Seeking Kokopelli

by Shelley Munro

  Gradually, his cock softened, and Adam rose. Nate wrapped his arms around him and held tight, knowing everything was changing, his world shifting, and all he could do was hang on for the ride.

  Chapter Nine

  A month later

  Guilt gnawed at Justin. He had everything he wanted now. He’d married a wonderful woman who made him forget every other. His father and the other elders had stopped talking about replacing him. They no longer met in secretive huddles or glanced at him with disapproval. An air of confidence filled the villagers, and no one had noticed his tattoo, or, rather, the lack of one. Certainly, Lara hadn’t mentioned anything, and he took care not to take off his shirt when anyone else could see him and start speculating.

  Now that he no longer felt like a cornered rat, he regretted putting the contract out on Adam.

  “What’s wrong, Justin?” Lara whispered.

  He started, covering it with a rich chuckle. “I didn’t hear you enter the room.”

  Her hands, tiny yet surprisingly strong, started to knead his shoulder and neck muscles. The tension leached out of him, a groan of pleasure escaping when Lara worked on a knotted muscle.

  “That feels good.” Too good. Already a hard ridge of flesh pressed against his linen trousers. “The rest of my afternoon is free. We could have a siesta.”

  “We could, my husband.” Her strong fingers dug into a muscle near the base of his neck. “As soon as you tell me what troubles you.”

  Justin sighed, fear that he might lose her filling him, replacing the ease her touch brought. Yet the knowledge of what he’d done ate at him like a destructive caterpillar destroying a crop. Slowly, he turned to face her. His head bowed in shame, and the emotions weren’t a pretense. His behavior truly appalled him. A pity his conscience hadn’t come knocking a fraction earlier.

  “I’ve done something.” The words rolled from him, becoming easier once he’d started. “I paid an assassin to kill my brother.”

  The fingers at his neck clenched, nails gouging before they jerked from his back. “You did what?”

  Slowly, he turned to face Lara. The condemnation on her face almost destroyed him, and he realized he’d risked far more than he’d intended. If he lost Lara, he’d be nothing, have nothing. He flinched, but couldn’t falter now. That would be cowardly. “It’s true. I put a hit out on Adam.”

  “Why would you do that? Why?” Tight lines of disapproval bracketed her mouth, and her dark eyes flashed with emotion. Anger. Disappointment.

  “I was jealous. My father wanted Adam to return to take over as Kokopelli.”

  “And that would be a bad thing?”

  “I’d lose everything I’ve worked for.”

  “You think I’m so shallow I would turn from you during bad times?” A layer of hurt wove through the words, and they cut straight to the source of his tension with unerring accuracy.

  A swift glance told him that while she wouldn’t have walked away from him then, she might now. God, he’d been so blind. “I’d do anything to make it right, but it’s too late. I can’t cancel the contract.”

  “It’s never too late,” Lara said. “Tell me from the beginning. Everything.”

  So he told her everything, including his problem with the young woman who wanted to blackmail him, ending with the things he’d done regarding Adam. When he was done, she frowned.

  “This will take some thought.”

  The load on his shoulders lightened with the problem shared. With his heart lighter, Justin nodded. “Perhaps we could think about it during our siesta?”

  “No, you will sleep in the spare room until this is fixed.” And Lara sailed from the room without looking back.

  Justin swallowed audibly, resigned because he knew she wouldn’t change her mind. His Lara was stubborn and determined when it came to right and wrong. Their marriage still amazed him. “Fuck.” There had to be some way to fix this because he didn’t care what happened to him now. All he wanted was to keep his wife at his side, to grow old with her. Perhaps he’d start by dealing with the troublesome woman who thought to blackmail him. Report her to the elders as he should have done straight away. He bore no guilt in turning her in because he’d never stepped out of line with her.

  “Someone is watching us again,” Adam said as they checked into the hotel. “I’ve felt it off and on for the last month.”

