you know. I’ve read the textbooks, I’m well aware of the basics.”

Steve responded with a rude noise. “And I’m a doctor’s kid, you know. I’ve read the textbooks too and they’re about as dry as unbuttered toast.”

“You’ve read the medical texts?” Jesse’s curiosity was warring with his skeptism.

The detective grinned. “You betcha.” He darted a glance over at his younger companion. “You know what it’s like to be a horny teenager. Once I hit puberty, I snuck a look at all of dad’s desk references, just to see what they had written about sex. And each and every one said approximately the same thing: ‘Insert Tab A into Slot B.’ No real correlation to the real thing at all.”

Jesse chuckled in admiration at the other man’s quip. He had to admit it, Steve was right. “Okay, I give. So I know the mechanics of what’s gonna happen, it’s how it’s gonna feel in real life that’s got me a little... I dunno. ‘Worried’ isn’t exactly the word I’m looking for. I trust you, I really do.” Jesse turned in his seat, anxious to impress the trueness of his feelings on his soon-to- be lover. He didn’t want the older man to get the idea he was chickening out. “I know you won’t let anything happen that will hurt me. It’s just...”

“What, Jess?” Steve prodded when the doctor fell silent.

“What if I’m not any good at it?”

The detective adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, freeing up one hand to reach out to his companion. Jesse hesitated a minute, then grabbed onto it like a drowning man clutching a life preserver.

“Jess, the other night, when you got mad at me for leaving?” When Jesse nodded, Steve continued. “That felt right, didn’t it? You got frustrated when I made us stop. Remember?”

“Yeah.”

Steve brought their clasped hands up to his mouth, turning them so he could kiss the back of Jesse’s. “Trust me, you don’t have anything to worry about in the talent department. Did you know, when I got back to the parking lot after leaving you, I had to jack off in the car before driving home?”

The detective spared enough focus from his driving to catch a quick glimpse at the shocked young man in the passenger’s seat.

Jesse’s eyes were as big as saucers. “You did?”

“Yup. That’s what you do to me, babe.”

Steve wasn’t lying. It had been so hard to leave a wild and wanton Jesse behind that he knew he couldn’t make it home before giving his body relief. The cop had sat in his car, giving himself the rawest and shortest hand job in Sloan history. It had felt frighteningly delicious, the release of sexual pressure bordered on the divine, while the underlying fear of being caught with his hand down his pants in public gave the whole incident an extra bite that had left him shaken.

“Wow.”

The older man grinned, glancing over at his companion. He couldn’t help but notice that Jesse was a little pale and the faint blue circles under his eyes betrayed that the intervening two days had been hard on his new lover too.

“Why don’t you curl up and take a nap, Jess. It’ll take us a couple of hours to get where we’re going... and you’re gonna want to be well-rested when we get there.”

“Okay.” Jesse smiled shyly, still not quite believing what Steve had just told him about his affect on the older man. It was odd, he’d been unable to sleep well for the past couple of days, anxious and anticipating the consummation of their new relationship. But just when he thought he’d be most keyed up and too wired to rest, simply being in the car with Steve was enough to relax him.

Snuggling down in the seat, he drifted off to sleep. But even as he dozed, he was aware that the older man kept his hand firmly intertwined with his own.

****************************

“Wake up, sleepyhead. We’ve arrived.”

Steve’s voice and a tap on his nose brought Jesse out of his light slumber. Blinking to clear the fog out of his head, he looked around. Sure enough, the car was parked in front of a small log building that was surrounded by trees.

“Where are we?”

“Just a little cabin in the woods that I rented for the weekend.” Steve had the passenger side door open and was bending over Jesse. Seeing the younger man’s dimples come out when he smiled in response to seeing him so close, Steve didn’t even try to resist. Dipping his head down, he caught the upturned lips with his own, kissing Jesse as deeply as he’d been wanting to ever since seeing the young man perched on the steps hours ago, waiting for him. Still languid from his nap, Jesse raised lazy arms and circled Steve’s neck, deepening the kiss and pulling the bigger man closer.

Finally, the cop pulled back, figuring the car was no more an appropriate place for Jesse’s first time than the couch had been days before. “Hang on to that thought,” He urged the younger man, “but let’s continue this inside.”

Jesse reluctantly let go, allowing the older man to straighten up. Getting out of the car himself, the doctor noticed that their kiss had caused the car’s windows to fog. He grinned, figuring that it was an auspicious beginning for the two of them.

As the younger man stretched the kinks out of his body caused by sleeping slumped over, Steve grabbed their bags from the back. It gave Jesse a few minutes to appreciate their secluded surroundings.

“Wow. I can’t even see another cabin. This place is pretty isolated.”

Steve came up behind him, planting a sloppy kiss on the back of the smaller man’s neck. “That’s the idea, sweetheart. This way, we can make all the noise we want. ” His smile became predatory. “And, believe me, baby, you’re gonna be making a lot of noise.”

Jesse shivered at the heat in the other man’s voice, following obediently as Steve led the way into the cabin.

Given its rustic exterior, the doctor was surprised by the downright opulence of the small building’s interior. It was essentially one big room, with what Jesse assumed was a bathroom through a door off to the side of an unobtrusive kitchen area. A sunken portion in front of a large fireplace was carpeted in a plush shag, plump pillows providing an inviting sitting area. Comfy chairs were scattered throughout the space, but almost half of the cabin was taken up by a bed.

A very big bed.

