Home Improvement — a Love Story

by Tara Lain

  “Oh shit!” Somehow, the crossover from excruciating pleasure to release happened without conscious thought—an eruption in his balls and a wash of ecstasy that filled every cell and shot a flood of hot stickiness into his jeans.

  Jerry yelled so loud his voice echoed through the not-yet-full rooms of the house. “Oh, oh God. Oh!”

  Gabe held him up for seconds as they both shook and shuddered through orgasm together, and then Jerry’s legs seemed to collapse down Gabe’s sides, and his feet made it to the ground. He rested his head against Gabe’s shoulder. Breathing became top priority.

  As his gasps subsided, Gabe noticed how Jerry felt under his hands. Whipcord slender but strong, just as he’d looked stalking around that stage bare-chested. Still, Gabe probably outweighed Jerry by forty pounds, and he liked that feeling of being the shelterer, the one keeping the stress and danger away from Jerry.

  Jerry pulled back and looked up at him with his face soft but serious. “Are you going to chalk this up to extreme horniness and say that you have too much to lose to be around a guy like me?”

  Gabe opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. “What is a guy like you? I’m not sure I can draw general rules about a sweet dude I met in a home improvement store who doesn’t like talking to people and occasionally struts around a stage half-dressed singing like an angel to twelve thousand screaming fans.”

  “Confusion’s a good start. Take off your pants.”

  “What?” Gabe barked a laugh.

  “Unless you want to wear your cum home, I’d suggest trying out my new washer and dryer on both our pairs of jeans.”

  He glanced down at the dark spot on the crotch of his pants that was partly drying into a light, stiff blotch. “Good plan.”

  “Come on.” Jerry took his hand and led him out of the kitchen. Now that they were moving, the stickiness in his drawers was definitely an issue.

  Gabe made a little hop, trying to get the goopy situation away from his softening cock. “I haven’t done anything like coming in my pants since I was in middle school.”

  “Yeah, I think we get to try out the shower too.” He trotted up the stairs, still pulling Gabe with him.

  “It should work.”

  Jerry grinned. “What about the soaking tub?”

  Gabe tried to keep from leering back. “Prime operational condition.”

  Jerry made a left into the bathroom. “It’s even clean.” He closed the drain and turned on the tap. Gabe held his breath, but the water poured into the huge tub in a wide flow. Jerry slapped his hands together. “Perfect.” He grabbed Gabe again and pulled him into the finished guest bedroom that Gabe had created for him.

  Gabe looked at the pristine sheets and comforter, exactly as he’d left them. “Didn’t you come home last night? Where did you sleep?”

  Jerry gave him a sheepish look. “I fell asleep on the couch. Your guy found me there this morning.”

  “My guy? Oh, Jorge?”

  “Yes. He told me you’d left a note for me. I ran upstairs, found it, said no fucking way, and ran out the door.” He waved a hand. “Take off your clothes and I’ll wash them.”

  “Uh, you have about a hundred miles of not-yet-covered windows, and while the neighbors aren’t close, they are out there.”

  “True that.” He pulled open the bottom drawer of his dresser, which Gabe had moved from the master bedroom, and fished out two pairs of sweats. “You can probably wear these. They’re my biggest ones. Come on, give me your clothes.”

  Gabe peeled off his shirt, then his jeans. “Yuk.” His boxer briefs sported a big wet stain. He quickly glanced at Jerry, who was gathering Gabe’s clothing. They might have ridden each other’s erections, but they hadn’t seen them. With a quick breath, Gabe ripped the shorts down to his ankles and stepped out of them.

  When he picked them up, he found Jerry staring. Gabe swallowed. “Uh, getting a complex here.”

  Jerry raised his saucer eyes to Gabe. “Holy crap, you’re hung.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m six-three.”

  He cocked his head sideways to stare at Gabe’s groin. “It looks like it.”

  Gabe snorted. “Am I doing a strip show, or will you be joining me?”

  “I’m going to strip in the laundry room. Go turn off the water and get in.”

  Gabe yelled, “No fair,” but Jerry trotted down the stairs carrying Gabe’s jeans and underwear. Gabe turned off the water in the big tub across the hall, tested it, and found it hot but delicious. He climbed the steps to the top, then slowly lowered himself into the deep tile-covered tub.

