Chapter 24 #2
The crowd parted and created a circle in the center of the floor.
Cooper took my hand and confidently led me into the spotlight.
The band began playing “At Last.” Cooper’s hand landed steady and sure at the small of my back, and his fingers intertwined with mine against his chest. He drew me close as we began to sway to the music.
“Everyone’s watching,” I whispered, suddenly self-conscious.
“Let them,” Cooper replied, his eyes never leaving mine. “I only see you.”
The simple statement, delivered with such sincerity, made my heart stutter. There was something in his voice, in the way his gaze held mine with such emotional depth, that felt like more than temporary.
Hope bloomed in my chest, dangerous and bright. Maybe our conversation would lead exactly where I’d been dreaming it would.
Dancing in Cooper’s arms under the warm glow of the festival lights, crowned as kings of the dance alongside the man I’d loved for years, felt like stepping into a vision I’d never dared to fully imagine.
The spotlight made everything feel more intimate somehow, as if we were the only two people in the world, swaying together to music that seemed written just for us.
Every step felt effortless, natural, like we’d been dancing together our whole lives.
For the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to feel the full weight of my hope.
This was what our future could look like.
Tonight’s conversation suddenly didn’t feel so terrifying.
It felt like the beginning of everything I’d ever wanted.
The song ended too soon. As we pulled apart, the crowd applauded, and other couples rejoined us on the dance floor. Cooper kept hold of my hand.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” A small smile played on his lips.
“It was perfect,” I said, and I meant every word.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of dances, conversations, and stolen moments. Cooper remained unusually attentive. He brought me punch, kept me close, and his eyes found mine across the room whenever we briefly separated. Each tender gesture was a gift.
As the night wore on, I caught Caleb watching us. He’d always seen too much and had guessed at my feelings for Cooper long before our bargain began. He gave me two surreptitious thumbs-up, and I chuckled.
“You two are disgustingly cute,” Landon said as Cooper rejoined us and handed me another cup of punch for my parched mouth.
By the time the band announced the last dance, anticipation thrummed through my veins like electricity. Cooper drew me back onto the dance floor, into his arms, and I went willingly, hope blooming in my chest with every step.
“Thank you,” he said softly as we gently rocked to the music. “For today, for tonight. For all of it.”
“It was my pleasure.” The warmth in my stomach expanded with each word.
Cooper pulled back slightly and looked at me with an intensity that made my breath catch. For one wild moment, I thought he might kiss me again, right there in front of everyone. Instead, he drew me closer. His smooth cheek rested against mine as we moved slowly to the music.
“I don’t want tonight to end,” he whispered, so quietly I almost missed it.
My heart soared at those words. Maybe he didn’t want to go back to being just friends any more than I did. Maybe he’d tell me he wanted this to continue, that he was ready to throw away our bargain and build something lasting together.
The drive back to his apartment was silent, charged with something I couldn’t name.
Cooper stared out the window, his profile illuminated by passing streetlights.
I glanced at him, just occasionally. I was afraid that if I looked at him, I’d blurt out that I loved him, but I didn’t want to confess while driving down the street.
When I pulled up outside his building, Cooper turned to me. “Come in and we’ll talk.”
I couldn’t tell by his tone what he was going to say.
His voice was carefully neutral, giving nothing away about whether this conversation would end with celebration or heartbreak.
My heart raced as the reality hit me: This was it.
The make-or-break moment of The Boyfriend Bargain, the conversation that would either mark the beginning of something lasting between us, or the end of the most incredible four weeks of my life.
I shut off the engine with hands that weren’t quite steady, the sudden silence amplifying the thundering of my pulse in my ears.
Inside his apartment, Cooper hung up his jacket, loosened his tie, and grabbed two beers from the fridge. I stood in the middle of the living room, relief washing over me that our public performance was finally over and it was just the two of us.
“What a day.” Cooper handed me a bottle and clinked his against it gently. “From the event’s success to Shaw’s capture to dance royalty in one day. We’re moving up in the world.”
I smiled. “Seacliff Cove’s power couple.”
“Jack…” He took my beer, placed it on the coffee table next to his, and cupped my face in his hands. The kiss was gentle at first, a question more than a demand.
This was the moment I’d been anticipating and dreading for weeks—maybe even years. I took a shuddering breath, broke the kiss, and met Cooper’s eyes.
“I love you.” The words tumbled out in a rush before I could lose my nerve.
“I’ve always loved you, Cooper. Since college.
But this past month—” My voice cracked, and I had to pause to collect myself.
“These four weeks have shown me depths of love I didn’t even know existed.
Every morning I woke up excited to see you, every night I went to sleep grateful for another day of being yours, even if I didn’t know how long it would last.”
Cooper’s eyes widened, but I pressed on before he could respond, needing to get it all out before my courage failed me.
“I don’t want to go back to being just friends.
Not after knowing what it feels like to hold your hand and have it mean something, not after seeing the way you look at me when you think no one’s watching.
I want a future with you, Cooper. As boyfriends. As partners.”
The silence that followed felt like an eternity, and my heart slammed against my ribs as emotions flickered across Cooper’s face: surprise, tenderness, and something that looked like relief. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft but certain.
