Pulling in front of The Bookstore, Jay quickly glanced out of the windows, ensuring no one could see, and finally kissed Michael like he'd wanted to all afternoon.

"Can you stay?" Michael asked.

Jay mentally rearranged his schedule. Today had been a big day for them and he wasn't ready for it to end. "I have some studying to do," he replied, careful not to imply an outright, "no."

"Well, I might not be able to help you, but the way I see it, you can study better in my quiet apartment than at the Zoo."

Michael did have a point. "Okay, how about we take these leftovers in then drive over and get my things. Or would you rather stay here and wait for me?"

"If I go with you I'll run into Angie and we won't get to leave until she's drilled every bit of information out of us that she can."

"There is that," Jay agreed. "Why don't you go up and I'll be back shortly. No offense, but I think I'm better at telling her it's none of her business than you are."

"That's true," Michael said. He paused a moment, a quick succession of emotions crossing his expressive face as they always did when he was thinking too hard. For a moment Jay was worried until 'mischievous' won out, one of his personal favorites. With a coy smile Michael asked, "Remember what you said about taking things slowly?"

"Yes."

"Let's not."

Those two simple words slammed into his libido like a runaway train. Jay's brow furrowed and he asked in shaky tones, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Michael's smile never wavered. "If you're thinking I want to take things to the next level, then yes."

* * *

Leftovers forgotten, Michael was physically hauled out of the car and dragged across the store, up the stairs, through the apartment and into the bedroom where he was flung onto the bed. The locks had never opened so smoothly or quickly before. Jay's mouth crashed down and Michael poured everything he wanted to say but couldn't find the words for into the kiss. There, in the semidarkness of his room, in the comfort of his bed-their bed, Michael Ritter realized he had progressed from being seriously in like to being seriously in love with a man.

He pushed Jay off just long enough to remove his shoes and socks, then stood and shimmied out of his jeans. He peeled his T-shirt over his head and then turned his attention to Jay, stripping him naked in under a minute. He flopped down onto the bed, gesturing for his lover to join him. Capturing Jay's rugged body in a near crushing embrace, he sought more skin and more contact, pulling his lover down, bare chest to bare chest, their lower bodies separated only by the thin material of their boxers.

Finally, that last barrier between them fell as they struggled out off the thin cotton garments and lay completely naked in a tangle of arms and legs. Moans and panted gasps competed with the rustle of covers and the squeak of the old four poster bed.

"Stop!" Jay exclaimed, catching Michael by surprise. "We're in no hurry, slow down."

Michael didn't want to slow down, afraid he'd lose his nerve if he paused long enough to think.

He needn't have worried, for Jay's mouth latched onto his neck and thinking was no longer an option. When Michael tried to reciprocate, Jay pushed him back down on the bed, telling him, "This is for you, Querido."

Jay's warm mouth worked his neck, revisiting the mark he'd put there the night before, then traveled down to his nipples. God, how he loved it when Jay did that!"

Kissing a trail down his abdomen, Jay finally settled between Michael's legs, taking him between his lips gently. Just like he'd said, Jay took his time, driving Michael crazy with his 'not-quite-intense-enough' sucking.

Out of his mind with lust, Michael pleaded, "I want you to fuck me, Jay."

Jay stilled and Michael wondered if he's said something wrong until his lover crawled back up his body to deliver a sizzling kiss, grinding their hard cocks together.

"Shit!" Jay suddenly exclaimed.

"What's wrong, Jay?" Michael asked, alarmed.

"We don't have any condoms," Jay growled.

With a grin Michael crawled out from under him and said, "I'll be right back." He dashed to the bathroom to retrieve condoms and lube from the medicine cabinet, suddenly grateful for his opened-minded Mom and her forethought. Hurrying back to the bedroom, he flopped back down on the bed. Wrapping his arms around Jay, he rolled them until he was back underneath his lover. "Now, where were we?"

"Are you sure about this, Querido?" Jay asked, voice husky with passion.

In answer, Michael raised his groin, his hard cock pushing against his lover's. "Doesn't it feel like I'm sure?"

Jay's moan was music to his ears. Finally, after all this waiting he was going to get what he so badly desired, to truly know what it was like to make love to Jay.

Jay reached down and retrieved the bottle that Michael had brought from the bathroom, flipping up the cap and pouring a generous amount into his hand. Michael flinched when a wet finger brushed against his opening, cautiously seeking entrance, then spread his legs further apart, encouraging the tentative exploration. He hissed through clenched teeth as the steady pressure of that finger breached his inner muscles and slid steadily into his body. Willing himself to relax, Michael fought his instinct to fight the intruder.

"Bear down," Jay instructed. "Push back against it; it'll help."

Gently that finger twisted and turned. While not truly painful, it wasn't entirely comfortable, either.

"Just do it," Michael whined, surprised and embarrassed at how needy he sounded.

