Business of the Heart: A Love Story

By D.M. Cupp

Ryan is the captain of the college swim team, attractive, and straight; well until he sees Josh now he has to determine figure out this attraction. Josh Cooper is openly gay and just trying to make it through college without getting his heart broken again. Ryan and Josh have been in classes together before, but haven't spoken, until their Computer Marketing class when on the first day Ryan sees an empty seat next to Josh, and he sees his opportunity. When the two are assigned a class project to market men's underwear the two begin to get closer and learn the two have an attraction that can't be fought, and Ryan admits that he loves Josh. Things are going perfectly until Spring Break when Josh goes home with Ryan. Can Ryan and Josh hold onto their new found love or will family and misunderstandings get in the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: D.M. Cupp
• Release date: Apr 10, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476219271

D.M. Cupp

D.M. Cupp was raised in Austin, Texas and grew up writing stories and bringing the characters in his head to paper. D.M. loves to read all types of novels, but his passion is romance. His goal is to create characters that are realistic and that readers can relate to, and keep the reader guessing as the characters take the reader on their story...hopefully leading to a happy ending. When D.M. isn’t writing he is spending time with his friends, family, and partner of three years and their two beautiful babies (a Chihuahua and a Dachshund-Chihuahua mix dubbed a ‘chiwinnie’).

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Business of the Heart: A Love Story

By D.M. Cupp

Copyright 2012 D.M. Cupp

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

About D.M. Cupp

Coming Soon: Act of Love

Connect with D.M. Cupp

Dedication

To my babe, MJ, your support and inspiration throughout this entire process gave me the strength to listen to what my characters were trying to tell me.

To Bev and Tina, who listened and read the many drafts until I sure everything was perfect. Y’all are the best editors anyone could ask for.

To my parents who gave the genes of creativity and a family to retreat to when the world is too much to bear.

Love Always,

D.M.

Chapter One

Josh Cooper walked into the half filled classroom ten minutes till eight and sat at one of the empty executive chairs placed in front of the computer terminals. He wasn’t a huge fan of early morning classes, but his sole motivation was that in sixteen weeks he would be finished with school and graduating from Grayson College.

Fort Grayson, Texas was a medium size town. Its population hovering below the 100,000 mark just large enough that it deserved its own college. In all honesty the city council knew that Grayson College was the only thing keeping Fort Grayson from becoming another Texas ghost-town, hence the council sent all additional funds towards the college. In all honesty Fort Grayson was not an awful town, but it was no big city, Josh had moved to Fort Grayson from Austin to attend the school’s business college. The town was the halfway point between Austin and Houston, and so it worked perfectly because when Josh missed the city-life he had options. Still close to home if his family needed him, but also could sneak to Houston if he needed the city-life but didn’t want to have to lie to his mom about not coming to Austin and making time to see her.

Josh Cooper was a complete mama’s boy and he had to be since his father had passed away when he was twelve. He was the man of the house and had to help provide for his mama, and when he graduated from high school he was set on continuing his job at the local grocery chain, but his mama had other plans and told him she would not hear of it. He had the grades to go anywhere in the state, but he settled on Grayson College to be close to home.

Is this seat taken? a male voice asked.

Josh was snapped back to reality and looked up at the man with his hand on the chair next to his, Uh…no. Josh had seen the man before on campus and everyone knew Ryan Anderson the captain of the college swim team.

Ryan Anderson was as close to perfection that one could get. He stood almost six feet tall, had medium length brown hair that was styled in a messy-look, and eyes that one could get lost in. They were a deep brown that made you feel that if you stared at them to long they would discover your secrets and desires. So of course Josh was nervous talking to Ryan and how was he going to be able to concentrate during this course with him sitting next to him?

So…are you looking forward to this class? Ryan asked.

What? Josh asked in disbelief. In his four years at Grayson Ryan had never talked to him before, and they had some courses together last semester.

Computer Marketing Ryan asked looking out to the rows of computer and students that were in front of them.

I guess. I like coming up with ideas to sell products. Josh answered cringing inside. He sounded like a complete dork. He hated talking to guys. Strange to hear from someone who’s gay, since dating and talking to men was one of the criteria for being gay. Good-looking men made him nervous and they could tell, and the cocky comments about gay men wanting to be with them all the time would start flowing.

Ryan tried to hide the smile, but failed.

Why are you laughing? Josh asked trying to play it cool and gaining control of his nerves.

