Consorting with Romance

This is a novella length romance story. There will be plenty of sex, but it won't appear in every chapter.

(Warning: contains elements of prostitution)

Copyright 2019

This chapter is a tad longer than the rest, but it doesn't seem right to break it up somehow.

*****

Eventually we pulled away from one another, though we stayed close as we put the food in to warm. Neither of us seemed completely convinced it had happened, or that the other wouldn't change his mind. As he pulled out dessert, I leaned over his shoulder a bit with a smile.

"I don't usually do dessert, but I think today is most definitely an exception. What did ya make?"

He looked a bit nervous. "I know most people do chocolate things for this holiday, and in general, buuuttt," He dragged the word out. "I really, really like apple pie, so that's what I made."

I grinned like a child. "That's my favorite."

He looked surprised and slightly doubtful.

"Seriously, if you'd have asked what I wanted that would have been it."

God how did this day turn out like this? I don't think I'd ever been this happy.

"Also," I smiled as I got back in the fridge. "I have cream. So, we can do berries with it if you want. Hell, you can eat every berry I have."

He blushed and raised an eyebrow suggestively. Suddenly I felt serious and nervous. He noticed the change and reached his fingertips out to touch my arm lightly, waiting for whatever I apparently had to say.

"I've never done this before Jess. Not even this much of...this. I've never spent the night with anyone, never gone on dates, never been a couple, never compromised or fought with someone I cared for, because other than my sister; I've never really cared for anyone."

He nodded softly, fingertips still resting on my arm, waiting for the axe to fall.

"I want this to be right; to be good. To be everything it should be."

He smiled and nodded. "Me too sweetheart."

A visible shiver ran through me. Lord, a term of endearment. I'd never had one of those used on me before. I had to be honest with him. I took a deep breath and he simply kept smiling and waiting.

"I don't want to jump right into sexual things. If we're going to do this, I want to do it right. In truth, I'm terrified that I won't know how to do sex with a partner, that it will be so automatic for me at this point that it will just be ..."

I trailed off not knowing how to finish that sentence. God, I felt like a child. I'm a grown ass man. A tall, strapping, independent grown ass man. He stepped closer and his smile was somehow even kinder thank before. His fingertips traced my cheekbone and I shivered again.

"It won't be like work. I know that for a fact. But we don't have to do anything until you're ready and you know it for a fact too."

I melted into his arms. A consort asking the one human in the world that would date a consort to hold off having sex. Even to me it sounded absurd. But I couldn't dismiss the fear that had taken hold at the edge of my mind. He kissed the bend of my neck tenderly and as he pulled back, his amber eyes smiled into mine.

"Let's eat before you burn the rest of it." He chuckled.

The evening flew by and before we realized it, it was 1am. We had both spent a large portion dinner complimenting the other's cooking and making exaggerated sex noises as we ate. We picked berries and moved desert to the wing backs in the living room. Conversation ebbed and flowed naturally from light and funny to deep and serious now that neither of us was concerned they might accidentally say the wrong thing and ruin our friendship.

He looked at the clock and swore. "Fuck, last train is in 20 minutes. I have to go."

"Or...you could stay?" I asked, terrified he'd say no and rush out. There was a chance I'd wake up in the morning and find this had all been a dream, and I wasn't ready for it to end.

He looked surprised and thoughtful for a moment. "I have a class in the morning, I'd have to leave pretty early."

I found myself responding a bit hesitantly, nervous his comment about an early class was simply an excuse to get out. "Still seems better than you leaving right now."

He smiled lovingly and sat back down. I'd never seen anyone smile at me like that before and it left me breathless.

We continued our conversation until I found myself fighting to stay awake.

"Bed?" I asked quietly.

I felt myself hardening at the thought. My heart raced and my breath deepened. He simply nodded. I stood and offered him my hand. We made our way to the bedroom. He wasn't sure what I would want so he stood waiting for my lead. I let my eyes lock onto those amber pools, and I stripped down to my briefs. His gaze moved slowly along me as I stood there. He'd seen me in the shower at work dozens of times, maybe hundreds, but this was different. This was deliberate and intimate. I felt like he'd made love to me with only his gaze by the time his eyes reached mine again.