  “It’s you they’re watching,” Nate answered, scrawling his name on the registration card and handing over his credit card. He angled his hat a fraction as he turned to study the entranceway of the hotel. A young couple stood outside, the wife cradling her stomach with a protective hand as if she were pregnant. He was noticing a lot of pregnant women amongst their fans who traveled throughout the state to catch all the Stampede gigs. Must be something in the air because blooms covered the plants and trees this year, bringing vivid splashes of color to the town parks and gardens. Rosa would have said it was a good growing season. For the first time in a long while, the pain of Rosa’s loss didn’t strike him in the middle of his chest. Instead, he smiled inwardly because it was a good recollection. “The back of my neck only itches when I’m with you.”

  “It’s gotta be a fan, then.”

  “Why haven’t they come to you for an autograph? Tried to contact you? They’re not behaving like a normal fan.” Nate swung his overnight bag over his shoulder and walked to the elevator with Adam at his side.

  “I don’t know. It’s not as if we can report this to the police. Whoever is watching hasn’t done anything.”

  “We’ll talk to the others, see if they’ve seen anyone or noticed anything unusual. It could be a reporter after a story.”

  Adam scowled. “Yeah, well that’s worse. The last thing I need is publicity.”

  “You should have thought of that before you made a move on me.”

  “Is that right?”

  “It would have been more prudent.”

  “Who the hell wants prudent when they can have hot sex with the man of their dreams?”

  “Sounds serious.” Anxiety swept Nate. Adam shouldn’t be with him. They shouldn’t have checked into a hotel like this—not together when someone was following them around.

  “Yeah, it’s very serious.” Adam waited until the doors closed behind them and prowled closer, backing him against the mirrored wall of the elevator. Adam grasped the brim of his hat and whisked it off. “Every time I look at you, all I can think about is stripping you naked.”

  A shiver raced through him at the intensity on Adam’s face. He meant it. It wasn’t just a line to get him into bed. Not that he intended to put up an argument. “Can we wait until we get to our room?” Nate took charge of his hat.

  Adam’s eyes narrowed as he stepped away. “You don’t believe me. You think I’m playing you. Fuck, Nate. You’re my friend. If this was just about sex I would have stayed away or at least told you upfront that all I wanted was a casual romp between the sheets. I would have demanded you let me fuck you properly instead of taking things slowly and waiting.”

  The flash of anger in Adam brought guilt. He had to stop doubting. “I’m sorry.” He reached out to squeeze Adam’s shoulder. “I—” The elevator car stopped and the doors opened. He let his hand drop to his side. Not their floor. A man and woman entered, and they stood in silence until the elevator stopped on their floor.

  “I can’t believe you’d think that little of me,” Adam muttered.

  “Do you think this is easy for me?” Aware of two room-service maids staring at them in curiosity, Nate held his tongue. He opened the door and stepped inside, holding it open for Adam. Only when he’d closed the doors, did he speak again. “You’re my friend. Out of all the band members, you’re the one I get on with best. Do you think I want to lose my job? That I don’t wonder if we have a fight, I’ll have to leave? Then there’s the whole publicity thing. If our relationship comes out, it will cause trouble. The others know now.”

  “And you think they’ll gossip?”<
br />
  “No, all I’m saying is that an unguarded comment might cause problems.”

  “You’re scared.” Adam seemed pleased with his discovery.

  “I’m not.” But Nate knew Adam was right. This thing between them scared him silly. “Maybe,” he amended cautiously.

  “This isn’t casual for me, Nate. I’m not trying to play you. You want a beer?”

  Nate nodded and set his bag down. The room was a basic one with a queen-size bed, a wooden desk and one chair. A small en suite and a television rounded out the amenities. Nothing fancy, but at least it meant they’d have privacy without having to worry about someone disturbing them or overhearing their discussion. Adam handed him a beer, kicked off his boots and lounged back on the bed. He wriggled a fraction to get comfortable.

  “There’s something I need to talk to you about.” Adam paused to sip his beer, and Nate unlaced his boots, kicking them under the desk before stretching out beside him on the bed.

  “Sounds serious.”