Jesse gulped when his eyes took in the sight of the large mattress, piled high with pillows in various shapes and sizes. Sunlight streamed through a skylight in the ceiling above the large bed, bathing it in a rosy glow.

Steve had been busy in the bathroom while the younger man explored, emerging to find a lost- looking young man in the center of the cabin. Quickly crossing the room, Steve wrapped his arms around his apprehensive lover. “Hey, you okay?”

Jesse buried his face into Steve’s chest. “Just the jitters. I’ll be fine, really. I know I’m being stupid.”

Steve bent down to nuzzle the top of the shorter man’s head, loving the way Jesse’s hair tickled his nose. “You’re not stupid, you just have a little healthy wariness of the unknown. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

“If you say so.” Jesse lifted his head and continued his visual inspection of the room from the safety of the older man’s arms. “This place is really something. How did you know it was here?” He was careful not to look at the man holding him.

The nonchalant tone of the doctor’s question didn’t fool Steve a bit, the unspoken question Jesse wanted to ask coming through loud and clear.

Had Steve brought any other lovers here?

“About a year ago,” the cop explained, “I was partnered up with this detective that had just got back from his honeymoon. He raved about the place, so I sent off for a brochure, just in case I had a special occasion I wanted to celebrate.” Steve unwound one arm from around Jess, cupping the other man’s chin in his hand and turning his face so he could look at him. “Somehow, this seemed appropriate.”

Jesse blushed, feeling embarrassed for his case of the nerves. Reaching up on tip-toe, he lightly kissed Steve on the chin. “It’s perfect.”

“Glad you approve,” Steve replied, even more glad to feel the younger man relaxing in his arms. “I tell you what, Jess. I’m ran a bath for you, I think that’ll make you feel better. Take your time and when you’re ready... then we’ll see what happens.”

When Jesse didn’t protest, he led the other man to the door to the bath, kissing him before carefully ushering him inside. He gently shut the door behind the doctor, but had only moved away a step or two before it opened again.

“Steve, there’s a robe on the back of the door. Do you want me to wear that... or put my clothes back on... or what?”

The detective smiled. “Whatever makes you feel comfortable.”

Jesse ducked his head back into the room, quickly popping it out again. “I think I’ll go with the robe.”

“Good choice.”

Steve laughed under his breath as the younger man disappeared into the bathroom again, this time, apparently, to stay. He moved quickly about the outer room, figuring it would be easier for Jess if certain preparations were made ahead of time.

He hoped Jesse didn’t wear himself out with all this nervous energy. He better ways of helping the young man work it off.

**************************** In the bathroom, Jesse made himself stop and take a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. As he did, he couldn’t help but notice the delicate scent in the air. Approaching the steaming tub, he found that the surface of the water was covered with red rose petals, the hot water from the bath releasing their heady fragrance.

“Man,” he muttered to himself, “Steve is taking this de-flowering a virgin thing a little too far.”

But despite the wisecrack, he was truly touched. Who would have thought the soul of a romantic lurked in the heart of his big, brawny cop?

His. Cop.

Jesse shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. Instead of nervousness, though, this time the quiver was in anticipation. Eagerly, he shed his clothes, ready for the bath and anxious for what came after.

First, however, he had a pragmatic detail to take care of. A babe in the woods he might be, but as a physician, certain realities had to be faced. Grimacing, he took an over-the-counter enema box out of his bag. Even though overprotective Steve probably had different ideas about what this first encounter would be, Jesse knew what he wanted... and was determined to get it. So far he’d been content to let the more experienced man control the development of their relationship, but this was something that he was resolved he wouldn’t budge on.

Sighing as he opened the enema package and prepared to use it, Jesse reflected that the rose petals were probably a good idea. After this nasty little chore, he’d need a little romance to get back into the mood.

****************************

Steve had begun to get worried.

The rollercoaster of emotions Jesse had exhibited so far this morning was perfectly understandable. No matter how prepared he young man thought he was, his whole self image was about to change in a big way. Steve understood that and sympathized with it. After all, he’d been through the same thing himself.

The detective was dedicated to being there to support Jesse – but first Jess had to come out of the bathroom.

The big man was about to go knock on the door when it opened and Jesse hesitantly stepped out. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Steve greeted him, getting up take Jesse’s hand. The doctor was in the aforementioned robe, it’s light blue color picking up the same hue in the young man’s eyes.

“I liked the rose petals,” Jesse shyly said.

“I’m glad.”

The two men looked at each other awkwardly, then simultaneously started to laugh.

“I feel like a sophomore out on his first date,” The younger man admitted.

“Me too.”

“You?” Jesse was surprised at Steve’s admission. “But you’ve done this before.”

The cop pulled his companion close. “Not like this, I haven’t, baby. It’s like the world starts this afternoon.”

The two men swayed as they embraced, a subtle rocking motion. Jesse bit his lip and looked up at the bigger man before asking, “Where do you want me?”

Steve was tempted to answer with something witty, like anywhere or everywhere, but decided now was not the moment for it. Remembering the doctor’s apprehension at seeing the large bed, he instead led the younger man towards the fireplace.

“How about we make ourselves comfortable in front of the fire and see what happens.” While Jesse was taking his bath, Steve had been busy too. He’d made a cozy fire and then changed into his own robe, figuring that simplicity was what would be called for to put his lover at ease.

The two men settled down on the pillows, Jesse snuggling up close to Steve’s warmth. “It seems odd to be doing this in the middle of the day.”