As he began stripping, I suddenly realized I'd never seen more of his skin than his forearms when he wore short sleeves. Nudity, or lack thereof, simply wasn't something I normally took much note of. He smiled nervously as he removed his clothing down to his briefs as well. He was more muscular than I had assumed. In the time I'd known him I'd never heard him mention working out, and I couldn't quiet understand how a physique like that was possible without it. Across those perfectly chiseled abs, he had the lightest trail of dark brown hair that began just below his navel and disappearing into his black briefs. I was shocked at the intensity of my body's response.

"Jesus Jesse." I whispered as I fought to remember to breath.

He blushed. I wanted to touch him. I wanted to lick and kiss and caress every inch of his perfectly tanned skin. I wanted to see what was in those briefs. The way I wanted him terrified me.

My eyes caught his again. "Hold me tonight?"

I felt absurd making the request. But I'd never been held in my sleep before, and I'd always imagined it must be so peaceful. He nodded with a gentle smile and I slipped into bed facing away from him. He slid in behind me and wrapped his arm around my chest, pulling me back against him. I whimpered. God. How many people had I fucked this way? How many times had I been fucked this way? It was all nothing. This surpassed anything I could have imagined. His body fit mine effortlessly, like we were made for one another. His broad warm chest pressed tightly to my back as his thighs curled up behind mine. His cock was rock hard, and it pressed tightly against my ass, settling between my cheeks as if it belonged there. I could feel it throbbing and my breath caught. I'd let my hair down to sleep and he slid it aside with his chin and buried his face in it as his lips wandered across my neck.

"This is perfect." He whispered softly.

He was right. It was. Eventually, our breathing began to slow, and we both began to soften. As attracted as we were to one another, tonight was about intimacy, it just took our bodies a moment to understand that. I fought sleep. I wanted to savor this for as long as possible, but he was so warm, and I felt so safe. I didn't make it more than 10 minutes.

I woke, startled at the sensation of a body pressed against my back. What the fuck? Did I fall asleep at work? Did I pass out? Am I ok? I was half sitting up before I heard a deep, rolling moan behind me that sent shivers down my spine and an arm tightened around my waist, pulling me back down against the large warm body. Jesse. Fuck, it hadn't been a dream. I was here, in my own home, in my own bed, and Jesse was curled up against my back. I flashed back through the past 24 hours; every smile, every touch. I shivered and snuggled in deeper, pressing back against him. I was glad I'd decided not to see client's today after we'd made our plans to spend the holiday together. Tomorrow it would be business as usual, but for this one day, I wanted there to be nothing other than the fact this was real. Someone...no not someone, the most incredible man I'd ever met, actually cared for me. Cared enough to be lying here with me in his arms. He shifted behind me again, pulling me tighter to him and moaning deliberately. He began to lazily kiss along the back of my neck, unwrapping his arm from my waist for a brief moment to brush my hair to one side exposing my neck and shoulder a bit more.

I returned his sensual moan ."Mmmm morning Jess."

I felt his lips curl into a smile against my shoulder and he let his forehead rest against my neck.

"Morning sweetheart."

Jesus. I shivered again. It never ended. Every little thing he did was a first for me. He moaned again and tightened his arm around me.

"I'm going to call in sick to class." he mumbled against my shoulder.

I rolled over to face him and furrowed my brow. "You can't do that."

He brushed his lips tenderly across mine. "I can so. I decided last night after you fell asleep."

I melted and shimmied closer to him, closing my eyes and resting my forehead against his chest.

He sighed contentedly. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've woken up with someone like this? Even then, it never felt the way this does."

"Mmm, I've never woken up with someone like this." Came my automatic reply. I was shocked at how instinctively open I was with him.

He leaned back. His gaze searching for mine, and I gave in and smiled gently into those pools of amber.

"You said you had a boyfriend when you were young." He said questioningly.

I shrugged a bit. "Boyfriend yes, romantic partner no. It was more of a regular hook up sort of thing."

He furrowed his brow for a moment, and I grew concerned.