  “I haven’t told anyone this before.”

  Nate sent him a sharp look, and he couldn’t stifle his swift grin. “Are you gonna tell me off for doubting you?”

  “Nah, this is something else. A secret. You can’t tell anyone.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t tell me then.”

  “Nate, I’ve told you. This relationship, what I feel for you isn’t casual. I know things have happened quickly and you don’t trust me yet, but I want to put my faith in you. I want to show I trust you. This is one way of doing it. Besides, I could use some advice.”

  Alarm surged in Nate. “You’re not sick, are you?”

  “Of course not.” Adam tugged up his T-shirt to bare his chest.

  Nate gawked. He couldn’t help it. The subtle tattoo he’d become used to glowed with color. He could have sworn it had been black ink. It wasn’t now. “That’s a Kokopelli.” Of course it was a Kokopelli, but…but how? When? Every time he’d broached the subject, Adam had avoided his questions, usually by jumping him and redirecting his thoughts. After a couple of times, Nate had gone straight to the sex stage because he figured Adam didn’t want to discuss the tattoo. But that hadn’t meant Nate’s curiosity had faded.

  “Yeah, it’s Kokopelli.”

  “When…how…it wasn’t like that this morning.”

  “This isn’t a tattoo. It’s a birthmark of sorts. It’s hereditary.” Adam paused to take another sip of beer and right his T-shirt. His throat felt tight, and fear rippled through him. The last thing he wanted was for Nate to think he was crazy. The Kokopelli had transformed from muted to vibrant colors during the course of the day, and he didn’t know what this meant. “My family is directly descended from Kokopelli, and one male in each generation bears his powers. Despite being the younger brother, I inherited the powers in my generation, but my sexual orientation caused a problem.” Adam cast an uncertain glance at Nate, continuing with his story when he received an encouraging nod. “When my father discovered I was gay, he kicked me out of the family home. My father and the village elders did a special ceremony in the hope the Kokopelli would fade from my chest. There was much celebration when the mark reappeared on my brother.” The pain of rejection sliced through him in a vicious replay. He remembered packing his possessions and walking away while his family, friends and the villagers celebrated the arrival of a new Kokopelli.

  “What powers does Kokopelli have? You’re not messing with me, right?” Nate speared him with a sharp, dissecting look, as if he was trying to decide whether to believe or not. “You are. You’re joking.”

  “No! Nate, you know I didn’t have this done in a tattoo parlor. As for powers, Kokopelli brings fertility mainly, in crops and for women. Some people say he heralds in the seasons with his flute.” Recently, he’d felt the low hum of energy pulsing through his body, an echo of the same force he recalled from when he’d borne the tattoo before. And pregnant women—every time he turned around he was seeing them or hearing of new pregnancies. It was both cool and scary at the same time. “Haven’t you noticed all the flourishing plants everywhere? We stayed at this place when we did the gig here last year. Do you remember what the plants looked like then? All short and stunted. Do you remember Cade wondering why they bothered?”

  “I have noticed the flowers this year.” Nate frowned, and Adam thought he still looked unconvinced. “You play the flute?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “Fertility?” Nate asked, his eyes narrowing. Adam could practically see Nate’s mind ticking over and the questions forming. “You mean women get pregnant when you’re around? I mean when the Kokopelli person is around? You don’t do the deed yourself?”

  “Fuck, no! Kokopelli passes on fertility with ritual words or flute playing. In the past, lots of children meant there were many hands to help with the work. Children made a man rich, so fertility was highly rated. These days, maybe not so much.”

  Adam hoped there wouldn’t be too many unplanned pregnancies around the place. As long as he refrained from touching women, it shouldn’t be a problem. He hoped. Hell, as if he didn’t have enough to worry about. “Look, if you don’t believe me, check out the plants at Colorado Springs when we hit town. After we’ve been there a few days, they’ll seem healthier.” Adam rolled his eyes. “It’s freaky. Honest to God, I’m telling the truth.”