Nothing…I just like coming up with new ideas to sell products, too. What’s your name? Ryan asked.

Josh. Josh Cooper.

I’m Ryan Anderson. He said holding out his hand to shake the man’s hand. Josh looked down at it and shook it. Ryan felt his skin go cold at the touch and shuttered as if being blasted with cold air. Remember sex sells. He said winking at Josh trying to cover up from his shutter and regain his confidence.

Yeah Josh said releasing his hand from Ryan’s grip and turning to face the computer. What the hell was that wink…straight-flirtation? Of course Ryan would pick up on his nerves and assume he wanted him. What girl or guy didn’t want to be with Ryan? He was every girl’s and gay man’s fantasy. Even the straight guys wanted to be like Ryan, confident and able to get anything he wanted.

**

Ryan walked toward the gym after his business class he couldn’t stop thinking of Josh. He’d known who Josh was and he had several courses together in past semesters, but never had the nerve to talk to him, but when he saw the chair next to Josh empty this morning he had to take this chance. It was his last semester before graduation. Josh wasn’t like the guys he normally hung out with. Josh was a little shorter than he was about five foot eight with hazel eyes that made him look young and innocent. His hair was a dirty blond that Ryan just wanted to run his hands through while he stared into his eyes.Ryan wasn’t sure what these feelings were inside of him. He loved girls and had never even thought about being with a guy. During the winter break he went back home to his family’s home in west Texas and two days after Christmas his girlfriend broke up with him.

We’re growing apart and we only see each other during school breaks. Tiffany had said sitting on the picnic bench behind his family’s house.

Ryan just sat there stunned but surprisingly he wasn’t sad about the breakup. He knew they were moving in different directions. You’re right we are and I think it’s time. He stood and gently took her arms and lifted her up. He gave her a hug and when they pulled apart he looked down at her, You take care of yourself. She had turned and walked around the side of the house and was gone.

He had called his best friend Becky who insisted on going out and having some fun. She had picked him up and took off driving without telling him where they were going. Twenty minutes later she pulled outside a building with techno music playing inside. They walked inside and his first sight was two men in the corner kissing and girls dancing together on the dance floor.

What’s this? He said into his friend’s ear.

A club She answered back smiling.

Really Sherlock He said with sarcasm.

Well you know I’m bi…and we always go to your clubs. The boys won’t bit…unless you want them to. She said grabbing his hand and dragging him to the bar.

She had thought that he would need liquor to survive the evening, but what she didn’t know was that new feelings had been turning in his stomach for a while, but he didn’t know how to tell her. During the winter break he couldn’t get this man out of his head or his dreams, and that man was Josh…Josh Cooper.

He swiped his student id card and gained access to the gym. He needed a workout to clear his thoughts. Maybe sitting and talking to Josh this morning was a bad idea. He knew Josh was openly gay but he was an athlete and swim team captain. He couldn’t come out and risk being kicked off the team he would lose his scholarship, and his family would disown him. He went to change into his workout clothes when he noticed the tent in his pants, Can’t workout with this. He whispered to himself. He picked up his bag and walked out of the gym trying not to draw attention to himself or the erection in his pants.

**

Josh walked across campus towards the gymnasium for his swim class because to earn his diploma he had to have an athletic credit. Josh reviewed all his options from conditional walking to bowling. Josh hated the idea of walking in circles around the school’s track and he sucked at bowling, however he was the king of gutter balls, but he would hate to not graduate because he couldn’t bowl. So he decided to take the swimming course. It seemed simple enough learn the basics and a few swim styles, and he could handle swimming a few lapse three times a week. It would definitely help him keep his form. He had swam on his high school team for a year, but never was the competitive type and just wanted to have fun, and had continued to swim when he could which had allowed him to keep his trim swimmer’s body, thin but with defined muscles.

Excuse me; you can watch were you’re going next time! Josh huffed at the man that had nearly knocked him over leaving the gym.

Ryan stopped to look at the guy he had just run into, I’m sorry; I just… Ryan lost all train of thought he was unable to escape this guy who kept invading his thoughts. I’m sorry; I just got a lot on my mind and wasn’t looking.

It’s cool. Guess I spaced out too. You know what they say ‘don’t walk and daze’. What the hell was that Josh thought? Why was he acting so goofy around this guy?

Ryan smiled and suppressed a chuckle. Well I never heard that, but I guess you’re right. Ryan said sensing the man was tensing up, and didn’t want him to run off sooner than he had to. "So