Dreamspinner Press Years One & Two Greatest Hits

by J. M. Colail

  It seemed that it took Jack ages to open the cap and coat his fingers, but it couldn’t have been longer than a few seconds. He pushed himself up onto his knees, spreading Julian’s thighs further. “Quit squirming,” he admonished.

  Completely incapable of doing any such thing under the intense scrutiny Jack was giving him, Julian continued to writhe, needing to put his body in as much contact with Jack’s as humanly possible. “I can’t,” Julian almost whispered, jumping at the first touch of a slick finger against his entrance. The muscle loosened immediately, and Julian’s breath hitched. “Oh, God.”

  Jack slid his left hand up Julian’s thigh to hold him steady and circled his hole again, firmer this time. Julian had to grasp the headboard again with both hands to ground himself, his whole body quivering in anticipation.

  Finally, Jack pressed a finger inside of him, pushing deep on the first stroke, and Julian groaned, lifting his legs to give Jack more room. Then Jack put the tip of his cock in his mouth and found Julian’s sweet spot with his finger, and a hoarse shout escaped him. With a Herculean effort, he managed not to thrust down Jack’s throat—but only because he was paralyzed by the desire to push back against his fingers. “More.”

  Jack didn’t need to be asked twice. He quickly coated another finger in the lubricant and pressed back inside, stroking Julian’s prostate again.

  “Like that. Fuck! Uhhn.” Having Jack inside him felt so good. Julian bit his lip, valiantly trying to keep his eyes open. “God, Jack, you have to fuck me now.”

  Jack’s movements paused, and Julian had a bad moment where he thought the other man would make him wait even longer. It seemed like he’d been hard for hours; it might well have been.

  Julian heard the rip of the little foil packet being opened and half-sat to watch Jack roll the condom on one-handed, reaching for the lube again with his left. He licked his lips as Jack hurriedly slicked himself. Taking his cock in one hand and holding Julian’s hip with the other, Jack pushed forward slowly.

  Throwing his head back, Julian hissed as the head of Jack’s cock breached his hole. It stung—Jack was fucking huge—but it was a good pain, and he enjoyed the burn.

  “Fuck, you’re tight.” Above him, Jack had stilled, eyes closed.

  Julian could not wait a second longer to have Jack’s prick seated inside him, all the way. He planted his heels on the bed and angled his pelvis upward, bearing down until Jack’s balls rested against the curve of his ass. An inhuman sound escaped his lips and Jack curled his fingers into Julian’s hips, swearing under his breath.

  Half-mad with need, it was all Julian could do to keep breathing. “God, Jack, move.” God knew Julian couldn’t—not much, anyway. He didn’t have much leverage with his feet just barely touching the mattress.

  Jack’s eyes snapped open again, a hint of amusement seeping through the lust that was so blatantly written there. He reached upward and grabbed one of Julian’s hands, pressing the palm flat on the bed, and leaned over, trapping Julian’s cock between them. A frisson of energy shot through Julian as the movement caused Jack’s dick to brush across his prostate. “You are so bossy,” Jack said, sliding his cock slowly back out and snapping his hips forward again.

  Biting back a groan of pleasure, Julian did his best to follow the movement, but he was effectively trapped by Jack’s greater mass.

  “More, Jack. Move, Jack. Fuck me harder, Jack,” Jack mocked, keeping up the steady and slow pace as Julian thrashed and arched below him, trying anything to get him to speed up. God, even his voice was hot—especially when he was right up close like that. “Quit your whining,” he commanded, licking a wet path up Julian’s neck to his ear that went straight to his groin, “and take it like a man.” Jack angled his thrust upward, striking Julian’s prostate and sparking a long moan.

  “Make me,” he gasped, using whatever leverage he could to match Jack’s every movement.

  That was all it took to break Jack’s tenuous control. Eyes like storm clouds, Jack let loose, pounding Julian’s ass furiously. Julian’s breath came shallowly as every thrust seemed to strike his prostate just right, sending bolts of electricity over his spine. Noises of encouragement spilled from his lips without his permission, along with words that would have made him blush in any other circumstance. His head fell back against the pillow, and his cock leaked steadily against his stomach.