Steve’s arm came around to drape across Jesse’s back, his big hand rubbing comforting circles on the doctor’s cloth-covered back. He reverently kissed the younger man’s temple. “I wanted our first time to be in the daylight, sweetheart. In the dark, it’s too easy to miss something and I want to savor every moment, every expression on your face.”

Since the older man was revealing some of his aspirations for what was to come, Jesse figured now would be a good time to mention his own special hope for their first encounter. “I- I have something I want this afternoon too.”

“Just say the word, babe.” Steve was encouraged to see Jesse articulating his own desires. “Anything you want, you got it.”

The younger man played with Steve’s fingers, feeling a bit weird at having this conversation. He’d never talked about having sex so much before actually doing it and he wasn’t sure how to say what he wanted without sounding like a bad actor in a cheap porn flick.

“Jess...?”

“Could... could you take me this first time?”

Steve was speechless. Given Jesse’s male-to-male innocence, he’d fully expected to be on the receiving end during the beginning portion of their relationship. He’d never figured that his lover would be wanting penetration during his first time and, frankly, the cop didn’t think it was a good idea.

“Jess...”

“Steve, hear me out.” The younger man didn’t wait for his partner to try and talk him out of it, barreling ahead with his explanation. “So far, you’ve been making all the decisions.” He held a hand up when the older man protested. “I’m not complaining, mind you. But I’ve been thinking a lot about this, especially the last couple days. The idea of having you inside me, it just blows me away, like there’s been a lonely spot within me my whole life, just waiting for you to fill it.” Looking at his lover, his jaw set with determination, he reminded the other man of his earlier statement. “You said anything I want. You in me. That’s what I want.”

Steve blinked at his smaller partner, pleasantly surprised at Jesse’s adamant attitude. “Well, all right then.”

Jesse’s smile was brilliant. “Good, it’s settled.”

The cop shifted so that he was braced on his arms over the other man. “You know, you’re pretty sexy when you’re assertive.”

“Really?”

“Ummmhmmm,” Steve murmured absently, carefully settling his weight on top of his lover. “You’re sexy when you’re sleepy and when you’re bashful too.”

“Ah,” Jesse replied, although it was difficult to tell if the noise was an agreement to what the bigger man was saying or if it was in response to Steve nibbling on his ear. “You-you’re pretty sexy yourself, big guy.”

“Really?” Steve commented, echoing Jesse’s response to his earlier claim.

“Yeah. You’re sexy when you’re being protective.... and when you’re being... being ro- romantic.” The doctor’s words became disjointed as the older man’s mouth began traveling down from his ear to gently kiss and bite his way down his neck. “Ooooh, I like that.”

“What, sweetheart?”

“You. On top of me.” Being a relatively short man, Jesse had been with taller women, but never before had experience with a lover that dwarfed him by such a significant margin. Instead of making him feel diminished, though, Steve’s larger size made him feel safe. Cherished.

“Good, ‘cause I’m kind of particular to this position myself.” Steve moved from nibbling on Jesse’s neck to licking his way underneath the younger man’s chin.

The doctor bit his lip, trying to stifle his moans of pleasure. Considering his inexperience at being with another guy, Steve probably thought him a pretty unsophisticated lover already. He didn’t want to seem too eager and risk adding to that image.

The detective noticed the gesture, mesmerized by the sight of Jesse’s strong, white teeth chewing on the fleshy mound of his lower lip. Strangely enough, the big man became jealous of his lover’s mouth – if anyone was going to chewing on Jesse’s lip, he wanted it to be him.

Growling softly, the older man surged up his slighter lover’s body, putting one hand to either side of Jesse’s face before plundering the doctor’s mouth with his own. Jesse melted into the embrace, letting the forcefulness of the cop’s lunge push him deeper into the pillows. Blindly, the young man clutched at Steve’s shoulders, needing something to hang on to as he rode the waves of pleasure originating from their coupling mouths.

As the two men grappled on the lushly carpeted floor, the motion of their bodies writhing together caused the fabric of their robes to shift and Jesse soon felt a hard, hot length jutting against his thigh.

“Mmmph!” He exclaimed in surprise, the sound muffled by Steve’s tongue in his mouth.

The older man pulled back, a trail of saliva following him as he did. Looking down to where his rock-hard erection protruded from his open robe, the cop figured out for himself what had startled his lover.

“Jess? You okay?”

The young man’s eyes were fixated on Steve’s revealed cock and it took a moment for him to realize that his partner had addressed him. “What? Oh, yeah, right. I’m fine.” Jesse reached out, then snatched his hand back. “Can I touch it?”

The other man chuckled in relief. He had been afraid that Jesse’s reaction had been due to revulsion, but now he could see that the doctor was about as far from being repelled as possible. “Go ahead, it won’t bite.”

Steve Sloan had been with some extremely talented sex partners in his time. Although far from a slut, he considered himself a fairly well-rounded man in the bedroom arts. But nothing in his experiences, absolutely nothing, prepared him for the sheer eroticism of the tentative touch of a virgin’s first exploration.

Jesse started with one fingertip, running it up and down Steve’s length. Marveling at his partner’s hardness, he delicately traced the slightly bulging veins, smiling at the way the older man’s breath caught at the sensation. Growing bolder, he wrapped his hand around it, still careful to keep his grip light.

