A Changed Life

Thanks for the comments and votes on this story - I've had more comments for this than anything I've submitted before and I really appreciate them - it's great to know that people enjoy what you've written.

Apologies now, I meant to submit this thursday night so you'd only have to wait two days (which apparently was still too long for some of you!), but shit happened and I didn't get to the computer. I hope you don't mind the extra day wait too much.

Also, to the person who pointed out they have desserts in high class restaurants and not puddings - fair point! I could try and argue that Charlie might have used the word anyway, but the truth is I didn't notice which just goes to show I don't eat out anywhere posh!

Anyway, this is the last chapter, and I hope I've kept a bit of the romance in even though they get physical.

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5

Mark

After telling Charlie I was in love with him and him admitting the same, I was on cloud nine. I couldn't even be too upset that he'd wanted more from me and we couldn't do it. I didn't want us to have some quickie in his kitchen with people in the next room. I wanted time to ourselves to find out what we each liked and be able to pleasure each other slowly before making love. And I still couldn't quite believe that I felt this way about him, given how long I had thought my life would be about sex and not about love. But he had me wanting to do everything just right so I would never lose him.

I waited anxiously for him to turn up before work the next day. When he hadn't arrived and it wasn't long before I had to leave I started to be afraid that he wouldn't come and for some reason I had scared him off. My relief at hearing his car come up the drive was immense. Hearing why he hadn't come any sooner was music to my ears, although I thought I would have been able to control myself. On the other hand, I was the boss and I could quite easily have taken the night off and dragged him indoors there and then. I settled for a mind blowing kiss and headed to work too excited about us to think about anything else.

I decided that life was trying to screw with me when I saw Ben come in. I had everything I wanted now, so one of my old fuckbuddies choosing that night for a quiet meal was just unfair. I decided it would be easiest to serve him myself and make it clear that there was no chance of a repeat performance, now or in the future. He looked a bit disappointed, but seemed to understand.

That done, I was light headed and could only think about what Charlie would feel like and taste like. Unless I had mistaken his earlier comments, I could be pretty certain of getting him naked this evening and I thought about how I was going to pleasure him to best effect. I wanted to hear him cry out my name when I made him come for the first time. I was practically shaking with my need and desire.

Heading back into the kitchen, I was humming to myself because I was so happy, Chef managed to take the wind from my sails with just one question. It was immediately clear that the other waiters had mentioned that I had been talking to one of my old customers, and a quick glance at Charlie showed me he was tense and didn't seem keen to turn to look at me like he usually did. Shit. I hated the gossip in this place sometimes. I knew it was my own fault for my behaviour in the past, and now it was coming back to bite me on the arse.

I replied to Chef, but my answers were for Charlie.

"No, I'm not. I've just told him I'm not interested, now or ever again."

Chef looked surprised, and sadly didn't want to let it go. "Seriously? You're onto a sure thing there and you're passing it up?"

"I have something a hell of a lot better than 'a sure thing' now. I have someone I'm madly in love with, and who loves me too. No-one but him is of any interest to me."

The look on Chef's face turned to shock, and I heard so many gasps at what I had said and the certainty I said it with I couldn't be sure if any of them came from Charlie. I saw his body relax though and that was good enough for me. He didn't turn around like I hoped, but I guessed he didn't want to draw any attention to himself. It was probably just me that noticed he was the only one not staring at me like I had grown a second head. Was it really that unlikely that I could fall in love?

Chef recovered faster than any of the others, who were still open mouthed.

"Really? There's a man out there who's been able to tame you? Why haven't you told me, and when am I going to meet him?" he said with a grin. "I need to shake the hand of the guy that can convert you to a one-man man!"

I glanced around the room, noting all faces still intent on me except the one I wanted to see. I didn't want to commit him to having to 'come out' as my boyfriend there and then, but I did want to challenge the total disbelief I was seeing and hearing.