  “Okay, say I believe you.” Nate set his beer aside, his frown still evident. “What does the appearance of the mark mean? Do you think something has happened to your brother?”

  Adam swallowed, feeling marginally better for sharing, even though he had no answers. “I don’t know. I should contact my father.” He shrugged, the old pain and anger resurfacing.

  “What about your brother? Could you call him?”

  “Justin?” Adam shook his head. “My brother and I have nothing in common. I swear he hates me. He was pleased to see me leave. Nate, I don’t know what to do.”

  Nate laughed suddenly. “At least I can’t get pregnant, but maybe you should warn Cade.”

  “I can’t go anywhere until we’ve finished the gigs Susan has booked for us. And we’re working on the album.”

  “True.” Nate nodded, his frown telling Adam he was considering all the possibilities. “You could always ring your father.”

  “No.” That was the last thing he wanted to do. “I prefer a face-to-face meeting, get a sense of the nuances a bit better.”

  “And where’s home?”

  “New Mexico.” He leaned back against the headboard, shifting a fraction before he found a comfortable spot. “By all accounts, my father and the Kokopelli before him used to spread their love around, but during the time I spent as Kokopelli, I never slept with anyone. That was part of the problem. Everyone started comparing notes and gossiping because I never touched any of the women.”

  “And the men?”

  “I didn’t touch them, either. The only time I had sex was when I went to the nearest city for a weekend.”

  “But you’ve had sex with a woman before?”

  “Yeah, I figured I needed to be sure of my sexuality. It wasn’t the same. I like being with a man better. What about you?”

  Nate paused, and Adam cursed himself for the question. It wasn’t cool being jealous of a dead woman.

  “I don’t think of the sex in terms of better,” Nate said slowly. His gaze caught Adam’s and, like a moth to light, he couldn’t look away from the intensity in Nate’s eyes. “It’s the person who attracts me—their personality and the way we interact.”

  Adam’s heart started to pound, his cock going instantly hard. “Maybe we could talk more later.”

  A sexy smile bloomed, making Nate’s eyes sparkle. “I couldn’t agree more.” He took Adam’s beer bottle from him.

  “Take off your shirt.”

  Adam shivered at the expression on Nate’s face, the way he took charge. Eagerly, he yanked his T-shirt over his head, shivering again at the hot intent in Nate’s eyes. He swallowed, hi
s hands going to the fly of his jeans.

  “No, just your shirt for now.”

  “Jeans aren’t comfortable with a hard-on.”

  Nate’s brows rose, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “That right?”

  “Payback can be a bitch.”

  “But fun.”

  Adam nodded, returning to the mattress, a little wary now as he wondered exactly what Nate intended to do with him.

  “You weren’t kidding about the tat, were you?” Nate traced the edges of his Kokopelli. The faint drag of his finger shot sensation straight to Adam’s balls, and he groaned. “Sensitive?”

  “Yeah. I don’t remember it being like this. And the tat was never so bright before.”

  Nate laughed. “Maybe you’re taking Kokopelli into the next century.”

  “Yeah, well, I won’t be having any kids to pass the baton to the next generation. That’s why this is so weird.”

  Nate leaned over him and replaced his finger with his tongue. Adam groaned, closing his eyes to better concentrate on the sensations. Nate’s warm tongue. The faint nibble of teeth. The rasp of his whiskers. The sensations washed over him, and he floated in the pleasure. Nate’s scent filled his every breath, the soft sound of his breathing and the faint tick of the clock sitting on the table beside him the only things he could hear.

  Nate stroked his chest and moved his attention to one nipple, worrying it until it rose to a taut nub. His large hands mapped Adam’s body, alternately stroking and pinching until Adam moaned with pleasure and desperately wanted more.

  “More.” He tried not to sound too desperate.

  Nate just laughed and lightly cupped his swollen erection. Adam groaned, the slight friction of Nate’s hand making him see stars. He wasn’t gonna last long at this rate.

  “Let’s get you out of these jeans.” Nate maneuvered the zipper over his cock and peeled the denim away.