While Jesse was busy with his new toy, Steve’s hands did some wandering of their own. Kissing the side of the younger man’s mouth, he let his lips map a trail back down the smaller man’s neck, pushing the doctor’s robe aside as he encountered the fabric of its collar. Nipping at the juncture between neck and collarbone, he stopped only long enough to unfasten the still loosely tied belt, shoving the now unwanted garment off Jesse’s shoulders.

His contemplation of his lover’s revealed body was interrupted by a hesitant touch to his scrotum. “Hey,” he said softly, gently reaching for Jesse’s hands. What the younger man was doing felt good, but was that was the problem. Steve’s balls were a big-time erogenous zone for the older man. Too much of that kind of touch and he’d be finished much too soon. “You act like you haven’t seen one of those before.”

“It’s the same, but different...” Jesse struggled to explain how he felt at exploring another man’s sex organ. Since he had one of his own, he should be familiar with how a penis was put together, but the fact that it was Steve that he was handling made all the difference in the world. Then, remembering that the older man had stopped him from continuing, he frowned in worry. “I wasn’t doing it wrong, was I?”

“No, baby, not at all,” Steve reassured him. “You were making me feel good. Real good. I just want to make sure I have a chance to do the same for you.”

Abruptly, Jesse realized that Steve had stripped him of his robe while he was distracted and that he was now lying totally naked next to his lover for the first time. Blushing brightly, he resisted covering himself with his hands. “Everything you do makes me feel good,” he whispered.

Steve resisted the urge to pounce the suddenly bashful man and instead gently pulled him into his embrace. Capturing Jesse’s mouth in a tender kiss, he waited until his lover’s arms had come around him. Leaving one big hand on the slighter man’s hip, he reached down to clasp Jesse’s straining erection.

“Oh,” Jesse’s startled exclamation broke off their kiss and he automatically stiffened at the unfamiliar touch.

“Just relax, sweetheart,” Steve crooned, slowly pumping his lover’s cock. “Gonna feel good.”

Jesse buried his head in Steve’s chest, unable to do anything but hang on and enjoy the ride. He’d been given hand jobs before, of course, but never by a lover with a fist as big as Steve’s. The callouses he’d noticed earlier on the big man’s palm took on a whole new importance as the rough texture of the skin there added a tantalizing abrasive nature to the touch.

“Oh,” Jesse whimpered, pressure quickly building up in his groin. “Oh, God! Steve!”

The detective pressed another kiss to Jesse’s temple, using more pressure to increase the friction he was applying to his lover’s penis. “Let go, baby. That’s right, sweetheart, cum for me.” Seeing that the younger man was hovering on the brink of orgasm, he stopped pumping and instead used his thumb to circle the head of Jesse’s leaking cock, tickling the sensitive slit.

Jesse gave in to the sensations wracking him, muscles tightening as his orgasm hit. “Steve!” He clutched his lover’s shoulders as wave after wave of pleasure flowed through his body.

Steve continued to gently pump his lover’s cock, enjoying the warmth as spurt after spurt of the younger man’s seed spilled out over his hand. Using the syrupy fluid, he traced random patterns onto Jesse’s flat stomach, bringing one coated finger up to his mouth for a taste. The detective closed his eyes as the salty flavor exploded across his tongue.

“I’m sorry.”

Jesse’s quiet apology interrupted Steve’s reverie and he looked down to find sad blue eyes contemplating him. “Sorry? What for?”

“You made me stop touching you so you wouldn’t cum too soon... and I exploded right away. I usually have more control than that. You must think I’m an idiot....”

Steve put a finger, still faintly tasting of ejaculate, across Jesse’s lips. The touch and the taste silenced the young man, giving his lover a chance to reassure him. “Baby, do you have any idea how it makes me feel that my touch can make you fall apart like that?” When Jesse blushed and shyly grinned, he continued. “Besides, one of the few benefits Mother Nature gives us guys when we get older is stamina in the bedroom.” Playfully, Steve rubbed his still solid erection against Jesse’s hip. “Trust me, sweetheart, I’ll still be ready when it’s time to give you what you asked for.”

“Oh.”

Jesse looked so cute when he blushed that Steve couldn’t resist another kiss... and then another. Soon, the two men were all but devouring one another.

Realizing that there was a more comfortable place they could be doing the same activity, Steve slowly rose to his knees and then got up, backing towards the bed. Striving to keep their lips in contact, Jesse instinctively followed, not even noticing the change in venue until they bumped up against the tall mattress.

“Wait a minute, Jess,” Steve said, breaking away from his lover to reach for something on a bedside table.

Like the bed itself, the nightstand was oversized and the younger man noticed that two chafing dishes had been placed there, one a quite a bit bigger than the other. They were smaller than the kind typically found on a buffet table, but had the same type of lit candles underneath that served to keep the dish’s contents warm. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the larger dish was filled with water, red rose petals floating on the top as in the bath Steve had prepared for him earlier. He couldn’t quite figure out what the liquid was in the other heated dish, but figured his lover would let him in on it soon enough.

“Here, this ought to feel good,” Steve said, having visited the larger of the two chafing dishes while Jesse was still looking at them. He’d dipped a soft cloth into the rose-scented water and started using it to clean the rapidly drying semen off the younger man’s belly.

Steve was right, it did feel good and Jesse felt his cock begin to swell again.

Mission accomplished, the detective tossed the soiled cloth aside and reached for his lover. Wrapping his hands around the smaller man’s waist, Steve lifted, gently depositing Jesse on the tall bed. Before the doctor could get too lonely up there, he hopped up to join him, drawing the other man down onto the softness of the mattress.