Jay chuckled. "So impatient. Losing your virginity isn't something to take lightly. We'll get there, but I'm not going to rush and hurt you."

Caught in the throes of passion, Michael threw caution to the winds, begging, "Please! You won't hurt me; I want you in me!"

With that Jau slid up Michael's body and took possession of his mouth, tongue delving in deep and demanding. "Don't rush us," he whispered against Michael's lips as he withdrew, "we have plenty of time."

Momentarily distracted, Michael was surprised to discover that the discomfort was gone. Experimentally he pushed back on Jay's fingers, moaning when they brushed something inside that felt amazing.

When the finger disappeared and Jay's tongue took its place, Michael thought he just might lose his mind. When he'd first heard of rimming he'd been repulsed. Now he understood the error of his ways. If this was just the foreplay he just might not survive the actual sex!

In the dim light he saw Jay rise up on his knees. One of the small foil packets he'd brought was retrieved from the bed and he watched, transfixed, as his lover opened it with his teeth. Jay ran a lightly oiled hand down his cock, and then rolled the condom onto its thick length, moaning softly and bucking his hips at the contact.

Eyes closed, head thrown back, Jay was beautiful, and Michael nearly came from the sight alone as one tanned hand lazily stroked what he hoped to soon have in his body. "Lay on your side," Jay murmured softly. Those dark eyes raked over him, all reservations, all 'are you sures?' gone. Jay spooned against Michael's back, forcing his knees to bend. "You're gonna love this," he crooned, "I'm going to make it so good for you."

Michael felt a nudge at his opening and took a deep breath.

"Relax," Jay reminded him.

Fighting to control his nerves, Michael hissed when Jay slowly entered him. His erection, so full and eager a moment ago, deflated.

Jay stilled. "Shh, Querido, relax. Don't fight it." Jay continued to hold perfectly still until Michael exhaled a loud, shuddering breath and began to relax. "Better now?" he asked.

"Yeah, don't stop."

Warm lips caressed Michael's neck while Jay reached around him, stroking him to full hardness again. Gradually the pressure resumed until Michael felt the head of his lover's cock slip through his opening. Jay stopped again, only resuming when Michael nodded.

True to his word, Jay didn't hurt him, though the sensation was slightly uncomfortable at first. Slowly Jay eased out, stopping just short of total withdrawal. Just as slowly he eased back in, creating sensations which Michael never knew he was capable of feeling.

"Ready?" Jay asked.

"Ready for what?" Jay was already in him, what more could there be?

Jay chuckled and replied, "I'll take that as a yes." With that Jay proceeded to turn Michael's mind to mush as he began to move in and out, in firm, sure strokes, angling just right to hit that newly discovered and oh-so-appreciated spot inside.

"Are you, okay?" Jay asked.

"Ask me that one more time and I'll scream," Michael threatened.

"Well in that case…"

It wasn't the ass-pounding he'd read about in some of his mother's gay erotic books, it was slow, gentle, and slowing driving him over the edge.

His hand joined Jay's on his cock. "That's it, Michael, stroke it!" his lover encouraged. "Are you close, Querido? I'm almost there."

That was all it took to push Michael over the edge. His body bowed and he shouted as he came, his muscles clenching around Jay's cock almost painfully.

Even caught up as he was in his own intense orgasm, he felt his lover's movements falter, then resume as Jay sought his own release. One, two, three more thrusts and Michael felt Jay bury himself to the hilt, sinking in as far as physically possible before pulsing against his sensitized inner muscles.

Michael wished he could see his lover's face. Of all he had read in books and watched on the internet, nothing came close to what he'd just experienced, and he couldn't have kept the words from spilling from his lips if his life had depended on it. "Damn, I love you."

His lover, however, had chosen that moment roll him over and deliver a heated kiss, so instead of the words, all that came out was, "Oooaaf."

Later, Jay lay sprawled across the bed, too deeply asleep to hear the words the second time they were spoken. "I love you, Jay."

* * *

Michael woke with a start at the unfamiliar sensations, but quickly relaxed, or relaxed as well as he could under the circumstances, and glanced down. The sight that greeted him took his breath away. At some point while he was sleeping Jay must have turned on the bedside lamp, for in its subdued lighting he watched his lover crawl seductively up from the foot of the bed, bringing to mind a sleek, dark panther stalking its prey. He would have sworn the sinuous movements were even accompanied by a low, aggressive growl. Long, slender fingers caressed the skin of his inner thighs lightly as laughing brown eyes watched him intently. A devilish smile was his only warning before strong hands firmly pushed his thighs apart, allowing the sleekly muscled body to settle between them. Those mesmerizing eyes locked on his and held, paralyzing him with their dark gaze. He couldn't have moved if he tried.

