Ringo, Slippery Banana: A Beautiful Love Story (Iron Orchids Book 7)

by Danielle Norman

  “Way to change the subject.”

  “Yeah, we established that we are both on the same page and we are committed, it’s time for the next step.” I barely recognized my own voice, it was huskier than normal. I reached once more for Alex. This time I wanted to take the lead. Returning to a more determined focus, a feeling of, I’ve got this under control, I rolled his shirt up, my hands noticeably shaking. “You have some color above your eyes.”

  “Eyeshadow,” Alex stated. “I’ll teach you all about makeup even if you never wear it.” I laughed at that idea. “Stay right where you are.” Alex got up and raced to his room before coming back with a box slightly larger than a sunglasses case.

  “What’s that?”

  “Necessities if we’re doing what I hope we’re doing.” He set the box on the nightstand.

  Alex was still standing, so I returned my attention to undressing him and he turned his focus to me. Our shirts were on the floor, followed by our shoes and then we were both kicking off our pants. He was still in his silky green boxers and I was in my plain old black boxer briefs as we climbed onto the bed.

  “I love you,” I whispered, not sure it was loud enough for him to hear me.

  Alex tucked one hand into my briefs and slid it around to squeeze my ass. “I knew that first day when you were all hot and peering over me, I said to myself, ‘Ringo, you’re gonna get that man.’ Guess what?”

  “What?” I asked, totally playing along.

  “I got that man and I’m in love with him.” I reached forward, and for the first time, I took the lead, rolling him onto his back and stripping his boxers off him.

  “Obviously I’ve never done this before, but I want to, with you,” I panted. Sweat was already beading across my forehead.

  “Open that box and pull out two condoms and the bottle of lube.” I followed Alex’s instructions.

  “We’re going to ease you into it—or rather, ease me into you.” Alex laughed. I couldn’t believe he was making jokes. Wait, yes I could. “Roll onto your stomach.” I did as he asked and sighed at the feeling of warm kisses trailing up and down my back and across my shoulders while Alex’s hand lightly kneaded my butt cheeks. “Grab the bottle of lube next to your hand, and squeeze some into mine if you can, please.” Alex’s left hand came across my shoulder, and he held it out.

  “Tell me when,” I asked as I squeezed.

  “Just a drop is all we need.” He pulled his hand back and then slowly returned to gliding his hand over and between my cheeks. With each swipe, he separated me more and more. My tension released, and I was relaxed. “That’s it, just enjoy what I’m doing.” Alex slid one finger back and forth, inching closer to my rectum.

  “I like this a lot,” I practically purred. “I need to tell you, or at least I think I need to tell you that I’ve used a prostate massager.”

  “Are you telling me that this hole”—he rubbed a finger over mine—“has been traversed?” He laughed.

  “I guess so, but not by a person unless you’re counting me,” I said, somewhat embarrassed by this blunt honesty.

  “Oh, my Coop, we just kicked up our evening festivities a notch.” Alex grabbed a condom and slid it onto my rock-hard cock. “First, this way.”

  Alex rolled onto his knees and grabbed several pillows to stack under him.

  “Hold on.” I jumped off the bed and raced to my bathroom, returning with towels. Okay, I was a neat freak. What could I say? Quickly returning to the bed and before resuming my position, I laid one towel under us, then made my way behind Alex, splaying my hands across his back and admired the stark beauty of our skin tone differences. It was just one of the many ways we were different, yet so alike.

  I grabbed hold of the lube and squirted some in my palm. I let it sit there and warm to my body temperature while I closed the lube and set it back on the nightstand.

  After rubbing my slick hands over my sheathed cock and then over Alex’s puckered opening, I wiped the remaining off on the towel before grabbing hold of his lean hips and easing into him. “Oh my god . . .” I groaned out.

  “Tilt my hips back,” Alex instructed, but it came out as encouragement.

  I did as requested and then pulled back and slid in again.

  “Yes,” we both cried in unison.

