The Hollow Hills - 11. Chapter 11

Galen

“I’d like to watch you ride. I talked to Jody, and I took this Saturday off. We can spend the day together.” Ethan ran his hand up and down my chest.

I nodded. “Ok. That sounds good. I usually stay for dinner, so I’ll ask Josh and Alannah if they mind one more. I can’t imagine they would.”

“So you want me to meet your friends, huh?”

I looked at him funny. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”

“We’ve been dating for two months now. I guess it just feels like the next step.” He paused. “We’ve never really talked about our relationship.”

“What do you want to talk about? I thought things were going really well between us.”

“I think so, too. I really lo…like you, Galen. I’d like to consider you my boyfriend.”

I frowned. “I thought I already was.”

Ethan turned red. “Well, like I said, we never really talked about it. I didn’t want to just assume.”

“Ethan, I consider you my boyfriend.”

“And there’s no one else?”

“How could you ask me that? Of course there’s no one else!” I narrowed my eyes. “Please tell me you’re not seeing anyone else.”

He shook his head emphatically. “God, no.” He ran his hand along my cheek. “You’re the only man for me.”

I smiled. “Good.” I drew him close and kissed him. He rolled on top of me, deepening the kiss. I was enjoying the time I spent with Ethan. He was a lot of fun in bed, and the confidence that Jamie had eroded was returning to me.

Ethan ground his hips against mine, drawing a long moan from me. I flipped him over and kissed down his smooth chest until I reached his rigid cock. I took him in my mouth, burying him to the hilt in one motion. He gasped and writhed underneath me, clutching the sheets. “Oh God, Galen!”

I cupped his balls and pressed a finger against his entrance. He let out a loud groan.

“Make love to me, please!” he panted out.

I stopped what I was doing. “I don’t have a lot of time, Ethan. I need to get up early for a tele-meeting.”

“Don’t stop…please…I need you, Galen.”

I resumed my ministrations and it wasn’t long before I was swallowing my reward. I crawled up his chest and kissed him. “I’m sorry. I wish I could stay longer, but this is an important meeting.”

He frowned. “You can stay over, you know.”

“I know. I wouldn’t get any sleep, though.” I kissed him and winked.

He laughed weakly. “I love what we’ve been doing, but I want to do more with you. I want to make love with you, Galen.”

“We will…but I don’t want to rush it. I want it to be special.”

Ethan nodded and kissed me. “Believe me, it will be special.”

I kissed him and slid out of his bed.

“Are you leaving already?”

“I’m sorry, Ethan. I told you I have that early meeting.”

He got out of bed and wrapped his arms around me, laying his head on my chest. I pulled him close and kissed the top of his head.

“I’ll miss you.”

I smiled. “We’ll see each other Saturday. It’s not that far off.”

“I know.”

I disengaged myself and kissed him before grabbing my clothes and getting dressed. “I’ll call you about Saturday.”

He nodded and threw on a pair of boxers before walking me to the door. He kissed me before I headed out. “Bye, Galen.”

“Bye, Ethan.”

*****

I visited Buck the next afternoon after my tele-meeting ended. I needed to unwind after the stress from work. His coat shone from all the grooming I did. I found that I loved taking care of Buck as much as I loved riding him. Liam was going to take me on my first trail ride the following week. I was really looking forward to it, but at the same time I wished that Josh still rode so he could take me. He was a great teacher and a good friend. We would have had a great time.

“Hi, Galen.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face upon seeing Josh. “Hey, Josh. You’re here early. No work today?”

“I took the afternoon off. I have a couple clients coming in for a lesson shortly.”

“Can I use the ring, or do you want me to ride inside?”

“You have time if you want to ride outside now. They won’t be here for another hour.”

“Ok. I can ride now.” I went to the tack room and returned with Buck’s saddle and bridle. “Is it ok if I bring Ethan to dinner on Saturday? He’d like to come watch me ride.”