“Now, where were we?” Steve asked facetiously, “Oh, right. Now I remember.” Pressing Jesse’s body down, he started kissing him again, pleased to feel his lover respond enthusiastically. The detective automatically reached for his the other man’s cock, but was surprised to feel a hand on his wrist, stopping him. Confused, he looked to the younger man for an explanation.

“I don’t wanna cum by myself again,” Jesse said firmly. “You in me. You promised.”

Steve grinned. Jesse was persistent as ever. “All in good time, baby. How about we try this for now instead?”

The bigger man braced himself on his elbows over Jesse’s prone body, thrusting a knee between his companion’s thighs and forcing them to part. When he had room to maneuver, he lined his body up over his prone partner’s, aligning their cocks for maximum contact.

Then he started to hump.

******************

“Oh!” Jesse cried out when he felt the length of another man’s erection slide against his for the first time.

Since he was positioned over the younger man, Steve had a good look at Jesse’s face and saw the other man’s eyes dilate with pleasure. Snatching a quick kiss, the detective threw his own head back and humped for all he was worth, stopping only when he felt his balls draw up to his body, indicating an impending orgasm. A promise, after all, was a promise and Steve had every intention of keeping the one about topping Jesse during this first love-making experience.

He ignored Jesse’s groan of protest, instead slithering down the writhing man’s body until his face was over his lover’s penis, by now rigid again with desire. “You’ve had a blow job from a woman before, right, babe?”

“Wh-what?”

Steve kissed just the tip of Jesse’s cock to get the young man’s attention. “In the past, Jess. You’ve had a girlfriend suck you off, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good, then you’ll have something to compare this to,” Steve said, nuzzling his face into the curls at Jesse’s groin. Once he’d gotten his fill of his lover’s scent, he licked along Jesse’s hard length, fulfilling a long-held desire to taste the young man.

“Ooooh!” Jesse moaned, instinctively spreading his legs to give the older man access.

Steve used his hands to hold the smaller man’s hips in place, not wanting any interference as he pleasured his lover. Settling in deeper between Jesse’s outstretched legs, he got down to business.

Every inch of Jesse’s cock was reverently explored. Delicate licks to the mushroom-shaped head. Firmer strokes up and down it’s length. A careful tongue bath to his sensitive testes. When he was satisfied that he was now familiar with his lover’s manhood, Steve sat back.

“There. Wasn’t that every bit as good as any woman who’s done you?”

Jesse looked at him with glazed eyes. “B-better. Much better.”

Steve rewarded him with a blinding smile. “Thanks, Jess. Okay, now pay attention, sweetheart. Here’s where having a sex partner with the same equipment comes in handy.” His grin turned smug. “Another guy knows just what a cock wants -- and what it can take.”

With that, the older man descended on Jesse’s penis again, using both his hands and mouth this time. Whereas his previous exploration had been gentle and reverent, this time, his caresses were firm, his grip on the smaller man’s shaft tighter. He manhandled the other man’s cock, even slapping its hard length lightly. When the smaller man’s writhing became wild enough that the cop needed his hands to control him, Steve eventually went back orally pleasuring his lover. He engulfed Jesse’s leaking erection to its root and then, as he released the ultra-hard shaft, carefully scraped along its length with his teeth. He was more careful around the scrotum, knowing that, like with all men, it was likely to be more sensitive. But, even so, he lightly scratched the sensitive skin of the sweet spot between Jesse’s ass and groin, grinning when the move caused a particularly throaty groan.

Soon, Steve noticed a characteristic tightening of Jesse’s balls and he left off with the foreplay, moving back up to embrace his shivering lover. Stroking the younger man’s arms and back, he murmured soft words, bringing Jesse back from the brink of orgasm.

When he’d recovered enough to stop shaking, Jesse slapped Steve on the arm. “Bastard,” he muttered, but without any real heat.

“Sorry about that, sweetheart,” Steve apologized. “But you said you didn’t want to cum alone again.”

“I know,” Jesse admitted absently, eyes fixated again on Steve’s swollen erection. Now that the time had nearly arrived to have it inside him, he appreciated for the first time how big it was.

Steve couldn’t help but notice where his lover was staring. “It’s not too late to change your mind, you know.”

Jesse shook himself and quickly looked up to meet his lover’s concerned gaze. “No. I want it, I really do. I know you won’t hurt me...” His voice trailed off.

“But...” The older man prodded.

The doctor looked sheepish. “ I just don’t know how it’s gonna fit.”

Steve looked at his lover’s slender hips, cock twitching as he contemplated how tight of a fit it would likely be. He’d been fully prepared to bottom during this first encounter, and as many as it took for Jesse to become comfortable with the idea of being penetrated. Forever, if need be. But once the young man had made his startling declaration earlier at wanting Steve to take him, the detective had had to admit to himself how very much he wanted to fully make love to this man. To claim him in a way that no one ever had before.

And, if luck and love were with him, a way no other ever would.

“Trust me, sweetheart,” he crooned, “this is gonna work.”

Jesse smiled his agreement and stretched up for a kiss. Remembering how his lover had said he liked the feel of the bigger man on top of him, Steve rolled until Jesse was underneath him. Stroking every inch of skin he could find, he kissed and petted until he felt the slighter man relax.

Pulling back until he could look into Jesse’s blue eyes, Steve asked, “Are you ready to get started, love?”

The young man nodded, mouth suddenly dry. “Do you want me on my stomach or my back?”