  “That’s how you hit the prostate.” Alex was breathing hard. “Go, go faster, please. I want you to go wild.”

  I did as ordered and pumped forward again and again.

  I shook my head to get my sweat-drenched hair out of my eyes.

  My hips were on autopilot. My thighs slapped against Alex’s, my pelvis against his ass and the sound of sex, our sex, filled the room and probably the entire house.

  “Coop, honey, I can’t hold back,” Alex cried out.

  I let the sounds of our sex fill my ears. The eroticism of it took me over the precipice and before I knew it, I was thrusting deep, again, and again, each thrust accompanied by another stream of release.

  Bending forward, I wrapped one hand around Alex and lightly massaged him. It was all I needed to know. I had satisfied him too.

  Dash

  I hated waking up Wednesday morning and having to untangle myself from Alex. For the past two days, we barely left my—scratch that, our room. But I had to go to work.

  “Hey Dash!” Everly hollered. I held up one hand to ward her off. I wasn’t ready to talk until I spoke to the captain.

  I stashed an extra change of clothes in my locker then grabbed a cup of coffee before knocking on Captain Harding’s door.

  “Come in, Dash,” Harding called out. “I’m relieved to see you. I wondered if you were just going to call out and not return.”

  “I wouldn’t do that. I agreed to Wednesday and here I am.”

  “I wanted to be the first to let you know that Kevin has been transferred to station fifty-two. Your new partner will be Sarah Pennington from house fifty-seven; she is a damn good person.”

  “I know Sarah, she is an amazing person.” I bit the inside of my cheek while I got my words together.

  “We had to do a lot of juggling to find a place that we could put Kevin. The chief and captain of house fifty-five are having a talk with him as we speak.”

  I couldn’t understand why they were putting him anywhere, because he didn’t need to be working with people. “I appreciate that, I do. But, it still keeps him in our battalion, and we will still run into each other on occasion.”

  “Dash, I want you to know that in no way do I condone Kevin’s behavior. I wish that you would’ve come to me earlier. I value you as a member of our department, this battalion, and more importantly, this house. I want to keep you here. I want to keep you on my squad.” Captain lifted his glasses for a second to massage the pressure point where his nose and eyes intersected. “Kevin has been demoted and put on final warning–I don’t believe he will be a bother again. I truly hope after hearing all of what I’ve told you today, you decide to stay with us.” Captain had his hands folded on his desk, he steepled his index fingers and stared at them as if they held the Holy Grail.

  “I would like to stay here, but what about what happened on Sunday? What are the ramifications for it?” What I really wanted to know was how much was going on my permanent record for future raises and promotions.

  “What happened Sunday? I spoke to every one of your squad members, and no one saw a thing, just you and Kevin arguing. Anything else?” Cap raised one brow.

  “Nope, gotta get to work.” I stood, holding out my hand. “Thank you, Captain Harding.”

  “You’re welcome.” As he took my hand and we shook.

  I left his office and was engulfed by Sarah Pennington. “Partner. Now, you can’t say that I won’t have your back.”

  “Nope, I can’t.”

  “Thank you,” Mac called out.

  “For what?” I asked.

  “For getting Kevin out of here. I hate the shit he put you through, and I’m glad he’s gone. I kept waiting for the c
aptain to overhear him. Those comments about being gay wouldn’t have flown with him.” Mac leaned in closer. “Did he talk with you?” I nodded. “No, I mean like share things with you?”

  “Lucas?” That was all I was going to say, in case Mac and I were on two different topics.

  “Yeah, good you know. See? None of us give a damn.”

  The alarm went off and Mallory’s voice came over the loud speaker. “All medical units needed at Rosalind and East Central, Pride parade staging area. Mass casualty.” We ran for our medical bags and trucks, Sarah following behind me as we connected our radios to our belts and slid the earpieces in. Mallory was still giving details as we were flying down the road and through traffic. My heart was racing; Alex was there today because Bananas had a float in the parade. I snagged my phone and dialed him.