“Yeah, sure. That’s fine. It’ll be nice to meet him,” he said shortly.

“Are you sure? I can take him out to dinner, if you prefer.”

He shook his head and sighed. “Of course I’m sure. He’s more than welcome.”

“Thanks. He’s really looking forward to meeting everyone.” I tightened Buck’s girth, then put my helmet on before grabbing his bridle.

“So things are going well with you two?”

I smiled. “Yeah. He’s a real sweetheart.” I paused. “He’s so different from Jamie. Not that Jamie wasn’t sweet when he wanted to be, but he’d never be caught dead bowling or going to mini-golf. Forget about setting foot anywhere near a barn. It’s a nice change.”

“I’m happy for you, Galen. You deserve some happiness after what Jamie put you through.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate that. So how are things with Roger?”

“They’re good. He’s been pretty busy with work.” His face was impassive.

Buck was great about accepting the bit and I fastened the bridle’s noseband and throatlatch.

“What do you think about learning to jump? I think you’re ready to try some small crossrails.”

I looked at him dubiously. “I don’t know…I’m not sure I want to jump.”

“You could try it and then make up your mind. Buck is great to learn on.”

I shrugged. “I suppose. You’re the teacher. I can give it a try, if that’s what you think.”

“I think you’ll do great. Why don’t you work on your jumping position and keeping your hands away from Buck’s neck over the next few days? Do it at the walk and the trot. It’ll help you with your balance.”

“Ok. I’ll do that.”

I practiced the exercises Josh suggested over the next hour, until his students arrived. I had trouble maintaining my balance at first, but the more I worked at it, the easier it became. I had just completed an entire circuit of the ring without touching Buck’s neck once when Josh entered the ring.

“Looking good, Galen.”

I grinned. “Thanks!”

“Just make sure you’re allowing all your weight to drop into your heels. If you start pinching with your knees, you won’t be able to keep your balance and your leg will swing back.”

“Ok. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Josh’s students entered the ring and he turned his attention to them. I cooled Buck down, groomed him, and headed home.

During the drive home, my thoughts turned to the conversation I had with Ethan the night before. The truth is, before that talk I hadn’t given much thought to our relationship. I enjoyed spending time with him. He was cute, sweet, and a lot of fun to be around. We did things that Jamie would never have dreamed of, like bowling and mini-golf. I enjoyed our sex life, but realized that it was lacking in some areas. Like actual sex. Most guys would be going at it like rabbits at this point in their relationship, and we did…but it was all oral sex. Ethan wanted to make love with me, but something always held me back. It’s not like I didn’t want to, but for some reason it just never felt right. That really bothered me. I should want to make love to my boyfriend. Thinking of Ethan’s beautiful blue eyes and shy smile made my lips curl into a smile of their own. I thought of the look on his face when I brought him to the brink of pleasure and then back again, and the sounds he made when he finally came. Imagining his soft lips and mouth on mine, and what he did to other parts of my anatomy had said anatomy reacting. Instead of turning left to head to my apartment, I turned right and stopped at the local florist. I decided I needed to stop overthinking things and just enjoy Ethan for as long as he would be in my life.

I called Ethan after greeting Tigger and taking off my dirty barn clothes.

“Hi, Galen.”

“Hey. What are you up to tonight?”

“Nothing. I was just going to grab a pizza on the way home from work.”

“Why don’t you bring that pizza over to my place? I’d love to see you tonight.”

“Sure. What do you want on it?”

“Nothing weird like anchovies. Cheese and pepperoni is fine with me.”

“I can live with that. I’ll get some wings, too. How do you like yours?”

“Medium.”

“Ok. I can’t wait to see you.” I could hear the smile on his face.

“Yeah me, too.”

After I disconnected the call I made a decision. Tonight would be the night.

*****

Ethan ended up bringing two pizzas – one cheese and pepperoni and one with everything except anchovies on it. We watched a movie as we ate the food. After he finished his dinner, Ethan curled up against my side. I put my arm around him and absently played with his hair.