Steve shook his head, using his hands to guide his lover in the position he thought would be most comfortable. “Neither. On your side, sweetheart. That’s the easiest.” Then, when Jesse was situated where he wanted him, the detective sat up enough to reach for a special pillow he’d brought for the occasion. A body-type pillow, it was nearly as big as Jesse was and would give the young man something to hold on to.

“Here, Jess. Hang on to this and throw a leg over it.”

Jesse obeyed Steve’s instructions, shivering as he realized that the position would open him up to the older man, who was spooned up closely behind him.

Steve saw the quiver and dropped a soft kiss inbetween the smaller man's shoulderblades. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Trust me?”

“Always.”

The unhesitating certainty in Jesse’s voice assured Steve that his partner was ready for this big step in their relationship. The big man started at his lover’s shoulders, ghosting gentle caresses down Jesse’s back, working down to the top of the young man’s buttocks.

“Okay, sweetheart, just stay relaxed. We’re getting to the good part.” Steve reached over for the smaller chafing dish, dipping his hand in the warm liquid. Bringing his coated fingers back to Jesse’s ass, he started massaging the firm cheeks. The younger man gasped as he felt his partner’s slick touch, finally realizing what had been in the other dish.

Oil... and it was warm.

The soothing sensation calmed him. When Steve felt his lover sigh in contentment and become more pliant against the pillows, he changed the massage to a firmer kneading of Jesse’s flesh. Not only did he hunger for the contact himself, but he was slowly getting the inexperienced young man more familiar with someone touching his ass. Soon, Jesse’s face was flushed with passion and his hips were moving of their own volition, making small thrusting movements against the pillow.

“You are so sexy when you do that, baby,” Steve whispered hoarsely. “Like your body’s just begging me to take it.”

Figuring that Jess was more than ready for the next step, Steve’s fingers visited the chafing dish again, coming back to that delectable bottom. This time, he dribbled oil from his fingers to the top of the smaller man’s crack, watching his lover squirm as the viscous liquid seeped down into the fleshy crevice.

“Oooh,” Jesse moaned at the sensation, thrusting his butt back a bit to open himself up for more. “Steve, that feels *good.*”

The cop chuckled. “That’s the idea, baby.” Finally, the older man let his fingers follow the lubricant, inserting them between Jesse’s cheeks and splaying the mounds just wide enough to reveal the opening to the smaller man’s body.

“Oh,” Jesse was startled by the unfamiliar sensation of cold air on his anus.

Steve didn’t give the other man a chance to complain. Instead, he took one coated finger and lightly traced a ring around the puckered entrance before caressing it from the outside. When he Jesse thrust back a bit in reaction, he carefully inserted just the tip of his finger, waiting to see how his lover responded.

Instead of moving, Jesse went absolutely still. Feeling that the young man’s muscles were still relaxed, Steve slipped a bit more of his finger inside, figuring that his companion needed more penetration to truly get a feel for the sensation.

When he was up to his second knuckle, he wiggled the digit around a bit. “Like that, sweetheart?”

“Y-yeah.”

“You sure?” Jesse’s answer hadn’t been overwhelming in its enthusiasm.

“Uh huh.”

Taking his lover at his word, Steve slipped the rest of his finger in. Jesse’s passage was so tight that it clenched around his single finger and the big man’s cock twitched again at the thought of being buried in its sweet heat. Steve continued to thrust in and out, pleased to feel Jesse loosening up around him. By the time the young man was moving with him, he figured it was time for a second finger. He removed his hand completely, dipping it in more oil, and was back at the young man’s ass before Jesse could react to his withdrawal. This time, when he entered Jesse, with two fingers, the young man hissed.

“Wow... that’s good!” Jesse moaned, back arched a bit in pleasure. “Feels fuller.”

Steve smiled and nibbled on an convenient ear. The hand that wasn’t buried in Jesse’s ass, held onto a slim hip, controlling the depth of the penetration. It was a good thing that the doctor liked the sensation of being filled, because they still had a ways to go. Realizing that he still had some work to get the muscle loosened enough for full penetration, Steve scissored his two fingers, stretching Jesse’s virgin passage wider. The young man was proving to be a responsive lover, hissing in pleasure and lifting his leg higher on the pillow to encourage the sensation.

“Ready for more, sweetheart?”

“Oh, God, yes!”

The detective took more care this time to make sure his fingers were thoroughly coated with the warm oil. Since this Jesse’s first experience with anal penetration, he’d expected the young man to be tight, but Jesse was even smaller than he’d anticipated. He was beginning to get worried about how he would, in fact, fit when it came time to use his cock.

“Okay, three fingers this time, babe. Just stay relaxed.”

It took a little wiggling to gain entrance with three fingers, but Steve was patient and was finally to insert all of them without hurting his inexperienced partner. It took Jesse a little longer to adjust to the sensation, but it helped when the older man stroked his back and arms, murmuring encouragement. Then, when Steve’s questing fingers found that little button inside his rectum, the ensuing spark of intense pleasure practically had the young man screaming.

“What was that?” He panted, when he’d recovered enough to speak.

Steve was, justifiably, a little bit smug. “You’re the doctor. Haven’t you ever heard of your prostate before?”

“Oooh,” Jesse moaned, “that.” He’d read about the sensitivity of that particular body part, but had always had a hard time believing it could actually bring that type of pleasure when stimulated. Wow, had he been wrong.

