Those Golden Eyes

Those Golden Eyes 42

Warning! This is a tale about men loving men. If you find this disturbing - click off. If it's unlawful for you to read this - click off. If you under age - good luck if you can get away with it.

This is not a story for getting your rocks off. Just thought I'd let you know, so you won't waste your time if that's what your looking for. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy my writing.

I appreciate feedback and do my best to respond to it all. I may be contacted at:

J S.Collection@Verizon.Net

Those Golden Eyes

by JWSmith

Chapter 42

"I quit."

The words hung in the air for several heart beats as Gio looked up into Teddy's frowning face. "You can't," he said.

"What I can't do is work for someone who is in love with me."

"Who said that I'm in love with you?" His Italian belligerency coming to the fore.

"Your friend, Silvano."

"He's got a big mouth. Besides, he doesn't know what he's talking about." He made a rude gesture with his hand.

"So you aren't in love with me?" Teddy stood beside the paper-piled desk his hands fisted stiffly at his sides.

"I didn't say that." Gio flicked his hand as if to shoo off the statement.

"So just what is it you aren't saying?" Teddy folded his arms across his chest.

"I am saying that I need you to not quit. I am saying that I need you to oversee the new restaurant."

"I'm not for sale, dammit. You can't buy me with that."

The look of utter astonishment on Gio's face told Teddy that he'd been wrong."It never entered my mind that I could," Gio said. "You are very capable. I think you can take on this restaurant and with my help we'll make a big success of it." Gio made a pleading gesture.

Teddy glowered at him. He didn't want to be right, but he didn't like being wrong. Gio stared back, trying through the eye contact to convince Teddy that what he'd said was true. Teddy looked away. Gio wondered how he could torture Silvano for running his big mouth. He wondered how Silvano had known how he felt about Teddy. Was it that obvious?

Teddy sighed and collapsed into the chair across the desk from Gio. He sighed and sat forward dropping his head. He stared at the floor for a bit and then looked up into Gio's clear blue eyes. He said, "I'd like it if you are telling the truth."

Gio closed his eyes and then looked at Teddy again. "I am telling you the truth. I believe you are capable of doing this. Otherwise, I would never risk hundreds of thousands of dollars on you."

"I won't let you down, Gio. We'll make a success of this."

"I've never for a moment doubted that."

Teddy studied the floor between his feet and then looked up again. "I love you, too, you know."

Gio blinked and looked away. His hands dropped lifeless to the desk top. He wasn't expecting that. It threw him for a loop. A thousand thoughts flew through his head, yet only one got voiced. "What about Arlen?" His hands stayed still

Teddy chuckled. "Arlen is just a horndog trying to get into my pants."

"But you've been out three times with him in the last week." One hand came off the desk top with three fingers up to emphasize how many.

Teddy mentally started kicking himself. He'd thought that Gio would verify his feeling for him. Why had he told Gio how he felt. Shit! All he'd done was put himself in a vulnerable position and hadn't gotten any reciprocation. Well, if Gio wanted to play games, screw it, he could play with the best of them. He looked at Gio, cocked his head to the side, raised his eyebrows and blinked.

"So you have bedded him." Gio's obtuse euphemism amused Teddy, but the accusatory voice rankled.

"I don't think that is any of your business," he said with a nasty chuckle.

"Of course it is my business." Gio's voice rose several decibels.

"And how do you come to that conclusion?" Teddy matched him decibel for decibel.

Gio snapped his mouth shut and blinked. He wasn't sure he wanted to commit himself. And without committing himself he had no viable answer.

Teddy wasn't relenting. He placed the knuckles of his fisted hands on the desktop and leaned forward yelling into Gio's face, "Come on, Gio, why do you think you have a right to know my private life?"

Gio stared into Teddy's face and then looked away. "Because I love you, too." he mumbled.

"What? I didn't hear you." Teddy yelled again.

Gio's head snapped back and he glared at Teddy "I love you, too, Goddamit," he yelled back as he stood, sending his desk chair rolling back to collide with a file cabinet, and then he fell to muttering more explicatives in Italian which included very expressive hand movements.

Teddy sat down with a little "Oh."

Gio turned on him. "I tell you I love you and all you can say is oh?" Gio's hands were accenting every word with an expressive gesture as he muttered some more in his native language.