  Jack continued slamming into him, punctuating each advance with a small groan. He nipped sharply at Julian’s lips and he reached a hand between them, grasping his erection in still-slick fingers, and Julian cried out at the contact. His hips seemed to move of their own accord, rising up to meet Jack’s own, driving him closer and closer to orgasm.

  Leaning down, Jack covered his mouth in a sloppy kiss, then flicked his thumb across the head of Julian’s cock and latched his mouth to his neck. “Come on, Doc. Come for me.”

  It was all too much. Julian’s whole body tensed, curving right off of the bed, mouth open, eyes closed, toes curling. His whole body shook as he came and hot, sticky semen shot all over their chests and stomachs. Distantly, he heard Jack cry out, felt his cock pulsing in his ass as he followed Julian into oblivion.

  Breathing erratically, Jack managed to pull himself together enough to withdraw from Julian’s body and tie off the condom. Then he nudged Julian to the side and practically collapsed next to him, saying nothing.

  God. Julian didn’t blame him. It had been a long time since he had had sex like that, and he didn’t think he had ever been quite so lost to sensation. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

  Beside him, Jack seemed equally at a loss, or else he just didn’t know what to say. What was there to be said, anyway?

  “Holy shit,” Julian finally admitted. Jack snickered. After a few long seconds Julian made a whiny sound and reached for the box of Kleenex next to the bed, then wiped up the seed he’d managed to splash liberally over both of them.

  The two of them lay there a long time without moving. A muscle cramp tried to start in Julian’s thigh, but he wasn’t having any of it, and wiggled it until it went away. He was going to be sore tomorrow, that was for sure. And it would be worth every pulled muscle and suspicious bruise.

  There was a noise like a giant diesel engine firing and he forced himself to open his eyes and look down at himself in disbelief. God, he hadn’t realized how much of an appetite he’d worked up. They never did really have lunch.

  “Jesus Christ,” Jack said, obviously impressed. “Was that your stomach?”

  Julian’s stomach repeated itself. “I think that was a yes,” he said, flopping back down. His voice sounded like he’d been screaming for a solid hour, which was close enough to the mark. He swallowed a few times, trying to get rid of the raspy feeling. “God, I’m starving, but I do not ever want to move.”

  Jack snickered again. He didn’t seem like he was in a rush to go anyplace himself, which was a bit of a relief, though Julian was unsure how long it’d last. He was willing to bet Jack, too, had worked up quite an appetite, and not just for food. “Think my jeans are dry yet?”

  Julian turned to face him, smiling distantly. “If they aren’t yet, they may never be again. It’s been almost three hours.”

  “I would say that the time for lunch has passed.” Jack’s stomach put in its own assessment, agreeing with Julian’s. “You don’t happen to have any real food squirreled away?”

  Sitting, Julian shook his head. “Nope. Roz wasn’t supposed to let me sleep so late. I mean, she wasn’t supposed to let me sleep until eleven-thirty, never mind one. I wanted to go to the grocery store, see if there was anything good.” He glanced around the room, flushing. She’d done well, though. Strawberries, chocolate, sparkling wine…. “Not that Roz didn’t do a fantastic job or anything.”

  “Can’t fault her taste,” Jack agreed. “Is she always this manipulative?”

  “Only when it’s in your best interest,” Julian said honestly. He was going to have to make her an e
xtra special dinner, or something. He noticed Jack watching him appreciatively as he stood, stretching. Yeah, he was going to be sore tomorrow, all right. That was fine by him. Unfortunately, there was still dinner to think of, and since Roz hadn’t bought any actual food…. “I don’t suppose I can take you out for dinner instead? I feel bad for not feeding you.”

  “Oh, believe me, I was plenty satisfied anyway.” Jack stood up, knees cracking a bit, and stretched out. Julian’s mouth watered a little. “Dinner out it is,” Jack agreed, running a critical eye over himself in the mirror on the inside of the closet door. “Do you mind if I borrow your shower for a minute first?”

