Steve shook his head. “They might be trying to dig a new well or something, but they obviously don't know what they're doing.”
“I think they're planting zombies,” Fred said.
“It's not only that stuff,” Nell picked up again. “They're pulling apart pieces of the cabin, and once I was sitting out on the dock late at night, and heard all kinds of weird noises coming from over there.”
Steve stood to toss his bottle in a garbage can and get another beer. “That's true. There was a lot of hammering and some squealing and stuff that might have been power tools.”
“Oh, they're just hiding the bodies,” Honey said. “No big deal.”
“Sounds like remodeling,” I said.
“I think that's the most logical explanation,” Steve said, “but it doesn't exactly look like it from what I've seen.”
“But then why would they care about keeping everyone away from there?” Nell added.
This was starting to sound suspiciously like work to me, and I had far better things to do with my week than getting roped into sniffing out the neighborhood mystery. I had no idea whether Ruth had told Honey what I did for a living, but I wasn't taking any chances.
“So, Ruth said there's a fall fest going on this weekend?” I tossed out.
“Oh, yeah,” Nell said. “It's a lot of fun. I mean, it's not a huge deal, but there's food trucks and art vendors and a beer garden, and live music all day. We're planning to go.”
“Sounds great,” I said.
Seth nodded. “I could do that.”
We hung out for a while longer, but Seth had taken to sitting especially close and “accidentally” brushing my leg or breathing in my ear. I was beginning to lose my cool, and it was time to head back. Eventually, we thanked them for letting us join in, and said our goodnights.
* * * *
At the cabin, we made sure everything was put away, and locked the doors. I turned out the lights in the living room, leaving only a lamp in the bedroom and the light in the kitchen. Then I switched on the radio and threw Seth my best come and get me look.
He gave me a calculating smirk and said, “What about this sink full of dirty dishes?”
I peeled off my shirt and threw it on the floor.
Seth shook his head and sighed wistfully. “I know how you hate to leave those undone.”
“You can do them.” I popped open the button of my jeans and unzipped the fly, then pulled out one of the dining chairs and sat down. “I'll just watch from here.” I held his gaze and took a long drink of my beer. I'd known that move to get his motor running before, and the look on his face was pure lust, but the little shit actually turned his back on me and twisted on the faucet. That was okay by me; the drawn out tease was certainly getting my motor going.
I slipped my hand down the front of my jeans and started to stroke myself. Nothing major, just enough to have some fun and get Seth's attention. I let my breath get heavy and moaned softly. Seth froze and sighed for real this time.
“Yeah, okay, fuck the dishes,” he said, shutting the water off. He came around and slid onto the table, watching me with rapt attention. “Dude, that is...hotter than hell.”
I smiled lazily. “Take your shirt off.”
He not only did it, but unbuttoned his jeans and started playing with himself the way I was. We locked eyes and watched each other, but we were setting ourselves up for another battle of wills. I was done playing games.
I drained the last of my beer and set the bottle on the table, then leaned forward to slide my hands along Seth's thighs. I looked up at him and his breath hitched. The tension between us thrilled me and I had no desire to rush things. I tipped my head back and gave a little jerk of my chin so he'd bend down and kiss me. His mouth was hot and his breath ragged. He was getting a bit too into it already, so I pulled his hand away from his dick and stood up. He moaned in protest, but let me do it, and willingly bared his neck for me when I dipped my head to kiss him.
I eased him onto his back and he hooked one leg around my hip and rested his other foot on the chair. “Fuck, Dino, I like it when you're not so hard to get.”
“Oh, you're not gettin' me for a while yet,” I told him, mouthing a path along his collarbone.
“Shit,” he groaned. “I should have known better.”
“Yep, you should have.”
I stretched out over him, bare chest to bare chest, and kissed him long and hard, letting the tension build. He felt so damn good under me. I shifted to get closer and felt my dick graze his. Seth gasped and I shuddered. I considered doing him right there on the table. It would have been so easy, so tempting. I grasped his thigh, but forced myself to take a deep breath. I still wanted more time.