"Seriously Dan, you're making this sound like a miracle. How many times have you and I sat with a few drinks in us talking about soulmates? Well, I've found mine."

I might have continued talking if it hadn't been for the sudden clatter of a pan hitting the floor. That drew everyone's attention away from me and over to Charlie who had just dropped it. I saw him blushing bright red and wondered whether that blush had come from embarrassment at dropping something or me calling him my soulmate. I rather hoped it was the latter. Something had certainly caused him to lose his concentration. It was time to change the subject and give him time to recover.

"I hate to play the big bad boss, seeing as you are all so interested in my love life, but we have still got a restaurant full of customers. Back to work, all of you."

I gave Chef a pointed look to make sure he understood that included him and I wasn't up for any more questions. I'd said enough for the moment and if Charlie was still tense at least it wasn't from any fear I wasn't sure about what he meant to me.

The rest of the night passed fairly peacefully, although there were a few moments when I knew my announcement was being talked about, especially amongst the waiting staff since not all of them had been in the kitchen at the time. No-one was too blatant about it but I could tell by the way conversations suddenly ceased when I looked in their direction. I didn't really care though. I was happy for everyone to know that I was in love, and the only thing they didn't yet know, which would probably cause a lot more gossip, was that the object of my affections was Charlie. When they found that out would be up to him.

Almost everyone had gone by the time I saw the last customers out and locked the door. When I headed back to the kitchen Charlie and Chef were still cleaning up, but I noticed Charlie had changed out of his whites into normal clothes to do it. He was bent slightly over one of the counters and I almost moaned aloud when I considered what I could do to him in that position, not that I would ever do it at work in the kitchen. My thought about what was under his jeans made me start to harden. Did he really go commando under his normal clothes, and was I going to find out tonight?

I headed to the locker room to change myself, and was not surprised when Chef joined me only a moment later. I didn't think I'd be able to stop him asking more questions, and as he was pretty much the only one here who was a good friend as well as an employee I guessed that he deserved some explanation. It didn't take him long to start asking either.

"So, am I going to meet the love of your life at some point?" he asked with a smile. I figured he wanted to tease me.

"You will. But not until he wants to do that."

"Has Tess met him yet?"

I laughed. "I should have known you'd bring Tess into the conversation somehow! Of course she has."

He looked affronted. "I am not obsessed. I just wondered how much of a secret he was, since I didn't even know you were seeing anyone."

"I was working things out between him and me, not thinking about when to tell the rest of the world about us. You know now, and you'll meet him when he's ready. Beyond what I've already said that's all you're getting for now."

"No gossip? It must be love!" he teased.

I actually blushed, and he started laughing. "If you're only going to tease me, I'll make sure he never wants to be introduced to you." I responded.

"That could be rather difficult, don't you think?" said a voice from the corridor outside.

The question had both me and Chef turning to the doorway, where Charlie suddenly appeared. He leant on the side of the door, his arms folded across his chest and a smile on his face. His presence made my body yearn to move over and kiss him, but I wanted to know what he was going to say. I stayed silent to listen for his next comment, but Chef wasn't in the mood for deciphering cryptic comments.

"What do you know?" he asked, suddenly aware that Charlie had some information, but not making the leap to who my secret love was even with him stood right there.

Charlie laughed, and winked at me. I swallowed hard, unsure of what he was doing but not ready to make the first move. It was up to him if he wanted Chef to know more. I almost wished he didn't, because the bemused look on Chef's face was priceless.

I was rooted to the spot as Charlie moved towards me. Well, towards us, but as far as I was concerned right then there was no-one else in the world I could focus on. His eyes were rooted on mine as he slowly approached. It was only a few steps but it seemed to take forever for him to get close. His words when he spoke were right at me as though Chef wasn't present, and his tone was soft and incredibly sexy.

"Your soulmate, huh?" he asked.