“I love you too, Jack. I’ve grown to love you in ways I never expected.” He reached for my hands, threading our fingers together. “These past weeks have changed everything for me. You’ve changed everything for me. I want the same thing you do: a relationship, a future together.”
The elation that crashed over me was overwhelming, stealing my breath and making my vision blur with tears I hadn’t realized were threatening to fall.
After years of loving him from afar, after weeks of obliterated boundaries and measured hope, Cooper loved me back.
He wanted the same impossible, beautiful thing I’d dreamed of.
“Really?” The word came out barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might shatter this perfect moment.
“Really,” Cooper confirmed, and the smile that spread across his face was radiant. “I finally have the love of my life.”
I pulled him closer, resting my forehead against his as the truth of it settled deep in my bones. I finally had the love of my life, too.
“Make love to me,” he whispered. “I need you inside me. Would you like that?”
My heart tripped. “I’d love that.”
His eyes darkened, and his pupils widened. “Bedroom.” The word emerged as a gravelly command.
We stumbled our way to his room in a jumble of kisses and discarded clothing, leaving a trail of fabric in our wake.
By the time we reached his bed, we were naked.
He lay down on the mattress, and I allowed my gaze to roam.
His hard cock stood at attention, with trimmed curls at the base.
Coarse hair dusted his toned chest and thighs.
His green eyes met mine, filled with emotions too complex to decipher.
“Second thoughts?” I searched his face.
“None,” he answered. “I want this. I want you. Let me show you how much.”
Let me show you. My heart soared at his words.
I climbed on top of him, crushed my mouth to his, and rubbed our cocks together in the way I’d learned he loved so much. He moaned and raised his hips in response in the way I’d learned I loved so much.
We could find release this way. But tonight we wanted more—something deeper.
“It’s been a while for me,” he whispered, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. “Do you want to open me, or should I?”
I kissed his forehead tenderly. “Let me,” I murmured, unwilling to surrender the intimate preparation.
From the nightstand drawer, I retrieved what we needed and placed the condom beside us on the bed.
I warmed the lubricant between my fingers while Cooper positioned himself and drew his legs up to his chest. With gentle patience, I stretched him—first with one finger, then a second, finally adding a third.
When I curved my fingers just so and found that sensitive spot within him, his sharp intake of breath was its own reward.
His legs tightened as if lightning had struck him. “Fuck!” His intense gaze caught mine and held. In that moment, I felt captured. Truly wanted.
“Ready?” I asked, my voice husky.
He nodded. His breath came in quick, shallow bursts, as if lust had stolen his ability to speak.
I withdrew my fingers, rolled on the condom, and slicked my cock with more lube.
My pulse raced at the threshold we were about to cross together.
After years of loving him from a careful distance, I would finally experience the most intimate connection with the man who had always been my best friend and the keeper of my heart.
I notched my cock at his entrance and pushed in gently. Cooper hissed, his dick flagged, and I froze. “Too much? Too fast?” I wanted this to be perfect for him—pleasure and tenderness that would linger in his memory.
He shook his head. “Keep going. I need you.”
I need you. Butterflies fluttered in my gut.
I did as he said and slowly sank inside until my balls met his ass.
“So good,” he murmured. Precum leaked from his hardened cock onto his stomach. “Move. Please. Make me come, Jack.”
I pulled back, leaving just the tip of my cock inside, then snapped forward.
I set up a desperate pace. Cooper accepted every thrust, and our bodies found a perfect rhythm together—not like first-time lovers learning each other’s preferences, but like longtime partners who had mastered our choreography.
The world narrowed to just this moment, just us, as waves of sensation cascaded across my skin.
Every nerve ending seemed alive with electricity.
Being with Cooper this way transcended even my most vivid fantasies; it eclipsed any sex I’d ever had, as if my body had been waiting all this time just for him.
“That’s it,” he murmured. “Harder.” His breath came in quick gasps. He poured lube into his hand and stroked himself while I picked up the tempo, sweat beading at my temples.
His gaze met mine and held, his eyes wild. “Just like that. Fuck. You’re gonna make me come.” His hand was a blur on his dick.
I was close to the edge, hanging on by a thread. Then Cooper’s body arched, his ass squeezed my cock, and his release shot onto his stomach. That was all it took to send me over. I detonated, and ecstasy exploded within me as I unloaded into the condom and colors burst behind my eyelids.
Making love to Cooper was everything I could have hoped for, like a gift I’d waited a lifetime to receive.
I withdrew carefully and met his languid gaze.
“I’ll be right back,” I whispered. My voice barely disturbed the sated aura of the room.
In the bathroom, I disposed of the condom and washed my hands, then dampened a cloth with warm water.
I returned to his side and tenderly cleaned his stomach and hands, each gentle wipe a silent declaration of love.
Later, with our legs entwined under the sheets and Cooper’s head on my chest, I traced lazy patterns on his bare shoulder.
He pressed a kiss to my chest, directly over my heart, and the tenderness of it nearly undid me. He nestled into my side, fitting against me like he belonged there.
I gently squeezed him closer, savoring his weight against me. “I love you, baby,” I whispered.
“Love you too, snookums.”
In the quiet darkness, I smiled. Some bargains ended with everyone winning.