It was a perfect opportunity to torture Seth. I rocked my hips just enough to brush against him again. He bucked eagerly, looking for more, and tried to get up.
“Oh, no you don't.” I held him down and teased my cock along his with slow and idle deliberation. Hard enough to feel good, but light enough to keep us from getting anywhere. When he squirmed too much, I tightened my grip.
“You know when we finally get going, I'm gonna get even, right?” he panted.
“You think so?” I stroked my hands across his chest and thumbed a nipple, which made him arch his back. “I could do this all night.”
“Prick.”
“You love it.”
“I love getting laid. Not the pale, wilted imitation of maybe getting laid sometime next week.”
I timed the next thumb stroke to match the roll of my hips, forcing another moan out of him. “Liar.”
“That's it,” he said, twisting free and pushing off the table. He crowded in against me, shoving me along. “Get in the bedroom. Now.”
He didn't let up until my legs hit the bed and I toppled right onto it. Then he was on me, all mouth and hands and insistent, driving hips. I moaned and wrapped my arms around him, arching to meet his body and wallowing in the heady sensation of his warm skin. I tangled a hand in his hair and made him focus some of his energy into kissing me, which he did, with messy determination, until neither of us could breathe.
He broke away panting, and butted his forehead against my temple, rubbing like a cat. “Oh, my God,” he gasped. “I can't believe we wasted all those years not fucking each other.”
“You'd be dead now,” I said. “You gotta slow down a little.”
“No, I don't.”
“Yeah, you do,” I told him, using the distraction to flip him onto his back. He started to fight me, and I had to move quickly to pin him down. We were pretty evenly matched. I was bigger, but he had more muscle and it was never a sure thing who would get the upper hand. He struggled hard, but I covered him with my body and caught his earlobe in my mouth. “Have I ever left you hangin'?”
“You're the biggest fucking tease I've ever met.” He gasped and leaned into the kiss. A flick of my tongue made him pause and shudder, but he added, “Including girls.”
“Hmm,” I mused, sucking on his neck. “I guess I'm gonna have to prove you wrong.”
My plans for a slow, sensual build were shot anyway, and I was seized with a sudden desire to tame Seth's wild energy. I bit his neck and got up so I could kick off my jeans and grab a condom from my bag. Seth pushed onto his elbows, all set to complain, but when he got a look at what I was doing, he licked his lips and his eyes got about as dark as I'd ever seen them.
On my way back, I stopped to yank his pants the rest of the way off and threw them on the floor, then I knelt over him and shoved him back down on the bed.
“Fuck, yes,” he groaned slowly, a smile touching the corners of his mouth.
Seth loved it hard and rough, which had never really been my style, but I was growing more used to the idea, and could usually meet him at least halfway. There were times, though, when he managed to touch off the same spark in me and I’d get a taste of just what it was that drove him. At those times, it was a rush to know he could take whatever I dish
ed out. It was win-win, because for the next few days he'd be pretty mellow and I’d get my kinder and gentler groove on then.
I squeezed some lube in my hand and slicked him up fairly aggressively. “Do I feel like a tease now?”
“Yes,” he said, rocking his hips against me. “You better have game to go with that.” He watched me with burning eyes, more than ready. Quite frankly, so was I.
I managed to get the condom on, and shoved into him with one slow, steady thrust. He let out a gasp that was half laugh and half moan, and arched his back, clutching at the blankets with his fingers. “Fuck, Dino, holy shit...”
“Yeah, how about now?” I held him pinned there, and leaned over him, smoothing a hand over his chest and chucking him under the chin.
He tried to answer, but couldn't quite catch his breath and shook his head instead. I drove into him again and his mouth fell open. Then he was clawing at my hips, egging me on and demanding more. I fucked him hard and just fast enough to keep him gasping and moaning. He felt so good and looked so wanton, I was in the same state myself. Knowing I did that to him made it even better. I wasn't going to last very long at the rate we were going, so I wrapped a hand around his dick and stroked him roughly. He cried out and came with an intensity that made my head swim. He was outstandingly gorgeous when he lost it, and watching him was enough to put me over the edge. I gave into it and thrust with barely restrained need until I ran out of breath and had to drop to my elbows before my arms gave out on me altogether.