"I told you the same thing and you accused me of having an affair when it wasn't any of your business to begin with. Besides, how do you know how many times I've been out with Arlen?" Teddy yelled the question.

Gio glared at him belligerently.

Teddy stared back and then it dawned on him. "You've been stalking me. Spying on me," he said softly.

"I have not been stalking you." Gio grabbed the back of his chair and rolled it back to the desk and sat down. "I can see the front of your house from my balcony. I saw you leave with Arlen. That's all."

"Three times?"

Gio shrugged. "The first time was accidental. I just happened to step out to get some fresh air. The other two times I was watching, wishing it was me."

That statement deflated Teddy's anger. "Gio." He shook his head. "Gio, this won't work. We have seven weeks to get this place up and operational. Besides you're my boss. We can't be getting emotionally involved."

Gio looked a him and shrugged. "I can't help it. I'm Italian. I'm emotional. I'm romantic."

Teddy looked up at him through furrowed, hooded brows. "Yeah, and I'm Irish and I'm stubborn as a mule, and it won't work."

"We'll make it work." Gio insisted.

Teddy closed his eyes. God he wanted this man so badly, but he had committed himself to the job Gio had given him. He wanted to succeed at that, too. He knew the hours were going to be long and the effort it was going to take to get Dave's Place up and running was going to be tremendous. There was no time to spend on a budding romance. He grimaced, and sighed. "Look, let's cool it until after the opening; we don't have time for both. We're both adults. We know what we want. We can wait." he said.

Gio frowned as he thought about it, then looked up and grinned. "You are right. See, that is why I say you are perfect for this job."

Teddy smiled back. "Thanks, Gio."

"So you won't go out with Arlen again?"

"Of course, I'll go out with Arlen again. For a beer or dinner. But I still won't 'go to bed' with him."

"You mean you haven't fucked with him?"

Teddy grinned at the straightforwardness of the question this time. "No, Gio, I haven't fucked with him. I have no intention of letting Arlen get in my pants."

Gio looked relieved. "Will you go out for a beer with me?"

It made Teddy warm inside to see how he felt. "Sure,Gio. When?" he answered.

~~~~~

The next weeks were intense, filled with interviewing and hiring which Gio and Teddy did jointly. Once the kitchen staff was set, the larder was filled with staples. The construction crews had finished their work and left the men from the different equipment companies to finish connecting all the stoves, grill, etc. They were a different species from the kitchen staff dressed in their white uniforms. They were mostly men with muscular bare arms, their undershirts stretched over their beginning beer bellies and low hanging loose pants that showed occasional plumbers butts. Teddy couldn't help but grin and enjoy the sight of the occasional hairy crack. The kitchen crew had to be patient and just work around them.

The menus were finalized and sent to the printers. As deliveries were received, they were disbursed to their proper locations. Accounts were set up with suppliers for prime meats and farm fresh vegetable. Deliveries of fresh seafood from the Gulf, the east and west coasts were arranged. Gio spent most of his time in his office keeping up with the paperwork. Teddy found himself. He'd always been an excellent chef, but overseeing the large kitchen was his element.

In the middle of all of this the two men took time to assist Silvano in preparation for Johnny and Tim's commitment. Once the menu for the affair was decided Teddy ordered the food through the new restaurant. Gio went back to his deluge of paperwork.

After the third week of not seeing anything of his desk top he went to Joe and asked him to find an in house accountant. He wondered why he hadn't foreseen the need. Joe went one step further and hired a woman skilled in the field of restaurant accounts and also hired her an aide. That left Gio to do what he should have been doing, overseeing the whole operation.

He was very pleased to see the excellent job Teddy was doing, and was impressed with the rapport he had with his staff, and the infinite patience he had with the men still installing the equipment. He had intuitively known Teddy's forte. He loved watching him move about the kitchens overseeing everything. Gio knew that if it had been him in Teddy's place he'd be losing his temper and yelling constantly.

It seemed to Teddy that every time he turned around he caught Gio watching him. He couldn't miss the tender expression in his eyes. He'd wink at Gio and give him a knowing little smile. Being aware of how Gio felt made Teddy's job so much easier. He didn't have to play any games. All he had to do was feel secure and satisfied that he was doing an excellent job and was having fun while doing it.

Since Teddy hadn't taken the time to buy a car, he rode with Gio everyday. On this ride, morning and night, neither said anything that wasn't about their work, yet they were both aware of the dynamic tension. Their eyes communicated what they refused to let their mouths say.