  JULIAN DIDN’T move when he heard the door slam, announcing Roz’s arrival back at home. He stayed right where he was, nice and comfortable and warm, and pulled his knees in a little closer. All right, maybe he wasn’t exactly comfortable; he had a couple of pretty good muscle aches going, especially his abs. He just wasn’t ready to move yet. Moving seemed to be the only thing he’d done all day.

  Dinner with Jack had gone reasonably well. Brenda’s hadn’t been very busy, four-thirty being a bit early for the dinner crowd. They’d sat in the booth by the window, which made Jack squirm a bit. He was pretty obviously not ready to be outed, which didn’t bother Julian too much since the only people in the entire town who knew without a doubt that he was gay were Roz, Dan and the pub owner herself. Aside from the squirming, though, they’d had a good time. Julian had no real reason to be running through today’s events over and over in his mind, no justification for the slightly sick feeling in his stomach.

  Or at least he hadn’t, until Jack had dropped him back off at home again, and the same awkward tension that had been running between them for two weeks returned with a vengeance. Jack had pulled up at the back door, flashed Julian a wicked smile, and thanked him for lunch. Julian had laughed it off at the time—he hadn’t had much choice, really—but the fact that Jack hadn’t kissed him good-bye seemed fairly indicative of what he could expect in terms of future encounters.

  He shouldn’t have been surprised. Hell, he shouldn’t have been bothered; he’d certainly suspected Jack to be the love ’em and leave ’em type. He didn’t have to like being right.

  “Julian?” Roz called from the kitchen. There was a muffled thump as she set something down on the kitchen table. “You home, little brother?”

  He debated whether to say anything. If he did, he’d have the benefit of her advice and perspective, which usually made him feel better; on the other hand, he’d probably have to fend off some personal questions in order to get there. If he didn’t, there was no telling how long he’d be sitting there in the dark before his mood improved—if it ever did.

  He was saved from having to make the decision when Roz appeared in the living room, purse clutched in one hand. She dropped it when she saw him. “Julian?” She took another step toward him. “Should I bother asking why you’re sitting here in the dark?”

  She didn’t seem to expect an answer, because she didn’t wait for one. Instead, she crossed over to the gas fireplace and flicked it on, then toed off her shoes and left them in the middle of the room before squishing down beside him. “It’s cold in here,” she commented, making a show of shivering before wrapping both arms around him and leaning her head on top of his. “Tell me what happened.”

  Relaxing against her, Julian felt some of the tension ease away. “What do you think happened?” he said dryly. “What are you now, my pimp?”

  “I’m sorry, Julian. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard.”

  Julian shook his head slowly. “No, you were right. I needed you to, and I’m glad you did. God knows I can’t spend the rest of my life like I have the past year. I won’t make it to thirty if I do.” There were a fair number of friends scattered across various provinces who would attest to that.

  Roz’s arms tightened around him. “Don’t say that.”

  “It’s true, though. You saw what a mess I was last December. I couldn’t even get off my couch or choose something to watch on TV by myself. All I could think about was how Derek had cheated on me, how Richard had used me. Roz, if you hadn’t driven up to see me, I don’t want to think about what I might have done.”

  “Julian,” she said, more urgently this time. “What happened?”

  Sighing, he rolled his head so that he was facing the ceiling, leaning on her shoulder. “I’m not sure. We were having a good time until four o’clock or so—” Roz made a vaguely impressed noise. “—but then we got hungry. By the way, next time you go grocery shopping, could you pick up some actual food? Not that I don’t love strawberries and chocolate, but after a while I start to crave something a little more filling.”

  “Yeah, yeah, duly noted. You were saying?”

  Julian picked at the hole in his jeans. “We went out for dinner, for one thing. Roz, the man is so far in the closet I don’t know if he’ll ever come out. He hardly even looked at me. And the way Brenda was watching us, I’m sure she knew.”

  “Brenda’s always known about you, though, hasn’t she?”

  “Yes,” Julian agreed, “but I haven’t taken anyone there in years, you know? I could sort of tell that she wanted to say something to Jack. And I think maybe he noticed, too.”

  Roz seemed to weigh this for a moment. “Brenda’s not one to spread gossip. She only listens to it.”

  “I don’t think that’s the point. Not for him. I just….”