"It bothers you I'm so inexperienced in the important things?" I questioned cautiously.

He laughed gently and shook his head before brushing his lips across mine.

"I was trying to figure out how it's possible I stumbled on to you - untaken. You deserve love and romance all the time."

I melted and felt like tearing up again, so I buried my face back into his chest and sighed deeply. God, what had happened to me. Had my life really been so lonely that every time he said something kind to me, I was going to cry? He'd love that I'm sure.

He must have realized how hard it had hit me because he just tightened his arms around me and kissed my head. "I love you Ash."

My head shot up so fast I slammed the top of it into his jaw. Hard. Good Ash...nice... smooth.

He groaned and rubbed his jaw laughing. "You can pretend I didn't say it, you don't have to beat me up!" He chuckled as his eyes found their way to mine. "I get it. We've never slept together, and we kissed for the first time yesterday. It sounds insane for me to say that. But, I just... do."

I reached my fingers up to trail along his jawline, down his neck.

"I love you too."

He looked surprised and then the softest of smiles crossed his lips and a tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. We curled up tightly together and fell back to sleep.

I woke a couple of hours later with his fingertips trailing along my back and shivered instantly.

He kissed the side of my jaw.

"I'll always know when you wake up. You shiver every time."

I kissed him softly. "I can't help it."

"Good." He moaned as our lips met again.

We spent the day idly picking at leftovers and learning more about one another. We touched the entire time. Fingers lazily wandering along an arm or back until night fell once more, and we crawled back into bed together. This time I gestured for him to get in first and I curled up tightly against his back to hold him the way he'd held me the night before. He whimpered and pressed back against me, settling tightly into my embrace. I hardened instantly, and it took every ounce of self-control I had to not slip his briefs down and slide deeply into him.

He woke early the next morning and kissed me lingeringly before heading out to class. His fingers trailed through my hair as he whispered.

"See you at work sweetheart."

I grinned and curled up around a pillow that somehow already smelled like him.

I found myself growing concerned as I rode the train into work. What if he had changed things and things were different for me when I was with clients, especially knowing he was in the next room.

When I walked in, he was sitting at his desk. He grinned up at me and very professionally said simply. "Hey boss."

Perfect, I was hoping he'd be on board with things at the office staying professional.

"Hey Jess. All good to go?"

"Yepper"

I smiled and nodded. "Perfect. I'll get ready."

Things went smoothly that day and my concerns had been unwarranted. When I touched my clients, and they touched me, I enjoyed the sexual acts, but that was all. There was no shivering, no racing heart. It was the same as it had always been.

At the end of the day he reading a textbook and waiting for me when I came out.

"So, I was thinking," He started. "I don't want things getting complicated here, and I really do still have to focus on school a lot of the time soooo...what if things stay like they've been during the week, but I come out to your place Friday and Saturday nights after work and spend Sundays with you for now...take things slow...let us find a rhythm that works for us?"

I was relieved, and thrilled.

"That sounds perfect."

His brow creased as he continued. "Can I ask you something though, just this one time and never again?"

I smiled gently into his beautiful eyes; I didn't have to wait for the question.

"Nothing has changed here. No one is what you are. Like carrots and strawberries. One you eat because it tastes ok and it's good for you. One, brings nothing but pleasure and you can't ever get enough."

He smiled gently. "I'll never ask again."

I shivered and stepped close and whispered. "Just this once at work."

I brushed my lips over his. He trembled and whimpered deeply. His hand cupped my jaw and his lips were warm and soft and insistent as they played on mine. When we finally parted, we were both hard and panting.

The next couple of months were almost magical. Work was good, Jess passed his end of semester exams, and god the way it felt when we were together. He was kind with me; gentle, romantic, and never pushed me into anything sexual. I found myself avoiding the issue despite the way my body responded when we were together. It was so different at work and I was terrified I wouldn't be able to connect with him the way I should.