~~~~~

It didn't take Dave much to figure out that the restaurant on top of Joe's new office tower was the center of the surprise joe was keeping secret from him. He recalled how foolish he'd felt when Joe had told him that the place was supposed to be a surprise. He not only felt bad about his reaction, he'd felt sorry for Joe's foreman, even though it was Joe's fault for not telling the man that the top floors were off limits when he'd shown him and his mother the restaurant.

Gio had basically abandoned Gio Gio's to an Italian friend and had taken his protege with him. They were never in the restaurant. And Silvano made excuses for Dave missing them every time he stopped in. That Gio would just abandon the little place would have rankled if he hadn't already known of the existence of the new place on top of Joe's new building. Dave assumed that Gio would be in charge of the restaurant and have his new chef, what was his name, oh yes, Ted, as his assistant. He had no idea what an immense task Gio had taken on. Seeing the finished product he guessed would be exciting, no surprise, but exciting none the less. Dave decided to just lie back and let Joe have his surprise.

Dave had already gotten Joe's birthday present, and set it up with the reception desk in the lobby that on the night of the birthday party when Joe called down for his car that it wouldn't be his old one that was delivered to the front door.

~~~~~

The escrow was due to close in five days. Totally committed to each other, Jake and Charley were now becoming co-owners of a new home. They both felt the burden of the big change that was occurring in their lives.

"So do you want to go on both bikes?" Charley asked. It was Thursday afternoon and Jake had just talked to the real estate agent. Everything was going as planned. By next Tuesday the papers should be ready to sign.

"Well, let's think this out. Your pickup is there. And we have to bring it and both bikes back. I guess what we could do is rent a small U-haul and one of us drive that and the other drive the pickup with the two bikes in the back."

"Sounds like a plan. You want to leave tomorrow?"

"I can leave anytime. I'm way ahead of schedule on my book."

"Great. Then let's get ready now and we'll leave in the morning."

Charley called his parents and told them they were coming. They were informed that they would be expected for dinner that night.

~~~

The sun had just risen above the horizon when they set off toward Kirksville. With the sun on their backs and the wind in their faces, riding side by side, Charley and Jake were on their way. Four and a half hours later they rode into the outskirts of Charley's hometown. When they stopped at the first stop light Jake raised his visor and grinned at Charley. "Damn, it sure is good to get out and just ride sometimes. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, let's go to Sally's," Charley suggested.

Jake grinned. "Like there is any other place we'd go."

The lunch hour was just slowing when they wheeled into the parking lot in front of the café. There were two black and whites parked right in front. Charley gave Jake a significant look and jerked his head at the police cars. "You ready to take some flak?"

"They're going to give you a hard time?"

"Maybe. At least Jeb McCall will. He's a bigoted SOB. Big loud mouth."

"I'm right beside you, Babe."

"I love you, Jake." He turned and opened the door before Jake could respond. They stepped up to the counter that was only partially occupied and pulled off their helmets and leather jackets before they sat down.

The counter was U-shaped with the cash register in the bottom of the U. Charley and Jake chose to sit to the right of the register facing the four city cops who were sitting on the other side.

As Charley slipped his helmet up and off his head, exposing his face, the big ruddy-faced, carrot topped cop called out, "Well, well, if it ain't the ex-faggot cop and his boy friend." Everyone turned to look.

Charley had had his fill of this ass back when he was a cop here in Kirksville. He'd put up with it then, but now...NO Way. He looked the cop straight in the face and said loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "Get it right, you stupid redneck, I'm an ex-cop. I am not an ex-faggot, McCall. Jake here is too much of a man to be anyone's "boy" friend."

Sally came rushing through the swinging doors from the kitchen. She heard the words exchanged and set out to defuse the situation. "What is all the yelling out here?" She saw Charley and squealed her delight as she ran around the counter to give him a hug. "Charley, where have you been hiding. You just disappeared. You didn't even say good-bye and then I heard you'd quit the force and left town." She let go of him and turned to Jake. "Are you okay now?" she took his hands in hers.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?"he dissembled.

"I know you were in the hospital. Chess has kept me up to date."

"Oh, well, I'm fine now," he said, wondering just how much Chess had really told her.

"You better be, you've got a full time job now." she darted her eyes at Charley to indicate what that job was.

Jake grinned. "You got it backwards. He's the one with his hands full."