When I could finally see straight, I eased off and cleaned us up. Seth lay on the bed, spent and languid, but alert as he watched me. “You're fucking amazing when you cut loose,” he said.
“I'm amazing all the time.” I stretched out next to him and kissed his shoulder. Now he was gonna play by my rules, and I pulled him into my arms, stroking a hand along his side and over his hip. He curled up with me and we necked until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore and it was time to go to sleep.
Chapter 2
The next morning, I woke to find Seth shivering and swearing while he stomped around the bedroom. “What the hell are you doing?” I asked. I glanced at the clock on the dresser. It was only seven thirty.
“It's so motherfucking cold in here I couldn't sleep.” He stuffed his arms into the sleeves of a sweatshirt and pulled it on before reaching for a hoodie he had draped on the chair.
“Welcome to the north,” I said, throwing back the covers. I dressed in warm clothes and went out to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee and get a fire started in the fireplace. Seth huddled behind me, and I said, “It'll warm up pretty quick. Come here.” I turned and pulled him against my chest, holding him close while rubbing his back briskly.
He hummed and said, “What do you want to do today?”
“I thought we should get out on the lake, maybe do some fishing.”
“The fish are probably all frozen.”
“Makes them easier to catch,” I said, going to pour a cup of coffee.
Seth followed me and snagged a huge can of Rock Star out of the fridge, which I pulled from his hand and put back. Seth frowned, “What the hell?”
“You're not gonna get warm that way. If you're cold you should drink coffee.”
“Coffee tastes like shit.”
I put milk and an ungodly amount of sugar in the cup and said, “Try that. Trust me.”
He looked into it dubiously, but carried it and a chair over to the fireplace and hunkered down in front of the flames.
I made us a quick breakfast of toast and eggs, and then we scouted out the garage for tackle and fishing poles before heading down the path to the lake. There was a small dock with a pontoon boat tied to it, and a canoe and two kayaks overturned in the grass. Seth chose comfort over stealth and made a beeline for the pontoon boat, which I was inclined to agree with. I liked nature as much as the next guy, but I didn’t have to get up close and personal with it.
I tried the key and she revved to life without any problem, so we got everything squared away and motored out onto the lake. Seth rigged the poles while I cruised along the shoreline looking for good spot. The sun was out and a light breeze blew over the water. We drifted and fished for about an hour, and then Seth stretched out on one of the seats and went to sleep. It was about as peaceful as life gets. I put a bobber on my line so I wouldn't have to work too hard, and leaned back with my feet on the console, enjoying the weather and the quiet and the place on Seth's stomach where his shirt had ridden up. I admired him for a bit. He looked impossibly young when he was asleep.
I must have dozed off, because I didn't notice Seth was awake until he shifted on the seat and said, “Wow. They weren't kidding.”
“What are you talkin' about?” I asked, sitting forward and following his gaze.
“The freaky people diggin' up everything that doesn't move.”
We had drifted across the lake and were floating near the Masons’ cabin. Heaps of dirt littered the yard, some fresh and some smoothed over where they'd tried to fill the holes back in. The shed doors hung open, and tools, fishing poles and gardening equipment were scattered on the ground haphazardly. A ladder rested against one side of the cabin where the boards enclosing the eaves were crooked or hanging. Even the aluminum fishing boat at the dock looked like someone had ransacked it.
The back door slammed open. A guy, early thirties with a sleazy narrow beard, came charging down the slope and out onto the dock, hollering at us to the get the fuck away from his property. “I told you nosey, son of a bitch assholes to mind your own fucking business!”
“Hey, cool it, Jack,” I said. “We're just out fishing. We got no beef with you.”