Though Jay's head dipped lower he never broke eye contact. So intent was he on staring into those eyes that Michael jumped at the unexpected feeling of a warm, wet tongue. A broad stroke ran repeatedly over his sparsely furred balls before that mouth opened and sucked them in, first one, then the other. Then that talented tongue moved lower, nearly to his anus, applying more pressure than he would have believed a tongue capable of. With agonizing slowness it inched its way upward, sliding up and over his balls, then excruciatingly slowly over his shaft and up to the head of his hard, aching cock. It jumped of its own accord, bumping against Jay's cheek, causing the man to pull back and laugh.

Still they maintained eye contact as that dark head bent down and blew gently against the dampened skin, something that Michael had never experienced before, but loved instantly. Jay chuckled softly at the moan that escaped his lips and repeated the entire process again. This time, when that tongue reached the crown of Michael's cock the generous lips parted and hot, moist heat surrounded it, tongue working the underside, causing an involuntarily gasp. Michael moaned, head falling back and eyes closing, unable to withstand the gaze that was burning through him to his very soul.

Blowjobs had been infrequent in his past, but he was no stranger to them. However, if what he had before was a blowjob this was something else entirely. What Jay was doing to him was no mere sex act, or 'playing around.' It was a gift from someone who sincerely wanted him to enjoy the sensations, as hands, lips, tongue and, very gently, teeth, were applied with the skill only someone who knew firsthand how it felt could employ. His balls were lovingly caressed, kissed, licked, and sucked, as were his inner thighs, his cock, and his lower belly. Jay never used a single technique or remained focused on one spot long enough to become predictable, constantly treating him to new and different sensations - all beyond anything he'd ever encountered before or even dreamed of. He never knew that someone could curl your toes and melt you into a puddle so easily.

A calloused hand moved up his torso, the warm cinnamon of Jay's skin a striking contrast to his own paler complexion. A second hand joined the first, sliding across firm abdominal muscles, caressing and exploring, working their way up his body. Gently those fingers brushed his nipples, causing them to stiffen. Michael arched his back, willing his lover to be more aggressive, to pinch and tug instead of restricting himself to gentle, tentative touches. The message was understood and all he could do was writhe on the crumpled sheets in total sensory overload.

His impending orgasm started as a slight tingling in his lower back and balls and grew steadily until he could feel it approaching like a breaking wave. As his eyes flew open he discovered his lover still watching him, the look in those eyes conveying everything Michael needed to know about the man who was so lovingly giving him just what he needed. Fighting a losing the battle, he had just opened his mouth to warn Jay that he was coming when it slammed into him with violent force. "Jay!" he screamed, back arching off the bed.

He was still trying to catch his breath when a grinning Jay straddled his chest, gazing down at him to cheerfully say, "Good morning, Querido ."

Making his mind up that he would reciprocate this time, Michael gazed up at Jay and said quietly, "Bring that a bit closer."

"If you're not ready…." Jay began, only to be cut off as Michael grabbed him forcefully by the hips. He reached out his tongue and lapped at the slit, tasting the pearly drop of fluid clinging there. Tentatively he placed his mouth over the head and gently sucked before pulling away.

Looking up at Jay's shocked expression he said, "Tell me what you like."

Panting softly in his arousal, Jay answered, "You know what you like; just do those things to me."

Yes, Michael knew what he liked and Jay was the one teaching him. Wrapping his arms around Jay's slender hips, he pulled him close, taking the man's cock as far into his mouth as he could, only to push him back a moment later when he started to gag.

"Easy, Big Guy; it takes time to learn to throat it," Jay told him; though it was obvious he wanted to continue. Michael was more cautious this time, only taking half of the length in to his mouth. Working his tongue against the underside - something Jay had done that he'd loved - he was greatly encouraged by his lover's moans.

Taking Jay's cock in a far as he could, he worked his tongue against it and then pulled back, applying steady suction. Jay began gently humping his mouth, rising up on his knees and grabbing the headboard for leverage.

"Oh God, yes!" he cried, his rhythm increasing as he neared his orgasm. "Michael, if you don't want me to come in your mouth you'd better stop now," he panted.

Michael hummed and increased the pressure of his tongue, letting his actions answer for him.

"Ahhh…." Jay exclaimed as his muscles went rigid and a splash of semen hit Michael's tongue. He wasn't going to pull off; if Jay could swallow his come, then he'd return the favor. Surprisingly, the taste and smell of his lover was so exciting that he nearly came again.

Jay slumped boneless against the headboard, taking in air in huge panting gasps.

After a few more gentle laps with his tongue Michael reluctantly released his lover's spent flesh.

"Now it's a good morning," he said, immensely pleased with himself. "What time do you have to be in class?"

"Nine o'clock," was the murmured reply, garbled because Jay's face was pressed against the headboard.

"We've got time for another round," Michael observed brightly, glancing at the clock.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything," Jay answered, "but I think I've created a monster."