"It's so good to see you guys. Do you want some lunch?"

Charley grinned. "You think we just came to see you?"

"Of course. The food isn't that good."

She headed back around behind the counter, giving the beer-bellied cop the evil eye. His three companions had told him already that he was out of line, and that he'd deserved the insult that Charley had hurled at him. He'd acquiesced, but still smoldered as they paid their bill. The other three cops made a point of shaking hands with Charley and letting him know he was missed on the force. McCall had just grumbled his discontent and stomped outside to wait for his partner.

After the cops had left, Sally suggested that they move into a booth and she'd grab a cup of coffee and sit with them.

She served their lunch and then sat down. "So Jake what put you in the hospital?" she asked.

Jake's countenance darkened as he stared out the window. "He had an adverse reaction to a drug that a nurse gave him. It nearly killed him." Charley said, rubbing Jake's back.

~~~

When Charley and Jake rolled into Charley's street, the first thing they saw was Gloria's sleek little Mercedes parked in the driveway. Charley stopped a half a block from the house and looked at Jake. "Are you ready for this, Babe?"

Jake grinned. "I'm ready to grab the tiger by her tail."

Laughing, Charley replied, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He put his big Harley into gear and cruised on down the street, Jake followed a length behind him. They pulled into the driveway, and parked their motorcycles in front of the car.

Gloria was on the front porch to greet her son and his lover as they climbed the steps, removing their leather jackets. She was all warm smiles. Charley wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Hi, Mom."

She kissed him back. "It's so good to see you, Son." She then turned and smiled at Jake. "Welcome back, Jake." She held out her arms to him. He nodded and smiled, and then hesitantly stepped into her embrace, putting one arm around her back. She kissed his cheek, and whispered, "Forgive me for having been such a bitch."

Jake pulled back and looked at her. She looked warm and sincere. "It's all forgotten," he said, wondering if what she'd said was as much a lie.

"Come on in the house. I came over and opened it up to air out. Chess will be over in a little while. I brought lots of boxes and I started packing the kitchen already."

"Are you trying to rush us out of here, Mom?" Charley grinned to show he was joking, but she was looking.

"Oh heavens, no. I'm just trying to be helpful. Would you boys like some coffee? Do you need to rest before you start packing?"

"Charley hugged her shoulder. "Mom, I was just joking. I'm delighted that you're helping."

"I wish you were staying for a bit."

"Like I told Dad over the phone, I start to work as soon as we get settled in the new house. Right now I'm being paid for being idle, and I'm feeling guilty about it. I need to go to work."

Gloria smiled. "I guess we succeeded in instilling a good work ethic in raising you."

"Yeah, you did."

Meanwhile, Jake had wandered through the house doing a mental inventory of what needed do be done. When he stepped into the bedroom he stopped and stared at the bed. Memories of the wonderful times shared with Charley washed over him. He recalled the discomfort of the last night he'd been in that bed. He sighed and then grinned, thinking of how things had gotten so much better in the last few weeks.

He heard Charley call his name. "I'm in the bedroom," he answered back.

A moment later, Charley walked up behind him and wrapped him in a warm hug, grinding his pelvis into his butt. Looking over Jake's shoulder, he motioned toward the bed with his head. "We had some wonderful times in here, didn't we?"

"Yeah we did."

Charley nuzzled Jake's neck. Jake stretched his neck to the side giving Charley more area to work on as it sent goose bumps down to his toes. "What are your plans for this place, Babe, are you going to sell it?" He tried to ignore his arousal. "God, Charley, if you don't stop that..... Your mother's in the other room."

Charley relented and laid his chin on Jake's shoulder.

"I talked it over with Dad. He thinks I should keep it and rent it. The rent would make the monthly payments plus leave a little profit each month."

Jake turned his head and kissed Charley's cheek. "That sounds like a sound plan to me," he said. "You want to take all this furniture back with us?"

"That's something we need to jointly decide. I guess we should discuss it piece by piece." He turned Jake in his arms and brushed his lips over Jake's.

They were interrupted by Gloria clearing her throat. "Oh," she said, "I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting....."

"Get used to it Mom. We tend to do this a lot." He turned and grinned at his mother, while Jake furiously blushed and stayed behind him. "Although, we will try to contain ourselves while we're here."

"Listen you two, don't make a big deal of it. I'm truly delighted that you make each other so happy. I just was surprised is all."

"And what was it you came back here for?"

"Oh. I...oh, yes. Should I clean out the refrigerator now?"

"There is no food in it is there?"

"No, I emptied it completely when you left. But it should be washed down for your new tennants."

"We don't plan on eating here. Maybe a six-pack to chill, but no food. So you might as well go ahead."

"Thank you, Dear, you boys go back to what you were doing." She turned and headed back to the kitchen.

Jake stood gaping. Finally he asked, "Who is that woman?"

"That's what I kept asking after I got shot, when you were living here with me,"Charley said, grinning. "This is my real mom."

"Menopause you think?"

"What?

"They say women can change personalities while going through their change of life."

Charley shrugged. "Maybe, but whatever, my mom is back to her old self."

"You think Robert is going to be like that, too?"