“I’m really glad you called.”

I kissed the side of his head. “Me, too. This is nice.”

He smiled seductively. “It could be nicer…”

I laughed and tickled his side. “You’re insatiable, you know that?”

He laughed and tried to squirm away, but I held him in place. “I haven’t heard any complaints.”

“That’s because you’re amazing.” I kissed him.

Ethan glowed with the compliment. He deepened the kiss, but I gently pushed him away. “Hang on. I have to pee.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Really? You’re such a romantic.”

I kissed the tip of his nose. “Hold that thought.” I couldn’t stop smiling as I headed to my bedroom instead of the bathroom. I lit all the candles I had set up and took a red rose from the vase on the nightstand and placed it on my pillow. The bed was littered with rose petals I had spread after I invited Ethan over for the night. I grabbed another rose and headed back to the living room, holding it behind my back.

“You look like the cat that got the canary,” Ethan said. He looked at me amusedly. Tigger had jumped into his lap and was purring contentedly as Ethan stroked his fur.

“Well, not yet…” I gently removed an indignant Tigger and placed him on the recliner. I took Ethan’s hand and drew him into a standing position. I held out the rose and smiled seductively.

Ethan smiled and took the rose, following me as I led him into my bedroom. I stepped aside so I could see his reaction to the set-up.

“Wow, Galen. This is amazing.” He stepped close to me and placed his hands behind my head, pulling me down for a kiss.

I deepened the kiss as I grabbed his hips, pulling them into mine, producing a gasp from my darling canary. I walked him to the bed, stopping short of flinging him down on it. I wanted to, but previous experience with rose petals clinging to unwanted places made me pause and pull the covers back first.

He bounced gently on the bed after I pushed him down. I removed his clothes slowly, paying attention to each body part with my hands, mouth, and tongue as I revealed it. He reached for my clothes, but I stopped him with a grin and shook my head. I did a slow striptease for him, delighting in the glazed look on his face and the obvious arousal he derived from my show.

“Oh my God, Galen…you’re so beautiful…”

I grinned and danced my way over to the bed, stopping in front of my dazed boyfriend. I placed my hands on his face and kissed him, teasing him with my tongue. He threw his arms around me and pulled me on top of him. I’m not sure how long we spent exploring each other’s bodies, but Ethan was panting and begging me for more by the time I prepared him, then slipped inside of him. It felt wonderful. Ethan was so responsive, and it didn’t take long before he climaxed, triggering my own release. I collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily, before I rolled to the side and pulled him close. I kissed the top of his head. “That was incredible, Ethan.”

He grinned and played with my chest hair, idly tracing circles. “You were incredible.”

I slid out of bed and grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom. I cleaned myself up before heading back to my room to clean Ethan. We fell asleep in each other’s arms.

I awoke to the most wonderful sensation of Ethan’s mouth on my dick. It didn’t take long before we progressed to round two. After a few minutes of thrusting into the gorgeous man underneath me, I needed a bit of a break. I spooned behind him, entering him again, but remained still with occasional thrusts. I slipped out of Ethan as he turned around to face me. He ran his hands over my body and kissed me. He slid one of his hands down to my entrance and pressed lightly. He smiled, kissed the corner of my mouth, and said, “I want to make love to you, Galen.”

I kissed him and gently rolled him onto his back, laying in between his legs. I made out with him for a minute before replying. “Let’s just stick with this for now.” I sat up and raised his legs, re-entering him. The brief look of disappointment that crossed his features vanished immediately as I made love to him again.

I made Ethan breakfast. It was the first time I prepared a meal for someone that didn’t end in disaster. I made bacon, eggs, and toast, so it wasn’t the fanciest meal on the planet, but it sufficed. Ethan was very complimentary. I couldn’t wait to tell Josh about my accomplishment. I realized with a start that it was the first time I thought of him since the day before. I smiled as I watched my boyfriend eating. I was making progress.