  Oh man. It was that hot that seared the edges of your skin but soaked into your muscles and tendons like soothing balm. While he’d been finishing the tub, he’d dreamed about sitting in it like this.

  He heard soft, fast footsteps on the wood floors, and Jerry came tearing around the corner. “Brr. It’s a little chilly in the laundry room. I guess because it’s next to the garage.”

  Gabe didn’t respond. Frozen—and not the kids’ movie. Holy hell and little fishes. On the stage, Jerry had reminded Gabe of a prowling leopard, wild and dangerous. Here, shivering adorably with his beautiful hair falling over his soft tan nipples and his long, long dick showing off between his legs, Jerry made a picture Gabe couldn’t find words to describe. He couldn’t have told Jerry how beautiful he was even if he could have gotten sounds out of his dry mouth.

  Seemingly oblivious, Jerry mounted the steps and sat on the edge of the tile. “Ooh, that’s cold on the butt. How is it?”

  “Uh, hot. Slide in slowly so you get used to it.”

  Jerry put weight on his arms, biceps popping, and slowly lowered himself into the water across from Gabe. He opened his mouth wide and gasped as his slender torso slid under the water, his hair floating around him.

  Holy crap, I’m in a tub with Jet Gemini.

  Jerry closed his eyes and moaned—as if Gabe needed any more sensual sound effects. Jerry whispered, “This is so great.”

  Gabe couldn’t close his eyes. He might miss something.

  Suddenly Jerry’s lids popped open. “It’s important that you get all that sticky off you.” He slid forward, probably onto his knees because he had to raise his chin to keep his mouth above water. “Here. Let me help.”

  Before Gabe even registered what Jerry said, a strong hand wrapped around his cock and started to stroke. Just the sight of Jerry in the nude had gotten Gabe back to half-mast. The hand did the rest of the job. “Shit.”

  “You like?”

  “You kidding?”

  Gabe slid down so he was on his knees facing Jerry and grabbed his own handful. Staring into each other’s eyes, they jerked and massaged, their breath coming hot and fast.

  Jerry leaned forward. “Will you fuck me?”

  Gabe about lost it just at the thought. “Not in the water. Need lubrication.”

  “I’ve got it.” Jerry pointed to the thick tile top of the tub. “Sit there.” He climbed out, just as erect as Gabe, ran out of the room, and came back carrying a tube of lube. He held it like a trophy. “My jerking-off lube.”

  Unceremoniously, he pushed some into his own butt.

  “Have you got a condom?”

  Jerry paused. “No. But I’ve been tested at least once since I had sex with anyone but my hand.”

  Gabe nodded. “Me too.”

  Holy shit, he was about to go from no sex to bareback with the hottest man alive.

  Jerry climbed onto the edge of the tub, leaned over, and captured Gabe’s big dick in his mouth.

  “Holy crap, warn a guy.”

  Jerry made a snorting sound around his mouthful and sucked hard, then pulled his lips off and started lubing Gabe’s cock. He looked up. “For a guy who hardly ever gets fucked, you’re kind of an advanced class, but I love the idea of it.”

  “You don’t have to bottom.”

  “No, I really want to.” He grabbed two hand towels from the rack beside the tub, straddled Gabe’s h
ips, and put the towels under his own knees before taking Gabe’s well-lubed cock and placing it in the perfect spot. Then with a look of wildly sexy concentration, he pressed down. Nothing happened.

  He rose up again, repositioned, and pressed harder. Gabe slid his fingers under Jerry’s smooth-as-silk ass and insinuated a finger between the edge of his cock and the target. Wiggling, he slid it in.

  Jerry gasped, then made a humming sound.

  “Gotta walk before you can run.” He pulled out the index finger and substituted his thicker middle finger. Jerry started bouncing on his finger, and Gabe chuckled. “I think he likes it.”

  They were both gasping so hard they could barely talk as Gabe pulled the edge of Jerry’s slick channel outward so the pressure of his cock got some traction and—holy wow!—the tip slid in.

  “Oh God, Gabe. Yes. Yes.” Jerry pushed like a crazy man, gaining real estate with every thrust.