~~~~~

It was Saturday afternoon. Teddy had closed the place down at four and sent everyone home. He didn't know about the staff, but he, personally, was exhausted. They were all taking Sunday off.

There was room in the office for Teddy to have a desk, but on discovering that there was an open space on the kitchen floor that was out of the flow of traffic yet had an overview of nearly the entire kitchen, he'd had his desk placed there. Gio stood in the door of the office and studied Teddy's back. His infatuation with Teddy had turned into a deep abiding love and admiration for him. He was content just being near him. Although at night he ached for the day that Teddy would consent to stay with him.

Since their yelling match, neither had said another word about how they felt. Yet it was clear that they loved they each other

Gio left the office door and moved behind Teddy and started massaging his shoulders. "You are all knots," he said.

"Oh God, Gio, that feels so good. I've seriously been thinking of finding a professional masseur."

"Why do that when I don't charge. Beside I've got a big whirlpool tub in my bathroom. Between it and my fingers I can get all your knots out."

Teddy sighed, wanting nothing more than to go home with him. "Gio, you agreed."

"Nothing will happen that you don't want to happen."

"You said it yourself, Gio. You're Italian."

"And as an Italian, I honor my word. I will do nothing you don't want me to do."

"Promise."

"On my mother's grave."

Teddy gave Gio an exasperated glare. "Your mother doesn't have a grave. She's not dead."

"On the one she will someday have. God willing it will be in the far future." Gio didn't miss a beat as he continued kneading Teddy's tight shoulder muscles.

Teddy dropped his head. "Alright, lead me to your lair."

Gio grinned and silently yelled, "Yes, yes, Yes." He dropped his hands from Teddy's shoulders and turned away. "Come then, let's go home."