I just nodded dumbly, keeping my gaze on his and letting him see I was absolutely serious. Suddenly the moment felt just like the one in his kitchen after we had told each other that we were in love, and the sexual tension cranked up. His blue eyes shone as he looked at me and I moaned as he stepped forward again, this time right up to me. I couldn't move until he stepped right against me and pressed his lips to mine, and then I couldn't stop from moving my lips against his or my arms around him to pull his body as close to mine as possible.

I dimly heard movement beside me, but I was in a whole other world with the man of my dreams right then. His lips were soft and neither of us held any passion back from the kiss. We teased each other, drawing back a little now and again before increasing the force again, tongues locked in a dance around each other's mouths.

It was only the sound of a locker door banging that made me pull back properly from our kiss, panting slightly at the intensity. I'd somehow managed to forget that Chef was in the room, and when I looked at him, gathering his belongings and avoiding looking at us, his face bright red, I couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess I don't really need to introduce you, after all." I said to him as he continued to avoid looking at us as he put on his coat and picked up his bag.

"I guess not." he replied. "Just don't go getting frisky in my kitchen."

Charlie's cheeky side came out in response. "Trust me, I'm not going to mess those sides up after I took so long cleaning them down. Besides, we already agreed not to do it on the table at my house, I don't think an industrial kitchen is going to be any better."

Charlie winked at me as he finished his comment, and laughed when Chef rapidly left the room, muttering something to himself. I had recovered from the intense desire to take Charlie there and then until he winked, and I felt my cock jerk in response. He must have seen the want in my eyes because his hand came up to my chest to stop me pulling his body back against mine.

"Let's go home." he said in a low voice that went straight through me in another wave of lust. His hand took mine to pull me towards the door, and I followed so fast I didn't know I'd moved until I was nearly out of the back door. I had just enough reality left in me to remember to arm the alarm and lock the door before I turned back to him. My groan of want echoed around the carpark when I saw him leaning back against the bonnet of my car with an inviting smile on his face.

Somehow I managed to walk direct to my drivers door and not take advantage of him there and then.

"Get in Charlie. That's no better than a table, and I really need to treat you right."

He was in the car beside me a moment after I was, noticeably trembling. I put my hand on his and squeezed it in reassurance. He was saying it all with his actions and we both knew what we were heading to do, but I could understand his nerves and I felt the same. No matter how many times I had had sex, I had never yet made love and I needed this to be special for both of us.

I had to try and stop shaking myself so I could drive, and my body was aching to touch him finally. I managed to keep to the speed limits even though I had never been more desperate to get home. Something made me sure that if I did go too fast this would be the one night I got caught and that would delay what we both needed to do a hell of a lot longer than a few minutes. I pulled into my drive after what felt like the longest trip home ever.

Charlie still looked nervous when he got out of the car. I could tell from his eyes he was still turned on and wanted this, but it was also clear that he was worried. I knew he didn't have as much experience as me, but it's not like he was a virgin either. And no matter what either of us had done in our pasts, this time was about so much more. It was going to be explosive in more ways than one. I also knew that he was going to be amazing, no matter what we did. I took his hand to lead him towards the house, pleased that despite his nerves he followed without hesitation.

When we got inside I thought a drink would be the best way to start. Charlie had other ideas and as I tried to leave him at the sofa and head for a bottle of wine he grabbed my arm to stop me and turn me back towards him. I didn't know when I had ever seen such intensity in another person's eyes, but mine were soon closed anyway, I was unable to keep them open when his soft lips touched mine gently and then more insistently. All thoughts of wine forgotten, I gently pulled him down to the sofa with me, wrapping my arms around him and holding his lithe body as close as possible to mine.

I could feel his shaky breathing, fairly sure this was turning from his nerves into excitement, and his hands moving down my sides and around what he could reach of my chest in a slow exploration seemed to confirm my suspicions. My hands roamed over his back as I leaned backwards and pulled him on top of me, savouring his soft gasp as more of our bodies came into contact. I could feel my cock straining in my trousers already, but I was going to take this slow and savour every moment of this first time with the love of my life.

