Balance

morning’s mixed feelings. On the other hand, he didn’t have the heart to send him away. Even in the split second he’d seen Cooper, he knew he’d gone home to change after work.
    Nando didn’t know whether it was his imagination or whether Cooper really was wearing the tight jeans he’d worn to the club, but it was making things stir in his groan. He didn’t want to be this affected, but the truth was, he couldn’t Balance | Zahra Owens
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    do anything about it. He heard Paulina talk to Cooper in hushed, conspiratory tones from the front desk, which she was preparing for the next day.
    “Thanks for washing my sheets,” Cooper said, suddenly a lot closer than Nando expected.
    “Was the least I could do,” Nando answered almost automatically, pretending to be too busy to look at Cooper.
    “Well, it was a nice gesture,” Cooper added softly, as if he didn’t want Paulina to overhear their conversation. “I see you got here from my house, yet you didn’t take the money?” Nando shot him a poisonous look and then kicked the drawer shut as if he was blaming it for all the evils of the world. “Listen,” Nando started before backing down and simply walking away toward the supply room in the back.
    Cooper followed him and only just managed to prevent the supply room door from slamming into his face.
    “I don’t appreciate being paid for my services,” Nando spat out, emphasizing the word “paid.” Cooper shook his head, his expression doubtful. “Paid?
    You mean the cab fare I left you? Nando, I drove you halfway across town, and I know money is tight for you with starting this business up and probably sinking all your savings into it. I didn’t mean anything by it. Please, you have to believe me.”
    For the first time Nando looked straight at Cooper, not disguising the emotion in his face. He was fighting back tears and didn’t feel like crying like a kid in front of Cooper, but he could barely believe how forgiving Cooper was of his Balance | Zahra Owens
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    tantrums. The man was a saint. Nando swallowed hard, biting back the emotions.
    “I’m sorry I misjudged the situation. I didn’t think,” Cooper said by way of apology. “I was going to wake you up and drive you back into town, but you looked so sweet. Not to mention delicious,” he added almost as an afterthought. “I didn’t have the strength to rouse you. I took a picture of you, lying there with these small strips of light filtering through the shutters. You had your arm over your head, and you looked so beautiful. If I’d had more time, I would have taken a closer look at your tattoos, but I didn’t or I’d have been late for work, and I had an early appointment with a repeat offender.”
    “There’ll be other occasions to study them up close,” Nando replied softly, moving closer to Cooper. He felt himself inexplicably drawn to the taller man’s tenderness; at the same time he felt his anger die down. How could he be angry with him for giving him money when he’d done it out of empathy, not out of the disdain Nando had read in it? “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions without knowing all the facts.” Cooper nodded slightly and took a step closer as well.
    They were definitely in each other’s personal space, and Nando leaned forward to place his lips gently on Cooper’s.
    They kissed tenderly, chastely almost, and Nando wished they were at his apartment or at Cooper’s place, where they could just end up in bed together without having to break the spell. He wanted to make up for being such an asshole by showing Cooper he could be accommodating too.
    They continued kissing for a while as Nando almost hesitantly ran his hands over Cooper’s back. Cooper’s hands Balance | Zahra Owens
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    stayed on Nando’s hips, as if he wanted to keep Nando in place, and Nando realized it wasn’t a bad move, since it curbed his need to run from the intimacy. This wasn’t what he usually did with a lover. He only ever kissed like this as a tease, breaking away sooner rather than later to entice his lover to move the action along, but now he didn’t seem to be able to get enough. The heat was rising between them, as was the hardness Nando could feel through the two layers of denim every time he pulled Cooper closer to him.
    “You’re wearing the tight jeans,” Nando remarked coyly as they broke their kiss.
    “I like the way you look at me when I’m wearing them,” Cooper answered, not as shy as Nando expected him