Finally, Jesse was as loose as Steve could make him using his hand. Still, the older man was hesitant. “Jess, I’m not sure this is a good idea...”

“You can’t stop now!” The young man whined, wiggling his ass to try and maximize the sensation of the feeling of his lover’s fingers inside of him. “You in me – you promised, Steve!”

“Baby, I know, but I also promised that nothing I would do would hurt you. You’re so small inside, sweetheart. I’m not sure that I can make love to you right now without hurting you.”

Steve was in a dilemma. He took both promises seriously, but if push came to shove and he could only keep one, he’d keep the one that prevented Jesse from getting hurt.

“Do it.”

“Jess...?”

It was awkward, but Jesse managed to turn his head enough to look into Steve’s face. Given his lover’s earlier jitters, the cop was taken aback to see the determined expression the younger man wore. “I... trust....you, Steve.” He panted out the words, still high from the finger stimulation. “Want more. Want... *you.*”

It wasn’t so much a request as a demand, and Steve found that he couldn’t disobey.

“All right, Jess.” Steve pulled his fingers out, kissing the nearest shoulder. “You’ve just got to remember to stay relaxed, okay? If you tense up, you could get hurt.”

“Okay.”

The cop all but emptied the bowl of its warm oil, determined that his penis would be as lubricated as possible. Before he new it, the tip of his erection was aimed at the reddened ring of muscle that guarded his lover’s passage. “We’re gonna do it, sweetheart. Now, you push out while I push in, okay? And stay relaxed.”

“Al- All right.”

Jesse felt the blunt tip of Steve’s cock at the entrance to his body. It felt bigger than the fingers. A lot bigger.

The detective rubbed the blunt head of his cock around the outside of Jesse’s passage, moaning at feeling of the puckered texture of the opening rubbing against his sensitive skin. Then, bracing himself, he slowly pushed in, wiggling the large mushroom head of his penis back and forth to help it worm past the tight ring of muscle.

The younger man stiffened as he felt the intrusion, his ass starting to burn. “Steve?”

His partner halted his efforts, reaching up one hand to pat Jesse’s hip. “Hang on, Jess. Push out a little, okay? And stay-”

“I know,” Jesse laughed a little, despite the growing discomfort. “Stay relaxed.”

Steve felt his partner push out as instructed and he thrust forward carefully, feeling the virgin muscle giving way reluctantly. Then, suddenly, the head of his penis was through.

Jesse had started panting as the burning grew more pronounced. The older man noticed his lover’s discomfort and stopped his forward motion. “Baby, you feel so good,” he coaxed. Now that the initial penetration was made, he reached around the smaller man’s hip to grasp his penis. Jesse’s erection had flagged with the discomfort, but Steve’s touch aroused its interest in the proceedings. “I can’t believe I’m finally inside you, Jess. God, you’re so tight! So good, baby. So good!”

*************************

Whether it was the caress or the loving stream of encouring words, Jesse felt the burning morph from pain to something more akin to pleasure. Tentative, he pushed back a bit, remembering how wonderful the fingers felt inside him when they moved around. Sure enough, given its much bigger size, a moving cock in his ass felt that much better.

Steve felt the younger man’s motion and started inching his cock inside, eager to feel his lover totally surrounding him. He had a feeling that he wouldn’t last long once fully sheathed inside Jess, but was determined to give it a try. Jesse felt each added length of his lover press into him, not believing the delicious feeling of fullness or how stimulated his ass felt. He couldn’t believe that not more than a week ago, he’d never wondered before how this felt. Now, he couldn’t imagine how he’d lived without it.

Finally, Steve was buried to the hilt in the smaller man, as far as their position would allow. His cock felt like it had been enveloped by a velvet vise as Jesse’s ass clenched on the invading hardness. Kissing his lover’s shoulders, neck, back, and any other piece of skin he could reach, he waited for the younger man’s body to fully adjust.

Jesse lay impaled on his lover’s cock, not truly believing they were finally fully joined. Awkwardly, he reached back, fingers finding the spot where their bodies connected. Sure enough, he felt how tightly stretched the ring of skin was where Steve’s penis entered his body. “You’re in me,” He whispered reverently. “You’re really in me!”

“Damn straight, baby.” Steve growled, “how does it feel?”

“Full,” came the dreamy reply. “Hot. Won-der-ful.”

Steve felt Jesse’s body relax and reached one arm underneath the nearest thigh. Lifting the smaller man’s leg, he inched himself inside his partner just a little bit deeper... and then he started to thrust.

“Aaaah!” Jesse clutched onto the pillow, totally unprepared to the sensations of a large cock moving in and out of his ass. His body, though, knew what to do. Soon, he was making counter- thrusts of his own as his ass rutted, instinctively trying to maximize the pleasure. Backward onto Steve’s cock and then forward to rub against the rough texture of the pillow, his hips danced in countermeasure to the bigger man’s pelvic movments.

Steve knew he couldn’t keep from cumming for long. Jesse’s body was just too tight, the friction made the feeling too intense, for him to be able to fend off his orgasm. Remembering how his partner had gotten off by having a large body on top of him, Steve let go of the leg he’d been holding and, while still buried fully in Jesse's cock-stuffed ass, turned them both, pinning his lover underneath him. The new position gave him a little more leverage to thrust deeper... and allowed Jesse to hump his erection against the fabric of the bedspread.

“You’ve got the sweetest ass, baby. Tight, so fuckin’ tight.” Steve grunted out encouragement in time with his thrusts. “C’mon, Jess. Cum for me, baby. Gonna fill you up, little boy. Gonna be so full of me there won’t be room for anything else...”