  Pulling back slightly, Roz wiggled until she could look into his eyes. “That’s not it. It’s something else that’s bothering you. Something that happened before, or after? Do I have to beat him up?”

  Sometimes it was nice, having a sister who could read your mind. Always, it was unnerving. In this case, it was also a little uncomfortable. “When he dropped me off again, it was just that. He went home to take care of his dog. No I’ll call you, no See you Wednesday. No good-bye kiss.” He stopped, unsure of how that sounded aloud. “God, I think I just spontaneously grew a uterus.”

  His sister nudged him with her elbow. “Julian. This is obviously a big deal for you. It’s okay to be upset.”

  “It’s just, I knew he wasn’t interested in anything permanent.” The explanation made more sense when he heard it spoken. “So I’m kicking myself for being disappointed.” He should have learned his lesson the first time.

  Roz wrapped her arms around him again comfortingly. “Believe me when I tell you that if he never asks you on a date, or walks you to the door, or kisses you good-bye, or falls hopelessly in love with you, it is his loss and you’re better off without him. But I’ll be really surprised if he doesn’t come around. Whatever else you want to say about him, Jack’s not stupid. Stubborn, maybe, but not stupid. He knows a good thing when he sees one.”

  “Thanks.” Julian didn’t exactly feel better, but he didn’t feel worse, either, and now that he’d voiced his thoughts he was no longer going around in circles trying to figure out where he’d gone wrong. “How come you’re home so late, anyway?”

  “Oh, now he wants to know about my day.” She smiled. “I popped out of work for an hour or two to get some actual groceries, so I had extra paperwork to catch up on. And I had to drop off my overdue library books. That satisfy your curiosity, Dad?”

  Julian raised his hands palms-out. “Hey, I’m just looking out for you.”

  “My hero.”

  “And don’t you forget it.” They sat together in the flickering firelight for a few moments more. “Thanks, Roz.”

  She squeezed his hand. “You’re welcome.”

  Chapter Nine

  JACK STROLLED into the recreation complex for his final physiotherapy appointment with a spring in his step despite the achy muscle in his left thigh. He thought he might have overextended himself a bit the night before, but he was happy enough with the results that he didn’t much care.

  He did feel bad about the way he’d treated Julian afterward, though. He’d been rude and insensitive, and he was
starting to realize, with a healthy mixture of fear, apprehension, dread, and reluctant excitement that he wished he’d asked for a second date, walked him to the door, kissed him good-bye or just taken the doctor home with him.

  Waving at the daytime receptionist, who raised both eyebrows at him inquisitively, Jack made his way past the double doors and opted to take the stairs up to the second level, wanting to stretch out the kinks in his leg before starting physio.

  It was about three o’clock in the afternoon, and he was a few minutes early for his appointment with Roz. Still, the airy room that served as a waiting room for physiotherapy patients was empty, not to mention equipped with an especially fancy coffeemaker. Jack walked in and poured himself a cup, inhaling the delicious scent.

  He never even heard the door open behind him.

  “You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve.”

  Jack whirled around so fast the hot coffee sloshed over the edge of the cup, burning his fingers. He dropped the cup, sticking his fingers in his mouth. “Fuck! Roz, what the hell? You just about gave me a heart attack!”

  “I’ll try harder next time!” she snarled, stalking into the room. The door slammed shut behind her. Shit, she was definitely hacked off. Her green eyes flashed, and he was suddenly aware that this was no small woman—at 5’ 10”, Roz was just an inch shy of Julian’s height—and that it was her job to be in excellent shape. Not to mention, she knew about his recent injury. If she really wanted to kick his ass, he doubted he’d be able to stop her without causing them both serious bodily harm. The bottom dropped out of Jack’s stomach. He knew just what he was in trouble for. “Who the hell do you think you are?” Her eyes lit on the bouquet he’d set on the waiting room table and her voice went dangerously quiet. “Are those for me?”

  Jack doubted there was anything he could say that wouldn’t get him into deeper trouble. “I brought them to thank you for yesterday,” he said, holding his ground through sheer force of will. “It was really sweet of you to go to all that trouble—”