  “Don’t hurt yourself, sweetheart.”

  “Want more.” He was rising and falling on his knees as he pushed Gabe’s big cock deeper and deeper inside him.

  Gabe looked up. Oh my God. The mirror over the sink reflected Jerry, riding Gabe’s erection like a madman, wet hair flying, his head thrown back, eyes squeezed shut and mouth open.

  Nothing Gabe had ever seen compared.

  Jerry cried, “I love this. Can we do it all the time? I want you to fuck me on every surface in the house. Please.”

  Gabe chuckled. “Guess if you’re begging, I’ll have to say yes. I’m a good guy like that.”

  They both started to laugh, and then Jerry screamed, “Oh God, I’m coming,” and spurts of cum decorated Gabe’s chest. Everything, the friction, the smell, the silky texture of Jerry’s skin. Too much. Oh man, oh crap. Oh— The image of his cum flooding Jerry’s body filled his brain just before it exploded.

  Moments later, they both slid into the still very warm water, locked in each other’s arms. Gabe murmured, “We better be careful not to drown.”

  He suspected he meant that in more ways than one.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I DON’T even believe this.”

  Jerry smiled at Ellie as she stared out the family room door at the swimming pool. As promised, she’d brought his car from ImproveMart and was taking a quick tour of the house before he drove her to school.

  Shaking her head, she wandered onto the patio, up the steps, and into the pool enclosure. “This is huge.” She knelt by the edge of the pool and trailed her finger in the water. The raised-eyebrow look she gave Jerry made him laugh.

  He held up his hands. “I know, I need to be more sensible, but I’ll call and order the solar panels first thing Monday.”

  She shrugged dramatically. “Just sayin’. I know you’re this big rich guy, but rich people are rich because they’re careful with their money.”

  “I know. I’m not great with money, so I have other people who manage it. I promise to pay more attention.” He cleared his throat. “But I can’t turn off the heater until the pool guy comes the next time, so, uh, maybe you want to come over and swim while it’s still warm?”

  She looked at him, her dimples accenting her pursed lips. “Very tricky. Think you can lure me with my love of swimming, right?”

  He crossed his arms and grinned. “It crossed my mind.”

  She jumped up like a cheerleader. “Well, it worked! When can I come?”

  “If you’re not busy tomorrow, you can come anytime and swim all day.”

  “Can I bring my dad?” She asked it with a smirk, so Ellie definitely wasn’t in the dark about her dad being gay.

  “Sure, if you want.” He also said that with a smirk, and she laughed. “So we better get going if you’re to be on time for school. We can do a more in-depth tour tomorrow. I’ll show you the tower.”

  “The tower?” Her eyes got wide, and she looked up at the roof. “Oh, is that it?”

  “You have to wait until tomorrow.” He crooked a finger. “Come on.”

  At the front door, Ellie said, “I brought you a cooler cap.” On the built-in cabinet beside the entrance she’d put a bag. From it, she took a newsboy cap in a small checked pattern. She handed it to him.

  “Hmm. Think I can get all this under it?” He held out a long hank of hair.

  “It’s pretty flexible.” She pulled a ponytail holder from her pocket. “Bend down.”

  He did, and she gathered his hair and pulled it into a tight tail, then wrapped it around his head and slid the cap over it.

  Hands on hips, she cocked her head. “Totally cool. Look.” She pointed toward the bathroom, and he stepped into it and gazed into the vanity mirror.

  “Damn.” He barked a laugh. “You’re right.”

  “This cap looks like you wear it on purpose, not because you’re trying to hide something. But it still covers your hair, and who’s Jet Gemini without his hair, right? So who’s going to recognize you?”

  Jerry took another look. He looked good, not stupid. Amazing. “You get to dress me from now on.”

  “With pleasure. Now put on your glasses, and let’s get going.”

  When they got in his Prius, Ellie said, “I listened to your playlist. Hope you don’t mind. It’s mostly classical.”

  “Yes.”

  “So when you teach music, it’ll be mostly classical, not rock?”