  It rang. “Please answer, please.” It continued to ring. “Alex, please, if you truly love me you will answer this damn phone.” His voice mail picked up. I hung up and tried again.

  Voice mail.

  We pulled up to the area, several other stations had already arrived and were transporting the injured to the hospital. I raced into the crowd, looking for who I could help first, and someone slammed into me.

  “Cooper.” Alex hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe and was letting me go just as quickly.

  “God, you’re safe.”

  “Ivanna and Fuchsia aren’t. Help them, please,” Alex begged.

  “Where are they?”

  “Over here.” Sarah and I followed Alex as he led us around a float that had been pushed into the two drag queens.

  I glanced to my left and saw Kevin working, which forced me to admit that it couldn’t have been him.

  “Need help over here,” I said into the radio. “Two backboards.” I stared at Calliope. “Go meet the two EMTs heading over here with backboards, show them where we are. Their names are Mac and Darren.” Calliope raced off.

  “Ivanna, Fuchsia, can you hear me?”

  “Yes.” Fuchsia’s word was labored.

  “Ivanna, how about you? Ivanna.” When she didn’t respond my fear increased. “Let’s get two c-spines on them STAT. Where are those backboards?” I hollered out. “Fuchsia, can you tell me where you hurt?”

  “Stomach,” she moaned.

  “Okay, I’m going to help you.” I glanced over my shoulder, looking for Mac and Darren.

  “Ivanna, if you can hear me”—I placed my hand in hers—“move your fingers.” But nothing, no movement. “Was everyone this bad off?” I asked of anyone.

  Alex nodded. “Yes. This is all my fault. He was after me.”

  “Who was?” I asked.

  Alex glanced at Sarah and studied her for a second while I kept working on Fuchsia. “When he crashed his Jeep into the floats, he set off his airbag and couldn’t get out of the mess before there were people grabbing him and beating the shit out of him with their heels.”

  “Who was it?” I asked again, this time more firm.

  “Eddie.”

  Sarah looked up. “Eddie that I went out with? That Eddie?” Alex nodded.

  “You mean Kevin’s best friend?” I asked. Alex nodded again.

  “Don’t tell me he’s still pissed because he acted like a jerk, since you didn’t have what he wanted on the menu, and the girls forced him to leave.”

  Alex nodded again and whispered, “It’s been him this whole time.”

  Mac and Darren arrived with gurneys instead of backboards. Enrique, Everett, and two other firemen were right on their heels. We worked together to strap Fuchsia and Ivanna onto the gurneys and started rolling them toward the trucks.

  “Text me all of the details you know about them, real names, birth date, etc., so I can add it to the forms for the hospital. Gotta run. See you at home. I love you, glad you’re safe.” I raced off, jumped into the truck, and started writing everything that Sarah read off my text message from Alex onto the medical forms.

  I walked into the house the next morning totally exhausted, and found Alex on the couch sound asleep.

  Since he didn’t stir, I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, letting the steam fill the room before I stripped and stepped in. Hanging my head in front of the showerhead, I let the hot water beat against the tight muscles in my neck and shoulders.

  “I love that position,” Alex purred.

  “You’re supposed to be asleep.”

  “Not once I heard the shower come on.”

  “I was so worried about you; I can’t explain how it felt for those minutes not knowing if you were part of the mass casualties that had been reported. I don’t want to feel like that again.”

  “Do you want to break up then?”

  I stepped out of the shower stall, so I could hear him better. “No, why would you think that?”

  “The only way to avoid those kinds of feelings is to stop being in love. There are always going to be things, for me too. The first time there is a wildfire and you are working nonstop and the news reports about firemen being injured.”

  “I know, I just hate it. I’ve never felt this”—I patted my chest—“ache before.”

  “Hang on then, I can make you feel a lot of different aches.” Alex winked.

  I shook my head because the guy could turn anything into sex.

