From the "Jerry Cole Vault" comes a previously unpublished short story "Older and Wiser".

You might say that I'm getting a little bit of a late start as far as my sexuality is concerned, or at least, that's how it seems to me. I'm eighteen and in college, and for the first time in my life, I'm trying to be open about my homosexual identity.

I'm still having trouble being open with people about who I am, despite a burning desire to lose my virginity, make up for lost time, and see what all the fuss is about. But I don't want it to just be sex... That part's important of course, but I need to find someone I can connect with on a deeper level than just that. I'm not expecting a life partner to come from this, just someone I can trust, have some fun with, and can make my way into the world of realized sexuality with, without regretting it later down the road.

I’ve decided to remain anonymous for the time being in my pursuit of romance, using the internet to try and locate a potential match. I begin talking with an older gentleman, Daniel, in his early thirties. Unlike a lot of the other, cruder replies, he seems down to earth, patient, and he understands the position I'm in.

He, apparently, had a very similar time outing himself, and so he can relate to what I'm growing through. Being with someone a little bit older and with more experience comforts me, and I have to admit that, at first, I start to feel a real connection with this man.

Then, however, I begin to second guess myself. I look around at all the young couples around campus, and I start to think leaping into bed with a man over a decade my senior might just be an experience I regret for my first time.

Now, I'm torn between giving into my urges, or else trying to find a similar thrill amongst the loud, roaring crowds at a party that Friday evening. And I have no idea what decision I should make...

Please Note: This book contains Adult Language & Steamy Adult Activities, it is intended for 18+ Adults Only. There is a "cliffhanger" at the end of "Older and Wiser" (Volume 1). Volume 2 is available (also free, linked in the book). This is a short story, approx. 10,000 words total between the two volumes. HEA ending.