“Oh, God, Steve!” Jesse clutched the sheets. He was so beyond thought that it never even occurred to him to stroke his own straining erection.

“Give it to me, sweetheart,” Steve begged. “Let me feel you cum...”

Jesse’s body finally reached its limited. Back bowed in a sharp arch, the young man came, screaming his lover’s name as a stream of syrupy cum spurted out of his cock. His ass clenched on the invader plumbing its depths, sending Steve over the edge right behind his partner, his triumphant cry echoing his companion’s. One big hand in the small of the younger man’s back, he used the other to brace himself against Jesse, pressing his cock inside his partner as far as possible, a mindless, possessive effort to deposit his seed as deep within his mate as possible. Having held his orgasm back for what seemed like hours, a veritable fountain of ejaculate streamed out of his spasming organ, quickly filling up Jesse’s tight passage and dripping down his thighs to puddle on the bed, silent and sticky evidence of their successful coupling.

Steve collapsed across Jesse’s sweating back, allowing himself to lay there a moment to soak up the feeling of his lover’s satisfied quivering. He was too heavy to stay fully on top of the smaller man for long, so as soon as his cock was pushed from Jesse's body, he rolled to the side and pulled his mate into his arms.

Much to his chagrin, it was Steve who found himself weeping in the aftermath.

When Jesse, tucked up underneath the older man’s chin, felt the first drops of moisture, he thought it was sweat dripping from his partner. Soon, Steve’s hitched breathing told a different story and he looked up in amazement to see tears streaming down the big man’s face.

“Steve, you okay?” He asked, reaching up an unsteady hand to cup the detective’s face.

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” Steve assured him, turning his head to press a kiss into Jesse’s palm. “It’s just that no one’s trusted me that much before. I was so afraid I’d hurt you.”

“You didn’t,” Jesse said fiercely. “I loved it – every minute. You were perfect.”

“Well, hardly perfect,” The older man tried to be humble, but his lover wouldn’t let him.

“No, perfect,” Jesse repeated. “Absolutely perfect. You were so patient, made sure my pleasure came first. I mean, look at this,” His gesture incorporated the entire opulent cabin.

“I wanted your first time to be special.”

Jesse’s grin was satiated. “It was. Trust me.”

His lover’s choice of words were reminiscent of Steve’s own reassurances to the younger and reminded him that there might be physical ramifications to Jesse’s first experience of anal sex. “Are you okay?”

“Hmmmm, wonderful,” Jesse purred, getting sleepy after experiencing two intense orgasms fairly close together.

“Let me check,” Steve said, moving to inspect his lover’s backside. Given Jesse’s obviously contented state, at least the other man didn’t seem to be experiencing any emotional repurcussions from having sex with a man. That eased Steve’s mind, glad that he hadn’t seduced his younger partner into an act he’d regret.

Jesse allowed the older man to fuss, knowing that he’d be feeling overprotective of the virgin he’d just deflowered. “Isn’t there supposed to be a little blood the first time?”

Steve lifted his head, frowning at the younger man. “Not with this type of penetration, no. You know that, you’re a doctor.” Satisfied that there were no rips or tears, the detective got a clean cloth and dipped it into the bowl of warm water. “Here, let me take care of you...” Tenderly, he started cleaning up. “We’re lucky, it got a little wild at the end. You could have been hurt.”

“I like it when you get wild.”

The cop snorted. “Spoken like a man who’s never been rode rough and put away wet.”

Jesse wasn’t sure he liked that what statement implied, not sure at all. “What do you mean?”

Steve kept up his cleaning efforts, not looking at his lover. “You know how I said I wanted your first time to be special? Let’s just say that mine wasn’t.”

“Oh, God.”

Jesse’s sick tone of voice made Steve look at the younger man. “No, you’ve got the wrong idea. I wasn’t.... forced. It was just a bit rough.” He nodded at the ring still on Jesse’s thumb. “It was Viet Nam and we were all young fools who were realizing for the first time we weren’t immortal. Sex was one way to feel more alive and since there weren’t a lot of women to relieve tensions with...”

“Oh.” Jesse looked down at the ring on his thumb, then back up to his partner. By this time, Steve had finished with the cloth and was climbing back onto the bed. “Steve, can I keep wearing the ring?”

The older man flushed with pleasure. “I was kind of hoping you would.”

Jesse bit his lip, looking oddly bashful, considering the man he was talking too had had his cock buried in his ass a few minutes earlier. “If I bought you a ring,” he shyly asked, “would you wear it?”

Steve kissed his young lover, then rubbed noses with him. “With pleasure.”

“Good.” Jesse took another deep breath and said, “I love you.”

The detective stopped breathing for a minute, then smiled. “I love you too.”

Jesse snuggled into Steve’s arms, sleepiness coming back now that his intentions were declared. “You know, this wasn’t just my first time with a man, it was my first time making love.”

“What? But...” Steve stuttered in surprised. “But I thought you’d been with women before?”

“Oh, I have.” Jesse answered, amused at the older man’s shock. “But that was sex or maybe fucking. Today, this was making love. Now that I’ve had the one, I can’t ever go back to the other.”

“Thank God,” Steve murmured, petting his lover as the young man dozed off.

The older man was intensely satisfied, not to mention relieved. Not only was he Jesse’s first male lover, but now he knew that he’d be the young man’s last one too.

~finis~