Teddy smiled, he liked the sound of that.

~~~

Gio was a man of his word. He didn't touch Teddy again. When they enter Gio's apartment he showed him around and ended up on the balcony off the living room.

"So this is where you spy on me," Teddy said. He was grinning, but Gio couldn't see it.

"I didn't spy on you. I watched you leave. And that was only three times."

"Don't get upset, Gio. I was only yanking your chain." He leaned on the rail. "Where is the house?"

Gio stepped up next to him. When their shoulders touched, Gio moved away enough that it wouldn't happen again. Teddy wanted to move with him, but he stayed where he was and just enjoyed that momentary touch. "It's right down there." Gio pointed. "See Pete's little blue car in the driveway?"

Teddy looked and then moved over, bumping into Gio. They both acted like it didn't affect them. But they both thrilled again to the accidental touch. "Oh, yeah. Hell, if the front door were open , I could almost see into the house. Hey, there's Jason. What is he doing?"

Gio turned and looked at Teddy. Feigning scorn he said, "And who is spying now?"

He straightened up and turned to Gio. "I'm sorry, Gio. I won't rag on you about it again."

"Let's go get you into that whirlpool."

Teddy followed him back through the abode to the master bedroom. "I'll get the water going, you can undress." Teddy hesitated. He obviously hadn't thought this through. Gio noticed the hesitation. "Look. I will eventually see you naked anyway it might as well be now. I gave you my word. I will not touch you except to give you a rubdown when you get out of the tub. Now get your clothes off and stop acting silly."

"Yes, Gio." Teddy said, meekly. Gio looked at him with a raised eyebrow, shrugged and went into bathroom. After getting the water all set he walked back into the bedroom to find Teddy in his underwear slumped sideways on the edge of the bed, asleep.

He walked over and studied his beautiful pale body. There was something so sexy about an untanned body. He'd never imagined that Teddy would be covered with so much hair. The front of his abdomen was a thicket; he could barely make out the dark nipples through the mass. Starting just above his elbow his arm started getting hair down to his wrists.

Gio had never noticed before that the backs of his knuckle had the same dark reddish-brown hairs. Teddy's sides and back from what Gio could see were smooth, but his legs looked almost like a satyr's. Gio shivered. He wanted so badly to trail his fingers through the dark auburn hair on his thigh. Instead he shook his upper arm. "Come on Ted. The tub is ready."

"Oh man, I am so tired."

"As you should be as hard as you work. Come on big guy, get up and into the tub."

Still half asleep Teddy stood up and ambled into the bathroom with Gio right behind him. Teddy looked at the foaming surface of the roiling water as he shucked his underwear. "Damn that looks so inviting." He groan as he stepped into the tub and sat down and then laid back. He sighed and closed his eyes. "Gio this feels so good. Thank you for letting me use it."

Gio had been transported. He'd stood transfixed as Teddy's hirsute bubble butt had been exposed. And now as he lay in the swirling water Gio got teasing glimpses of his manhood. "It is yours to use any time you want," he murmured.

Teddy looked up to see Gio worshiping his body with his eyes. "This is terribly one sided you know." he said.

Gio blushed. "What is?"

"You are fully dressed."

"Do you want me to take my clothes off?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Teddy said staring into Gio's blue eyes.

Gio was held in thrall by his stare. Slowly he started unbuttoning his shirt. He shrugged out of it and dropped it on the floor, then he pulled his tee shirt over his head and dropped it on top of the discarded shirt. He untied one shoelace, loosened it and pulled his heavy work shoe off and then his thick cotton sock. He repeated the same procedure with the other one. All the while his eyes were locked to Teddy's. Teddy's eyes never wavered.

Gio released his belt, unbuttoned the baggy black and white hound's tooth cotton pants and let them drop to the floor, then stepped out of them. Hooking his thumbs into the waist band of his boxers, he wiggled them below his hips and let them fall, too.

When Teddy let his eyes drop down to check Gio out, the thrall was broken. Gio's whole body blushed. His excitement started to rise. Teddy's was already above the water. "You've got to be as tired as I am," Teddy said.

"You're on the run much more than I am," Gio replied.

"We work the some amount of hours."

"But..."

"Shut up, Gio, and get into this tub. It's certainly big enough for two."

"Teddy are y..."

"Just do it," Teddy commanded. And suddenly it was Gio that was being meek. Teddy sat up and spread his legs. Gio stepped in and sat down between them, trying not to let Teddy's rampant cock touch his back side. It was a lost battle. Teddy grabbed Gio around his chest and simultaneously slid backdown into a reclining position, and pulled Gio back to lie against his chest. "Now just relax and let the waters do their work."

Gio sighed. And did as he was told. They both dozed off. The click of the timer turning off startled Gio awake. He sat up waking Teddy. They'd both lost their hardons. Gio opened the drain and stood to turn on the shower. Teddy admired the two glorious wet buns in front of his face. He leaned forward and kissed each one.

"You're going to get us both excited again. And I'm too tired to do anything."

"They are so beautiful I couldn't resist," Teddy said, getting to his feet.

"Come on, let's get rinsed off and get some sleep." Gio stepped back so Teddy could get under the spray. Without even thinking about it, Teddy pulled Gio back under the spray with him. He sluiced his hands down Gio's body and turned him around and did the same to his back. "I still have to get home. Thank God it is less than a block away."

Gio took over doing the same to Teddy. "This could be your home," he murmured looking up at him.

Teddy wrapped his arms around the naked man and held him against his own naked body. "We haven't even dated. We need to do a lot of talking. Get to know each other, before we live together."

"We've spent every day for the last month together. We know each other better than if we had dated for a year."

"But you're still my boss. That makes it awkward."

"At work I'm your boss. Here, you can be the boss."

"I don't want to be your boss, I want to be your equal, your lover."

"So what is the problem?"

Teddy thought for a moment. "There is no problem."

"Then let's get dried off and get some sleep."

When they got into the big bed, Teddy rolled onto his side facing Gio, and pulled him up against his chest. "Now go to sleep." Gio sighed and nuzzled in the luxurious hair. Soon he was softly snoring. It was only then that Teddy relaxed and let sleep take him.

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