Tempted By Him: A BL collection of romantic stories

I wiped the counter for the third time in five minutes, glancing at the clock. 7:12. Right on schedule. My heart did that stupid little flip it always did, even though I told myself every damn day to chill.

I was Noah, resident flirt and head barista at Bean Haven. At exactly 7:15, the bell above the door jingled. There he was.

Elias.

Tall, broad-shouldered, sharp jawline and those piercing gray eyes. He never smiled. Never said more than the absolute minimum. But fuck if that didn't make me want to crack him open.

"Morning," I said, already reaching for the largest cup. "The usual?"

He gave a nod, pulling out his wallet. I leaned on the counter a little, flashing my best grin. "Rough night? You look like you could use something stronger than black coffee. Maybe a shot of espresso in there? Or I could whip up one of those secret menu things. My treat if you tell me your name's not actually 'Grumpy McSilent'."

His gray eyes flicked up to mine. For a split second, something almost like surprise crossed his face. Then the wall slammed back down. "Just the coffee."

"Come on," I pushed. "You've been coming here every morning for three weeks. Least you can do is let me know if I'm pronouncing your order right. Is it 'black like my soul' or just 'black'?"

A woman behind him in line chuckled. Elias shifted his weight, jaw tightening. "It's black. That's it."

I handed him the cup, letting my fingers brush his on purpose. Heat shot straight down my spine. "There you go, Elias. See? I remembered from the app order last week. Progress."

He paused, cup halfway to his lips. "You remember every customer's name?"

"Only the ones who make the shop feel... interesting." I winked. God, I was laying it on thick, but the way his eyes narrowed made my stomach tighten.

He took a sip, then muttered, "Thanks." It was barely audible, but it was more than the usual grunt-and-leave. Small victories.

The morning continued after Elias claimed his usual corner table by the window. He stared at his laptop, typing with those powerful hands. I imagined them on me instead. Gripping my hips. Tangling in my hair. Guiding my head down...

Stop. Focus.

By 8:30 the crowd thinned. I wiped my hands on my apron and walked over with a fresh pastry I "accidentally" warmed up. "Refill? And maybe a blueberry muffin? On the house. You look like you skip breakfast."

Elias looked up, startled for real this time. "Why?"

"Because I'm a nice guy?" I set the plate down and slid into the chair across from him without waiting for permission. "Or because watching you brood in silence every day is slowly killing my will to live. Talk to me, man. What's your deal? Writer? Brooding artist? Hitman?"

His lips twitched. Was that almost a smile? "Software engineer. Deadlines."

"See? Was that so hard?" I grinned, "I'm Noah. Full-time coffee pusher, part-time hopeless romantic. Currently wondering what it'd take to make you smile."

"You talk too much," he said, eating a piece of his muffin.

"Yeah, well, someone has to fill the silence. You gonna tell me why you never chat back? Bad ex? Allergy to cute baristas?"

Elias set his cup down. His gaze dropped to my mouth for half a second before snapping back up. "Not interested in small talk."

My pulse kicked up. "Who said anything about small? I can do big talk. Deep talk. Whatever you want."

He leaned forward slightly, voice low. "You're persistent."

"Guilty." I swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. "Look, I know I'm probably reading this wrong, but... you come in here every day looking like you want to eat someone alive. And yeah, part of me wonders if that someone could be me."

Silence stretched. Then Elias exhaled sharply. "You're not reading it wrong.”

Holy shit. I stood up too fast, nearly knocking over his coffee. "Break room's in the back. Staff only. Five minutes?"

He didn't answer with words. Just closed his laptop, stood, and followed me.

The break room was tiny, I locked the door behind us with a soft click. Elias stood behind me.

"You sure about this?" he asked, voice rough.

"Very." I stepped closer, hands sliding up his chest. "Been fantasizing about you for weeks. Dropping to my knees right behind the counter, pulling you out, tasting how much you actually want this despite the grumpy act."

His hand cupped the back of my neck. "Then do it."

I sank down immediately, my fingers worked his belt open, zipper down, heart hammering. He was already half-hard as I freed him. The sight made my mouth water.

"Fuck," I breathed, looking up at him. Those gray eyes were dark now, locked on me. "You're big."

"Less talking," he growled, but his thumb brushed my cheek almost gently.

I leaned in, pressing a kiss to the head before taking him deeper. My tongue swirled, hand stroking what I couldn't fit yet. Elias hissed, hips jerking forward slightly. One hand fisted in my curls.

"Like that," he muttered. "Deeper."

I moaned around him, the vibration making his thighs tense. My own cock strained against my jeans, aching.

Elias's grip tightened. "Look at me."

I did, eyes watering but holding his gaze as I sucked harder. He cursed under his breath, thrusting into my throat. I took it, relaxing, letting him use my mouth. Tears pricked my eyes but the thrill drowned everything else.

"Shit, Noah..." His voice broke a little.

I pulled off just enough to gasp, "Come down my throat. I want it."

He didn't need telling twice. A few more thrusts and he spilled with a choked groan, hot and thick. I swallowed every drop, milking him until he shuddered.

I stayed on my knees a moment, catching my breath, lips swollen. Elias helped me up, kissing me hard for the first time. No hesitation, grabbing my cock through my jeans, squeezing.

"Your turn," he said against my mouth.

We didn't have long. I fumbled my pants open. He wrapped those strong fingers around me, stroking with perfect pressure while his other hand gripped my ass.

"Faster… fuck, Elias…"

I came hard, biting his shoulder to stay quiet, spilling over his hand.

We cleaned up quickly with paper towels, breathing heavy. I grinned up at him, dazed. "So... same time tomorrow?"

Elias actually smirked. "Yeah. And maybe I'll talk more."

"Progress," I teased, fixing his collar.

He left first. I waited a minute, then went back to the counter like nothing happened, legs still shaky.

By closing time, my mind was already spinning ahead. Part of me wondered how far this could go. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.