  He tried not to make a face. “I don’t really know. I mean, the chances I’ll ever get to teach are pretty slim, at least before I’m, like, fifty or sixty.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, uh….” He turned onto the 5 Freeway, heading toward Talent and Phoenix. “I’m still pretty popular.”

  “Okay, understatement of the century.”

  “So I guess there’re still people who want to hear my recordings and go to my concerts.”

  She looked at him. “Of course there are. There probably always will be. But your fans aren’t the boss of you. If you want to do something else, do it.”

  “Truthfully, Ellie, I’m kind of an industry. All popular performers are. There are tons of people who make their living from my work. I can’t just quit.”

  She chuckled. “It’s nice that you’re worried about the people who work for you, Jerry, but would they do the same for you? I mean, if General Motors can close plants and lay off thousands of workers, I think you can become a teacher if you want to.”

  Whoa. No one ever told him he should quit.

  “Not that I’m encouraging you to give up being Jet. You’re my favorite singer ever. But I live with a man who pretty regularly gives up what he wants to do in his life for somebody else, namely me. It’s great, but it’s not a sustainable strategy.”

  “You think your dad should be doing something different?”

  She sighed loudly and pointed at the next street. “Turn right up here.” She shifted so her left cheek rested on the seat back, and she faced him. “I don’t know, Jerry. He’s given up so much for me. I mean, he’s gay for crap’s sake, and he married a woman for me—and we’d never even met. He gave up college and a social life and moving to a city where his furniture business might thrive. Instead, he stays with ImproveMart because it’s steady and gives us benefits and he can point that out to the court.”

  “I think that’s what good dads do, isn’t it?”

  “I guess. I mean, he had such bad parents, he overcompensates.” She straightened in her seat. “My school’s up there.”

  Ahead Jerry saw cars pulling into a large school parking lot. He got in the queue and put on his blinker.

  Ellie looked at him, then at her lap. “The worst thing is, he doesn’t really try to find someone he could love who’d love him back. He just tables it because he doesn’t want to take any chances with the court. It’s sad, and I feel responsible.”

  Before Jerry could even think of what to say, they were at the head of the line, and Ellie gathered her backpack and purse. “Thanks so much, Jerry.”

  “Thank you for rescuing my car.�
�

  “I didn’t see any paparazzi, but they’re sneaky. I’ll see you tomorrow, and I’ll bring the big guy.”

  “Deal.” He smiled at her.

  She scooted forward, kissed his cheek, then got out of the car, slammed the door, and waved at another girl as she trotted toward the school.

  Jerry touched his cheek. She’s an amazing kid. At seventeen she seemed smart, capable, even sophisticated, but not jaded. Still a kid—something it sounded like her dad had never been. Gabe gave up his childhood to assure she had hers. Pretty damned special guy.

  Jerry grinned as he pulled out on the street and pointed the car back toward Ashland. For the first time in forever, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

  DON’T GET attached. Don’t get attached.

  Gabe lay back on the chaise lounge he’d picked out for Jerry’s deck. There was an iced tea beside him on a small table, his daughter was ecstatically swimming from end to end of the huge pool where she’d occasionally peek up to be sure they—no, make that Jerry—was appreciating her, the sun shone down in full spring attempts at warmth, and Gabe was resting for the first time in weeks. Man, this place and this guy would be so easy to get used to.

  Since their evening of wild sex two days before, Gabe had worked like a crazy man at ImproveMart to try to make up for any cutting of corners that might have resulted from his juggling two jobs. Jorge was still tacitly in charge of supervision at Jerry’s house, but he’d been pretty glad to discover Gabe was still participating. Plus, the landscaping of the front entrance had just begun, and while Jorge was enthusiastic, he didn’t know much about gardens or hardscape, so Gabe was in charge of that project.

  Ellie bounded out of the pool, grabbed a towel, and walked over to where Jerry lay on a chaise beside Gabe. He had the cap Ellie had gotten him over his hair and his sunglasses on, probably because of the workers who were still in the house and yard, but at least he’d worn slim-fitting jeans, not his baggy sweats. Ellie said, “Dad and I brought ingredients. Is it okay if I make us all some lunch in your new kitchen?”

  Jerry sat up. He really seemed to like Ellie, even at her bossiest and most intimidating. “Sure. We can help.”