“Whack job,” Seth muttered under his breath. “That's not suspicious at all.”
“Yeah, right! I've heard it all before.” The man ran back to the shore and scooped up several baseball sized rocks.
Seth got on his knees for a better look. “Is he...”
Sure enough, the psycho stomped back down to the end of the dock and hurled a rock at our boat, hitting the water a foot short. “You better get the fuck out of here if you know what's good for you,” he yelled.
“That's very mature,” I tossed back.
The next rock landed in the middle of the boat deck and bounced against our cooler. Seth narrowed his eyes and said, “Let me over there, I'll show that little fucker a few more things you can do with rocks.”
A third rock smashed into the side of the boat. It was time to get out of there before the scene got any more out of hand. “This is nuts,” I said, revving the engine and turning the boat to avoid another rock. For a small boat, it had decent power, and surged forward like a plow horse. I took us straight across the lake, rather than following the shore, and we could hear him shouting obscenities nearly half the way.
“Well, that was different,” Seth said, settling back and stretching his arms out along the back of the seat. “I feel like I'm in a Scooby Doo cartoon. Meddling kids.”
We reached the dock and were tying up when Guinness bounded out onto the dock, and Honey wandered down through the grass. “Catch anything?” she asked.
“No fish,” Seth said, “but we just caught hell from Nutty McFreakface over there.” He snatched the rock off the deck and tossed it in the air a couple times.
“Hey, I have one of those,” she said with a smile. “Good to see you boys are out making friends.”
“That guy is a menace,” I said, carrying the fishing poles and tackle box. “He oughtta be arrested. He hit the fucking boat. I checked out the hull, but there doesn't seem to be any damage. Maybe a scratch, but there are lots of those.”
Honey waved a hand. “Don't worry about it. That boat's been through a lot worse.”
Moving on to happier subjects, I asked, “So, where can a guy get a good burger and beer around here?”
“You can drive in pretty much any direction and hit a country bar,” Honey said. “They're all decent. Uncle Ryno's is a fun one.�
� She gave us directions and moved off to see what her dog was getting into.
* * * *
After lunch, we took our time on the drive home, exploring some of the back roads and enjoying the fall colors. The area was beautiful, a mix of forest and fields sprawling across endless rolling hills. We had passed a crumbling old barn when I noticed a sign for the road Ruth's cabin was on. This was most likely the opposite end from where we had come in before. I turned down it, hoping I was right and we could find our way home without a map. Around a bend, we came to a place where the cabins were much closer to the road, and I realized we were on the back side of the lake. I slowed and studied the cabins, mentally flipping the geography in my head.
Seth glanced at me sideways. “What are we doin', Dino?”
I came to a stop in front of the one I'd been looking for. “A guy throws rocks at me, I want to know who I'm dealing with.”
“Aw, man,” he said, slouching in the seat. “You know I will back your play here, but I would so much rather get laid than get a black eye right now.”
“No, no, nothing like that,” I told him as I backed up and parked the car in the shade of a big stand of trees. “This'll only take a minute.”
“Do you understand the concept of vacation?”
“Sure, I do,” I said, getting out of the car. “You just sit there and think mellow thoughts, because I want to get laid without getting a black eye, too.”
I walked along the road toward Mason's place, keeping to the tall grass by the ditch. The front side looked the same as the back, torn to hell and disheveled. Even the overgrown vegetable garden had been trashed. The garden provided a little more cover and let me get closer to the guy's car, which was my goal. I crouched down and pulled out my cell phone, zoomed in on the license plate, and snapped a couple pictures. I had no intention of getting into it with the guy, but I did want to know who he was.
When I slid back into the driver's seat, Seth grinned at me and shook his head. “You're incurable.”
* * * *
The sun had warmed the cabin nicely, which was ideal considering the afternoon I had in mind. I took Seth to the bedroom and showed him exactly what my idea of a vacation was. True to pattern, he was calm and lazy, and we spent an hour and a half that left me with an afterglow better than any beer buzz.
First Frost Page 25