Gently I let my hands lift his top so that I could run my fingers across his smooth skin. I'd seen his back before, but now I could trace the lines and stroke down his spine. When my index finger reached the top of his trousers he whimpered and I made a mental note to see how sensitive that area was later on. I opened my eyes to take the sight in properly when he lifted slightly from me and took his shirt off. He was lean, but not without definition. His chest had sparse hair on it but a wonderful treasure trail leading down to the bulge in his trousers. My eyes followed the line and I wondered again what he had in there and whether he really didn't wear underwear.

A moment after his shirt was removed his hands came to my top to push it up and off. I raised my body and my arms to help him strip me, and then took delight in the look of desire on his face as he considered what he had revealed. His fingers moved to stroke through the heavy hair on my chest and I moaned loudly at the sensations that shot through me as he teased. I took his hands gently in mine and moved them away from me, not wanting anything too intense having decided that this time was to be about him. I hoped he would want to give me a lot, but I was not going to let him pleasure me in any way that I hadn't done to him first. This was all about him and I was definitely not a selfish lover, and would prove that to him with every move.

My arms went back around him and pulled him to me so his body would touch mine. The warmth of our bodies meeting skin to skin went through my whole body and I wanted more. I settled for pulling him back for another kiss, putting all my desire into my touches and delighting in every little sound of pleasure that he made. It was strange, but I could almost content myself with this. Kissing him was so wonderful I had to wonder if I would even survive anything more with him.

We pulled back a little from each other, both panting, and I knew from what I could feel that he was just as hard as I was. His face hovering above me, with the light shining through his blond hair, made me smile as I thought of him for a moment as some kind of angel. I moved my hand up into his hair and pulled out the tie, letting it fall around his face and increasing the resemblance. He was certainly my angel. I stroked his face gently, feeling the beginnings of stubble on his cheeks, and staring into his blue eyes.

"You are so beautiful. I love you." I said quietly.

My response was another kiss, just when I was thinking I was getting my breath back he took it away again, not only with the kiss but with the look in his eyes that preceded it.

Charlie didn't seem any more desperate to increase the speed of this than I was, despite the fact he must also have been hard and throbbing. Usually I would have had my partner totally naked by now and be well on the way to getting my cock buried in them deep, but with him I had control of my dick. I needed to take small steps, and right now the thing I most wanted to know was how sensitive his back was. My hands moved again to the small of his back and I stroked my fingers across it, feeling a shiver go through him. After a few passes I changed the angle so that my nails raked gently over his skin, and he moaned into my mouth. If he was so sensitive there then rimming him was likely to be a delight.

As I kept up my gentle assault on his back, Charlie started to move against me, and the sudden motion of his hardness against mine made both of us gasp. It was strange how so little contact and such gentle foreplay had my body buzzing so much. Every part of me seemed highly sensitised. I didn't even take in what he whispered to me and had to ask him to repeat it.

"I said, what are we doing?" his sexy soft voice whispered in my ear.

"We're having the best make-out session I've ever had in my life." I replied, equally softly.

"It is. But I thought you wanted more. I mean... I want more." he said, nipping at my earlobe.

I arched my back at the wave of pleasure that went through me and groaned. I had no idea my ears were so sensitive to touches. I heard a slight giggle from Charlie as he sucked my earlobe in and then swirled his tongue around my outer ear. I always knew my nipples and chest were connected to my cock, but this was a new one on me. I had to get him to stop before I lost all my senses and went from soft and gentle to total caveman.

"I want to play with you," I said, pushing him back a little so I could sit up and then settling him back on the sofa so his body was laid out in front of me. He lay with his head raised on the arm, waiting for my next move. I covered his body with mine and heard him sigh before I kissed him again, still wanting to feel those soft lips against my own. His body moving beneath mine made me move, knowing I had so much more of him still to explore.