I startled briefly as I stepped into the front room after showering. It didn't matter how many times I'd walked into the sight, it always surprised me a bit. Jesse was lounging lengthwise on the sofa, one leg bent up, foot on the cushions, focused on a large text book. He wore soft cotton athletic shorts and a black tank top. An outfit I'd learned was his go to any time he didn't have to be out in public. He seemed completely unaware of the fact he oozed sensuality and masculinity even simply reading a book. He grinned up distractedly and shifted the book to one side as I made my way over and settled in between his legs with my back against his chest. It had become our normal position at home.

For a few minutes he continued trying to study, but his lack of success became obvious as he slowly hardened against the top of my ass. He gave up the pretense and set the book on the floor before turning his attention to my neck and shoulders. My body shook, and goosebumps crawled across my skin as he brushed my hair to one side and began nibbling on my ear and down the side of my neck. The very tip of his tongue drawing lazy circles along the top of my shoulder. He used his jaw to press my head to the side to allow himself deeper access. I was hard and throbbing and a visible wet spot was slowly spreading across the fabric of my linen pajama pants. I shifted my weight back and he whimpered as his length slid along my low back and found itself pressed tightly between our bodies. His hands ran along the lengths of my arms as my fingertips dug into his thighs. I was lost in the heat of his body. The hardness of his chest against my back, and the strength of the arms that encircled me. There was only the sensation of his warm, wet tongue playing against my skin. God I wanted him inside of me.

Fear rushed through me and he felt my body stiffen as I straightened my head a bit and cleared my throat. The intensity of his touch faded to panic over what would happen to moments like this if we slept together and it was no different than when I was with a client. He slid his cheek gently along my shoulder and wrapped me tightly in his arms, pulling my body more firmly back against his. I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of his breath and the feel of his heartbeat. He never pressed me, although his constant desire was more than evident as often all it took was a glance or a brush of fingertips for him to harden visibly. I'd never seen him naked, but from way he bulged in his shorts and the way it felt when it pressed into my back, it was clear that his cock was as impressive as the rest of him.

Eventually his lips began to play softly against my skin once again as he mumbled against my neck. "Next weekend there is an end of semester party. It's a semi-formal mixer for both professors and students. Will you come with me?"

I felt sick and turned in his arms. He frowned at my expression.

"Jess. My profession might be respected on paper, but people judge those of us who choose to engage in it pretty harshly. There's a reason I don't have friends, and a reason I didn't date."

His frown deepened. "You think I care what people think about your job?"

I shook my head. "No, of course not. But people will judge you for being romantically involved with me. It could hurt your career."

His warm brown eyes were soft and hurt as he asked again. "Please?"

All he wanted was me. I swallowed heavily knowing how it was likely to play out but nodded anyway. As I settled back against his chest, he had hardened again against my ass and I felt even worse. God he was so good to me. He didn't deserve what was going to happen.

I found myself putting more care than normal into my appearance as I got dressed. Don't get me wrong, in my line of work, appearance means a great deal and I am always well-groomed and impeccably dressed. At least, during the rare moments I am dressed. I chose a suit of deep grey with subtle white pinstripes and hunter green shirt who's color was reflected in my eyes so that they appeared almost transparent emerald. With my hair pulled into a loose bun, I was satisfyingly presentable. At least he wouldn't have cause to be embarrassed until people found out what I did for a living.

"Jesus." He stammered as he opened the door. Before I could say a word or move to step inside, I was wrapped tightly in his arms. His mouth covered my own. His lips were insistent; coaxing mine open as he slipped his tongue deep into my mouth to play. I hardened and pressed the length of my body against his.

Someone across the room cleared their throat and we reluctantly separated.

"Ash, this is my roommate Bethany. Bethany, Ash." We both smiled awkwardly and shook hands.

She laughed as she walked past us into the hall. "Let's go lover boys."

It was a much fancier affair than I'd anticipated, but I'd trained for years, and could easily fit in at any social event. I was suave, polite, charming, and I was always a hit with any crowd. That is, I was a hit when someone paid me to be their date. In those circumstances I was respected, and my charm and wit were actively sought out by party guests.

As confident and relaxed as I appeared to everyone else, I was nervous, and Jesse knew it. He was deliberate about keeping his hand tight against my low back as we made our way around the room. An hour passed, and things were going well. Somehow no one had bothered to ask my profession.