Kept Man: Firsts and Forever Stories

His strong body trembled as his orgasm built. When he pulled back, I took a deep breath, and then he shoved his cock down my throat and came with a yell. He thrust a few more times, his hips stuttering as his orgasm tore from him. It was exactly what I needed, in a way I couldn’t explain.

He dropped to his knees and positioned me on my side. Then he wrapped his mouth around my cock and started sucking me hard and fast.

That was all it took. I cried out as my balls tightened up and my cock exploded down his throat. I came in bursts, one after the other, and it was so intense that a little whimper slipped from me. He kept sucking me right through to the end, amplifying my pleasure.

Afterwards, my entire body went limp. He quickly removed the belt, then folded the edge of the blanket over us. As he held me and stroked my hair, he asked, “Are you alright, baby?”

I muttered, “Hell yes,” and snuggled against him. My head was still spinning.

“Okay, good. That little sound you made worried me.”

“It was because my orgasm tried to kill me.”

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. We both took some time to catch our breath, and after a while he asked, “What did you do today?”

“I mortified everyone involved by walking in on Ash and his boyfriend doing it, hung out with my new friend Seth, and contemplated my future. Somewhere in there was also iced coffee and learning to play Gin Rummy.”

“What were you contemplating, exactly?”

“Since you’re my last client ever, I was thinking about what I want to do after I retire from my current line of work. I really don’t know, though.”

He asked, “If you could do absolutely anything you wanted to with zero chance of failure, what would it be?”

“I’d go to art school.” I was surprised at how quickly that answer came to me.

“Then that’s what you have to do.”

“But there’s every chance of failure with that, not zero chance.”

“That’s not true.”

“Sure it is,” I insisted.

“What’s the best art school in the city? I’m thinking it’s Sutherlin, but I don’t really know much about this stuff.”

“It’s Sutherlin for sure, and not just in the city. It’s one of the best on the west coast,” I said. “One of my favorite artists went there. Actually, he was the person teaching that class I bailed out on.”

“Then that’s where you belong. Let’s figure out how to get you enrolled, and I’ll set up a scholarship fund to cover all your expenses.”

“You wouldn’t have to do that, Micah. If I was actually going to do this, I’d use the money you’re paying me.”

“But I bet a private art college is expensive, between books, and tuition, and—”

I cut him off with a kiss before saying, “You really are the sweetest person ever, but this isn’t going to happen. Even if I got in by some miracle, I’d never have the guts to show up for my classes.”

“Is it because you’d be intimidated by the other students, or because you’d feel like you weren’t good enough?”

“Both.”

“We need to get you past that,” he said. “This is important. You’re letting fear stand in the way of something you want. You do want this, don’t you?”

“I really do,” I admitted quietly. “It was my dream when I was in high school, but then it all just fell apart.”

“Then let’s start small. What can I do to get you to go to that art class tomorrow night?”

“It might be too late, since I missed the first one.”

“Message the instructor and ask. I bet you anything he’ll tell you it’s okay.”

I propped my head up with one hand and used the other to brush his hair back. “If I didn’t have the courage to go last week, what makes you think I can do it this week?”

“You can, Jasper. I believe in you.”

I ran my fingertips down the side of his face. “Why does this matter to you?”

“Because I care about you, and when I saw how disappointed you were last week, it broke my heart.” I sat up, and Micah did, too. Then he slid in behind me and wrapped himself around me like a protective shell. After a few moments, he said softly, “I’d go with you if I could. I’d hold you on my lap and keep you safe, and I’d snarl at anyone who tried to intimidate you or make you feel less than.” I thought that was sweet and ridiculous and lovely.

When I snuggled against his chest, Micah pulled the ends of the blanket over his shoulders, then wrapped his arms and the blanket around me. After a while, he asked, “Since I can’t actually go along, what else can I do to get you to go to that class?”