  “Hand me the soap and turn around.” I did as requested and let out a long breath as his hands rubbed soap over my back and massaged my tired muscles. “Callum came by yesterday.”

  “And . . .”

  “He gave me back my mailbox key and said I could go home whenever I wanted. They got everything they needed from Eddie. He gave full confessions to the shooting, setting your house on fire, and driving his truck into the parade float.”

  “And this was because you kicked him out of Bananas? Seems a little over the top, doesn’t it?”

  “There’s more to it, seems it all stems from that minister Kevin brought up to the hospital. I guess he is some backwoods, radical evangelical, who preaches to his congregation about the damnation of homosexuality.”

  I was floored. “I guess he missed the part in seminary where they teach that hate is wrong.”

  “Guess so. Anyway, that minister also runs some sort of camp for the LGBT community. Supposedly, he can ‘ungay’ you or whatever.”

  “I hate to think of what goes on in his camp.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Alex set the soap on the tray, and I rinsed off before turning off the water and grabbing two towels.

  “You know, today is July first, exactly one month since the day we met,” I said as I handed him one of the towels.

  “I know, and just think of the way your world has been turned upside down.” Alex grinned.

  “Yeah, think about it. I know that I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Me neither.”

  “Maybe this is too soon and if it is, tell me.” I wrapped my towel around my waist and paused to watch Alex’s reaction. “I know that you can move back to your apartment. But why? Why not stay here? Let’s make this our house. Or we can sell it and find another one. I don’t care. I only know that I don’t want us sleeping or living in separate places.”

  “Really? You would be okay with me and fuck-flaps over there staying with you full time?”

  “Absolutely. I’m in love with you, Alex. I know it was fast. But in one month, you have changed me. I’m out and proud, I’m in love, and I’m asking you to move in with me. Let’s give this thing, this couple thing a go. I think we can be one of those long-lasting couples.”

  “An everlasting love,” Alex whispered. “It can be our wedding song, ‘An Everlasting Love.’”

  “Wait, shouldn’t I propose first? Like maybe after you’ve moved in and we’ve given it some more time?”

  “Pfft, you know we’re going to end up getting married, so just roll with it. I’m right. I always am. Might as well go ahead and learn that now.” Alex bent forward and kissed the tip of my nose.
“I’m going to go get dressed and then move what clothes I have here into our room.”

  Alex turned and headed toward the door. “Alex?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  “I know, what’s not to love? Oh, and, Cooper, I absolutely love you.”

  Epilogue

  Dash

  Six months later . . .

  I stood in the bedroom, which was where I had been sentenced to stay until it was time. George and Christine Christakos had sort of adopted Alex, and in turn, they adopted me. It was why we were having our ceremony at what I referred to as the Christakos Compound. My sister, Everly, and Stella were standing with me. Stella and I had grown super close since our time watching over Alex together. I would have been okay had it been just me, but no, Alex wanted bridesmaids and a flower girl—or, in our case, flower girls. Needless to say, they were all in a different color of the rainbow. He planned this, not me.

  I was attempting to fold my bowtie, wondering for the tenth time why we didn’t choose clip-ons, when the door opened. I turned, expecting my sister, Everly, or Stella, but to my shock, it was my father.

  “You came.”

  “Of course, you’re my son, and I don’t want to miss your wedding.”

  I fought to hold back the tears that were building.

  “I know that you asked your mom, but it is sort of the dad’s responsibility, so if you don’t care, your mom and I thought that we could both walk you down the aisle. If that’s okay with you?”

  Okay, a tear broke free. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  “You sure? This is your day, and I just want to be part of it.”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I’ve only ever wanted you as a part of my life.”

  Neither of us said anything for a few seconds, then he rocked back on his heels. “Okay, then, I guess I’ll see you out front.” My dad moved back toward the door, but I stepped forward.

  “Dad, wait.” He paused, turning just enough to see me without actually facing me. “Why now? You’ve hated the fact that I was gay, so why this one-eighty on my wedding day?”